What is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive eating UK is an anti-diet way of eating that encourages you to listen to and trust your body’s signals regarding hunger, fullness, and food preferences. This means that you know how much, when and what you need to eat. This reconnection with your body means you do not need to rely on diets, rigid and strict rules, only the internal cue that’s you learn to listen to.
Intuitive eating was created by 2 Dietitians in America and has been used successfully for so many people and all around the world. Recently it has become popular in the UK with the realisation that diets are not working. Intuitive eating is how we can look after ourselves and our relationship with food when we discover that diets do not work.
It consists of 10 principles that people follow: –
- Reject the diet mentality
- Honour your hunger
- Make peace with food
- Challenge the food police
- Discover the satisfaction factor
- Feel your fullness
- Cope with your emotions with kindness
- Respect your body
- Movement
- Gentle nutrition
Is Intuitive Eating for Everyone?
Intuitive eating can be beneficial for most people but not all. This is not the fault of the person. Reasons it may not be suitable is because of experiencing deprivation and not having enough money for food on a daily basis like in the cost of living crisis we are experiencing in the UK. Oppressed and marginalised people may find Intuitive eating far more difficult to access. People’s experiences with foods and eating disorder may make intuitive eating difficult. Let’s explore who intuitive eating can help.
Can Intuitive Eating Help Binge Eaters?
Intuitive eating really does support binge eaters. It is little discussed that binge eating can come from restriction of food for whatever reason. Intuitive eating helps lift that restriction by helping the person listen to our bodies normal and natural internal cues. It is particularly helpful in people with Binge Eating Disorder. By helping a person who binge eats to tune into their body’s signals and understanding the underlying reasons for their binge eating behaviours, binge eater can develop a healthier relationship with food and reduce the frequency and severity of binge episodes.
Can Intuitive Eating Help Emotional Eaters?
Yes! Intuitive eating can be so helpful for emotional eaters as well! By learning to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger, emotional eaters can begin to address the root causes of their emotional eating patterns and develop healthier coping mechanisms. We learn to work with emotional eating in an intentional way rather than fighting against it.
Can Intuitive Eating Help with Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders?
Disordered eating and eating disorders can commonly develop from simply dieting. Dieting increases our risks of developing an eating disorder by 5 times. Thankfully, Intuitive eating principles align closely with the treatment goals for disordered eating and eating disorders. By promoting a non-restrictive approach to food and encouraging self-compassion, intuitive eating can help individuals recover from conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, BED, and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED).
Does Intuitive Eating Actually Work?
I can tell you that anecdotally, yes! My experience of intuitive eating has been incredibly healing. I like to think of intuitive eating as my toolkit for my relationship with food that I can dip back into whenever I need to. There has been a constant growing evidence based for intuitive eating of over 200 studies.
Is Intuitive Eating Evidence-Based?
Yes, intuitive eating is supported by evidence from various studies demonstrating its positive effects on mental health, body image, and overall well-being. Research has shown that intuitive eaters tend to have lower levels of disordered eating behaviors and higher levels of body satisfaction compared to individuals who follow restrictive diets. The quality if this research varies but there are plenty of large meta analysis (gold standard) studies that explore Intuitive eating.
How Does Intuitive Eating Work?
Intuitive eating works by people lean into their body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, as well as their internal preferences for different foods. It involves letting go of dieting mentality and cultivating a compassionate and non-judgmental attitude towards food and eating. Once we start giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat, while leaning into our hunger and fullness, we begin to quieten the food noise because we are actually allowed to eat food. We can start to keep food in the cupboards because we can trust ourselves around the food.
How Could Intuitive Eating Change My Life?
Intuitive eating has the potential to transform your relationship with food and your body. By learning to trust yourself and your body’s signals, you can break free from the cycle of dieting and deprivation, leading to greater peace of mind, improved self-esteem, and a more balanced approach to eating.
Embracing intuitive eating isn’t just about changing the way you eat; it’s about supporting your relationship with food and, consequently, your life. Let’s explore the profound ways in which intuitive eating can positively impact various aspects of your well-being.
