User:JennaHCesar/Intuitive eating

Intuitive eating aims at creating a diet personal to one's health needs and wants. The goals of intuitive eating are rejecting common diet culture claims, promoting food freedom; fostering a positive relationship with food; and the advancement of body acceptance. There are also ten guiding principles associated with intuitive eating.

Intuitive eating is a weight-neutral approach to diet in which a person eats in response to cues of hunger and satisfaction. Focusing on "weight control" is discouraged with this approach. Additionally, intuitive eating aims at changing users' views about what they know about diet (notably, canceling toxic diet culture), health, and wellness, looking at these elements through a more holistic approach. And, intuitive eating helps to create a positive attitude and relationship towards food, physical activity, and the body.

The term "intuitive eating," coined by registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, first appeared in a 1990's peer reviewed journal article. In 2012, Tribole's and Resch's book "Intuitive Eating a Revolutionary Program that Works" was published, identifying the ten components of intuitive eating and displaying the scientific research that has been conducted on the diet as of far.

Principles

There are 10 principles of intuitive eating; created and defined by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch's in their book "Intuitive Eating a Revolutionary Program that Works" :

1.) Reject the diet mentality

Intuitive eating rejects dieting mentality- that certain foods are good to eat and others are bad, and the restriction of certain foods/food groups. Intuitive eating takes a more holistic approach to understanding food and understanding one's own dietary needs, food choices, and patterns.

2.) Honor your hunger

Intuitive eating rejects the idea of starving oneself of food, following a low-caloric and/or restrictive diet, or the idea of having to earn one's food. This diet respects hunger and listens to it, understanding that hunger is a biological alert from the body that it needs nourishment and energy. One who follows an intuitive diet approach, listens to this hunger sign, responds to it, and feeds their body with nutritious food, rather than ignoring it.

3.) Make peace with food

Intuitive eating adopts the idea of seeing food as fuel, and as your friend. It helps dismantle the idea that food is your enemy, is bad, and is something to fight against.

4.) Challenge the food police

Intuitive eating objects food guilt. Again, intuitive eating aims to eradicate the idea that certain foods are "good" or "bad."

5.) Feel your fullness

Intuitive eating builds the idea to eat as much as needed to fulfill your body's hunger and nutritional needs- this points toward not under-eating or overeating; to stop eating when you feel full and satisfied.

6.) Discover the satisfaction factor

Intuitive eating puts a major emphasis on eating a balanced diet and the idea of moderation. It does not involve restricting certain foods and/or food groups. Intuitive eating encourages consuming a diet that consists of nutritious foods, but also making room occasionally for foods that are tasty and enjoyable that may not be as healthy (like chips, doughnuts, chips, cake, etc.). Intuitive eating wants people to honor their food cravings, whatever they may be, as food should be nutritious, but also pleasurable and enjoyable too.

7.) Cope with your emotions without using food

Intuitive eating promotes exploring and implementing other methods and solutions to help de-stress instead of reaching for food to cope- exercise/going for a walk, meditation, talking with a loved one, writing in a journal, reading a book, etc.

8.) Respect your body

Intuitive eating heavily encourages the concept that everyone's body is different- bodies come in all shapes and sizes. It furthers the idea of self-acceptance and self-love.

9.) Exercise- feel the difference

Intuitive eating also incorporates a wellness and holistic approach to health and diet. It emphasizes exploring and trying out new exercises and ways of moving the body. Intuitive eating highlights that exercise should be enjoyable and make one feel good, it should not be used just as a means to stay skinny, lose weight, and burn calories.

10.) Honor your health with gentle nutrition

Intuitive eating incorporates science and research-backed nutritional information to help curate a balanced diet that best suits the given individual. The diet advises consuming foods that makes one feel their best and healthiest.

Research

Weight-Loss and Chronic Disease Control

Intuitive eating has been shown to be equally effective to diet intervention for short-term weight loss, and to decrease weight significantly more than in control groups that had no diet intervention. Long-term weight loss from intuitive eating might be possible, but this possibility is not yet well-studied.

Intuitive eating may be equally effective as a diabetes self-management education (DSME) and a lifestyle weight loss program, although further research is needed.

In overweight or obese pregnant women, intuitive eating can also help lower glucose levels.

Intuitive eating may help to lower cholesterol and fasting glucose levels, improving HbA_1C levels, and lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Disordered Eating

It was found in another 2022 review that intuitive eating reduced disordered eating behaviors.

Body Acceptance and Emotions Directed at Food

A 2022 review found that intuitive eating helped to decrease dieting and concerns about weight.

A review found that intuitive eating correlated with self-esteem and self-compassion.

Another review found that intuitive eating can lead to improved quality of life, body image, and body appreciation.I

A 2019 study revealed that women who followed intuitive eating patterns were able to let go of the concept of "good" and "bad" foods that are commonly promoted by diet culture, allowing them to eat a more balanced, sustainable, and non-restrictive diet.

Intuitive eating can improve self-esteem and body appreciation in women.

Drawbacks and limitations

Intuitive eating has shown growth as a possible method for losing weight and yielding health benefits. However, researchers warn that there still is not enough sufficient researched evidence to support that intuitive eating can assist with weight loss long-term, or even maintain lost weight. Furthermore, doctors and registered dietitians warn that this 'non-diet' diet approach will yield different results for different people who choose to follow this method of eating- no two bodies are the same and will react the same to this diet.

Additionally, registered dietitians comment that those who have certain health conditions may be prescribed by their doctor to follow a particular diet, eliminating the choice to follow an intuitive eating diet. Critics of the diet have also stated that because intuitive eating is so broad with no given diet plan/food restrictions, it can be hard for some, not knowing what to actually eat and how much to eat- it can be a steep learning curve to accurately respond to one's hunger and fullness cues.

See also

• Health at Every Size
• Human nutrition
• Body positivity