{"id":59810,"date":"2022-03-01T15:33:25","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T07:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/?p=59810"},"modified":"2026-01-30T05:35:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T05:35:13","slug":"explore-intuitive-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/blog\/explore-intuitive-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore intuitive eating principles and get rid of dieting once and for all"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Atkins, South Beach, Keto, Paleo, 5:2, and what have you… Chances are, you (or someone you know) have tried one or two of these diet fads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the results often don\u2019t meet expectations. You may even struggle with the yo-yo effect. And you just might throw in the towel because, let\u2019s face it, there\u2019s no way any of these diets help with losing weight permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t fail diets,<\/em>\u201d says Eric Edmeades<\/strong><\/a>, the founder of WILDFIT\u00ae. \u201cDiets fail people.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surely, there\u2019s a better option than this toxic diet culture<\/a>. Good news: there is<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an approach called intuitive eating<\/strong> (or what Eric refers to as “food freedom”). And here\u2019s where you can explore the intuitive eating principles to change your relationship with food for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The love-hate relationship with food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of us have been taught to choose to eat foods that we enjoy the most,<\/em> not necessarily the foods that we need the most,<\/em>\u201d explains Eric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating someone\u2019s birthday? There\u2019s a cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throwing a Super Bowl party? Order some pizza. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just broke up? Bring on the ice cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort foods are the backbone of your food devil\u2019s whisper campaigns. You know, that familiar yet manipulative voice in your head whispering sweet nothings: \u201cYou\u2019ve been so good, you deserve that fudge brownie<\/em>\u201d or \u201cGo ahead and have that deep-fried Snickers\u2014it’s just this one time.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your food angel comes in to stand up for what\u2019s right, sometimes, it\u2019s just too hard to ignore the whispers. The devil doesn\u2019t always show up in a red cape and pointy horns; he sometimes comes disguised as a big, juicy burger or a sweet, rainbow-sprinkled donut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The love relationship with food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say, hypothetically, you did give in to those wicked whispers. When do you start feeling better? Is it after the first bite? Or is it when you smell the food? Or do you feel better the moment you give yourself permission to indulge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was never the food that made you feel good,<\/em>\u201d Eric explains. \u201cIt was the permission and the rebellion.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you allow yourself permission to rebel, you release serotonin and dopamine and you start feeling good. Your brain links food to mood<\/a>. That\u2019s when we have a love <\/strong>relationship with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hate relationship with food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now, in the high of these feel-good hormones, you eat the food\u2014pizza, ice cream, whatever it is you choose\u2014and how do you feel about it afterward<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common response would be \u201cbleurgh\u2026<\/em>\u201d Because comfort foods are only good for just that\u2014comfort, momentarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So now, you\u2019ve come down from the high. There can be some negative emotions that come along with it\u2014shame, guilt, anger, and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tricky emotions often lead you back to eating to feel good again, with the possibility of it turning into a vicious cycle or leading to health problems like obesity. Listening to the devil doesn\u2019t come without consequences, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they\u2019ve gone so far down the hole, many people often turn to dieting as a quick fixer-upper. Fortunately, there is an alternative to dieting\u2014it\u2019s intuitive eating<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is intuitive eating?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The term “intuitive eating” was coined by two dieticians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Diet Approach.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Oh, no, not another diet,<\/em>\u201d you may be thinking. Understandable, considering the four-letter word can send any weight loss-seeking person down an unmotivated spiral at the mere sound of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s only because we\u2019ve been taught that “diet” means\u2014in Eric\u2019s words\u2014\u201ctemporary alteration with some level of restriction and suffering in order to achieve a short-term health target or to fit into some special outfit for a special occasion.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, every organism on earth has a diet. And what it really means is “way of life<\/strong><\/a>.” It\u2019s the way you live every day. And in a nutshell, that\u2019s what intuitive eating is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It shifts the focus away from body weight to well-being. It discourages the diet culture of “bad” or “forbidden” foods. And it promotes unconditional permission to eat when and what you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, eating intuitively is about being adaptive. That means your body\u2019s energy has different needs based on a number of factors, like hormonal changes, physical activity, stress levels, and so on. So, if you feel hungrier more often the week before your period, it\u2019s your body telling you it needs more energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line is, intuitive eating attunes your mind and body to the foods you eat<\/strong> every day. It’s an eating lifestyle that helps sustain your optimal health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there benefits to intuitive eating?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Research on intuitive eating has increased over the years. Here are three that have been found to benefit the mind, body, and soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n