New year, new me. Sound familiar? This has probably been uttered by every person at least a handful of times in the last decade or so.
The idea that January the first is the start of something new where your old habits have just been discarded in the months before is just too tempting for some people to pass up.
The new year brings along with it countless resolutions, from not pressing snooze in the morning to stop getting take out every Saturday night.
After many a Christmas night was laden down with another glass of Baileys and opening up the third, fourth, or fifth box of Roses, many people vow that the new year will bring with it a healthier version of themselves.
Enter the diets. Intermittent fasting, Keto, and Volumetrics are just a few of the most popular. But with many cutting out your favourite foods, they are just not destined to last.
However, two dieticians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resh have brought back a style of eating that we practiced when we were all babies. Intuitive eating. But what does it entail?
Intuitive eating follows ten principles that encourage you to get to know your body on a deeper level.
The idea is that you eat when you are hungry until you are full and completely satisfied. By really getting in touch with your body, you can cut out the trap that many of us have fallen into, especially over lockdown. Eating caused by boredom or loneliness.
Starting to eat when you are hungry and not starving, you can keep control of when your body is telling you that you have reached a satisfactory level and you can now stop eating. By listening to your body you can avoid that sluggish feeling of being overly stuffed.
The same idea applies to exercise. If you are moving your body in a healthy way it will make a massive change to your life. By feeling more energised during the day and sleeping better at night your body will thank you for it.
Intuitive eating allows you to gain confidence in your body and allow your thoughts to be free from diet culture and the beauty standard that has been forced upon women from social media, such as Instagram.
Although, it’s a little more complicated than allowing yourself to eat whatever you want. Intuitive eating encourages body acceptance which is easier than it sounds in the current climate.
You are eating and moving your body for enjoyment and not with the end goal of losing weight. Evelyn Tribole states that the process of intuitive eating ‘honours both your physical and mental health.”
By eating consistently, you are not limiting your body and with no guilty thoughts after a high-calorie intake, you’re looking after your mind.
Jennifer Flannery
Image Credit: Bill Oxford on Unsplash