Tag Archive for: intuitive eating

5 Ways to Manage Your Diabetes, Without Weight Loss

“Lose weight and your A1C will go down!”

 

Is this statement something you’ve heard before?

 

Has your doctor told you that in order to manage your diabetes, you must lose weight?

 

In more cases than I want to remember, clients have walked into my office telling me that this is what their doctor told them. And, it makes them so upset because this is NOT helpful. These clients have tried over and over to lose weight on the typical “diabetes diet”, only to gain the weight back plus more.

 

So yes, maybe in the short term they saw a reduction in their A1C, but in the long term, NOPE!

 

This is because the doctors are approaching diabetes management in the WRONG way!

 

Weight loss is NOT A BEHAVIOR. It’s an outcome! An outcome of habit and behavior changes!

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and today is World Diabetes Day. Today is a day to raise awareness of this disease that affects millions. Education in disease management and prevention is KEY.

 

Are you among the increasing number of newly diagnosed diabetes cases each year?

 

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

  • Urinating more frequently
  • Increased thirst
  • Feel hungrier than usual
  • More tired than normal
  • Dry mouth and dry, itchy skin
  • Slow healing cuts

 

If you have experienced any of these symptoms (and have a family history of diabetes), it’s important that you get your blood sugar levels tested. Type 1 diabetes usually develops earlier in life, however a person at just about any stage of life can be diagnosed with Type 2.

 

So, what’s the best treatment for Type 2 diabetes?

 

It’s NOT weight loss!

 

Introducing…..

 

A Weight-Neutral Approach to Diabetes Management

 

Simply losing weight will not control your diabetes and blood sugar levels. Reason? Because most people who have struggled with losing weight before will regain that weight back. I’m not making that up. Statistics show that 95-97%% of people who lose weight will put that weight back on, plus more within 2-5 years. The 3-5% that do keep it off do so most often with disordered eating behaviors.

 

Who wants to live in fear of food? Not me, and I don’t want that for you either.

 

The most effective way to reach target blood sugar levels and improve your A1C levels is through behavioral changes, without the focus on body weight.

 

As a certified diabetes educator, this weight-neutral approach allows me to focus on what’s important in my sessions with clients; that is teaching them about their bodies, ways to decrease insulin resistance, increase insulin sensitivity and how to help their bodies work better for them and their diabetes.

 

My Weight-Neutral Diabetes Management Program has 5 Diabetes Education FOCUS Areas:  

FOCUS 1: Nutrition

FOCUS 2: Movement

FOCUS 3: Habits & Behaviors

FOCUS 4: Stress Management

FOCUS 5: Sleep Hygiene

When you make behavioral changes in these 5 focus areas, you will see your blood glucose levels come back into target range, your A1C will decrease, and you will decrease your risk of long-term diabetes complications.

 

This month as part of the National Diabetes Awareness celebration, take charge of your diabetes with a weight-neutral approach!

 

Learn more about my Weight-Neutral Diabetes Management Program HERE and contact me to set up a consultation.

 

Using Food as Fuel, Not Therapy

There is nothing wrong with foods being a source of pleasure.  In fact, the more positive your relationship with food, the better you will feel about your eating habits.

 

But, there is a fine line between a positive food relationship and using food as comfort.

 

The notion of seeking “comfort” from certain foods can lead to problems with your relationship with food.  If you are eating something to gain a sense of comfort, this begins to connect your eating to emotions instead of satiety.

 

There is a difference between eating a food you love because you are enjoying the taste of it or the ceremony for which the food represents, and eating to soothe emotions.

 

If you eat to feed your emotions, then you may be an emotional eater.

 

Let’s take a look at the cycle of emotional eating.

 

Emotional Eating Cycle

 

Your emotional trigger might be stress or even loneliness, which can lead to overeating and bingeing.  You might be looking for “something” to fill a void that you seem to have in your life.  That food may give you relief in the moment, but shame, guilt and body bashing can quickly follow.

 

This can become a vicious cycle, leaving you with a poor body image, negative self-image and those same emotions you started with.

