Intuitive Eating and Why it’s the Best Alternative to Dieting

Our bodies are incredibly intelligent. They signal us when we are too hot, when we are too cold, when we need sleep, when we are thirsty, when we are hungry and so much more. When we tune into the intelligence of our bodies, we also get information about what nutrition our cells need in order to function optimally and to stay healthy. In other words, our bodies give us clues to help us know which nutrients they need at any give time. To me, intuitive eating is listing to my body and eating the foods that it tells me that it needs. This information can come to you as a craving or show up in the form of a disease due to malnutrition.

Recently a friend messaged me that she was craving radishes and that they were nearly sold out at her grocery store. I asked her what was going on with her body. She said that she woke up with a sore throat. I did some research and sure enough, radishes are good for our immune systems since they are a source of vitamin C and zinc. In addition, I’ve been craving spinach, almonds and dark chocolate lately. It turns out that these foods are excellent sources of magnesium, which is an essential element for many processes in our bodies including calming our nerves and helping us sleep. In addition to eating magnesium rich foods, I am also researching magnesium supplements. This element comes in many forms, such as magnesium citrate, and it is rather confusing to know which form of it to buy (more on this in a future blog).

As you become more in tune with your body, start researching the health benefits of the foods that you are craving. By knowing the nutritional benefits of these foods, you will be able to make healthier decisions about what you should be eating.

Intuitive Eating Tips

Tune into the needs of your body. What is your body hungry for and why?
Make the connection between what you are craving and the health benefits of that food.

Hunger is another form of important feedback that helps us regulate our intake of food. It goes without saying that it is important for us to eat enough nutrient dense food to keep our bodies healthy, but to not overeat if we desire to maintain a healthy level of weight.

6 Tips to Manage Hunger and Your Weight

Stop eating when your stomach is around 85 percent full.
Eat smaller portions of food. When we stretch out our stomachs it takes longer to fill them.
Eat nutrient dense foods. If we eat food that is low in nutrition, our bodies will not be satisfied. This is common with snack foods, for example. Reduce your intake of junk foods and, once again, do your best to eat mostly nutrient dense organic fruits and veggies.
Avoid processed sugar. Sugar is high in calories and absent of essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, it has an addictive quality that can cause you to crave sweets.
Avoid processed carbohydrates. Plants are naturally rich in carbs that are good for you and they also provide fiber that will keep you feeling satisfied longer than processed food like white bread and pasta.
Eat sufficient protein. It also takes longer to digest and can keep you feeling satiated longer.
Do not wait until you are starving to eat. When we are “hangry” it is easier to overeat.

Your Microbiome Might Be Influencing Your Cravings

One of the factors that may be driving your cravings is your microbiome. Inside your gut are billions of bacteria and other micro organisms that help you breakdown and digest your food, and science suggests that these organisms send messages to our brains influencing our cravings. If you eat lots of fried and processed foods, you will encourage the growth of bacteria that thrive on that food and encourage you to eat more of it. When you change to a healthy plant based lifestyle your gut microbes may take a while to adjust to your new diet. As a result you may experience some discomfort, such as bloating as you make the transition. Do not be surprised if the old bacterial still gives you cravings for those unhealthy foods in the interim. Be patient and you will start to feel really good as your body becomes more capable of breaking down the new foods for you. Eventually the new bacteria will encourage you to eat healthier foods. The big take away here is to know the difference between your body’s intuition and the messages that are being sent to your brain by the microbes in your gut.

Most Diets Fail for a Multitude of Reasons

When we are restricted from eating certain foods we risk becoming obsessed about those foods. It also takes a lot of effort to track calories for the rest of your life and not all calories are equal or nutritious. Fad diets in particular are unsustainable and can actually be bad for our health over time. Yes they may produce quick results in the short run, but most people regain the weight that they lost and even gain more back after giving up on a particular diet. This is a phenomenon that is known as “fat overshooting.” Some diets also do not provide the wide variety of essential nutrients that our bodies require.

5 Tips For Tuning Into Your Body

Focus on your breath. Consciously breathe and allow each breath to connect you with your body and your feelings (be aware of emotional eating).
Meditation is a great practice for connecting your mind to your body.
Be conscious of your cravings and ask if they are coming from your body or from your gut microbiome.
Get exercise each day. Moving your body helps you connect intuitively with it. People who start a yoga practice, for example, are more likely to also start a healthy eating practice.
Heal your past trauma. Trauma has a way of numbing our bodies. As we heal we make space for our feelings and our intuition to arise.

I have learned that by tuning into my body that I make healthier choices in the foods that I eat. As a result I rarely get sick and I am able to keep my weight in a zone that is healthy for me. In our rushed world we often feel too tired to make the effort to prepare healthy meals. Instead it is easier to settle for convenience foods that taste good, but lack the vitamins and minerals that are essential for our wellbeing. This year I hope that you will slow down a bit and make your health a priority. You will not only feel better about yourself, but you will also have more energy to do the things that you really want to do. Intuitive eating is an important tool for keeping you properly fueled and feeling healthy. You can do this!

Bon appetit,

Paul

P.S. - Like all of my blogs I try to be brief. Any given topic just scratches the surface. My hope is to inspire you to become more curious about your health and living your best life. Hopefully I sparked some questions and have inspired you to learn more on your own. Thanks as always for reading my blog!

If you are hungry for more information, watch this lecture about intuitive eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD

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