What is Intuitive Eating?

Dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch created Intuitive Eating in 1995. A non-diet approach to health and well-being that focuses on listening and building trust in your body’s internal cues; including feelings, sensations and experiences. 

We are all born intuitive eaters. Children cry when they’re hungry and push food away when they’re full. There’s no schedule or rules. But as we grow older, we are introduced to eating by the clock, finishing everything on our plate, respecting those who cooked for us, and diet rules. These become subconsciously ingrained. Over time, they may move us away from eating in response to internal cues. 

Eating intuitively is an ongoing process, and there are 10 principles to guide you:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality 
2. Honour Your Hunger 
3. Make Peace with Food 
4. Challenge the Food Police 
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
6. Feel Your Fullness 
7. Cope with Emotions with Kindness  
8. Respect Your Body 
9. Movement - Feel the Difference 
10. Honour Your Health 

Some of the benefits of eating more intuitively include:

• Improved self-esteem
• Improved emotional well-being 
• Improvements in diet quality 

Intuitive eating can be challenging or scary for people. Particularly those who have been dieting or restricting for a long time. It’s important to be self-compassionate, non-judgemental, and patient with yourself as you begin to eat more intuitively. 

If you’re wanting to eat more intuitively, Alice has consultations available and would love to support you. You can book a free 10-minute discovery call here.

Written by Associate Registered Nutritionist, Alice Young

References:

Clifford, Dawn, et al. "Impact of non-diet approaches on attitudes, behaviors, and health outcomes: A systematic review." Journal of nutrition education and behavior 47.2 (2015): 143-155

Hensley-Hackett, Katie, et al. "Intuitive Eating Intervention and Diet Quality in Adults: A Systematic Literature Review." Journal of nutrition education and behavior (2022).