Intuitive eating is an alternative dietary approach that's based on the premise that we have individual food preferences and hunger signals and that the optimal way to eat is to become attuned to them.
The earliest proponents of the intuitive eating approach include Gwen Shamblin, author of The Weigh Down Diet, and Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, authors of the book, Intuitive Eating. Although this approach has been used mainly for weight loss, it's also a general philosophy for eating.
One of the main reasons people have lost touch with what our bodies really need is because the standard American diet is full of damaged fats, sugar, processed foods, and chemicals. Proponents believe the following factors contribute:
The value of intuition in eating is lost in our knowledge and science-driven world. Animals instinctively know everything they need to live and they do it. We have the same instinct, but it gets lost in what we are told we should eat by researchers, diet gurus, talk show hosts, magazines, celebrities and friends.
The weight loss industry in the United States is a billion dollar industry. It can harm your metabolism, your wallet, and your confidence. Many dieters develop ailments from being on the wrong diet, such as fatigue and weakness, anxiety, depression, dark circles under the eyes, headaches, joint pain, and poor concentration. They can deprive your body of essential nutrients.
Many people under chronic stress lose their taste for food. They view food as fuel or they lose sensitivity to hunger signals. Chronic stress can destabilize blood sugar levels resulting in increased cravings and a constant need to eat. People sometimes become hungry soon after meals and feel lightheaded and faint if they are not able to eat. In addition, chronic stress may be involved in irritable bowel syndrome or cause bloating, gas, and pain regardless of what you eat.
