How to Eat Intuitively: 6 Secrets to Transform Your Relationship with Food

Have you been eager to learn how to eat intuitively, or wondering what intuitive eating is?

So many of my clients confess they don’t have time to meditate.

Whether you’re parenting, running a household or a non-profit, or simply working full-time trying to heal from lifetimes of inter-generational trauma, it can be hard to find time for things that may seem nice-to-do instead of must-do.

And learning how to eat intuitively might fall into that category.

But did you know you can effectively meditate while you eat? It’s true!

In fact, being mindful is the key to learning how to eat intuitively. And I recommend experimenting with this practice as much as you can.

After all, most of us eat multiple times a day. Instead of turning on the TV for a “break”, why not turn inward for a more contemplative + restorative experience?

What is Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is all about tuning into your body’s natural wisdom and breaking free from diet culture’s rigid rules.

Instead of obsessing over calories or meticulously planning every bite, it’s an invitation to reconnect with your body’s signals, including hunger, fullness, and even cravings, without judgment.

Intuitive eating is not just about what you eat but also how you eat. Learning how to eat intuitively also encourages a more mindful, joyful relationship with food.

At its heart, intuitive eating is about trust: trusting your body to guide you, trusting your intuition to nourish you, and giving yourself permission to eat with freedom and ease.

Secrets to Help You Learn How to Eat Intuitively

Here are 5 secrets I hope will help you learn how to eat intuitively… I invite you to explore these tips and tricks during your next meal or snack!

Eat Mindfully

The foundation of learning how to eat intuitively is simply being mindful during mealtimes.

Here are a few tips:

• Eliminate all distractions (cell phones, TV, the news & and anything else that could affect your mood!).
• Be fully present with your meal or snack. Take it in visually.
• Chew slowly and carefully.
• Focus on the flavours, aromas, and textures of your meal or snack. For example, instead of a quick smoothie that you gulp down, maybe try a smoothie bowl for a more mindful eating experience.

Eating mindfully is the first way to promote a deeper understanding of our body’s relationship and responses to food. This then leads to more satisfaction and better overall well-being.

If you have a hard time eliminating ALL distractions, find something that will calm your mind as you eat. For example, try this guided meditation on mindful eating.

Cultivate Curiosity as You Learn How to Eat Intuitively

While you eat, spend a few moments thinking about your meal.

• What ingredients are in your meal?
• Where did the food come from?
• Who might have helped grow or produce it?
• Give thanks if that resonates with you.

If you’re knowledgeable about nutrition, you might think about the nutrients in your food as you learn how to eat intuitively.

Remember to stay curious. It’s important not to judge yourself or beat yourself up if your choices for this snack or meal were less than ideal.

Deepen Your Sensory Awareness

Learning how to eat intuitively is a wonderful way to reconnect with our senses.

A few practices to try:

• What does crunching on a cooked carrot sound like compared to a fresh apple?
• What do your taste buds do when you eat a piece of your favourite chocolate?
• What does it feel like to sip a cup of warm broth before bed?

When we learn how to eat intuitively, we can consciously engage our taste buds.

We can savour each bite, explore new flavours, and genuinely appreciate the culinary options before us.

Deepening our sensory awareness also means we’ll likely gain more pleasure from our meals. This also helps us make more informed choices.

Your info is safe with me. I will guard it with my life and promise no spam, ever. I genuinely hate it as much as you do.

Honour Hunger and Fullness Signals as You Learn How to Eat Intuitively

Our bodies have an innate wisdom when it comes to feeling hungry or feeling full. These are governed by our ghrelin and leptin hormones, respectively. One of the greatest secrets to learning how to eat intuitively is recognizing and listening to our body’s natural signals!

When we are disconnected from our body and its natural communication signals, recognizing these cues can be harder than it should be. This negatively affects our hormones. At the same time, these hormonal changes can deeply affect our sleep.

These signals can be especially hard to recognize when we are not eating to fuel ourselves; instead, we are eating to soothe frazzled nerves or emotions.

When it comes to learning how to eat intuitively, practice makes perfect!

Teaching ourselves about how to eat intuitively means we can nourish ourselves when we feel hungry. It also means we can feel comfortable putting down our fork when we feel satiated.

If you want to improve your relationship with food, learning to listen to and respond to these natural hormone cues can be a big step!

Cultivate Self-Compassion as You Learn How to Eat Intuitively

Many of us have, at one point or another, probably categorized foods as “good” or “bad”.

Especially if we’ve ever experienced a chronic health issue related to our diet.

We may wonder: why can’t I eat all the normal/yummy/easy-to-find foods that my friends/family/neighbours seem to eat freely?

Meanwhile, the same food causes ME to blow up, break out, bend over, you get the idea. And I know exactly how frustrating this can be.

This is why learning how to eat intuitively should include giving ourselves grace and self-compassion.

Earlier, I mentioned that it’s important not to beat ourselves up for eating a meal or snack that was less than ideal. Remaining curious can help us develop self-compassion for any choices that might not have been “best” for our health and well-being.

We can acknowledge that sometimes we eat based on how we feel… and realize later, upon reflection, that maybe that choice wasn’t the best for our current state of health.

Maybe we were running errands and starving, and fast food was the only thing we could get our hands on before our blood sugar hit the floor. Maybe we were feeling emotional over the loss of a pet or dear friend, and a favourite comfort food gave us the boost we needed to feel a bit better.

That’s perfectly okay, and we are nothing but humans trying to navigate a complex and oftentimes challenging world.

Take Baby Steps as You Learn How to Eat Intuitively

When we eat intuitively, we should strive to sit and observe… as much as possible… without judgment. In doing this, we can better connect to our emotions because we start to notice the impact of our emotions on our eating behaviours.

We can give ourselves grace, which helps us release the shackles of guilt and shame associated with certain food choices.

By being kind to ourselves, embracing imperfections, and celebrating victories, we create a nurturing environment for sustainable and positive change.

We can use these secrets as we learn how to eat intuitively, at any age and stage, to transform our relationship with food. And so begins our journey towards nourishment and well-being.

Whether you try one or all of these tips, learning how to eat intuitively helps you make better, informed choices and embrace the benefits of nourishing your body, mind, and soul.

Let the adventure of learning how to eat intuitively guide you as you savour the flavours of life, one delicious bite at a time.

Are you looking for a meal plan or custom supplement recommendations?

• If you’re a new or existing client, book a health and wellness consult today (or schedule a free Meet & Greet Appointment).

Life is a plate… Eat up!

Ashleigh

How to Eat Intuitively: More Resources, Tips, and Tools

• 9 Easy Ways to Achieve Weight Loss Without Counting Calories
• How to Improve Your Intuition with Food (& 9 Food Groups to Stop Eating!)
• 7 Powerful Visualization Techniques to Develop Your Intuition