I want to try Intuitive Eating…but what about my health?

Intuitive Eating (IE) sometimes gets a reputation for allowing all food at the expense of good health. Let’s dive into that a little closer. (And be sure to read up on the official book of Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch to understand it in its complexity! Intuitive Eating as defined by the internet can miss the mark.)

Intuitive Eating doesn’t ignore nutrition.

Diet culture spends so much time pressuring us to “eat healthy/clean” that IE has to do some damage control. It may appear that IE encourages “unhealthy eating” in its effort to counteract diet culture, but that’s not the whole story. There is room for all foods without judgment. IE values nutrition as it contributes to feeling invigorated in your body, but does NOT value the pressure to maintain a lifestyle that feels oppressive. This distinction is critical.

Nutrition is only a piece of the pie.

Does nutrition contribute to good health? Studies point to yes. Is it the whole picture? Studies point to No. Is it marketed as the whole picture (along with exercise)? Absolutely. Eating vegetables is great, but when it comes at the expense of your mental health (see: obsession, stress, stigma, orthorexia), there is less return on investment. Joy, stress management, connection, and community are other aspects of health and longevity that don’t get as much attention, but have as much to do with our health as our food.

Nutrition is ill-defined.

What’s “healthy” on kept is “toxic” for vegans. Nutrition advice is conflicting and depends on your lens. You can’t possibly adhere to all of the nutrition advice out there (which trends in cycles). IE advocates for experimenting with food until you figure out how YOUR body feels best. Keep in mind: sustainability, mental health, joy, and energy. Your personal recipe for health is going to look different than any wellness plan can prescribe.

Weight cycling, restriction, and eating disorders are damaging to your health.

Isn’t it ironic? The more rigid our rules become around health, the worse our health actually becomes. If your constant efforts at being healthy result in nutritional deficits, weight roller-coasteering, and disordered eating, something is not working. Ultimately, IE brings your body a level of homeostasis that better serves your health.

The initial phase is more frenzied than the long term.

If you think of IE as an all-out eating fest, you’ve been misled. YES—when you begin to restore your relationship with food, there is a period of frenzied eating that comes with swinging the pendulum back to the middle. This phase is an important part of the process but it does not last forever. Once your body trusts that restriction is not a threat, it will stop sending signals to “get it while you can.”

Diet Culture doesn’t own vegetables.

Like vegetables? Me too! You can eat them! Diet culture doesn’t own the salad bar.