Intuitive Eating

Intuitive Eating explores the philosophy of eating according to your body’s needs and ditching diets, eating trends, and other limiting eating programs in favor of a well-balanced lifestyle built on personal body-related needs.

One of the main reasons behind failed diets is, in fact, the diet itself. Due to the fact that they promote restrictive eating habits, people can’t stick to them for a long period of time, as it’s counterintuitive to eat against your appetite. In contrast, changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy habits as a form of living is the key.

We’ve developed the habit of eating “comfort foods” when we’re anxious or stressed, and eating healthy foods when we want to look fit. This mentality itself is a big impediment to overcome when trying to change eating habits, as healthy foods are seen as compromises, and the unhealthy snacks are the sweet escape.

Frankly, it’s not our fault! The food and advertising industry created these assumptions in us, so it can be pretty difficult to get rid of them on our own. To help yourself overcome this situation, it’s best to stop looking for advice on all the faddish trends and diets that take the spotlight year after year.

Instead, go back to your roots and look for the simplest ways of eating. Instead of thinking of natural foods as the necessary thing to eat, think of them as being nutritious and nourishing for your body. Don’t compromise on treats, but reduce them or look for healthy options that are just as satisfying. Simply put, change your lifestyle, don’t diet!

Diets are, by nature, restrictive and bound by time. When you’re restricting your calorie intake and cutting your food ratio, your body enters starvation mode, and since that’s not a natural state of being, when you can’t fight temptations anymore you end up overeating. The result? Unwanted pounds and an unsettling feeling. Intuitive eating is all about listening to your body when it tells you something. We’re programmed to survive, so the gut is deeply linked to our brain and it knows very well the foods it needs and when to have them. Of course, our faulty way of eating has messed up the gut in time, so it may take some time to find your way back to your natural balance. Start by initiating a food journal and writing down your hunger level on a scale from one to ten every time you eat. After you’re done with your meal, write down the hunger level again. As you keep track of your meals, you will notice patterns and may be able to realize which are the best times for you to eat and what foods feel…