Eating. It’s something we have to do every day to maintain optimal health. Living in a first world country, we should have no problems when it comes to figuring out how to feed ourselves. However, each day we’re bombarded with a tsunami of information about “the best way to eat” from magazine covers, books, experts, the Internet, friends and family. It leaves us feeling confused and overwhelmed and asking “What Foods are Right for ME?”
One of the things I have learned is that you can actually use your intuition to help you find the best way of eating for YOU!
In fact, you may have heard of “Intuitive Eating”. Instead of acting on autopilot and eating the same old stuff because you always do, stop and ask yourself, “Body, do you want this?”
Then notice what comes to you. You may notice your stomach tighten, or you may suddenly feel a bit nauseous. You might feel your throat constrict or a bit of a gagging reflex. Or, conversely, you may feel energy zinging through your body or get tingles or shivers.
Our bodies are highly accurate in letting us know what they need. The trouble is, we somehow stopped asking and listening.
PRO TIP: Here’s a quick exercise that you can try for the next few days to get you in the habit of intuitive eating.
Before each meal, ask your body, “Body, what can I give you to give me abundant energy and vitality right now?” Then notice what happens. You may have a word that pops into your head, you may be guided to a specific item in your pantry or fridge or taste something in your mouth. You may see a flash of an image in your mind’s eye.
The trick is not to JUDGE what you get. Simply receive it without getting into your head about it or listening to your ego telling you that you’re just making it up. (Because that will totally happen).
The next step is to ACT on what you get. Eat the foods that your intuition has shown you and notice how you feel. It’s even fun to keep a journal and notice the subtle shifts or changes that occur.
Do you feel more energized, less brain fog, do physical symptoms clear up, do you feel lighter and more upbeat emotionally? Write it all down so you can see the benefits of your intuitive eating.
Another trick you can try is when you feel a craving for something hold it in your hand and say, “Body, do you really want this?”
Your brain may be telling you, “Hell yes! Open that bag of chips already!” But as you tune in, you may actually notice it’s telling you, “no thanks”. Next you can ask it, “What do you want instead?” And again, tune in to what words, feelings, pictures come to you.
You might feel weird if you get a non-traditional breakfast food that pops into your head in the morning but give it a try! After all, who said breakfast HAS to be cereal, eggs & bacon or a smoothie?! If your body is asking for soup, go ahead and give it soup.
My friend has two young girls and shared with me that they are wonderful intuitive eaters! They will choose the most random things for their meals, but she supports them in their decisions and I think that’s wonderful!
The more you practice listening to what your body really wants, the more empowered you become. You no longer are a slave to sorting through all the conflicting health “advice” out there or ask yourself, “what foods are right for me?” AND, if you do have any kind of a health challenge, you’re better equipped to handle it because you instinctively KNOW how to eat, which treatment options are ideal and so on.
So, why not give it a try for a couple of days? I’d love for you to post in the comments and let me know what you noticed.
You can also watch this short video where I share a bit more.