 

When you eat for comfort, you are likely looking to avoid feeling whatever feelings you are experiencing. Because let’s face it, feeling feelings is hard! You hope that food will solve whatever problem you are having, but you know what? Food will not solve the problem.  Once you stop eating, the root of your problems will still be there. And on top of that, you likely feel bloated, tired and physically uncomfortable.

 

The best way to deal with your emotions is to look at the root of the problem, instead of turning to food.

 

Food as Fuel, Not Therapy

 

It’s best to use food as fuel rather than therapy. This is not to say you can’t eat the foods you previously considered to be “comfort foods”.  Instead, simply redefine their place in your eating plan, and make them a part of your healthy lifestyle, not a part of your mental well-being.

 

Would you like to delve further into your emotional eating and learn how to use food as fuel and not therapy? 

 

Join me on Friday November 9th at 12:00 pm EST for a LIVE Master Class where I will coach you through your biggest emotional eating challenges.

 

Your 3 Step Plan to End Emotional Eating

 

 Join me. Register for free HERE.

Intuitive Eating Sounds Glorious. Count me in!

“Intuitive eating. You mean I can eat whatever I want?”

 

This is a common question I hear from people when I introduce them to this practice of relating to food.

 

To someone just hearing about intuitive eating, it sounds glorious, almost too good to be true.

 

“You mean I can eat all those foods I’ve deprived myself of all those years? And still lose weight? Where has this been all my life?”

 

Today I want to address 2 misconceptions about intuitive eating:

  1. Intuitive eating is not about losing weight.
  2. Intuitive eating is not about instant gratification.

 

Weight Loss is Not a Goal

It’s very hard for most chronic dieters to immediately embrace the idea that the path towards intuitive eating does not guarantee weight loss. As a chronic dieter, you’ve started each diet with one goal in mind – weight loss. You were willing to restrict your food intake, say no to eating your favorite foods, even turning down social occasions (where there would be a ton of food you’d have to face) all with the final goal in mind of losing weight.

 

You’re tired of this battle. You are at your wits end. You don’t want to count another calorie, point, carb grams or mile walked. You just want to eat. You just want to be.

 

So, when you hear that there are no food rules in intuitive eating, it sounds glorious.

But what about your desire to lose weight?

 

It is of utmost importance that you put weight loss on the back burner. This means put it out of your mind for a while. Don’t think about it. There is no promise that you will lose weight with intuitive eating. Some people do, some people don’t. Some lose weight, some gain weight, some stay the same. Your body will do what your body will do, and no one can tell you what that will be.

 

You were born with a genetic blueprint of what your natural weight is. All the years of dieting has messed with that natural body weight. So when you finally stop interfering with nature, your body will likely settle in to where it was intended to be all along. This might be at a size or weight that you are happy with, or it might not. The next step is then body acceptance. This is not an easy step by any means, but with the right support, you can get to a place where you really accept and respect wherever your body lands.

 

Intuitive Eating is Not Instant Gratification

See it, want it, eat it.

 

That’s what a lot of naysayers think intuitive is. But it’s far from this.

 

Intuitive eating is not about eating whatever you want, whenever you want. It’s about changing your relationship to food, your mind and your body.

 

As you move through your intuitive eating journey, you learn to ask yourself questions before you decide to eat. You recall how this food felt in your body the last time you ate it. You turn inward and ask yourself if you are physically hungry or if you are eating because the clock says its time. You explore whether there is an emotion underlying the choice to eat in that moment.

 

At first, it might seem like you are eating without thought. This is because you have opened up the gates to enjoy all foods, you have taken off the handcuffs that kept you in diet prison, and frankly, you are eating all the foods you didn’t allow yourself to eat for years.

 

This is part of the process, but over time, your eating will normalize. Eventually, you will come to a point that you choose foods that help your body feel energized, not because you think you “should”, but because this is what feels good in your body.

 

Is intuitive eating glorious? You betcha!

 

But embark on this journey for the right reasons: to change your relationship with food and your body so you can live a fun filled life without food worry and body shame.

 

To learn more about intuitive eating, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Sauce to End Emotional Eating

In July 2017 I had oral surgery. I had a tooth extracted, it wasn’t fun. My plan was to have an implant once it healed, which I did in May 2018. This was part 1. I knew I had to return after 4-5 months to have the implant finished. Then it’s off to the dentist for the crown.

