When “All Foods Fit” No Longer Fits: Rethinking Recovery Through a Functional Nutrition Lens

In the eating disorder recovery world, the mantra “all foods fit” has long been a grounding principle — and for good reason. It’s a powerful antidote to fear-based food rules, diet culture, and the rigidity that often fuels disordered eating.

As someone who has worked in eating disorder recovery for almost 20 years, I deeply understand the healing power of food freedom and the importance of restoring a relationship with food based on trust, flexibility, and compassion. And I also know that healing doesn’t need to stop there.

Through my own personal health struggles — and diving into the world of functional and integrative nutrition — I came to see that for many people, especially those with a history of disordered eating, nourishment must evolve to include biological repair, not just behavioral recovery.

What became clear is this:

Food is not just about permission — it's about repair.

Incorporating functional nutrition has allowed me to honor the complexity of the human body. I’ve seen firsthand how unresolved gut issues, inflammation, food sensitivities, and immune imbalances can quietly sabotage long-term recovery — physically and emotionally.

This is where the conversation shifts.

🌱 The Shift from Inclusion to Intention

Early recovery is about reclaiming freedom and dismantling fear around food. But as clients begin to stabilize and grow more attuned to their bodies, new challenges may arise:

• Persistent bloating or gut discomfort

• Fatigue and brain fog

• Skin issues, headaches, or joint pain

• Blood sugar crashes or mood swings

These symptoms may be signs that deeper dysfunction is present — such as gut dysbiosis, food sensitivities, autoimmune activation, or chronic inflammation [1, 2].

In these cases, continuing to push a “just eat everything” mindset may delay healing.

🧬 Functional Nutrition Offers a New Lens

Functional and integrative nutrition allows us to ask:

• What is your body telling us?

• What systems need support?

• How can we use food as both nourishment and information?

It’s not about restriction for the sake of control. It’s about personalized healing — honoring what your body needs now, even if that means temporarily letting go of certain foods [3].

For example:

• Gluten may trigger immune responses in a client with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or genetic predisposition to celiac disease [4].

• Dairy may worsen symptoms in individuals with gut permeability or non-IgE mediated sensitivities [5].

• High-FODMAP foods (like garlic, onion, and legumes) may overwhelm a fragile digestive tract during early SIBO treatment [6].

🧠 But What About Orthorexia?

This is where nuance matters. Intent is everything.

Restricting food from a place of fear, punishment, or anxiety is not healing — it's a symptom.But choosing to remove a food to reduce symptoms, calm inflammation, or support gut repair is a therapeutic strategy— one that should be:

• Temporary

• Guided by a trained practitioner

• Focused on expansion over time

We’re not replacing one set of rigid rules with another. We’re working with the body — not against it [7].

🪀 What Recovery Looks Like Here

In this phase of recovery, food neutrality becomes food sovereignty.

Clients can learn to say:

“I choose not to eat this right now because I want to feel better — not because I’m afraid.”

That’s a powerful shift.

It’s not “disordered” to notice that certain foods don’t work for you — it’s intelligent self-awareness. Recovery isn’t just about eating the cookie. It’s also about knowing when the cookie causes chaos — and being able to trust your body’s feedback without spiraling into fear or guilt.

🌿 A New Definition of Freedom

Freedom isn’t just the ability to eat everything — it’s the freedom to feel good.

So, let’s retire the idea that recovery must always mean inclusion at all costs. Let’s embrace a model where food choices are made from informed self-awareness, not fear or dogma — whether from diet culture or recovery culture.

Because sometimes, the most supportive thing you can do for your body is to say:

“Not right now, and that’s okay.”

📚 References

1. Valdes et al. (2018). Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ, 361:k2179. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2179

2. Fasano A. (2012). Leaky gut and autoimmune diseases. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 42(1), 71–78.

3. Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Functional Nutrition Framework. https://www.ifm.org

4. Vojdani A., Tarash I. (2013). Cross-reaction between gliadin and different food and tissue antigens. Nutrients, 5(1), 77–90.

5. Arslanliev A. et al. (2023). Non-IgE-mediated food sensitivities and the role of food antigens in chronic inflammation. Nutrients, 15(4), 800.

6. Pimentel M. et al. (2020). ACG Clinical Guideline: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Am J Gastroenterol, 115(2), 165–178.

7. Kronberg R. (2018). How orthorexia hides in healthy lifestyles. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nourish/201801/orthorexia-how-it-hides-in-healthy-lifestyles