Unlike traditional diets, intuitive eating isn't about telling you what to eat and when.

Intuitive eating is a way of eating in which you are the expert. You understand your body better than anyone does, and you can read your hunger signals and know what you need to eat by learning to listen to your body.

Here's your guide to what intuitive eating is and how you can incorporate it into your life.

The foundation of intuitive eating

The cornerstone of intuitive eating - or the foundation - is a healthy attitude towards your body image and the food you choose to eat.

The main idea is that you want to eat when you're hungry rather than sticking to rigid mealtimes.

As to portion sizes, there are no hard and fast rules. You simply stop eating when you're full.

This may sound straightforward, but for many of us, it is anything but. If you've followed various diets over the years, there's a lot to relearn. Dieting leads us away from trusting the body's natural knowledge, and we can fall out of the habit of listening to our inner guidance.

Where intuitive eating comes from

Intuitive eating as a term came about in 1995 in a book with that title by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. The concept, however, began with Susie Orbach (author of "Fat is a Feminist Issue"), Geneen Roth, and Thelma Wayler.

The concept of intuitive eating came about from the premise that diets don't work and that for long-term health, lifestyle changes and self-care are what works.

Before you begin

To begin to eat intuitively, you will probably need to relearn how to trust your body's wisdom. You may need to learn how to distinguish between real, physical hunger signals and emotional hunger.

Start looking at your eating attitudes and behaviors. Try to notice when you're experiencing either physical hunger or emotional hunger.

When you experience physical hunger, rate your hunger or fullness on a scale of 1-10 (from very hungry to stuffed). Try to eat when you're hungry but not ravenous (as this can lead to overeating). Aim to stop eating when you're comfortably full but not stuffed.

True hunger signals

When we are genuinely hungry, we may notice body signals such as tiredness, irritability, or a growling stomach. This is our body telling us that we need to replenish nutrients. These signals usually build up gradually, so many of us don't know how to listen to them until we're famished. Once you eat food, however, these signals dissipate as your body is satisfied.

Emotional hunger signals

When we crave food, this is often driven by emotional needs rather than any need for nourishment. Signals of emotional hunger can be boredom, anxiety, sadness, or loneliness. In these moments, the foods we crave are often comfort foods that often contain sugar, dairy, or starch. Eating when we are emotionally hungry doesn't leave us feeling satisfied. Instead, we can feel guilty or even hate ourselves for what we perceive as a weakness around food.

Intuitive eating, step by step

1. Give up looking for the next diet. Adopt the mindset that diets don't work.

2. Love your body enough to feed it when it's hungry. Listen to the early signs of hunger to avoid overeating.

3. No food is good or bad. Don't focus on what you should or shouldn't eat.

4. When you're full, stop eating. Listen for comfortable fullness signals and eat mindfully: pay attention to how the food tastes and how hungry or full you are feeling.

5. Make meals satisfying. Do what is needed to make eating an enjoyable experience of self-love and self-care. Eat food that tastes good and also makes you feel good.

6. Make meal preparation mindful. Take your time and enjoy the process; for example, watch the water as it drains from your tofu press or as you fill up your pot for pasta.

7. Find other ways to deal with strong emotions. If you notice you experience emotional hunger often, try different activities, such as phoning a friend, painting your nails, or going for a walk.

8. Develop loving respect for your body. See it as beautiful and capable as it is right now. 

9. Find exercises that you enjoy. Move in a way that feels good to you. This is another way of honoring your body and supporting your mind.

Benefits of intuitive eating

Studies show that intuitive eating can lead to:

• Healthier mental attitudes, including higher self-esteem and less depression and anxiety

• Improved overall quality of life

• Fewer ineffective or destructive behaviors related to eating

• A lower body mass index (BMI)

• More effective weight maintenance