The 9 Best Intuitive Eating Books (And a Few To Skip)

Introduction

Intuitive eating is a revolutionary approach to food and body image that emphasizes listening to your body's natural hunger and fullness cues rather than following restrictive diets. It promotes a healthy relationship with food, free from guilt and obsession. With the increasing popularity of this approach, numerous books have been written on the subject. This guide reviews the nine best intuitive eating books and highlights a few that may not be worth your time.

The 9 Best Intuitive Eating Books

1. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Overview:

• Written by the original creators of the intuitive eating movement, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the approach.
• It provides comprehensive insights into the principles of intuitive eating, along with practical advice and real-life examples.

Why It's Great:

• Authored by the pioneers of intuitive eating.
• Offers a structured program with actionable steps.
• Includes updated content and new research in the latest edition.

2. The Intuitive Eating Workbook: Ten Principles for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

Overview:

• This workbook is a companion to the original "Intuitive Eating" book, designed to provide practical exercises and activities to help readers implement the principles.

Why It's Great:

• Hands-on exercises and journal prompts.
• Helps readers personalize their intuitive eating journey.
• Great for both beginners and those familiar with the concept.

3. Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Linda Bacon

Overview:

• While not exclusively about intuitive eating, this book supports the principles by promoting body positivity and debunking myths about weight and health.

Why It's Great:

• Focuses on body acceptance and health rather than weight loss.
• Provides scientific evidence to challenge conventional beliefs about weight.
• Empowers readers to trust their bodies.

4. Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out – and Never Say Diet Again by Rebecca Scritchfield

Overview:

• This book combines intuitive eating with self-compassion and overall well-being, offering a holistic approach to health.

Why It's Great:

• Emphasizes kindness and self-care.
• Includes practical tips for improving mental and physical health.
• Written in an engaging and relatable style.

5. The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy by Caroline Dooner

Overview:

• A candid and humorous take on ditching diet culture and embracing intuitive eating, this book encourages readers to trust their bodies and enjoy food without guilt.

Why It's Great:

• Refreshingly honest and funny.
• Addresses the psychological aspects of dieting and food obsession.
• Encourages a relaxed and enjoyable approach to eating.

6. Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle by Michelle May

Overview:

• This book offers practical advice for breaking free from the diet cycle and developing a healthy, balanced relationship with food.

Why It's Great:

• Focuses on mindfulness and emotional eating.
• Provides tools for recognizing and responding to hunger and fullness cues.
• Written by a physician with personal experience in overcoming dieting.

7. Just Eat It: How Intuitive Eating Can Help You Get Your Shit Together Around Food by Laura Thomas

Overview:

• A straightforward and accessible guide to intuitive eating, this book aims to simplify the concepts and make them easy to apply.

Why It's Great:

• No-nonsense, relatable writing style.
• Practical advice for everyday eating situations.
• Encourages readers to reject diet culture and embrace intuitive eating.

8. Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison

Overview:

• This book delves into the history of diet culture and its impact on society, while advocating for intuitive eating as a means of reclaiming personal health and happiness.

Why It's Great:

• Comprehensive analysis of diet culture.
• Provides a strong case for the benefits of intuitive eating.
• Written by a registered dietitian and nutritionist.

9. The Intuitive Eating Journal: Your Guided Journey for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food by Elyse Resch

Overview:

• A journal designed to complement the intuitive eating journey, offering prompts and exercises to help readers explore their relationship with food.

Why It's Great:

• Encourages self-reflection and mindfulness.
• Provides structure for tracking progress and experiences.
• Complements other intuitive eating resources.

A Few to Skip

1. The Intuitive Eating Diet: How to Lose Weight by Listening to Your Body

Why to Skip:

• The title itself is contradictory to the core principles of intuitive eating, which is not about weight loss but about developing a healthy relationship with food.

2. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink

Why to Skip:

• While it offers interesting insights into eating behaviors, it can promote restrictive eating practices that are contrary to intuitive eating principles.

3. The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting by Jason Fung

Why to Skip:

• Fasting is not aligned with intuitive eating, which emphasizes responding to hunger and fullness cues rather than following rigid eating schedules.

Conclusion

Intuitive eating is a powerful approach to developing a healthy relationship with food and body image. The nine books listed above offer valuable insights, practical advice, and support for anyone looking to embrace intuitive eating. By focusing on these recommended reads and avoiding those that contradict the core principles of intuitive eating, you can embark on a journey towards a more balanced and enjoyable approach to eating.