Three diet-related questions you should ask yourself
Many medical specialists disagree with a restrictive diet for a variety of reasons.
According to Jennifer Rollin, the founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland, restrictive diets involve limiting a person’s intake of certain food groups or macronutrients, as well as cutting calories to levels below their energy requirements.
Such diets are unsustainable, according to Rollin. According to her, you might not get enough calories or nutrients, or they might promote bingeing and create a negative relationship between you and food.
However, how can one discern whether a diet is restrictive or whether decisions are only based on longevity or health?
There are sensible generalizations. You are probably following a restrictive diet if you notice that you make decisions primarily on the intention of reducing weight or if your diet eliminates entire food groups, according to Charlotte, North Carolina-based nutritionist Natalie Mokari.
According to Rollin and Mokari, there are three questions you should ask yourself about your nutrition in less obvious situations.
How often does food cross your mind?
Counting the number of times you think about food is one technique to assess your diet.
You might be able to continue living your life without worrying about your health and just eat what your body requires. However, Mokari noted that when on a restricted diet, people frequently become fixated on their food, their next meal, and their feelings of guilt after eating.
Meals might become less fulfilling and social events less enjoyable when there are restrictions in place. Eating can also become a full-time job.
“It becomes somewhat overwhelming for individuals in their daily lives, which impedes their enjoyment,” the speaker stated. It can lead to a variety of compulsive behaviors. That is not how food is supposed to be conceived of.
To what extent are you inflexible?
According to Rollin, another useful indicator is how flexible you are with the eating plan you are adhering to.
“There’s a difference between a rigid set of rules that have to be followed and a preference for eating or a way of eating that makes somebody feel good,” she stated, emphasizing that following such regulations frequently entails feeling guilty and ashamed.
Rollin questioned, “There are some health conditions that require you to completely avoid a food, but other than that, you can give yourself permission to approach the food in question in a more balanced way.”
If you are attempting to cut back on cheese, for instance, are you declaring that you will never eat cheese again or that you can comfortably consume less of it by adding fruits, vegetables, and nuts to the charcuterie board in addition to the cheese?
“Rollin advised looking at what you could add in rather than what you could eliminate.
Could you just have a tiny bit more?
Mokari enjoys applying the 80/20 rule with her clients: 80% of the time, they concentrate on consuming all the foods required for a specific diet or health issue, and 20% of the time, they are more lax, according to Mokari.
And the purpose of doing so goes beyond just having fun. This method also aids in avoiding having a constrictive mindset.
She remarked, “You’re going to feel like feast or famine on that food if you put all these rules around certain foods.”
According to Rollin, if you feel like you can’t control yourself around certain foods, your diet may be overly tight. According to her, this may be done in two ways: physically by not allowing yourself to eat the meal, or emotionally by making fun of yourself both while and after you eat it.
According to Rollin, the inclination to consume foods that aren’t always available is evolutionary. According to her, human bodies are designed to absorb as much as possible during times of famine when we come upon our next food source.
Getting rid of restrictions
Rollin and Mokari advise working with health experts to clarify exactly what it means to make health-conscious dietary choices if you wish to do away with the restriction.
It’s crucial to work with your doctor, a dietitian, and/or an eating disorder therapist to identify what is appropriate for you and what is part of diet culture because some people, both online and offline, claim to have the secret diet for curing health concerns.
Evolutionary drive, according to Rollin, is the need to consume things that aren’t constantly available. According to her, human bodies are prepared for famines and are designed to absorb as much as possible when we come across our next food source.
Moving beyond limitations
In order to eliminate the restriction and make health-conscious dietary choices, Rollin and Mokari advise consulting with medical professionals to clarify what exactly this entails.
In order to distinguish between what is beneficial for you and what is part of diet culture, it’s critical to engage with your doctor, a dietitian, and/or an eating disorder therapist. Some people, both online and offline, claim to have the secret diet for healing medical ailments.
Giving yourself permission may be the solution if you find yourself in a situation where you are restrictively dieting and find it difficult to stop once you start eating a certain food that you have judged to be bad, according to Rollin.
When toilet paper was scarce early in the pandemic, what actions did people take? “You mean they went out and got toilet paper, right?” she questioned.
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