Navigating Intuitive Eating While Sick

Do you ever worry about what will happen the first time you get sick while on your intuitive eating journey? Do you worry that you’ll find it hard to listen to your body and may fall back into old habits? Unfortunately, it can be harder for you to eat intuitively while you’re sick, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall back into old habits.

Let me tell you a lesson I learned a few years ago about a time I was sick and how it affected my intuitive eating journey.

I don’t usually get sick so when I do, it really throws me for a loop.

After I woke up one morning from a difficult night sleep, with a sore throat, coughing, and achy body, I went into the kitchen to prepare my breakfast. What I realized as I tuned into my hunger signals was that I wasn’t really hearing hunger. I stopped to think about this. The last time I ate was dinner the night before, and I am usually hungry in the morning. Yet, I just wasn’t feeling it that morning.

So, what do you think I did?

Well, I could have left the kitchen and said I’m not going to eat because I don’t hear my hunger. But that’s not what I did. I changed up my breakfast a bit and had a much smaller breakfast with a cup of tea.

A few hours later, I sensed a gentle hunger, but still not typical of my usual hunger mid-day. Yet, I realized that it’s been some time since I’ve eaten, and it’s very important to keep my energy levels up with proper fuel. And so again, I tweaked what my usual lunch would be, and had a smaller lunch with another cup of tea.

I learned several lessons from my experience, and I would like to share them with you:

1. Always Make Sure to Nourish Your Body

While I encourage you to tune into your inner hunger signals as your guide to eating, there are times when those hunger signals might be blunted. And one of those times is during illness. Therefore, even if you don’t hear and feel the hunger signals like you normally do, it’s still so important to eat so you can properly nourish your body.

2. Choose Foods that Fit Your Current State

The best option when you’re sick and don’t feel or hear your hunger signals is to choose “sick-friendly” foods. These types of foods are easy on the stomach (and in my case, easy on my throat). That may be soup if you have a sore throat or a piece of toast with butter if you are having an upset stomach.

3. Listen to Your Body

Keep in mind while you’re eating that this might be one situation where you just don’t hear those hunger signals as sharply as when you are feeling well. And that’s okay! But still try to check in with your body for how it’s feeling!

The most important thing to remember is that while you’re sick, your body needs nourishment to feel better, which is why it’s necessary for you to eat, even if you have trouble hearing your hunger signals.

If you are on your intuitive eating journey and are bumping into obstacles like this, please reach out to me. I can help you navigate this and other hurdle that might pop up for you.