In yoga, we often say that the pose you resist the most is usually the one you need the most.
For example, I could do hip openers all day long. I love them. They feel great to my body. Backbends on the other hand, I have to really push myself to do. It's not that I don't need backbends. Likely, I need them more. So, I do them and each and every time, I feel better following. My heart is open and my body is happy.
Similarly, as we allow our intuition to guide with our food choices, we can get stuck in what we like versus what we need.
Often people will tell me that if they intuitively ate, they would just eat cookies and chips all day, which is: (1) very possibly what they need, especially if they have denied themselves pleasure from food for an extended period of time, but more than likely that (2) they are confusing what their body needs with what their mind wants.
Intuitive eating isn't about floating through life popping in whatever sounds good in the moment. It is about dropping into the truth of the body and aligning it with the mind.
How to do that?
Here are three simple ways...
Mindfully eat. When you connect with the present moment while eating, you are able to experience the food through your body's senses rather than your through your mind's perception. The more this is done, the more our choices becoming informed by our body's needs because our mind is more connected to how the body actually feels when a food is consumed.
Eat foods closest to their natural state. Our bodies are a part of nature. The closer a food is to its natural state, the more true the body's experience of it will be.
Offer a variety of food experiences and notice how you connect with each. As with my yoga example, I could easily only do hip openers, but there would be a lingering feeling that something was missing. Notice if you are in a rut with eating the same food (or type of food i.e. salads) and mix it up. You may not realize your body needs something until you create a connection with it.