Here's my opinion, which is worth exactly nothing 
If I have to grind, do some weird restoration loop thingy I read on the net, drink 20 potions then smith/enchant 100 daggers the game has now lost all fun. For me. How utterly boring! I don't have time for that kind of thing. My playtime is for playing the game. Whatever game that is. Of course I feel the same way about playing on some "legendary" setting where every enemy is a punching bag for 15 minutes. That would get old for me very quickly. Enemies aren't any smarter than on Adept or Novice, they just soak up damage. That's it.
Do I think it is cheating? No. A single player game has no cheats. It's up to the player what they do and don't do and how they spend their time in game. If folks enjoy grinding and doing these other things, let them have at it!