*Leslie gave me confidence to pursue a balanced lifestyle that was not dependent upon rules, but upon choices. I know now what "healthy" looks like for my lifestyle and my body after working with Leslie.
Balanced Eating
— build a healthy and balanced relationship with food —
Intuitive Eating & Building a Healthy Relationship with Food
Although food is meant to nourish our bodies and be enjoyed, for many it can be a source of anxiety, guilt, shame, and stress. If you are tired of being consumed and overwhelmed by food and would like to feel comfortable and confident in your choices, read on.
Can you relate to any of these?
- I am always thinking about what I am going to eat next
- I often worry about what I am eating
- I struggle with cravings
- I often feel guilty for eating certain foods
- I eat quickly and don’t stop to enjoy my foods
- I want to be able to have sweets in my house without eating them all at once
- I don’t feel satisfied after eating
- I see most foods as “good” or “bad”
- I am not sure how to read my hunger and satiety clues
Eating doesn’t have to be full of stress and guilt. When you figure out how to eat for your specific needs and help your body find balance, eating becomes enjoyable and uncomplicated.
Learning to Eat Intuitively:
Intuitive eating is an approach that brings you back to being mindful of your body, your hunger and satiety cues, and discovering what best nourishes you, both mind and body. It is learning to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Although it sounds simple, it can actually be hard to get used to, especially when we are inundated with good vs. bad foods, endless types of dieting, and guilt when we don’t eat perfectly.
Learning to eat intuitively gives you freedom and confidence because you have listened to your body and understand how to care for it well. You don’t have to chase every new diet or change what you’re doing because a friend says it’s better.
Basics of Healthy Eating:
We are inundated with so much information (and misinformation) that it is easy to be confused and overwhelmed when it come to eating healthy. While I believe that eating healthy looks different for every person based on their genetics, specific health conditions, and goals, healthy diet should typically include:
- Whole, minimally processed foods
- Lots of fruits and vegetables
- Adequate water intake
- Plenty of spices and herbs
- Good pairing of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats
- Prebiotic and probiotic rich foods
- Anti-inflammatory foods
- Minimal sugar
- The skill of eating mindfully
- The ability to enjoy food without stress or guilt
Whole food nutrition does not have to be as complicated as it seems. It is simply eating foods they way they are found in nature: food from trees and plants; food from animals; foods we recognize in their natural forms. In eating these foods the body is provided the nutrients it needs to function properly. A diet deficient in nutrients leads to premature aging of the body, and is susceptible to chronic, degenerative diseases as well as psychological and emotional imbalances.