Trust Your Gut: How Intuitive Eating Helps You Hear What Your Body is Really Saying
Have you ever noticed how we use the phrase "trust your gut" when we talk about making decisions? It's not just a figure of speech, your gut is literally trying to talk to you. And when it comes to food, wellness, and digestion, learning to actually listen to what your body is saying might be the most important skill you never learned.
If you've been battling bloating, struggling with overeating, or feeling completely disconnected from your hunger cues, you're not alone. Diet culture has spent decades teaching us to ignore our bodies, override our natural signals, and follow external rules instead of internal wisdom. It's time to change that conversation.
What Is Intuitive Eating (And Why Does It Matter for Digestion)?
Intuitive eating isn't a diet. It's not a meal plan. It's not about counting macros or following someone else's food rules.
Instead, intuitive eating is about reconnecting with your body's natural ability to tell you when it's hungry, when it's full, and what it actually needs. It's about recognizing the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. It's about eating when you're hungry, stopping when you're satisfied, and trusting that your body knows what it's doing.
Here's where digestion comes in: when you eat in a relaxed state, paying attention to your body's signals, and choosing foods that feel good to you, your digestive system works better. When you're stressed, eating too fast, or forcing yourself to finish everything on your plate even though you're stuffed, your gut struggles. Bloating, discomfort, sluggish digestion, all of these can be connected to how you're eating, not just what you're eating.
Research backs this up. Studies show that intuitive eating is linked to better body satisfaction, improved mental health, and yes, better digestive health. When you stop fighting your body and start working with it, everything shifts.
Your Body Has Been Trying to Tell You Something
Think about the last time you ate past the point of fullness. Maybe it was at a holiday dinner, or maybe it was just Tuesday night with takeout on the couch. What did your body feel like afterward? Uncomfortable? Sluggish? A little guilty?
That discomfort is your body's way of communicating. It's saying, "Hey, that was a bit much for me right now." But most of us have been trained to ignore those signals. We've been told to clean our plates, to eat at specific times whether we're hungry or not, and to label foods as "good" or "bad" instead of simply listening to what feels right in the moment.
Intuitive eating flips this script. It teaches you to tune in. To notice. To ask yourself:
Am I physically hungry right now, or am I bored, stressed, or tired?
What does my body actually need in this moment?
How do I want to feel after I eat this?
These aren't trick questions. They're invitations to reconnect with the most reliable nutrition expert you'll ever have: your own body.
The Gut-Brain Connection Is Real (And It's Powerful)
Here's something wild: your gut and your brain are in constant communication. Scientists call it the gut-brain axis, and it's why anxiety can give you a stomachache and why a heavy meal can make you feel foggy and sluggish.
When you're stressed, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed, your digestion slows down. Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, and digesting that salad isn't exactly a priority when your nervous system thinks you're running from a bear (even if you're just stressed about work emails).
This is why intuitive eating isn't just about food: it's about your emotional and mental health, too. When you're calm, present, and actually enjoying your meal, your body can do its job. You digest better. You absorb nutrients more efficiently. You feel better, physically and mentally.
How to Start Hearing What Your Body Is Really Saying
If you've spent years following diets, ignoring hunger cues, or eating on autopilot, relearning how to listen to your body takes practice. But it's absolutely doable. Here's where to start:
1. Pause Before You Eat
Before you take that first bite, check in with yourself. Are you physically hungry? What does hunger feel like in your body? For some people, it's a growling stomach. For others, it's feeling lightheaded or irritable. Get curious about your own signals.
2. Eat Slowly and Mindfully
Put your phone down. Turn off the TV. Actually taste your food. Eating slowly gives your body time to send those fullness signals to your brain. (It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it's satisfied.)
3. Drop the Food Labels
No food is "good" or "bad." Some foods are more nutrient-dense, sure. But when you label foods with moral judgments, you create guilt and shame around eating: and that stress doesn't help your digestion or your relationship with food.
4. Notice How Foods Make You Feel
Pay attention to how different foods affect your energy, your mood, and your digestion. This isn't about restriction: it's about gathering information. Maybe dairy makes you bloated. Maybe you feel energized after a big salad. Maybe you need more protein in the morning to feel satisfied. Your body has opinions. Listen to them.
5. Honor Your Fullness
You don't have to finish everything on your plate. You don't have to eat until you're stuffed. When you start to feel satisfied: not overly full, just enough: you can stop. This one takes practice, especially if you grew up in a "clean plate club" household. Be patient with yourself.
The Emotional Side of Eating (And Why It Matters)
Let's be real: sometimes we eat because we're sad, stressed, bored, or lonely. And that's okay. Food is comforting. It's tied to our memories, our celebrations, and our sense of safety.
The problem isn't emotional eating: it's when emotional eating becomes your only coping mechanism. When food is the go-to solution for every uncomfortable feeling, it's worth exploring what's really going on beneath the surface.
This is where the mental and emotional health piece becomes so important. Intuitive eating isn't about perfection. It's about awareness. It's about asking yourself, "What am I really hungry for right now?" Sometimes the answer is food. Sometimes it's rest, connection, movement, or just a moment to breathe.
Learning to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger is a skill: and it's one that can transform not just your digestion, but your entire relationship with yourself.
Why Personalized Coaching Makes All the Difference
Here's the thing: intuitive eating sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it can feel overwhelming: especially if you've been dieting for years or struggling with disordered eating patterns.
That's where personalized coaching comes in. Everyone's body is different. Everyone's relationship with food is different. What works for your best friend might not work for you, and that's completely okay.
Working one-on-one with a coach means you get support that's tailored to your body, your habits, your goals, and your challenges. It means having someone in your corner who can help you:
Identify your unique hunger and fullness cues
Navigate emotional eating patterns with compassion
Build practical strategies that fit into your real life
Address digestive issues that might need extra attention
Heal your relationship with food without judgment or shame
You don't have to figure this out alone. And honestly? You shouldn't have to.
Your Body Is Worth Listening To
If there's one thing I want you to take away from this, it's this: your body is not the enemy. It's not something to control, manipulate, or ignore. It's your home. And it's been trying to communicate with you this whole time.
Trusting your gut: both literally and figuratively: is about rebuilding that relationship. It's about saying, "I'm listening. I hear you. Let's work together."
Better digestion, more energy, less guilt around food, and a deeper sense of peace in your own skin: it's all possible when you stop fighting your body and start partnering with it instead.
Note from Marla: Intuitive Health Check-in
Have you ever had a gut feeling that something was off, even when tests said you were 'fine'? Your intuition is a powerful, science-backed tool—it lives in your body! Your body doesn't speak in words; it speaks in sensations: a knot in the stomach, tension in the shoulders, or sudden fatigue. These aren't just annoyances; they are messages. Your body is trying to tell you what it needs to heal and stay balanced. This week, I invite you to stop ignoring the whisper. When you feel that tightness, ask your body: 'What are you trying to tell me?' Then, listen. Trust yourself.
Ready to start listening to what your body is really saying? Let's work together to create a personalized approach that honors your unique needs, heals your relationship with food, and supports your digestion from the inside out.
Schedule a consultation and let's take the first step toward trusting your gut, literally and figuratively