What is Intuitive Eating?

Whether you're one of the "girls who eat their feelings," or, "girls who don't eat anything," (or guys - I make no judgments), orthorexic or anorexic, chances are you have a bad relationship with food. From therapy to diet pills, there are lots of different "treatments" for unhealthy eating habits, but no one method can work for everybody, so I've taken to look for alternative methods to expensive therapy, and have stumbled upon a little thing called intuitive eating.

Intuitive eating is a process which puts one in control of his or her own body, claiming to teach the wisdom of deciding if one is really hungry or just emotional and craving a snack. It also encourages making peace with food, meaning you don't feel guilty because you eat a "bad" food once in a while.

The practice teaches 10 basic values. They are:

1. Reject the diet mentality. In other words, throw out the books telling you that you can lose 10 pounds in three days. Forget Atkins and Jenny Craig. From now on, strive for a positive relationship, not banning bad foods.

2. Honor your hunger. Don't avoid eating or starve yourself. Eat when you get hungry.

3. Make peace with food. Don't feel an overwhelming amount of guilt when you eat a chocolate donut. Just accept it as potentially part of a healthy lifestyle and move on.

4. Challenge the food police. When somebody tells you not to eat that, ignore them. Ask why. Don't accept everything as truth. Decide on your own whether to eat it or not.

5. Respect your fullness. When you're full, realize it and stop eating.

6. Discover the satisfaction factor. Learn to enjoy food without having to over- or under-do it.

7. Honor your feelings without using food. Don't eat to self-medicate. Rather, eat because it's part of life, and accept that emotions are part of life as well. They are not to be mixed and matched.

8. Respect your body. Also, respect yourself. Listen to what your mind is telling you when making decisions with food.

9. Exercise. Exercise is a healthy part of your life, and will encourage longevity as well as alleviate depression and guilt by releasing endorphins.

10. Honor your health. Eat what makes you feel well. Remember, chocolate isn't inherently bad. If it makes you feel good, eat it in moderation.

I've personally tried intuitive eating to help me overcome my constant feelings of guilt, binging, and purging. While it wasn't the silver bullet to put this unhealthy lifestyle in the ground, it did help me to change my attitude, providing a direction towards which I could go. If I've piqued your interest, more information is available at Intuitive Eating.com.