
How would you describe your relationship with food? Our relationship with food has the potential to be toxic, enabling and out of control. Just like a partnership with a person, we need to consider if the circumstances are healthy. Taking the time to question your sentiment with food means you are being a mindful eater. According to the CDC, 42 percent of American adults were considered obese in 2018. The concept of mindful eating can be difficult to grasp due the increased accessibility of food delivery services such as Doordash, Grubhub and UberEats. When you are eating intuitively you have the ability to discern if you are being an emotional eater versus being actually hungry. You can enjoy your favorite foods without taking yourself through a toxic guilt trip. Being able to make conscious eating decisions without obsessing over the latest diet is just as crucial. Here are 3 significant ways intuitive eating can be achieved:
Listen to your body
When you listen to what your body needs, it can be easier to eat consciously. Nourish your body with leafy greens if you notice feelings of constipation. If you are suddenly hit with an aggravating headache, you should have eaten hours ago. Headaches can mean there is a chance that you are dehydrated and need to replenish your body with water. Don’t wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry, instead in a timely manner cater to your mild appetite. Paying attention to the appearance of your body also means you are listening to your body. Random breakouts on the face or a bloated stomach can mean that you are consuming too much sugar. Listening to your body is a great mindful eating tip.
Don’t beat yourself up
Okay, you’ve had your favorite dish from your favorite restaurant. Occasionally treating yourself is a part of mindful eating too. When you deprive yourself of certain cravings, they will come back with a vengeance. Eat the donut if it stops you from coming back for the entire dozen of donuts later. Don’t ignore all of your cravings. When you overly restrict and guilt trip yourself, you are more prone to developing an unhealthy relationship to food.
Know your triggers
Do you eat under moderate to high emotional stress? Know if your triggers cause you to binge eat processed and fast food. According to Healthline, stress can increase your level of hormone cortisol. High cortisol is found to be linked to hunger, cravings, and binge-eating behaviors. Instead of ordering food from that food delivery app, first assess if you are actually hungry or feeling down. Instead of eating your problems away find another route to releasing those emotions such as journaling or going for a brisk walk. Substituting trigger eating with healthier outlet options will put you on the road toward better intuitive eating.
Featured photo by Shutterstock
Comments