We’ve come so far away from the natural way of eating that we start relying on rules and restrictions to control our diet.
In reality, we should be able to know intuitively what food we need by listening to our bodies (our gut feelings, you may say).
Easier said than done, you say? As a dietitian and someone who overcame a seven-year battle with an eating disorder, I want to share how to establish intuitive eating patterns.
The dangers of food rules.
Anyone who has had (or has) a negative relationship with food will be familiar with some of the following:
- Calorie counting and guilt if you went over your “number”.
- An earning mentality around food i.e. I have to do ‘X’ amount of movement to deserve ‘X’ amount of food.
- An internal war with yourself around social occasions where there might be “bad” food.
- Self-loathing and body shaming yourself on a daily basis.
Finding food freedom with JERF.
Just Eating Real Food was what helped heal my eating disorder and stop the needless calorie counting.
When you are eating real food that is nutrient dense and not filled with large amounts of sugar, sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours, it promotes a healthy hormonal environment. What I am specifically referring to is that the messages of “I am hungry” and “I am full” are much truer to what is actually going on internally.
What I am specifically referring to is that the messages of “I am hungry” and “I am full” are much truer to what is actually going on internally.
Your body knows how much it needs if it is provided with food that it understands how to use and that brings with it nutrients, not just empty calories.
On the contrary when we are eating large amounts of processed food, or foods filled with things designed to be hyper-palatable (easy to overconsume due to addictive-like pleasurable properties), our body’s natural satiety signals are all thrown off.
How to start intuitive eating.
For me it allowed me to start respecting my body instead of constantly being at war with it. Well, I think the most important thing is that it teaches you that food is indeed medicine.
- I focused on counting nutrients not calories (I mean this figuratively not literally, no counting!)
- I simplified the “dieting rules” by just focusing on maximizing nutrition and eating unprocessed food
- I TRUSTED my body and listened to what it was saying
- I focused on the BENEFIT of my food choices. For example each time I ate, I picked 2 things that were positive about the food and how it would serve me
- I focused on positive physical, social and emotional changes that using this approach had, instead of only dictating a “diet’s” success by how much weight it made me lose
Please note that I do not want to imply that overcoming an eating disorder is as exclusively implementing the above, though it was a helpful strategy (amongst many) that has helped me and many of my clients.
Anyone reading this who feels like they may be suffering from an eating disorder should definitely seek further help. It is a multifaceted battle, and one you should not try to fight alone.
If this has brought up any issues for you, contact the Butterfly Foundation‘s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or at support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au.
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