 

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced having a tooth pulled or an implant placed, but I’ll tell you this is a very long process. And not very pleasant.

 

Last Friday I returned to the oral surgeon to finish the implant process. As she was about to inject me, I happened to say, “I’m waiting until January to have the crown done”. She stopped right as the needle was about to penetrate my gum. She told me she cannot finish the implant today if I am waiting another 2 months to have the crown taken care of. After explaining in detail the reason why, I got up to leave, feeling very disappointed.

 

I had driven all the way to the oral surgeon’s office, in traffic, which took me way too long on a Friday morning when I had a zillion other things I had to do. I psyched myself up for this visit, and now she tells me she cannot move forward.

 

I was upset, frustrated, and irritated…and you know what the oral surgeon told me to do as I was leaving her office?

 

“Bonnie, stop at the bakery and pick up a treat. You’ll feel better!”

 

Whaaattt?

 

I swiftly turned around to look at her. For a moment, I was inclined to go into a speech about how I don’t feed my emotions. But I thought the better of it and decided to smile and leave.

 

The surgeon’s immediate response to my feelings of disappointment is not uncommon for many people. Experiencing an uncomfortable emotion? Feed it. It’s easier to feed the emotion that to feel the emotion.

 

But is this in your absolute best interest? Is numbing the pain or stuffing it down with food the best way for you to take care of you?

 

No.

 

Many times, your eating response to an uncomfortable emotion can feel impulsive.

 

Let’s examine this further.

 

The definition of the word impulsive means “actions based on sudden desires rather than careful thought; based on emotional impulses; acting under stress or emotion.”

 

When acting impulsively, you are acting quickly or acting without fully examining the consequences.

 

So, for example:

  • when you impulsively grab for the cookie when you walk in from work because it was sitting on the counter

 

  • or you impulsively reach for the ice cream in the freezer after you have an argument with your partner

 

These are examples of you acting without fully examining the consequences. And it’s only after you finish the cookie(s) or the pint of chocolate fudge ice cream that you stop and wonder “why did I do that, again?”

 

Does this resonate with you?

 

Do you suddenly find yourself eating without having even thought about it first?

 

Then you feel guilty and the negative self-talk starts (“there you go again, you just can’t’ control  yourself”) and you start to criticize yourself for “not wanting IT bad enough”? And we know what IT is, right? Weight loss!

 

Impulsive eating can be an emotional roller coaster with triggers at almost every meal or time of day that can lead you to overindulge.

 

And more often than not, there is some emotional reason behind that impulsive decision to eat. It’s just that sometimes it’s not so easy for you to figure it out.

 

But, you have the power within you to identify the WHY behind your impulsive and emotional eating. You must first become aware in order to have change.

 

I’m going to show you how to start this process in my FREE 5-day challenge called ‘How to Triumph Over Emotional Eating’. This challenge will help you begin to break your pattern of emotional eating. Together we’ll find YOUR power.

 

During the 5 days, you’ll learn my “6 P’s to Success” in changing your relationship to food, so food no longer has power over you.  Each day you’ll receive an email with training and a quick assignment to complete. Then later that day we will meet in our Facebook group for a Facebook Live training to dig deeper into that day’s lesson. You’ll also be able to ask questions and get my personal help.

 

This challenge will help you triumph over emotional eating and give you the tools you need to succeed.

 

You will truly learn the secret sauce to end emotional eating!

 

As a bonus, you will have a chance to win prizes just for participating in the challenge!  You will also get access to all 5 videos after the challenge is over.

 

What are you waiting for?  Head over to http://dietfreeradiantme.com/howtotriumphchallenge and sign up today to secure your spot!

 

How the Power of Your Self-Talk Can Help You “Just Do It”!

Guest blog Post by Anonymous

How do you know when it’s the right time? What sign do you get? What feeling do you have when you absolutely know without a shadow of a doubt that THIS is the right time?

 

Sure, there’s fear!

 

Fear of the unknown, “what will be, how will I manage?”

 

Fear of capability, “can I do it? Do I have enough confidence in myself do be able to survive?”

 

Fear of loneliness. “What happens when it’s only just me?”

