How to Make Difficult Food Choices with Love & Grace

Have you ever been in a situation where you and your internal sassy bully got into a tiff about what to eat?

Like, "Ohhh, that caprese sandwich sounds good!" "But I can't get that, I'm not supposed to be having gluten or dairy remember?!" "Well why don't I just have it this time and start fresh tomorrow?" "You always do this, why can't you ever just commit to your diet?! Seriously, you have absolutely no will power!" "Okay fine, I'll get the salad. But I don't want to!" "Screw it, I'm getting the sandwich."

We are faced with overwhelming and confusing food choices every single day! Should you listen to what your taste buds want or what the health gurus tell you to eat? Do you grab the quick option that's "meh" or the timely option that you actually want? Do you eat now or do you wait until your husband gets home so you can eat together?

We get it - trust us. We've totally been there. On our paths to wellness we were always chasing the latest fad health diet and therefore constantly adding more foods to our "no, no" list. We got to a point where eating out with loved ones was always a pain - either we would sacrifice what we wanted or make our company feel guilty for not being as restrictive and will-powered as us. Either way, the decisions felt tough and the aftermath never felt that great. 

Today, we get to make food choices like it ain't no thang. We get to listen to what our bodies want, then respond and act accordingly. We get to eat food we love, enjoy the process and in turn feel totally satisfied when we finish. And yes, our bodies thank us - even though we aren't on a diet with a long list of "no, no's". Our bodies and lifestyles have become the captains of our food choice's ship and today we want to share with you how we do it. 

If you can relate to this confusing and frustrating internal dialogue regarding food choices, we want you to know that you're not alone, you haven't gone mad and there's a simple strategy to get you out of the constant internal sassy bully debates - we promise!

So, are you curious how you can have your cake and eat it too? Well here's the scoop.

When making food choices, give equal weight to each of the following:

Delight

Why it's crucial: Your food is intended to bring you pleasure - so pleasure must be a priority when making food choices! We are designed to crave and love food so that we prioritize our biological need to eat and nourish ourselves. Therefore if you don't find pleasure in the process, there is a good chance you won't be satisfied and you will want to eat more later until you hit the pleasure jackpot.  

How to do it: Be sure to eat foods you love to eat - foods that look mouthwatering, taste fantastic and smell delicious. Ignite all of your senses when enjoying your food. Appreciate the smells, textures, flavors and visuals. Close your eyes and enjoy the process, eat slowly and savor the experience. If you need a little help figuring our what you're craving and how to master it, download our free Crush Your Cravings Guide here.

Nourish 

Why it's crucial: Your food should nourish your body. This means being mindful of how food makes you feel in the short term and the long term. The food we eat, becomes the cellular make-up of our bodies and has a huge impact on our bodily functions including our moods and energy levels. We literally are what we eat.  This doesn't mean doing the diet that your best friend is doing because it works for her - it means making nourishing choices for your unique body and lifestyle.

How to do it: Ask yourself which foods give you energy, enhance your digestive fire and give you glowing skin? Which foods help you feel light and beautiful rather than sluggish and unhappy? If you need help with getting connected to how food makes you feel, download our free revolutionary Love the Way Your Eat Food Journal here!

Satisfy

Why it's crucial: When you give your body exactly what it wants and needs and just enough - you are able to attain ultimate satisfaction. If you've ever grazed your pantry or fridge after a meal, it's a pretty good sign you haven't attained full satisfaction. This happens often when you put yourself on a restrictive diet. When you make "healthy" choices that don't taste good and you don't actually crave, you end up feeling unsatisfied. When you try to limit the quantity or calories you eat and leave the table feeling hungry still, you are unsatisfied. If you over-eat to the point of discomfort, you are most certainly unsatisfied. The key to quit over-eating comes from attaining satisfaction. 

How to do it: As you eat, continually ask yourself if you are enjoying what you're eating. Sometimes food can taste wonderful for the first bite or 5 and then it looses it's spark. If it loses it's spark, put it to the side and change it up. Also, continuously ask yourself how you are feeling on the hunger scale from 1-10. Experiment with when you start and stop eating. What leaves you feeling the best? For instance if you wait to eat until you're at a 9, you will likely be ravenous and over-eat. If you eat when you are at a 4, do you stop eating at a comfortable 7? Figure out what works for your unique body. Lastly, notice which foods keep you full for longer and don't have you scrambling for food because you're starving every hour!

The Art of Balancing All Three

1. Delight: When making your food choices, begin by asking yourself what foods would delight your senses - what are you truly craving. Light, refreshing, comforting, warm, heavy, sweet, savory, creamy, crunchy, ect.?
2. Nourish: Next, ask yourself how to make this decision in a nourishing way. If you are desiring something unhealthy, ask yourself how you can substitute your unhealthy desires into nourishing AND delicious alternatives? Check out our recipes here to get started!
3. Satisfy: Lastly, eat until you are satisfied - no more, no less. Choose foods that will satisfy you, fill your stomach and keep you at the perfect level of full. 

Let us know how you go in the comments below, beautiful! We are always here to support you. If you are ready to take your relationship with food to a place of freedom, happiness and confidence, then check out our Eat for Love Online Course. We would love to support you in taking back control over your eating habits and falling in love with the way you look and feel! 

Love,

Hannah & Marisa

Do you have a loved one who would benefit from this article?! Be a beautiful friend and pass this article along to your best friend, sister or mother so every woman can love who she is from the inside out! xx

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