How to Eat Intuitively
I used to be the type of person to seek validation from others on pretty much EVERYTHING. I really didn’t like making decisions on my own and would constantly research or ask other’s opinions on what I should do. Mostly in the nutrition and relationship category, the 2 I struggled the most with.
Often times after asking such advice, I noticed the response didn’t sit well with me. It would steer me in the wrong direction, wouldn’t give me the results that I wanted and was pretty exhausting playing the waiting game on answers.
I knew there had to be a better way.
Many of us are stuck in the cycle of removing our personal authority, not realizing that we actually have all of the answers we are seeking. Using our personal authority to make decisions on our life is called using our intuition (it’s a buzzword these days, I know). And when we start to tap into our intuitive abilities, we realize that we actually can give ourselves the BEST advice in our lives, especially with what food to eat.
Many people, myself included, used to hate hearing the phrase “Trust your intuition”. I had no idea how to hear it or feel it! But that’s only because I wasn’t taught what the voice of my intuition sounded like. I had no idea that my intuition needed to be dusted off for me to start recognizing it after years of seeking external advice.
Once I started to learn how my intuition spoke to me, I started to be able to answer my own questions. I could truly tap into my hunger cues, what my body was telling me it was hungry for.
I could FEEL what it felt like when I needed to go for a run or take a long, relaxing bath with a botanical elixir. I knew the feeling of not respecting myself and saying yes in a relationship. And I definitely learned the feeling when it was time to leave a partner that didn’t serve me anymore. Yes, my intuition, as will yours, became stronger and I realized how much personal authority I actually I had to make the right decisions for my life.
Step 1: Be Present
Before you do anything in the morning, take time to be present with how your body is feeling. Close your eyes and do a self body scan, or use this guided 10 minute meditation to check in with your energy. Is your stomach bloated? Do you feel extra hungry? Is your mind racing? All of these factors are key to learning the inner wisdom of your body.
Take inventory and really feel what’s going on inside you without preconceived judgement for what you think you should know or do. From there, take the best action for your body. What foods do you need?
Step 2: Journal
One of the best ways to learn your body’s intuition is by reflecting through writing. Sometimes when we write, everything becomes clearer and more obvious than when we are just thinking revolving thoughts.
Before you go to bed, take out your journal and answer the following questions:
What did I eat today?
How did I feel after I ate each meal? (Be as specific and thorough as possible to go through each meal.
If I could change one thing about the way I ate today, it would be _______________.
What were a few things I ate today that I feel good about?
When we reflect on the previous day, we can step more fully into the wise woman that we are and make more appropriate food or really any type of decisions.
Step 3: Believe in your inner wisdom
“Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe.” Mark Victor Hansen
Before you do anything else, you have to believe that your body is wise. You have to believe that you were meant to have a healthy, happy, vibrant body. You have to believe that YOU source so much power inside of you.
When you wake in the morning, after you complete your body scan, look at yourself in the mirror, be present with the person that is you and ask yourself, “What do I believe to be true about my body?”
When you believe in something, it becomes who you are. You will start to take action as if you are this person, just by believing it. It is definitely a practice, but the more you do it, the more you will notice that you are healthy, vibrant and happy.
The best piece of advice I like to give to clients starting on the journey of understanding your sacred body is to commit to this path. The beginning may feel tough and foreign. You may doubt the process when you have a slip up, which is absolutely natural and actually critical, but remember that it took us ____ years to disconnect with our bodies. It takes a lot to come home to them as well.
xxoo,
Andrea
