10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

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• Accept Intuitive Eating

Diets don’t work and aren’t sustainable. Intuitive eating is anti-diet and teaches us to listen to our body.

•  Honor your Hunger

Hunger is a normal, physical, biological process that tells us our body needs more energy and carbohydrates to function. We drink water when we’re thirsty, sleep when we’re tired, and we should also eat food when we’re hungry.

• Make Peace with Food

Stop the war with foods and our bodies. Only by giving yourself permission to eat all foods will the binge & restrict cycle actually break.

• Challenge the Food Police

The ‘food police’ are the thoughts, or people, who tell you certain foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or other food rules. These rules go against intuitive eating and make you feel confined and guilty.

• Respect your Fullness

Just like you should honor your hunger, you should also respect your fullness. Break-up with being a member of the ‘Clean Plate Club’ if that helps you to stop eating when you’re content and full.

• Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Food tastes good, and we should enjoy it! What’s the point in eating food if we don’t enjoy it? If you’re unsatisfied, it’s more likely to keep looking for other things to fill that satisfaction void and with food that’s overeating.

• Honor your Feelings without Using Food

Emotional eating is common, however it usually doesn’t help the actual issue that you’re struggling with. When we eat for reasons other than physical hunger, it can often lead to restriction if the Food Police are around.

Respect your Body

Love your body as it is right now for all it is capable of. When you’re critical of your body, it’s really hard to reject the diet mentality.

• Exercise – Feel the Difference

Our bodies are made to move, and movement should be joyful and enjoyable. What every type of exercise and movement you enjoy, incorporate it into your daily life. Shift the focus of activity to how your body feels: more energized, sleeping better, strong, and alive.

• Honor your Health

Gentle nutrition is the idea we should honor our health and our taste buds with our food choices. Remember, it’s your overall food patterns; one meal or snack isn’t a determining factor of your overall health.