Integrating Intuitive Eating Into
Your Day
August
23, 2011
Have you noticed that any of
these patterns apply to you?
• You are busy putting out fires and suddenly
notice you are intensely hungry
• You find eating well is important to you,
but there are always other things that need to
be handled
• You grab whatever is handy when time is
short, including vending machine and fast food
• Your life is over scheduled and food takes
a lower priority that you would like
With the increased focus on health
and nutrition, it is easy to notice the conflict
between situations like these and the intention
to eat well. Developing a tool kit to respect
your intuitive eater can be an effective approach
in moving away from such distracted eating.
What is an intuitive eater? Simply put, it is
someone who listens to their internal hunger signals
and is free from guilt or ethical dilemma when
eating whatever they choose. It is a way of eating
that leaves one satisfied and at peace with food.
It comes from a process of discovery and exploration
designed to identify methods that work for you.
In my practice, over the years I have noticed
that people come up with some very clever ways
to manage hunger when they are intensely focused
on the demanding jobs, busy families, or even
their volunteer work. Do you find yourself drinking
excess coffee, chewing lots of gum, or using tobacco
products to get through your day? All of these
work in the short run, but can really contribute
to an out of kilter way of eating that doesn’t
resonate with your priorities or intentions. This
can leave you frustrated that you haven’t
taken care of your body’s fuel and nutrition
needs.
Tracking hunger and satiety is one tool available
while learning what is satisfying and respectful
to your body. It can help you figure out alternatives
to using food to cope with emotions. This process
can follow a timeline that is as individual as
you are. Unlike the very defined ways of eating
diets and eating plans offer, intuitive eating
does not revolve around perfection or external
rules. Instead, an intuitive eater has the room
to experiment, discover, and observe what works
and what does not. There really is no failure
when learning to eat in a way that has a positive
influence on your body, mind, and emotions.
Ready to get started with being more in tune with
your internal cues? Eat at least every 4 to 5
hours during your waking hours. Interestingly,
in the first stages, there are no specific food
recommendations for intuitive eating (we make
adjustments for food allergies and conditions
like diabetes). That comes later. By putting weight
loss concerns and specific nutrition guidelines
on the back burner at the start, you are free
to really tune in to what your body is telling
you about hunger, being satisfied, and what makes
sense to you.
It can be very helpful to have a partner on the
way to becoming an intuitive eater. I help my
clients break free from chronic dieting and distracted
eating and learn how to eat in a way that suits
them. Whether you are almost there or just getting
started, I would be happy to help you discover
how listening to your body can make eating a satisfying
experience again.
By Gayla Nicholson, RD, CDE
Certified Intuitive Eating Professional
Dietitian and Integrative Nutritionist
How would your life be different, if you embraced
intuitive eating?
Contact Gayla
of Nutrition
Insight at 406-220-3268 to learn more. Appointments
are availble via telephone or in her Bozeman,
MT office.
Next month...Having a Plan vs. Going with the
Flow
Synchronicity
Having worked
with Gayla for my own nutrition needs, I can speak
to the power of her service. She has assisted
me in seeing that not all foods are created equal,
even with the same name. Intuitive eating can
be used as a starting point or to continue your
growth in your life - learning to listen to your
intuition is a great resource in many situations.
When faced with any challenge, how might your
intuition serve you?
Contanct Gayla today to set up your initial complimentary
consultation.
.
If you have enjoyed
this newsletter, please forward it to your network
- we grow by referral.
Enjoy your Life!
