Are You Eating Properly? Learn to Read Your “Body Signals”!

There is no greater influence on your health than the food you eat. But genetic factors, such as your unique “body chemistry”, influences how you process what you eat.

As such, knowing your genetic make-up – how you process certain foods; what ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is right for you; how certain foods react with your body chemistry – makes all the difference in health and longevity.

Since you are a unique individual, how do you know if you are eating properly?

That’s where "body signals" comes in. Within one or two hours after you eat, your body sends you clear and easy signals that tell you if you’ve eaten properly. Most people, however, don’t know about these signals, or how to interpret them if they receive them.

How does your body signal you about the results of your last meal? Your body communicates with you in three different ways: (1) through your appetite and cravings, (2) through your energy levels, and (3) through your mental and emotional reactions.

Appetite and cravings are extremely easy-to-notice signals. If after one to two hours after a meal, you feel full and satisfied, have no sweet cravings, and don’t desire more food, you have done an excellent job of meeting your body’s needs.

Feeling hungry before the next meal tells you that your last meal didn’t work! Or if you feel physically full, but still feel "hungry" (your meal was missing something), or especially if you have sweet cravings, you didn’t eat the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for that meal.

The second signal is your energy level. After one to two hours after eating, consider how you feel. Did your energy levels increase? Did you have a good, lasting, "normal" sense of energy and well-being? If so, you met your body’s need for the right ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for your energy needs.

But perhaps instead, you experienced too much or too little energy. Maybe you felt hyper on the surface, but exhausted underneath. Or your energy completely dropped, and you felt fatigued, drowsy, or listless. Those are sure signs that you either (1) ate something incorrect, or (2) ate incorrect proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

The third signal is your mental and emotional well-being. If one or two hours after a meal, you feel an improved feeling of well-being, feel refueled and restored, have an uplifted feeling of emotions, improved clarity and acuity of mind, and normalization of thought processes - you’ve eaten correctly.

However, if you feel mentally sluggish, spacey, or unable to think clearly, you’ve eaten the wrong food or wrong proportions. If you feel hyperactive with overly rapid thoughts, unable to focus/hold attention, or you feel "hypoactive" (apathy, depression or sadness), your diet needs correcting.

So you don’t need to listen to so called “diet experts.” The skill of reading "body signals" can help you discover the foods and ratios that are best for you. Reading your body signals can help you lose weight and feel great, without feeling as if you are depriving yourself.