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In medical school, my nutrition education was compressed into a single hour-long lecture that tackled the complexities of biochemical reactions in our blood and digestive systems. Although it established an understanding of digestion, it did not prepare me to address my patients’ frequent inquiries about eating for their individual needs. As the questions continued, I became increasingly frustrated by my inability to offer more than a vague “it depends,” which prompted the additional step of making an appointment with a nutritionist.
In an effort to better support my patients, I began to study Lifestyle Medicinewhich is a branch of medicine that promotes wellness through healthy lifestyle choices and behavioral modifications.
Creating Healthy Habits
Lifestyle Medicine emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy habits as a nutritional principle. Within this framework, intuitive eating can be a powerful tool, emphasizing mindful awareness and responsive attention to the body’s cues for a sustainable and nourishing relationship with food. By adopting intuitive eating, individuals can establish positive and lasting habits that contribute to overall well-being. The question then arose: How can I guide my patients to cultivate these habits and foster intuitive decision-making?
Food and Pool: Relationship between Mind and Body
As I was learning, I had more and more questions, and the opportunity to attend Nutrition Courses focused on Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa arose. My experience allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the connections between our dietary habits, food choices, and the needs of our bodies, while considering the many factors that shape these elements. Among the various nutrition classes I attended, a Lunch and Learn A session on intuitive eating stood out. Miraval’s resident dietician, Makenna Baum, delved into various aspects of intuitive eating. One participant defined it as eating foods that make her “feel good” and match her sense of well-being. This prompted the question: Does intuitive eating involve unrestrained indulgence? (The general consensus on this is no.) Another attendee bravely shared her struggle with anorexia, revealing how restrictive eating gave her a sense of control over her life, and her subsequent powerful journey to trust her body’s signs of hunger and satisfaction. Someone else explained that he overcame emotional eating patterns through breath work and found solace in stress relief. These different perspectives revealed the complex nature of intuitive eating: it is difficult to define.
A New Approach
Exploring different experiences has made me aware of the practical aspects of intuitive eating – it is an approach that considers the personal history of food alongside one’s physical state, emotions, family, culture and religion. Despite eating being a universally shared act, eating is marked by a disturbance of individual experiences. Conscious eating is about meeting the body’s true needs – whether it’s enjoying company at dinner, satisfying hunger, or savoring something delicious. It emphasizes food as essential nourishment, encouraging us to align our understanding of what we really need with the choices we make about what, when, where, and how we eat.
During a Just cook for me workshop, chef de cuisine Miraval, Lee Ann Evertsen, shared practical skills and valuable insights into intuitive eating: prioritizing fresh, quality ingredients and embracing simplicity. She emphasized the fact that enjoying aesthetically pleasing food is not just an instinct but also an essential part of our intelligence. “Making it visually appealing encourages our desire to engage all the senses and fully enjoy our food experience,” she explains. This can be as simple as adding a vibrant green herb on top of your protein or adding a meal to your favorite dishes.
Love For Farmers
By fostering a conscious awareness of food origins and food production, the connection between nutrition and our values is deepened. This enables us to make informed choices aligned with our well-being and our principles. At the same Just cook for me event, with aromas of fresh herbs and roasted vegetables filling the air, the conversation was ongoing, including a memorable one Prentice Onayemijoint owner Foglight Farms in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Onayemi considers himself an “accidental” farmer, but now, a very deliberate farmer. He started his farm after buying a piece of land to live on, and driven by an absolute curiosity about how soil supports life, he sought to best honor the land by planting it. Foglight Farms now operates a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, which fosters connections to seasons, local culture, and the dedicated people behind our food. Onayemi emphasizes the importance of reaching out to local farmers, whether by volunteering at community gardens or supporting nearby farms. These actions not only foster respect for food and food systems, but also deepen our understanding of the rhythms of nature, regional flavors and community bonds – all while aligning organic with intuitive eating principles.
Confidence in your Person
Embracing fresh insights into intuitive eating, I recognized the potential benefits for my patients—and myself. However, like many people, I also faced the same question: Where do I start? In a session hosted by Baum titled Trust Your Gut: Your Intuitive Path to Healthwe started with an awareness practice like a body scan. We closed our eyes and contemplated the food in front of us, practicing gratitude for its existence and the care that went into its journey to our plates. Baum called this an “observation exercise” to help us get out of our heads and into our bodies, leading us away from overthinking and into a state of body awareness. By bringing this level of mindfulness to mealtimes, you can “cultivate a deeper connection with your body,” says Baum, “and gain a heightened awareness of how different foods affect your well-being. ” This understanding is the cornerstone of intuitive eating – knowing your food and how it affects you.
It was during this session that I realized that we often use the terms “gut” and “intuition” interchangeably, and I thought how we seem to have separated the two despite using this analogy in our everyday life. . To truly understand our relationship with food, it became clear that recognizing the connection between our physical sensations and our intuitive responses was a critical starting point.
The Breakup
In my quest to find succinct answers to guide patients’ dietary questions, I realized that after all this study, my answer is still “it depends”. But now, I follow it up with another question: “How would you be eating intuitively?”
This question often elicits surprise and pause, but it is remarkable to hear the variety of answers from my patients. I encourage them to embrace their unique perspectives and use techniques that help them be present, be it through mind body scanning, breathwork, mindfulness, aesthetic presentation or connecting with those who have provided their food – including chefs and farmers .
This kind of intuitive eating (and intentional thinking) allows us to honor our personal background while cultivating a curious mindset toward better nutrition and, ultimately, the joy that comes from it. eat. Farmer Onayemi aptly described intuitive eating as, “fostering a sense of what best serves the body and inviting the mind to get out of the way.” I thought its definition worth sharing; I may start using it with my patients as well.
