“Nature hates calculators.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life is about rhythm. We vibrate, our hearts are pumping blood, we are a rhythm machine, that’s what we are.” ~Mickey Hart
Breathing in and breathing out. Sleeping and waking. Sun rising and setting. Menstruating and “menopausing.” Moon waxing and waning. Crying and laughing. Eating…
Eating is part of life’s reliable rhythms. We don’t question our body’s need for sleep. Nor do we label our breathing in and out as being too much or too often. “I can’t believe how much I breathed yesterday; I better cut back on my breathing tomorrow.”
Eating is part of life’s reliable rhythms. Despite what we hear or believe, eating and digesting are [private_membership circle]essential and need to happen regularly. “Yes, but I overate so much today, I don’t need to eat anything tomorrow!” Not true. Bodies reliably get hungry again and consistently send out cues to help us meet our needs. If we eat past fullness one day, the “eat” signal may come to us a little later than usual, but come it will. As long as we are living, we can trust that we will need to eat and that our body will guide us with its rhythms and signals.
Tip: Before a meal today, focus on your breath. Notice its rhythm. Then tune into your body’s hunger. How hungry is your body? What does it want and need? After your meal, focus on your breath again, noticing its rhythm. Tune into your body’s fullness signal. How full does your body feel? Tune into your hunger and fullness signals every hour for several hours until your body reliably tells you it’s time to eat again.
Affirming Statement: “I trust and am guided by the rhythms of my body.”
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Nutrition therapists Amy Tuttle, RD, LCSW and Karin Kratina, RD, PhD provide no-diet articles and resources including “Stay Attuned: The E-zine for Nourishing Connections” at their Nourishing Connections website. www.nourishingconnections.com
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