What to Eat? How to navigate the confusing world of nutrition & returning to intuitive eating

Nutrition is Confusing

There are so many theories, fad diets, nutrition books and ways of eating. It seems like every day there is a new eating philosophy in the headlines that has shown to heal this ailment or lead to miraculous weight loss. Yet if you have experimented with some of these various diets, you may have found that they are not one size fits all solutions for everyone’s woes.

What to eat-

Many people turn to an approach of counting calories or following one of the many diet plans purported by so-called “experts” or commercial chains in an attempt to lose weight or get healthier. But if these theories were right, we would all be in perfect, balanced health. Unfortunately, instead we have an epidemic of obesity, metabolic dysfunction and chronic diseases.

Many of us may be trying to change our eating habits. We set unrealistic standards and unattainable resolutions. Then when we don’t reach them, we blame ourselves and a vicious cycle begins. what-to-eat-cover-c-web-logo

So What Should We Eat?

What to eat? That is a loaded and often confusing question.

Given all the strong, mixed messages around nutrition and health in our society, the confusion about true nutrition comes as no surprise. People are confused about health and nutrition for a variety of reasons. Marketing and product labels can be unclear and even deceptive. There are thousands of proposed diet plans in the media and many offer conflicting advice. And most importantly among these reasons that we struggle to find that perfect way of eating is that there actually is no one right way of eating that works for everyone!

I am frequently asked by patients, clients, friends and family, “What should I eat?” or “What is the right way to eat?” Sometimes clients want a list of “healthy” foods or desire to know what I eat so that they can mimic it exactly.

But the true key to sustainable wellness is that each of us is unique, and this biological individuality allows one person to thrive on foods which can be harmful to someone else. There is no one correct answer to the question, “What is the right way to eat?” There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan that fits everybody since we each have a unique genetic makeup and nutritional needs and this can even evolve and change throughout our lives.

Discover What Works For You

It is so important to find the way of eating and living that is right for you! This means figuring out how various foods make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally and not just mimicking what works for your best friend or your favorite celebrity.

While this is often much more challenging than simply following the latest media-hyped fad, in the end it will be far more rewarding when you uncover and understand your own nutritional needs and find sustainable health and well-being.SPW Nourishment Journal_collage

Simple | Pure | WholeTM Solutions for Breaking Through the Nutritional Confusion to Return to Intuitive Eating!

  1. Pay attention to how you nourish yourself and how different foods make you feel. Becoming more mindful is very important in creating optimal health, since what we eat ultimately impacts the way we feel, function and live. A useful tool to help you pay more attention to the way food impacts you is the Simple | Pure | WholeTM Nourishment Journal and Guide to Intuitive Eating! Use it alone or in conjunction with my popular ecourse What to Eat?: An Eater’s Guide to Conquering Cravings and Reconnecting to an Instinctual Way of Eating your Simple | Pure | WholeTM Nourishment Journal and Guide to Intuitive Eating helps you monitor, pay attention to and learn to utilize your cravings as wise messages and reconnect with an intuitive, balanced way of eating!

  2. Experiment: Tune into your body and learn to listen to its messages. By taking the time to slow down and listen to what your body truly needs, you will more deeply satisfy your desires! Learn to use your cravings as powerful insights and set yourself free from the diet prison with my innovative virtual course

  3. Educate Yourself: As you figure out your unique needs and desires, you may find yourself naturally drawn towards a lifestyle that works best for you. Try to find out as much as you can about foods, physical activity and other forms of nourishment. Explore your options, expand your knowledge and experience what it feels like to you to eat certain foods and nourish yourself in different ways but do not feel bogged down with needing to learn everything or adhere to a specific dogma or set of rules. Remember, this is about you discovering your unique way of nourishment and not about trying to fit yourself into a certain category, label or diet. To take it a step further, I invite you to join my All Natural Simple | Pure | WholeTM Recharge Experience! This is your opportunity to go beyond where any traditional detox or cleanse program could ever take you to begin to carefully connect with and listen to your body’s needs, find greater balance and enhance your vitality for the long term.

  4. Cook Simple, Whole, Natural Foods: Many products you find in a modern supermarket do not resemble anything you would ever find growing in a field or on a tree. These chemicals and artificial ingredients can confuse our hunger signals and throw off our metabolism. A great way to increase the quality of the food you eat and have greater control over its contents is to cook your own meals. Try to focus on eating simple, natural organic ingredients in their whole forms instead of eating less or counting calories. 

Jumpstart your energy, conquer cravings and return to instinctive eating by starting with these powerful steps! When you consume organic, quality foods and water in their Simple | Pure | WholeTM forms you can feel clear-headed, physically energized and full of vitality!

What do you crave? How do your cravings impact your life and energy?

SPW-Recharge-ExperienceJoin my CommunityThe All Natural Simple | Pure | WholeTM Recharge Experience guides you in choosing whole, real foods to support your optimal digestionenergy and overall health! It is a fantastic way to reset your metabolism and experience what it is feels like to purify your body and cleanse your entire system of stored up toxins that have been weighing you down for years. Join us for the next virtual Recharge Experience!

 

Every body is unique so be sure to check with your health care professional before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. These are products that I use and should not be considered medical advice.

 

This post was shared with: Motivation Monday, Healthy Happy Green & Natural Party, Tuesday’s TableSummer Family Fun Party, Create and Share, Two Cup TuesdayCrafty & Delicious PartyFull Plate ThursdayCreate It ThursdayFamily Fun FridayWeekend RetreatFriday’s Five Features, Real Food FridaysMonday FundayMade by You MondayTasty TuesdayFat TuesdayWaste Not Want Not Wednesday

 

 

Comments

  • Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
    Reply

    Hi Dr. Weinberg,
    Saw your feature at Real Food Fridays and had to come read more. Such great info and I’d love to share it on my bi-weekly post, “Tuesday Tidbits” with your permission.
    So true that we need to be in tune with what our bodies are telling us and paying attention to the fuel that we put inside.
    Have a great weekend!

    • Dr. Jennifer L. Weinberg, MD, MPH, MBE

      Hi Robyn! Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog. I would be honored to have you share my post in your Tuesday Tidbits. Thank you for sharing! I am happy to have found your blog as well and look forward to sharing your work! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  • Marla
    Reply

    Hi Dr. Jennifer,

    Just a note to let you know that I have chosen your post as one of my features for Real Food Fridays that goes live every Thursday @ 7pm EST. Thank you for being part of Real Food Fridays blog hop and helping to make this world healthier.

    • Dr. Jennifer L. Weinberg, MD, MPH, MBE

      Hi Marla! Thank you so much for featuring my post and for hosting a great blog hop! I look forward to this week’s Real Food Fridays and appreciate your work 🙂

  • Deborah Davis
    Reply

    I spend a lot of time thinking about what to eat, thank you for sharing your healthy and insightful post with us on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing.

    • Dr. Jennifer L. Weinberg, MD, MPH, MBE

      I appreciate your sharing Deborah! I think it is something that is so pervasive in our society and which has so many repercussions.

  • Marla
    Reply

    Hi Dr. Jennifer,
    Very good advice. Our bodies are not one size fits all or should are diets be. Every processes foods different and losses weight in a different way. It finding what works for your body and I love your ideas – mainly getting back to basics. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.