30 Jan Intuitive Eating Book Review
What does a way of eating look like when you don’t worry about your weight and follow your hunger?
Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Programme that Works
Authors:
Evelyn Tribole (Registered Dietitian)
Elise Resch (Registered Dietitian)
Published 13 August 2012
Paperback, 344 pages
Ask Dr. Google on how to lose weight and you will find many examples of contradictory messages. The most consistent message you will get is to cut something out, eat less and exercise more. But what would happen if you ditched the diet mentality, threw out the scales and ate with satisfaction and enjoyment?
This book, published in the USA, brings a total paradigm shift to the current thinking about weight and health. It dives deep into the diet mentality which goes far beyond popular diet trends. Intuitive eating is ‘is a dynamic process – integrating atonement of mind, body and food. It includes the principles of mindful eating, but also encompasses a broader philosophy, addressing the issues of cognitive distortions and emotional eating’. The book includes reference to the Healthy at Every Size (HAES) movement, which focuses on health rather than weight.
An everyday practise of intuitive eating is to simply eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full and to give yourself permission to eat what feels good to you. This book explains why diets don’t work. It talks about the cycle of restricting foods and ignoring hunger cues that leads to an unhealthy relationship with food and poor body image.
Reading this book made me want to learn more about the research and opinions surrounding intuitive eating. The book questions a lot of popular thinking about weight and health, especially the sustainability of maintaining weight loss over a long period of time. It also is an approach that is closely related to the body-positive movement, HAES and fat acceptance.
The book is a very detailed and in-depth introduction to intuitive eating which would be useful for health practitioners. The authors have also released a very in-depth workbook which may be more user-friendly for the general population. You can order both books online at most bookshops.
Below is a pictorial summary of the ten principles of Intuitive Eating reproduced from Dietitian Carlene Thomas:
Book review was written by :
Chelsea Slobbé NZRD
February 2017