Could anyone recommend a good book (s) on Intuitive Eating?  I am trying to get out of the "diet" thinking mode and am looking for good books that will help me in my journey to more normal eating. Any help would be appreciated.

vickinb

"The Yoga of Eating"  by charles Eisenstein.  Not so much about hatha yoga, but mostly about intuitive eating, as you have requested.   EXCELLENT.

From the back:

 The Yoga of Eating is a wholly new approach, a path of self-trust and self-exploration. This book does not tell you what to eat and what not to eat.  It is not a book about nutrition nor is it about  the "yogic diet".  Instead it is a practical and inspiring manual that explains how to:

Distinguish superficial cravings from authentic appetities, to give your body the nourishment it needs;

Bring your diet into alignmnet with who you are, and who you wish to be;

Choose from among the hundreds of diets on the market to identify which comes closest to meeting your unique needs;

Transform the delight and pleasure of eating into an ally in the quest for health;

Build trust in your natural body and natural self.

The Yoga of Eating offers original insights on the physical and spiritual functions of sugar, fat, meat, and other foods;  fasting, dieting, processing, wilpower, and the deeper principles of self-nurture. Dispensing with conventional doctrine, this book appeals to a higher authority--your own body--and shows how to access and trust the wisdom your body has to offer.

Hope this helps.

dawna H.

THIN TASTES BETTER by Dr. Stephen P. Gullo

Thank you both. I'll check them out.

Vicki

If you haven't already read them, anything by Geneen Roth, especially "Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating."  She is one of my very favorite writers, she has a special way of speaking right to the heart.

So how does this help? You will only know when you actually do this. But you won't know by comparing today's results with yesterday's result, because that brings the past back into the picture. You will know by your level of satisfaction in the moment. If you are not feeling a little bit of joy as you eat - while observing - then inquire as to what you might be thinking about and let go of that thought so you can observe.

Observing your eating is not, "I'm eating this bite of squash." Can you observe without such thoughts? Try it. This will probably mean that you will have to stop reading while eating. You may have to stop watching TV while eating. You may have to stop talking with your neighbor. At least until you get the hang of what it really means to observe the whole act of eating. If you notice that swallowed your last bite almost whole (no chewing), don't judge what you did. Your behavior will change of itself as you continue to observe.

This act of observing actually includes any aspect relating to food. Are you feeling hungry? Will a glass of water satisfy the hungry feeling? Is it really hunger you are feeling, or is there an emotion that gives a sense of hunger because of your past conditioning that you eat when such and such emotion is present? All this and more is involved in observing everything and anything relating to eating.

Remember, the only goal, if it be a goal, is to appreciate what you eat.

This actually applies to every aspect of your life.

John

John: Thank you very much for an interesting post.....reading your wisdom made me understand what it was about a man I know that bothered me so much.  I think that his approach to food improved somewhat when he began to cook for himself....would this be contributory to intuitive eating, too?

> John: Thank you very much for an interesting post.....reading your wisdom made me understand what it was about a man I know that bothered me so much. I think that his approach to food improved somewhat when he began to cook for himself....would this be contributory to intuitive eating, too?

The only act of intuitive eating is observing. In fact, the only act of anything is observing. But more to the point, the entire process of eating begins with preparation, and this can mean anything from making a grocery list to deciding which restaurant to eat at, and ends with putting away the dishes or paying the bill. If you split up a process into its parts, this brings the mind into play, brings memory into play, and hence brings conflict into play. Thinking promotes conflict; observing promotes peace. Only when you are peaceful can you truly enjoy what you eat, and what you eat then will truly nourish your body.

You might ask whether or not it is possible to prepare a meal without thinking about what you want to eat or how it will be prepared. If you are truly observing your thoughts, your body sensations and your environment, you won't have to plan - you will act. This does not require practice. You either do it or you rely on your conditioning - and that gets you only what you have gotten.

If you can observe without bringing up the past, without questioning what you are doing but actually observing with a passion to understand the "you" that is eating (not the "what" you are eating), you will bring about a shift in your behavior that is so subtle you won't even know anymore what you were before. Only when someone mentions you as your past will you become aware of the change, but if you dwell on that as a memory, it will suck you back into the conditioning of your past.

The more you observe, the less necessary will be any question. Observe your thoughts and you will learn who you are.

John

Last Edited on: 4/7/08 5:13 PM ET - Total times edited: 5

I got one through PBS, but haven't had a chance to read it yet:  Intuitive Eating