Enhanced Self-Awareness
Intuitive eating encourages a heightened sense of self-awareness, promoting a deep understanding of your body’s signals and needs. By tuning into hunger and fullness cues, you become more attuned to your body’s unique requirements, fostering a stronger connection between mind and body. This heightened awareness extends beyond eating, influencing other aspects of your life as you become more in tune with your emotions, stress levels, and overall well-being.
Improved Mental Health
One of the key benefits of intuitive eating is its positive impact on mental health. Rejecting the restrictive mindset of diets and embracing a more flexible, compassionate approach to food can lead to reduced stress and anxiety surrounding eating choices. As you let go of guilt and judgment associated with food, you’re likely to experience improved mood, body satisfaction, and a more positive self-image. This shift in mindset can contribute significantly to overall mental well-being.
Positive Body Image
Intuitive eating promotes body acceptance and appreciation. Instead of fixating on external measures of beauty or conforming to societal standards, intuitive eating encourages you to focus on how your body feels and functions. This shift in perspective can lead to a more positive body image, fostering self-love and acceptance. As you prioritize overall health over arbitrary beauty ideals, you may find a newfound appreciation for your body’s capabilities and resilience.
Freedom from Food Rules
Traditional diets often come with a set of rigid rules and restrictions that can create a negative and stressful relationship with food. Intuitive eating liberates you from these rules, allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of foods without guilt. This newfound freedom fosters a healthy and balanced approach to eating, eliminating the constant cycle of deprivation and overindulgence. As you make peace with food, you open the door to a more joyful and satisfying eating experience.
Long-Term Sustainability
Unlike many fad diets that promise quick results but often lead to unsustainable practices, intuitive eating is a long-term, sustainable approach. By focusing on internal cues and intrinsic motivation, rather than external pressures, intuitive eating becomes a lifestyle rather than a temporary fix. This sustainability allows for a more consistent and stable relationship with food.
Empowerment and Autonomy
Intuitive eating empowers you to be the expert of your own body. By trusting your instincts and listening to your body’s signals, you take control of your eating choices. This sense of autonomy extends beyond the dinner table, empowering you to make informed decisions in other aspects of your life. As you build confidence in your ability to meet your body’s needs, you may find yourself more assertive and empowered in various areas of your life.
Supporting your Unique Health
Health is neither a moral win or failure. We cannot “work” for health because there is so much not in our control when we are talking health. People do not simply chose to become unhealthy. That is why I say supporting your unique health. We can have healthy behaviours regardless of our weight and our health. Intuitive eating supports your relationship with food which is in itself a healthy behaviour. With this in mind, here are some things that Intuitive Eating might support: –
- Increased blood sugar control
- Lower total cholesterol and LDL
- Increased HDL
- Lower risk of developing disordered eating
- Decreased cortisol
- Increased food/nutrient variety (which makes my heart sing as a nutritionist)
Will Intuitive Eating Make Me Fat?
One common misconception about intuitive eating is that it will lead to weight gain. However, intuitive eating is not about weight control or manipulation but rather about honouring your body’s natural cues and finding a sustainable and enjoyable way of eating. If you want to know more about weight and intuitive eating, have a look at my blog post, “Will Intuitive Eating Make me gain weight?” as well as my substack called “This Fat Can”.
How to Start Intuitive Eating
If you’re interested in exploring intuitive eating, here are some steps you can take to get started:-
- Reject Diet Mentality – Let go of the idea that you need to follow external rules or restrictions to be healthy or worthy.
- Tune Into Your Body – Pay attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, as well as your cravings and food preferences.
- Eat Mindfully – Slow down and savour your meals, paying attention to the taste, texture, and sensations of eating.
- Cultivate Self-Compassion – Be gentle with yourself and practice self-compassion, especially when faced with challenges or setbacks.
- Seek Support – Surround yourself with supportive individuals who understand and respect your journey towards intuitive eating.
A great book to read for Intuitive eating is Just Eat It by Laura Thomas but remember that body image work goes hand in hand with intuitive eating. But if you fancy some support with Intuitive Eating, I happen to be an Intuitive Eating coach in the UK who supports large/fat people in intuitive eating and nourishment.
Intuitive eating UK offers a wonderfully compassionate and sustainable approach to eating that can have huge effects on both physical and mental health. Many people have found freedom through embracing intuitive eating principles. If you’re tired of the dieting cycle and ready to make peace with food, intuitive eating is worth exploring.
