What is Intuitive Eating?

What is Intuitive Eating?

by | Dec 5, 2020

There’s a way to ditch the diet culture, make peace with food, and prioritize your physical and mental wellbeing. It’s called “intuitive eating” and it’s not a weight loss program. Instead, it’s a way to get back in tune with your body and refocus your mind away from “food rules.”

Intuitive eating de-prioritizes weight as a primary measure of health, while inviting you to eat the foods you want when you’re hungry—and stop eating when you feel full. This isn’t a “free for all” to give up and eat how much you want of whatever you want whenever you want it, either. It’s about getting back in tune with your body and showing it the respect it deserves.

Eating intuitively means being curious about what and why you want to eat something, and then enjoying it without judgment. Yep, without judgment. It’s about trusting your body’s wisdom without influence from outside of yourself. It’s about removing the labels of “good” or “bad” food and ditching the guilt or pride about eating a certain way. It’s about accepting food—and our bodies—as the amazing wonder that they really are and a belief that there truly is no “right” or “wrong” way to eat.

 

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

 

The two dietitians who popularized intuitive eating in 1995, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, have outlined 10 principles.

 

1 – Reject the diet mentality

Ditch diets that give the false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. You are not a failure for every time a diet stopped working and you gained the weight back. Until you break free from the hope that there’s a new diet around the corner, you cannot fully embrace intuitive eating.

 

2 – Honor your hunger

Your body needs adequate energy and nutrition. Keep yourself fed to prevent excessive hunger. By honoring the first signal of hunger you can start rebuilding trust in yourself and food.

 

3 – Make peace with food

Stop fighting with food and give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Stop fostering intense feelings of deprivation by denying yourself a particular food, as these can lead to cravings and bingeing. You don’t want your “giving in” to lead to overwhelming guilt.

 

4 – Challenge the food police

Confront the thoughts that you as a person are “good” or “bad” based on what and how much you eat. Diet culture has created unreasonable rules. The food police are the negative, hopeless, or guilty thoughts that you can chase away.

 

5 – Discover the satisfaction factor

Pleasure and satisfaction are some of the basic gifts of existence. By allowing yourself to feel these when you eat, you can enjoy feeling content and fulfilled. When you do this, you will be able to identify the feeling of “adequacy.”

 

6 – Feel your fullness

Trust that you will give yourself the foods you desire. Pause in the middle of eating and ask how the food tastes. Be aware of the signals that you’re not hungry anymore. Respect when you become comfortably full.

 

7 – Cope with your emotions with kindness

Restricting food can trigger a loss of control and feel like emotional eating. Be kind to yourself. Comfort and nurture yourself. Everyone feels anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger. Food won’t fix these feelings—it’s just a short-term distraction. Ultimately, you have to deal with the uncomfortable emotions. 

 

8 – Respect your body

Everyone is genetically unique, whether it’s shoe size or body size. Respecting your body will help you feel better about who you are. Being unrealistic or overly critical of your shape or size makes it hard to reject the diet mentality.

 

9 – Movement—feel the difference

Feel the difference activity makes. Not militant or calorie-burning exercise, but simply moving your body. Focus on how energized it makes you feel.

 

10 – Honor your health—gentle nutrition

Choose foods that honor your tastebuds and health. Don’t focus on eating perfectly. One snack, meal, or day of eating won’t suddenly make you unhealthy or deficient in nutrients. Look at how you eat over time. Choose progress, not perfection.

 

The Science behind Intuitive Eating

 

Studies show that people who eat intuitively tend to also have lower body-mass indices (BMIs) and higher levels of body appreciation and mental health. They are also associated with lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation.

A review of eight studies compared “health, not weight loss” eating styles with conventional weight-loss diets. While they found no significant differences in heart disease risk factors between the two types of diets, they did find that body satisfaction and eating behavior improved more for people in the “health, not weight loss” groups.

Another review of 24 studies of female college students showed that those who eat intuitively experience less disordered eating, have a more positive body image, and greater emotional functioning.

Overall, there is a growing amount of research that shows the benefits of intuitive eating on both physical and mental health.

 

Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size

 

The non-diet approach of intuitive eating fits within the concept that there can be health at every size. The idea behind Health at Every SizeⓇ is to be inclusive of all weights and de-emphasizes weight as the main factor to assess someone’s health. The way someone’s body looks does not tell the whole story about their overall health and wellbeing. Instead, their habits and lifestyle are more important factors than simply their size and shape.

