Bernard O'Shea: Butter bad, salad good? Health is about progress — not perfection
Moya Bernard Photograph Nolan O'shea
Like many of us, I categorised everything into neat little boxes of “good” and “bad,” believing I had the wellness formula all figured out.
Then, during a session with Jill Taylor, an online fitness and nutrition coach, she planted a little grenade of curiosity in my mind.
She asked a simple but loaded question: Why do you label things as ‘good’ or ‘bad’?
At first, I wanted to shout, “Because everyone says so!” But then it hit me: I had no idea why I thought the way I did.
It set off a spiral of research, soul-searching, and a fair amount of biscuit-related daydreaming. What I discovered was eye-opening.
Foods and exercises I had avoided for years weren’t just OK — they were downright beneficial. Turns out, I’d been making life harder for myself all along.
Humans love a good label. It’s why we put “fragile” on boxes and think mullets are “bad” hairstyles (they’re not; they’re just misunderstood).
Labelling things as “good” or “bad” makes us feel in control regarding food and fitness. Butter’s evil, kale’s good. Easy!
This instinct dates back to our caveman days when sour berries could kill you, and good berries kept you alive long enough to draw something vaguely cow-shaped on a cave wall.
Somewhere along the way, we started turning food choices into moral judgments. Eating a salad? You’re virtuous. Scoffing a chocolate bar? You’ve failed humanity.
This black-and-white thinking isn’t just annoying; it’s bad for us.
Research shows that stressing over food can harm your health, raise cortisol levels and make you more likely to grab that sneaky Twix at 3am (no judgement — we’ve all been there).
I spent years living by food rules that made no sense. Eggs? I’d eat the whites, but the yolks? Never — because apparently, they were tiny yellow cholesterol bombs.
Then I started digging into the science, and guess what? Eggs aren’t the villains I thought they were.
Research shows that dietary cholesterol (like the kind in eggs) doesn’t have much effect on blood cholesterol for most people.
And those yolks? Packed with choline, which is excellent for brain health. Butter has a redemption arc, too. When used in moderation, it’s not bad at all. It’s natural, full of fat-soluble vitamins.
So, those who like Kerrygold (I’m lactose intolerant, so it’s not my thing) can ditch the margarine and welcome butter back into your life. But as always boring Mr Moderation is the key — no one needs their spuds swimming in half a block of it.
And potatoes? I used to fear them like they were tiny starch grenades, ready to detonate in my thighs.
But here’s the thing: Potatoes are rich in potassium, vitamin C, and resistant starch, significantly when cooled. They’re not the carb catastrophe I was led to believe.
If food was complicated, exercise was a straight-up war zone. For years, I believed walking didn’t “count” unless it was to a gym or a marathon starting line.
Who walks for fitness? Grandparents and people who’ve lost their cars in the supermarket car park, that’s who.
But then I looked into it, and it turns out walking is one of the best things you can do for your health.
It burns fat (recent research has shown it’s possibly the best exercise combined with diet to shed the pounds), improves cardiovascular health, and doesn’t leave you in a sweaty heap on the kitchen floor.
Best of all, it’s accessible — you don’t need a fancy gym or Lycra shorts (though if you want to wear them, you do).
I started walking more regularly than usual, and not only did I notice physical changes, but I also found my mental health improving.
There’s something about putting one foot in front of the other that clears your head — and gives you an excuse to walk while pretending to be contributing to that Teams or Zoom (We all do it!) call.
What I’ve learned is that health isn’t about being perfect. It’s not about cutting out every “bad” thing or chasing the latest fitness trend.
Butter, eggs, potatoes — even chocolate — aren’t the villains we’ve been led to believe. And walking? It’s not just exercise; it’s therapy on the go.
We should eat the foods we love in moderation, take a walk (or five), and stop giving ourselves a hard time.
Health is about progress, not perfection, and a little spud never hurt anyone unless it was coming out of a spud gun!