Nina Kaufmann

Intuitive eating and the non-diet approach to eating are becoming more popular globally, offering a refreshing shift from dieting and rigid “lifestyles”, leadins us back home to ourselves. Intuitive eating is a natural, instinctive approach that teaches trusting your body and responding to your unique needs. Born as intuitive eaters, children don’t see food as “good” or “bad”; instead, food is simply food, and they eat according to their hunger and satisfaction, free from restrictions or guilt. We all know babies will cry until they’re fed, and refuse to eat once they’re satisfied.

However, as we grow up, societal messages and diet culture often lead us to restrict and judge our food choices, distancing us from the inner wisdom of our bodies.

What is Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive eating was first introduced in 1995 by wonderful registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their revolutionary book (absolute must read) as a response to the harmful effects of dieting. This approach emphasizes reconnecting with our body’s natural hunger cues and honoring both physical and emotional needs, without the guilt or restriction common in diet culture. Intuitive eating teaches us to tune into the body’s wisdom, helping us to rebuild a healthy relationship with food and body, one that nurtures both physical well-being and emotional resilience.

Intuitive eating offers a lot of benefits—mental, emotional, physical and spiritual, starting with higher self-confidence, better relationship with yourself, less anxiety and depression, less emotional eating, disordered eating, eating disorders and better health.

The Science Behind Food Freedom and Intuitive Eating

The benefits of intuitive eating are well-supported by ever growing research. Studies have shown that individuals who adopt an intuitive eating approach experience improvements in mental health, lower stress levels, and greater body satisfaction.

For example, a study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology found that intuitive eating was associated with reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as a healthier body image (Van Dyke & Drinkwater, 2014).

Quote: Extant research demonstrates substantial and consistent associations between intuitive eating and both lower BMI and better psychological health.

Additionally, research from the American Journal of Health Promotion demonstrated that intuitive eating improves metabolic health markers like blood pressure and cholesterol levels without the need for restrictive diets (Hawks et al., 2005).

Conversely, studies confirm that traditional diets are often ineffective long-term, with up to 95% of dieters regaining weight within three years (Mann et al., 2007).

Quote: the studies do not provide consistent evidence that dieting results in significant health improvements, regardless of weight change. In sum, there is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits.

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating revolves around 10 core principles:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
6. Feel Your Fullness
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
8. Respect Your Body
9. Engage in Gentle Movement
10. Embrace Gentle Nutrition

Each person’s journey with these principles will vary. Food freedom is flexible and unique to each individual, unlike diets that impose one-size-fits-all restrictions. Beginning this journey can feel empowering but also scary, especially if you’re used to to following external rules around eating.

First Step: Evaluating Your Relationship with Food

A helpful first step in reclaiming food freedom is assessing your current relationship with food. Consider questions like:

• Do you allow yourself to eat freely without restrictions?
• Are there foods you avoid due to calorie or carb concerns?
• Do you restrict food during the day only to end up eating all in sight at night?
• Do you eat emotionally even when you’re not hungry?
• Are certain foods “off-limits”?

Answering these questions with honesty and self-compassion provides insight into how you can better support your relationship with food. Remember, there’s no need for judgment. This process is about understanding where you are, not about where you “should” be.

Note: if you’re interested in deeper evaluation of your current relationship with food, along with developing a healthy food relationship, you would love my intuitive eating coaching. At the beginning of our work together, you will receive Food Relationship Evaluation
Workbook, a detailed assessment of your current state and a guide towards healing. If that sounds interesting, book a free discovery call where we can chat and see if intuitive eating coaching is right for you—no strings attached!

Rejecting Diet Culture and Embracing Food Neutrality

Dieting has been proven ineffective long-term, with most people regaining the weight they lose, often with added physical and mental health costs. Diet culture’s focus on weight and restriction often leads to an unhealthy, disordered relationship with food, which can sometimes progress into full-blown eating disorders.

Rejecting diet culture begins by reducing your exposure to sources that encourage dieting and “lifestyles” with restrictive eating patterns. Be mindful of social media accounts, magazines, or advertisements that make you feel inadequate and advise you to cut out any foods or food groups. Watch out for anyone with a negative food language, demonizing any food groups. Unfollow, unsubscribe, mercilessly. Instead, find positive influences that support food freedom and self-acceptance.

Next important step is breaking up with your scale. At best, throw it away, or hide it. Remind yourself that the number on the scale doesn’t determine your worth, or your health.

Real Success Stories

One client shared that her journey through food freedom was “life-changing.” After years of dieting, she came to me, exhausted. She described her experience as transforming her relationship with food from one of stress and restriction to one of peace and enjoyment. This shift helped her feel free, with a newfound trust in her body and its needs. She let go of harmful, diet ridden mindset and gained life long tools for nourishing her health. Success stories like hers are a reminder of the healing power of intuitive eating and that food freedom can genuinely open the door to a more fulfilling, less restrictive life.

Reclaiming Food Freedom: You Are Your Own Guide

Intuitive eating means you are in control of your eating choices. While this can feel daunting, it’s incredibly empowering. Working with a professional can help you build trust in your body’s cues and develop a peaceful relationship with food. As a certified intuitive eating nutritionist, I’d love to guide you on this journey.

Book a Free Discovery Call
If you’re ready to start your journey toward food freedom and intuitive eating, let’s connect! Book a free discovery call, and we’ll explore how personalized coaching can support your goals and unique path to peace with food.

If you’re ready to make positive changes in your relationship with food and your body in the New Year, I’m here to guide you. Through my intuitive eating coaching, we’ll work together to unlearn the harmful messages that have held you back, embrace a compassionate, evidence-based approach to nutrition, and build lasting confidence in your choices.

Working with me isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about sustainable change that empowers you to live your healthiest, happiest life (without diets).

Start today. Book your free discovery call to learn how you can benefit from personalized coaching on your journey to food freedom and body peace. Let’s rewrite your health story together!

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