Fo o d Fo r Th o u g h t G O O D F O R YO U
GET STARTED
Intuitive Eating is built on underlying principles that aim to help people build healthier relationships with food. Here are three expertapproved strategies to help get you started.
#1. Discover the satisfaction factor Diets often recommend avoiding ingredients that could increase satisfaction in a meal, such as swapping full-fat salad dressing for a low-calorie version or using a sugar substitute in baked goods. “One challenge I like to propose to my clients is to make a list of the qualities of food they enjoy most: taste, texture, preparation, temperature, cuisine, and spice level,” Cara Harbstreet says. “We often lose connection with our taste preferences when our food choices are governed by dieting, and therefore, we may achieve physical fullness without feeling truly satisfied.” The goal is to decipher what clients genuinely enjoy about a food without looking through the lens of a diet. After practicing this exercise, there’s less judgment, guilt, or shame around these food choices, because you’re making choices based on what you enjoy, rather than on what you “should” be eating.
#2. Embrace comfort food “Intuitive Eating principles allow the flexibility to tune into what your body and mind need in order to feel well,” says Tessa Nguyen. For example, when she’s stressed and in need of a comforting dish, Nguyen makes slow cooker pho. Conventional nutrition rules generally advise people to ask themselves if they really need food in times of comfort and how they can make that food healthier. “As a person of color, our native foodways are a huge part of who we are, and to not acknowledge that would be taking out a major piece of what can make Intuitive Eating practical and possible,” Nguyen says.
more food for thought Learn even more about mindful eating with these helpful resources: BOOKS
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD Unapologetic Eating by Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD Gentle Nutrition by Rachael Hartley, RD Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN POD C ASTS
Food Psych hosted by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD Love, Food hosted by Julie Duffy Dillon, MS, RDN
ALLRECIPES.COM
80
DEC/JAN 2022
#3. Start small Forgoing food rules sounds easy, but it may be difficult and overwhelming at first. Many food rules are learned at a young age, and you may be holding onto a few of them without even knowing it. Try letting go of one food rule at a time, such as no eating after 7 p.m. or eating desserts only on the weekend.
