Two women eating pizza on the beach

If you’ve ever felt guilty after eating, labeled foods as “good” or “bad,” or found yourself trapped in a cycle of dieting and starting over—you're not alone. In a world full of conflicting nutrition advice, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected from your body.

What if you could feel at peace with food—and with yourself?
That’s exactly what intuitive eating offers.

What Is Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive eating is a compassionate, evidence-based approach to nutrition that focuses on rebuilding trust with your body. Rather than relying on restrictive diets or calorie counting, intuitive eating teaches you to listen to your body’s internal signals—like hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and emotional needs.

Why Your Relationship with Food Matters

A healthy relationship with food goes beyond what you eat— It’s about:

  • Letting go of guilt and shame around food choices

  • Honoring your body’s needs without restriction

  • Enjoying food without fear or anxiety

  • Feeling confident, empowered, and at ease around all types of food

Research shows that a better relationship with food is linked to improved self-esteem, lower stress, and fewer disordered eating behaviors.

5 Steps Toward a Healthier Relationship with Food

1. Ditch the Diet Mentality

Diets often promote black-and-white thinking and a sense of failure when you can't follow the “rules.” Studies show that chronic dieting is a predictor of weight gain, disordered eating, and lower psychological well-being.

2. Honor Your Hunger

Suppressing hunger can lead to overeating and a disconnect from your body’s needs. Responding to hunger helps restore body trust and can improve metabolic health.

3. Challenge Food Rules

Labeling foods as "good" or "bad" increases food preoccupation and guilt. A more flexible approach is associated with better diet quality and mental health outcomes. 

4. Feel Your Fullness

Mindful eating—being present with your food—helps you recognize fullness cues and reduce overeating without rigid control.

5. Practice Gentle Nutrition

Gentle nutrition encourages eating foods that nourish your body while still being satisfying. It emphasizes progress over perfection and is shown to support long-term health habits.

Start Your Journey to Food Freedom

Through intuitive eating, you’ll learn to nourish yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally—without the stress of strict rules or guilt. You deserve to feel calm and confident around food. You deserve to enjoy eating again. 

Healing your relationship with food takes time—and the support of a trained professional can make the process more effective and sustainable. I help clients unlearn diet culture, explore their food stories, and reuild trust in their bodies with 1:1 nutrition counselling in North Vancouver (virtual sessions only). 

Let’s work together to help you feel better in your body—without diets, rules, or restriction. 

 

References:

  • Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach (4th ed.). St. Martin’s Essentials.

 

 

 

 

Alexandra Haggis

Alexandra Haggis

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