Intuitive eating is a method created by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD, that is composed of ten principles to encourage people to stop fearing food and start honoring their bodies. Instead of having foods that are “off-limits” and labeling food as “good” or “bad” like diets often do, intuitive eating focuses on shifting to a mind-set that rejects the diet mentality and respects what the body needs. In addition, intuitive eating brings positivity into the act of eating, often referred to as food freedom.

The ten principles of intuitive eating are:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Respect Your Fullness
6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food
8. Respect Your Body
9. Exercise – Feel the Difference
10. Honor Your Health

Intuitive eating is just one of the many dietary theories we include in the Health Coach Training Program Dietary Theory Library. It’s a mind-body approach to eating that involves listening to your body when it’s hungry and recognizing when you’re full. A major part of intuitive eating is building self-trust to make empowered food decisions instead of basing your food choices on your current emotional state or environmental cues.

This method of eating is a practice of self-love that encourages you to appreciate your body for all it has to offer and the incredible ways it works each day. People who choose to eat intuitively may see positive effects, like increased overall happiness, feeling less overwhelmed about what they’re eating, reduced stress about their physical appearance, and more gratitude toward their bodies. 

Rather than focusing on weight loss and restriction, intuitive eating is different – it teaches you sustainable skills that can change your food relationship for good. Forget yo-yo dieting and counting calories, intuitive eating allows you to eat all the foods you enjoy without obsessing. While intuitive eating might not be for everyone, many of the principles can be beneficial for improving your relationship with food.

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