Do you listen to your body? Is it talking to you? Forget diets that count calories, carbs, exchanges, whatever. It’s time to listen to what your body is saying to you. You with me?
The big ears on this little dog helps her listen when you speak. What helps you listen when your body talks?
Listen To Your Body
There has never been a better time than now to listen to your body. You feel it, don’t you? Sometimes so much it hurts. Your body is talking to you. It sends you lots of signals to tell you what it needs (or doesn’t need). Here are just a few:
- Your joints hurt.
- You get bloated after eating.
- You forget to pack a lunch and eat junk food instead, and within an hour you are ravenous.
- You think you are hungry, so you eat again. (Maybe you are thirsty.)
- You’re not really hungry, but you eat anyway because it’s mealtime. And then you feel stuffed.
- You are so tired, you feel like you can’t move.
Whatever the signals are for you, if you pay attention, you will figure out what your body is telling you, at least enough to intelligently discuss it with your doctor.
Eat Whole Foods
I have learned that if I stick to whole foods—those that do not need an ingredient label—my body feels much better. I’m not hungry all the time because whole foods have more fiber, so I feel more satisfied. I eat enough fat and protein to make me feel satiated.
What’s the Key?
Really, I eat anything I want, as much as I want. Is that true, you ask? Yes, it is. Although I am diabetic and have heart disease, I still eat dessert and bread (well, gluten free bread). But because I choose to eat a beautiful, rainbow diet, filled with lots of fiber, crunchiness and good fat, I feel satisfied and only eat a little bit of dessert.
Measure With The Plate Method
I also use the plate method of measurement, filling half my plate with fruits and vegetables, one-quarter with whole grains or starchy vegetables (such as quinoa, hearty bread, brown rice, or peas), and one quarter with a protein source (such as grilled chicken). It’s so much simpler than counting carbs or measuring and weighing my food. Of course, some foods fit in more than one category. Quinoa and peas have lots of protein, for instance. That means you can eat both quinoa and peas, and skip the meat if you so desire.
Cook at Home
Cooking at home helps me manage exactly what I put into my body. If I buy something that comes in a jar or a package, I read the label, every time. Dried herbs generally contain only the herb, but some food manufacturers add preservatives, salt and other ingredients. Sometimes food companies change the ingredients in their products. So it pays to read the labels because the current product may now include gluten, or corn, or some other ingredient that negatively affects you.
Absolute Control
When you cook your own food, you know exactly what you put in it. You can control the amount of fats, the type of grains or flours, the amount of sugar, etc. It allows you to substitute foods that agree with you for ones that do not.
For instance, I know that milk and cheese give me joint pain. Gluten makes me bloated and creates irregularity in my bowel movements. Therefore, I avoid these foods when I cook at home.
Test for Food Allergies, Sensitivities and Intolerances
Often foods that create inflammation are ones that you may be allergic, sensitive or intolerant to. Inflammation is what makes you hurt. It’s your body’s signal that something is wrong. When inflammation is present, your body works hard to send its “healthcare workers” (the white blood cells) to your inflamed area. It may also tell you that it’s time to take a rest to let it recover, so you might be extra tired.
Following a particular diet is hard. Although some people have success with them, I do not. Tell me I can’t have fruit (as the South Beach Diet does) and I crave fruit. Tell me I can’t have potatoes, and it’s all I want. Is that you, too?
No More Dieting
I’m here to tell you it ain’t just the diet that is making you hold onto all those extra pounds or feel miserable after you eat. At least, it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t keep weight off for love nor money. When I stopped eating the foods that caused my food sensitivities and seasonal allergies, I lost more than 40 pounds. The weight just slipped off and stayed off.
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Listen to your body. When your body talks to you, do you pay attention? What does it mean when your joints hurt? Or you are always stuffed up?
This article was originally posted on Recipe Idea Shop February 22, 2021.
Disclaimer: The author is not a health professional or nutritionist. She is offering her research and personal reflections about her health journey and is not providing any type of medical or nutritional advice. This post is for informational purposes only. It is offered as a tool for people to discover their own suspected food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. Readers are highly encouraged to read, write, and reflect on the ideas presented. Consult your healthcare professional before initiating any dietary or exercise program.
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