Intuitive Eating

Greetings Loved Ones,

Last week, I interviewed two guests back to back about nutrition and general wellbeing. One guest was totally vegan and GF, while the other guest ate anything! I could relate to both of their journeys with food. 

I have gone through so many ups and downs, trying to decide what the best way to nourish my body is while maintaining my ideal body weight. I’ve been vegan > vegetarian > GF > everything in between. For me, though, dieting like that was about being/staying skinny, to be honest. And, unfortunately, I think a lot of people in wellness are masking that same issue. 

I’ve finally reached a place where I can intuitively eat - that means really listening to my body and mindfully eating...slowly and attentively (without distractions like TV or my phone). Mindfulness has helped me to let go of my obsessive behavior with food...restrictive tendencies followed by binge eating. When we think of food as a blessing (instead of a burden) and a source of vitality, our whole relationship with food changes. 
Yes, I still think about my figure a lot - as all of us do! But it’s more of a loving reality check - making sure I am balanced...not over indulging as an emotional response. 

My body and my soul need grounding - and that means I need animal products and lots of root vegetables in my diet. Eating meat is something I’ve only recently allowed myself to do. A couple years ago, I heard one of my favorite teachers say, “Eating meat is eating death…and you consume that death energy”…. After hearing that, I didn’t eat meat for a really long time. I was scared! And I wanted to be like the teacher I so admired. While I don’t desire red meat, I definitely feel myself craving chicken from time to time (especially before I get my period). And now I listen to that and respect my body’s needs without feeling shame.

While I am conscious of meat production being one of the biggest causes of global warming - I’m also aware that mono-cropping (corn, soy…) is right up there with it. So, I choose to shop locally and support farmers in close range. Recently, my boyfriend and I joined our local food co-op in Park Slope! I highly suggest looking into co-cops around you if they exist - everything is local/organic. It’s also an amazing way to more deeply connect with a community of farmers and your neighborhood in general. 

It’s all about trusting our bodies. We live in amazingly intelligent space suits! Literally ask your body to what it needs to flourish and literally listen as it tells you exactly what to do.

Love, Helen Denham 

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