Like intuitive eating, the HAESⓇ paradigm has several principles. They are weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being, and life-enhancing movement. These include accepting the diversity of body shapes, supporting equal access to health information and services, promoting eating based on hunger and satiety, working to end weight discrimination and bias, and encouraging enjoyable physical movement.

Also like intuitive eating, the focus of HAESⓇ is less toward weight loss and more toward sustainable healthy habits. According to HAESⓇ, the objective is to “advance social justice, create an inclusive and respectful community, and support people of all sizes in finding compassionate ways to take care of themselves.”

 

Tips to Eat More Intuitively

 

There are many things you can do to start eating more intuitively and ditch diet culture and “food rules.”

  • Put aside your guilt for previous diets that have failed you. (You have not failed them and you are not bad for participating in them.
  • Stop focusing on finding or implementing diets that promise easy, permanent weight loss.
  • When you feel like eating, ask yourself if you’re truly physically hungry (and not emotionally hungry).
  • Eat when you’re physically hungry, don’t deprive yourself. Get back in tune with your body’s signals and don’t wait until you’re extremely hungry.
  • Ask yourself what type of food will satisfy you. (Remember, there aren’t “good” or “bad” foods and you don’t need to judge yourself for eating—or not eating—them.)
  • Pay attention to and enjoy your food while you’re eating it (eat mindfully).
  • Stop eating when you are comfortably full.
  • Treat your body with dignity and respect—regardless of its size or shape.
  • Move your body in a way that is enjoyable and see how that makes you feel.
  • Stop worrying about eating perfectly. If you get off track, gently bring yourself back on track.

 

Final Thoughts

Intuitive eating helps to improve your relationship with food and your body and mind. It’s about challenging external rules and subconscious habits around eating. It also challenges feelings of guilt or shame associated with eating a certain way.

To eat intuitively, listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, enjoy a wide variety of foods (because none are inherently “good” or “bad”, and respect your body.

For a nutritious approach to health based on intuitive eating and Health at Every SizeⓇ, consult with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Need help to see how intuitive eating and HAESⓇ can work for you? Are you looking for ways to implement this non-diet lifestyle into your day-to-day life? Book a free consultation with me https://www.corenutritionhw.com/services to see how my programs/services can help you achieve your goals.

 

References

Association for Size Diversity and Health. (n.d.). HAESⓇ Approach. https://www.sizediversityandhealth.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/

Bruce, L. J. & Ricciardelli, L.A. (2016). A systematic review of the psychosocial correlates of intuitive eating among adult women. Appetite, 96, 454-472. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.10.012.

Food Insight. (2020, January 8). A New Health Option for the New Year: The Non-Diet Approach. Retrieved from https://foodinsight.org/the-non-diet-approach/

Food Insight. (2020, June 19). The Science Behind Intuitive Eating. Retrieved from https://foodinsight.org/the-science-behind-intuitive-eating/

Food Insight. (2018, July 27). Can Our Diets Be Stress-Free? An Intuitive Eating Expert Weighs In. Retrieved from https://foodinsight.org/can-our-diets-be-stress-free-an-intuitive-eating-expert-weighs-in/

Health at Every SizeⓇ. (n.d.). HAESⓇ Community. Retrieved from https://haescommunity.com/

Intuitive Eating. (n.d.). 10 principles of intuitive eating. Retrieved from https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/

Khasteganan, N., Lycett, D., Furze, G., & Turner, A. P. (2019). Health, not weight loss, focused programmes versus conventional weight loss programmes for cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic reviews, 8(1), 200. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1083-8

National Eating Disorders Association. (2018). What does intuitive eating mean? Retrieved from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/what-does-intuitive-eating-mean

Sorensen, M. D., Arlinghaus, K. R., Ledoux, T. A., & Johnston, C. A. (2019). Integrating Mindfulness Into Eating Behaviors. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(6), 537–539. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619867626

Today’s Dietitian. (2020, April). Intuitive Eating: Four Intuitive Eating Myths. Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0420p12.shtml

Van Dyke, N., & Drinkwater, E. (2014). Review Article Relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators: Literature review. Public Health Nutrition, 17(8), 1757-1766. doi:10.1017/S1368980013002139

7 Simple Strategies to Lose Weight and Improve Health

7 Simple Strategies to Lose Weight and Improve Health

by | Oct 31, 2020

From fad diets to the latest detox, it’s been well established that there are no “quick fixes” or ‘miracle diets” when it comes to weight loss. However, there are simple changes that you can make to your nutrition and lifestyle habits that can result in significant health benefits and produce the weight loss results that you want. Try implementing these seven simple strategies into your daily routine that can help you lose weight and improve your health.

