Intuitive Eating

 

We are all born intuitive eaters, but as we age diet culture, whether it’s promoted by family, friends, or
media, teaches us that we need to fit a certain thin ideal in order to have value. Dieting convinces us
that our bodies can’t be trusted and need to be monitored, and creates a fatphobic society that
dismisses anyone who doesn’t fit into the mold of thin/lean/fit/athletic/muscular, etc.

 

Eventually, some people come to the realization that they can’t possibly endure another diet, but still
want to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. The solution may be intuitive eating, “an evidence-based,
mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 Principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and
Elyse Resch in 1995” (quoted from the Intuitive Eating website). This is a weight-neutral approach that
does not focus on weight loss, but instead promotes a healthy relationship with food and the body
through interoceptive awareness.

 

The popularity of intuitive eating has been steadily growing for the last decade, especially as numerous
studies report that this approach to food can improve self-esteem, self-compassion, quality of life, body
image, body appreciation, while also reducing dieting and concerns about weight, emotional eating,
disordered eating behaviours, cholesterol, glucose levels, and blood pressure.
The 10 Principles are a step-by-step guide for returning to intuitive eating:

 

1. Reject the diet mentality – commit to giving up diets by throwing out your diet books, deleting
tracking apps, and establishing boundaries with those who want to discuss dieting and bodies.
2. Honour your hunger – tune in to what physical hunger feels like for you and feed yourself with
adequate energy and carbs to avoid excessive hunger.
3. Make peace with food – give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Feelings of restriction
and deprivation will cause cravings and binges.
4. Challenge the food police – identify food rules, disordered dieting thoughts, and your internal
destructive self-talk.
5. Discover the satisfaction factor – give yourself permission to enjoy your food to ensure you feel
satiated and thus less likely to overeat.
6. Feel your fullness – tune into your body for fullness signals and fuel yourself with filling meals
that won’t leave you hungry in an hour. Listen to your internal cues rather than external (ie.
cleaning your plate, a pushy host, etc).
7. Cope with your emotions with kindness – recognize that food will not fix your feelings. Food is
neutral, so identify what you actually need to feel better and cope with your emotions.
8. Respect your body – all bodies are diverse and deserve dignity. Learn to appreciate yours by
practicing self-care, wearing clothes that fit, and avoiding body bashing (whether your own or
others).
9. Movement-Feel the Difference – focus on how it feels to move your body rather than how many
calories you’re burning or how much muscle you’re building. Movement should be joyful.
10. Honour your health with gentle nutrition – eat for taste as well as health. Your diet should
include indulgent play food as well as whole grains, fibre, a variety of protein, fruit, vegetables,
and water.

 

This is a short summary of these principles and implementing them can be a lengthy, difficult process, so
it can be helpful to incorporate a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counsellor, or a weight-
inclusive nutrition coach versed in intuitive eating into your recovery.