Have you noticed that every possible way of eating has a label now? While it’s fantastic to see more people taking an interest in their wellbeing, these labels often come with strict rules. This set of criteria around what’s acceptable and what’s not may work for some but for others it simply isn’t sustainable.

When people ask me what to eat, I will often encourage them to explore what I fondly call “flexitarian eating”. This is all about listening to what will best serve your body, health, energy (note: this does not mean tastebuds rule the choice!), and even your spiritual practice. The concept of being a ‘flexitarian’ can be used by anyone. It simply means you don’t have stringent rules.

You might approach your nourishment with the idea that you have high standards. In other words, you don’t avoid that highly processed, sugar and preservative-laden snack because someone told you not to. Instead, you don’t eat it because it doesn’t serve your health or quality of life. In saying that, please always remember that it is what you mostly do that impacts your health, not what you do occasionally. Feeling guilty about the odd poor quality food choice does nothing for your health either.

Another flexible approach is what some like to call “zig and zag”. A “zig” meal is made up of nutrient-dense foods and no alcohol. A “zag” meal focuses more on the company you are in, being playful and relaxing. Zags are part of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. If this approach is going to serve someone’s health, I would guide them to zag once a week, or for three out of their 35 eating occasions in a week. For others, five zag occasions better suits them. That’s still 30 meals that are high quality nutritionally!

If you know you are going to your office party or friend’s birthday, that doesn’t mean the whole day is a write-off, yet so many people approach their life or health in this way! This also tends to ramp up over the Christmas and summer holidays period. With the increase in festivities, many people seem to throw nourishing choices out the window until all the celebrations are over and the new year’s resolutions kick in. Going to your festive celebrations is even more reason to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch and to follow up with nutrient-dense food choices the next day. You enjoy the zag, but when you live mostly as a zig, the zag takes very little toll on your overall wellbeing.

The way you take care of yourself needs to be sustainable. When you are kinder to yourself and put less pressure on fulfilling set criteria, you are more likely to make choices in your life that you can maintain. So if following rules feels like deprivation to you, or if you are just looking for a more sustainable approach to how you eat, give flexitarianism a try.

Nutritional biochemist Dr Libby Weaver (PhD) is a 13-times bestselling author and speaker. Her practical and supportive online courses have helped more than 10,000 women around the world find freedom from their health challenges. For more information go to drlibby.com