Food For Thought: Intuitive Eating
Want to avoid feeling stuffed as a turkey this holiday season? Read below for some tips on how to incorporate some intuitive eating habits with your festivities!
Gauge Your Hunger Level
'Saving up' for that holiday meal? Doing this can actually be worse than if you ate normally throughout the day! In other words, you want to avoid overeating, you want to avoid eating when you're starving. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, try to eat when your hunger is about a 5 to 7.
SOME TIPS:
Eat frequently throughout the day (every 3-5 hours is ideal).
Listen to your body, and ways it may be displaying hunger signals. Getting headaches can often indicate hunger and/or dehydration!
Take a break during meals to gauge how you're feeling. Sometimes you can be getting full and not have a chance to realize it yet!
Take Your Time
Take your time to take it all in-it's not every day you get to celebrate with loved ones! Extending meal time not only helps you enjoy it more, but also lets your body have more time to realize if it's full or not, helping prevent overeating.
SOME TIPS:
Try to set aside time for meals! Doing so can help you feel less stressed and make it a more enjoyable experience overall
Engage in conversation! This also gives you a chance to catch up with friends and family
Make It An Event
It's no surprise that being distraction free and not in a hurry can leave you feeling more satisfied at mealtime. Making time to enjoy meals and snacks can also help prevent mindless snacking! If you find yourself feeling 'snack-y,' try asking yourself the following questions:
Am I really hungry?
Am I bored?
When was the last time I ate?
If I am truly hungry, what kind of food am I in the mood for-sweet or savory?
Picturing what you’re in the mood for can help reduce the amount of foods you sample to satisfy a craving you may have (since you’ve already identified what you’d like to eat) and also leave you feeling more satisfied.
SOME TIPS:
Put away distractions at meal time (i.e. phone, tv, computer)
Eat in a well-lit area so you can see what you’re eating
Honor Your Cravings
No foods (or food groups) are off limits! Limiting particular foods or food groups can result in overeating them later and leave you feeling deprived. Not to mention, labeling foods or food groups as ‘off limits’ can result in the development of fear foods, something we ultimately want to avoid in order to have a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
SOME TIPS:
Listen to what your body needs and wants and honor those cravings.
Most importantly, make sure to enjoy it!
From our plate to yours, the LSU Performance Nutrition Team wishes you a safe and healthy Thanksgiving celebration !
