What exactly IS Intuitive Eating?

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Intuitive Eating: What is it? How does it work?

• It varies from person to person. Because our tastes, bodies,

activities, emotions, and spiritual paths are different, what our

bodies require in terms of nourishment also differs.

• It is cyclical. Weekly, monthly, and annual cycles, even life

cycles, change our body's need for, and responses to, food.

• It is imperfect. Intuitive eating does not mean we'll always

choose absolutely " healthy " or " pristine " foods. We won't always

feel as if we've had a " perfect " balance.

• It is rhythmic. We feel pleasantly full (but not stuffed) after a

meal and pleasantly hungry (but not starving) before the next.

• It includes a wide variety of foods. Cereals and grains, fruits

and vegetables, dairy products, meats, beans, nuts, and even fats

play a role in normal, intuitive eating. Again, the exact balance

and variety of foods must be individualized.

• It is free of obsession. It acknowledges that our compulsions are

due to biochemical or emotional reasons and any over- or under-

eating is a clue to begin looking further as an opportunity for

learning.

• It is nourishing to the body and spirit.

• It feels good. Good food in the right amounts and at the right

times excites the senses. It provides tactile and taste sensations

as we eat, and a pleasurable " full " feeling afterward. When we

finish a meal, we feel comforted and renewed - physically,

emotionally, and even spiritually.

• It is an essential component of self care. What better way to

nurture ourselves than with the foods we need and enjoy in the

amounts we require?

(taken from: http://www.nanallison.com/intuitiveeating.htm)