Trust Your Body: A Guide to Intuitive Eating

Your body is nature. It can tell you exactly what you need. But in today's fast-paced world, it's easy to lose touch with our bodies' natural cues. We often find ourselves rushing through meals, snacking mindlessly, skipping meals entirely, or forcing ourselves onto a plan that the head decided is ‘better’ for the body. Our bodies have a remarkable ability to communicate their nutritional needs if we take the time to listen. Our head can only tell us what it heard or read, and we know that that is not always the best for us. 

Your Body Knows Best

Your body is a finely-tuned machine, equipped with intricate systems that regulate hunger, satiety, and nutrient intake. When you're truly hungry, your body will send signals that are unfortunately easily missed if we’re not focusing. The hard to ignore signals, such as a growling stomach, a drop in energy levels and concentration, becoming ‘hungry’, or even getting a headache are the desperate attempts of your body telling you it is in serious need of energy. At this point your body is already starting to find energy elsewhere, and though we’d all love it to take fat stores, they take too long to convert into energy, and so the body takes muscle and converts that into glucose. 

Similarly, your body will also signal when it's full. You might feel a sense of fullness or heaviness in your stomach. Paying attention to these cues, by using mindful, slower eating, can help you avoid overeating and prevent discomfort. 

The problem is that when we ignore our body, it learns to adapt. Just as in nature. It learns to make do with little energy (i.e. metabolism slows), sends cravings when it knows you are likely to eat (mostly evenings), increases the stomach’s capacity to allow for more food intake, and with these changes it also stops sending the signals, as they’re not being listened to anyway. 

The Role of Your Head

While your body is the primary driver of your nutritional needs, your head plays an important role in making executive decisions. Your brain can help you choose nutritious foods, plan meals, and avoid unhealthy temptations. However, it's crucial to remember that your head should be guided by your body's signals, not the other way around. 

How to Tune in to Your Body

• Practice mindful eating: Pay attention to the taste, texture, and aroma of your food. 
• Eat slowly and savour each bite. Avoid distractions: When eating, focus solely on your meal. 
• Turn off your phone and TV to avoid distractions. 
• Listen to your hunger and fullness cues: Pay attention to the signals your body sends when you're hungry or full. 
• Honor your cravings: Cravings can be a sign that your body is lacking a particular nutrient. Try to choose healthy options mostly, but you can satisfy your cravings with controlled portions of treats at times. All food can be part of a diet. 

In Conclusion

By listening to your body and allowing it to guide your nutritional choices, you can develop a healthier and more sustainable relationship with food. Remember, your body knows best. So, tune in, listen, and let your body be the ultimate authority on your nutrition. 

P.S. To learn true intuition, we do need to go back to basics of regular meals through the day to allow your body to heal and start talking to you again. At Kim’s Nutrition, we use light structure to allow us to learn about intuition.