Food isn’t just about hunger and fullness. Sometimes, our biggest struggle with food isn’t even about the food itself. It’s about how we feel. Often, we eat because we’re stressed, tired, sad, bored, happy, or celebrating.
Sound familiar?
If so, you’re not alone. This part of the Intuitive Eating journey invites us to go deeper, past the diet rules, past the food guilt, and into the heart of our emotional connection with food. That includes making peace with food, coping with emotions with kindness, and learning to respect the body you’re in right now. Let’s dig into what that really means.
Principle 3: Make Peace with Food
Imagine a life where all foods were allowed. Like, really allowed, not just on "cheat days," not with guilt, not with conditions. Just... food. No drama. No judgment.
Making peace with food means giving yourself unconditional permission to eat all foods, yes, all. Even the ones diet culture told you were “bad,” “off-limits,” or “dangerous.” Because here’s the truth: the more we restrict a food, the more power it holds over us. The moment we say, “I can’t have that,” we’ve made it louder, more tempting, and more likely to trigger an out-of-control feeling later.
Have you ever found yourself elbow-deep in a bag of snacks thinking, “I’ll just finish it and never buy this again”? That’s the restrict-binge cycle. And it’s exhausting. But it’s not you that’s the problem, it’s the restriction.
Making peace with food isn’t about giving up on nutrition. It’s about removing the fear and fixation so you can approach food choices with clarity, calm, and trust. Once all foods are allowed, they lose their “forbidden fruit” energy, and your body starts to guide your choices in a more grounded way.
Principle 7: Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
Food is emotional. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just true. Birthday cake, comfort meals, snacks while crying over a movie... food has always held emotional meaning. And that’s okay. The goal isn’t to eliminate emotional eating. It’s to expand your toolbox for how you cope with all of your emotions.
Sometimes food is the coping tool we have. And if it helps you get through a hard moment, that’s valid. But when food becomes the only way to cope, or when it brings more distress afterward, it may be time to explore other supportive tools.
This principle invites you to check in gently:
- Am I physically hungry right now, or am I needing something else?
- What am I feeling, and what might help me sit with that feeling kindly?
Kindness is the key word here. Not control. Not shame. Not “fixing.” Just self-compassion.
That might look like:
- Talking to a friend
- Journaling or doodling
- Taking a walk
- Crying it out
- Sitting with a pet or grounding yourself in a cozy space
It’s okay if you still choose food sometimes. The point isn’t elimination, it’s compassion.
Principle 8: Respect Your Body
You don’t have to love your body all the time to respect it. Read that again.
Respecting your body isn’t about loving every part or pretending to be body positive every day. It’s about acknowledging your body’s needs and treating it with basic care and dignity, even if you’re having a tough day.
That might mean:
- Letting go of unrealistic expectations about how your body “should” look
- Wearing clothes that fit and feel comfortable now, not in some hypothetical future
- Nourishing your body regularly, not punishing it with hunger or overexercise
- Choosing rest when you need it
- Challenging the belief that your body needs to shrink to be worthy of care
Respecting your body is also about recognizing that body diversity is real, valid, and normal. Just like we all have different shoe sizes, hair types, and personalities. We also have different weight set points and shapes. There is no moral value in being a certain size. You’re not “better” or “worse” for having a certain shape or being a certain size. Your body deserves respect because you do.
A Note on How These Principles Work Together
When you give yourself permission to eat all foods, you start to feel more at peace around eating.
When you explore other ways to care for yourself emotionally, you rely less on food to solve every feeling.
When you respect your body, you stop treating nourishment, rest, and movement as punishments.
These aren’t isolated steps. They’re layers of self-trust, rebuilding the connection between your mind, your emotions, and your physical self.
You’re Allowed to Show Up As You Are
Here’s what diet culture doesn’t want you to know: You can eat freely, feel your feelings, and respect your body without trying to change it.
That doesn’t mean the work is always easy. Sometimes it’s really hard. But the freedom on the other side is worth it.
The next time you’re feeling out of control with food, overwhelmed by emotions, or frustrated with your reflection: pause. Take a breath. And ask: What do I need right now physically and emotionally? If your response to that question is filled with self-compassion and empathy, you’re well on your way to a more intuitive approach to your relationship with food.