10 rules of intuitive nutrition

10 rules of intuitive nutrition

One way to stop overeating: “legalization”. Just imagine: you can eat foods that you love very much, eat in indecent quantities and do your best to limit or exclude from the diet! 10 rules of intuitive nutrition.

Usually it is legalization that causes the most fear among those who master Intuitive nutrition, and a large number of mistakes are also associated with it. How does legalization work and can it “not work”? Let’s figure it out. What does it mean? The less often you eat your favorite food that gives you special pleasure, the higher the dopamine spike in response to its consumption — and the more likely you are to overeat it.

If you continue to get your favorite food every day, soon it will stop causing such a stir in the brain.

Attention! If you know how to enjoy life only with the help of food, and your eating behavior is very upset— you will need the support of a specialist in the legalization process. In this case, a decrease in dopamine levels in response to a favorite cake will not cause a decrease in interest in the cake, but attempts to eat more and more to get the desired dopamine response.

(1) – “From the clinical studies, we conclude that the implementation of intuitive eating results in weight maintenance but perhaps not weight loss, improved psychological health, possibly improved physical health indicators other than BMI (e.g. blood pressure; cholesterol levels) and dietary intake and/or eating behaviours, but probably not higher levels of physical activity.”

meal
meal. Photos from pixabay

How does the principle work? 10 rules of intuitive nutrition.

Important! Do not replace the main meal with legalization in the hope of eating fewer calories in this way – in this case, overeating is inevitable! Keep your usual eating style. You can legalize products instead of a snack or as a dessert, but not instead of the main meal! Let me remind you that legalization is not the same as uncontrolled overeating. There are 10 principles of intuitive nutrition against which this principle can be applied.

10 principles of intuitive nutrition:

Refusal of control: What is the point? Make a decision that you will never go on a diet again, no matter how many kilograms the scales show. Throw away the diet books. Unsubscribe from diet publics.

You have the right to eat. Hunger scale. What is the point? Listen, catch, distinguish the signs of hunger! A little hungry or very hungry? For a snack or a three-course lunch?

You have the right to eat everywhere. Food with you. Hunger can catch you at any moment. Be ready — carry food with you! Do not rely on cafes, canteens and hospitable friends — any of these options may not work.

You have the right to eat everything. The principle of optimal combination. Make a list of those foods or dishes that you are ready to eat at any time, and carry them with you for the first time. In the future, you will learn to find a replacement based on your own needs.

You have the right to eat whatever you want. What is the point? Legalize forbidden products. Eat them according to the scheme described above. A strong craving for these products will pass within a few weeks.

You have the right to stop eating. Conscious saturation. The only reason why you need to stop eating is a feeling of satiety. As long as you don’t feel full, keep eating. Put down your fork or spoon to listen to what the body is saying. Take your time.

meal
meal. Photos from pixabay

We overcome obstacles. Be prepared for difficulties and don’t be afraid of your mistakes! Learning is possible only by trial and error. Solve problems. Ask for support. Ask for advice.

You have the right to feel emotions. Regulation of emotions. You have the right to emotions, but getting rid of them with food is not necessary. Make a list of methods that work for you. Learn to track the need to eat in a difficult emotional situation and stop yourself.

You have the right to move. Intuitive movement. Give up forced physical exertion. Look for a movement that brings pleasure and arouses interest. Separate the movement from weight loss — they are little related. Walking, cleaning the house, dancing is also a movement. Find your own.

The body is my friend. Positive attitude to the body. Get rid of all the clothes that don’t fit and buy the one that fits. You don’t have to lose weight in order to wear this dress — this dress should be made for you. Hang a full-length mirror in a convenient place and regularly examine yourself, noting those parts of the body that you particularly like. Stop judging and judging your body.

Healthy dessert with avocado, bananas and cashews. 10 rules of intuitive nutrition.

I present to your attention a healthy dessert, unusually rich in zinc. After all, нealthy does not mean tasteless!

Healthy dessert with avocado, bananas and cashews
Healthy dessert with avocado, bananas and cashews. Photos from pixabay

How zinc affects hormonal balance:
Improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin
gives energy;
Improves the condition of hair and nails;
Fights excess of male hormones in women
It is necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland and metabolism.
Also, zinc is the best helper of immunity:
It is necessary for the work of the thymus gland, which produces T-lymphocytes, which in turn help in the work of immunity.
It is necessary for the proper functioning of leukocytes.
It is needed for the destruction of harmful microorganisms, including viruses.
Prevents the destruction of cells by free radicals, which are produced in huge quantities, while the immune system destroys infected cells and microorganisms.
The richest source of zinc is oysters. But I dare to assume that most people have difficult access to this not everyone’s favorite delicacy. So let’s find a replacement for oysters!

A healthy dessert that is almost as high in zinc content as even oysters.

Healthy dessert with avocado, bananas and cashews
Healthy dessert with avocado, bananas and cashews. Photos from pixabay

Ingredients for 2 large servings:
Ripe avocado 1 pc
Frozen bananas 2 pcs
Cocoa powder (without additives! we take pure cocoa) 5 tablespoons
Cashews 5 tablespoons
Sesame 2 tablespoons
Flaxseeds 2 tablespoons
Mint leaves 3 tablespoons
Almond, rice or soy milk 1 cup
For decoration:
Dark chocolate 2 tablespoons

A mixture of any seeds and nuts (for example, cedar nuts — they are also rich in zinc) 2 tablespoons
Instruction:
Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Do not forget to stir to help the blender cope if it is not very powerful. Bon Appetit!

(1) – NLM or the National Institutes of Health; Review Article Relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators: literature review; Nina Van Dyke and Eric J Drinkwater; Published online 2013 Aug 21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10282369/