What is initiative eating? And what it isn’t…

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive eating is a non-diet approach to eating that emphasizes internal cues over external diet rules.

Non-diet means that the focus isn’t on weight. Instead, it is on promoting health-enhancing behaviours, better body image, and a healthier relationship with food.

Why society isn’t good at intuitively eating

We are all born intuitive eaters. As babies, we cry when we need food, and we stop eating when we are full. There’s no schedule or rules. Some days we may have eaten more than other days. But we still thrived.

Fast forward a few years and we are introduced to diet rules. Subconsciously, we pick up on the values of society, the expectations, and slowly our eating becomes a lot less internally driven.

Benefits of intuitive eating

Intuitive eating benefits both physical and mental health. These include:

• Lower rates of emotional eating
• Higher self esteem
• Better body image
• Proactive coping skills
• Higher levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating:

1. Reject the diet mentality
2. Honour your hunger
3. Make peace with food
4. Challenge the food police
5. Respect your fullness
6. Discover the satisfaction factor
7. Cope with your emotions with kindness 
8. Respect your body
9. Move – feel the difference
10. Honour your health with gentle nutrition

Want to know more about intuitive eating?

Al xx