Cut the food noise: Intuitive eating 101

For decades, a healthy meal has been defined as one that limits as many “bad” foods as possible. Recently there’s been movement away from that restrictive mindset to instead follow your intuition.

Intuitive eating encourages you to recognize your body’s needs, wants and cues rather than just eating to adhere to dietary guidelines, schedules or society’s views of what’s “good” for you.

It sounds simple, says family medicine provider Jennifer Banks, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C, with MultiCare Rockwood Clinic. But it’s a full overhaul of how you think and eat.

“It can feel a little out of control in the beginning, because you’re allowing yourself to eat those things that you’ve been avoiding,” she says. “It takes some self-exploration to understand why you feel negative about certain foods … but dismantling that mindset is possible.”

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive eating is a method of recognizing what your body needs and wants and honoring that, Banks says. The goal is to learn about your body and what foods will leave you full and satisfied.

It’s an approach that views food as neutral and asks, “What can I add to my meal?” rather than focusing on restriction and shame — something so many of us grew up witnessing from family, friends, television and social media.

“Your body and schedule need different things at different times,” Banks explains. “McDonald’s isn’t garbage, and you’re not bad for eating it. But are you missing out on some nutrition? Yes. And this approach looks at what we can add into your day to meet those needs.”

Intuitive eating is grounded in a few key principles that serve as a guide to improve your relationship with food and your body.

Key principles of intuitive eating

1. Trusting your body’s cues

We often don’t recognize we’re hungry until our mood has shifted, grogginess has hit or suddenly we feel nauseous and weak, explains Banks.

“Mindfulness is a catchphrase these days, but it really is about taking time to be present [to] see what’s going on in your body,” she says. “A lot of us feel like we don’t have time to stop and think through those things.”

Intuitive eating encourages taking a full body scan of how you’re feeling. Ask yourself: “How do I feel? I haven’t eaten in a few hours and I’ve been working at my computer. Would a short break and snack improve my headache?”

When you slow down between and during meals, you’re better able to recognize feelings of hunger and fullness and respond appropriately.

2. Making peace with food

From the time you were young, you’ve probably heard that certain foods are good or bad for you. Breads, pastas and cheese usually fall on the bad list, while fruits, vegetables and lean meats fall on the opposite end.

Intuitive eating challenges you to change that mindset and recognize food as fuel — what matters most is that you meet your nutritional needs in a way that’s filling, satisfying and enjoyable, Banks explains.

Making peace with food and learning to enjoy it for the nutritional, social or creativity components it can offer are supported in principles three and four.

3. Ignoring the food police

Food policing refers to the shame or guilt you feel for eating certain foods or “too much.”

For many, this can be one of the most challenging principles — food policing is rooted in misinformation and long-held beliefs. However, it’s also an opportunity to question why you think this way, who taught you this and why you hold it to such importance, Banks explains.

“Food noise can be so constant,” she says. “Once you’re able to neutralize food and feel less shame, you feel less shame overall, and that frees up a lot of mental space.”

If you can, you may want to work through these thoughts with a mental health provider, Banks adds. There are also resources online to help in this journey.

4. Finding satisfaction

The foundation of intuitive eating is those feelings of fullness and satisfaction, but understanding nutrition is also important. For example, a slice of toast with butter may fill you up in the moment, but you’ll find yourself getting hungry much sooner than if you had a slice of toast with peanut butter.

Nutrition can be confusing, Banks says. She recommends talking with your primary care provider or a nutritionist who can walk through your specific needs.

If you’d rather explore on your own, be wary of a Google or social media search, which can give you 20 different opinions in 30 seconds of scrolling. There are many apps and tools out there, but they’re not one-size-fits-all — which is where listening to your own body comes in.

If you know you’ll be waiting longer until your next meal, try pairing a fat or protein with that carb for breakfast and see how much longer you feel full. Or if you’re craving a bowl of soup on a cold day, ask yourself if that will fill you up and be enjoyable, or would adding a side of warm bread better meet your needs and wants?

5. Taking a whole-body approach

Along with changing your view on food, intuitive eating also encourages approaching physical activity in a more enjoyable way.

“We know that exercise is good for us — for mental health, lungs, bones, sleep, etc.,” explains Banks. “What’s not good for us is making people punish themselves with it.”

Intuitive eating promotes the idea of joyful movement, she says. Rather than using physical activity as a method to decrease caloric load, it’s about doing something that gets you moving and feeling good.

“You don’t need to do a certain set of minutes. It could be anything that gets your body moving,” Banks says. “If you like doing ultramarathons, that’s great. But if you don’t, do what makes you feel good.”

Long-term benefits

Intuitive eating and joyful movement are not anti-weight loss, just as they’re not about binge-eating and living a sedentary life, Banks says.

“Intuitive eating lets you feel better living in your own skin,” she says. “There’s a large genetic component to the way we look, our size and how we feel in our clothes — and we can’t change that.”

While quick solutions may be appealing, you’re more likely to rebound once you stop, whereas a whole-body, nonrestrictive approach sets you up for long-term success, Banks says.

“If we go through all this and you don’t lose a pound, that’s OK. If you do lose weight, that’s OK too, because it means your body wanted to,” she says. “We’re doing this so you can feel better … if we slow down and listen to our bodies, we can be healthier in the end.”