 

Fear of the talk. “What will people say? Are they feeling sorry for me, shushing when I walk in the room? Are they staring at me? Will they pity me?”

 

I am broken. I am sad. I am angry at myself for letting it go this long. For not facing my fears. For not having the confidence in myself. For not thinking more of myself. For not feeling deserving.

 

It STOPS right here, right now!

 

Yes, I AM deserving.

 

Yes, I CAN do this.

 

Yes, I WILL have the support of people who love me.

 

Yes, I WILL pick up the pieces.

 

It all starts with ONE decision.

 

Just ONE!

 

Just do it!

 

————————————————-

This writing can define different things for different people. I won’t divulge what this author was referencing, but I feel that it can relate to you if you are contemplating leaving dieting behind.

 

There’s fear – “will I gain weight?”

 

There’s the unknown – “how will I know what to eat without following a meal plan?”

 

There’s fear of capability – “will I be able to learn to trust my body?”

 

There’s fear of loneliness – “all my friends are dieting, I’ll feel like an outcast!”

 

There’s fear of the talk – “will people speak behind my back, saying how I gained my weight back? Will they pity me?”

 

These are all valid fears! But it’s important to push through these fears if you want to get to the other side and find peace with food and your body…

 

…to live your life to the fullest without the constant thinking and worry about food and your body size.

 

JUST DO IT!

 

Make the decision to say NO to the next diet! Say NO to diet culture! Say NO to chasing the thin ideal.

 

You are deserving, you are worth it, you CAN DO IT!

 

I’m here to support you if you’re ready. Just reach out to me at Bonnie@DietFreeRadiantMe.com.

 

Do you resonate with the author of this guest blog post?

 

Share below for support.

 

How to Push Through Fear

Fear, “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger” (Merriam-Webster) or “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat” (Dictionary online).

 

If you stop and think about it for a moment, you probably have some fears in life. They can be related to traveling (flying in an airplane, driving on highways), animals (dogs, birds, insects), or relationships (commitment, marriage) to name a few.

 

But every day, I encounter clients and prospective clients that express fears related to two other things: food and change.

 

Food Fear

It’s not surprising to me that so many people have food fear. Food fears can be targeted at specific foods (i.e. pastries, chips) or whole food categories (i.e. breads and grains). They can relate to situations such as going to a party (“I won’t be able to resist the cake”) or meeting friends for dinner at a restaurant (“There are too many options, I’ll be tempted to order something not on the “light menu”).

 

How Does Food Fear Develop?

 

Well, typically they develop from messages you’ve received around these foods. These can be messages from members of your family, friends, or even health professionals. If your mom was a chronic dieter and she’d make statements such as “I can’t eat x” or “I gained 5 pounds just from eating y last night”, you internalized these messages and with repetition, they became your beliefs.

 

Food fears also develop from what you hear in the media, read in the newspaper,  and see in advertisements. Let’s face it, there is always someone touting the next great miracle to lose weight and it usually includes demonizing certain foods and/or food groups.

 

How Do You Heal from these Beliefs and Food Fears?

 

Bear with me, I’ll answer that question soon. First I want to address the second fear I revealed above: fear of change.

 

Fear of Change

 

Just the other day my hairdresser was telling me that the salon is moving down the block. She was upset. I asked her why. She said, “I don’t like change”.

 

Yes, change is hard. But if you have been engaging in the same behaviors for years without seeing results, then continuing these behaviors isn’t going to change anything. You cannot continue doing the same things and expect different results. That’s the definition of insanity (according to Albert Einstein)!

 

So, let’s dig a little bit here. What are you afraid of?

 

It could be a fear of actually NOT dieting anymore. It’s comfortable to diet. Well, what I mean is its familiar to you. You know what to expect, it’s safe for you. Diets tell you what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. You don’t need to make any decisions.

 

But let me ask you. Is this how you want to live your life? Or, do you want to be in charge of your own body and your food choices?

 

Perhaps it’s fear of success? I know, at first this sounds odd, doesn’t it? But take a moment and give thought to this one. Are you afraid to succeed for some reason? What reason might that be? Perhaps lack of confidence that you won’t be able to sustain this way of eating and living. Perhaps fear of achieving the body you’ve always wanted but you don’t want the attention this new body will bring you.

