Knowledge about nutrition is information that helps you navigate the abundance of food and make your diet balanced. Of course, everyone uses different knowledge, but the essence of knowledge about PP is exactly this. Help a person to be cheerful and healthy.
But knowledge alone is not enough. Awareness is also important. In my opinion, in the context of nutrition, it is the ability to feel hungry/full, and know the answers to the questions: what do you want to eat and why do you want to eat it.
When there is knowledge without awareness:
you can know that it Is bad to overeat, but not realize that you are already full, and still overeat. You can know that you are eating a conditionally useful product, but do not notice that you have a negative reaction to it, and continue to eat it, bringing harm to yourself, not benefit. Etc. etc.
When awareness is added to knowledge:
1. you will notice the true hunger and give the body the necessary energy.
2. you will notice a false hunger and that you are reaching for food from fatigue to calm down, etc. With this awareness, you can make a decision to eat or not to eat. Maybe you just need to rest, calm down, and there will be no need to eat. With automatic, unconscious eating, you don’t have that choice. You just eat and that’s it.
3. You’ll notice the point of saturation and will not overload the body with excessive amounts of food. Or you will overeat, but consciously, but you will enjoy it, for an important holiday, for example. If this happens periodically, and not systematically – why not! The main thing is that it will be your choice, you control it yourself.
4. You will choose what you want to eat based on their needs and goals. I know people who can’t choose what to eat, they don’t care, they can’t hear themselves. About what joy and pleasure from food here you can talk, and about health, too.
5. you will notice the impact of a particular type of product on you personally, and you will be able to make an informed decision whether to eat it or not.
So when there is awareness, there is choice. You choose not just your food, but how you feel, how much energy you have, how you look, and what emotions you get from eating. I think all this is very important.
How to develop awareness.
There are a million articles on this topic on the Internet, but it is about nutrition that I can recommend two of my proven simple ways:
1. Keep a food diary.
Especially when you notice discomfort. For example, bloating, skin rashes, puffiness and other “charms”. The main thing is not to jump to conclusions. To make them, you need to notice clear patterns. Sometimes it is not the product that is affected, but the product of a particular manufacturer, the method of preparation, or the combination of products. Everything is very important and individual. Also, thanks to the diary, you will be able to evaluate those groups of products that are not enough in the diet.
2. Ask yourself questions.
I’m really hungry/full, but what exactly do I want, why? And if I want something and I’m allergic to it. It really will bring me so much joy that I am ready to suffer a little, but to enjoy the food, or it is important for me that the body is comfortable. It sounds a little difficult, but in fact these are instant questions and answers, the main thing is to ask yourself and hear honest answers)
I wish you health and awareness in everything!