When I first discovered natural eating in 1996, I had completely lost confidence, not just in my relationship with food, but in all aspects of my life. He suffered from depression and had very low self-esteem. The first thing that gave me a boost in confidence was learning how to eat normally from a group of women who had been through exactly what I had been through. All had suffered from bulimia or overeating and recovered by learning to eat naturally. If they could do it, then so can I.

So I had to be realistic. She had been fighting food and body image for 20 years, this wasn’t going to happen overnight. I had to learn to listen and trust my body again after years of trying to control it.

I also had to take a leap of faith. When natural eating was first explained to me, I thought it made sense, but I couldn’t do it. I will start eating and never stop if I am allowed to eat what I want when I want! But then I discovered the key to eating naturally, which is allowing yourself to eat exactly what you want when you’re hungry. Once you trust yourself, follow your gut and then listen to your body, it will tell you when you are full. Then you can happily stop eating because you know you can eat more later. The first time you only have a cookie or a couple of chocolate squares it gives you confidence that you can do it over and over again. By focusing on these small successes and simply reflecting on any challenges, you ensure that you stay positive and empowered.

The next thing that was key for me was learning to be confident in my body. If I really listened to what I was told and responded accordingly, then I wouldn’t eat junk all day and I wouldn’t continually overeat. My body doesn’t want too much sugar, fat, or salt. You want to be nourished with real healthy foods. However, sometimes she also needs emotional comfort, so for me a couple of squares of chocolate, a small scoop of ice cream or a piece of cake are perfect. Delicious, satisfying, and guilt-free because I’m not overly indulgent.

So I had to have confidence in the “Natural Food” process. The four principles are logical and common sense. Once you master the first one, you gain confidence in your ability to listen to your body, and then you can move on to the next one. It is a positive empowerment process based on mindfulness and preparation, not deprivation and guilt.

Having eaten naturally for almost 20 years, I have great confidence in my body and my ability to listen to its signals and give it what it wants when it needs it. What I found is that if you’re really listening, food becomes less and less important because your body only wants it when it’s really hungry. When you eat just out of physical necessity, you can find other things you love that give you joy and comfort instead.