 

If you don’t learn to change old habits to make way for the new, you’ll never achieve the results you so desperately want.

 

Healing from Your Food Fears and Fear of Change

 

To heal from your food fears, you must first recognize what your beliefs are around these foods. To do that, you need to identify the negative messages you received and at what stage of your life you received them. And, from whom did you receive these messages? Then, and only then, can you work towards overturning these messages, beliefs and ultimately be at peace with food (and your body!)

 

To overcome your fear of change, you need to uncover the real reason why you are resisting change.  Realize that change will not happen unless you become just a little uncomfortable now in order to change your future. What is at the root of your fear of change and why you are so resistant to it?

 

If you’re like most of the woman I speak with, you’ve been working at breaking free of dieting for a while. You’ve researched the topic, spoken with coaches, downloaded materials and have read it over and over again. Yet, you are still stuck.

 

If you’d like me to help you get unstuck, I invite you to hop on a call with me and let’s discuss the possibilities. Get a spot on my calendar HERE.

 

Don’t see a time that works for you? No problem. Email me at Bonnie@DietFreeRadiantMe.com

 

How to Stay Motivated

The diet mentality finds its way into your life in very sneaky ways. But that’s okay because that’s how you learn to recognize it and get stronger at shooing it away. This happened to be last month’s theme in my membership program, Intuitive Eating Mastery Circle™. The more we highlight all the ways it shows up, the more of an expert we become at knocking it down!

 

I had a question recently from one of my subscribers (we’ll call her Sally) which is today’s Intuitive Eating Wednesday Question!

 

“How do I stay motivated to care, to keep my focus, to keep trying to eat intuitively, when life is so busy and I have failed miserably for years?”

 

I feel the pain in her question. And I wonder if you feel the same way as Sally. While I don’t know Sally personally, it seems from her question that she has come to the conclusion that diets don’t work. Which is great! But it also seems like there is some lingering diet mentality. This is common when first embarking on the intuitive eating journey.

 

There are two areas I want to highlight and hopefully shed some light on for Sally (and for you if you are resonating with her question).

 

Control is Dieting

 

By the tone of the question, it sounds  like control is playing a big role in “trying to eat intuitively”. I’d have to explore more with Sally what this actually means for her, in other words, how is trying to eat intuitively showing up for her each day. If it’s trying to eat only when hungry and stopping when full, then we are likely looking at the “Intuitive Eating Diet” at play here (or another way to describe it is the “Hunger and Fullness Diet”).

 

Many chronic dieters are on board with the fact that the diets have never worked for them. They love the concept of intuitive eating, so immediately start focusing on only eating when hungry and stopping when full. But here’s the problem with this. If they haven’t yet rejected the diet mentality, this will trip them up each time. Hunger and fullness cues become more rules and then when life gets busy and they are running around and aren’t as aware of their inner signals, they think they have failed. They think they need more control, more willpower!

 

Needing to have control and willpower is still dieting!

 

Is this possibly what is happening to you?

 

Limiting Beliefs and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

 

Limiting beliefs are beliefs that you are holding onto about your body, weight or food that are causing you to self-sabotage and are preventing you from living your best life.

 

“I have failed miserably for years.”

 

This statement right there is a belief that Sally has been holding onto that is keeping her spinning her wheels.

 

Beliefs come from messages that you’ve received, often as far back as childhood. Your thoughts and beliefs drive your feelings which drive your actions which give you your results.

 

If you continue to repeat over and over that you have failed miserably for years, then you will continue to do so…it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Change your beliefs and you’ll change your outcomes.

 

Ahh, I know this is not so easy! I spend quite a bit of time with my clients working with them on identifying their limiting beliefs, re-framing them into true beliefs and ultimately rewiring the neural pathways in their brain.

 

I have discovered over all the years of coaching and counseling clients that this step can’t be overlooked. If it is, you will continue to allow the sneaky diet mentality to get you every time.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how to break through your limiting beliefs, click here to explore my Intuitive Eating Program for Adults! And, you can read the stories from my clients who have successfully rewired their neural pathways and are now living life as an intuitive eater.

