Intuitive eating is the process of creating a healthy relationship with food that is aligned with your mind and body. It’s about listening to your body and choosing foods that respond positively to it. So why is intuitive eating so important? To maintain a routine that supports your health and lifestyle, it’s imperative that you listen to what works and doesn’t work for your body and nurture it with foods that replenish your energy. Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, authors of the book “Intuitive Eating” outlined ten principles that define this method.
- Throw Out The Diet Mindset
- Dieting is not sustainable long term. Don’t look for methods to that guarantee you to “lose weight quickly”. Not only does it encourage restriction, thinking this type of way hinders you from following long term.
2) Acknowledge Your Hunger
- Recognize and learn to respond accordingly when your body tells you that you are hungry. Feed your body the necessary nutrients that it craves at that moment.
3) Call A Truce With Your War on Food
- Allow yourself to eat whatever your body craves. Like we said previously, restrictions are very dangerous and depriving your body can really lead to long term damage physically and mentally.
4) Stop Policing Your Food Intake
- Stop looking at calorie intake and deciding whether or not you’re going to eat it. This leads back to the topic of restriction.
5) Eat Until You Feel Full
- When you’re eating, make sure you’re listening to your body and stopping when you are full. To get a better feel for when you are, take your time when consuming your food.
6) The Satisfaction Signal
- Recognize your satisfaction signal when you’re eating. Intuitive eating should be pleasurable. Create an environment that enhances your eating experience.
7) Nurture Your Feelings Without Leaning On Food
- Find other outlets to channel your emotions that don’t involve food. This could be writing, painting, or even meditation. Clutching to food to deal with your problems only creates a problem down the road.
8) Body Positivity
- Make peace with your body. Love your flaws. And don’t compare your body to anyone else’s, we are all uniquely made.
9) Power of Exercise
- Get active! Take a walk for 30 minutes or commit yourself to an intense workout regime, push yourself!
10) Take Charge of Your Health
- Choose foods that cater to your taste buds while treating your body well. Eat in moderation.
By following these principles, you’ll be incorporating the mind, body connection to your relationship with food. And the important thing is not to stress if you feel you’ve been consuming too much “junk”. Get yourself back to alignment by choosing foods that serve you, not hurt you long term.
Lots of love,
Jasmine and Phrieda
J AND P LIVING 