Emma Polette: How intuitive eating can help you enjoy the festive season without guilt or shame

What if I told you it’s possible to eat whatever you want this festive season without guilt or shame? By embracing intuitive eating, you can enjoy this time without regret.

Intuitive eating, pioneered by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in the 1990s, is a non-diet approach that promotes a healthier relationship with food.

Unlike traditional diets, it encourages a compassionate and pleasurable way of eating.

Although intuitive eating consists of 10 principles, let’s focus on two key steps you can adopt right now:

Tune into your hunger and fullness cues

Observe how toddlers eat — they stop when they’re full, demonstrating an innate attunement to their body’s needs.

As we age, societal food rules and dieting can disrupt this natural connection.

Remember being told “You have to finish everything on your plate before you can leave the table”?

Reconnect with your body by spending a few minutes each day noticing your heartbeat.

Research suggests this practice helps you become more aware of your body’s sensations, including hunger and fullness.

This may help you say no to that third helping of pavlova at Christmas lunch.

Make peace with food

Allow yourself to eat without guilt. Food is one of life’s pleasures, especially during the festive season, when it’s often prepared with love.

Remember, a healthy life is built over months and years, not from a few indulgent meals.

Enjoy and appreciate the food you eat this season.

Be grateful you get to indulge, and make sure to say thanks to the cook (even if that’s you!)

By tuning into your body and embracing food without shame, I hope you can enjoy an indulgent and guilt-free festive season this year.

Emma Polette is a personal trainer, yoga teacher and menopause health coach based in Albany.