AM I AN INTUITIVE EATER?
“There is no PASS or FAIL in INTUITIVE EATING. There is only DISCOVERY”
– Evelyn Tribole
The answer to this question lies in your very own hands. On one hand, we are all born intuitive eaters. On the other hand, as we age, sometimes we start following food “rules” in hopes of looking a certain way, only to end up feeling guilty when breaking those food “rules”. Often, this leads to weight cycling also known as yo-yo dieting.
Intuitive Eating is listening to your internal body cues while permanently ditching external cues, such as crash diets. It’s a permission slip to the land of food freedom, where guilt is non-existent!
Research shows that 35% of DIETERS will progress into DISORDERED EATING, and 30-45% of those DIETERS will progress into a full EATING DISORDER
(Shisslak & Crago 1995)
Instead of just focusing on shrinking one's body through restrictive eating programs, like cutting out entire food groups, the practice of Intuitive Eating aims to enhance individual health and promote lasting changes in how we relate to food and our bodies.
Imagine your body as a castle, held up strong by 10 foundational pillars. This castle is free of unnecessary suffering and food restrictions. It’s surrounded by love, trust and respect.
Intuitive Eating is an evidence-based, self-care framework built on 10 principles or “pillars”:
1. Reject Diet Culture
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
6. Feel Your Fullness
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
8. Respect Your Body
9. Enjoyable Movement—Feel the Difference
10. Honour Your Health—Gentle Nutrition
There are 220 published studies to date, demonstrating the following BENEFITS of Intuitive Eating:
#1 Increased well-being
#2 Lower risk of eating disorders
#3 Improved blood sugar + cholesterol
#4 Greater body appreciation + greater life satisfaction
#5 Positive emotional functioning + psychological hardiness
#6 Unconditional self-regard + optimism
#7 Greater motivation to exercise, when the focus is on enjoyment rather than guilt or appearance
Intuitive Eating is a practice, where learning and unlearning happen:
Learning how to nourish your intuition while unlearning harmful messages promoted by diet culture.
