Diet culture tells us “eat this, don’t eat that,” while anti-diet culture too often says, “eat whatever you want” even if it’s inflammatory and can feed health problems in the name of body positivity.

Though at opposite ends of the spectrum, both embody rules that keep us disconnected from the cues our bodies are actually giving us about the foods we eat.

In truth, diets and anti-diets trickle into all facets of our relationship with food, forming a belief system about what we should or shouldn’t put in our bodies based on someone else’s experiences.

What if that “all foods” anti-diet makes you feel crappy later? What if your Whole30, intermittent fasting, paleo, AIP, keto, whatever diet makes you feel anxious, depressed or fill in the blank?

Our bodies are unique and so are our needs and responses to different foods.

What if instead we slowed down and really listened to our bodies? What if we rewrote our stories with food and empowered ourselves to make choices based on how a particular food feels in our body?

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• What anti-diet culture gets wrong about intuitive eating
• The difference between being in relationship with your body and honoring it and restriction
• Why emotional eating is not the same as compulsive eating, and why it’s okay to bring your feelings to the table
• Steps to begin reconnecting with your body and tuning in to your cues and responses

I brought my dear friend and colleague Mindy Gorman-Plutzer back on the show to talk about how both diet and anti-diet culture profit off of disconnection with our bodies. We also talk about the challenge with anti-diet culture and the true meaning of being an intuitive eater.

Mindy Gorman-Plutzer is a Certified Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and Eating Psychology Coach with over 25 years in practice. Mindy’s life experience and training inspired her to create a framework that combines functional nutrition, positive psychology, and mind-body science.

She’s also the author of The Freedom Promise: 7 Steps To Stop Fearing What Food Will Do TO You and Start Embracing What It Can Do FOR You.

Learn more about Mindy:

• The Freedom Promise
• The Freedom Promise: 7 Steps To Stop Fearing What Food Will Do TO You and Start Embracing What It Can Do FOR You

Resources:

• Eat for Life Episode 21: Disordered Eating Recovery with Mindy Gorman-Plutzer
• Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, 4th Ed., Evelyne Tribole, Elyse Resch