Identifying Hunger versus Food Lust: A Guide
Dr. Aileen Alexander, a renowned women's health and weight loss expert, TEDx speaker, and medical doctor, offers a unique approach to help individuals understand their body's specific food preferences. Dr. Alexander is an advocate for intuitive eating, a method aimed at reconnecting with hunger and satiety signals.
According to Dr. Alexander, the key to intuitive eating lies in differentiating real hunger from food cravings. This mindful awareness helps people honor their true hunger and develop a healthier relationship with food.
Real hunger, as defined by intuitive eating principles, builds gradually, is physical, and comes from the body signaling a need for nourishment. It can be satisfied with any kind of food and usually leads to a feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating. On the other hand, food cravings tend to be sudden, specific, and often tied to emotional states (stress, boredom, etc.). Cravings often focus on particular foods (e.g., sweets, salty snacks) and are not necessarily relieved by eating other foods.
To distinguish between hunger and food cravings, Dr. Alexander suggests pausing to check in with the body before eating. Ask yourself, "Could I eat an apple?" If the answer is yes, it might be hunger. Eating an apple, which has more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, can help feel fuller. If the answer is no, it's a craving, as the desire for a specific food isn't about nutrition but an emotional need or stress.
Dr. Alexander's 12-week program, designed for women interested in learning intuitive eating, starts with a complimentary consultation. This program helps individuals navigate the complex process of learning to eat intuitively, involving trial and error as one reconnects with their body.
For those interested in Dr. Aileen Alexander's approach, the book "Intuitive Eating" by the dietitians who coined the term offers additional insights into the practice of intuitive eating. The book can provide more information about intuitive eating and help you embark on a journey towards a healthier relationship with food.
- Dr. Aileen Alexander's 12-week program concentrates on weight loss and wellness by teaching women intuitive eating, helping them understand their body's specific food preferences.
- Yoga, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health are also decisive elements in Dr. Alexander's comprehensive approach to weight management and overall health-and-wellness.
- Nutrition plays a crucial role in her method, as Dr. Alexander encourages individuals to honor their hunger and make informed decisions about food-and-drink choices for sustained satisfaction.
- The science of intuitive eating involves differentiating real hunger from food cravings to develop a healthier lifestyle and relationship with food.
- Dr. Alexander's program aims at relieving stress on the mind and body by fostering awareness of hunger, promoting self-care, and improving mental-health.
- Pursuing wellness through her innovative intuitive eating principles can lead to a balanced lifestyle, fostered by consistent food and nutrition choices and regular fitness-and-exercise routines.
