Rather than trying to adhere to restrictive diets, many are turning to a different, more mindful approach to healthy eating. Intuitive eating is a self-care eating framework that emphasizes listening to your hunger cues rather than adhering to the strict rules of a diet.
“We’re combining the science of nutrition in a way that feels sustainable, enjoyable, flexible, and really combining that with a person’s innate wisdom about their body,” says Allison Tepper, a registered dietician and owner of Tepper Nutrition, noting that the method rejects the “one-size-fits-all” model that many diets use.
The concept of intuitive eating was created in 1995 by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, with 10 core principles to guide the practice:
- Reject the Diet Mentality
- Honor Your Hunger
- Make Peace with Food
- Challenge the Food Police
- Respect Your Fullness
- Discover the Satisfaction Factor
- Honor Your Feelings without Using Food
- Respect Your Body
- Exercise — Feel the Difference
- Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition
“Our goal with intuitive eating really is to help clients to be able to spend more time thinking about and prioritizing important things of their life in their life, rather than obsessing around food,” Tepper says.
People practicing intuitive eating are encouraged to listen to their cravings and their hunger cues to dictate what, how much, and how often they eat, while being mindful that they are getting proper nutrients.
The result is a method to healthy eating that can decrease the feelings of stress and guilt that surround food, maintain a healthy relationship with food, and decrease the likelihood of developing disordered eating, Tepper says.
Listening to your body doesn’t mean overeating or only eating unhealthy foods. Tepper says that when people first begin intuitive eating, they may feel the urge to eat foods that they’ve previously restricted. But a core part of intuitive eating is understanding how you feel.
“Eat the foods that you enjoy, but also listen to your body. How do you feel? How’s your energy level?” she says. You’ll likely still crave some indulgent foods, but you’ll also want a balance of nutritious foods that make you feel good.
It will take some time to make that adjustment — especially around the holidays, when gatherings often center around rich foods.
“This time of year can bring some challenges around the approach to food and one’s relationship with food,” Tepper says. She suggests making sure you eat regularly throughout the day and give yourself permission to enjoy indulgent foods like desserts — in combination with the more nutrient-dense foods that make for a balanced diet. Eating slowly also allows you to check in with what your body is telling you and to let those cues guide you.
“Just [be] gentle with yourself. This is a time of year where we are going to probably eat outside our normal amount or types of foods, and so if you do overeat, if you do feel overly full, just be gentle with yourself.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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