Intuitive eating is a straightforward thought. It indicates that you can live with any kind of food. In contrast to conventional diets, which forbid or restrict certain foods, intuitive eating requires you to stop considering food to be “good” or “bad.” Instead, you pay attention to your body and consume what makes you feel good.
This could imply that you can consume whatever you want at any time. This is not true. According to experts, intuitive eating involves utilizing your body’s inherent capacity to recognize hunger and fullness.
When you eat intuitively, you also let go of the idea that you need to lose or gain weight to achieve a certain appearance. The goal is to help you concentrate on the foods that are best for your mental and physical health as a whole.
You may need to relearn how to trust your body in order to eat intuitively. To accomplish this, you must differentiate between emotional and physical hunger:
- Physical hunger. This biological urge tells you to replenish nutrients. It builds gradually and has different signals, such as a growling stomach, fatigue, or irritability. It’s satisfying when you eat any food.
- Emotional hunger. This is driven by emotional need. Sadness, loneliness, and boredom are some of the feelings that can create cravings for food, often comfort foods. Eating then causes guilt and self-hatred.
- When you’re hungry, eat.
Give yourself permission to eat when you feel hungry and trust your body. To ensure that you get the nutrients you need, eat a variety of foods. Don’t ignore your hunger until it becomes unbearable. You’re likely to eat whatever you can get your hands on instead of selecting foods that make you feel good. This also increases your risk of overeating.
- Concentrate on fullness
Take frequent breaks during meals to check in with your body. Consider how the food tastes and how hungry you are to determine if you need more. Also, take some time to enjoy the meal. You will know when you have had enough when you are content and happy.
- Respect your emotions without resorting to food
Emotional eating is a method of coping with emotions. Take a walk, meditate, keep a journal, or call a friend to deal with your emotions that have nothing to do with food. Learn to recognize instances in which a sensation that you might call hunger actually stems from emotion.
- Eat foods that make you happy
If you avoid certain foods, you may experience severe cravings and even binge eating. When you eat intuitively, you choose foods that are good for your health and taste. Modesty is essential. You won’t suddenly gain weight if you eat one piece of chocolate. However, the way you eat and what you eat affect your health over time.
There is still a lot of research being done on the subject. At this point, studies have linked intuitive eating to healthier psychological attitudes, a lower body mass index (BMI), and maintaining a healthy weight—but not losing weight.
Better mental health is one of the main advantages of intuitive eating.
Studies on intuitive eating found that participants had higher levels of self-esteem, a more positive body image, and a better quality of life as a whole, as well as lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Because they are able to stop unhealthy behaviors like binge eating, some people do lose weight. However, others gain weight, particularly if they have been dieting or restricting for a long time.
Intuitive eating does not guarantee that you will lose ten pounds in ten days. However, what it does promise is a healthier, happier, and more sustainable relationship with your body and food.
