This has come up at least 3 times this week, so I want to clear something up:
The Serving Size on the nutrition facts label is NOT there to tell you how much YOU “should” eat.
NO outside source (person, company, diet) can possibly know how much of a specific food YOUR body needs to feel good, full/satisfied.
Only YOU and YOUR BODY can know that for YOU.
If you question this to be true, it makes sense because we are taught to look outside ourselves to discover the rules for “healthy” eating.
But the truth is, you were born knowing how much and what food you needed to feel good. And you can reconnect to that internal body wisdom.
The Serving Size listed on the nutrition facts label IS chosen by the food company to give the food of choice the best OPTICS for consumption.
The serving size listed is not what’s best for you, but what is best for selling the product. For example: less than half a gram of trans fats doesn’t have to be listed on the nutrition facts label, so companies can adjust the serving size so that there is less than half a gram of trans fat so the label can read “zero (0) trans fats.”
When we reconnect with our body’s wisdom we are confident in making food choices that are right for us. We can filter all the external nutrition information through our trust in our body to communicate what it needs and what works for it. And we trust ourselves to make choices from a place of compassion and care.
How do you start to rebuild this connection with your body?
Build AWARENESS
- Tune into when you are hungry, how hungry you are and what foods you are drawn to
- Notice as you eat when hunger starts to shift into different degrees of fullness
- Identify what brings you satisfaction – that sense of being complete with your eating experience.
- Notice the thoughts, feelings, environment factors, relationships, schedules, etc. that impact eating
Stay CURIOUS
- Notice judgments you have about food, your body, your actions and how they make you feel.
- Practice shifting your thinking into observations (just the facts not your opinion/story)
- Ask yourself curious questions like “where did I get this idea?” or “what need am I meeting by eating this right now?”
Consciously RESPOND
- Make a choice, recognizing there’s no right or wrong, just the choice you are making right now based on the current circumstance.
- Reflect on your eating experience with care and compassion.