Mindful Eating: How to Have A Healthy Relationship with Food
In order to nourish your body in the way that’s right and healthy for you, we need to start tapping into our own internal hunger and fullness cues and start to understand how different foods leave us feeling. It’s all about really listening to your body and nourishing it in the way it needs which is called intuitive eating.
Mindful Eating: How to Have A Healthy Relationship with Food
The idea of good and bad foods creates a lot of stress around eating and in many cases can lead to overeating and binge eating. This is especially true if you’ve ever tried to lose weight or focus on eating healthier. The thing is, when we view food through the external lens of good foods and bad foods we feel guilt and shame when we indulge in “bad foods” which leads us down this yo-yo dieting path. In order to nourish your body in the way that’s right and healthy for you, we need to start tapping into our own internal hunger and fullness cues and start to understand how different foods leave us feeling. It’s all about really listening to your body and nourishing it in the way it needs which is called intuitive eating.
So how can we take the pressure off and learn to be intuitive eaters?
One way to do this is to neutralize the good vs bad food dichotomy. Instead of thinking of certain foods as being “off limits,” try to see them as simply being neutral. This doesn’t mean that you should go out and eat junk food all the time, but it does mean that you shouldn’t beat yourself up for eating foods you enjoy.
Another way to be an intuitive eater is to focus on how your food makes you feel. Does it give you energy or make you feel sluggish? Do you feel satisfied after eating or do you find yourself wanting more? Paying attention to how your body responds to different foods can help you make choices that are right for you.
And finally, remember that there is no one perfect way of eating. Everyone has different needs and preferences, so what works for one person might not work for another.
The key is to listen to your body, nourish it consistently, and give it what it needs. If you’re feeling hungry, honor that. If you’re someone that goes long periods of times without eating and skips meals, start to nourish your body more regularly. What tends to happen is we have been eating in a prescriptive way for so long that our body has stop signaling to our brain when we feel hungry or full. By doing this over time, your will start to trust your body to tell you when it needs food. By doing this, you’ll take the pressure off good vs bad foods and just focus on eating what feels best for your body and get back to enjoying food. Trust your instincts and listen to your body – it will let you know what it needs.
