Intuitive Summer Eating
Summer time- lake days, outdoor bbq, get together with friends, family dinners… does any summer time activity not involve food?
Eating is an inescapable fact of life. What (and how) we eat can have a huge impact on our mental health. While the holidays are full of sugary snacks, the summer has a history of being stealthily unhealthy. How often has that fun, let-loose bbq ended with a stomach ache from eating too much of your brother’s extra rich potato salad? In the summer, we’re expected to be healthy without anyone actually telling us how to be healthy!
This is not a guide to how to be healthy- that would be impossible to write given everyone’s unique body and mind. This is, however, a starter guide to eating naturally and with freedom by eating intuitively.
What
Oh great, now you’re telling me there’s a right and wrong way to eat food?
Not quite! Food is a wonderful, tasty gift that deserves to be eaten and savored. Intuitive eating isn’t about what you eat, or even how much. Intuitive (or mindful) eating is about the mindset you eat food with.
Your mindset is like a movie sound track. Next time you watch a movie, note how often there’s music playing. It’s almost always on! The only time a music score isn’t playing is during a really intense scene- this can be compared to when our instincts or desires kick in and override our mindset.
The movie soundtrack influences how we perceive the movie. Fast pace music builds suspense. Slow, beautiful music evokes feelings of love. Like a movie soundtrack, our mindset sets the course of our actions, even how we eat.
Why
Think of your mindset when you normally eat during the summer. Maybe you’re thinking thing like:
“It’s summer! I’m just going to have fun.”
“It’s vacation, I deserve this.”
Or maybe you’re not even thinking about food at all. Maybe your mind is wrapped up in a different person, the next event you’re going to, what your mom across the table is saying, a million different things could be going through your head that are all taking you away from the task at hand- eating.
When our mindset isn’t focused on what we’re actively doing, our body goes into habit. When it comes to food, those habits are often to overeat the most high-sugar or high-fat substance close to us.
Now, we are not dietitians. But in our experience, high-fat and high-sugar foods taste pretty spectacular. Mindful eating isn’t about stopping you from eating them, it’s about fully enjoying it and being fully satisfied when you’re done.
How
It’s really simple- eat what you want, when you want it.
The whole idea behind intuitive eating is that your body knows what it needs. Craving chips? Probably because your sodium is low. Craving that cake? Your energy levels are running low and your body is crying out for a fast source of energy.
Explore and find what foods make you feel the best. Sure, the cake is easiest and tastes good, but in the end, it might leave you feeling sick. A turkey sandwich though? Now that’s a good source of protein and fast-acting carb energy. Fantastic!
Really, there’s only 3 steps to eating intuitively.
How’s your intuitive eating journey going? Let us know in the comments!
