Intuitive eating is all about making peace with food and learning how to take the reins on your eating habits FOREVER. It’s no diet or lifestyle; it’s an approach, a way of eating, and a way of living that will make you feel in control and confident for— and I exaggerate not— the rest of your life.
If you’re here, you’ve probably heard about it a LOT. The next question is “where to start?”. Well, I’ve laid down the 10 principles of intuitive eating to help guide you on your journey.
1. Banish Diet Culture
It has made false promises and let you down in so many ways— kicking you when you’re down and shaming you into change. Those days are over. Let go of the food rules you’ve learned and the assumptions you’ve made about food and health, and get ready to team up with the best of friends: you.
2. Eat when you need to
Contrary to what diet culture makes us believe, our bodies need fuel at different times of the day, and sometimes for food than our usual. Honoring your hunger means not waiting until you’re on the brink of hunger. If you’re hungry, just eat! And when you aren’t hungry anymore, take a break until your next meal.
3. Think of Food Neutrally
Intuitive eating means no longer associating a moral value to food. That means food is not good or bad. Instead, think of food as neutral and stop using words like “cheat meal” or “forbidden foods.” Judging what you eat won’t make you want it less, so why guilt yourself when you can eat the food and move on?
4. Challenge the way you view food
It’s hard to unlearn everything that toxic diet culture has taught us, but the more we try, the easier it’ll be. So if you hear yourself internally praising or degrading yourself for something you did or didn’t eat, take a deep breath. Trust yourself, not that inner critic.
5. Find more satisfaction in eating
Your foodie heart is probably your biggest asset. You can feel pleasure from food0— that is such a gift. Cherish it. Those cravings you are feeling aren’t bad. You probably have a favorite color, a favorite song, or car, and you don’t judge yourself for those. When your body is calling for a specific food, enjoy it and allow yourself to find joy in it.
6. Listen to your body’s cues
Observe how your body feels and the emotions that arise when and after you eat. Trust that your body will give you feedback and will guide you towards the best choices. Baby steps ;).
7. Be gentle with yourself
Ignoring how you feel and restricting yourself only leads to episodes of mindlessness, distress, guilt, and binge eating. Instead, stay in touch with your emotions and discover ways to satisfy your needs and comfort yourself the way you deserve. It might be through food; it might be different outlets or activities. Take the time to get to know yourself.
8. Honor your body & stop comparisons
You have to remember that all bodies are different. No body is better than anyone else’s, despite how bad society wants us to believe it. If your body was broken, you wouldn’t be here reading that. If you’re reading this and feel unwell in your body, I hear you; I see you. But changing your body won’t heal what’s broken. Treat your body like you would treat your best friend, and see how much further you get.
9. Focus on good movements only
Forget that intense cardio for a second. Stop slamming your body into hard workouts so you can burn as many calories as possible. Movement, blood flow, muscle stimulation, breath are all more important than intensity.
10. Make space for gentle nutrition instead
Give yourself permission to eat what tastes and feels good. Balance, health, and satisfaction are different for all of us. And thank God for that, or else there would never be any Froot Loops left at the grocery store. Mindfully eating what you love isn’t going to undo your progress. Listen and trust your body.
Following these 10 principles of intuitive eating will help you on your journey to ending the war between your body and food. Intuitive eating doesn’t mean “eat all the food all the time”; it means trusting yourself first.
It means dismantling toxic diet culture and being at peace with the foods you love while feeling great mentally and physically.
It might require a tad more time, a tad more effort, and self-reflection, but it’s the one and the only key you’re missing to start living the rest of your life. And if the transition towards intuitive eating is tougher than anticipated, you know where to find me. 😉