Caveman Diet or Intuitive Eating?

A friend of mine, who is uncomfortable with the words self-discipline and food in the same sentence, has been tricked into being an intuitive eater!  This happened because he tried a modified caveman diet option. He ate whatever he wanted five days a week. Then, on two random days, he fasted all day - only drank water - and then ate whatever he wanted for dinner. This worked for him because knowing he could eat whatever he wanted made him happy. The surprise is that he has stopped enjoying his favorite fast food items and his 'habits' are changing. The reason why is that he started tuning-in to his body differently.

He noticed that when he did eat fast foods - especially after a day of fasting - he felt lethargic. Also, his stomach started shrinking from the small amount of fasting. He's eating slightly less and has been steadily losing weight. I googled Caveman Power Diet and the website is easy to read, understand and follow. What they say makes sense to me. Cavemen certainly trusted their intuition. The reason why intuitive eating works for us today is, it lets us take control of our own choices and eating habits. We each are on intimate terms with our bodies. This means we can recognize what we want and need and when we feel full.

The way we eat is often a mirror of the way we approach living. When we are barreling through life, it's common go off in the wrong direction. It's helpful to pause and get our bearing. Living well and eating well is a balancing act. Connecting with what we want and getting what we need always makes sense. 

That's why, using our senses to notice what we notice and intuitive tools to connect with what feels good, is so easy. Life is complex; hunger is simple. We need to eat for energy and good health, but we don't need diet restrictions or eating habits. Our physical needs vary every day. We don't need to be cavemen to choose what we want to eat.

#janeBernard

Intuitive Exercise

Use your intuition to overcome uncomfortable emotional urges.

• Emotions make you feel heavy. Emotion-driven situations can make you feel like you're drowning. Remember: emotions are not more important than your body, especially when it's about eating. 
• Emotions make waves in our lives 24/7. It's the gamut of living. Your intuition keeps your head above the water, so you stay clear about your priorities while riding the waves. 
• You can't satisfy emotional hunger with food. That's why bingeing doesn't work. Instead, you can use intuition to know what's going to help you. 

Here's how to  flex your intuitive muscles to refresh and re-focus the next time you feel an emotional wave driving you towards an uncomfortable or compromising  choice.  

1. Try this:

•  Think of yourself when you're tense. Feel your body. Where are your shoulders? How does your neck feel? Where does your body hold tension? I hold mine in my stomach.

•  How do you look when you feel comfortable and relaxed?  What's on your mind? ... probably nothing :) How are your shoulders? How's your heart?... probably peaceful (*

When your shoulders are relaxed and your heart is comfortable, it's automatic to be aware of your priorities and personal boundaries. It's intuitive & healthiest for you to keep an emotional / physical / mental balance.

2. Look at yourself:

• When you're not really comfortable, it's automatic to lean forward just a little and this presses your heavy chest bone against your beating heart. Lift your sternum away from your heart. Notice the difference.
•  Use inner strength to be courageous and to be patient. Identify with someone you admire who could do it :  James Bond, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, Mother Teresa,  etc. You can use the strength you recognize intuitively.
•  Use foresight to ask yourself : How does this choice feel? Tune in to your body.  Where are your shoulders? How is your heart?

3. Let your eyes and body distract you from your emotions.

• Breathe firmly in and out and really see what's in front of you. Look at colors and shapes. Notice what you notice. 
•  Breathe firmly in and out. Turn around and see what's behind you. Notice color details. 
•  Now your posture is alert, refreshed and re-focused. You're in sync with your intuition. It's pretty amazing, isn't it.

When life hits frustrating emotional walls, use your 6 senses  to stay clear about what you want. You will be in control of eating choices and look great.

• It's so easy, anyone can do it.

The 15 Minute Solution

Cravings and Candy

December is a time of heightened cravings. Family and friends ask, what do you want? We feel this emotionally, physically, and socially. When teased with holiday deserts, we see food not only with our eyes, but also with our hearts.

I was asked, "How can we connect with our intuition to know the difference between intuitive eating and 'unhealthy' cravings?"  

Intuitive eating feels good an hour later. 

'Unhealthy' cravings feel bad an hour later.

Intuitive eating balances what you crave with what you need to eat. Eating a square of chocolate because it makes you feel good and you like the way it tastes, is healthy. Chocolate is an anti-oxident. The body uses anti oxidents help to clean pollution from your system. Your body is intuitively efficient. Craving to eat something can mean that your body needs it. Intuitive eating is working with your body.

       When you eat one square of chocolate, it takes a full 15 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach has had happy piece of chocolate. This means, after eating one square of chocolate, take 15 minutes to socialize or even relax, to give your head time it needs to know if you still are physically craving chocolate.  Try it, and you will be surprised. 

Your body, just like your mind and and your heart, has a process it uses to be the best you can be. 

 -Respect and connect with your stomach by taking the harmless temptation of craving seriously. 

-Guide yourself intuitively by staying clear about what matters to you in the long run. 

     While you may crave candy, I bet you crave affection more. Overeating ignores your body and isolates you from others because you are not responding to what you really want. Your social needs, emotional needs, and physical needs are equally important.

Intuition connects with your point of balance so you know what you want. 

Balance is the secret of self control.

Unhealthy cravings lead to self-defeating behavior that feels bad. We all have an inner baby that manipulates us with impatience, self-pity, anger or doubt. Don't be bullied by 'unhealthy' cravings. 

Do your best for you.

Use the 15 minute rule before you go for more. 

During your 15 minutes, imagine how you feel when you take control of your choices, 

and with an open mind, stay clear about what matters to you. 

Trust your process. 

Intuitively you know what will make you feel good.

Don't be afraid.

Changing habits is not easy because habits feel ‘normal’. Fear around eating and weight gain is a habit. Fear is a habit that feels like doubt. Doubt is a roadblock to getting what you want. Ouch!

A feeling of fear, when it comes to eating and losing weight, is the result of confusion. Confusion makes us think that by ignoring our feelings or our desires, we will lose weight. When we buy into this kind of confusion, we are fighting with our self, our body, and our emotions. Sound familiar? Yep, and it feels really bad.

Give your self space to be wrong about past eating choices. Choose to tune in to your sixth sense. Today is the beginning of the rest of your Life. The way to start over is to realize that everybody goes through this. Then take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out, and decide to forgive your self. Until you forgive yourself, you will be plagued by another nasty habit- punishing your self. Let go of it, because punishing your self won’t help you lose weight. Remember, the past is history.

Right now, you can use your intuition to stay in the present.
Connecting with your intuition keeps you clear about the present which means you can tune in, to your self, your body, and your emotions, by using your senses to recognize what you really want and what you are really eating.

Your intuition connects the input from your 5 senses with your brain and your body, and balances them with your emotions. It’s always there for you to depend on. In the beginning, you can open the door to your sixth sense by being aware of how it works.

Here are some tips to flatten the habit of fear around eating:

Recognize that you feel worry or fear around your eating

Look at what you are eating with your eyes.

-Notice if your food looks good, if it looks healthy, and if the portion is about the size of your fist or the size of your head?

-Use your intuition to take that information to your brain and you will know how much of it to eat.

Smell and taste a bite.

-Notice if it tastes good, salty, sweet, fresh?

-Use your intuition to relay that info to your brain and you body, and you will know if it makes sense to eat.

Swallow.

Does it go down well, does it sit comfortably in your stomach?

Relay that to your brain and you will know how much you want to eat.

Recognize that you are respecting your self by connecting with your intuition. 

Notice that you are in control, and notice that
you feel good.