02/01/2024
I strongly believe that we are meant to eat intuitively, tuning into what the body needs, which can change day to day, season to season, in harmony with the natural world (because, AHEM, WE are of the natural world). This is especially true for women, as our needs change weekly during the 28 day cycle. Following a regimented routine or diet can prohibit options that the body desperately needs, and sometimes this creates stagnancy + imbalance in the body. The opposite of stagnancy is flow. Do you see where Iām going with this? In order for the female body to flow freely (pun intended), freedom to make food + lifestyle choices intuitively is important in maintaining homeostasis in the body.
Having two girls, I very much want to teach them the importance of listening to their bodies - to hear whatās off balance and what itās calling forā¦ To always trust their intuition for their needs, rather than trusting outside sources before theyāve even considered their own.
The script is flipped on this belief in todayās culture, and itās time we turn it around. No one can know your body as you do. The thing is, when you give your power away to someone else having authority over what is best for your body, you start losing touch with your body, you stop listening to itās whispers of wisdom + the balance between your mental, physical and emotional health can become even more out of kilter.
Itās day 1 of my menstrual cycle. This morning I was craving oatmeal w/ cinnamon + flax and hot tea. It tasted so good, exactly what I needed. I also grabbed a grapefruit because it was one of the only fruits I had available, and it needed to be eaten. Once I started eating it, it just didnāt feel right to me. There wasnāt anything wrong with the grapefruit per sĆ©, it just wasnāt what my body needed at the time. so I simply stopped eating it - Iām going to save it to eat or juice in a couple of days. From a TCM standpoint, itās too light, cleansing, cool + astringent at a time when I needed dark pigmented, warming + deeply nourishing foods. Iāll make a berry, spinach + sea moss smoothie instead.
This is how Iām practicing intuitive eating. How about you? Any thoughts on this?