Increase Fiber Intake

Fiber has many health benefits. Not only can fiber promote weight loss, but it can also improve your digestive health, skin health, heart health and improve blood sugar control. Fiber is found in plant foods we eat like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.  There are two types of fiber which are soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is a natural appetite suppressant. By suppressing your appetite, you are more likely to reduce your calorie intake helping you to lose weight.  Another incentive to increase soluble fiber intake is that higher intakes has been linked to having a lower risk of abdominal fat and may actually help you reduce abdominal fat.

The recommended daily fiber intake is 25-30 grams per day, unfortunately, most Americans only consume around 15 grams per day. In order to reduce unwanted side effects such as gas, abdominal bloating and diarrhea, gradually increase fiber into your daily intake and make sure to consume adequate water daily.

Foods high in soluble fiber include:

  • Flaxseed
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Oatmeal
  • Apricots
  • Raspberries
  • Apples
  • Figs
  • Broccoli

Eat Adequate Protein

Protein is an important building block for bones, muscles, skin, cartilage and blood.  Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. Protein is also used to make hormones, enzymes and other important body chemicals. Most people eat enough protein to prevent deficiency, but some individuals may benefit from a higher protein intake depending on your activity level and goals.

Protein is more filling than carbohydrates and takes more energy for you to digest than refined carbohydrates. Protein reduces your level of hunger hormone and boost hormone levels that help you to feel full.

Some research suggests that eating a high protein breakfast can have a significant impact on reducing night cravings. Eating more protein may also give your metabolism a boost and help you burn more calories throughout the day.

Excellent sources of protein include:

  • Beans
  • Lean Meats
  • Legumes
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh

Switch to Healthier Swaps

Drinking sodas and other sugary beverages has been associated with negative health effects and increased risk for obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome. Diet drinks are not good options due to the potential increased risk of health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and stroke.

Create flavored infused water by adding your favorite fruits and herbs.
  • Swap soda and sugary drinks for sparkling water, green tea, or Kombucha. Get creative and create your own flavored infused water by adding your favorite fruits and herbs.
  • Swap processed sugary cereals for organic oatmeal, chia pudding, overnight oats, or geek yogurt parfaits. By adding in your favorite sweet treats such as dark chocolate chips, berries, or other fruits, you can save hundreds of calories and reap the benefits of whole food nutrient dense foods.
  • Swap salty foods with fresh sliced veggies like cucumbers, celery, carrots, and radishes dipped in hummus, guacamole, black bean dip or your favorite homemade dressing. Roasted chickpeas, beet chips and kale chips are also healthy swaps.

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is an effective weight loss strategy that encourages you to slow down and pay attention to your food choices and to pay attention to your hunger cues to avoid overeating, binging and emotional eating.

Tips to practice Mindful Eating:

  • Make a conscious decision to eat.  Are you hungry? Or eating out of boredom, habit or emotion?
  • Set aside time for your meal and avoid eating on the run.
  • Appreciate your food. Start your meal by taking a moment to express gratitude for the food in front of you.
  • Breathe. Before and during meals consciously take a few breaths. In other words, don’t inhale your food.
  • Choose modest portions to avoid overeating. Eat small bites and chew slowly.
  • Avoid distractions while eating. Eat at a table, if possible. Turn off TV and electronics.

Control your Environment

Controlling your environment by stocking your refrigerator and pantry with plenty healthy options is another great way to set yourself up for success. After all, if it’s not in your pantry or refrigerator, you can’t eat it.  Other tips to control your environment include:

  • Avoid all you can eat restaurants.
  • Prepare for parties by eating a healthy snack before going, so you won’t be starving when you get there and you can make more mindful choices.
  • When appropriate, bring healthy food dishes to parties and gatherings so you know you will have at least one healthy option.
  • Know your specific food triggers and weaknesses. Shift your mindset to focusing on the foods you can have, instead of the foods you can’t.
  • Keep your kitchen tidy and clean. Research suggest messy kitchens are associated with poorer eating habits and more out of control eating.

