In classical Chinese medicine, it is believed that the same food can be medicine for some and poison for others. Moreover, each of us is able to determine what exactly we need to eat at the moment in order to feel better, be more energetic and slimmer. How to awaken a wonderful skill, says Chinese medicine specialist Anna Vladimirova.
A variety of therapeutic and healing diets in Chinese traditional medicine have been experimentally derived: “If I have something that hurts / lacks strength / is overweight, what should I eat to correct the situation?” Normally, we ourselves know what food we need at the moment to maintain health.
Surely you have heard jokes about pregnant women: sometimes they want salty, sometimes strawberries and ham, or something else absurd and badly combined. During pregnancy, the skill of choosing the right food needed by the body becomes more acute: the hormonal background changes every day, and every day the woman herself, following the “instinct”, selects the necessary products for herself.
We can learn to independently form the right diet for ourselves without diets and restrictions. Here are a few simple tips to help you.
Reboot your body
Today, many of those who eat foods that are not suitable for eating (fast food, food with chemical additives, etc.) have an internal compass that is confused: the body asks for what it is used to, such as a hamburger or a cupcake. How to reprogram the biochemistry of the body so that it asks not for what it is used to, but for what it really needs?
When you are absolutely healthy (there are no colds or exacerbations of chronic diseases), make it a rule to eat only one product at a time for a week: rice, or buckwheat, or meat. If possible, with a minimum of salt and without any other seasonings. This will reset the taste buds, teach them to perceive the taste of dishes in a new way. After 7-10 days, having tried food with additives, you will be sincerely surprised: the “chemistry” becomes palpable in taste, the body will learn to recognize it and perceive it as inedible.
Give up sugar
This product is really addictive, like a drug, so giving up sugar can be quite difficult. First, replace all the sugar in the house with honey. When you want something sweet, use only honey.
I warn you right away: the body will be dissatisfied. Demanding sweets, he counts on sugar and does not get it. So, secondly, accept the fact that sugar is a drug and withdrawal is very, very possible. And the stronger it grows, the closer you are to recovery.
A person who listens to his body does not gain weight because he eats in a way that is good for him.
When I stopped eating sweets, it was a kind of game for me to take off: “Well, wow, how sausages make me without cakes! And what will happen if you hold out for another day? After a while – for everyone it is individual – the craving for sweets weakens and foods containing sugar also seem inedible: even bread, which also contains sugar, begins to taste cloying.
Eat slowly
To find out what your body really likes, try eating slowly. Believe me, it is very difficult to eat the same “chemical” hamburger or cheap convenience food, chewing it thoroughly and enjoying the taste. In addition, leisurely eating protects you from overeating.
Try to put the usual portion on the plate and after each piece put the fork and knife on the table. Chew, enjoy, listen to yourself. Want more? Then another piece. It is very likely that following this tactic, you will not be able to finish your usual amount of food. Thus, you will very quickly learn to catch the moment of saturation and not overeat.
Listen to the feeling of hunger
Don’t make yourself very hungry. A slight feeling of hunger when you want to eat and you have time to choose what exactly is a great state. But acute hunger, in which it doesn’t matter what to buy, if only it would be faster, is the way to the use of store-bought dumplings and sausages.
See inside
When choosing food, be guided by internal sensations, and not by the counter in front of you. Why are desserts typically displayed in a brightly lit display case in the middle of a restaurant? When a person is full, he can force himself to eat something else only if he has already “eaten” it with his eyes. Instead of looking at pretty desserts, turn that same amount of attention inward. Listen to your body and you’ll realize how hungry you really are, and it’s easy to skip dessert.
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Learn to listen to yourself and recognize the body’s signals. As a qigong teacher, I know how bringing attention to the body, taking care of yourself through exercise literally changes your whole life, right down to the diet. They write a lot about the fact that qigong helps to reduce weight – and this is not some kind of mysticism: a person who listens to his body, is sensitive and attentive to him, does not get fat – simply because he eats in a way that is useful to him. Having found contact with the body, you will easily and confidently move towards health, regardless of age.