What is Intuitive Eating?
From the authors of Intuitive Eating, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, “Intuitive Eating is a self-care eating framework, which integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought”.
In essence, intuitive eating is a nutrition philosophy that focuses on health promoting behaviors. Unlike diets, intuitive eating offers a framework to help guide you to turn inward to your own body inner wisdom rather than relying on external cues such as calorie counting, weight, timing, meal plans, etc.
The framework includes 10 different principles. There’s been over 200 studies of intuitive eating to date. It has been shown to reduce stress, improve body image, and reduce risk of developing diseases. Tuning into your body’s cues and letting go of the diet mentality allows for a healthier and more sustainable approach to nourishing your body.
10 Principles Of Intuitive Eating
1. Reject the Diet Mentality
So much of how we view food and exercise is linked to our society’s fear of weight gain. However ironically enough, dieting has proven time and time again to be an ineffective tool to achieve long term weight loss. Not only does dieting predict future weight gain, but it also disconnects us from our bodies and promotes disordered eating patterns. This principle focuses on all the different sneaky ways diet culture permeates our society and how we can finally start to reject this mentality.
2. Honor Your Hunger
If your body is not consistently and adequately fed, not only is it uncomfortable (hello hanger), it can trigger a biological signal to overeat. While this principle may sound simple enough- eat when hungry, it can be incredibly difficult to rebuild that trust when you’ve spent years and years dieting.
3. Make Peace with Food
All foods fit and nothing is off limits. Yes you read that right. When we have conditions of what and when we can eat certain foods, this actually sets us up to feelings of deprivation which then can lead to uncontrollable cravings and binges. When foods are labeled as “good” or “bad”, it puts morality around food and causes feelings of guilt if a “bad” food is eaten.
4. Challenge the Food Police
The food police is that nagging little bully inside your head. The one that tells you that you “should” eat the food with the least amount of calories or the one that says you’re bad for having a piece of candy. The food police inside your head is usually validated by diet culture, however many of these thoughts are unrealistic food rules that are unhealthy for you.
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
Food is not just simply for nutrition. Food provides connection, culture, memories, pleasure, and so much more. In our society, there is sometimes a fear to truly enjoy a food if it is deemed “bad”. When you allow yourself to eat what you want and allow yourself to actually enjoy it, you are more likely to feel satisfied and content. When we attempt to eat foods that are the “healthy version” but not as satisfying, it usually leaves us wanting more.
6. Feel Your Fullness
Just like with honoring your hunger, the notion of stopping eating when full may sound easy enough, but after years of dieting it can also be incredibly difficult especially if you grew up part of the “clean your plate” club. You will be able to start practicing slowing down and feeling the different stages of fullness.
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
How many times have you turned to food to deal with an emotion? This isn’t always a bad thing, however you probably notice that food doesn’t ever solve the problem. Coping with food can be normal, however we want to figure out what the triggers are and expand different coping mechanisms.
8. Respect Your Body
Just like your height, or your shoe size, your body shape and size is largely affected by your genetic blueprint. We have less control over what our bodies look like than what diet culture wants you to believe. Respecting your body doesn’t mean you have to love your body or even like your body, but you can at least treat it with kindness and respect.
9. Movement—Feel the Difference
Many people think of weight loss when they think of exercise. What happens when we shift the focus to how movement feels in our body rather than the amount of calories burned? Moving in a way that is enjoyable to you is much more sustainable.
10. Honor Your Health—Gentle Nutrition
Last but certainly not least, choosing foods that honor your health and wellbeing. There is no such thing as perfect eating, but we can eat in a way that makes us feel good. Once you have worked on the other principles, you can combine nutrition knowledge and your body’s inner wisdom to feel your best.
