When Food Becomes Noise
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to find the latest superfood to optimize your health or the newest wellness trend diet. One fits all approaches are quick, easy and convenient messages to disseminate, but we end up with a lot of impersonalized, generic advice about what and how to eat—something that every person has done a few times a day since they were born. Shouldn’t we be listening to our own voice over rules set by a person who has never met you?
Intuitive eating encourages exactly that. Intuitive eating is not a set of rules, but rather 10 principles that are rooted in honoring both your physical and your mental health. (1) They help you challenge preconceived ideas about food and cultivate attunement of your bodily sensations. (1) Intuitive eating is not only a philosophy, but a tool for mental peace.
Why Intuitive Eating Is About More Than Food
Mental peace does not come without mental work. People who practice intuitive eating:
- are not diet- nor food-obsessed,
- do not categorize foods as “good” or “bad,”
- do not eat based on emotions, and
- do not ignore biological hunger signals.
It is easy to see how these behaviours may come up more with restrictive eating, i.e. dieting. Dieting is often chosen for weight loss (2), but study after study has shown that it fails to achieve long-term weight loss. (2,3) It has also been linked as a risk factor for a number of adverse psychological, behavioural and physical health outcomes, such as large weight variations, depression and disordered eating behaviours. (2,3)
As the burden of obesity in Canada continues to grow literally and in estimations (4), there’s an important need to explore ways to improve weight and emotional status along with its associated health issues. (2)
In the growing research on intuitive eating, many positive eating behaviours and health protective factors have been observed:
- Unconditional permission to eat the food of choice based on cues has been proposed to decrease excessive preoccupation with food. (5–8)
- Intuitive eating has been shown in promoting healthy dietary practices and in improving physical and emotional health outcomes. (6–8)
- Intuitive eating is associated with several markers of improved health: lower body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, blood pressure, all of which indicating lower cardiovascular risk. (6)
More on the mental health side, studies associate intuitive eating to increased positive body image, higher self-esteem, life satisfaction, proactive coping and less disordered eating among college women. (6)
Where To Start
Here is a summarized version of the original 10 principles of intuitive eating. Most of them may sound easier said than done. Remember, the pioneers of this approach, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, vulgarized this approach as a mindset shift, not as a set of rules to abide by. Take the time to read each principle and reflect on them.
The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating
1. Reject the Diet Culture
Let go of quick-fix promises. Reject the diets, not your own voice.
2. Honor Your Hunger
Respect your biological cues — hunger isn’t the enemy.
3. Make Peace with Food
Stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” Permission removes obsession.
4. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
Eating what you want is a satisfaction, not a punishment.
5. Feel Your Fullness
Tune in often to hear your body saying “enough” — without guilt.
6. Challenge the Food Police
Silence the inner critic that shames you for what you eat.
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
Each emotion has a trigger and its appeasement, and food is not one of them. Learn to cope with your emotions.
8. Respect Your Body
You wouldn’t force your feet into the wrong shoe size, same with your body. Bodies come in different shapes and sizes; it’s a fact.
9. Movement — Feel the Difference
Focus on how it feels to move your body, not which exercise burns the most calories.
10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition
Nutrition still matters — but it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beneficial.
What If Eating Could Be Peaceful Again?
The principles of intuitive eating encourages us to reconnect with our body’s wisdom, understanding hunger beyond the plate, and supporting our mental well-being in the process. By eliminating the moral value from food decisions, shame and mental overload are reduced. In the end, it was never about food, but rather self-compassion, mindfulness, and emotional regulation, all core aspects to have a thriving mental health.
Looking for physical support? Natural health supplements can complement (not control) your wellness habits. Listening to your body also means supporting how it feels after meals. Our natural digestive support supplement Digest 365 helps you stay comfortable — every day, at your own pace.
References
- Tribole E. Definition of Intuitive Eating [Internet]. Intuitive Eating. 2019 [cited 2025 Apr 29]. Available from: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/definition-of-intuitive-eating/
- Denny KN, Loth K, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D. Intuitive eating in young adults: Who is doing it, and how is it related to disordered eating behaviors? Appetite. 2013 Jan;60(1):13–9.
- Hazzard V, Telke S, Simone M, Anderson L, Larson N, Neumark-Sztainer D. Intuitive Eating Longitudinally Predicts Better Psychological Health and Lower Use of Disordered Eating Behaviors: Findings from EAT 2010–2018. Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Feb;26(1):287–94.
- O’Neill M, Kornas K, Rosella L. The future burden of obesity in Canada: a modelling study. Can J Public Health. 2019 Dec 1;110(6):768–78.
- Tribole E, Resch E. Intuitive eating: A recovery book for the chronic dieter. New York: St Martins Press; 1996.
- Tylka TL. Development and psychometric evaluation of a measure of intuitive eating. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2006 Apr;53(2):226–40.
- Avalos LC, Tylka TL. Exploring a model of intuitive eating with college women. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2006 Oct;53(4):486–97.
- Tylka TL, Wilcox JA. Are intuitive eating and eating disorder symptomatology opposite poles of the same construct? Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2006 Oct;53(4):474–85.
