Worried about deciding between Diwali delights or a healthy diet? You don’t have to.

Intuitive eating is the art of eating and enjoying food where the fears about overwhelming guilt take a back seat. There are ten key principles of intuitive eating given by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. 

Here are 5 lessons from intuitive eating for you, to eat to the content of your heart and stomach.

1. DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF

Worrying about weight gain and letting that fear drive you is not going to let you enjoy a peaceful Diwali. It is important to understand that 3 or 4 days of savoring festival delicacies is not going to make you gain weight. What really matters is your long-term commitment to staying healthy and eating healthy. 

2. FEEL YOUR HUNGER

One of the principles of intuitive eating that highly resonates with controlling festival bingeing is “honor your hunger”. 

Our body tells us when to eat and when to stop and all we have to do is just follow the cues.

The best way to not overindulge is to listen to your body. When you are hungry do not restrict and when you are full do not reach for another serving. Try the method of slow eating and completely chewing your food. 

3. MASTER PORTION CONTROL

To know when you are full it is important to follow portion control. When you have already filled the plate double the amount the instinct will be to complete the entire plate. So, to avoid this, serve only as much as you can eat and use smaller plates.

Diwali parties are all lined up and it’s time to gear up for the buffet. Be mindful when you choose your foods. Avoid indulging in a particular food. Rather make appropriate choices of carbs, protein, and fat.

4. EAT PEACEFULLY AND RELISH THE FOOD IN YOUR HAND

Diwali is a season of love, shared happiness, and togetherness and we even go the extra mile to patch up things with our loved ones. And that’s what intuitive eating is about too“ making peace with food”. 

Eat peacefully and relish every bite of your favorite delicacies without any overwhelming guilt. Your cravings are fuelled, when you deprive yourself of a particular food. 

5. GO FOR THE KAJU KATLI

Or the crispy chakli, or the piping hot samosas, or Jamun, or any of your favorites. As said earlier, when you restrict, uncontrollable cravings kick in. 

With the above principles, you will learn to unleash your satisfaction factor.  And going for delight knowing when to stop will only derive pleasure and not guilt.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Principles of intuitive eating or not stand alone. Festivals are the time when we are bombarded with food everywhere. All it takes is a little mindfulness to follow your instincts to keep yourself away from going overboard.

Let’s enjoy this Diwali without counting calories!