How should you prioritize your nutrition? Such a big and nuanced question! It really depends on where your relationship with food and your body is. Gentle nutrition is the last principle of intuitive eating for a reason. Focusing on certain aspects of nutrition can easily turn into a strict set of rules. Here is an abbreviated hierarchy of nutrition. Don't move on from one step until you've mastered it. 1. Eat Enough For most people this means 3 meals a day, plus snacks. When you're not eating enough, your body can't utilize the nutrients you are eating optimally. It's also hard for your brain to have the energy it needs to work through the mental barriers of the other levels when you're not eating enough. Please don't trust calorie counting apps to tell you how many calories you need, they are notoriously known for being way to low and calorie counting never leads to anything good. If you're unsure of how to make sure you're eating enough the best thing to do is talk with a registered dietitian. Eating enough means that sometimes you may need to eat foods you don't love when they are the only thing available and will be the only thing available for awhile. Or maybe it means grabbing a quick snack, like a bag of chips, an apple, or a candy bar because you don't and won't have access to a more balanced, satiating option for awhile. Your body learns that it can trust you when you consistently provide it with enough energy. Eating anything is always better than nothing! 2. Choose Flavors You Enjoy Taste is important! Are you surprised this is second? Choking down food you don't like, for the sake of "health", is not healthy. Part of intuitive eating is focusing on foods that you crave and bring you pleasure. When you don't satisfy your cravings usually 2 things happen: You find yourself continuously looking for something to eat (AKA you eat 10 things to "curb your craving" instead of eating the 1 thing that would satisfy it) and when you finally do eat that "off limits food" you've been craving you eat way past the point of satisfaction. Pleasurable taste is also what keeps us eating. It is one piece of the puzzle that keeps us alive. Have you ever been sick and lost your taste? Eating is not fun or something you want to do during that time. It also keeps us eating nutrient dense foods. Boiled asparagus? No thanks. Asparagus roasted in olive oil with garlic and topped with parmesan cheese? Yes please! 3. Eat All 3 Macronutrients Next, aim for all 3 macronutrients on your plate. Carbs, fat, and protein are all key nutrients in the body. Consuming all three at meals (and 2-3 at snacks) provides satiation, satisfaction, and energy. As well as, better blood sugar control, better digestion, hormone regulation, muscle growth and maintenance. For examples of each three macronutrient and a few meal ideas, see my blog post "How To Build Meals and Snacks" linked below. 4. Incorporate micronutrients Micros are abundantly found in macronutrients, but here I'm talking specifically about fruits and vegetables. Yep, they're the last piece of nutrition to prioritize. It can be very hard to eat enough and live optimally when you're mainly eating fruits and vegetables. They are so beneficial to the body, but they do the most for you when you're eating enough, eating your macros, and enjoy the taste. Studies actually show that when you hate eating something you absorb less of it's nutrients. Can you see now why focusing on nutrients don't show up until steps 3 and 4? Those things can easily turn into rules. For example, a person might think that they shouldn't eat a meal unless it contains all 3 macros. Or maybe they think they aren't making healthy choices if they aren't choosing fruits/vegetables. Neither of these scenarios are true. It is freeing and can be healing to put these priorities on the back burner for awhile to focus on eating enough and satisfying cravings. Then when the time comes gently incorporate them without rules or rigidity. For an expansion on all of these check out the books "Intuitive Eating" by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole and "Anti-Diet" by Christy Harrison, and consider working with a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating (information on how to work with me is linked below). I WORK 1:1 WITH CLIENTs WHO ARE TRAPPED IN DIET CULTURE AND WANT OUT, WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD, OR WANT SUPPORT RAISING THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING TOGETHER SEND ME AN EMAIL AT [email protected]
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