Nutrition without Restriction, What’s That Really Mean?
You may hear “Nutrition without Restriction” and think I’m saying, “eat whatever you want, whenever you want, with no inhibitions.” But that’s not really what I mean. At its basic meaning, “Nutrition without Restriction” stands for not cutting out any one food group or one particular food. I truly believe all foods fit in a healthful diet. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can eat with abandon and not think about the nutritional value of the foods we choose to consume throughout the day.
It’s important to be aware of the nutrition guidelines and use them as a template for putting together an eating pattern that will benefit our overall health. But this doesn’t mean these are rules set in stone for our daily intake. For example, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that we should “limit foods and beverages higher in added sugar.” This clearly doesn’t say, “cut out all foods and drinks with added sugar.” I don’t think that would be a realistic task. Can you imagine going the rest of your life without eating a dessert or having a milkshake or celebrating a birthday with a piece of cake (or whatever treat you have on birthdays)? I sure can’t. It’s unreasonable to think that we would cut out entire food groups or any one particular food or drink and consider that a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding the foods we love comes with some level of displeasure or even stress and that is not a recipe for healthy living.
To note: there is sometimes medical need to cut out a particular food or groups of food, and that should definitely be done when necessary. I am not telling someone with Celiac disease to eat a piece of gluten filled bread if they feel like it. That would also not be considered healthful living.
What I mean is we can find a way to eat nutritiously while still enjoying the foods we love. Eating in a way to benefit our overall health should not come with stress or overwhelming feelings. We should be able to get to a place in our relationship with food that is enjoyable and also aids in long-term wellbeing.
