A QUICK OVERVIEW OF INTUITIVE EATING

Intuitive eating is an eating philosophy that teaches you to be an expert on your body's hunger signals.

It is, in essence, the polar opposite of a conventional diet. It makes no recommendations on what to avoid or when to eat.

Instead, it teaches you that you are the best — the only — person to make those decisions.

This is a comprehensive beginner's introduction to intuitive eating.

The fundamentals

Intuitive eating is a way of eating that encourages a positive attitude toward food and body image.

The concept is to eat when you're hungry and quit when you're full.

Though this should be a natural procedure, it isn't for many people.

Putting your faith in diet books and so-called experts on what, when, and how to eat might lead you away from trusting your body and its instincts.

You may need to relearn how to trust your body in order to eat intuitively. To do so, you must differentiate between bodily and emotional hunger:

• Physical hunger: This biological need warns you that you need to replace nutrition. It develops gradually and has many symptoms such as a rumbling stomach, weariness, or anger. It gets fulfilled when you consume any meal.

• Emotional hunger: This is motivated by an emotional urge. Sadness, loneliness, and boredom are just a few of the emotions that can trigger desires for food, particularly comfort foods. Eating then leads to feelings of shame and self-hatred.

The Origins of Intuitive Eating

Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch invented the phrase intuitive eating in 1995 as the title of a book. However, the notion stems from previous conceptions.

Susie Orbach, who wrote "Fat is a Feminist Issue" in 1978, and Geneen Roth, who has written about emotional eating since 1982, were early pioneers.

Prior to that, in 1973, Thelma Wayler established the Green Mountain at Fox Run weight control program in Vermont.

Diets do not work, and lifestyle modifications and personal care are more vital for long-term health, according to the program's founders.

PRINCIPLES OF INTUITIVE EATING

Tribole and Resch outline ten fundamental concepts of intuitive eating in their book.

• Get rid of the diet attitude: The diet mentality is the belief that there is a diet that will work for you. The anti-diet is intuitive eating.

• Respect your hunger: Hunger is not your adversary. Feed your body in response to early symptoms of hunger. If you allow yourself to become very hungry, you are more prone to overeat.

• Be at ease with eating: Call a truce in the food war. Get rid of preconceived notions about what you should and should not consume.

• Take on the food police: Food is neither good nor evil, and you are neither good nor bad for what you eat or do not consume. Refute any notions that tell you otherwise.

• Be aware of your fullness: Your body will tell you when it is full or hungry, just as it will tell you when it is hungry. When you believe you've had enough, look for signs of comfortable fullness. Check in with yourself while eating to notice how the food tastes and how hungry or full you are.

• Determine the source of satisfaction: Make your dining experience pleasurable. Have a meal that appeals to you. Take a seat to eat it.

When you make eating enjoyable, you may discover that it takes less food to satisfy you.

• Express your emotions without resorting to food: Emotional eating is a coping method for dealing with emotions. Find non-food strategies to deal with your emotions, such as going for a walk, meditating, writing, or phoning a friend. Recognize when a sensation you may call hunger is actually based on emotion.

• Be mindful of your body: Rather than condemning your body for how it appears and what you believe is wrong with it, accept it for what it is: competent and beautiful.

• Exercise: Find enjoyable methods to move your body. Change your attention from weight loss to feeling energized, powerful, and alive.

• Take care of your health with delicate nourishment: Your meal should taste excellent and make you feel well. Remember that your total eating habits shape your health. A single meal or snack will not make or break your health.

BENEFITS OF INTUITIVE EATING BASED ON RESEARCH

The body of research on the subject is continually developing, with a concentration on women.

So far, research has connected intuitive eating to better psychological attitudes, a lower BMI, and weight maintenance – but not weight reduction.

One of the most significant advantages of intuitive eating is improved psychological wellness.

Participants in intuitive eating research reported more self-esteem, better body image, and general quality of life, as well as decreased despair and anxiety.

Intuitive eating treatments also have high retention rates, which means that participants are more likely to persist with the program and continue to practice the behavioral changes than they would be on a diet.

Other research on women's eating habits and attitudes discovered that individuals who exhibit greater evidence of intuitive eating are less likely to have disordered eating behaviors.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH INTUITIVE EATING

There are steps you may take if you believe you might benefit from learning more about intuitive eating.

Begin assessing your own eating habits and attitudes without passing judgment. When you eat, consider if you are experiencing physical or emotional hunger.

If you're experiencing bodily hunger, rate your level of hunger/fullness on a scale of 1-10, from very hungry to filled. Eat when you're hungry but not hungry. Stop when you're satisfied but not stuffed.

You may also learn more by following some of the field's experts:

• The Intuitive Eating Book: This best-selling book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch is credited with popularizing intuitive eating. It was first released in 1995 and has remained popular to this day.

• The Original Intuitive Eating Pro: More information regarding intuitive eating may be found on Evelyn Tribole's website.

• Geneen Roth: Her website includes informative articles and videos, as well as a connection to an online class.

• Ellyn Satter Institute: Ellyn Satter supports the concept of "eating competence," which shares many aspects with intuitive eating.

You may also discover a dietitian who practices and teaches intuitive eating, or you can join an intuitive eating group or class.

CONCLUSION

How you eat is just as essential as what you eat when it comes to intuitive eating.

Allowing your internal hunger and fullness cues to govern your eating can enhance your body image and quality of life.