What is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive eating is not a fad, it is not a trend, it is the opposite. When we are eating intuitively it means we are at peace with food and our bodies.
The main idea behind eating intuitively is listening to your body and being in tune with how your body processes foods. Through learning to eat this way your relationship with food and with yourself will change. You will learn to trust your body and listen to the signals of satiety, hunger, and fullness. Intuitive eating is about taking back control of your relationship with food and your relationship with your body.
Intuitive eating means eating with intention and being fully present for the times you are fueling your body.
So where should you start when wanting to begin your intuitive eating journey? I have created a process that you can follow to start eating more intuitively. The process is as follows:
Keep a journal
Make it as easy for yourself as possible to write down your thoughts/emotions/physical sensations/etc. when eating, so keep the journal on your phone or on a small notepad that you can carry with you
2. Write down how you are feeling before you eat
Are you emotional or are you carrying any kind of stress?
What is your hunger level at? I recommend having a scale to rate your hunger level at so you can begin to notice any clear patterns.
How tired are you?
The most important thing is to begin to connect with your body and the signals it sends you when you are about to eat
3. Give mealtimes more of your attention
Do not rush through eating
Take time to enjoy every bite of your food, do not fight food enjoy it
Check in with yourself as you eat
Eating slower allows your body to catch up and process when you are full
You can set a timer if it helps to pause after every 3 minutes to do a quick scan and check in with how you are feeling
When you are full or satisfied stop eating
You can save food! Luckily we have fridges these days
4. When you feel full or are satisfied journal
How did you know you were full? What signals did you receive from your body to let you know that you were satisfied?
Did the food satisfy you?
Are you still craving anything and if so what is it that you are craving (sweets, something salty, etc.)
Do a body scan and check in with how the food feels in your body. Are you content or are you feeling any discomfort?
5. When you eat your last meal of the day journal a little longer on how your body feels going to bed
Are you bloated?
Do you feel satisfied?
What else are you noticing in your body?
6. In the morning, as close to waking up as possible, journal
Are you hungry?
Do you feel sluggish or constipated?
Do you feel refreshed?
What else are you feeling in your body?
Throughout this journey you are not shaming yourself ever or saying food is “bad” or “good”. Give yourself some kindness and support in this experience. The idea is never to judge yourself but to become more aware of your body and how food affects your physical body. Food is medicine, food is fuel, we need food to survive and function. Through intuitive eating we are healing the sometimes destructive and hurtful relationship that we have with food and our bodies.
Continue to do this journaling and checking-in everyday and you will begin to grow more in tune with your body. You’ll understand what foods make you feel good and fresh and what food make you feel sluggish or bloated. This is not a habit you will have to continue strictly for the rest of your life because as you become more intuitive to what your body needs the process becomes more fluid and natural for you. You will begin to wake up in the morning knowing I did good for my body yesterday or I wasn’t the best to my body. The habits and feelings you start tracking now will become part of who you are. The word intuitive itself means “able to know or understand something because of feelings”. As you grow in this journey you will begin to know how food affects you based on feelings in your body.
Through intuitive eating you will begin to heal your relationship with food and your body, and grow more connected to your physical body.
