Honor your Health

Juliet Zuercher from The Remuda Ranch

According to Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole’s book, Intuitive Eating, ten principles exist regarding this healthy eating philosophy. The first nine are: reject the diet mentality; honor your hunger; make peace with food; challenge the food police; feel your fullness; discover the satisfaction factor; cope with your emotions without using food; respect your body; and exercise—feel the difference.

The final is:

Honor your health—gentle nutrition

Two facets exist to the concept of honoring your health.

First, honor your physical health by respecting your body. This is done by consuming foods that are healthy and nutritious; foods that are rich in protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, etc. Food that your body needs to function properly. As a child, most of us believed good health was simply a ‘given;’ as adults, we now know good health is a gift. As with all good gifts, it must be valued and appreciated. Honor your health by eating well.

The second piece is honoring your emotional health. Do this by not being rigid in food choices, by not conforming to a structured food plan at all times. If you need comfort food, eat comfort food, then don’t chastise yourself the following day for being weak. This dovetails into the concept of gentle nutrition. Stay away from proscribed diets, meaning don’t follow a regimented plan designed by the latest nutrition guru. Trust yourself to make good choices based on sound knowledge. Keep this in mind: ‘Progress, not perfection is what counts.’