Gentle Nutrition: A Mindful Approach to Healthy Eating
When you first learn about and step into the world of Intuitive Eating (I.E.), the concepts of "food freedom" and "all food can fit" may make it seem like nutrition isn't even a thought. However, I can assure you that it's not about abandoning nutritional knowledge! In this blog post, we'll explore the concept of Gentle Nutrition, a pillar of Intuitive Eating, and how you can seamlessly integrate it into your life while maintaining a healthy connection with food.
What is Gentle Nutrition?
Gentle nutrition is the 10th principle of Intuitive Eating (you can learn more about all 10 principles here), focused on overlapping your food preferences with nutritional knowledge to honor both your mental and physical health, as well as improve satisfaction.
It's about enjoying the foods you love while incorporating nutritious choices that feel right for you. This principle is intentionally the last step with intuitive eating, emphasizing the importance of establishing peace and mindfulness with food before diving into mindful nutritional choices.
Examples of Gentle Nutrition in Action:
Opting for whole wheat pasta for its added fiber compared to white pasta because you don't notice a difference between the two
Enhancing breakfast with a nutrient-packed smoothie alongside traditional favorites like eggs and turkey bacon.
Consuming a carb and protein source post-workout, like chocolate milk, to aid muscle recovery.
Maintaining consistent meals throughout the day to avoid extreme hunger swings, promoting better focus, energy, and decision-making.
Considering and pairing a balance of carbs, protein, and fat in each meal for overall health and prolonged satisfaction
Having a water bottle with you because you're on the go a lot and know you feel better when you're hydrated throughout the day
Those are just some ways you can incorporate gentle nutrition into your life! To learn more ways you can incorporate gentle nutrition through meal planning check out our Weekly Meal Planner.
Addressing Food Rules Before Jumping In with Gentle Nutrition
Before delving into gentle nutrition, it's crucial to address any existing food rules. These rules, often subconscious, can lead to guilt and judgment if not acknowledged. For instance, insisting on having a fruit or vegetable at every meal can create shame when life's unpredictability disrupts this ideal. It's essential to recognize and release such rules and instead create flexibility in your eating patterns to create a healthier connection with food.
Transforming Rules into Gentle Guidelines: Instead of rigid mandates, turn them into flexible, non-judgmental guidelines. For example, shift from "I must have a fruit or vegetable at every meal" to "I notice I feel better when incorporating more fruits and vegetables, but it's okay if it's not every single meal."Now, as you embark on the journey of incorporating gentle nutrition into your life, these flexible guidelines will serve as a compass, guiding you toward a balanced and mindful relationship with food. Let's explore the practical steps you can take to seamlessly integrate gentle nutrition into your life.
How to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition into Your Life
Step 1: Assess Your Current Eating Habits
Take a non-judgmental look at your eating habits. Get curious and identify areas where small adjustments can be made for improved well-being.
Does your breakfast give you some quick energy but leave you feeling tired and sluggish not so long after eating it? Do you find it hard to focus on your work after lunch and need a refreshing afternoon snack to bring your energy and focus back up? These are small places you can look to add a little gentle nutrition into your life and see if they make a difference in how you feel!
Step 2: Be Realistic - Focus on a Few Areas at a Time
Avoid overwhelm by concentrating on one or two aspects of your eating habits initially. Sustainable changes take consistency and time.
Pick only a couple of areas in your eating habits to focus on and start to incorporate that gentle nutrition piece before moving onto another area of your eating habits.
Step 3: Observe and Experiment - Judgement Free!
Treat changes as experiments rather than rigid rules. Observe how adjustments make you feel without judgment or guilt.Turning it into an experiment gives you the power to observe your eating habits from that non-judgmental lens and make small changes if necessary without guilt or shame.
Step 4: Adjust Based on Observations
Be open to modifying your approach based on your observations. What works for one person may not work for another, and that's perfectly fine.
Remember it's not possible to be perfect, so if you tried something that you thought would help you feel better and it didn't, go try something else! That's the beauty of experimenting, if it doesn't work, you get to find another way to test and experiment to find what works for you eventually
Step 5: Keep it Going
Embrace this continuous process of experimenting and learning. Your eating habits will evolve as life progresses, and that's a normal part of the journey.
There is no "end goal" when it comes to gentle nutrition and intuitive eating other than continuing to create habits that support you mentally and physically as life goes on.
A Final Word on Gentle Nutrition
While nutrition undoubtedly plays a role in health, it's crucial not to fixate on food alone. Remember to consider other factors such as sleep, stress, physical activity, and mental health. Strive for a holistic approach to well-being.
In Conclusion:
Gentle nutrition is one of the principles of Intuitive Eating that factors in our food preferences with our nutrition knowledge that can best support our health. It is an approach to healthy eating that creates consistency, mindfulness, and flexibility in our lives.
To start practicing gentle nutrition in your own life, download our Checklist to Create Balanced and Satisfying Meals!
With this checklist, you'll:
Understand what types of food to include in a balanced and satisfying meal
Prioritize nourishment and include a variety of nutrients that support your wellness
Enjoy the meals you create and feel satisfied both physically and mentally from what you eat!
