Is Intuitive Eating Biblical?

Chances are, you've heard someone mention Intuitive Eating by now.  You might first wonder "Does Intuitive Eating work?". Then, if you're a Christian you might wonder if Intuitive Eating is Biblical. Does it align with Christian principles? Or does Intuitive Eating fail Christians?

I get it! As Christians, it's important to understand healthy eating from a biblical perspective.

But before we dive in too far, let's back up a smidge. 

WHAT IS INTUITIVE EATING?

When I mentioned to someone I was getting my Intuitive Eating counselor license, she said "Sooo you just tell people to eat what they want and to stop when they are full?"

Well, kind of... but not fully.

There's a lot of Intuitive Eating myths circulating so let's just start with what it is NOT.

The approach actually was started by two Registered Dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. This article on their website sums it up well. 

A few key principles of Intuitive Eating are listening to your body's biological cues, finding peace with food and your body, learning coping mechanisms, and understanding why diets don't work (hint: it's not your fault!).

At first glance and amongst Intuitive Eating criticism, it can appear as permission to allow your body its every craving. 

This leads some to say, especially Christians: "Shouldn't we be taking care of our bodies with healthy food?"

INTUITIVE EATING CRITICISM #1:  WE SHOULDN'T JUST EAT WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE THE BIBLE INSTRUCTS US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR BODIES. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

This is where a thorough understanding of Intuitive Eating clarifies the issue. 

Intuitive Eating is about listening to your body AND honoring it.

Two of the ten key principles of Intuitive Eating (lE) are all about honoring your body with gentle nutrition and movement. There is definitely a place for nutrition and movement, and the Registered Dietitians who created the program know that full well.

Research has long proven that exercise and fruits and veggies pack a weighty punch. 

Here are just a few articles citing the benefits of fruits and vegetables:

* Could extend life span https://www.foxnews.com/health/daily-fruit-veggie-servings-longer-life-study

*Rich in antioxidants and reduce cell damage https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth

*Anti-inflammatory https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

And we know that movement is imperative to keeping the body functioning at its best as explained in this article.

The Intuitive Eating approach agrees with all of the above but with a slightly different perspective.

The focus of nutrition and movement in Intuitive Eating comes more from a place of joyful eating and body respect instead of body punishment or perfectionist eating.

In an article on the blog, Grace-Filled Plate, Erin L. Todd also notes that "For Christians, movement can even be a way to offer our bodies to the Lord and connect with Him in worship!"

The Intuitive Eating approach believes food and exercise are ways to good health, but not the ONLY ways.

It acknowledges that there are plenty of other factors that go into your overall wellness like:

* mental health (hello stress management!)

* social well-being (Didn't quarantine teach us that?!)

* sleep quality, and so many more!

Healthy living isn't just about getting in steps or nutrients. If life becomes only about that, the other areas of our life suffer.

Similarly, if our Christian paths to health and wellness focus solely on our temporary bodies, we miss out on opportunities for eternal impact. 

The Bible clearly supports the idea that a well-lived life is not primarily focused on our body.

We're put here with ONE life on Earth to experience. When it's all said and done at our funerals, will people really care about how tight our glutes were?! I sure hope not.

God has good works prepared for each of us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) It's the enemy's job to distract us from that mission.

Strict eating and crazy-intense exercise can easily distract and disguise as healthy living. Often it's from caring too much about what others think. Or controlling our security. Or finding our identity. All of those things stem from a root of worry.

If it looks like worry, smells like worry, and sounds like worry... then it's WORRY. 

I'm not saying this from a place of non-understanding because TRUST ME, I GET THE STRUGGLE.

I have wasted a lot of my life worried about ingredients and jean sizes.

And if we're concerned with too much of the wrong things (even if they are good things), the fruitful plants that need to grow and do their thing are choked out.

We can't LOVE ourselves or others when we're consumed with control.

We can't have JOY in the body we've been given when we're busy hating on our thighs.

We can't have PEACE with our food because we're scared of eating the wrong things.
We can't have PATIENCE when our body stores extra fat.

We can't treat our body with KINDNESS if it doesn't look like what it "should".
We can't think of God's GOODNESS.
We don't feel God's FAITHFULNESS.
We don't exercise our bodies with GENTLENESS because deep down we're kind of mad at them.
We lose SELF-CONTROL with our thoughts about our body.

