StaywellMA

 As an African living in the West, I’ve found myself in the slow, intentional process of unlearning diet culture . This unlearning hasn’t been simple, because diet culture here in North America doesn’t just tell us how to eat — it tells us whose food is worthy, healthy, and legitimate. In Western wellness spaces , “healthy eating” is often framed through a narrow cultural lens. Certain foods are celebrated, researched, marketed, and elevated as superior, while others — especially foods from non-Western cultures — are dismissed as unhealthy, heavy, or indulgent. This framing is not neutral. It reflects power, history, and whose knowledge is considered credible. Growing up, the foods of my culture were never designed to fit Western food pyramids or wellness trends — yet they sustained generations. They were built on balance, seasonality, community, and survival. These foods nourished bodies long before they were filtered through calorie counts, macro ratios, or Instagram aesthet...