What do you WANT to eat Reader?

Not what you think you should eat. What do you want to eat? What would be satisfying right now?

"I can't believe it!" Sharon said in our session today.

"My clothes fit looser for the first time in 3 years!"

"What changed?" I asked

"I stopped forcing myself to eat salads every night for dinner and ate the foods I wanted. I stopped eating so fast because I wasn't trying to just get through the meal that I didn't really like." She said

"So, your clothes fit looser AND you stopped forcing yourself to eat vegetables when you didn't want them just because you thought you should be eating vegetables. You stopped shoulding on yourself and started honoring satisfaction. Right?" I asked

"Yes! How crazy is that! For years, I hated myself for not eating enough vegetables and too many snack foods...telling myself if I just ate a salad every day I'd lose weight - never happened."

"Now, I eat what I want for dinner. Sometimes there's a salad. Sometimes not. I like what I'm eating. My digestion is better because I don't inhale my food. And I naturally eat slower - because I enjoy what I'm eating. I stop when I'm satisfied and don't care if I finish the plate."

"Amazing! It's taken a year to get here, but this is the mindset shift we've talked about. It's the shift from shoulding on your food choices to leading with satisfaction when you decide what and how much to eat. Welcome to gentle nutrition!" I encouraged her.

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Before you can "think about it (food)" without instantly sinking into the diet mindset, you gotta know what gentle nutrition is.

You also need to know how and why gentle nutrition is different in midlife.

Let's go!

Gentle nutrition is the sweet spot of satisfaction between what your body NEEDS to eat and what your body (mouth) WANTS.

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Your body needs to eat adequately every day - roughly every 3 or 4 hours, depending on your energy needs.

Contrary to popular belief, your brain needs carbs every day.

Your muscles and bones need protein daily, and every cell in your body needs healthy fats for cushioning and lubrication.

That's the basics. As a woman in perimenopause and menopause…

Your body needs adequate fiber, calcium, and iron if you have crime-scene periods, magnesium if you have trouble falling asleep or generally feel more anxious, vitamin D for bones and better moods, and omega-3 for less joint/body aches and better skin.

How do these basics line up with what you want to eat?

Watch this short video to find out...(12-ish minutes)

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Be flexible. Shut up (the diet mindset) and listen.

Your body will tell you what it needs and wants, no matter what social media says.

That's how you keep food simple by "showing up, thinking about it, and giving a sh*t."

That's gentle nutrition.

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Next week, we'll get into more details about how gentle nutrition is different in perimenopause and menopause.

Until then, keep savoring food and your body!

Amanda

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PS: Gentle nutrition is the sweet spot of satisfaction between what your body needs to eat and what your body (mouth) wants. When you try to decide what to eat, without the diet mindset, "think about it (food)" by asking these questions:

• How long has it been since you last ate? What's your hunger level - meal hunger or snack hunger?
• Have you had some complex carbs today?
• Did you have some protein at your last meal?
• What would taste REALLY good right now? Sweet, savory, crunchy, salty, smooth, creamy, hot, room-temperature, or cold?

​WATCH this short video to understand how to apply gentle nutrition to your daily life.