Intuitive Eating

The book "Intuitive Eating" by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole presents an approach that encourages us to focus on our own bodies and their needs instead of following strict diets. This approach is a response to the paradox of modern society where, despite the abundance of information on healthy eating, we are facing an obesity pandemic. The book offers an alternative, which is to restore a natural relationship with food and avoid the stress and neurotic behaviour associated with diets. Intuitive eating begins by getting rid of the diet mentality. Diets often force us to restrict food, which leads to negative food perceptions and constant deprivation. This process causes food to become stressful and triggers a cycle of restriction and subsequent overeating. Intuitive eating, however, teaches us that the key to health is not deprivation, but a return to listening to our own bodily signals. One of the main aspects of intuitive eating is the ability to recognize hunger and satiety signals again. In today's world, we often eat according to external factors, such as dietary rules or social norms, rather than what our bodies are telling us. Intuitive eating encourages us to pay attention to these signals and eat when we are truly hungry and stop when we are already full. Another important part of this approach is letting go of the guilt associated with eating. Often we associate food with guilt, especially if we have eaten something that is considered "unhealthy" or "forbidden" by diets. Intuitive eating teaches us that all foods have their place in a healthy diet, and that guilt disrupts our relationship with food and leads to even more frustration and failure. Intuitive eating is therefore not just about food choices, but also about returning to harmony between body and food. This approach allows us to see food as something that brings us joy and supports our health, instead of being a source of stress and anxiety.

Diets, although often presented as a quick and easy way to lose weight and improve our health, in reality rarely work in the long term and can have negative consequences on our health and relationship with food. One of the main problems is that diets deprive us of the pleasure of food and create a neurotic relationship with eating. Focusing on restricting food leads to feelings of deprivation and interferes with our ability to enjoy food naturally. Long-term studies show that diets often lead to the opposite result to what people expect - instead of permanent weight loss, they increase the risk of weight gain. Research from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007 found that 66 percent of people who dieted eventually gained more weight than they lost. This result shows that diets themselves are often responsible for weight gain, which may happen because of biological mechanisms that the body triggers in response to restricting food intake. One of the most important experiments was carried out by the American scientist Ancel Keys during World War II. Keys selected 32 healthy young men and first allowed them to eat without restriction. But then he cut their caloric intake in half to simulate a state of half-starvation. The results were shocking. The men lost about 24 percent of their body weight, and their metabolism dropped by 40 percent. At the same time, serious psychological problems emerged - the men were apathetic, irritable and suffered from depression. After six months, they were again allowed to eat as they pleased. However, an insatiable hunger subsequently became apparent, leading to overeating and, in some cases, even bulimia. The men's eating normalized after five months. This experiment showed that restricting food intake leads to extreme physiological and psychological responses, including a cycle of overeating. This phenomenon is also seen in animals, where experiments have shown that rats that were forced to restrict food and then given unrestricted access to food gained more weight than rats that ate normally. This mechanism has parallels in humans, where food restriction causes the body to perceive a state of threat and consequently increases cravings for calorie-dense foods. Biology plays a key role in this process. For example, the neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y is responsible for the strong craving for carbohydrates that is often associated with overeating. When people experience cravings for foods such as bread or sweets, it is not always a lack of strong willpower, but the body's biochemical response to dietary restrictions. In the battle between willpower and biology, the body usually has the upper hand. Emotionally, diets are also exhausting. The constant cycle of denying oneself food and subsequent guilt leads to overeating and frustration. This cycle benefits the diet industry, which rakes in billions of dollars a year and offers endless diets that do not produce long-term results. Ironically, despite the plethora of diets available, obesity rates continue to rise, suggesting that these approaches are ineffective. Thus, diets are not an effective solution for permanent weight control or for healthy eating. Instead of helping people achieve long-term health, they often contribute to weight gain and create an unhealthy relationship with food that manifests itself in cycles of deprivation and overeating.

The body has a natural ability to regulate its food intake and energy needs if we allow it to function without artificial restrictions and diets. Intuitive eating is based on the idea that our body already knows what it needs and that we should learn to listen to it. One of the best examples of this natural ability is found in toddlers. Leann Birch, an American developmental psychologist, published a series of articles on toddler eating habits in the 1990s that showed that when toddlers have free access to food, their calorie intake varies from meal to meal and from day to day. Despite this variability, their overall caloric intake is stable over a prolonged period of time. This proves that toddlers' bodies naturally tell them when and how much to eat. Adults have the same ability to regulate their energy needs, but problems arise when we engage in diets or start denying ourselves food. Restrictive diets gradually teach us to ignore hunger and satiety signals, which leads to disruption of our natural balance. One of the key steps to returning to intuitive eating is to re-respect hunger signals. This process means listening to your body and eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. One helpful way to begin this process is to keep a hunger diary in which you rate your hunger on a scale of one to ten before each meal and repeat it after each meal. This approach will help you gain a better understanding of your eating habits and adapt to your body's actual needs. When we stop ignoring hunger and satiety signals and allow the body to follow its natural mechanisms, we meet our energy needs without deprivation or overeating. As a result, eating habits become more natural and balanced as the body adjusts to its true energy expenditure. The mechanisms our bodies have for regulating food intake are the result of millions of years of evolution. Intuitive eating allows us to reconnect with these mechanisms and get rid of artificial diets that often lead to a disruption in our relationship with food. This approach emphasizes not only what we eat, but also how we perceive ourselves and how we respond to our body's needs.

