What is Intuitive Eating? Another ascetic power system with complex schemes and restrictions? It wasn’t there. The intuitive eating philosophy proves that it is up to you and your body to decide what and when to eat.
Intuitive Eating is a philosophy of eating where you listen to your body and respond to hunger signals from your body. This is the complete opposite of the usual types of diets. The Intuitive Eating System does not prohibit or allow any food or force you to eat on a strict timetable. On the contrary, it is based on the principle that it is up to you and your body to decide what and when to consume. In this article, we will explain how to switch to intuitive Eating.
Fundamentals of the intuitive approach
Intuitive Eating promotes a healthy, positive attitude towards food and your appearance. The idea is that you eat when you are hungry and finish your meal when you feel full. But, although the system is based on internal sensations, many people fail to catch this moment. People must remember how to listen to their body and its intuition from reading many books about diets and studying the opinions of so-called experts dictating what, when, and how we eat. To start eating intuitively, you must learn to trust your body again. First, you need to understand the differences between physical and emotional hunger.
- Physical hunger is a biological clue that it is time for the body to replenish its supply of nutrients. This feeling comes on gradually and can manifest in various signals, such as sounds in the stomach, fatigue, or irritability. Physical hunger is satisfied after eating.
- Emotional hunger is caused by emotional need. Feelings of sadness, loneliness, or boredom push you to eat something delicious, making you feel guilty and even self-hatred.
INTUITIVE EATING IS BASED ON THE FEELING OF PHYSICAL HUNGER. NO NEED TO LISTEN TO THE OPINIONS OF EXPERTS AND BOOK AUTHORS. SATISFY PHYSICAL HUNGER WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY AFTERWARDS.
History of Intuitive Eating
The term “intuitive eating” was coined and used as the title of their book by Evelyn Tribol and Alice Resch in 1995. But the principle itself is based on earlier ideas. Pioneers include Susie Orbach, who published weight Was a Feminist Problem in 1978, and Jenine Roth, who has written on intuitive Eating since 1982. Long before them, Thama Wailer founded the Green Mountain at Fox Run, a weight loss retreat in Vermont, in 1973. Her program is based on the principle that all diets don’t work. Changing your lifestyle and taking care of yourself are more important for good health and longevity.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONCEPT OF INTUITIVE EATING WERE LAID IN THE EARLY 70S OF THE 20TH CENTURY, AND THE TERM ITSELF HAS BEEN KNOWN SINCE 1995.
10 Fundamental Principles of Intuitive Eating
In their book, Evelyn Tribol and Alice Resch describe the ten basic principles of the philosophy of intuitive Eating.
- Don’t believe in diets.
Do not believe that a diet works. Intuitive Eating is the anti-diet.
- Appreciate your hunger
Hunger is not the enemy. Respond to the feeling of hunger promptly and eat. But if you get too hungry, chances are that you will eat too much later.
- Be food friendly
Declare a truce in the war on food. Refrain from thinking about what you can or cannot eat.
- Forget about prejudice
There is no bad or good food. You don’t become a bad person or a good person depending on what you eat. Ignore if someone else thinks otherwise.
- Pay attention to the feeling of satiety.
Your body lets you know when you’ve had enough food, just like it signals you when you’re hungry. Listen to your body: you will feel the moment when you are full. Enjoy different flavors as you go and try to feel how your body feels, whether full or still hungry.
- Enjoy
Make food enjoyable. Eat what you like. Don’t eat on the run; sit down and enjoy. When the process of Eating becomes a pleasant experience for you, you will find that you will need food in much smaller quantities.
- Learn to Satisfy Emotional Hunger Without Food
Eating food when you are emotionally hungry reflects how you feel. Look for ways to express emotions without food. Take a walk, read, meditate, or call a friend. Learn to spot when your body is signaling hunger based on your emotions alone.
- Respect your body
Instead of criticizing yourself for how you look and looking for flaws in your body, accept and appreciate it the way you see it in the mirror.
- Go in for sports and feel the difference.
Find a sport that you enjoy doing. Switch from losing weight to gaining strength, energy, and activity.
- Don’t Forget Your Health – Don’t Eat Too Much
Your food should taste good and make you feel good. Remember that overeating is bad for your health, but sometimes you can afford a small extra snack without harmful consequences.
THERE ARE 10 BASIC PRINCIPLES IN INTUITIVE EATING BOOKS. ACCEPT YOUR BODY THE WAY IT IS. LISTEN TO THE FEELING OF HUNGER AND THE MOMENT OF SATIETY.
High self-esteem – low weight
Scientific research into this philosophy of nutrition is ongoing. Women dominate focus groups. At the moment, it has been proven that intuitive Eating manifests positive psychological attitudes. The body mass index also decreases, and the weight either does not increase or decreases.
One of the main benefits of intuitive Eating is a good psychological state. The participants in the intuitive eating experiments increased their self-esteem and began to feel positive about their appearance and life. They also experienced less anxiety and forgot about depression.
People easily get used to intuitive Eating. It is easier to stick to this program and make small changes to your daily habits than to go on a diet.
In other observations of women’s behavior and attitudes towards food, scientists have found that those initially predisposed to a system based on intuition are less prone to erratic Eating.
RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS PEOPLE WITH HEALTHY EATING HABITS AND POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM MAKE IT EASY TO TRANSITION TO INTUITIVE EATING, BUT THESE TRAITS ARE NOT HARD TO LEARN.
How to start eating intuitively
If you are interested in intuitive Eating and want to learn more about it, there are several ways to try it. Start by evaluating your eating habits and attitudes. Don’t judge yourself harshly. While eating, try to understand what type of hunger you are satisfying at a certain moment. Physical or emotional? If it’s physical hunger, try grading it on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how you feel, from very hungry to very mild. Try to stop eating as soon as you feel pleasantly full, do not overeat.
Learn more about intuitive Eating from experts in the field.
- The book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribol and Alice Resch became a bestseller and brought the system into vogue. The book was published in 1995 and is still popular today.
- On Evelyn Tribol’s website, you will find even more interesting information about the philosophy of intuitive Eating.
- Jenine Roth has a lot of helpful articles and videos, as well as online training.
- Ellyn Satter Institute. Allyn Satter puts forward the theory of “nutrition competence,” the basic principles echo the basics of intuitive Eating.
You can also see a dietitian who can teach you about Intuitive Eating or join a group of followers of this philosophy.
TO START PRACTICING INTUITIVE EATING, DON’T GIVE UP YOUR EATING HABITS, BUT BE MORE MINDFUL OF HOW AND WHEN YOU EAT. DON’T BERATE YOURSELF FOR SMALL WEAKNESSES. READ MORE ABOUT THE BASICS OF INTUITIVE EATING.
According to the Intuitive Eating System, how and when you eat is just as important as what you eat. By allowing your inner feelings of hunger and fullness to drive your food intake, you will improve your appearance and attitude toward life.
