What Is Intuitive Eating – this is a question many people ask me.
Intuitive Eating can repair our guilt-ridden relationships with food and our bodies. It is a self-care eating framework, which integrates instinct, emotion, & rational thought and was created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, in 1995.
Intuitive Eating is a weight-inclusive, evidence-based model with a validated assessment scale and over 120 studies to date. “People are tired of feeling at war with their own bodies,” says Evelyn Tribole, RDN. Intuitive Eating is a 10-principle approach that includes back-to-seriously-basic stuff: Pay attention to signals of hunger and fullness, reject diet mentality and food rules, and adopt body-positive behaviors, like exercising and eating food that makes you feel good.”
Research consistently shows that diets do not work, but the problem is we live in a world where our entire perception of health and fitness is molded by a diet mindset. Many of us reach the point where we are done with obsessing about what, how much, and when to eat each meal and snack. We know there must be a better way, but walking away from dieting means letting of many pre-conceived “truths”, and it can feel radical!
Learning to eat intuitively neutralizes foods so there are no “good” or “bad” foods. You get to decide if, when and how much of that cake, piece of chicken or chips you will enjoy. When you first allow yourself the freedom to eat without guilt, your choices may skew towards heavier and more “fun” or “play” foods — that is okay and totally normal. You cannot learn to eat intuitively without neutralizing all foods.
Intuitive eating helps people rid themselves of the diet mentality by learning to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, trust their own inner wisdom, and ultimately make peace with food and discover true satisfaction in eating.
Here are THE 10 PRINCIPLES OF INTUITIVE EATING:
- Reject the Diet Mentality
- Honor Your Hunger
- Make Peace with Food
- Challenge the Food Police
- Discover the Satisfaction Factor
- Feel Your Fullness
- Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
- Respect Your Body
- Movement — Feel the Difference
- Honor Your Health — Gentle Nutrition
These are the ten guiding principles, but learning and integrating these principles takes time and lots of personal experimentation. The real beauty in following this non-diet approach is that you make these changes from a place of exploration and discovery. There are no mistakes, but only learning opportunities and a chance to undo preconceived notions about what is good or right for your body.
Because it can be so difficult to go it alone and change your thinking and eating habits, I have created two solutions to help people looking to become more of an Intuitive Eater and to learn to follow these 10 principles.
Book a Discovery Call to Work with one of our Dietitians Individually.
We will design an intuitive eating program that is tailored to your individual needs.
Register for one of our Intuitive Eating Programs.
Dipping Your Toes into Intuitive Eating is an introductory e-course that will help you find a new world of food freedom when you finally let go of diets and diet mentality. Whether you are recovered/recovering from an eating disorder or struggling with yo-yo dieting, you will find the common sense in learning to be “attuned” with your body. Come and see why diets “don’t work” and the damage that diet culture does to all of us.
Intuitive Eating Essentials Program for Midlife, Menopause and Beyond is a comprehensive and self-paced intuitive eating program designed to address the unique needs of women over 40.
Bodies change as they age and especially when going through midlife.. Yet, society actively tells people that being younger and thinner is the beauty ideal, and it becomes increasingly difficult to embrace our bodies and body image throughout the aging process. Eating disorders, disordered eating and/or chronic dieting are common during the midlife and menopausal transition. It is painful to process these changes while trying to heal your relationship with your body. Intuitive Eating Essentials offers more support and training to help you develop those new skills and habits.
Come join me in your journey towards food freedom and body peace with my online intuitive eating programs.
Erica Leon is a Registered Dietitian and practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES®) lens. She is certified as an eating disorder specialist and is passionate about helping women at midlife, menopause and beyond to make peace with food and body image.
Erica is a highly sensitive nutrition therapist who takes the time to learn where you or your family are in the pursuit of health. Respectful of your individual needs and lifestyle, she will provide an honest assessment of whether or not you are a good fit to work together. Click here to schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call with Erica to let us know about your needs, and to see which of our Dietitians is the best fit for you!
Download our Free Intuitive Eating Guide and get off that Diet Roller Coaster for good!
