Breakfast. The opening meal of the day for many people. Some people wake up hungry. Some can't look at food until lunch time. Others like me, have an established routine.
Being on the autism spectrum, I experience food aversions. If a texture or flavor is wrong, the food won't stay down. As a kid this was highly distressing. As an adult, I've learned to navigate it. Fortunately, I don't suffer from neophobia, fear of trying new foods. Being of a curious nature, I am willing to try new things though I may hesitate and cautiously try something, as not only textures and flavors have been problematic in the past, but allergeric reactions have trained my mind to not just jump in and try something.
Recently, my daughter who is also on the spectrum taught me something that I didn't know before. Interoception impairment.
Interoception is the body's internal ability to interpret sensations like hunger, thirst, pain, temperature, etc. We both experience an impairment in this area: she more significantly than I. Most of time I just need to be methodical about when I eat and portion things out so I don't over or undereat. It's become second nature for me.
I know that I do better and will think and function more clearly if I eat a moderate sized breakfast first thing in the morning after I feed the animals. Mid morning to early afternoon, I've learned to watch for feeling scattered, tired, or suddenly weak. If I have hit that point, I waited too long to eat. Often if I have a pause between activities, I remind myself, "better eat now". In the evening, I just remind myself to eat a small bit to carry me through to morning. These are conscious choices versus hunger cues.
I also had to learn portion sizes as I will eat too much and then be in pain. I have to consciously tell myself, "You are full. This is enough," even though I tend to not experience the sensation of feeling full. When I was younger, I didn't understand this and at times I ate so much that within a few minutes of finishing, I was in agony for hours from overeating.
I've learned that the times I actually feel hungry, it's usually because I had too many sweets or carbs. They mess up the brain's satiety control ability. Pleasure gets confused for hunger. It is similar to eating when emotional or stressed. Self control then comes into play alongside regulated times to eat and portion control.
With so many diet fads and opinions on what a person's diet looks like, navigating how to nourish our bodies becomes a daunting task. Adventures like I am on now becomes exciting. It is helpful to know what one is dealing with before deciding what to eat and when. With this knowledge I feel empowered. I have been able to create realistic goals and a plan to accomplish them. To see positive health results becomes a reward that motivates me to keep it up and figure out what this body needs to function optimally.
Food. Diets. Nutrition. Body awareness. It is amazing how hyperfocused or fatalistic we become in regards to food and our bodies. It's a relationship that should be symbiotic but ends up becoming problematic. Doing an honest search as to what our personal relationships are with food, creating health goals, and then making a plan to achieve them becomes essential to meet with success. For me, it was empowering to discover there is a reason behind my challenges with food and there are simple solutions.
Here's to all of us navigating the paths to wellness. May we all find what works for us and be able to enjoy the health accomplishments we are seeking to attain.
Have a lovely day!
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