Food satisfaction is about blending all the principles together so they can live in harmony with each other.
"It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it… and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied… and it is all one."
Food is not satisfying when you are overeating.
Food is not satisfying when you are restricting and hungry all the time.
Food is not satisfying if you are counting calories, macros, or points.
Food is not satisfying if you are denying the pleasure of different tastes, textures, smells, temperatures, and appearances of various foods because they aren’t keto, paleo, gluten-free, or low-carb.
Food is not satisfying when your body is not moving and digesting food well.
Food is not satisfying if you’re using it to numb yourself from feeling strong emotions.
Food is not satisfying if it is always devoid of nutrients, vitality, freshness, and quality.
Food is satisfying when we honor our bodies emotionally and physically.
Food is satisfying when we eat foods that sound good.
Food is satisfying when we eat with our loved ones, our friends, and our community.
Food is satisfying when it connects us to our heritage, ancestors, or culture.
Food is satisfying when we let go of diet culture.
This principle is easy to skip past because it can feel a bit lofty or theoretical, but really it’s the guiding star as we sail across the vast seas of Intuitive Eating. How do you learn Intuitive Eating and feel you are being successful at it if we don’t measure weight loss?
By how you feel. How satisfied are you with your relationship to food, nutrition, and your health. How in-tune are you with your feelings?
I often ask, does eating or not eating a certain food or meal serve you? Would that be satisfying? Would you feel disappointed or deprived? Would moving your body feel good? When asked these questions about their choices it’s much easier to see what they really want and need and then strategize how to get there or cope with other emotions that might pop up.
If you find yourself wanting mashed potatoes in August but think you have to wait till Thanksgiving to have them, then principle 5 will allow you to let go of your food rules because if something sounds good, you should just eat it and be done with it. And if you are living in harmony with the other principles, then there is no reason to deny yourself any food.
Food satisfaction is something you can learn but you have to understand the other principles to fully implement this principle.
If you need help discovering how to navigate this principle feel free to book a 30-minute consultation and I can help you find what’s getting in your way of finding food satisfying.