Many health professionals advise against restrictive diets for several reasons. According to Jennifer Rollin, founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, restrictive diets involve reducing calorie intake below one's energy needs and/or limiting the types of food or macronutrients consumed.
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Unhappy Teenage Girl Sitting On Floor Looking At Bathroom Scales
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Disordered eating is when someone follows unhealthy eating habits that can harm their physical and mental health. Twenty percent of the world's children display signs of disordered eating, according to experts. Such diets are not sustainable, as they may not provide the necessary calories or nutrients. In addition, they can lead to bingeing behaviors and unhealthy relationships with food and one's body.
It can be tricky to tell if a diet is restrictive or if you are simply prioritizing health and longevity. According to dietitian Natalie Mokari from Charlotte, North Carolina, there are some good guidelines to follow. If your choices are focused on weight loss or if your diet eliminates entire food groups, it's likely that you are following a restrictive diet.
In those cases that aren’t as clear-cut, here are three questions to ask yourself about your diet, Rollin and Mokari said.
How often are you thinking about food?
One way to assess your diet is by considering how much you think about food.
Having a health-focused lifestyle allows you to eat intuitively and move on. However, individuals on strict diets tend to fixate on their food choices, constantly thinking about what they have eaten, what they will eat next, and feeling guilty afterwards, according to Mokari.
Restrictions can take away the enjoyment from social gatherings and make meals less satisfying. It can feel like a full-time job just trying to figure out what to eat.
According to her, constantly worrying about restrictions can become overwhelming and take away from the enjoyment of everyday life. This can lead to obsessive behaviors and an unhealthy relationship with food. Remember, food is meant to be enjoyed, not overthought.
How rigid are you?
Another good gauge is your flexibility around the style of eating you are following, Rollin said.
"There's a distinction between enjoying certain foods or following a way of eating that makes you feel good, compared to strict rules that must be adhered to," she explained. These strict rules often lead to feelings of guilt and shame.
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Are there specific health conditions that require completely avoiding certain foods? Otherwise, you can consider approaching those foods in a more balanced manner, Rollin suggested.
For instance, if you're trying to cut back on cheese, do you have to swear off cheese forever? Or can you enjoy cheese in moderation while also adding fruits, vegetables, and nuts to your charcuterie board to reduce your cheese intake?
“Instead of looking at what you can cut out,” Rollin said, “look at what you can add in.”
Can you have just a little bit?
Mokari prefers to follow the 80/20 rule with her clients. She suggests that 80% of the time should be dedicated to consuming the necessary foods for a specific diet or health issue, while 20% can allow for more flexibility.
This strategy is not only about incorporating enjoyment into eating habits. It also serves to prevent a rigid and restrictive mentality.
If you find yourself constantly craving certain foods, it could be a sign that you are being too strict with your diet, according to Rollin. This can lead to feeling like you are either bingeing on the food or completely avoiding it.
Being overly restrictive with your diet can have negative effects, both physically and mentally, Rollin explained. Physically, it can prevent you from enjoying the food you desire. Mentally, it can lead to feelings of shame or guilt while eating the food and even after.
Eating foods that are not always readily available is a result of our evolutionary drive, according to Rollin. Our bodies are designed to consume as much as possible during times of scarcity in order to prepare for the next food source.
Rollin suggests that we should move away from strict restrictions on our food intake.
If you want to prioritize health when making food choices without feeling restricted, Rollin and Mokari suggest seeking guidance from health experts to clarify what this entails.
It is common for individuals, whether online or in person, to promote exclusive diets as a solution for health issues. Therefore, Rollin advises consulting with your doctor, a dietitian, and/or an eating disorder therapist to identify what is truly beneficial for your well-being and distinguish it from diet culture.
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Consulting with doctors who have a neutral stance on weight or follow the Health at Every Size approach can be beneficial, suggested Mokari. This type of healthcare considers overall health without emphasizing size or body mass index as the main indicators of well-being, as outlined by the Association for Size Diversity and Health.
If you find yourself struggling with restrictive dieting and have a hard time stopping once you start eating a food you consider unhealthy, Rollin suggests giving yourself permission.
During the early stages of the pandemic, when there was a shortage of toilet paper, everyone rushed to buy it, right? That's what Rollin pointed out.
Don't be afraid of certain foods that are often labeled as bad. The key is to understand what your body truly needs and make choices based on that, rather than giving in to fear of missing out.
However, there are health conditions like allergies that may require you to avoid certain foods completely. It's important to listen to your doctor's recommendations in these cases.
Editor's P/S:
The article delves into the detrimental effects of restrictive diets, highlighting the importance of intuitive eating and a balanced approach to nutrition. Restrictive diets, characterized by excessive calorie reduction or macronutrient limitations, can lead to a host of physical and mental health issues. They can disrupt the body's natural hunger and satiety cues, foster unhealthy relationships with food, and even trigger bingeing behaviors.
To avoid the pitfalls of restrictive diets, it's crucial to prioritize health-focused choices without falling into the trap of rigid rules. Dietitians recommend the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the time is dedicated to nutrient-rich foods, while 20% allows for flexibility and enjoyment. This approach promotes a balanced lifestyle that supports both physical and mental well-being. It's essential to seek guidance from healthcare professionals to determine the best dietary approach for individual needs, ensuring that any dietary changes are sustainable and supportive of overall health.
