Trust Your Gut - Eat for Satisfaction Introduction
Why is Intuitive Eating important to chefate’s goals and community?
Because chefate creates recipes and meals, we feel that it is our responsibility to present these food ideas in a constructive, beneficial way. The recipes found on chefate are not labeled as “healthy”, “good for weight loss”, or “guilt-free” for a very specific reason: food should not be chosen based on negative feelings. Labeling a certain food as good or healthy inherently defines other foods as bad or unhealthy. Each ingredient is not good or bad. Each person’s body is unique and therefore their nourishment is unique.
What is Intuitive Eating?
Throughout this series, we will explore what Intuitive Eating can look like in our lives. But first, we need to understand what it is. Intuitive Eating is all about consuming food that will satisfy our bodies physically and emotionally. It takes the scientific mechanism called “interoceptive awareness” and applies it to how we satisfy our bodies through food. Interoceptive awareness is simply understanding your internal body cues. So when we apply this to eating, it means that we listen for hunger, satisfy that hunger with food that tastes good to us, and listen again for satiety and fullness.
Quick Disclaimer: This series explores Intuitive Eating from a chef’s perspective. This is not meant to provide specific medical advice. If these topics interest you, please consult a registered dietitian and/or healthcare provider for personalized guidance and education.
Intuitive Eating builds a positive relationship between you and the food you are eating. Intuitive Eating is anti-diet. It is not a system for weight loss. It is not a method that structures your meals or labels specific foods as “bad”. It is not food avoidance or restriction. It is not calorie counting, calorie limiting, or nutrition facts panel studying. The food police are NOT invited to mealtime when you are embracing Intuitive Eating.
When we strive to incorporate Intuitive Eating into our lives, we are infusing more mindfulness into our eating experiences. We are focusing on our body’s internal cues, not any external cues from pop culture or diet culture. We discover how our body truly reacts to different foods instead of assuming a perception of how our bodies “should” react. After eating a bowl of romaine lettuce do you truly feel full or do you think you should feel full? After eating buffalo chicken nachos, do you feel lethargic or do you feel satisfied and fueled for the rest of the day? Each person’s experience will be different and Intuitive Eating encourages us to acknowledge and respect our body’s unique dietary needs.
At its most basic level, Intuitive Eating is fueling our bodies with satisfaction. We give ourselves space to enjoy the food we consume both physically and emotionally. We choose food that will satisfy us physically by feeding ourselves adequately (often enough and with enough food to provide satiety.) We honor our emotional satisfaction by banishing feelings of guilt around food and choosing to eat what will delight our taste buds. We eat when we feel true physical hunger, not when we feel emotional hunger. When we feel emotional hunger, we search for effective ways to cope with the root of that hunger. Food, though delicious, will not solve the root cause of that emotional discomfort. By infusing mindfulness into preparing and enjoying our meals, we heighten our respect for the food and for ourselves. Intuitive Eating does involve “gentle nutrition” and we will dive into that much later in the series. There are many articles written by registered dietitians and nutrition therapists that dive into the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating. Below is a link to one of those articles written by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S author of the book Intuitive Eating.
How do I introduce Intuitive Eating into my life?
Ask yourself a few questions throughout the day. Remember that these questions do not have textbook right or wrong answers. Answer yourself honestly and challenge yourself to become more in tune with your body’s cues.
Do I feel hungry?
Am I trying to ignore my hunger?
Am I eating to satiate physical hunger or emotional hunger?
Are my choices around food coming from a place of self-care?
Do the flavors in my meal satisfy me?
What is my favorite ingredient in this meal?
Am I full yet?
Do I stop eating when I feel full?
In what aspects of cooking or eating do I feel joy?
When I exercise, do I take a mindful approach to my body’s movements?
One last note: Intuitive Eating is not a pursuit of perfection. This is a progression and there will be a multitude of emotions and experiences along the way. Take each opportunity to learn more about yourself and take pride in each step of your journey. Stay tuned for additional discussions about trusting your gut and eating for satisfaction.