 

 

 

The First Step You MUST Take on Your Intuitive Eating Journey

After a lifetime of dieting, you have probably learned that placing restrictions on foods does not work for your body. Despite all the diets you have been on, your weight has continued to fluctuate. If you are feeling frustrated with your lack of progress, you are not alone. Many dieters frequently feel disappointed and defeated when they don’t see the results that the diets have promised.

 

If you are looking for an alternative to dieting (and I hope you are!), then you should consider practicing intuitive eating.

 

Intuitive eating is not another diet, it’s a lifestyle. When practicing intuitive eating, there are no restrictions on food and there is no counting of calories. Instead you listen to your body’s internal hunger and fullness cues and let that guide your eating.

 

Intuitive eaters do not demonize food, they do not categorize foods as “good” or “bad”. When food is categorized in such a way, it causes you to feel guilt when you do consume the “bad” foods. The shame that you feel when you do eat these foods can cause you to feel dissatisfied with your decisions and ultimately your body.

 

One of the key components in intuitive eating is rebuilding a trusting and happy relationship with your body. Dieting makes you feel as if your body does not measure up to societal expectations. Despite your misgivings, your body is beautiful and deserves your appreciation.

 

When you begin to listen to your body’s needs, you start to rebuild a trusting relationship. Your body instinctively know what foods you need to be satisfied.

 

Rebuilding a trusting relationship with food is certainly not easy. It will take some time to rediscover your body’s internal hunger and fullness signals, and then to trust that they will not mislead you. However, the experience is certainly worth it. When you listen to your body’s callings, you will feel more at peace with food and yourself.

 

The first step on your journey towards rebuilding the relationship with food, your body and yourself is to cultivate your Mind Trust™.

 

Mind Trust™ allows you to throw away the diet rules and food restrictions, to bust through your limiting beliefs and realize that you did not fail, the diets have failed you.

 

But how do you cultivate Mind Trust™ when you haven’t trusted your own food decisions for so long?

 

The answer is to break the spell that diets have over you. I know, this is not an easy feat. But you can do it.

 

Sign up BELOW to start your journey towards Mind Trust™ or learn more by clicking here!

 

 

Digging Into Desserts as an Intuitive Eater

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I am often asked about the role that dessert plays in our eating plan. Many people who are stuck in the diet mentality see certain foods as off-limits. This is largely due to the many diets they’ve been on that place foods into two categories, healthy foods and “junk foods” (or “good” and “bad”, “legal” and “illegal” etc…you get the idea).

 

When food is labeled as forbidden, it just becomes that much more appealing. When you place limits on how many sweets you can have or when you can have them, you are giving that food power over you. You are treating certain foods like a vice instead of a delightful treat to be savored.

 

Food is not meant to be categorized in such a way. As a matter of fact, I have a pet peeve when people call food “junk food”. Food is not junk and food is not garbage. Food nourishing to our body and soul. Food is neutral and there are ways you can incorporate what you would call “junk foods” into your eating style without demonizing it.

 

In order to build a healthy relationship with food, it is imperative to stop demonizing it, and look at it as a source of nourishment.

 

When working with my intuitive eating clients, I take them on a journey in which, together, we work to rebuild a happy and healthier relationship with food. During this journey, we reframe the way they way they look at desserts and sweets, and refer to these foods as either “fun foods” or “play foods.” They find it enjoyable to incorporate play foods into their eating style once they rebuild that trust within their body. They no longer fear these foods.

 

Chocolate chip cookies, lemon meringue pie, and salty caramel ice cream are not “off limits”. As you learn to enjoy all foods on your intuitive eating journey, you will find that every food has a place in your life, if you so choose.

 

Some sweet treats that can’t be beat:

  • Anything with berries in it. Berries are a great way to sweeten up any meal or snack. They have antioxidants, they protect your cells from free radicals and they are delicious. Check out my favorite ways to add berries into my meals.

 

  • Cookies, in any shape and size. Cookies are great because you can have one or two or five! You decide based on your level of hunger, not based on a pre-determined portion. To learn more about these delicious treats, check out my blog post.

