More and more people are turning to intuitive eating to develop a healthier relationship with food. Intuitive eating is amazing for promoting physical and mental health. But as intuitive eating gains traction, more and more people are promoting a watered-down version of it, also known as the Hungry Satiety Diet.
It’s true that “honoring your hunger” and “feeling fullness” are two principles of intuitive eating; 8 more principles Approaches other than this diet. When it comes to hunger itself, intuitive eating goes beyond simply eating when you’re physically hungry and stopping when you’re full. In fact, it’s also about diet. do not have Physically starving. This is what I mean.
Different types of hunger in intuitive eating
When you think of hunger, what comes to mind? For many people, biological hunger, such as a growling stomach, low energy, or irritability, comes to mind. This is a completely legitimate form of starvation, and it takes time and intention to start noticing the signs of biological starvation (especially subtle ones like thinking about food or not being able to concentrate on work). . But when we stop at this form of hunger, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to develop a more nuanced and dynamic relationship with food.
In fact, there are four types of hunger that intuitive eating recognizes. It is a biological, practical, gustatory, and emotional hunger. Biological starvation is the kind we have already talked about. That’s what most of us think of when we think of hunger. However, the other three are often overlooked.
actual hunger
If you have a traditional 9-to-5 job, you may have set times when you can take a break for lunch. Would you skip a meal if you weren’t biologically hungry at the time?
Deciding to eat when you’re not hungry just because you know you won’t be able to eat for a while is actually respecting your hunger.
According to the authors of “Realistic Starvation,” Realistic Starvation Is Pre-Planned. intuitive eating, registered dietitian dietitian Evelyn Tribole, RDN, and Elyse Resch, RDN. I like to think of it as a positive form of self-care. Although there are times when you don’t feel hungry biologically, it makes sense to eat because you know you won’t have the opportunity to eat when you are hungry. If you don’t eat when you have the chance, you’re likely to get extremely hungry, which can eventually lead to bulimia.
feel hungry
If you’re at a birthday party and the cake looks delicious and everyone is eating it, it’s perfectly fine to eat it, even if you’re not biologically hungry. Again, intuitive eating is about being flexible and freeing yourself from the black and white rules that often come with dieting.
Besides birthday parties, there are always times when you’re not physically hungry but want to eat something, or the situation calls for it. After having a delicious dinner, I feel quite full but still want something sweet, so I sometimes eat chocolate. It’s a way to honor the hunger of the palate. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just honoring my body in a more subtle way.
A big part of intuitive eating is connecting to your own internal cues to guide your eating, rather than following external rules or restrictions. These internal signals not only communicate biological hunger, but also hunger. Therefore, connecting with and honoring this form of hunger is also an important part of intuitive eating.
Additionally, if you ignore your cravings, you’re more likely to start fixating on the foods you’re restricting. Honoring your desires allows you to get the satisfaction your body and mind need and get on with your day.
emotional hunger
Boredom, loneliness, anger, and stress can all cause emotional eating. Eating can be comforting when you’re feeling down or something to do when you’re bored. This type of diet is often demonized.
In fact, emotional eating is completely normal. To those in the back, I’ll say it again: Emotional eating is completely normal.
All jokes aside, our emotions and food are connected in many ways. Maybe you have fond memories of your family cooking a particular dish when you were a child, and now you find comfort in that. You may be accustomed to food being an expression of love, as is often the case in certain cultures. Or maybe you just want to eat ice cream to feel better after a bad day.
Food is meant to give us joy. If it didn’t give us pleasure, we wouldn’t have the motivation to eat, which is literally what we need to do to survive. Therefore, there is no shame in feeling pleasure from food.
That said, if there are deeper issues going on emotionally, it may be worth having other coping skills in your metaphorical toolbelt to get to the root of the problem.
It’s also worth noting that many people label themselves as “emotional eaters” when in reality they just aren’t eating enough. If you often find yourself eating a bag of chips or a box of cookies on the couch at night, before you chalk it up to stress eating, consider whether you’ve eaten enough throughout the day. Nighttime “emotional eating” may actually be your body making up for the lack of food throughout the day. If you’re not sure if you’re eating enough, working with a registered dietitian who is trained in intuitive eating may help.
Learn how to differentiate between the four types of hunger sensations
Now that you understand the four types of hunger in intuitive eating, you may be wondering how to differentiate between them in your own life.
I encourage you to be curious and take a non-judgmental approach. Be more conscious about understanding what drives your urge to eat, whether you’re ignoring your hunger and cravings, or whether you feel completely disconnected from your body’s cues. Let’s look at.
Let me be clear here. This is not intended as a way to monitor or “control” your intake. It’s just a way to make connections with these different types of hunger. If you find yourself becoming a perfectionist about honoring hunger or critical of certain types of hunger, take a step back. Remember, it’s okay to eat when you’re not hungry or for reasons other than biological hunger.
Final thoughts on why it’s okay to eat when you’re not hungry
When you reach for something to eat, there are several types of hunger that could be causing it, and that’s completely normal. Rather than restricting yourself to eating only when you’re biologically hungry, consider ways to honor other forms of hunger (practical, gustatory, emotional) as well.
