There’s lots of information about Intuitive Eating out there. Lots is great, some is not so great, some is very misleading. Here’s some basics about eating intuitively.
What is Intuitive Eating?
In America, the concept of Intuitive Eating as many people understand it today, was created by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. They have written books, workbooks, lead workshops, and many other things.
You can check out their resources and definitions.
It didn’t start with them, but they created the system that’s most often referred to. I’m still learning about this and will update it as I clarify things for myself!
To over simplify concepts that fill up books, workshops and other forms of learning, I like to think of it as leaning into our internal wisdom and experiences to determine what to eat, when, and how much.
This is the opposite from what’s typically taught.
We’re often taught and encouraged to disconnect from our bodies to lower our deep, protective hunger cues in specific. We’re encouraged by thin folks who teach others to do as they do, without acknowledging all the factors that may impact their weight, or even how they portray their bodies.
Health/Body/Weight Factors we don’t talk about
- genetics that lead to their body shape
- access to cosmetic surgeries
- enough money to eat as much food as they need or want
- personal chef or access to particular foods, and a fancy kitchen to make it all.
- a personal trainer
- they’re often white and female, often not ‘threatening’. They don’t have to worry about being perceived as doing wrong, or being suspicious while doing normal everyday things, solely based on their race and biases.
- safe spaces outside to walk/run/etc
- financial security, so they don’t have to worry about money, or work multiple jobs that take up all their time to participate in self care activities (like resting, visiting the doctor, dentist, etc.
- a safe place to live, reducing stress around housing insecurity
- health insurance so they can, if they feel comfortable and able to, visit the doctor regularly, and seek out emergency services. Insurance is still a mess, but with the Affordable Care Act, access to no additional cost services has increased
- thin privilege (yes they do already) to be listened to and not be prescribed weight loss for a sinus infection, and to have a better chance of proper diagnosis.
Intuitive Eating Principles in the Real World
Intuitive Eating rejects the idea that you can change your body by just eating ‘better’ and exercising more. There are so many factors that impact our health status, some of which are listed above.
Other aspects of Intuitive Eating include rejecting the dieting mentality, and rethinking eating and hunger cues. Rethinking our beliefs and behaviors about them.
Also, addressing morality of foods. Although not all foods are nutritionally the same, removing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food labels can be helpful to disconnect shame, expectations, and other negative beliefs surrounding food and eating behaviors.
Jessica Wilson, a brilliant dietitian, runs a fun processed foods exploration on Instagram. The current beliefs about ultra processed foods right now is wild. I won’t get into it here, but as processed as chips are, many ‘health foods’ are too. See her videos here.
It also includes, in my words, adding in compassion and patience with ourselves. We can be very determined and controlled, but deep down, our drive to eat takes over after a certain point (which is different for everyone). That drive to eat is protective and important, but it’s been turned into the villain.
Remember that eating gives us energy for our bodies to function and move. We need energy or calories (and often more energy than we think) frequently for our hearts to work, our brains to think, process, etc, and also need it to break down the food we eat.
I believe that continued restriction/pushing off that drive to eat is an eating disorder called anorexia. Reacting to that restriction can also lead to binging and/or purging too.
Even though Intuitive Eating implies a focus on eating, it also goes hand in hand with addressing and neutralizing our body image.
We can develop a neutral body image (like disconnect how we feel about our bodies with our worth or value as human beings).
Leaning back into the compassion and patience I mentioned earlier, we can learn to apply that to how we feel about our bodies and in effect, how we treat them. It’s kinda going full circle here.
Ok, that was a brief-ish introduction to Intuitive Eating, through my lens as a non diet dietitian who has been working with clients on Intuitive Eating and in recovery from eating disorders for about 10 years.
If any of this speaks to you, if you’d like some support, check out my nutrition services.