Welcome to the world of Intuitive Eating – a refreshing and compassionate approach to nutrition and health. If you’ve been caught in the cycle of dieting, food restriction, or negative thoughts about your body, this might be the path you’ve been looking for.

At Confidently Nourished, we embrace a weight-neutral philosophy that honors your body and fosters a positive relationship with food. Let’s dive into what Intuitive Eating is all about and how you can start incorporating its principles into your life.

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Each principle of Intuitive Eating guides you towards a healthier and more balanced relationship with food and your body. Below, we share an overview of these principles along with practical tips to help you start your journey.

1. Reject the Diet Mentality: Let go of restrictive diets and embrace a mindset that values your bodys’ natural cues for hunger and fullness, focusing on long-term well being over short-term fixes.

Tip: Create a mantra to repeat whenever diet thoughts creep in, such as “I deserve to eat without guilt.” Replace diet-focused media with content that promotes body acceptance.

2. Honor Your Hunger: Trust and listen to your body’s signals for nourishment and give yourself permission to eat when hungry, recognizing that hunger is a normal and important sensation.

Tip: Identify your personal hunger cues and ensure you’re eating regularly throughout the day. Prepare easy, nourishing snacks to keep on hand for when hunger strikes.

3. Make Peace with Food: Eliminate food judgments and allow yourself to enjoy all foods without guilt or categorizing them as “good” or “bad,” fostering a healthier relationship with what you eat.

Tip: Practice including “forbidden” foods in your meals in a mindful way, savoring their flavors and textures. Remind yourself that all foods can fit into a balanced diet.

4. Challenge the Food Police: Challenge the inner critic that enforces food rules and guilt, replacing it with self compassion and kindness towards your eating choices.

Tip: Work with a dietitian to help challenge these inner thoughts with nutrition science and self compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend.

5. Respect Your Fullness: Savor your meals and seek satisfaction by choosing foods that genuinely please you, promoting a more fulfilling eating experience. Tune into your body’s signals that tell you you’re no longer hungry and feel satisfied. 

Tip: Pause midway through your meals to check in with your hunger and fullness sensation. What is your body telling you? Learn how your body communicates.

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor: Savor your meals and seek satisfaction by choosing foods that genuinely please you, promoting a more fulfilling eating experience.

Tip: Set the scene for a pleasant eating experience by creating a calm environment, free of distractions. Experiment with different flavors, textures, and cuisines to discover what brings you joy.

7. Honor Your Emotions Without Using Food:Develop alternative ways to address emotions and stress, reducing reliance on food as a coping mechanism. Using food as a way to manage emotions isn’t inherently wrong. The goal is to expand the tools in your metaphorical toolbox!

Tip: Expand your self care/coping skill toolkit with activities that bring you joy and comfort, such as journaling, walking, or calling a friend. Remember you have many tools to support yourself, including food.

8. Respect Your Body: Accept and appreciate your body as it is, focusing on function and well-being rather than pursuing an idealized body shape or size. Concepts like body neutrality are supportive of this!

Tip: Wear clothes that fit well and make you feel good about yourself and in your current body. Donate items that don’t fit or make you uncomfortable.

9. Move to Feel the Difference: Engage in physical activity that brings joy and energy, rather than solely as a means to control your weight.

Tip: Choose to engage in physical activities that you genuinely enjoy. This shift can make movement joyful, rather than punishing.

10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition: Make choices that support your overall well-being, recognizing that no single meal or snack defines your health, and aiming for balanced, nourishing, and satisfying eating patterns over time. Research shows that following this approach benefits an individual’s holistic health.

Tip: Consider what you have available that is satisfying while aiming to include a variety of food groups in your meals. Work with a dietitian to better understand how to use nutrition information to support your overall well-being!

What People on the Internet Say About Intuitive Eating

You might have come across various opinions about Intuitive Eating on social media. We want to debunk some of the myths you may have heard!

Myth 1: Intuitive Eating means eating junk food all the time.

Reality: Intuitive Eating encourages you to listen to your body’s cravings and hunger cues, which often naturally balance out over time. It’s about finding pleasure in nourishing your body with a variety of foods.

Myth 2: Intuitive Eating ignores health and nutrition.

Reality: Intuitive Eating includes a principle called “Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition,” which focuses on making food choices that feel good and are good for your body without strict rules or deprivation. The creators of this approach encourage people to address the other principles first, so that nutrition can add to your life, rather than limit you.

Myth 3: Intuitive Eating leads to overeating.

Reality: While you might eat more initially as you make peace with previously restricted foods, over time Intuitive Eating helps you tune into your body’s signals and naturally find a balance.

How Our Team Can Support Your Journey

Embracing Intuitive Eating can be a rewarding and transformative experience, but it can also feel challenging at times. At Confidently Nourished, we are dedicated to providing you with the support and guidance you need and deserve. Our team of compassionate dietitians is here to offer personalized strategies and a safe space to explore these principles.

If you’re ready to break free from the cycle of dieting and discover a more joyful and balanced relationship with food, we’re here to help. Contact us today to schedule a session and take the first step towards embracing Intuitive Eating.