Intuitive Eating: A Tool for Eating Disorder Recovery

We are so glad you are here. Thank you for showing up today, willing and open to help yourself or a loved one through eating disorder recovery. You may have heard of Intuitive Eating before. But what is it? And how can it be used in eating disorder treatment? Keep reading to learn more.

Curious about Intuitive Eating and how it can be used in eating disorder treatment? If you find yourself wanting to learn more about how to implement the Intuitive Eating principles into your life after reading this article, book a free 15-minute discovery call through the "Book an Appointment" tab.

Intuitive eating is a powerful tool in eating disorder recovery that allows individuals to reconnect with their body’s innate wisdom and trust themselves to make decisions about their food choices based on internal cues, rather than external rules or restrictions. It is an approach that emphasizes self-compassion, body respect, and the pleasure of eating. Intuitive eating utilizes gentle nutrition to support health and aims to combat diet-culture influenced eating patterns.

The ten principles of intuitive eating provide a roadmap for individuals to cultivate a positive relationship with food and their body. Here’s an overview of the ten principles:

1. Reject the diet mentality: This principle asks individuals to abandon the belief that weight loss diets and fad diets are effective (this is backed by science, by the way) and instead embrace that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that all foods can fit into person's eating pattern.

2. Honor your hunger: This principle encourages individuals to listen to their bodies’ signals of hunger and eat when they are hungry. It emphasizes the importance of unlearning restrictive eating behaviors and eating regularly to prevent binges (two common characteristics of eating disorders).

3. Make peace with food: This principle encourages individuals to give themselves permission to eat all foods without guilt or shame, and to let go of the idea that some foods are “good” or “bad.”

4. Challenge the food police: This principle asks individuals to question the negative self-talk or critical thoughts they have about food or their bodies, and to challenge the cultural messages that promote unrealistic eating patterns and body standards.

5. Respect your fullness: This principle encourages individuals to listen to their bodies’ signals of fullness and to stop eating when they are comfortably full.

6. Discover the satisfaction factor: This principle asks individuals to pay attention to the pleasure and satisfaction they derive from food, and to allow themselves to enjoy the eating experience.

7. Honor your feelings without using food: This principle encourages individuals to find alternative ways to cope with difficult emotions, rather than turning to food for comfort or distraction.

8. Respect your body: This principle asks individuals to appreciate and care for their bodies, in any shape or size, and to focus on health-promoting behaviors rather than weight loss.

9. Exercise: Feel the difference: This principle encourages individuals to find physical activities that they enjoy and that make them feel good, rather than focusing on exercise as a means of weight loss.

10. Honor your health: This principle emphasizes the importance of self-care, regular medical check-ups, and seeking professional help when needed, in order to prioritize overall health and well-being.

Intuitive eating is a powerful tool in eating disorder recovery because it encourages individuals to tune into their body’s natural hunger and fullness signals and to develop a more compassionate relationship with food and their body. By focusing on self-care and pleasure rather than restriction and control, individuals are more likely to develop a sustainable, positive relationship with food that supports their overall health and well-being.

However, it is important to note that intuitive eating is not a quick fix and it may take time for individuals to fully embrace and integrate the principles into their daily life. For those in eating disorder recovery, it may be necessary to be on a structured meal plan for a period of time determined by your registered dietitian. This may be confusing because a meal plan may not feel very intuitive. This is typically done when there is a need for weight restoration, the absence of hunger and fullness cues, or other factors that may make intuitive eating difficult to jump right into. But over time, intuitive eating can be slowly implemented and practiced with the long-term goal of being a confident and empowered intuitive eater with little to no guidance or structure.

In conclusion, intuitive eating is a powerful tool in eating disorder recovery that encourages individuals to develop a positive and compassionate relationship with food and their body. By rejecting diet culture and embracing self-care and pleasure, individuals can cultivate a positive approach to eating that supports their overall health and well-being.