Great question! I'm glad you asked. Since you are asking it's safe to say you've heard the talk about intuitive eating but aren't feeling super clear about what it is or what it means?
In a world full of fad diets, it’s easy to lose touch with your body’s natural signals. Intuitive Eating is an approach that encourages you to listen to your body, ditch dieting, and form a better relationship with food.
What is Intuitive Eating?
Created by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, Intuitive Eating is about trusting your body’s hunger, fullness, and cravings. It moves away from strict food rules, focusing instead on inner cues to guide your eating habits.
The 10 Key Principles of Intuitive Eating at a glance:
Reject the Diet Mentality – Let go of dieting and the pressure to find a “perfect” eating plan.
Honor Your Hunger – Eat when you’re hungry; don’t ignore your body’s need for nourishment.
Make Peace with Food – Stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” and give yourself permission to eat what you enjoy.
Challenge the Food Police – Silence the internal voices that judge your food choices.
Feel Your Fullness – Listen to your body’s cues and stop eating when you’re satisfied.
Discover the Satisfaction Factor – Enjoy the pleasure of eating by choosing foods you love.
Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness – Find healthy ways to address emotions without using food.
Respect Your Body – Appreciate your body for what it is, and don’t compare yourself to others.
Movement – Feel the Difference – Focus on movement that feels good, rather than exercising solely to burn calories.
Honor Your Health – Gentle Nutrition – Make food choices that feel good and support your health over time.
Why Intuitive Eating Matters
Unlike dieting, which often leads to restriction and guilt or weight cycling and shame spirals, Intuitive Eating helps you trust your body and find joy in eating. Research shows that people who practice this approach experience better mental health, higher self-esteem, and less disordered eating.
Michelle Riggs, RDN, LD
From Scratch Nutrition LLC
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