Go to main content
Gestational
Prediabetes
Type 1
Type 2

Intuitive Eating: Trust Your Gut

9 Minute Read
Image of happy people eating lunch together

Key takeaways:

  • Intuitive eating is a practice that integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought to help individuals connect with their body and build a healthier relationship with food.
  • Studies have shown that intuitive eating is associated with better mental and physical health.
  • While people with diabetes still need to be mindful of how certain foods affect their blood sugar, intuitive eating may also help with blood sugar management.

You’re likely seeing a flood of “New Year, New You” diet trends promising quick fixes and instant results. But what if this year, instead of restricting yourself to the latest fad diet, you tuned in to your own body? 

Intuitive eating, a practice rooted in self-awareness and balance, offers a sustainable way to nourish yourself and maintain a healthy eating pattern without the stress of counting calories, obsessing over portions, or following rigid rules. Intuitive eating can be especially helpful for people with diabetes, who experience significant stigma around food choices. By honoring your body’s natural instincts and tapping into your emotional state during the eating experience, intuitive eating can help you take back control and find pleasure and satisfaction in fueling your body. 

What is intuitive eating?

The term intuitive eating was first introduced 30 years ago by registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. Their work supports an anti-diet approach that has since empowered many people to embrace a more mindful approach to eating. 

The intuitive eating framework is grounded in 10 principles, which guide people to cultivate a balanced, non-judgmental relationship with food that creates a lasting difference. 

10 principles of intuitive eating infographic
Source: RENEW Program

The principles of intuitive eating promote rejecting diet culture, listening to hunger and fullness cues, making peace with food, and nurturing your body with kindness – focusing on pleasure, satisfaction, and gentle nutrition. 

“We’re born with all of the wisdom we need to have. Diet culture has pulled us away from trusting ourselves,” Resch said. 

Our brain’s survival instinct provides biological cues for hunger and fullness, Resch explained. Our eating choices are also influenced by our limbic system, the part of our brain that regulates emotions like anxiety, anger, and boredom. Emotional eating may provide temporary relief, but it can make us feel worse in the long run. Likewise, restrictive diets, which often have problems with adherence, can actually trigger a loss of control that leads to binge eating. For example, the ketogenic diet – a high-fat, extremely low-carb diet – is challenging to maintain long-term as it is highly restrictive. 

Finally, the neocortex (or “rational brain”) steps in when instincts fail, such as when we are sick and lose our appetite but know that we need to nourish our bodies. These three areas work in sync to keep us alive and well – yet the diet mentality has led us to ignore these cues and rely on external factors instead.

To help individuals reconnect with their body’s signals, Evelyn Tribole often starts with the intuitive eating principle of aiming for satisfaction in your eating. This involves asking, “What would be a satisfying meal for you?” and “What would you need to know in order to answer that question?” 

Tribole explained that at the core of intuitive eating is interoceptive awareness, or the ability to perceive physical sensations within the body, such as hunger, fullness, and even your emotions. 

“The reason intuitive eating feels life-changing for so many people is that they’re coming back to their core self,” Tribole said. “If you’re at ease with your body and tending to its messages, it’s a powerful way to get both your biological and psychological needs met, which is a beautiful thing.” 

What research says about intuitive eating and diabetes

Listening to what your body needs and ditching dieting rules may sound too good to be true – but it’s backed by science. Many studies have shown that intuitive eating is linked to various positive psychological outcomes, including improved body image, higher self-esteem, and greater overall well-being. 

“To date, there are over 200 scientific studies highlighting many beneficial aspects of adopting this framework, including several focused specifically on diabetes,” said Janice Dada, a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and certified intuitive eating counselor.

These studies have found that intuitive eating may be associated with better blood glucose management and triglycerides in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as improved measures of metabolic health (body mass index and insulin resistance) in people with gestational diabetes

The research is promising, but more studies are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of intuitive eating on managing diabetes.

Navigating intuitive eating with diabetes: Benefits and challenges 

One of the greatest challenges that people with diabetes face when it comes to intuitive eating, Dada explained, is the focus on weight and weight loss as indicators of health and well-being in Western healthcare practices.

“Most people with diabetes are not being exposed to the idea of intuitive eating as an option for their diabetes management, but rather, are being told to restrict or even avoid carbs and, often, to lose weight,” Dada said. 

She explained that when weight becomes the sole focus during a diabetes care visit, crucial things may be overlooked. 

“In addition, weight stigmatizing medical treatment causes many individuals to delay or avoid care altogether,” Dada said. She emphasized that practicing a more weight-inclusive, intuitive eating based model of care can steer people with diabetes toward positive self-care health-promoting behaviors.

Woman holding brain and pointing to head

Raquel Baron, founder and CEO of Type One Together, shared her insights on what it’s like to live with type 1 diabetes and practice intuitive eating. 

“Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes automatically causes a complex relationship with food. You're suddenly required to count carbs, eat when you're not hungry to treat low blood sugar, and pay attention to every little thing that you eat,” Baron said. 

While it has its challenges, Baron emphasized that intuitive eating with diabetes is definitely possible. The key is to experiment and learn from each experience. Baron mentioned that people with diabetes often fear higher-carb foods because dosing insulin can get complicated – but, if you never attempt to dose for a food, you're never going to learn how. It’s all about using the right tools to set yourself up for success and keep you safe while you’re experimenting.

For example, Baron explained that if she’s trying a new food and using more insulin, she might double-check that her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is accurate with a finger prick before dosing. In addition, she suggests keeping plenty of “low” snacks around in case blood sugar starts to drop. To catch these drops in blood sugar before they happen, she might set her CGM low alarm to a higher number. Baron said she also tries to avoid experimenting too close to bedtime so that she’s awake and aware of what is happening in the hours following the meal. 

It’s a process of trial and error, but Baron said managing her blood sugar with a combination of science and intuition has allowed her to become more flexible with how she eats throughout the day. 

“If my blood sugar is a little on the higher side but I am at a friend's birthday party and there is cake being served, you bet I am still eating it. I might go for a little walk after or give some extra insulin, but I am still celebrating,” she said. 

The bottom line

To Baron’s point, that is what intuitive eating comes down to – celebrating your body and embracing the freedom to nourish yourself on your own terms. For people with diabetes, intuitive eating may require some experimentation and patience, but it can help you rediscover a more joyful relationship with food. 

By listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, being mindful of your emotional state, and choosing foods that nurture your well-being and satisfy your taste buds, intuitive eating can help you rebuild a healthier relationship with food – and with yourself. It’s always a good idea to speak to a healthcare provider or CDCES before making changes to your eating patterns, especially if you’re new to intuitive eating.

Learn more about diabetes and healthy eating plans here: