The National Eating Disorders Association defines intuitive eating as “trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or the influence of diet culture.”

In other words, it’s about listening to your body’s natural cues for hunger, fullness, and satisfaction, rather than following external rules or restrictions.

For many people, years of dieting, food restrictions, and labeling certain foods as “good” or “bad” have led to a disconnection from their body’s innate wisdom. Instead of eating based on hunger and fullness signals, people often eat according to external guidelines, which can create stress, guilt, and confusion around food.

The Purpose of Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is not a weight-loss method, nor is it about trying to gain weight. It’s a neutral approach to food that helps individuals rebuild trust in their bodies, learning how to eat in a way that feels nourishing and satisfying. By removing judgment and rejecting the pressure of diet culture, intuitive eating allows people to develop a more peaceful and balanced relationship with food.

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Pioneered by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, intuitive eating is based on 10 core principles, each designed to help individuals break free from diet culture and reconnect with their body’s signals. Their book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, explores these principles in depth.

1. Reject the Diet Mentality

Diet culture promotes the idea that thinness equals health and that certain diets will lead to happiness and success. However, research shows that most diets fail in the long run, leading to weight cycling, stress, and unhealthy eating behaviors. This principle encourages letting go of diet rules, recognizing the harm they cause, and embracing a new, non-restrictive approach to food.

2. Honor Your Hunger

Hunger is a natural and essential biological signal, just like thirst or tiredness. Many diets encourage people to suppress hunger, but ignoring it can lead to intense cravings, overeating, and a lack of energy. Intuitive eating encourages responding to hunger with nourishment, allowing the body to function optimally.

3. Make Peace with Food

Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat all foods is a key aspect of intuitive eating. When foods are restricted, they often become more appealing, leading to cycles of guilt and bingeing. By allowing all foods to be part of a balanced diet, the emotional power of "forbidden" foods diminishes.

4. Challenge the Food Police

The “food police” refers to the internalized beliefs about what is “good” or “bad” to eat. These thoughts often stem from diet culture and can create guilt, stress, and shame around food choices. Challenging these thoughts helps individuals develop a more compassionate and flexible relationship with eating.

5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Eating should be enjoyable! Many people focus so much on what they are eating that they forget to ask, Am I satisfied?. Finding pleasure in food—through taste, texture, and experience—is crucial for developing a balanced approach to eating. Satisfaction helps reduce mindless snacking and emotional eating.

6. Feel Your Fullness

Just as it’s important to recognize hunger, it’s equally important to honor fullness cues. Many people struggle with stopping eating at a comfortable level due to distractions, emotions, or restrictive mindsets. By slowing down, checking in with how the body feels, and savoring food, it becomes easier to recognize and respect when you've had enough.

7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness

Many people turn to food for comfort, and while emotional eating isn’t inherently bad, it’s important to develop additional ways to process emotions. This principle encourages exploring other coping strategies, such as mindfulness, journaling, movement, or talking with a supportive friend.

8. Respect Your Body

Every body is different, and trying to fit into a societal “ideal” often leads to frustration and low self-esteem. Respecting your body means appreciating it for what it can do rather than focusing on appearance. This can involve wearing comfortable clothes, speaking kindly to yourself, and practicing body neutrality.

9. Movement – Feel the Difference

Exercise shouldn’t be about burning calories or punishing the body. Instead, intuitive movement focuses on joyful, feel-good movement that enhances energy, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being. Whether it’s dancing, yoga, hiking, or strength training, the goal is to find movement that feels enjoyable.

10. Honor Your Health – Gentle Nutrition

Intuitive eating doesn’t mean ignoring nutrition. Instead, it emphasizes “gentle nutrition”, which means making choices that honor both health and satisfaction. Instead of rigid rules, this principle encourages a flexible and balanced approach—choosing foods that make you feel good physically while also being enjoyable.

Getting Started with Intuitive Eating

If you're interested in learning more about intuitive eating, there are several resources available:

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach – The foundational book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.
The Intuitive Eating Workbook – A hands-on guide with exercises and reflection prompts.
The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens – A specialized version for younger individuals navigating diet culture and body image pressures.
Audiobooks and online courses are also available for those who prefer listening over reading.

By exploring these resources, you can begin your journey toward a more balanced, nourishing, and intuitive relationship with food and your body.

If you are struggling with body image or your relationship with food, therapy paired with nutrition counseling can help. For support, contact us or request an appointment online.

This blog post was written by Hannah Jordan.

This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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