It is prevalent to see ways of dieting and losing weight in the United States, whether that be a commercial on the TV, an advertisement on your phone, or even a book you see while browsing the bookstore. A recent study showed that about 50% of adults in the United States try to lose weight yearly. Another study provided results that showed 48% of adults in the United States believe the reasons for obesity are bad eating habits and not exercising instead of considering genetics, the environment one lives in, or society. Dietitians are starting to look at how focusing on losing weight primarily can be a negative way of looking at health instead of a positive and how assuming that when someone is overweight or obese, it means they are unhealthy is not necessarily true. This article will look at a more expansive eating method called intuitive eating, its pros and cons, and what doctors think of this way of eating.
What Is the Intuitive Eating Method?
Intuitive eating is considered a way of altering your eating habits for the better without following a specific dieting protocol. The National Eating Disorders Association defines “intuitive eating as trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or the influence of diet culture.” Intuitive eating is pretty popular amongst young adults, with 49% of people between the ages of 18 and 34 knowing about intuitive eating and 60% of the same age group saying they are interested in learning more about it. Intuitive eating allows more freedom with food, avoiding strict dieting rules and encouraging eating what makes your body feel good.
What Are the Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating?
The ten principles of intuitive eating are rejecting diet culture, honoring your hunger, making peace with food, discovering the satisfaction factor, feeling your fullness, challenging the food police, coping with your emotions with kindness, respecting your body, movement, and honoring your health. The overall dieting culture contains much false information, so following a strict diet that promises specific results and not experiencing those results can cause disappointment and anger. Your body requires carbs to make energy, so not providing your body with the nutrients it needs can lead to excessive eating of other food types. Allowing yourself permission to eat what and when you need to will diminish the cravings you experience and the urge to eat in large amounts. By allowing food freedom and eating in happy, friendly environments, you will experience higher satisfaction and pleasure. Pay attention to any feelings of fullness so you do not end up overeating and feeling bad later. Do not allow yourself to browse diet cultures and what they follow – this will embed specific thoughts into your brain that will make you start to doubt the ways of intuitive eating. The emotions you have been feeling with how you eat can be challenging to get over, so show yourself kindness and allow yourself to process and ponder how intuitive eating is benefitting you both physically and mentally. Intuitive eating will not show the same results for everyone, as genetics can impact bodily changes – accept your genetics for what they are and take some time to learn how your body works and functions. Intuitive eating promotes basic movement, not strict exercise regimens; focus on how your body moves and overall basic movements instead of specific exercises like squats and burpees. Lastly, make your food choices based on what feels suitable for you, your overall well-being, how things taste, and your culture.
What Does a Day of Intuitive Eating Look Like?
Here is how a day of intuitive eating could go:
- 6:30 AM – Get up and focus on getting water in your body first thing.
- 8:30 AM—Eat something for breakfast. One example is two multigrain waffles with coffee (feel free to add milk and sugar if that is how you prefer it).
- 11:00 AM—If you are starting to feel hungry, Have a snack before getting too busy in the afternoon. An example is some yogurt with some fresh berries as a topper.
- 1:00 PM – This is an excellent time to have something for lunch if you are ready for your next meal. An example is veggie fajitas.
- 3:00 PM—If you are starting to feel hungry again, it is time for a late afternoon snack. An example could be a pear.
- 6:00 PM – If you are not quite ready for a meal yet but feel like snacking, have a pre-dinner snack! A few olives with some cheese slices would be a good option.
- 7:30 PM – Dinner time! An example of a dinner meal could be roasted sweet potato wedges with sauteed asparagus, bell peppers, and whatever source of protein you feel like having.
Remember, this is just a guide. Intuitive eating is all about how you feel and when your body shows signs of hunger. Use this as a starting point and adjust it to what is best for you and your unique eating habits.
Is Intuitive Eating Healthy?
When compared to restrictive diets, intuitive eating is nutritionally beneficial. Since intuitive eating is not restrictive, it often leads to eating a greater variety of foods. Intuitive eating can also lead to weight loss since food restrictions can develop food temptations, causing overeating of nutrient-poor foods. With intuitive eating, it is essential to recognize when you are feeling hungry and listen to the signals your body sends you, eating when you need to.
What Are the Cons of Intuitive Eating?
One con of intuitive eating is that environmental factors can lead to one eating even when they are not experiencing feelings of hunger. Walking by a pizza joint and smelling it baking or seeing a favorite fast food restaurant can cause urges to eat. Feeling certain emotions, like stress or sadness, can also lead to eating past the point of fullness. Even though intuitive eating has the word “intuition” in it, it still involves some planning ahead regarding meal planning and going grocery shopping. To follow a healthy way of intuitive eating, healthy options will need to be available, and to have an easier time following it, have meals planned. Lastly, with the flexibility of intuitive eating, it does not precisely provide much structure. This gives one more freedom while eating, but too much freedom can cause one to snack more frequently throughout the day than they should. Picking certain foods to snack on, particularly those that are easy to eat by the handful and are ultra-processed, can cause one to have a relatively continuous feeling of hunger throughout the day, therefore eating more often and in larger quantities than they usually would with healthier, less processed food items.
What Do Doctors Think of Intuitive Eating?
One healthcare center describes intuitive eating as an eating pattern in which the individual does not follow any diet restrictions and can eat whatever they desire. By following intuitive eating, one learns to have a healthy relationship with food by following what one's body is saying and eating when needed. Many studies have been conducted to examine the efficiency of intuitive eating and its benefits are backed by scientific evidence.
Resources
Dutta, S.S. (2022, December 22). What is intuitive eating and is it healthy? News Medical Life Sciences.
Nutrition Prescriptions. (2023, April 19). The pros & cons of intuitive eating. Nutrition Prescriptions.
Pike, A. (2018, November 27). A day in the life of intuitive eating. Food Insight.
Stasnopolis, A. (2021, June 1). Intuitive eating: What it is and what it isn't. Scrubbing In.
The Original Intuitive Eating Pros. (n.d.). 10 principles of intuitive eating. The Original Intuitive Eating Pros.
Turner, R. (2021, March 8). What is intuitive eating? A nutritionist explains. Cedars Sinai.
