Intuitive eating has been growing in popularity since the first edition of the book (called Intuitive Eating) was published in 1995 by two dieticians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. The 4th edition of Intuitive Eating is due out later this year (yay!). Intuitive eating seems to be everywhere now. Given all the attention on intuitive eating, now is a great time to answer the question- What is intuitive eating?

Simply put, intuitive eating is a return to our natural, instinctual way of eating where we listen to our body's cues to determine what, when, and how much to eat. A summary of the ten principles of the intuitive eating philosophy are available here on my website: Intuitive Eating Principles.

The best examples of natural, instinctual eaters are babies. Yes, babies!! Babies let you know when they're hungry, give you signals when they're ready to stop eating, and let you know when they like or dislike the taste or texture of certain foods. Unfortunately, there are few people that retain the ability to eat intuitively past childhood and into their adult lives. People who eat intuitively listen to (and trust) their body’s cues, eat a wide variety of foods, are flexible eaters, are less preoccupied with their food choices, are less likely to experience weight cycling, and are less likely to experience an eating disorder. Having a peaceful, uncomplicated relationship with food opens up mental space for you to focus on other priorities in your life.

The instinctual connection we have to food gets complicated at some point in our lives when we hear and internalize messages about the morality of foods ("good", "bad", "junk", "healthy"), the perceived impact food has on our bodies ("eating too much food makes you fat"), and the perceived impact food has on our health status ("our diets are killing us"). We treat these messages as facts because they come from trusted (and often well-meaning) authority figures like parents, teachers, and healthcare providers. Gone unchallenged, the messages become a set of rules about what, when, and how much to eat. When we start to question these messages, they don't hold up under scrutiny. Here are some examples:

Moral labels on foods lead to feelings of guilt and anxiety. We deprive ourselves of "bad" foods and worry that we're not eating enough "healthy" foods. Rules and deprivation wreak havoc on our minds, triggering obsessive thoughts and cravings for forbidden foods, and creating compulsive behaviors around foods.
Intentional weight loss efforts promote disordered eating patterns and rarely (if ever) produce long term results. Most people who try one or more weight loss diets regain all of the weight they lost and usually more. We don't often hear about these "side effects." Eating too little and starving our bodies of key nutrients backfires, big time!
Our health status is influenced far more by genetic, social, economic, and environmental factors than by the foods that we eat and how much we exercise.
Finally, and most importantly, you're the only one that experiences your body's sensations, needs, desires, and cravings. That makes you the best authority source and expert of YOU!

I love the saying "there's nothing new under the sun." I think this is especially true of fad diets like low-carb, keto, intermittent fasting, and so on. These diets continue to re-emerge in different forms over time despite the fact that they’re unsustainable long-term. Fads come and go; listening to your body's cues is a skill you can use for a lifetime.

It's never too late to return to a natural, instinctual way of eating where you listen to your body's cues to determine what, when, and how much to eat. That's where I come in! As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I was trained and certified by the authors of the book Intuitive Eating to work with clients who are ready to return to intuitive eating. I work with clients on the ten principles of intuitive eating so they can reestablish their connection to their body's cues and create a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body.

Returning to an instinctual way of eating can feel scary, or like you're swimming upstream, because it's counter-cultural to the messages we receive about what we're "supposed to" do to support our health. There is a tremendous sense of relief to be free from the constrains of "diet culture" and to use your own wisdom to guide your decisions about how to feed and care for yourself. Most people find that the tools they develop as an intuitive eater naturally translate into other areas of their lives.

If you’re ready to begin your own journey back to intuitive eating, the first step is to set up a complimentary inquiry call with me to learn more!

Contact Me!

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What is Intuitive Eating???