A variety of food groups in one picture

What is intuitive eating, and should you be doing it?

People often ask me: “What do you eat in a day?” For me, the answer is simple: wholefoods. In other words, one-ingredient foods. The food that you buy in the fresh-produce aisles, as opposed to the packaged food aisles of your local supermarket. This includes things like vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses, whole-grains, lean proteins, spices and herbs.

However, what works for me may not work for you. Let me explain…

Food is personal

We all have completely different genetic makeups, fitness goals, workouts, lifestyles and metabolisms. All this influences how we should be eating. Even the healthiest foods can have varying effects on different people, depending on their genetic differences.

While packed with healthy benefits, garlic, for example, is a food that affects different people in different ways. For some people, garlic digests comfortably and adds delicious flavour to dishes, while providing benefits in the form of heart health and antimicrobial properties. For others, garlic can cause stomach cramps.

How our bodies respond to different types of food is completely based on what the body likes and needs. And this will vary across – and even within – individuals. The type of foods on which our bodies function optimally will differ from one point in time to the next.

Our lifestyles and bodies are constantly changing. So, what worked for you before may not work for you now. For example, if you never used to be the active type, but you’ve recently started exercising regularly, you may find yourself being put off by fast food that you used to enjoy, which now makes you feel uncomfortable and sluggish in your workouts.

Listening to your body

This is where intuitive eating comes in. Or, put simply: listening to our bodies. It’s vital for us to become attuned to our bodies’ needs. Eating intuitively can help you gauge the type of nutrition you need at a specific point in time. If, say, you’re lifting heavy weights and eating very little and you feel weak and fatigued all the time, your body may be trying to tell you it needs more protein and healthy carbohydrates for recovery.

Importantly, intuitive eating does not mean giving in to cravings. Not at all. When you are properly in tune with your body, you will begin to understand the difference between a craving and a genuine nutritional need. These differences can be difficult to discern at first, but with practice and patience, you will become more familiar with your body and begin to more easily determine the difference between the two.

How to become an intuitive eater?

Spending some time focusing on how your body responds to different foods is a great way to form a better understanding of where your body is at:

Start a food journal

Start by keeping a food journal to understand your eating behaviours, the times you eat, your food choices etc. This will assist you in becoming more familiar with your eating patterns, behaviours, cravings and the reaction your body has to different foods. You may be surprised by the realisations pertaining to your eating behaviours that come to light.

Eat slowly

Chew food properly and mindfully. Make sure you sit down when eating, and enjoy each meal.

Just eat

Be careful of the activities in which you engage while eating, as you can develop learnt associations between certain activities and eating. Think about going to movies: I bet the first thing you think about is popcorn. Similarly, if you watch TV and eat at the same time, you may start to get hungry every time you watch TV. Ideally, make mealtimes an occasion – and when you sit down to eat, just eat.

Eat wholefoods

As far as possible, avoid food that’s ultra-processed. Such food is often high in sodium and unhealthy fats, which can lead to health problems down the line. Also be sure to drink plenty of water.

Notice how you feel

See how your body responds to different foods – you may realise that dairy or grains, for example, don’t work well for your body, or maybe your body functions better on higher levels of protein. It really is so specific to what your body needs at a particular point in time. Some signs that something you ate doesn’t agree with you: feeling bloated, stomach cramps, nausea, constipation or diarrhoea, sinus congestion, itchiness, brain fog, or having energy spikes and crashes.

Enjoy your food

Lastly, stay away from fad diets or any diet that tells you to avoid entire food groups or leaves you feeling deprived and miserable. If you find a diet to be too restrictive or prescriptive, chances are you won’t be able to stick to it. Instead, eat a balanced diet and listen to your body.

Learning to eat intuitively won’t happen overnight. It may mean breaking long-held habits and becoming more thoughtful and intentional around food than you’re used to. But with practice, you may reach a point where food is both fuel and something to enjoy without guilt and without bracing yourself for the inevitable side effects later. Cheers to that!

Cara-Lisa Sham

Sham is an entrepreneur, dancer, self-taught yogi and passionate wellness advocate who lives and breathes well-being. She is part of the leadership team at soSerene, an online well-being management system for individuals and corporates, designed to support holistic health.

Image credit: Freepik

Leave a Comment