Today, I wanted to talk about Intuitive Eating. The term was created in 1995 by two registered dietitians (RD for short), Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. According to Health magazine, intuitive eating means breaking free from the on-and-off cycle of dieting and learning to eat mindfully and without guilt. You do not calorie count or remove certain foods from your diet but, there are 10 basic rules to follow.
1. Reject the diet mentality
First, one has to get rid of all the books and magazine articles that promise fast weight loss. You have to let go of rejecting meal plans that dictate what or how much you can eat. You make decisions about what foods to eat, when, and how much must be dictated by internal cues rather than external cues.
2. Honor your hunger
Instead of counting calories, pay attention to what your body’s hunger cues are. Your body will be able to determine if it is actual hunger for food or another type of hunger.
3. Make peace with food
By dropping the "good" & "bad" labels associated with food, you learn to give yourself “unconditional permission to eat.” In the article A Beginner's Guide to Intuitive Eating, some find seeing a professional helps them under why certain foods are "off limits".
4. Challenge the food police
The “food police” can be the voices in your head that tell you it is good to eat fewer calories and it’s bad to eat dessert. This can also be real people including friends, family, and acquaintances who offer up judgment, advice about what and how you’re eating. Most of us have been following these dieting rules again and again, trying to not make yourself feel guilty for not following them to a T.
5. Respect your fullness
Remember to eat when you’re hungry, but also important to stop when those hunger cues are no longer present. Are you still eating because of your hunger, eating out of distraction, boredom, or stress? Listen to your body. The body can tell easier when it is hungry than full.
6. Discover the satisfaction factor
This principal is about getting satisfaction from noticing and appreciating the taste and texture of food, but also the environment in which you are eating. The motivation behind the food choices made should be looked at as well.
7. Honor your feelings without using food
It is important to get to the root of why food is a coping mechanism. There needs to be a way to nurture yourself and resolve issues without turning to food. People often overeat because of anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger, or stress. Being mindful with your food and emotions can help with any issues.
8. Respect your body
This is about body acceptance. One has to learn to feel good about your body. Once self-acceptance happens, you start to not strive for unrealistic expectations.
This is about body acceptance. One has to learn to feel good about your body. Once self-acceptance happens, you start to not strive for unrealistic expectations.
9. Exercise: Feel the difference
You don’t have to go to the gym every day while intuitive eating approach. It is important to move your body on a regular basis. The creators of intuitive eating wants it to “ not about finding the exercise that burns the most calories or the most fat,” says Tribole. “It is about finding something that’s sustainable and that you enjoy.” It is been shown that exercise does boost ones mood, strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system, and increase lean muscle mass.
10. Honor your health with gentle nutrition
Despite the fact that intuitive eating preaches an “eat what you want” mentality, that doesn’t mean its founders don’t care about good nutrition. Making smart food choices that honor your health and is well-balanced. Eating “intuitively” should still involve more fruits and veggies than candy & cookies.
One article said that the critics of intuitive eating warn that if we all started to eat whatever we wanted when we wanted, we would lose all form of self-control and nutrition principles would fly out the window. Certain people should not partake in intuitive eating such as those with recovering from eating disorders.
I see the benefits of intuitive eating in that you eat pretty much when you feel hunger. I know this type of eating will not work for some people since they eat a certain amount of snack & meals a day for training purpose or other reasons. If you are able to try it, I suggest doing it for at least two weeks to see how you feel.
That's it for today. Peace & Blessings, all. Have a great Wednesday.
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