Intuitive Eating MAKING PEACE WITH FOOD Susan Hurd, LDN, RDN Campus Dietitian
The concept of intuitive eating is simple: make peace with the foods you eat. Abandoning the dichotomy of whether food is “good or bad” or “healthy or unhealthy” allows you to rid the restriction that often accompanies traditional diet mentality allowing you to focus on your body’s natural internal messaging telling you when you are hungry or sated. The practice of intuitive eating enables you to release the notion about looking a certain way or weighing a certain amount and focuses on what is best for you physically and mentally. Intuitive eating principles follow: Reject Diet Mentality This is a cornerstone of intuitive eating. Restricting what we eat may rob our body of the nutrients it needs and set us up for failure when we do not achieve what we set out to accomplish. In turn, this can negatively impact our mental well-being and also contribute to disordered eating habits. Honor Your Hunger Learn to listen to your body when it tells you it is hungry and go ahead and eat. When we delay, hunger can overwhelm and then the intent to eat consciously is challenged. This can lead to overeating and with foods that might not provide the best benefits.
Understand the Satiated State Taking time to eat allows the brain to register fullness and satiety. It also allows you time to savor the food itself, its flavor, texture, aroma, etc. leading to a more positive dining experience. Accept Emotions Eating to deal with emotions will not help root out the problem. Enlist the assistance of a licensed therapist to understand your feelings. Respect Your Body Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Learn to embrace your existence and to celebrate your magnificent genetic being. Respect for oneself is a path toward happiness and self-love. Gentle Nutrition Intuitive eating is about eating good food to nourish and also to satisfy the palate. It is ok to eat foods we crave, in moderation, and with conscious thought. Health is not about eating perfectly. Rather, it is about the grace we allow ourselves as we progress through the process of making peace with the foods we eat.
To learn more about Intuitive Eating and Gentle Nutrition, schedule some time with our Registered Dietitian, Susan Hurd. Scan the QR code for her open times! >
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