Basic Principles Of Intuitive Nutrition

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Most people are beginning to accept the idea that diets have no long-term effect. In fact, about 90-95% of all diets fail. One of the reasons for failed diets is the yo-yo effect.

Some of the reasons people do not go on a diet are that they blame themselves too much, lack of will, lack of self-control, bad genetics. Sometimes they blame themselves so much that they stop eating and go into a dangerous mode of starvation instead of adopting a healthier approach (conscious eating).

Along with healthier approaches to nutrition comes “ intuitive eating “- an emerging approach to sustainable healthy eating and body intake.

Is intuitive eating based on evidence? Yes, according to dozens of studies, this approach seems a promising and realistic alternative for dealing with overweight and obesity compared to conventional ways to lose weight.

What is intuitive eating?

What is the definition of intuitive eating? There is no single definition of intuitive eating, as different people approach this style of eating in unique ways.

The term "intuitive nutrition" was first introduced in the 1990s by the authors of the book "Intuitive Nutrition", "Registered Dietitians" Evelyn Tribol and Elise Resch. They describe intuitive eating such as: “a new way of eating that is ultimately painless and healthy for your mind and body. This is a process that removes the "shackles" of the diet (which can only lead to deprivation). That means going back to your roots - trusting your body and its signals.

The percentage of obese and overweight people continues to rise, but more and more people are reporting that they are on a "diet".

Many studies have found the positive effects of intuitive eating, including preventing obesity, lowering body mass indices, lowering cortisol levels, and improving overall appearance.

The basics of intuitive eating

Evelyn Tribol and Elise Resch call their approach "a 180-degree deviation from the diet." Instead of focusing heavily on weight loss, deprivation, reducing or counting calories, and writing off certain foods, their goal is to teach people how to eat in a way that maintains a healthier relationship with food.

Nutritionists and therapists involved in intuitive nutrition research, also constitute several different general guidelines, which include:

1. Mostly inherent nutrition - eating based on your internal signals of satiety and hunger.

2. Eating based on your mood, social situation, time of day or food availability without guilt.

3. Antidiet - eating that is not determined by any particular diet, such as calorie counting or following a risky low-fat diet plan.

4. Self-care and acceptance of the body (regardless of the current size).

How do you learn to be intuitive when it comes to food choices? One way is to follow The 10 principles of intuitive eating.

1. Reject the diet mentality - you must reject the idea that there may be a better diet than yours.

2. Listen to your hunger - support your body with enough food to provide you with enough energy and carbohydrates.

3. Reconcile with food - if you tell yourself that you can not or should not eat certain foods, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation, which turn into uncontrollable longing and frequent eating.

4. Challenge the food police - shout a loud "NO" to the thoughts in your head that accuse you of eating a piece of chocolate cake.

5. Respect your satiety - listen to your body's signals that you are no longer hungry.

6. Discover the satisfaction factor - when you eat what you really want, in an environment that is favorable, the pleasure you get will be a powerful force to help you feel satisfied and full.

7. Respect your feelings without using food - find ways to comfort, nourish, distract and solve your problems without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger are emotions that we all experience throughout life. Food will not correct any of these feelings.

8. Respect your body - Accept your genetic plan - do not be too critical of your body shape.

9. Exercise - shift your focus to how you feel during exercise, not to burning calories;

10. Respect your health - choose foods that maintain your health. Remember that you do not need to be on a perfect diet to be healthy.

Does it lose weight with intuitive eating?

If you are hoping to find a difference at intuitive eating "Before" and "after" photos showing drastic weight loss results, you will probably be disappointed. The connection between intuitive eating and weight loss is controversial, but many intuitive nutrition experts say that weight loss is not the main goal of this diet.

Most supporters of intuitive eating believe that the goal of weight loss should not be central, but rather should be placed in the background in order to focus on overall health and feel good. Some studies have also found that intuitive eating does not lead to weight loss in many cases, especially compared to strict calorie control.

Here's the good news: some studies have found that people who feed intuitively, are less prone to the yo-yo effect.

Numerous studies show that rejecting most "diets" leads to better body intake, healthy weight control, nutritious dietary choices, and even lower incidence of eating disorder symptoms.