Intuitive Eating: An Ideal Or Idiotic Approach To Food?

It’s an approach to eating that seeks to reject diet culture and forge a stronger mind-body connection, but what even is intuitive eating? And can it really help you foster a healthier relationship with food? 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, intuitive eating is an approach to eating that’s rooted in responding to your body's internal needs at a moment in time. The term was popularised by dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their 1995 book (called, you guessed it, Intuitive Eating) but the concept has been around way before the 90s. 

What is intuitive eating? 

“Intuitive eating is eating in response to your own body’s signals for hunger and fullness,” shares Eva, Sweat’s resident nutritionist and dietician. “If we think about babies and young children, they naturally regulate their food intake. But as they grow and develop, this instinctive way of eating is often overridden by food rules created by adults around what, when and how much to eat.”

After all, we all consume food for a variety of reasons that go far beyond physical hunger. We might choose to eat a slice of cake because we’re at a birthday party, decide to cook after seeing a TikTok video, eat more on social occasions, or be driven by emotional cues like stress or boredom or even smells (that smell when you go past a bakery - oooft). 

For many, intuitive eating represents a way to break free from diet culture and food “rules” and get back in touch with your body. And while Eva would definitely recommend the intuitive eating approach, there are a few things she says you need to keep in mind: 

• Remember to listen to your body and trust that it knows what’s best for you

• If you’re new to intuitive eating, it can take some time to get to know your body’s natural signals. Approach your body with curiosity and know that it might take some trial and error!

• Enjoy food for a number of different reasons that go beyond nourishing your body. Don’t forget, food is supposed to be fun and is more than just fuel! 

• Reject labelling food as “good” and “bad” or “healthy” and “unhealthy”.

• Depending on your goals, health conditions and history, intuitive eating might not be the best approach to nutrition for you. If you’re not sure, it’s always best to chat with your healthcare provider.

But is the idea that intuitive eating can promote a healthier relationship with food and our bodies grounded in science? You bet it is. A meta-analysis of 97 studies that explore intuitive eating found the practice to be associated with everything from positive body image and self-esteem to lowered rates of disordered eating and improved overall wellbeing.

The principles of intuitive eating 

So, you want to try to eat intuitively. While it’s all well and good to tell you to listen to your body, how should you get started? After publishing Intuitive Eating in the 90s, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch created a website and community for intuitive eaters and have outlined 10 principles to help you get started. 

1. Reject diet culture

We know that diets and restrictive food plans don’t work for the overwhelming majority of people. So let’s reject that diet mentality and embrace a feel-good approach to food and nutrition.

2. Recognise your hunger 

This one’s all about getting in touch with your body’s cues. Sit with yourself and learn to recognise when you’re hungry and when you’re full. Tribole and Resch highlight that learning what your hunger signals look like can help to set the stage for rebuilding trust with yourself and food. 

3. Make peace with food

Repeat after us: food is not the enemy, and restrictive eating plans are not the answer. Stop categorising food as good, bad, healthy or unhealthy and give yourself permission to eat without feeling guilty. 

4. Discover the satisfaction factor

We’re not just talking about the physical satisfaction you get from eating, but feeling emotionally satisfied after a good meal. Food is supposed to be enjoyed. 

5. Feel your fullness

Just as you need to tune into your body telling you when to eat, learn how to recognise when you’re no longer hungry. Not sure how to do this? Start by pausing in the middle of a meal and asking yourself how full you’re feeling. The aim of intuitive eating is to stop eating when you feel good and satisfied, but not stuffed.

6. Challenge the food police 

Perhaps you’ve been taught that carbs are the devil or that eating late at night will lead to weight gain. Take a moment to analyse and challenge some of your beliefs about food and where they’ve come from, especially if certain foods or eating practices trigger feelings of failure or guilt for you. 

7. Approach your emotions with kindness and curiosity

Many people use food as a coping mechanism to deal with difficult emotions such as stress, sadness, boredom or loneliness. But while it might offer some short-term relief, turning to food won’t fix the problem. In these tough moments it’s important to offer yourself compassion, but see if you can explore the root cause of these emotional challenges and find other ways to help resolve them. That could be anything from prioritising self-care to going for a walk to phoning a friend. 

8. Respect your body

We love this one! Our bodies do so much for us and we owe it to ourselves to treat our body and mind with kindness and respect. Not sure where to start? Kelsey Wells has some amazing advice for you. 

9. Move to feel good 

At Sweat, we don’t work out to burn a specific number of calories or to “earn” our food. We move our bodies from a place of gratitude and to make us feel GOOD - inside and out. If structured workouts aren’t your jam, move and connect with your body in a way that fills your cup. Perhaps that’s a team sport, gardening or a living room dance party! 

10. Honour your health with food that feels good

Remember, it’s not one snack, one meal or one day that informs how you nourish your body, but what you do most of the time that matters. Aim to eat nutritious meals, but don’t compromise on satisfaction and taste. 

Is there anyone who shouldn’t practice intuitive eating? 

While the benefits of intuitive eating are overwhelmingly positive, it’s not a way of eating that everyone can embrace. If you have health conditions that require you to follow a specific diet or eat certain foods at certain times such as diabetes or heart disease, you’ll understand that eating intuitively won’t work for you. Likewise, if you’re trying to lose weight to improve your health, you may need to follow a nutrition plan to help you get there.

Food that feels good 

You won’t find restrictive diets in Sweat’s recently relaunched Food section. After all, our food and nutrition philosophy is all about embracing nourishing meals that fuel you forward without compromising on flavour. Take a look at the Sweat app to discover more than 200 nutritionist-approved recipes.