Intuitive eating: the principles of intuitive eating

It is defined as intuitive eating or mindful eating a food philosophy based on listening to your body.

Let's see in detail what intuitive eating means and how to approach this perspective.

Diet culture VS Intuitive Eating, two paradigms compared

In the Western world, since we are children we are placed in a social context that places great importance on physical appearance. In a context of wealth and the almost unlimited presence of food on the table, often the ability to control oneself, not to overindulge, to lose weight, to consume only foods considered "good" because they are light: all these behaviors are considered positive. But that's not the case.

Alas, this is often one of the contributing causes that give rise to eating disorders and, in general, even in non-pathological situations, to a bad relationship with food and the mirror.

intuitive eatingis the counterpart of the so-called “diet culture”: you don't always have to be careful about calories, you don't necessarily have to follow a codified diet, you don't have to give a moral value to what you eat. Salad is not better than biscuits, they are just different foods, with different nutritional values ​​and usefulness for our health.

Food is seen, as it rightly and truly is, only as a wonderful source of energy, which the body needs. Our body knows perfectly what we need and we must learn to listen to it in order to be able to feed ourselves naturally, in the right way.

A trivial example: if we are deficient in magnesium, our body will spontaneously make us crave foods that contain a good amount of it, such as almonds or cocoa. Our organism is a perfect machine, guided by a primitive intelligence which is self-preservation, and which today we are often unable to listen to.

Intuitive eating: the 10 steps to approach it correctly

But if it is true that our body knows very well what we need to feel good - both as food to put on the table every day and as a need for natural integration, for example through superfood – how do we learn to listen to it?

Here are the10 foundations of intuitive eating:

1. Get the concept of “diet” out of your head. The first thing to do is to stop thinking in terms of restrictive or particularly codified dietary regimes.
2. Honor your hunger. Being hungry is a very normal impulse, not something to be ashamed of. If you're thirsty you drink, if you're sleepy you sleep, if you're hungry... you eat! Simple, without value judgments.
3. Making peace with food. It is certainly not easy in some cases, but it is good to start by stopping attributing a value to some foods and criticism to others. Chocolate is not guilty of anything, while lettuce is not in itself superior to other vegetables just because it is less caloric. Depriving yourself of a desired food for too long is the best way to end up consuming too much of it all at once.
4. Do not be influenced by the judgment of others. It happens that, at the table with friends and relatives, you feel good-naturedly teased if you eat a large amount of food, or if you have lost or gained weight. Don't be discouraged! No one knows your motivations nor has the right to tell you how much you should weigh and eat.
5. Learn to choose and appreciate food. It's not just petrol, it's good, it's good for you, it has a pleasant taste and smell. Eating well also means choosing what you want to eat, choosing quality food, cooking it calmly and then enjoying every bite.
6. Listen to the feeling of satiety. Chemically, the satiety impulse arrives from the brain 20 minutes after the start of the meal. This implies that eating slowly, chewing and savoring with the right calm, helps to correctly perceive satiety. What if every now and then you eat beyond satiety? Absolutely nothing happens, it can happen!
7. Understanding your emotions. There are those who, when they are sad or angry, lose their appetite completely and those who, however, console themselves with food. There is no right or wrong, it's just a matter of becoming increasingly aware of how emotions affect one's way of eating.
8. Respect your body. Tall, short, robust or small, with a big nose, small feet, protruding ears: it doesn't matter! Our body is the perfect support, which carries us around and allows us to experience many adventures, let's treat it with respect.
9. Love movement. Physical exercise is not a punishment nor a way to burn calories: on the contrary, sport is well-being, fun, it is an outlet and a beautiful way of being together. Find the right activity, be it yoga, running, a simple walk or a team game, as long as it gives you satisfaction!
10. Making healthy choices. The last step is the result of all the previous ones: by applying these principles you reach the point where you are able to make conscious and right choices, spontaneously, for your health.

Intuitive eating as a cure for body and mind

Following the principles of intuitive eating does not mean eating everything we want when we want it: on the contrary, it means eating what is good for us because we have understood what our body asks of us. It means having a clear perception of the sense of fullness and a clear understanding of how hungry we really are and how much we are managing negative emotions through food.

This kind of approach is often an excellent way for the recovery process after suffering from DCA or after long periods of restrictive diets in individuals with pathologies.

Being able to live our lives with greater awareness, even at the table, as required by the philosophy of mindfulness, is certainly a great way to better manage stress and negativity.

Some in-depth articles:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/quick-guide-intuitive-eating#principles
• https://www.aidap.org/2020/mindful-eating-and-lintuitive-eating-do-not-appear-to-be-effective-in-influencing-energy-income-and-diet-quality/
• https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
• https://www.instagram.com/diet.culture.rebel/
• https://www.instagram.com/no.food.rules/