Mindful Munching: What’s “Intuitive Eating?”
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Your body already knows the secret to healthy eating
There’s a lot of problems with the current culture of diet and weight loss programs.
The biggest problem is that they tell you that you need them.
And then, if you’re struggling, they tell you that you are the problem.
Diets don’t work because they subject your body, which is already stressed out and inflamed, to more stress.
They feed you unnatural foods and supplements, restrict your calories, or require high intensity, possibly harmful workouts.
Even if you do succeed for a while, these programs are unsustainable.
Eventually, you need a break.
When that happens, your starved and exhausted body tries to refill its tank by eating all the missing calories.
And you end up gaining back any weight you lost, and then some!
Which leaves you feeling more discouraged and defeated than before you started.
There is another way – a Betr Way!
At Betr, we know there’s nothing wrong with you.
You are whole and complete just the way you are.
Your body isn’t the problem; it’s the key to healing.
Food isn’t the enemy; it’s the medicine.
The Betr Health Program will help you rediscover the power of healthy food.
This food will restore your gut bacteria (your microbiome).
Your healed gut microbiome will help you sustain decreased inflammation, weight loss, improved mood, energy, and overall better health for the rest of your life.
The best part? Your body already knows how to heal.
You might say it has an intuition!
Intuitive Eating: It just feels right!
Intuitive eating rejects the dieting mentality.
The key concepts of intuitive eating are:
- Your body knows what it needs when it needs it
- Your body knows when it’s full
- Food isn’t “good” or “bad.”
- Focus on how you feel, not how you look
So how do you practice intuitive eating?
You learn to recognize when your body is hungry and when it’s satisfied.
You become aware of the foods and ingredients that do not provide you satisfaction and energy and may even cause unwanted side effects!
It sounds simple.
But, when you’re body is stressed out, inflamed, and bathed in environmental toxins, it’s not easy.
The Takeaway: Intuitive eating is recognizing your body’s natural cues for when, what, and how much to eat.
A Betr Path to Intuitive Eating
Betr aligns with intuitive eating in many ways.
We don’t want you to count calories, we want you to eat until you’re satisfied.
We want you to listen to your body and see how certain foods make you feel.
You might be wondering about the Level 1 food list.
That seems kind of counterintuitive.
There’s a method to the madness.
At Betr, we believe that it’s so challenging to eat intuitively because of the constant emotional, physical, and environmental stress on your body.
This stress disrupts your gut microbiome and puts your body in a constant state of doubt and inflammation.
This emotional and physical stress leads to physiological cravings.
Your body is essentially in a state of panic and thinks it needs high-calorie, high-fat, high-salt foods for fuel.
The Level 1 Foods reduce inflammation, allowing your gut microbiome to heal.
This reduced inflammation reduces stress on your body and your mind.
Without all the added stress and inflammation, your body functions the way it’s meant to.
When your body is functioning the way it’s supposed it, it will send appropriate signals when you’re hungry or full.
The ultimate goal of Betr is to get you to a state where you know in your gut and mind what foods fuel you to feel great.
We give you the tools to reset and recharge so that you can eat ANY food that you want without having to engage in the shame, doubt, and stress of eating “bad” food.
You can find a sustainable balance of objectively nourishing foods and enjoyable treats.
That’s why Betr isn’t a diet.
It’s a healing protocol that will reset your gut microbiome and allow you to enjoy food your way!
The Takeaway: Betr heals stress and inflammation, restoring your body’s ability to provide natural cues that support healthy, satisfying eating.
More than A Feeling: The evidence behind listening to Your Body
When you look at the science behind intuitive eating, there’s no question that it’s a more effective way to maintain health than dieting.
A 2014 review of individuals who practiced intuitive eating found that intuitive eating had several benefits, especially over diets or “restrictive eating” programs.
- Improved cardiovascular health: Not all of the reviewed studies looked at cardiovascular measures. But, the ones that did found that intuitive eaters experienced lowered blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol.
- Increased physical activity: Intuitive eaters engaged in more physical activity. The study’s authors guessed this might be because of intuitive eating’s focus on exercise for health and enjoyment vs. the diet and weight loss philosophy of calorie burn.
- Improved psychological health: This is a BIG ONE! Intuitive eaters had healthier psychological attitudes around food and eating, better self-image and self-esteem, more self-acceptance, and lower anxiety and depression.
- Long-term sustainability: This is just the icing on the cake. At one year, 92% of intuitive eaters showed all of the above benefits, including weight-loss maintenance. How does this stack up to traditional dieters? One study puts the number of dieters who gain back their weight (and more) at around two-thirds of dieters.
The science behind intuitive eating doesn’t leave much room for argument. Learning how to eat healthy by listening to your body is better for you in virtually every way!
The Takeaway: Research shows that intuitive eating’s focus on health and nourishment is more effective for longterm results than a focus on weight loss and calorie burn
Betr & Intuitive eating: The Takeaway
Some facts that we’ve covered about intuitive eating:
- Intuitive eating is about learning to eat in an enjoyable, healthy way that fuels your body and honors your hunger and fullness.
- Studies have found intuitive eating has numerous health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, physical activity, and psychological health.
- Intuitive eating is highly sustainable, especially when compared to dieting.
- Betr will reduce stress, inflammation and heal your gut, clearing the path for intuitive eating
The healing, anti-inflammatory foods of the Betr Health Protocol empower you to manage your eating intuitively, in a way that keeps you healthy and happy!
Let us support you while you find the path to an easier way of life!
If you’ve struggled with restrictive diets, fad shakes and supplements, and punishing exercise regimens, ask yourself, isn’t it time for something Betr?
My skin has dramatically improved. I used to have a lot of dry skin and now I don’t.
