🟣 When "clean eating" becomes dirty thinking 👀

Well if it isn't my spicy little ginger snap! 🍪

Let's talk about anxiety.

From ages 6 to 18, I lived with daily panic attacks.

Not your garden variety "oh shit, I forgot to lock the front door" moments.

We're talking proper, full-blown panic attacks that became my unwanted bestie for 12 years straight.

But over time and lots of therapy I learned how to manage them.

And life started feeling less like a constant episode of Fear Factor.

But then...

I discovered "clean eating."

Oh, you know the type.

The "I only eat foods blessed by a monk under a full moon" brigade.

It started with bodybuilding.com forums and their infinite wisdom:

🙃 No carbs after 6pm (because apparently bread turns evil at sunset)

🙃 Clean eating only (whatever the fuck that means)

🙃 If it comes in a package, it's basically poison

I even tried jogging on the spot between squat sets would help me "build muscle and burn fat at the same time”.

(Spoiler alert: It didn't. I just looked like a tit.)

And what do you know?

The panic attacks crept back in like that ex who won't take the hint.

But here's the weird part - I didn't connect the dots at first.

I thought it was work stress.

Or maybe I'd been cursed by a vengeful witch

But nope.

Turns out when you're:

Checking every food label like it's a bomb disposal manual.

Declining social invites because "there won't be clean food".

Treating bread like it's your arch nemesis.

Your brain gets a bit... twitchy.

Because here's what nobody tells you about extreme dieting:

It's basically anxiety wearing a fancy "wellness" hat.

The constant worry about food choices.

The fear of "falling off track”.

The mental gymnastics of planning every meal.

It's exhausting.

And your brain? It notices.

These days, I eat the damn bread.

I have a gin and tonic when I fancy one.

And shock horror - I sometimes eat things that come in packets!

And would you believe it?

The anxiety fucked off again.

This is exactly why at Team Henley, we don't do:

❌ Banned foods

❌ Crazy restrictions

❌ Clean eating nonsense

Because getting in shape shouldn't feel like diffusing a bomb every time you open your fridge.

Want to know how we help our clients get results without turning their brain into anxiety soup?

>>> Join Team Henley

If you're currently deep in the clean eating cult, this isn't me judging you.

I've been there, done that, got the shitty t-shirt.

But there's a better way, I promise.

Big love,

Rachel 🥰