01/29/2024
Intuitive Eating is one type of food therapy l explore with some patients….here’s a little info about it!
Diet culture is co-opting big time—so it’s time for another reminder about what IE is and is not. The purpose of IE is to cultivate a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body through self-connection.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗘 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧.
* Not fasting or keto
* Not your cheat day
* Not a weight loss plan – including Noom, Weight Watchers, or any program with food rules for the purpose of shrinking your body or disconnecting you from it
* Not counting macros, points, or food groups
* Not a diet
* You can’t cherry-pick one or two principles and call it Intuitive Eating.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗘 𝗶𝘀.
* An evidence-based self-care eating framework, with over 200 studies to date, including a meta-analysis!
* Far more nuanced than "eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full." IE is a dynamic interplay of instinct, rational mind, and thought.
* About bringing pleasure back to the eating experience and connecting with your body.
* A self-connection journey of learning and discovery—not pass or fail.
* Has 10 principles which are guideposts. You and only you get to decide what tastes/feels best in your body. You are the expert of you—you are in charge!
* An integration of mind-body knowledge, recognizing that life gets hectic and busy at times. Sometimes, for example, your lunch break may be before you're physically hungry - that's okay! This is where your mind knowledge comes in: your body still needs nourishment before a busy afternoon.
* Intuitive Eating is Health at Every Size aligned and weight inclusive. It’s about dignity & respect for all bodies.
Diet culture (including professional organizations) doesn’t get to change or redefine the principles of IE. Go to the source—www.IntuitiveEating.org, Intuitive Eating, 4th ed, the IE Workbook, and/or its creators Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch.
If a program/person is offering Intuitive Eating for weight loss or fasting—Run away!