 

  • Nuts – I’m just nuts about nuts. Nuts are packed with nutrients, fiber and healthy fat making them the perfect snack or after dinner dessert. While nuts might have once been an “off limit” food for you, as an intuitive eater you are now embracing them for their healthy fat content. Learn more about the various nuts and how to incorporate them into your menus.

 

  • The perfect parfait. Parfaits are a great after dinner treat, especially when they are homemade and you get to decide what to put in them. For simple instructions on how to make your own click here.

 

In practicing an intuitive eating lifestyle, you will learn how to pay attention to your body’s internal hunger and fullness cues.

 

Quick Tip

When you are eating a food, try and remember how that food is affecting you both mentally and physically.

 

Remember how you felt after eating a quinoa salad and compare that to after you had a giant cheeseburger. When you pay attention to how foods affect you, you will feel more in charge of your eating. You may not crave that BLT as much when you realize how much better you feel when you eat a yogurt for breakfast instead. Don’t get me wrong, there are mornings when a giant stack of pancakes is in order, however as you become more intuitive and skilled at listening to your body, this may not be as common of an occurrence as before.

 

Interested in learning more about intuitive eating? Contact me to learn more about my various intuitive eating programs.

 

Your Turn to Take Action: What is your favorite sweet treat? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

Mindful Eating for Maximum Nutrient Absorption

It wasn’t too long ago that the concept of intuitive eating was regarded as a “new science.” Time and time again, a new client would sit across from me in person or on Skype and say “why haven’t I ever heard of intuitive eating before?” Truth is, I still hear this today. This is probably because the diet industry has a louder bark than those of us practitioners practicing and teaching intuitive eating.

 

While intuitive eating might be a newer concept for you, more than likely mindful eating is less “new”. Being mindful and tuning into your body’s natural signals is a science that is rooted in our oldest ancestry. Tapping into those innate practices that your ancestors once held, or being mindful when you eat, is one way of conquering your battle with food.

 

So what is mindful eating?

 

Let’s start with understanding what mindfulness is. Mindfulness is a state of being conscious or being aware of something. It’s paying attention to your thoughts and feelings without judging them, without believing that there is a “right” or a “wrong” way to think or feel in that particular moment.

 

When you are being mindful, your thoughts tune into what you are sensing in the present moment, rather than thinking about the past or the future.

 

Mindful eating involves developing a special kind of awareness that you bring to the table when you eat. It is less about what you eat and more about the way you eat. It’s the act of slowing down, savoring the flavors, and enjoying every bite.

 

As you mindfully eat, you become aware of your eating habits, especially the ones that sabotage your eating experience.

 

Becoming a mindful eater takes practice.

 

Being mindful in other aspects of your day are also important and can include deep breathing exercises, meditation and writing in your journal. No matter how you focus on being mindful, small steps are key. There are psychological as well as physical reasons why slowing down can influence the way your body works.

 

For one, mindful eating can actually readjust your metabolism for efficient and effective functioning. The reason for this is because your body is basically functioning in one of two modes. One mode is the fight-or-flight response. This response is stimulated when you are in action. This response releases cortisol, and designates blood to your extremities in your muscles and bones.

 

The other mode is rest and digest. When you sit down and peacefully enjoy your meal, your body draws your blood flow to these organs of digestion. This effectively breaks down the carbohydrates, protein and fats that you consume.

 

Based on these two physiological responses, it’s clear to see where you may be going wrong in your quest to nourish your body and be healthy and strong. When you eat on the go, in your car, on the bus or on your walk to work, your body is designating its blood flow and energy to muscles that are moving instead of your stomach. Eating on-the-go causes the absorption of nutrients to be impaired.

 

And, on top of that, you aren’t focused on what you are eating, and likely are not satisfied psychologically. Therefore you find yourself looking for food soon after to fill some sort of “need”.

 

If you want to maximize your body’s absorption and efficiency and have utmost pleasure in your food and meals, start by avoiding all distraction while you eat. Eat and just eat. Take the time to sit down, take your mind off your tasks and simply eat. Step away from your desk at work or find a spot to eat outside to increase the joy you have when eating. Do the same for each meal.

 

While this might seem difficult at first to do, you will reap the benefits soon enough.

 

Your Turn to Take Action: Name one mindful eating technique you will try tonight?