Listening to your body and using your intuition to make food choices can be a powerful thing. This concept may mean something different to everyone, but to me, it is trusting myself to eat whenever I am feeling hungry and stop whenever I am full. Not every day of eating looks the same, and it shouldn't. Some days, you expend more energy than others and may be naturally hungrier, whereas other days you might be feeling lethargic and your appetite is decreased. For me, eating intuitively also means honoring my cravings for something whenever I have them, and not pigeon-holing myself into eating ultra-healthy all the time. This can create disordered eating patterns, and as much as we have to feed and fuel our bodies to have sustainable energy, we must also fuel our minds. But how do we trust ourselves to accomplish this? The first step is to let go of any prior preconceived knowledge about nutrition. Eating healthily is based on individual needs, with cultural influence and taste preference playing key roles. For me, my day usually starts off with 2 pieces of sourdough toast every morning with butter and 2 eggs over-easy. I genuinely enjoy this breakfast, and it's also easy to make during mornings when you're running short on time and are busy. Lunch may be limited depending on what I'm doing, and if I packed my lunch or not to go to school or work. For dinner, I usually like to eat earlier, around 4:30 or 5, to have enough time between when I eat dinner and go to bed to let my food digest, as it is usually the largest meal of my day. I usually will plan my meals ahead of time, and will buy the groceries, making it more straightforward whenever I do get home after a long day. Ensuring this works well for me, and I've found that if I come home and have limited groceries in the fridge, I'm more likely to either go out to eat or end up making a meal that I might become dissatisfied with. Dinner for me is usually preparing things that I enjoy or may be having a craving for. It can also be wanting to try a new recipe or make something that I haven't done before. I love pasta and frequently enjoy fettuccine alfredo or linguine in a butter, garlic, and white wine sauce. I also can't get enough of salmon, and will frequently incorporate it into my meals, and will pair it with a starch and veggie, such as mashed potatoes and asparagus, or white rice and broccoli. The main takeaway I want to share is that eating balanced, nourishing meals doesn't have to be complicated, and you don't have to force yourself to eat things you don't like because their good for you or are labeled as "superfoods". Ensuring good nutrition is important, but to make it sustainable and enjoyable, you have to trust yourself and your body to eat intuitively.
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