Truth About Eating Pleasure
Don’t you love the Intuitive Eating principle of ‘savoring satisfaction?” Selecting food that most appeals and promotes pleasure to you and giving careful consideration to how the food makes you feel is a powerful tool in the Free From Diets Forever mantra. Humor me with some science geek speak. There is gobs of research into appetite. Within that, is research into “satiety.” When you think of a satisfying meal, you typically think of flavor, texture and other sensual qualities. Not complaining about that,, but I bet you can relate to being hungry approximately an hour after a delightful meal. This is where satiety comes in. Satiety is the condition of being full or gratified. (I know – sounds a little like the principle of fullness). Satiety is actually a component of savoring satisfaction (pleasure). When you are truly hungry you want to finish eating and be gratified. The last thing you want is to be frantic that about maybe being hungry too soon. It is ok to be hungry of course, but slightly impractical and for quite simply distressing to feel like you’re grazing all day.
So what does science have to do with this?? Well, it turns out that including some things in your meals and a shift in mind-set will not just give you a pleasantly full belly but will ensure satisfaction until the next meal.
- Soup or salad before your main course – try it at home not just when you’re dining out
- Fiber rich foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains – mega benefits but diffuses hunger for a longer period of time
- Lean protein
- Solid food over beverages – we are most definitely NOT counting calories but as a reference point a coffee beverage can easily have more calories than a Big Mac.
- Perspective of what is a normal portion size – if it’s a Big Mac then a regular size cheeseburger will not accomplish satiety. Fear of hunger leads to chronic snacking and over satiety. When this happens, you lose out on the deep pleasure of satisfaction because you’re never actually hungry. Intuitive eating is a journey and no matter where you are, enjoy the view!