FOUR WAYS TO STOP DIETING & IMPROVE YOUR NUTRITION, ACCORDING TO REGISTERED DIETITIANS

Let's be honest, we've all been there — tempted by the latest diet trend or trying something a little out of the ordinary to shed some pounds. If you’ve given one of these a try, you're certainly not alone. But what if there was a simpler path? 

True wellness isn't about restrictive diets that are hard to stick to. It's about making sustainable and enjoyable food choices that you can maintain long-term. The constant cycle of quick-fix diets? Well, they can leave you feeling deprived and unsatisfied — and often don’t even deliver the promised results. 

So it's time to break free from those restrictive plans and embrace a healthier, more sustainable approach. By focusing on a balanced way of eating, you can nourish your body, boost your energy levels and improve your overall well-being.

To gain more insight into diet culture, we spoke with Sarah Atlas, a registered and licensed dietitian, and Leanne Nieto, a registered dietitian nutritionist, both from Nutrition Aligned, where they offer one-on-one nutrition consulting to help their clients break free from disordered eating patterns and improve their overall health. 

Sarah and Leanne discussed the misleading charms of sugar-free diets, the pitfalls of restrictive and yo-yo dieting and how to embrace sustainable and balanced choices. Let's embark on a journey towards a lifestyle that celebrates food, supports your health goals and brings you lasting joy. 

All or nothing: Breaking down restrictive dieting

Many people believe that extreme diets, such as those that completely eliminate sugar or impose severe restrictions, are the key to rapid weight loss and improved health. However, this is a misconception. 

“Reducing added sugars to less than 5-10% of daily calorie intake can positively impact health,” advises Sarah. “But completely eliminating sugar or following overly restrictive diets can lead to negative consequences, such as yo-yo dieting, nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating patterns.”

Yo-yo dieting, a pattern of repeated weight loss and regain, is often a result of unsustainable, highly restrictive diets. According to a study¹, this cyclical behavior can have serious health consequences, including metabolic slowdown, unfavorable body composition (increased body fat, decreased lean muscle mass), insulin resistance and a negative body image (Brownell et al, 1994).

Four reasons to avoid restrictive diets

Strict diets that severely limit food intake or cut out certain food groups or macronutrients can place significant stress on the body and can lead to complications. Sarah offers four reasons to avoid extreme diets:

• Nutritional deficiencies: Overly restrictive diets can lead to a lack of essential nutrients, compromising overall health.
• Increased cortisol levels: The stress of maintaining a restrictive diet can elevate cortisol levels, which may contribute to weight gain and other health issues.
• Digestive issues: Increased stress and restrictive eating can interfere with healthy digestion, leading to gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and constipation.
• Eating disorders: Setting strict food rules and unrealistic body standards can lead to the development of disordered eating patterns or full-blown eating disorders.

Finding the right balance

“By allowing room for treats like sugar,” Sarah points out, “you can make healthier changes that stick. An all-or-nothing approach isn't the answer.” Instead, it's important to set some basic guidelines, like focusing on whole foods and avoiding artificial ingredients, while still enjoying the foods you love. This balanced approach can better support long-lasting health and happiness. 

She explains four ways to embrace a sustainable and balanced diet: 

• Focus on adding, not subtracting: Aim to incorporate a variety of whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats to add a balance of fiber, essential fatty acids and vitamins/minerals to the diet, rather than cutting out sugar altogether.
• Practice mindful eating: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues and enjoy your meals and treats with minimal distractions. This allows you to enjoy your favorite foods while still achieving your body’s macronutrient and micronutrient needs. Prioritizing a mindful approach helps reduce stress and promotes a positive relationship with food. It’s not just about what you eat, but how you feel about eating.
• Set realistic goals: Aim for gradual, steady progress rather than quick fixes. Sustainable changes are more likely to lead to lasting results.
• Understand the effects of food on the body: Learn what happens in the body when certain foods are consumed, which allows you to make more mindful choices instead of cutting out entire food groups or ingredients.

Understanding blood sugar

While most foods don’t need to be completely off-limits or eliminated, it is important to consider how certain foods affect processes in the body and contribute to overall health to truly have a balanced, sustainable diet. 

One of these processes is the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body. These levels are impacted by many different factors, one of which includes the foods we consume. 

Your body is a finely tuned machine, always striving for balance. “When you consume sugar, it recognizes the influx of glucose and initiates a response to maintain this equilibrium,” explains Leanne. “It signals the pancreas to release insulin, a key hormone that facilitates the movement of sugar from the bloodstream into cells, where it's used as energy.”

However, continuously overwhelming this mechanism by having large quantities of simple sugars in one sitting can cause a glucose spike. Leanne continues, “​​When our bodies are frequently exposed to these spikes, they can become less responsive to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance. This metabolic dysfunction hinders the body's ability to efficiently use energy, leading to impaired cellular function.” We discussed blood sugar and metabolic dysfunction in a previous blog.

Managing blood glucose: Meet allulose

The American Heart Association advises limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories each day. For women, this translates to about 100 calories or six teaspoons of sugar per day, while men should aim for 150 calories or nine teaspoons. Importantly, these recommendations encompass all added sugars, not just specific types like high fructose corn syrup.

It can be tough to cut down on sugar, especially if you’re a fan of sweet foods. That’s why it can be helpful to understand what alternatives exist that can reduce spikes in blood sugar levels.

One of the alternative sweeteners Leanne recommends is allulose, “Allulose is a naturally occurring sugar found in small quantities in foods like raisins, figs, wheat and molasses. It is about 70% as sweet as sugar but is less energy-dense and does not cause as much of a spike in insulin or blood sugar levels.” 

“Since allulose behaves similarly to sugar in baking, it can be used as one way to sweeten things like brownies, cheesecake, flan, caramel, cookies, fudge and more. It can be fun to experiment with different ingredients like allulose in these sweet treats since it reacts differently in the body and does not cause the same insulin and blood sugar spike as sugar,” she elaborates.

Find joy in the journey to long-term health

Ultimately, lasting health and wellness should be an enjoyable journey. It's not about restrictive diets that leave you feeling deprived. Instead, focus on a mindful approach to eating that allows for a variety of foods and enjoyable experiences.

Consider incorporating sugar alternatives like allulose in moderation. This can help you savor sweetness without the blood sugar spikes associated with traditional sugars, which can contribute to insulin resistance. This balanced approach makes it easier to maintain sustainable health goals and enjoy the process of nourishing your body. 

Remember, wellness is about finding healthy habits that fit your lifestyle, not embarking on a restrictive program that feels unsustainable. Embrace a mindful and enjoyable approach that is more realistic and, ultimately, more fulfilling.

About Nutrition Aligned

Nutrition Aligned is a personalized nutrition coaching service dedicated to helping individuals achieve their health and wellness goals. They offer one-on-one consultations to create tailored nutrition plans, addressing specific needs like disordered eating recovery. Additionally, they host customizable group nutrition education events, providing informative presentations and one-on-one goal-setting sessions.

 ¹ Brownell, K. D., & Rodin, J. (1994). Medical, metabolic, and psychological effects of weight cycling. Archives of internal medicine, 154(12), 1325–1330.