Broccoli: Yes. Coffee: No. Carbs: Yes. Fats: No.
Nowadays we are constantly bombarded with so much information and conflicting opinions about how and what to eat. Because of this, our internal queues and responses have become deceptively clouded by the rigid rules created from all these external influences. So many of us have been on at least one diet of some kind at some stage in our lives – and these diets always initiate rules and unhealthy boundaries around eating. Often, much to our chagrin, these food rules stick with us long after we have given up on the diets. The danger is that such an approach to food can leave us with reoccurring feelings of guilt, shame and disgust – when really, we should be feeling the very opposite when we reflect on the food that nourishes and sustains us.
We are all born with the internal wisdom for eating intuitively. Have you noticed how toddlers always stop when they’ve had enough? They know instinctively when to stop. This is the very instinct that dieting blurs. Once you have lost the natural response to your hunger signals and have recognised how negatively it’s affecting you, it’s time to reconnect and learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional queues.
Your health and worth do not change because of the food you eat, e.g. “I ate a slice of chocolate cake- therefore I am a bad person”. How much your eat is entirely disconnected from the core values that define you as a person. But in order to reboot and take you back to a state of intuitive eating, you’ll need to learn to trust your body and make peace with food. This is a complex process and can take some time – after all, you are re-programming your brain after years of dieting and food rules. But it’s a process that’s well worth it. Learning to eat intuitively brings a satisfying freedom so you can finally leave diets as a thing of the past.
So here are my top tips for intuitive eating. By starting with baby steps you are setting yourself up for long-term success:…
