It is not uncommon for people to feel like their relationship with food is unbalanced. We often experience feelings of deprivation, guilt, or shame around eating; we may also think that our cravings conflict with what we should be eating. Intuitive eating can help restore equilibrium and provide a framework to explore the role that food plays in your life.
Developed by registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, Intuitive Eating is a non-diet approach based on ten principles that help people develop a healthier relationship with food. With intentional contrast to diet culture and diet mentality, intuitive eating is about reconnecting with your body, recognizing and honoring hunger cues, and improving your internal dialog around food.
The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating
Intuitive Eating Principle #1 – Reject the diet mentality
We are inundated with messages that tell us we need to restrict our food intake to be healthy or lose weight. Unfortunately, diets don’t work- they often result in feelings of deprivation and guilt, and they can lead to weight gain in the long run. Examples of the diet mentality and diet culture include:
Restricting specific food for weight loss (carbs/fat/etc).
Measuring success by numbers on the scale.
Messaging that insists one type of body is better/more desirable/healthier than another.
Counting calories
Being encouraged to focus more on physical appearance than physical or mental health.
Intuitive Eating Principle #2 – Honor your hunger
Have you ever denied yourself food when you felt truly hungry because you “ate too much at breakfast/lunch/dinner?” Or said to yourself, “I shouldn’t be hungry yet its only _____oclock!” You’re in good company. If you feel hungry, it’s ok to eat! No matter what you ate yesterday or how “good you’ve been.” I know how radical this can seem.
Intuitive eating focuses on honoring your hunger cues and listening to your biological voice. This builds trust between you and your body. Not honoring hunger can lead to uncontrollable cravings or “last supper” eating habits. If we’ve been disconnected from our hunger signals, getting back in touch can take some practice. Intuitive eating reestablishes this connection.
Intuitive Eating Principle #3 – Make peace with food
This one is all about accepting that certain foods are not “good” or “bad” and that there is no need to punish yourself for eating something you enjoy. Labeling food in this way can lead to intense feelings of deprivation, and this often leads to disordered eating (bingeing, eating past discomfort, feelings of guilt). Allowing yourself to eat what you enjoy will build trust and reduce the intensity of your relationship to that food.
Intuitive Eating Principle #4 Challenge the food police
“I was good today,” “I was bad today.” Sound familiar? We have all said these things to ourselves or have had them said to us. Fortunately, these aren’t valid evaluations. We can speak back to the food police in a more loving and supportive voice…” What I eat/ate has no bearing on my worth as a person.” “I’m allowed to enjoy (enter food here) without guilt or shame.”
It’s good to give yourself unconditional permission to eat things you enjoy. By the way, these judgments originated in diet culture, and they are so insidious we take them on as our own internal dialog. (carbs are bad, fat is bad, sugar is bad). We can unlearn this pattern and adopt more compassionate self-talk. How? Yep! Intuitive eating. 😉
Intuitive Eating Principle #5 – Discover the satisfaction factor
When you take pleasure in what you are eating and how food tastes, you are far more likely to be in touch with feelings of satisfaction and having had enough. We often become concerned that if we give ourselves unconditional permission to eat what we want that we will overeat to the extreme. In fact, the exact opposite is true.
Intuitive Eating Principle #6 – Feel your fullness
When the noise of diet culture is turned down, the clarity of physical hunger can come through. Eating with enjoyment and with all your senses can help you hear the body signals that tell you’re ready to stop eating.
Intuitive Eating Principle #7 – Cope with your emotions with Kindness
Were you wondering if we were going to talk about emotional eating? It’s a part of being human! It is also important to find additional ways to soothe and process emotions. Radical self-compassion is so important. There is a very good reason you feel the way you do. What can you do to help yourself through it? Talk to a friend? Go for a walk? Read a book? Are you hungry? (If yes, then it’s ok to eat) Just as it’s important to have various ways we care for our physical health, so it goes for our mental health.
Intuitive Eating Principle #8 – Respect your body
Do you have challenges with body image? Most of us do. Here’s another opportunity to change the conversation with yourself. We are very critical of ourselves if we aren’t a specific size, weight, or look. We are all built very differently from the inside out. Genetically, biologically, environmentally, and psychologically. It’s not remotely realistic to compare. (It’s also not your fault if you do. We are conditioned from a young age to obsess over this). You are wonderfully made. Your body has gotten you through some impressive affronts. Honestly, it’s magical when you think about it. (Think about it :). For most of us, if we are active and fueling ourselves mindfully, our weight will settle in where it’s supposed to.
Intuitive Eating Principle #9 – Movement- Feel the Difference
Try finding a way of moving that you enjoy and do that. Without worrying about burning a certain amount of calories. Without exercise serving as punishment for eating something “bad.” Focus on things like how much energy it gives you, how you feel mentally, whether it gives you some much-needed me-time or connection with friends. Separating exercise from efforts to lose weight is key.
Intuitive Eating Principle #10 – Honor Your Health – Gentle Nutrition
Nutrition is an essential part of overall health, but there is no need to be extreme or restrictive. When you honor your health, you will make decisions about food that are based on your own needs and preferences. Likewise, when you don’t need to restrict or punish, you are more likely to incorporate different kinds of nutritious food into your diet.
With a non-diet approach like intuitive eating, you’re also eliminating the negative health effects associated with dieting, including the following:
Food and body preoccupation
Weight cycling (i.e. yo-yo’ing)
Lower self-esteem
Eating disorders
Focus on weight vs. sustainable health-promoting behaviors
The principles of intuitive eating can help you develop a healthy relationship with food and your body. When you embrace these principles, you can reject the diet mentality and find satisfaction in your meals. As a result, you will be more likely to feel your fullness and make peace with food.
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