For the most part, I’ve been eating intuitively from the very start of my raw food journey (which began over two years ago!). I noticed that I was drawn to different foods for blocks of time, and as my interest would wane I’d find myself drawn to another raw food. Anyone who has followed my story to health knows about my love for young Thai coconuts. My entire body would vibrate with physical excitement every time I picked up another case of those life-enhancing baby coconuts. I felt like a child receiving a much-desired gift—giddy with excitement and unable to stand still. I’m not just saying that, either—it was a very strange sensation, feeling such excitement over a food.

Well, my love for the coconuts faded and I found myself drawn to other foods over the past few years. However, none of them ever compared in intensity to my desire for the coconut. I can’t recall all of the foods I cycled through, but there were plenty of food cycles I went through. Currently, I’m intuitively drawn to the pineapple. I want to eat it at least once a day, sometimes more. I haven’t tired of it in the least bit.

Something happened on Saturday, however. I arrived at the food co-op and one of my favorite store employees approached me and gave me the bad news: my case of pineapples wasn’t there, and he wasn’t sure when they’d be getting them in. At first, my mind wouldn’t register what he was saying. “Did he really just say that I wouldn’t be having my case of pineapples?” my mind was asking. Well, that *is* what he said. No pineapples. I felt the energy in my heart sink quite a bit. It was the strangest thing, but I stood there with a sorrowful, lost feeling. At first I didn’t know what to do, other than repeat it over and over: “there are no pineapples, there are no pineapples.” To say I was near tears wouldn’t be a lie; on a very deep level I was filled with a child-like sorrow because what I desired wasn’t available to me.

So, I spoke to my body on an internal level. “It’s okay. Let’s see what else you are drawn to eat until you can have the pineapples again.” I looked at every single fruit and vegetable available. Maybe others thought I was a bit strange to be putting so much time and thought into looking at the produce, but I was waiting for my intuition to guide me. There was nothing strongly pulling my attention, however.

I finally selected some extra nectarines, which I’ve been enjoying a lot. I also found myself picking up a lot of tomatoes. I tried to reassure myself that maybe those would work. For the past two days I’ve gone without a pineapple. I stare at the fruits on the counter, and into the fridge, a bit too long looking for something I’d like to eat. Then, I settle on something that isn’t really filling me with an inner happiness as much as a pineapple would.

Last night Jim picked up two nonorganic pineapples for me. I just had one for breakfast and I’m feeling a bit happier, a bit more balanced and focused. When intuitive eating can’t happen, I think we are missing out on an opportunity to truly help our bodies reach and maintain a necessary balance. It looks like I’ll be consuming nonorganic pineapples all week long, but I really feel the need to eat them because they are what I am most drawn to at this point.

Have you ever eaten intuitively? What kinds of foods are you drawn to? Do you sometimes have to compromise when you are desiring a certain food and it’s not available to you? 

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