Food is not only a physical need, but also a powerful emotional experience that influences our relationship with food and our eating habits. This emotional dimension can have both positive and negative consequences on what and how we eat. Diets often exploit our emotions, creating guilt associated with eating certain foods. Foods are separated into 'good' and 'bad', which can lead to the food we normally enjoy being a source of shame. This dichotomous approach puts us in an emotional struggle between what we would like to eat and what we consider right or wrong. When we deny ourselves foods we like for a long time, it increases our craving for them. Sooner or later, we give in to this craving, which leads to overeating and subsequent feelings of guilt. This cycle of deprivation, overeating and guilt repeats itself over and over again, deepening our neurotic relationship with food. Moreover, the emotional roller coaster associated with dieting may initially motivate us when we feel the virtue of avoiding the "bad" foods, but with time leads to frustration and impoverishment from constant restriction. Intuitive eating comes up with a solution to this problem by teaching us to make peace with food and stop deprivation. When we allow ourselves to eat "forbidden" foods without guilt, they lose their tempting and forbidden status, making our relationship with food more balanced. An important step in this process is consciously listening to the body and its needs, as well as being aware of our feelings when we eat. When eating intuitively, it is recommended to focus on the taste of the food and how it makes us feel when we eat it. This mindful approach helps us to recognize our true needs and better respond to the body's signals without succumbing to the cycle of guilt and restriction. Ultimately, food is not only a physical need, but an emotional one as well. Learning to respect this emotional aspect helps us develop a healthy and balanced relationship with food, improving not only our eating habits but also our overall sense of satisfaction and well-being.

One of the main principles of intuitive eating is to give ourselves unconditional permission to eat all foods, including those we have previously forbidden ourselves. This approach may seem counterproductive at first, but research suggests that giving ourselves permission to eat 'forbidden' foods reduces our cravings for them and therefore our risk of overeating. Many diets are built on the idea that certain foods are 'addictive' and lead to overeating and weight gain. Therefore, they often recommend avoiding them completely. However, this strategy ignores the fact that denying ourselves these foods makes them more appealing, and when we eventually succumb to them, we tend to overeat. One study published in 2011 in the journal *Eating Disorders* showed that people with eating disorders who were allowed to eat forbidden foods as part of their therapy showed a lower tendency to overeat. This result suggests that being allowed to eat all foods may lead to a healthier relationship with food and less overeating. In practice, this approach means identifying previously forbidden foods and gradually allowing ourselves to consume them. It is important to be aware of how we feel when we eat them - whether they actually taste as good as we imagined and how we feel after eating them. In this way, we can realise that forbidden foods may not be as exceptional as we thought. Allowing us to eat all foods does not mean that we will eat mindlessly. On the contrary, intuitive eating teaches us to better perceive hunger and satiety signals. When we eliminate the feeling of scarcity, we stop feeling the need to overeat because there is no longer a "limited" window of opportunity to eat our favorite foods. This approach also reduces the emotional stress associated with eating. When we stop categorizing foods as "good" or "bad," we can focus more on our bodies and what they really need. Food then becomes less of a source of guilt and more of a natural part of our daily lives - both nourishment and pleasure. This step is a core principle of intuitive eating and allows us to build a healthier, more balanced and less stressful relationship with food.

When we think about food, we often tend to divide food into "good" and "bad" based on various diets and dietary regulations. These artificial categories and restrictions can have detrimental consequences for our relationship with food and eating habits. This negative attitude is driven by the so-called 'food police', which is an inner voice that constantly evaluates what we eat and triggers feelings of guilt and anxiety. Such perceived restrictions create unhealthy eating patterns because when we repeatedly tell ourselves that certain foods are bad and should be avoided, they become all the more appealing to us. When we finally give in to temptation, overeating and feelings of failure usually follow, putting us back into a vicious cycle of restriction and cravings. The food police are a set of internal rules and beliefs about food that are created by dieting and social norms. This inner voice forces us to constantly judge our eating and creates negative emotions such as shame or guilt. For example, if we have a sugary dessert, we may feel guilty and think we have failed because we broke some "healthy" rule. Ignoring the food police and their irrational rules is the foundation for a healthier relationship with food. Instead of constant self-judgment, we should replace these negative thoughts with a more pragmatic approach. That is, instead of strict restrictions, we will see food as a source of nourishment and pleasure that we can consume without guilt. The key is to identify and challenge irrational beliefs about food. For example, if we become aware that we have intense negative feelings about a particular food, we should ask: "Why do I feel this way? Is this belief actually true or based on inaccurate assumptions?" A framing example might be a person who believes that if he or she has pizza for dinner, he or she will immediately gain weight the next morning. This idea is wrong because the human body does not react that quickly to food. Feelings of bloating or discomfort are the result of temporary water retention rather than fat gain. When we reframe these misconceptions, their negative charge and guilt disappear. When we stop judging food based on strict rules and begin to perceive it neutrally, we will be able to make informed decisions about what and when to eat. This approach will allow us to enjoy food without guilt and lead a more sustainable and healthy eating pattern. By ignoring the food police and loosening artificial restrictions, we will gain greater freedom and flexibility in our eating. We will learn to listen better to our bodies and their true needs, which will help us improve not only our physical but also our emotional health.

