There’s a new fad diet in town and, interestingly enough, it’s not a diet at all. It’s a trend that is slowly being adopted by people across the country in an effort to end the negative relationship with food that dieting creates and connect with your body for a healthier you. And the best part about it? You can eat whatever you want. Literally.
We’ve all been through the dieting phases before. You decide you should make a bigger effort to be healthy, start telling yourself that you shouldn’t eat the entire pint of ice cream in the freezer, and then immediately feel bad for yourself and end up eating it anyway. Either that, or you successfully stick to your diet for a month or two, only to gain all the weight back right after. So what’s the problem? You essentially deprive your body of the nutrient balance it needs from a balanced diet and after a while, your body just can’t take it anymore. You need the sugary food.
To end the cycle, you need to try the No Diet Diet. Our bodies are naturally engineered to tell us when we are hungry or what type of food we should be eating to stay healthy; all you have to do is listen to it. Mindful eating, if done correctly, is the tried and true way to enjoy the foods you eat while being in your best shape. So yes, you can eat ice cream on this “diet.”
Here are a couple guidelines to follow to ensure your new lifestyle will successfully work for you:
1. Never say no to a food you’re craving
It will be hard at first, because most people tell themselves everyday that they can’t eat a certain food, but this is the key to success. Initially, this means you may be eating chocolate cake for dinner every night, but over time you’ll learn to stop craving the sugary junk food. Keep your kitchen stocked with all your favorite foods and eat them whenever you want. This is the only way to truly ensure you aren’t limiting yourself. If you feel like these foods are always available to you, and you actually are allowing yourself to eat them, after a while you won’t get the same pleasure out of eating them and you will gradually lose your cravings for them.
2. If your stomach isn’t rumbling, you’re not hungry
You need to physically listen to your body. If you’re craving chocolate but you just had a burger, you probably don’t need the extra food. By paying attention to what your body is telling you it needs, you will naturally eat less and feel more satisfied. This process is called Intuitive Eating, and it teaches you to gain more pleasure from the food you eat, so that you feel happy without needing that extra bite of food.
Photo By Jacky Falkenberg
3. Learn how food pairings affect you
One of the most interesting ongoing studies in food at the moment is how different foods play off each other in order to deliver more nutrients to your body. Essentially, you get more bang for your buck. Foods like broccoli and tomatoes, salmon and yogurt, and lemon juice with spinach have already been proven to result in greater nutrient intake, but you should test it out for yourself and see if any food parings make you feel more satisfied.
All you have to do is follow these simple tips for a stress-free lifestyle, and you’ll be well on your way to a radiant, healthier you. Happy eating.