Intuitive eating: Eat to live or live to eat?

Learn how to practice intuitive eating by tuning into your body’s hunger cues, eating mindfully, and enjoying cravings in moderation.

By Monica Shimizu, Clinical Dietician at CHOC

We often get caught up in daily routines and multitasking, neglecting to listen to what our bodies really want and need. Fueling the body with food is a necessity and important for many physiological and chemical processes for survival but eating can also be a pleasurable experience. Finding the right balance can be difficult.

Intuitive eating is a concept that has gained significant popularity. It represents a powerful connection between mind and body. This evidence-based, mind-body approach includes 10 principles to follow and was created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. Essentially, intuitive eating is the practice of honoring health by listening to and responding to the direct messages your body sends to meet your physical and psychological needs.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you ate intuitively?

To start this process, pause and listen to your body. What is it telling you?

Three ways to practice intuitive eating

1. Be more mindful

Are you snacking out of boredom while watching TV or eating everything on your plate to avoid wasting food? Do you wait too long between meals, leading to overeating later? Do you eat more when you are sad or forget to eat when you are stressed?

2. Look inward and notice hunger cues

While eating; ask yourself how the food tastes and assess your hunger and fullness levels. Respect your body’s signals of fullness.

3. Stop when satisfied and full

Allow yourself to eat foods that satisfy both your body’s needs and your preferences, but stop when you feel satiated, feel subtle fullness and no longer hungry.

Enjoy cravings in moderation for balance and satisfaction

Eating good food should be enjoyable, so when you are craving that chocolate bar or ice cream feel free to have some. It will satisfy the craving and may help prevent overeating other foods that may not be as satisfying.

To satisfy your craving, slowly eat 1-2 squares of chocolate instead of the entire chocolate bar, or one scoop of ice cream instead of a bowl full. Allow yourself, in moderation, to enjoy the foods you want while also meeting your body’s needs for a healthy balance.

Model good healthy eating habits

Encouraging children to clean their plates does not promote intuitive eating. Except in certain medical circumstances or conditions, children are generally in tune with their hunger cues. Caretakers should provide the appropriate food, while the child should determine how much food to eat. Avoid forcing foods or labeling them as good or bad. Instead, try to model good healthy eating habits and behaviors to help encourage a positive relationship with food.