Lifestyle

5 Tips to Intuitive Eating

Healthy foodie, vegan ice cream, gluten free cone

“Are you sure you wanna eat that?” “Carbs make you fat.” “Eat low fat.” “Eat more fat!” “I’m trying this new diet and you have to try it out!” “Coconut oil is the new superfood.” “Actually, coconut oil is bad for you.”

UGH. There’s not a lot that gets me mad, but “diets”? Yeah, diets kill me. I HATE dieting… passionately. I’m not about deprivation, ‘quick-fixes’ or extremes of any kind. If I didn’t have to eat ‘gluten, dairy and soy free’ because of intolerances, you’d better believe I’d enjoy a hot slice of cheesy pizza with my salad. Instead of diets, strive for balance. 
 
BALANCE. While I may not be able to enjoy that yummy pizza, I definitely can enjoy rich dark chocolate, homemade gluten free cake, creamy coconut milk ice cream, gluten free pretzels, and much much more.
 
For today’s post I want to talk about INTUITIVE EATING. Intuitive eating is a game changer. If you ask me, it’s one of the best things you can do for your health. Intuitive eating is all about listening to your body… Your hunger cues, your likes and dislikes- not what some diet says you should be eating and not eating. Here are my top 5 tips to make intuitive eating a part of your lifestyle!

  1. Ditch the diet– You already read my rant about dieting, but seriously… don’t do it! CUT dieting out of your life forever. Dieting is literally the exact opposite of intuitive eating. It’s following somebody else’s rules and restrictions… don’t do that. Intuitive eating is all about YOU, remember?
  2. Eat Consistently– That being said… intuitive eating is NOT about giving into every little craving or desire. In order to make intuitive eating a part of your life, you need to think long term. Aim for consistency. Try to eat in a way that teaches your body how to eat. Eating 3 square meals a day and 1 or 2 healthy snacks creates the consistency and routine your body craves.
  3. Eat REAL food– Processed, sugary-sweet, calorie-dense food that’s hyper-platable is genetically modified and manipulated to make you crave more. There’s a reason you can’t eat just 1 Dorito (and no, it’s not your willpower). Processed foods are created to make you crave more so that food companies sell more products. Don’t fall for their traps!! Eat REAL food (think fresh local produce, organic whole grains, quality protein, nourishing fats like avocado, etc.) Your taste buds, your heart, your skin, your hair AND your waistline… they’ll all thank you!
  4. Eat enough– If you don’t eat enough your body will do one of two things- 1) overeat, or 2) lower your metabolism to hang onto all it can. Intuitive eating will only be successful if you eat enough food. While portion control is important, make sure to eat enough. Listen to your body’s hunger cues. Eat when you are hungry, stop eating when you are satisfied, and don’t restrict.
  5. Treat yo self (DAILY)– My FAVEEE suggestion is this: Treat yourself. Every.single.day. Seriously. Eating a little treat in the evening helped me lose 35lbs. It helped me create a healthy relationship with food and allowed me to stop seeing food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. If there is something you’re truly craving, then eat a small portion of it. If it’s chocolate, make it dark. If it’s sugar, make it natural. It’s all about BALANCE. Eat whole, natural foods 80% of the time and treats only 20% of the time. Spinach is good for your body, but chocolate is good for your soul!
 

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8 Comments

  • Reply Emily

    I love all these simple tips. Although I secretly or not so secretly like Doritos every once in a while, usually my body does crave foods that are simple and pretty whole in their ingredients. I love all the fresh veggies and fruit plates and salads and such that you share Cailee; and I always love your #treatyoself time. 🙂 I’m a 1000% fan of ditching the diets and truly learning what it means to listen to our bodies and appreciate the way God designed us!

    June 19, 2017 at 5:02 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thanks so much Em! You know I love my #treatyoself time as much as I love my fresh produce! It’s definitely all about BALANCE in my book! Also, YES to ditching the diet! So glad you agree!

      June 26, 2017 at 1:52 pm
  • Reply Nikki (NY Nomads)

    These are really smart tips. I agree – it’s all about balance. Generally with pre made dieting plans, you’re following someone else’s best ideas for their body, not your own.

    http://www.nynomads.com
    Living sustainably on $100/week in NYC

    June 19, 2017 at 5:47 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Thanks Nikki! And yes- I completely agree… it’s all about finding what works for YOU!

      June 26, 2017 at 1:46 pm
  • Reply Claire B.

    I eat dark chocolate every day! Because it’s made from a bean, so it’s basically a vegetable, right? 😉 In all seriousness, though, I love these tips. To me, real food is always so much more filling and satisfying than processed stuff–even when it comes to treats, I’d much rather eat REAL cake made with butter and all the good things than a processed snack cake!

    June 19, 2017 at 10:34 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Chocolate is basically a vegetable!! YES! I love it!! And I love your approach to food- I agree! REAL food doesn’t mean low calorie, bland diet foods. So true Claire. Hope you’re having a great Monday girl!

      June 26, 2017 at 1:51 pm
  • Reply Miss Polkadot

    Agreed. In fact, intuitive eating isn’t even new but normal eating. It’s diet culture, fads and the likes that disconnect us from our intuition and I agree that regaining that connection is the best.
    Personally, I think allowing all foods we crave, including processed ones, is key to truly making peace with food. Anything else is restrictive :). With this in mind, I actually end up eating mostly nutritious foods but enjoy “fun foods” whenever I feel like, too.

    June 22, 2017 at 1:49 pm
    • Reply Cailee

      Yes!! I definitely agree! I found that getting out of that restrictive mindset was key to creating an intuitive, sustainable relationship with food! Even though I have a lot of food intolerances which creates restriction, I make sure to ALWAYS treat myself to things I CAN enjoy! Like you said, BALANCE!!

      June 26, 2017 at 1:49 pm

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