Spotlight: Intuitive Eating.
Your body has been blessed with the gift of intuition. Intuition knows our unique wants, needs, and strongest desires. Our inner whisper is a key factor in daily guidance. Along with this inner whisper, every human is born with the innate ability to eat intuitively.
Our society has lost its deep connection with intuitive eating. Intuitive eating involves listening to your body’s food desires; including degrees of hunger and fullness as well as its unique needs regarding nutrition. I wanted to make this part of the self-confidence series because eating intensifies insecurities. Those suffering from disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and binging have a fear of eating intuitively. Women are scared to eat certain foods and torture themselves to fit into a mold of societal “perfection.” In this introduction to intuitive eating, I hope to dispel the myths around hunger and build trust with your body’s needs.
If we know (intuitively) that our bodies knows what is best for us, there is nothing to fear. To reiterate, there is nothing to fear. Our society puts an unhealthy emphasis on calories, thus provoking anxiety and causing confusion. Much of this stems from biased media sources.
Eating intuitively involves completely dismissing the diet mentality. Do you feel satisfied when you try a diet or starvation tactics? I’m sure it toyed with your emotions on a deep level. Diets are not a long-term solution. Starvation tactics enhance depression and emotional disorders. A long term solution to being comfortable with your food choices involves building self-trust. Self-trust means respecting your body’s natural ability to come to its set weight point. A set weight point is a naturally healthy weight for the body. Every one is built differently. Being uniquely beautiful means having different nutritional needs. You are not the same as your best friend, nor will you ever be, and that is okay! If you listen to your intuition, then you will always be correctly guided. Our inner voice is always speaking from a place of honesty.
Intuitive eating relies heavily on listening to our hunger. Intuitive eating also means choosing healthy food to make your body satisfied. By honoring its hunger, you are feeding your body to fullness. Learn to choose healthy and satisfying foods during meals/snack time.
Remember, healthy food is good food. Good food makes you feel GOOD from the inside out. Honoring our bodies’ hunger with delicious food will cause a glow both inwardly and outwardly. Start the process by sitting in a quiet space during mealtime. Eat slowly, enjoy each bite, and stop when you have reached the point of fullness. At this time, put down your fork and express gratitude for your meal. This is a wonderful first step in being comfortable with your hunger and intuition.
The best part about intuitive eating is being comfortable with food. Over time, intuitive eating will become a habit. Knowing how your body operates will help you diminish the fear behind calories and weight gain. Celebrate your body and nourish it on a daily basis.
Like anything in life, intuitive eating is a process. Start with self kindness and being gentle with yourself. Any habit takes time to build. When we choose healthy habits, we are choosing a form of self love. Body kindness, trust and respect are all a part of intuitive eating. You will gain confidence in your ability to be your best version of healthy. Health is a beautiful thing!
© Marissa Ranahan 2017 - all rights reserved.