Eat Breakfast Everyday

Studies show that people who eat breakfast have lower BMIs than those who skipped breakfast and that they also perform better at work or school. This doesn’t mean you have to have a full course meal at breakfast. 

Plan your breakfast according to what fits your time schedule, lifestyle and food preferences in order to make breakfast practical for you.  A few quick and healthy breakfast options that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare include:

  • Smoothies made with frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and flaxseed
  • Whole wheat toast with sliced avocado and salsa with egg whites, seitan or tofu
  • Organic oatmeal bowl topped with sliced fruits and nuts of choice
  • 3 ingredient Overnight Chia Seed Pudding with almond milk, chia seeds, and sweetener of choice
  • Overnight oats made with organic rolled oats, milk of choice, chia seeds, honey, and add ins such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, etc.

De-Stress and Get Quality Sleep

When our bodies are stressed and low on sleep, we tend to turn to quick, high calorie foods that are easy to eat and also provides us with immediate gratification. Sleep deprivation increases the levels of ghrelin the “hunger hormone” and decreases levels of leptin the “fullness hormone” which signals satiety.  Try to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

The “stress hormone” cortisol increases during periods of stressful times which can turn your overeating into a habit. Increased levels of cortisol can also cause increased insulin levels, which may result in a drop in your blood sugar, causing you to reach for sugary, fattening foods.  A few ways to reduce stress and anxiety include:

  • Make exercise a daily habit.  Exercise is a major factor in stress reduction and weight management.
  • Incorporate stress-relief habits into your daily life such as prayer, meditation, and positive thinking.
  • Drink more water. Water is essential for proper hydration.
  • Try natural teas such as Chamomile which may help you to relax before bedtime.
7 Common Nutrition Myths Fact or Fiction?

7 Common Nutrition Myths Fact or Fiction?

by | Sep 2, 2020

Nutrition Myths

There is so much “talk” in the wellness space, especially about nutrition and it can be difficult to sift through the myths to find the facts. Nutrition can be confusing. There is so much information out there and much of it is flawed, misinterpreted, or flat out false. There are a lot of reasons why many nutrition myths continue to stick around.

  • Many people who write, blog, post and speak about nutrition do not have training in nutrition.
  • The core elements of evidence-based nutrition are not as “sexy”. To craft more appealing messages for the broader public, nutrition messages may be overstated or inaccurately extrapolated from scientific evidence. Some messages are flat out false.
  • Like all sciences, we continually learn more about nutrition through research. There is still a lot we don’t know.

Food Choices

Factors that affect what we eat include:

  • Taste and preferences
  • Cultural traditions
  • Budgets
  • Values
  • Accessibility
  • Convenience

A way of eating that works for one person may not work for another person. Every person is unique. Some people who carry on nutrition myths draw on their own personal experiences with nutrition in attempt to help other people. While well-intentioned, this is a flawed way of interpreting nutrition science. It is important to seek help from credentialed health professionals who are able to separate fact from fiction.

Myth #1

Carbohydrates cause weight gain.

Fact: No one nutrient or food causes weight gain.

  • Weight gain is complex and cannot be attributed to just one thing. In general, weight gain will result when we consume calories in excess of what our body needs to maintain body weight.
  • Carbs are not to blame for weight gain. A diet for optimal health includes many foods with carbohydrates.
  • Carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of energy.
  • Consider the “nutrient density” of the carbohydrate. Choose carbohydrates that have fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
  • Complex carbs with fiber digest and absorb more slowly than simple carbohydrates so the blood sugar response is different. Aim to choose high-quality carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains.

Myth #2

A vegetarian diet does not provide enough protein.

Fact: Many vegetarian foods have protein and can provide adequate protein.

  • Plant food sources of protein include, beans, lentils, soy products (tofu, edamame, tempeh) nuts and seeds. Whole grains also have protein, although they wouldn’t be considered a considerable source of protein.
  • Some vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products which are excellent sources of protein.
  • Vegetarian diets are not all the same. They should be carefully planned to include sources of protein at each meal and snack. Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets can be adequate and meet your protein needs.
  • Consult with your doctor or registered dietitian about your daily protein needs.

