Gentle Nutrition: A Balance of Health and Satisfaction

GENTLE NUTRITION

A BALANCE OF HEALTH AND SATISFACTION

Is it possible to eat what simply sounds good AND honor my health?

Many people grapple with this balance of food cravings with nutritional information they’ve learned as they begin to let go of rigid diet rules and adopt an intuitive way of eating. Gentle nutrition allows food desires and nutritional information to live in harmony, reducing the internal battle that often accompanies food choices.

Gentle nutrition teaches us to listen to both our physical health needs and our mental health needs, applying what we know about nutrition in a non-diet, flexible way that allows for all foods to be an option. There’s no judgment around the food or sacrifice when implementing gentle nutrition. It gives you a compass to make the decision that’s right for you at the moment. It’s giving yourself the opportunity to apply nutritional information instead of letting that rule your decision-making. Let’s walk through what this might look like in the real world.

APPLYING GENTLE NUTRITION

The first step in applying gentle nutrition is to ask yourself if you’re craving anything in particular. This step alone takes some getting used to. Often we just react to being hungry and don’t stop to ask ourselves what actually sounds good.

Two things to work through during this first step:

Ask yourself what sounds appealing in terms of all five senses: taste, texture, aroma, temperature, appearance, and size/amount. For example, do I want something hot or cold? Crunching or smooth? Salty, sour, or sweet? This will give you your first clue as to what would be most satisfying for you.

The second thing is to remember that you will always get another opportunity to eat. This meal is not your one and only chance to have whatever it is that sounds good. There will be another time, actually every time once this tool is learned(!) to eat what you want. Once you’ve identified if you are craving something, ask yourself if applying gentle nutrition would make the craving just as satisfying. Or, put another way, would implementing gentle nutrition take away from my satisfaction of simply fulfilling the craving?

Here’s an example. It’s a hot summer evening after the kids have gone to bed. You start to crave something sweet, cold, and creamy. You immediately think about the ice cream in the freezer. You also know that having sugar this late at night makes you sleep restlessly. Without any judgment or mental diet debate, ask yourself if you’re craving ice cream in particular or if some vanilla yogurt with fruit and honey would do the trick. It’s also cold and creamy and wouldn’t disrupt your sleep. If the

answer is no, then have the ice cream!

End of conversation. If you think the yogurt would be just as satisfying, then congratulations! You’ve just implemented gentle nutrition.

Choosing wheat bread over white bread because it will satisfy all the same but give you more nutrients and keep you fuller longer.

Adding in nuts and seeds to your salad to bring more nutrition to your lunch, and it’s just as good - maybe even better! - then the original salad.

Dipping your veggies in dip to increase satisfaction and nutrition.

Each time you try this, take a minute to reflect. Did the gentle nutrition option actually satisfy you? Were you left still craving the original food? There shouldn’t be guilt or stress when implementing gentle nutrition. If there is, then there might be an underlying food rule you’re trying to adhere to.

You may have actually chosen the gentle nutrition option because of sneaky diet culture thoughts. For example, I should have this healthier option instead. Or, I’ll make the better choice based on diet culture, not what’s best for me.

There’s a difference between a food rule and a food preference. Tune in to your preferences, not external rules. You are much better off honoring your craving and moving on than dwelling on the choice because of diet culture rules and choosing the more nutritional choice. In this case, it might be meeting your physical needs, but not your mental needs. Gentle nutrition brings BOTH of these together, so there is no mental or physical restriction.

Finally, another way to navigate this if you’re feeling stuck is to examine your motivation for food choices. Are you choosing a highly nutritious food because you truly want it, or is it based on a food rule? Are you eating kale because you think you should, while spinach is actually more satisfying for you? Are you eating spinach tortilla wraps because you think you should, but you enjoy the plain ones more?

If you are only considering the nutritional value of food when you’re hungry, you’re likely restricting enjoyment and pleasure, which are just as important as nutrition. The two can exist together to meet your needs. Give gentle nutrition a try and see what happens!

Emily Betros

Emily is a licensed clinical social worker, certified health coach, and owner of Reclaiming Health, LLC. She specializes in body image support, eating disorders, anxiety, life transitions, mindfulness, and women's issues. More info: www.reclaiminghealth.net. W-F 11a-6p & Sat 10a-3p uniqjewelry.com