Not too long ago, I had someone ask me what I thought was the number one thing someone should be doing to improve their diet. With questions like this, it seems the expectation is that a dietitian will say “cut out sugar” or “avoid processed food” or “go plant-based” or something like that.
In the moment however, my response was “listen to your body”.
And I meant it.
We understand how babies and small children are good at knowing exactly how much to eat — and even which foods to choose when exposed to a variety of things. They are curious and will try new foods, even if they don’t care for them. They don’t have judgment about foods being good for you or bad for you and they don’t give a second thought to the size of their tummies.
If we could all just go back to that way of being, I think we might do much better than we tend to do when given a bunch of rules to follow – rules that may not suit us, but seem like a safer option than trusting our own instincts.
So, that’s it, that’s how to eat better: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, HONOR YOUR HUNGER, RESPOND TO WHAT YOUR BODY WANTS.
However…
If we have been:
- Skipping meals and ignoring our hunger signals
- Using food to cope with emotions and ignoring our fullness signals
- Stressed out and tired and relying on foods low in nutritional value to keep us running
- Limited in variety throughout our lives
- Overworked and unable to take consistent meal breaks
- Confused by messaging about foods we should or shouldn’t eat
- On a dieting rollercoaster of ups and downs
we may not be familiar with how to tune in to our body’s cues, and honestly, our body may not even be sending us signals anymore if they have been too long neglected.
So, we may need to use our brains for a while and make some informed decisions about when, what, and how much to eat while we attempt to get back in touch with our individual needs.
First of all, a dietitian can help, and if you or anyone you know could benefit from the one-on-one support of nutrition counseling, don’t hesitate to reach out. I am taking on new nutrition clients who live in Illinois. If you or someone you know might be interested, you can schedule a free 15-minute consult.
For now, I’m going to offer a few suggestions you might take into consideration when you know something is off in your eating pattern, and you’d like to EAT BETTER (because there is not just ONE thing that is going to magically transform your diet!).
1. Eat consistently. You do not have to eat at the exact same time every day, but you should be eating multiple times per day, and maybe around the same windows of time on a regular basis. Doing so can start to rebuild your hunger cues.
2. Balance your meals. Try to include foods from multiple food groups in a meal – get some protein, get some carbohydrate, get some fat, make sure there’s a fruit or vegetable in the vicinity of your plate. Even snacks can be balanced if you pair up items from different categories.
3. Be open to adding new foods. I’m mostly thinking of nutrient-dense fiber-rich foods such as fruit and veg, legumes, and whole grains here. This concept is particularly important if you are someone who eats a lot of fast food or processed food. It may not seem possible, but your body will actually crave vegetables and fruits if it hasn’t had enough of them lately. But if you NEVER eat produce, how would you even know that’s what your body might be asking for? Ideally, improved diet quality should feel intuitive. You just might need to introduce certain items very intentionally for a while if they aren’t part of your body’s regular vocabulary.
4. Variety. There are people who are totally fine eating the same meals day in and day out, and then there are people who would scream if they had to eat the same sandwich 3 days in a row. I am in the latter category, and it has its struggles in that I have to do more cooking and creative thinking to be satisfied. It also means it’s more likely that I am exposed to more food variety, which does have its health benefits. All foods contain different nutrients, and since we cannot eat ALL THE FOODS everyday, the best way to ensure we are getting a good cross-section of nutrients is to change it up pretty frequently.
5. Question the “rules”. The only food you should NEVER eat is a food you are allergic to. Everything else can fit! If we are aiming for the gold standard of being able to trust our bodies to eat intuitively, beliefs that make you doubt yourself when a cookie or a slice of pizza crosses your mind will undermine your efforts. When you begin eating consistent, balanced meals, you are far less likely to overdo it on pleasure foods – you will get to enjoy them, and your body will be able to let you know when enough is enough.
Of course, this advice is very general. If you have a particular health condition, there may be more important considerations, or you may need to work within more rigid parameters.
Let me know if one of the above points resonates with you.
And as always, let me know if you need any further support.
