Intuitive Eating Principle #10: Honor Your Health - Gentle Nutrition
Honoring your health through gentle nutrition involves finding a harmonious balance between nourishing your body and enjoying the pleasures of food. It's about making mindful choices that prioritize both your well-being and your taste buds' satisfaction. Remember, you don't need to strive for dietary perfection; instead, focus on progress. By approaching nutrition with patience and self-compassion, you're not only caring for your physical health but also nurturing a positive relationship with food that can be sustained for the long term.
Critics of Intuitive Eating express concerns that promoting unrestricted food choices might prompt individuals to consume recklessly, potentially leading to inadequate nutrition. The underlying notion is that self-regulation plays a pivotal role in managing one's appetite. It is assumed that without this mindful approach, individuals might make suboptimal nutritional decisions, including overindulgence. However, research indicates that adopting intuitive eating is linked to enhanced nutrient consumption, a broader range of food intake, and a decrease in symptoms related to eating disorders.
Healthy eating includes having a healthy relationship with your food, your mind, and your body
Food Wisdom Tenets
Moderation
Eat a variety of food quantities while avoiding the extremes or too little or too much.
Balance
Focuses on the full spectrum of the nutrients and types of foods that you’re eating on a regular basis. You do not need to eat perfectly at every meal or every day, but rather consistency over time.
Progress, Not Perfection
Attaining perfect eating habits isn't a prerequisite for good health. This reflects a step forward in fostering an adaptable perspective. Irrespective of your dietary decisions, remember that all foods have the potential to provide satisfaction.
When deriving pleasure from wholesome eating enhances your well-being, the likelihood of consistently prioritizing your health through food increases. The crucial factor, however, lies in avoiding the transformation of healthy eating into an all-or-nothing approach centered around deprivation. Long-term success does not align with deprivation as a strategy.
