Balancing Nutrition: Adding vs. Subtracting Foods

When starting a nutrition journey, whether to lose weight, improve a health condition or just feel better our initial though can be “what can I do less of?” or “what can I stop eating?” When we think about taking something out of our diet or restricting a certain food group, this leads to an unhealthy mentality of avoiding/restricting which in turn can turn into bingeing or feeling out of control. Instead of thinking about subtracting or taking away a certain food or behavior in our life, it helps to think about what can we add or do more of. This leads to more sustainable and realistic change while honoring our nutrition and what our bodies want + need more of.

Restriction: What Is It? 

Restriction is when you take away too much from your diet and are left feeling unfulfilled. This can turn into cravings, drastic weight fluctuations, feeling weak, and having higher amounts of hunger. When we over restrict we label foods as “bad” or “off-limits.” When we label foods as good or bad we are demonizing certain foods so when we finally decide to eat these “off-limit” foods, we feel terrible about ourselves and tend to overeat them to numb the feeling. Restricting what you eat is never the answer. A very common food group that gets labeled as “bad” are carbohydrates. These are our body's major fuel source and are needed in many different aspects of our bodily functions.

When any food group, including carbohydrates, are restricted, the body will experience physiological effects that will slow down metabolism, decrease our energy and leads to cravings for more of the restricted food group. It’s simply a survival mechanism. Restricting will likely lead to overeating or binge eating one or more foods you have restricted. This is because you are not fueling your body properly and it is begging you to give it the nutrients it needs. 

How to Avoid Restriction:

If you want to be successful at creating a healthy lifestyle, instead of subtracting foods from your diet, it should be a goal to add more of the nutritious and filling foods. This gives your body the resources it needs to function properly and keep you healthy. For example, instead of cutting out all carbohydrates focus on increasing the carbohydrates that contain higher amounts of fiber. These include beans, whole grains, fruits and starchy vegetables! When we practice adding more nutritious foods, we may naturally find ourselves eating less of the not as beneficial foods. Another example of this is when you are faced with wanting to eat more an indulgent, special meal. For me, this is a delicious New York City Pizza. Previously, I would think to restrict or “subtract” the pizza out of my diet. But when we think about “adding,” this can be having a couple slices alongside a delicious salad with veggies and protein. Or maybe it looks like adding chicken, mushrooms and peppers onto your pizza for added protein and fiber!

Adding more healthy fats, fiber and protein to your meals will increase your satiety and balance your energy. This in turn, will lead to better control of your hunger, cravings and blood sugar control throughout the day.

Interested in learning more about how you can add more to your diet rather than restricting?

Book a free phone consultation with me where we can talk more about your current lifestyle and health goals and come up with an individualized game plan for you.