Respecting the feeling of fullness is an essential aspect of intuitive eating that helps create a healthier relationship with food. This approach leads us to relearn how to recognize and respond to the signals our body sends when it is full and satisfied. One of the reasons people often overeat is because they prohibit certain foods due to dietary restrictions, which creates a feeling of deprivation. However, once we allow ourselves to eat all foods without regret or restriction, this feeling of deprivation disappears, naturally eliminating the desire to overeat the "forbidden" foods. Unconditional permission to eat is therefore an essential step towards being able to listen to and respect our body's signals. Mindful eating is an important tool to help us learn to respect these signals. This means focusing on the process of eating - the taste, smell, texture of the food and how our body feels while we eat. When we are attentive to these sensations, it is easier to realize when we are already sufficiently satiated. One mindful eating technique is to take a short break in the middle of a meal. Stop and take a moment to become aware of how hungry you are, how the food tastes, and whether you feel that you are already full. These questions will help you get a better handle on how your body feels and whether it needs more food. Respecting satiety also requires trusting your own body. Our body is able to regulate its energy intake very precisely if we let it function without restriction. When we learn to sense and respond to satiety signals, we can avoid overeating and maintain a healthy weight naturally, without the need to follow strict diets. Practicing mindful and intuitive eating helps us reconnect with our body and its natural needs. Respecting the feeling of fullness is a key step towards a healthy and balanced relationship with food, allowing us to enjoy food without guilt or restriction.

Diets often cause emotional swings that can negatively affect not only our mental health, but also our relationship with food. These swings occur when we start to follow rules that divide food into 'good' and 'bad', which in turn creates a cycle of deprivation and overeating. Initially, dieting can bring a sense of motivation and achievement as we adhere to restrictions and avoid "forbidden" foods. However, this state of virtuousness does not last long. Gradually, frustration and feelings of impoverishment set in as we deny ourselves the foods we love. This feeling of deprivation often leads us to eventually succumb to cravings for forbidden foods. When this happens, we feel guilty and disappointed in ourselves because we feel that we have broken the rules we have set for ourselves. This sense of failure often throws us into another cycle of overeating because we feel that we have already thwarted our efforts. This destructive cycle - from deprivation to overeating and back to guilt - repeats itself over and over again, creating an emotional roller coaster that is mentally exhausting. Furthermore, this cycle is exacerbated by cultural norms that emphasize thinness as a symbol of beauty and self-control. Such societal pressure further reinforces the desire to diet and creates an unhealthy relationship with food and one's own body. Dieting also causes us to become obsessed with food. Constantly thinking about what we can or cannot eat interferes with our ability to listen to our body's natural signals. This constant mental battle can lead to increased stress, anxiety and frustration, further weakening our relationship with food and causing us to feel increasingly dissatisfied. The solution is intuitive eating, which allows us to leave this cycle behind and create a healthier relationship with food. This approach leads us to give ourselves permission to eat all foods, listen to our bodies and respond to their needs. Intuitive eating eliminates feelings of deprivation and reduces the risk of overeating. Instead of constantly battling our cravings and feelings of guilt, we learn to respect our needs and enjoy food without unnecessary regrets. When we stop seeing food as the enemy and learn to listen to our body's signals, we can avoid the emotional swings caused by dieting. This approach will help us find inner peace and sustainable eating habits that support a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Intuitive eating is a healthy and sustainable approach to food that offers an alternative to traditional diets. Diets often lead to deprivation, consequent overeating and disruption of our relationship with food. In contrast, intuitive eating teaches us to trust our body's signals, which naturally know what it needs. This approach helps to achieve a balanced diet without the need for strict restrictions. Food also has a strong emotional dimension, which is why it is important to learn to respect the feeling of fullness and to allow ourselves to eat all foods. In this way, we reduce the desire for forbidden foods and eliminate the risk of overeating. Ignoring the so-called food police and removing perceived restrictions leads to a healthier and more balanced approach to eating. This approach allows us to avoid the emotional roller coaster associated with dieting, helping to create a lasting and positive relationship with food. Through intuitive eating, we can find a balance between meeting our body's needs and enjoying food without guilt or fear of overeating. Do you have feedback for us? We'd love it if you let us know your opinion on our content! Just send an email to feedback@rewio.app with the title of this book in the subject line and share your impressions!