1-Sentence-Summary: Intuitive Eating explores the philosophy of eating according to your body’s needs and ditching diets, eating trends, and other limiting eating programs in favor of a well-balanced lifestyle built on personal body-related needs.
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Favorite quote from the author:
Although science is ever-evolving and we’re always learning more about nutrition and dieting, it looks like people are struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle and an optimum weight level now more than ever. In fact, it looks like too much of a good thing can be detrimental to our perception of eating.
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole delves deep into the mass eating philosophy and debunks myths that prevent us from living well. With so many diets and options available on the market, it can be challenging to go back to our roots and find our way back to proper eating habits. In theory, a fair amount of vegetables, lean proteins, and fewer carbs, and fats, combined with occasional treats should be the key to a healthy body. In practice, it looks like there’s more to it.
Here are my three favourite lessons from the book:
- The concept of dieting itself prevents us from being healthy in life.
- Diets lead to short-term starvation, which is not going to help you lose weight.
- Ditch the idea of being able or not being able to have certain foods.
Now, we’ll explore each lesson in detail and learn some pretty useful concepts about intuitive eating.
Lesson 1: Instead of dieting for a determined period, change your lifestyle for the better
One of the main reasons behind failed diets is, in fact, the diet itself. Due to the fact that they promote restrictive eating habits, people can’t stick to them for a long period of time, as it’s counterintuitive to eat against your appetite. In contrast, changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy habits as a form of living is the key.
We’ve developed the habit of eating “comfort foods” when we’re anxious or stressed, and eating healthy foods when we want to look fit. This mentality itself is a big impediment to overcome when trying to change eating habits, as healthy foods are seen as compromises, and the unhealthy snacks are the sweet escape.
Frankly, it’s not our fault! The food and advertising industry created these assumptions in us, so it can be pretty difficult to get rid of them on our own. To help yourself overcome this situation, it’s best to stop looking for advice on all the faddish trends and diets that take the spotlight year after year.
Instead, go back to your roots and look for the simplest ways of eating. Instead of thinking of natural foods as the necessary thing to eat, think of them as being nutritious and nourishing for your body. Don’t compromise on treats, but reduce them or look for healthy options that are just as satisfying. Simply put, change your lifestyle, don’t diet!
Lesson 2: Diets are restrictive, so listening to your body and eating intuitively is the key
Diets are, by nature, restrictive and bound by time. When you’re restricting your calorie intake and cutting your food ratio, your body enters starvation mode, and since that’s not a natural state of being, when you can’t fight temptations anymore you end up overeating. The result? Unwanted pounds and an unsettling feeling.
Intuitive eating is all about listening to your body when it tells you something. We’re programmed to survive, so the gut is deeply
linked to our brain and it knows very well the foods it needs and when to have them.
Of course, our faulty way of eating has messed up the gut in time, so it may take some time to find your way back to your natural balance. Start by initiating a food journal and writing down your hunger level on a scale from one to ten every time you eat. After you’re done with your meal, write down the hunger level again.
As you keep track of your meals, you will notice patterns and may be able to realize which are the best times for you to eat and what foods feel best for your body. Following your own guidelines is the best “diet” that you could follow as it’s tailored to your own needs.
Lesson 3: Food is not a moral concept, so don’t “allow” yourself to have it
Food has become a controversial subject to a point where people talk about “forbidden” foods, about allowing themselves to have certain items or not, “comfort foods”, and many more absurd concepts that are far from intuitive eating.
First thing first, food isn’t a moral concept, so as to split it into good, bad, allowed, not allowed, and other categories. Food is fuel for the body, so listening to your gut when it asks for certain nutrients is the key to a happy life. Even in dieting, it’s been proven that forbidding foods leads to binge eating.
However, allowing yourself to have what you please will make you want it in moderate quantities. Of course, no one is saying that you should have a piece of chocolate or an apple pie whenever you see or crave them. Instead, think of replacing your cravings with a side of fruit or a nutritious alternative.
At the end of the day, it’s all about moderation and avoiding polarizing the concept of eating. That simple approach to life will save you a lot of time wasted on negative emotions. Also, make sure to always try and think of what your gut wants, and translate that into food, instead of reaching for the closest
Intuitive Eating Review
Intuitive Eating is a must-read for everyone who is concerned about their food intake and wants to live a long, fulfilled, healthy life. By ditching traditional diets and embracing gut-supportive foods and habits, you too can become more health-conscious and get over the struggles that come with dieting. Moreover, the book will teach how to achieve a healthy lifestyle and drop the idea of restrictive eating overall, all while keeping yourself in shape and within optimum parameters.
Who would I recommend the Intuitive Eating summary to?
The 30-year-old woman who is constantly struggling with her weight, the 38-year-old who is looking to become healthier and control their eating habits, or the 27-year-old person who’s facing health issues like bulimia and wants to learn how to cure them.
Last Updated on October 6, 2022