In the nutrition world, the “intuitive eating” movement is gaining ground, promoting a healthy relationship with food, body acceptance, and listening to those inherent (yet often forgotten) hunger and fullness cues. It is inherently anti-dieting, and all-foods accepting. It is beneficial in that it combats the diet-crazed media, saying that there are no “good,” “bad,” “guilty,” “clean,” or “no-no” foods. All foods can fit into an eating pattern, and are able to contribute to overall mental and physical wellness. Cravings are to be indulged in a mindful, appreciative, savoring manner. And the question “Am I physically hungry?” is to be used more than ever before. While intuitive eating is multifaceted and requires a lot of practice, below is a general overview of its main principles.

• All foods fit- Yep. All foods. If you’re craving ice cream, have ice cream. The more you tell yourself you cannot eat something, the more likely you are to binge eat it later, which is no good for your mental or physical health (I mean, who really needs a half-gallon’s worth of dairy in one sitting?). When you learn to accept all foods as a part of your diet, your relationship with food becomes much more healthy, your cravings for the “no-no” foods stop being as intense, and- let’s face it- life is a little more wonderful when pie is incorporated.

• Savor everything- While you’re eating those Twinkies that you haven’t tasted since elementary school, take the time to really taste them. Enjoy every bite, maybe taking smaller bites than you normally would. Eat those craving foods slowly and with intention- not in front of the TV. Because what’s the point of allowing yourself to eat everything if you don’t even take the time to truly taste it?

• Feel your hunger cues- As babies, we were all born with the ability to decipher when we were hungry and when we were full, but somewhere along the way, those internal regulation cues got lost. We started eating because it was six o’clock- “time” to eat. We eat because we’re at a birthday party and that’s what you’re supposed to do. We eat because we’re bored, or emotional, or any other reason than what eating is actually meant for. It seems simple to say “try to only eat when you’re truly stomach-hungry,” but when was the last time you actually did that? Hunger is a good thing- it means our bodies know how to regulate its energy well, and we should trust it to tell us what it needs.

• Feel your fullness cues- This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can feel when you’re comfortably full, before you’re painfully full, and that should be the goal (most of the time). If you’re savoring your foods like mentioned above, you should inherently be eating more slowly, which helps you to feel the fullness sneaking up. Our bodies know when we’ve had enough, and again, we should listen to them. If you’re in the middle of your grandma’s amazing chicken pot pie, and you get full, put that delicious serving in the refrigerator for later. It will still be there and you’ll have more opportunities to enjoy it later if you don’t eat it all right then. The same thing goes for eating out. To-go boxes are amazing, and if you pack up the rest of that steak and potatoes, rather than stuffing yourself until you’re uncomfortable, you won’t have to pack lunch for tomorrow!

While it can take months- or even years- to fully understand and apply the intuitive eating thoughts and principles without reverting back to dieting or a strained relationship with Twinkies, the hope is that you will consider being a lifetime intuitive eater rather than trying another fleeting diet fad.