In the world of modern nutrition, almost everyone is on one diet or another, and people dwell on fats, proteins, and lists of “good” and “bad” foods. Low fat, low carb, Paleo, vegan, Atkins…. each day we are hit with a new discovery that touts the health benefits of a certain way of eating. Diet books are bestsellers and there is a constant barrage of news programs and articles on the fastest way to lose weight.
But it wasn’t too long ago that humans existed without this media blitz, without diet gurus or celebrity chefs telling them what to eat. Instead, they relied on intuition. People simply knew what to eat and how to prepare it without engaging in such a cerebral interpretation of basic human needs.
Being healthy is really not all that complicated. The body knows what to eat – it’s the brain that makes mistakes. Maybe you heard about a diet that sounded great in theory, but after a week of eating that way, you started to feel weak or bloated. You don’t have to read nutrition books to know what foods are right or wrong for you. Instead, you can foster a deep relationship with your body in which it naturally tells what it needs to function at its highest potential. This post-modern approach will help you cultivate the ability to eat intuitively with enough practice.
try an experiment
Fortunately, you already have free, 24-hour access to the world’s most sophisticated laboratory for testing how foods affects your body and your health. You’re living in it! Your body is a sophisticated bio-computer. By learning to listen to your body and discovering an understanding of what foods it needs and when it needs them, you will discover what is best for you.
If you doubt this connection to your body, begin by acknowledging that your body is highly intelligent. You heart never misses a beat and your lungs are always breathing in and out. You can trust your body. It has evolved helpful instincts to keep you alive and well.
As a way of tuning into your body and learning how to listen to its messages, I recommend trying a breakfast experiment. Explore a different type of breakfast every day for a week. Jot down what you eat and how you feel, both right after the meal and then again two hours later. Try to keep other variables the same–if you already drink coffee, stick with that with all breakfasts. Or if you want to eat eggs everyday, then change up your side–toast and eggs on day 1, vegetables and eggs on day 2, then fruit and eggs on day 3. Then try a day without eggs, but with your best received side.
Here’s a sample plan:
Day 1: scrambled eggs
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 2: scrambled tofu
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 3: oatmeal
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 4: boxed breakfast cereal
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 5: muffin or croissant
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 6: fresh fruit
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Day 7: fresh vegetables–cooked or raw
Right after eating I felt:
Two hours after eating I felt:
Once you get the knack of this experiment, you can expand it to include your whole daily intake, exploring how different foods and liquids affect you. For example, for one week, make a point of drinking more water during the day, or eating more leafy greens or meat. You can also try removing a whole food group, such as dairy (please try this one!!) for 2-3 weeks and check your results. Notice how your body feels and how each change of diet affects your mood. Keep the changes simple and don’t try to change everything at once, or you won’t know what the positive or negative effects are attributed to.
Have you ever tried a way of eating that didn’t work for you? How did you know? I’d love to hear about your experience – let me know in the comments section below!
