Why I Believe In Intuitive Eating and Where I Think It Falls Down
I personally LOVE hearing about and reading other people’s perspectives when it comes to health and wellness. I think it’s super important to always have an open mind and an open heart when it comes to wellness and what works best for you because what might work for me might not work for you and that’s totally okay. I believe the purpose of a wellness journey is for you to truly understand what works best for you, what allows you to feel your best, what allows you to be your best self, and where you can find balance (aka non-judgemental room) to enjoy your life to the fullest (wine and all).
There has been a lot of conversation in the wellness world around intuitive eating, diet culture, intuitive fasting, clean eating and so forth. The conversation got so heated that the intuitive eating community drew a hard line between what it means to be an intuitive eater vs. everything else….you are either totally against diet culture or you are feeding into diet culture and there is no room for middle line perspectives.
The conversation got so heated on social media I decided to take a step back and look within myself. I wanted to reassess my own values and beliefs so I could continue to be clear with myself and clear with my clients because where I stand influences our work together.
Why I believe in intuitive eating:
It’s the rejection of diet culture and an obsession to be a certain size/number on the scale
There is no such thing as good and bad foods, food is food and all foods should be enjoyed
It celebrates movement rather than exercise being a punishment
The purpose is to help you reconnect with yourself, what you love, your cravings and your hunger cues so YOU are in charge of your life, no one/nothing else
Where I believe intuitive eating falls down:
If you are only eating foods that are processed and high in sugar you’re not nourishing your body in a way for it to run optimally. This could cause blood sugar spikes, hormonal issues, inflammation, stress, gut issues and more
It doesn’t allow any room for an individual to explore (in a non restrictive way) an elimination type food experience which could help heal the gut and in turn increase positive and honest communication between the individual and their body
It makes words like Whole30, gluten free, paleo, fasting, dairy free and others dirty words when in reality when you know what types of foods make you feel your best, those types of recipes might be what you want to lean into
Overall, I love that we are moving away from strict rules, off limit foods and weight-loss obsession into a world where health, balance and wellbeing are not a perfect set of rules to follow, but more about balance, moderation and what makes you feel your best (mind, body and spirit).
The reality is, I believe there is a beautiful intersection between intuitive eating and everything else. You’re a smart little cookie and when you feel calm and in a balanced place, you know exactly what you need to fuel your body what it needs. You don’t need to be told what to eat, you just need to educate yourself, have an open heart and mind, and understand how the foods you eat affect your body.
I could go on and on, but for now I leave it here….
yes I still drink wine, eat pizza and enjoy ice cream
I love a hard workout that makes me sweat but I’m also cool with just a walk
I don’t own a scale but I like to track my steps
I love whole foods, collagen, golden milk, hot yoga, infrared sauna, float spas, clean beauty and more because I don’t think of it as a fad/diet but believe it truly adds to my overall wellbeing in a positive and nurturing way
Find your balance. Find your intersection.