In all likelihood, you have already heard about intuitive eating. Yet, this concept remains rather vague for many people which makes them rather confused about the positive sides of such an approach to food. If you are interested in learning more about intuitive eating, this article will provide you with more details on the topic.
What exactly is intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating is a dietary approach relying on the individual perception of the feeling of satiation and needs for food. One can also define it as getting control over the dietary habits. Yet, it is important to be aware of the fact the control in this case is not forced and it is not aiming to make a person have food according to some particular plan developed by a third person. It is all about one’s own connection with the body and understanding of one’s own needs. Based on this understanding of your body, you will know what is exactly good for you and what is not.
Why should one try intuitive eating?
There is whole range of positive sides of intuitive eating.
First of all, people with a mindful and intuitive approach to food are less prone to making poor food choices and overeating not because of the fear, guilt or other psychological factors. Their healthy food choices are coming from good understanding of one’s own food needs which have already been mentioned above. This means, a person choosing intuitive eating will not have to eat because of feeling stress, because one is supposed to have food at a particular hour regardless of being hungry or not or just because others are also eating something.
Another positive aspect of intuitive eating is an opportunity to save money or switch to the products of a better quality without paying more for them. This is true for the people who are unable to estimate the right amount of products they need to purchase. Unfortunately, the pressure coming from the companies trying to sell more and more products is to severe making to purchase more goods they are not capable of eating. Of course, the most popular tools used for persuading people to do it is various discounts based on getting more products for a lower price.
People practicing intuitive eating are more capable of enjoying small amounts of products so they might find it delight in discovering more expensive delicacies they had not bought before because now they do not have an urge of eating an entire box of expensive pralines or a litre exclusive ice cream. They are more capable of controlling their eating patterns.
Finally, there is a huge advantage of intuitive eating for the natural environment which is certainly related to the fact people shopping for food in a mindful way do not purchase too much of food which is wasted afterwards. The same goes for all of the all-inclusive systems of catering in hotels where people tend to get a way more food than it is possible to consume.
What is crucial about practicing intuitive eating?
One of the most important things you should understand about intuitive eating is that it is not a diet. There are no guidelines for eating, no products suggested and no steps of switching to a new nutritional style. It is all about learning about your own body which will certainly take time especially since the majority of people are rather confused about their own nutritional needs.
The process will include longer sessions of having food alone without any entertainment such as TV or books which will allow you to understand all of the physical sensations coming with satiation. This is crucial for understanding how much food you really need at a particular time of the day and when exactly you are hungry.