Happy Thursday, friend! I’ve got a yummy Cajun fish recipe for you today, but first I wanted to share my weekly update with you. Here’s the most popular post I had on Instagram this week, I hope it’ll inspire you!

Something that’s been challenging me lately is trying to straddle two different worlds in the health and nutrition field.⠀
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One of those worlds is the Paleo/ancestral health, “real food” community. The other is the self-love, “health at every size” community. Occasionally I’ll feel more drawn towards one or the other, but I truly see a lot of problems with both.⠀
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My beef with the Paleo community is the obsession with health and physical perfection. Obviously there are exceptions, but I find that so much of the rhetoric in that community is driving people towards obsession with their bodies and disordered behaviors around food and exercise.⠀
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But then the HAES and self-love community has its own issues. Many outspoken advocates make it seem like choosing your food even partially based on how it affects your health and your body size is disordered and oppressive.⠀
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So where does that leave me? Well, maybe I don’t have a “camp” to hang out in when it comes to the health world, but I can say a few things with certainty.⠀
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1. The food environment in this country is messed up. If you’re choosing foods based on how delicious they seem, there’s a big chance you’ll be negatively impacting your health and gaining unnecessary weight that might impact your quality of life. Our brains generally aren’t equipped to deal with self-regulation of these ultra-processed, nutrient poor foods.⠀
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2. Just because processed foods aren’t good to eat as the majority of your diet, doesn’t mean you can’t ever have them. You can enjoy “unhealthy” foods in moderation without guilt or shame.⠀
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3. Your health does impact your quality of life, and it’s generally a good idea to do your best to take care of your health in a reasonable way that fits your lifestyle.⠀
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4. Being perfectly healthy or ultra-fit doesn’t mean you’re going to have a better, more meaningful life. I know plenty of super-lean, super-healthy people who are miserable and empty.⠀
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5. You get to choose how you approach the question of diet. If generally eating Paleo makes you feel good, do it! If it makes you feel disordered and sad, don’t do it! Don’t let anyone else tell you how to live your life. 

How does this post resonate with you? Do you struggle to find the balance between intuitive eating and health conscious choices? Share your comments below!

And now if you’re hungry, here’s the #FedForReal recipe of the week! 🙂

Fed For Real
Recipe of the week:

Cajun Fish with Green Beans + Sweet Potato Wedges

A summer dish with Southern roots, this recipe will add spice to your weekly meal plan, Cajun style! These flavors work best with white fish but try to be savvy and pick the most sustainable varieties with the least exposure to chemicals and toxins.

Seafood Watch has a easy-to-use seafood guide for selecting the most beneficial varieties for you and the environment.

Get more great macro balanced recipes like this – along with shopping guides and meal planning tips – in our 14 Day Calorie Challenge!

Cajun Fish with Green Beans + Sweet Potato Wedges

Prep time: 10 min / Cook time: 40 min / Total time: 50 minutes

SERVES 2

1 serving =   703 calories, 26g fat, 42g protein, 76g carbs, 16g fiber

Ingredients

• 2 x 180g wild caught Alaskan Cod or sustainable white fish of choice
• 1TB Butter, grass fed – melted
• 1 TB Cajun spice (gluten free)
• 20 oz Sweet potatoes (2 large or 4 small) – peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 TB Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 slices Organic bacon – diced
• ½ white Onion, diced
• 1 clove Garlic – crushed
• 3 cups Green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 green Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
2. Brush the fish fillets with butter and season with cajun spice blend. Set aside in fridge to marinate while prepping the other ingredients.
3. Arrange sweet potato wedges on a large baking tray. Toss with 1 Tb of olive oil or oil of choice and season with salt ad pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium temperature and add the bacon slices. Cook until crispy then remove from heat.
5. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic, saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the green beans and bell peppers and cook until slightly soft and bright green. Toss through the bacon, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Squeeze over a wedge or two of lemon and season with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium and add the fish fillets. Cook for ~6-8 minutes, turning sides until cooked through.
7. Serve 1 fillet of fish with half the green bean salad and half of the sweet potato wedges.