Intuitive Eating Part I

Intuitive eating is not a new fad or tip that you can utilize for fast weight loss. It’s about getting back to our roots. Back to a way of being that is in perfect alignment with our natural state. If nothing else, intuitive eating has completely opened my eyes to the current state of our stressed-out society. We need awareness to bring back this sacred ritual.

It’s sadly the norm to jump from juice cleanse to… magic diet pills… to… protein meal replacement shakes in effort to lose weight fast. Next comes the binge as you sabotage your progress, guilt yourself, then seek out the new weight loss fad to start the cycle all over again.

What I’ve found to be the saddest part of this whole vicious trap is not the damage done to your blood sugar, weight, thyroid or hormones but the psychological damage as you train yourself into a certain way of being. Disconnecting from your bodies true desires around food.

When trapped in the diet mentality, you force yourself into someone else’s way of eating, looking & feeling. This in-authentically leaves you feeling empty and on a constant search for the new “magic” diet to solve all your problems.

Its time to BREAK FREE and commit to re-connecting to YOUR body. She’s there, waiting for you to tap into her wealth of wisdom.

Give yourself permission and LET GO of society’s pressure.

MIND GAMES

In the past, I controlled my eating with mind hunger or “ I should:”

• …be eating more protein”
• …cut out all dietary fat”
• …stop eating at 6pm”
• …track my macros”
• …be eating smaller portion sizes”

Mind hunger is influenced by external information such as new diet books, health articles, expert opinions, etc. on what we “should” be eating. This is ever changing and you must remove yourself from the constant influence of “should’s” because it can send you on a roller-coaster of fad diets. This completely removes you from your own bodies intuition.

This realization was SO freeing for me. When I stopped listening to my inner critique, I felt a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. Trying to follow everyone else’s rules creates unnecessary anxiety and removes the joy from eating.

Shed those old dietary beliefs… Step into your bodies wisdom and feel its true potential.

FOODS HOLD ON US

I’m not suggesting that you treat junk food like a free for all or begin giving into every craving for french fries and chocolate cake. When you eat a whole foods diet, based on minimally processed food, you are nourishing your body. Allow yourself to truly feel its subtle signals.

Eating processed foods filled with chemicals and refined sugar TRICKS your brain. It becomes much more difficult to feel when you are truly hungry/full.

In a 2013 study, scientists put this theory to the test when they discovered that “Oreos activated significantly more neurons” than cocaine in lab rats.

Yikes! Have you ever popped open a bag of chips intending to have just a few, then look down to discover you have devoured the entire bag? Yup, been there.

Intuitive eating is much easier when you are eating food close to its natural state. You can take back your control by simply getting back to your roots and eating as nature intended us to eat. Aim for foods in their whole state or close to. Food that didn’t spend days prepared in a factory with an ingredient list to long to read.

There’s something magical about spending time in the kitchen, preparing a meal from scratch using REAL ingredients and eating in a state of utter and complete peace that makes me all warm and fuzzy on this inside. I didn’t always love cooking… well ok yes, I did…BUT now I love it even more and truly look forward to meal time. Like anything it takes practice, but the more comfortable you get in the kitchen, the easier + tastier your meals become.

WHERE TO START:

• Find a few simple crock pot or oven recipes that require minimal ingredients and have the kitchen tools to most of the work for you. Pinterest is a HUB for healthy recipes.
• Pick a day of the week designated to meal planning/prep. Sunday afternoons have always been my go-to for grocery shopping and meal prep for the week. It’s now a ritual that I look forward to.
• Go to the store with a few printed-out recipes and highlight the items you need so you don’t end up getting tempted or over purchasing.
• Aim for the 80/20 rule when you look down at your shopping cart. 80% of your items should be whole foods while 20% can be packaged or canned.

Part II of Intuitive Eating will go more in depth to the practical steps that should be taken to tap into your bodies wisdom and nourish it from the inside out.

If you are ready to transform from the insides out and feel you could benefit from more support/accountability please contact me directly at sam@samkalawart.com

Want to transform with a 1:1 Reiki Session in Grand Rapids, Michigan? Energy Therapy + Nutritional Cleansing is the perfect way to transform from the inside out and experience the Body Peace you desire. Schedule your first 1:1 Reiki session with me to start your healing journey!

xx,

Sam