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July 12, 2006
Understanding Intuitive Eating
A key component of intuitive eating is the concept of having unconditional permission to eat a food. That’s right – there are no “good� or “bad� foods. Nothing is off limits. How can this be healthy? Most people worry that once they start eating a “forbidden� food, they won’t be able to stop. Studies show that the more a person is exposed to (and allowed to eat) a food, the less desirable it becomes over time. So, knowing that you can eat a particular food again whenever you want makes it less compelling to eat it now and eat it all. Now the thought to stop eating when full is no longer threatening. I think some people put too much importance on food. Not that food isn’t important, but it shouldn’t be the highlight of the party or the center of every thought you have. Relax, eat what you’re hungry for and stop when you’re full. Studies have found that Americans are worry-warts when it comes to food. They scored the highest of four countries on the level of worrying about the fattening effects of food rather than savoring it. They also associate food the most with health and the least with pleasure. We need to build a healthy relationship with food and understand that our character and self-worth are not altered by our food choices.
Posted by Lisa at July 12, 2006 04:50 PM
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