Myth #3

You should only eat at certain times.

Fact: There is no timing for eating that works for everyone.

  • Some people may benefit from a structured schedule for their meals and snacks.
  • Other people may benefit from eating based on hunger cues.
  • In general, creating “strict rules” about when to eat can be a slippery slope. These rules can be hard to follow in certain situations or when we feel hungry.
  • Rules can make us feel like a “failure” if we don’t follow them.
  • There is still a lot to learn about intermittent fasting in humans.
  • It is possible to have a healthy diet and eat at different times of the day.

Myth #4

Snacking is unhealthy.

Fact: Snacking can be healthy, even when weight loss is a goal.

  • A well-balanced meal with carbs, protein, and fat will keep us full for an average of 3-4 hours. This also depends on each persons individualized needs, the size of the meal, etc. In general, most people have a greater time window than 3-4 hours between meals.
  • The composition of the snack is important. A balanced snack might include a source of protein and also a fruit or veggie. Examples include: peanut butter and apple slices, roasted edamame and carrot sticks, or hummus with celery sticks. A snack food that is mostly carbohydrates will be digested and absorbed quickly. This may result in the quick return of hunger or overeating later.
  • Many people have trouble fitting fruits and vegetable in at meal times. Snacks are an easy way to get an additional serving.
  • Snacking can also play an important role in pre- and post-workouts. Snacking can help curb hunger while providing fuel to have enough energy for the day.

Myth #5

Juicing or cleansing is required to “detox” your body.

Fact: Our body has natural mechanisms through which to detox.

  • Cleanses claim to detox the body, aid weight loss, improve skin health, etc. There is no one food or regimented diet that can deliver on these promises.
  • Some cleanses, diets, and supplements may be more harmful than good. For example, some supplements may interfere with prescription medications. Talk with your doctor or registered dietitian before taking any supplements or follow a restrictive diet.
  • The best way of eating to promote natural detoxification is a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.

Myth #6

Vitamin C prevents colds.

Fact: Vitamin C does not prevent colds, but some studies show that it can shorten the duration of the common cold.

  • To help shorten the duration of a cold, you should be consuming adequate vitamin C daily, not just when you get a cold. The best way to do this is to eat a diet containing vitamin C rich foods.
  • Vitamin C is only found in plant foods. Fruits rich in Vitamin C include citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime), berries, melon, kiwi, pineapple and papaya. Vegetables rich in vitamin C include peppers, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
  • Supplements also contain vitamin C. Some supplements contain excessive amounts of vitamin C that can cause GI upset. As always, it is best to speak with your doctor or dietitian before supplementing your diet. It is better to get vitamin C through food because then you get all of the other vitamins and minerals as well as fiber, in those plant foods.

Myth #7

Foods with gluten are unhealthy.

Fact: Only some people need to have a gluten-free diet.

  • Gluten is a group of proteins in cereal grains (wheat, rye, barley, triticale).
  • People who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity should avoid foods with gluten.
  • Only a credentialed healthcare professional is able to diagnose these conditions.
  • Many nutrient-dense foods contain gluten-whole wheat products (breads, pasta) and whole grains (wheatberries, farro, kamut, etc.)
  • For a person without celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, foods with gluten can be part of an overall healthy diet.

Word of Caution

Look out for red flags when distinguishing between nutrition myths and facts. Common red flags include:

  • A source that does not list an author, a date published, and/or sources.
  • A website or program that promotes marketing gimmicks like quick results for weight loss, often including a paid celebrity spokesperson.
  • Friend or family member without a relevant education background- although they may mean well, they may be perpetuating myths or sharing information that is specific to their personal history or experiences.

Credible Sources

Credible nutrition information can seem hard to find amidst the loud noise of other information sources.

Here’s how to find credible information:

  • Ask a credentialed healthcare professional in their field of expertise.
  • Look for authored pieces (authors with credentials) date, published, and sources.
  • Read about the topic yourself. Look at several high-quality sources. One study is only able to provide limited information-look at the body of evidence.
  • Be open to new ideas. Like all sciences, nutrition is evolving, and we continually learn from research studies.

If you would like more information on personalized nutrition and wellness programs, book a free phone consultation at https://www.corenutritionhw.com/services. Stay healthy and well!