Essentially, intuitive eating is a non-diet approach that encourages people to trust themselves and their bodies rather than external rules or regulations. The 10 principles of Intuitive Eating, introduced in 1995 by two dieticians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, are designed to be a tool to help understand and reset the person’s relationship with food and enable them to reclaim control. Intuitive Eating is based on the concept that everyone has the internal wisdom to make food choices that are best for their health and well-being if they are given the opportunity to really listen to their bodies.
Think about how you can begin to adopt these principles in your own life!
Principle 1: Reject the diet mentality. Instead, establish positive relationships with food and put away any feelings of guilt associated with eating.
Principle 2: Honor your hunger. Pay attention to your physical hunger and fullness cues as the primary regulators of food intake instead of relying on external or arbitrary rules to guide your eating habits.
Principle 3: Make peace with food. Separate emotions from food and make food choices without guilt. Eating should be seen as enjoyable and pleasurable, rather than as something to be judged or restricted.
Principle 4: Challenge the “food police.” This involves getting rid of any “good” or “bad” food labels and stop internalizing the “rules” of diet culture.
Principle 5: Discover the satisfaction factor. Honor cravings and avoid feelings of deprivation. If you completely ignore cravings, you may feel frustrated and resentful.
Principle 6: Feel your fullness. Become more attuned to your body signals that indicate you are full, such as distention of the stomach or an overall feeling of fullness.
Principle 7: Cope with your emotions. Listen to your feelings, allowing yourself to experience them and process them without using food as a form of distraction or comfort. Begin by discovering new ways to cope with your feelings, such as talking to a therapist, keeping a journal, engaging in more self-care activities, practicing meditation, or using your support system.