Clean eaters have fewer friends

Are your favorite Friday night snacks carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers topped with a generous dollop of hummus? There's really nothing wrong with that, you know. In fact, I enjoy it just as much. But for most girls' nights, it doesn't stop there. In my case, there are indeed healthy snacks on the table during a night of lounging on the couch, but ultimately it's a glass of wine, the cheese platter, and our favorite Tony bar that complete these kinds of evenings.

If it were up to the ‘Clean Eaters’, you know, the ladies and gentlemen who swear by natural, fresh seasonal and organic products and who are allergic to the deep fryer, the above crowd-pleasers wouldn't be on the table. They prefer to drink matcha tea and nibble on raw vegetables. Now you might think: that's totally okay, right? But research from the Journal of Eating Disorders shows that it does make a difference. Because as soon as processed food is off the menu, you might feel physically better within a few days, but mentally it does less for you. In fact, according to this research, it can cost you a large part of your social life. ‘This new research supports the hypothesis that there can be negative social consequences for people focused on extremely healthy eating,’ the researchers describe. But there's still a lot to investigate. Anyway, whether research has shown it or not, I say throw in that extra portion of bitterballen in the deep fryer this weekend, because food and friends is, in my opinion, the best combination ever.