Learn To Listen To Your Body

One of the most powerful things that I teach people when I work with them nutritionally, is to listen to your body. This fundamental yet forgotten and overlooked experience is so valuable, that without it, many people become lost.

It is easy to become lost in the big bad jungle of nutrition. After all there are endless contradictions and conflicting information that exists: “eat low, carb”, “no, high fat”, “get more sun”, “no the sun will kill you”. If you follow everything that is out there, you will find there is nothing you should eat, and everything is unhealthy.

Of course, the nutrition marketplace is flooded with so many different interests, and you are considered a commodity by many.

When I work with a person in my nutrition practice, I always bring the entire situation back to them and to what exactly their body needs. The absolute best starting point is understanding your Metabolic Type. This will narrow down your food choices considerably. And, most importantly, your Metabolic Type is based upon your body’s individual, metabolic and genetic requirements.

Next, we look at food intolerances and food sensitivities. This is a big one for people, because any food can potentially cause an immune reaction. In many instances, foods that a person eats everyday are causing damage to digestive function.

In many instances, your body will signal to you that a food is producing a problem. And this is often marked by some reaction after eating it. This may include (but not limited to):

• Digestive distress: bloating, gas, belching
• Sneezing, coughing
• Physical pain in the body

If you are uncertain if a food is causing a reaction, the Coca pulse test is at least a starting point to understand what may be taking place. This is a simple test which involves placing a suspected food on your tongue and observing the changes in pulse rate. Identifying food allergies and intolerances are a HUGE component for improving upon your digestive functions.

3 Easy Steps For Listening to Your Body

1. Enhance your senses around a certain food. How does the food smell to you? How does it taste? What does the thought of a food trigger?
2. Distinguish the difference between an intuitive understanding of your food and an emotional attachment. This is a big one for people because food can induce powerful sensory and emotional triggers. Food can induce what is called the “peptide effect”, which results in the production of various opioid substances. Certain foods like wheat and dairy are known for this.
3. Follow your intuition. Develop a good relationship with your body and what it needs. In this sense, you become more of a caretaker of your body and are less attached to it.