In my work both at The Recover Clinic in Brighton (a private clinic which offers clients with eating disorders a holistic approach to recovery) and with private weight loss clients, I often focus on working towards establishing intuition around food. This may have been lost over time, repressed by negative thoughts or overcome by constant and confusing media messages.
Intuitive or mindful eating is not something that can be learnt overnight. It takes careful coaching and consideration, and moreover it takes time. What is intuition after all? Can it be defined? It’s an interesting question. I feel that when we attain intuition around food we reach a sense of calmness at mealtimes, we lose any guilt around our food choices and we go from one meal to the next without feeling flustered about time and choice. We just go with the flow.
Here’s my acrostic poem written for the Recover Clinic blog which explores the different stages on intuitive eating.
I am making peace with food
Now is the time for change
Time to feel satisfaction not guilt, and to
Unleash my true food identity
I explore tastes and texture
To reconnect with hunger and satiety
I continue to challenge myself, and
Over time my food talk becomes positive and
Non critical; I reclaim my intuition.