As we approach the end of the year, it is important to leave behind things that are slowing us from getting where we want to be. The future looks more like taking care of yourself and being healthy.
Diet culture has been a massive commodity in the health and wellness community. When low carbohydrate diets entered the mainstream, so many people participated in the trend. The Atkins diet, Keto diet, and various other trendy diets have become the main topic around nutrition. Listening to diet culture has led many people to disconnect from their bodies.
When we restrict ourselves from eating our stomach growls, we lose trust in ourselves. And then we stop listening to those vital signals that allow us to sustain balance. When we don’t listen, we can tell the body that its standard way of communicating is incorrect, instead of listening to what is needed.
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The Psychology of Eating
There’s more evidence coming to light that diets don’t work. As said in Psychology Today, “since your body doesn’t want you to starve, it responds to overly-restrictive diets by slowing your metabolism, which of course makes it harder to lose weight.” This particular situation is not conducive to healthy weight loss. It also creates a mental state of impatience when weight loss becomes more challenging from constant dieting.
Another awful result of fad dieting comes from losing essential nutrients in restricting calories or cutting whole food groups out of our diet. If your body is allergic to something or you have a specific reason for removing a particular food group, it’s a good idea to replace that food with something that will still give you the nutrients you need.
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Intuitive eating is in!
Cultivating an intimate approach to food is a gift. It can help our bodies become more aware of the foods that nurture our souls and which foods deplete us. How can we build a better relationship with food? Trying a new approach to food that feels comfortable to us is the first step. Intuitive eating begins to welcome people back to their bodies.
How to eat intuitively
Touching, tasting and eating foods that elevate the experience is another way to explore food. Try new recipes and experiment with fresh ingredients that can feel indulgent. A fresh garbanzo bean pasta with a light aromatic sauce is a satisfying experience.
Relearning healthy habits with food is a journey. It takes time and patience with yourself. Ultimately, there is no “goal.” If there is a goal, it would be to become more responsive to your body’s different signals. It is about diving deeper into your thoughts about food and becoming friends with the colorful array of possibilities.
