Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is a non-diet approach to eating that emphasizes listening to and honoring one's body's hunger and fullness cues and cultivating a healthy relationship with food and body image. Developed by two registered dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, intuitive eating is based on ten principles, including rejecting the diet mentality, honoring hunger and fullness, making peace with food, and finding joy in movement. The approach has numerous physical and psychological health benefits, including improved body image, decreased disordered eating behaviors, and better metabolic health.
The process of starting intuitive eating may be a daunting one, but Tribole and Resch outline the following ten principles in their book (referenced below):
- Reject the diet mentality
- Honor your hunger
- Make peace with food
- Challenge the food police
- Respect your fullness
- Discover the satisfaction factor
- Honor your feelings without using food
- Respect your body
- Exercise--feel the difference
- Honor your health with gentle nutrition
These principles, even individually, are complex and worthy of their articles (and some of their books!). Our relationship with food is as deep as our evolution. If you are interested in intuitive eating, talk with a registered dietician specializing in intuitive eating! Spoiler alert: in the dieting industry, "intuitive eating" is slow to catch on. Not everyone believes such a carefree process can exist to maintain health, but it is so much more than that. For more information, read Tribole and Resch's book!
References:
Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works. St. Martin's Griffin.
Tylka, T. L., Annunziato, R. A., Burgard, D., Daníelsdóttir, S., Shuman, E., Davis, C., & Calogero, R. M. (2014). The weight-inclusive versus weight-normative approach to health: evaluating the evidence for prioritizing well-being over weight loss. Journal of Obesity, 2014.
Article Review: What is relational well-being?
There are many components of well-being! Sometimes five concepts, and sometimes eight, like in the model we use here at WSU Well-being Online. One of the common factors in these various models is some concept of "relational well-being."
This week's article discusses the concept of Relational Well Being, which involves building healthy, nurturing, and supportive relationships and fostering a genuine connection with those around you. The authors offer tips on achieving and maintaining Relational Well Being, such as reflecting on one's social and relational needs, keeping in touch with supportive friends and family, practicing active listening, and joining a club or organization. The article also highlights the importance of good Relational Well Being and how it can improve all areas of one's life. A case study is presented in which a person consciously prioritizes their Relational Well Being and reconnects with their family and community. The article suggests that improving Relational Well Being requires changes to one's lifestyle, just like physical fitness or nutrition.