Intuitive eating: Listen to your body

Developing a healthy and harmonious relationship with food can be a lifelong challenge for many of us, especially for women. In an era dominated by diet trends, calorie counting, and social media body ideals, it’s not easy to quiet the external voices and focus inward, listening to our body’s signals and needs. Instead of succumbing to external pressures, it’s worth looking within ourselves for solutions and reconnecting with the innate wisdom we were born with. Intuitive eating is the art of this inward focus and trust in oneself.

 

The philosophy of intuitive eating was developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in the 1990s. Their approach rejects traditional diet mentality, strict rules, and guilt, instead encouraging you to tune in to when, how much, and what type of food your body needs. Intuitive eating treats the connection between body and mind as a holistic unity, focusing on positive feelings rather than self-punishment, which supports not only physical health but also mental well-being and self-esteem. Unlike diets, which usually cater to a temporary situation and yield short-term results, intuitive eating is a sustainable approach aimed at making peace with food and your body for life.

 

Essa World Tips:

Try to let go of the diet mentality

Diets often lead to feelings of failure, deprivation, or the yo-yo effect. Moreover, what works well for someone else might not work for you; a poorly chosen “magic diet” could even cause you more harm than good.

 

Pay attention to hunger and fullness signals  

Learn to recognize your body’s hunger cues and prioritize them. If you're hungry, don’t delay eating, and never starve yourself. The same goes for the opposite situation—don’t keep eating or take seconds out of habit. Eat as much as your body truly needs.

 

Mindful eating  

To truly tune in to your body’s signals, it’s important that eating is a conscious, calm activity. Don’t rush, and avoid distracting your mind with media content while eating. Fullness signals typically come with a 20 minute delay, so if you don’t give yourself time or focus elsewhere, you can easily overeat.

 

Food journaling  

Keep notes or a journal about how you felt after eating certain foods. What made you feel good, and what made you feel bad? What gave you energy, or what helped you sleep well at night? Rely on your own experiences!

 

Social media clear out  

Are you following pages or influencers that make you anxious about what you eat or even about your body? Try to clear those creators out of your following list. Look for the ones who inspire you positively.

 

Reconsider your language  

Try to avoid negative words like “cheating” when it comes to eating. Words have power: feelings of guilt, intense cravings, and binge eating can surface as a result if you mentally ban yourself from certain foods.

 

Dare to enjoy food  

Enjoyment and satisfaction are among the strongest motivators when it comes to eating. Make your meals special so that you don’t feel deprived.

 

Avoid suppressing your emotions with food  

Find ways to comfort yourself without turning to food. If you actively care for your mental health and find methods that help you—whether it’s exercise or therapy—you won’t need to use food as an emotional crutch to cope with anxiety, anger, boredom, or sadness.

 

Exercise intuitively  

Just as with eating, listen to your body when exercising. Don’t focus solely on burning calories; instead, concentrate on what feels good at the moment and how you feel in your body after a workout.

 

Think long-term  

Be patient and compassionate with yourself as you learn and figure out how this works for you in practice.

 

Learn and educate yourself  

Along the way, don’t forget to educate yourself. Today, there’s a wealth of literature, articles, and podcasts on the subject. Dietitians specializing in intuitive eating can also be a great help.