The What and Why of Intuitive Eating

We LOVE Intuitive Eating at Hendry's Health.... BUT it only works for some and we would encourage All to understand a little about nutrition and how food affects our bodies before going down this road for informed choices. Essentially, Intuitive eating enables us to take back control rather than relying on some external source to tell us what to eat. Now isn't that powerful?! It is based upon the understanding that we KNOW when we are full and we KNOW when we are hungry. It's based around 'feel'. We also know what will be good for us and sustain us without relying on guidelines (the 'noise') coming from elsewhere. There are a few principles to follow.

1. Diet Culture is utter pants and should be rejected Forget fad diets. Stop thinking there will be any quick fixes for long term change and overall wellbeing. Reject diet culture that promotes weight loss and takes the control out of your hands. The diets that see food as 'sins'. The diets that make you feel like a failure if you don't see change on the scales every single week. These 'diets' will prevent you from being free to rediscover the Intuitive Eating that we naturally did as a child.

2. Listen out for hunger signals and honor them Keep your body fed with adequate amounts of carbohydrate, fats and proteins, otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Everyone is different here dependent on biological make-up and activity levels. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating go out the window. Rebuild trust with your instincts by honoring hunger or 'full' signals.

3. Stop fighting Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Unhelpful language use such as I 'can’t' or 'shouldn’t' will not aid you and can lead to feelings deprived which can then lead to uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing. Then comes the overwhelming guilt.

4. Stand up to the food Police Get rid of those preconceived ideas that any food is “good” for eating minimal calories or “bad” because it has sugar or fat in it. The food police monitor the unreasonable rules that diet culture has created. Shout louder. Remove those deep-rooted thoughts, or put them away in a box to burn.

5. Enjoy every bite The pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience can often be overlooked in diet culture. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. Take time over food. Savour every mouthful. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes just the right amount of food for you to decide you’ve had “enough.”

6. Know when enough IS enough Trust that you will give yourself the foods that you desire, in the quantities needed. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full and no longer hungry. Pause in the middle of eating and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what your current hunger level is. This is mindful eating.

7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness Everyone has issues... but eating your emotions is probably not the answer. Try to find gentle ways to resolve your issues. Everyone is different here but food won’t fix feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, depression or any other mental challenge. It may comfort for the short term, distract from the pain, or even numb you. But food won’t solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger may actually make mental wellbeing worse. You’ll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion in whatever (other more long-term) way is effective for you. What little things could you do to?

8. Respect your body - it does so much for you Accept genetics will have an impact. Have realistic expectations and respect your body so you can feel better about who you are. Being overly critical of your body size or shape will once again lead to a diet mentality. You are amazing! Realise that and you will move towards a healthier attitude towards what you consume. Believe is when we say that if you do not love yourself NOW nothing will change if you become a size or two smaller.

9. Move! Nothing crazy. Just be a little active with exercise you enjoy. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body and on your overall health, rather than the calorie-burning effect of exercise. We all know someone who if they don't hit those steps EVERY day they go into melt down. There is absolutely NOTHING healthy about obsessing over calories. Instead, try focusing on how you feel after working out. The increased energy. The feeling of freedom and mobility.

10. Gentle, healthy nutrition Make more food choices that honor your health and help you feel good while remembering that you don’t have to eat perfectly to be healthy. One snack, one delicious takeaway meal, or one day of eating a little more than usual will not harm you. A focus on progress, not perfection is so much more helpful longer-term.

In summary, give intuitive eating a try if you want to regain control, cut out often unhealthy diet culture and remove the guilt!

If you have any questions relating to your nutrition, please reach out. We have a team of highly qualified experts able to support you.

Thank you for reading. Remember, be more YOU! Leanne x