Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights
Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights
So Thanksgiving came and went but the spirit of diet culture is still here… and will undoubtedly get louder through January as diet culture in the media surrounds us. The messages we see and hear promote the “best” holiday food choices, diet extremes and can certainly increase pressure for you to change something about your body. The promises of weight loss and a “new you” instill hope but induce guilt, shame and regret at the same time. None of these messages serve you. You have everything you need inherently available to you.
In my practice, I help people increase compassion toward their body and apply gentle nutrition as opposed to rigid rules. Clients learn to live without succumbing to external messages that bring unnecessary negative self talk and behaviors. One of the ways to discover food freedom this holiday season is to live by the “Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights” written by intuitive eating co-founder and author Evelyn Tribole in 2010. The book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works, co-authored by Elyse Resch, is one I recommend all the time. Their approach to nutrition has not only changed my personal relationship with food and health but also shifted my entire nutrition private practice.
Consider the Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights, as you continue through the holiday season to help foster inner peace with food, mind and body.
1. You have the right to savor your meal, without cajoling or judgment, and without discussion of calories eaten or the amount of exercise needed to burn off said calories.
2. You have the right to enjoy second servings without apology.
3. You have the right to honor your fullness, even if that means saying “no thank you” to dessert or a second helping of food.
4. It is not your responsibility to make someone happy by overeating, even if it took hours to prepare a specialty holiday dish.
5. You have the right to say, “No thank you,” without explanation, when offered more food.
6. You have the right to stick to your original answer of “no”, even if you are asked multiple times. Just calmly and politely repeat “No, thank you, really.”
7. You have the right to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast.
Remember, no one, except for you, knows how you feel, both emotionally and physically. Only you can be the expert of your body, which requires inner attunement, rather than the external, well-meaning, suggestions from family.
Copyright © 2010 by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD Published at www.IntuitiveEating.org
Did any of these resonate with you?
What thoughts were kindled?
How do you picture yourself applying them?
What was your favorite?
Would you add anything to make it your own, personal Holiday Bill of Rights?
If you feel inclined to share, I’d love to hear what you would add or change to the list. Are there things you can incorporate into your everyday life? Share what you come up with by emailing me or posting on social media @angelaveri on Instagram or my VeriWell page on Facebook.
To learn more about intuitive eating, check out the 4th edition book that was recently published. You can order it here: The Intuitive Eating Pro website or any other place you purchase books. There is also a workbook available as well as a book for teens.