Still, you might agree that as Christians, we should focus on eternal things, but that doesn't solve the other problem with Intuitive Eating: How can we trust our bodies when the Bible tells us not to?

Proverbs 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool. 

INTUITIVE EATING CRITICISM #2: WE HAVE ALL FALLEN AND CAN'T TRUST OUR BODIES.

When sin entered the world, we all became vulnerable to temptation and following our own desires. As we know, those desires don't always get us into the best situations. 

Even Jesus' disciples, his very groupies, couldn't stay awake and keep watch for him in His final hours. 

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26: 40-41) 

As Christians we live in a fallen world and our bodies bear the weight of that pain.

However, we also were designed well by a perfect creator. This is tough for Christians. We sometimes don't know what to do with our desires because we've been taught that they're bad. 

Nevertheless, God created us with very primal urges to eat, AND he gave us TASTE BUDS.

A newborn certainly comes out knowing this instinct full well! And really, we do too. But somewhere along the way, we've learned messages that make our instincts a bit cloudy.

We're taught to silence our hunger or try to trick it.

We're told that we might want a certain food, but we don't need it.

Deep down though you still have God-created biological cues that exist on purpose.

A friend once told me that she could never trust her intuition because it would just tell her to eat Doritos all day long!

I UNDERSTAND! However, have you ever tried to JUST eat chips all day long? I'd bet you a million dollars by the end of the day you'd be craving some protein and definitely some water.

Our bodies were made to eat and let us know what to eat. These strong biological factors kept us alive for thousands of years. To get humans eating on a regular schedule for an energy source, God made them feel hunger. In addition, He gave them desires for certain foods like meat, bread, and fruit. The first humans didn't have a food pyramid or Google to tell them what to eat. But they did have cravings that led them to what they needed. If that's not amazing enough, their bodies also withstood all sorts of hardships like famines. When going through a lack of food supply, their bodies' metabolism lowered in order to keep them alive on less food. Then when food was available, their bodies would store fat more easily since it wouldn't know if the food source would stay around. 

Does that sound familiar to any diet failure you've experienced? The body has a hard time differentiating from a self-imposed diet versus an actual deprivation of food.

This is why (as if you don't already know) it's way harder and less biologically natural for a human body to LOSE fat, and much, much easier to store fat.

Our biological desires to eat tasty foods don't mean we're completely broken or untrustworthy... just human.

Up to this point, Intuitive Eating lines up extremely well with Biblical Christian premises like the ones listed below.

*We should honor our body with nutrition and movement.

*We have more to live for than worrying about "perfect" eating or exercising.

*We are made intricately well.

However, this is where things take a turn and Intuitive Eating falls short for Christians.

WHY INTUITIVE EATING IS NOT ENOUGH

Remember, the whole sinful world and weak flesh stuff we talked about? 

Our body is designed to function well, but nevertheless, is still is tempted by a sinful nature.

That's why listening to our desires is tricky business!

Romans 7

18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 

I so relate to Paul. It's hard to listen to our intuition when our sinful nature is speaking too loud. 

It's hard to eat based on biological cues when sin influences our decisions.

So what does this mean for Christians and Intuitive Eating? Is it a losing battle?

Absolutely not! God allowed sin in the world, but he didn't leave us defenseless.

Our battle isn't between flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:10) It's not a battle between Oreos and Kale. 

It's so much more. The enemy attacks us at our deepest fears, insecurities, and weaknesses.

But we've got armor and weapons. 

We've got God's truth, protection, and HIS SPIRIT living in us!

We can't always trust our own thoughts and feelings, but we can pray for His wisdom and access His strength. 

 Paul wrote, "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you" (Romans 8:9a). 

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead ... will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:11)

The Spirit of God is well-acquainted with the Creator of this earthly body we're living in and how it's designed to work.

And guess what...the spirit of God is well-acquainted with you!

So, no, we can't rely on Intuitive Eating to find a perfect Bible-based diet, a Christian weight-loss plan, or a path to complete freedom,  but when coupled with the power of God, it is a great tool on our way to well! 

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!" 2 Corinthians 3:17