The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating guide participants on a journey where they learn how to take care of their emotional and physical health by rejecting diet mentality and reconnecting to the innate wisdom of their bodies.
As a practitioner of mindfulness and teacher of mindful eating, I try to weave mindfulness practices into each session as a powerful and effective way to access this body wisdom, increase the enjoyment around food and eating, improve body image, cope with emotions and reduce stress.
Intuitive Eating is not a diet. Diets don’t work long term for the vast majority of people, and have many negative short and long term consequences including eating disorders, unhealthy eating behaviors, weight cycling (aka yoyo dieting), weight gain and a general inability to connect and respond to body cues.
The principles of Intuitive Eating are not diet rules; rather they are guidelines for how to move away from the confinement of diet culture and towards a life where they are able to listen and respond to their needs for both nourishment and nurturance.
The Intuitive Eating program views all foods as having equal moral value; meaning that foods are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and the individual is not judged for their food choices. This neutrality allows participants to discover their food preferences and make personal food choices based on how these foods make them feel emotionally and physically, rather from intimidation, guilt and fear.
Intuitive Eating is weight neutral. This means that the focus of the program is not on weight loss, but on encouraging participants to take a more active role in taking care of their bodies by engaging in behaviors that make them feel energetic and well.
Intuitive Eating is a self care eating framework. Intuitive Eating promotes body autonomy, interceptive awareness and cultivates body trust and respect. Intuitive Eating can be life changing because it teaches participants how to connect with and respond to the physical and emotional states of their bodies. In spite of fears to the contrary, intuitive eaters consume a wide variety of foods, have overall improved health markers, experience increased satisfaction from eating, have less anxiety and a lowered risk of disordered eating.
I am very passionate about teaching Intuitive Eating, Mindful Eating and other mindfulness based practices because they not only do they have the potential to improve people’s relationship with food, but they also are effective at reducing stress, increasing happiness and improving well-being.
If you have questions or you want more information about the group, I can be reached at [email protected] or at 0525714980.
Laurie Duitch, Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor