Jenna Hollenstein - Intuitive Eating for Life

Bravo, Intuitive Eating for Life ! I wholeheartedly agree there is undeniable freedom available to us when we embrace the present moment, allowing us not only to celebrate each and every meal before us, but the life-affirming nourishment our souls receive as well.

Emme , mother, model, social disrupter, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Curvy and Confident , and founder of www.truebeauty foundation.org

What a gift to have a book that complements Intuitive Eating , while also bringing meaning to why mindfulness and intuitive eating are so interconnected. Jenna Hollenstein takes intuitive eating from its self-care framework and weaves it into a practice that is sustained through a dedication to mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion. Through thought-provoking questions and exercises, she guides the reader down a path that brings unconscious perceptions into conscious awareness, ultimately leading to decreased stress and increased well-being. This book is a gem!

Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDS-S , nutrition therapist, coauthor of Intuitive Eating , and author of The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens

In Intuitive Eating for Life , Jenna Hollenstein artfully and compassionately bridges the gap between mindful eating and intuitive eating. If youve tried intuitive eating and had trouble implementing the principles, this book may be just what you are missing! Its more than a book about changing your relationship with foodits about changing your relationship with yourself, and may impact your life in ways that you never expected.

Alexis Conason, PsyD , psychologist, and author of The Diet-Free Revolution

Reading Intuitive Eating for Life is like spending time with a trusted friend who walks alongside you in your own journey. This book recognizes the differences we all bring to our eating, and asks us to celebrate them instead of push against them as diet culture has demanded of us. With sensitivity and compassion, Jenna invites everyone to the table in this thoughtful, practical text.

Colleen Clemens, PhD , director of womens, gender, and sexuality studies at Kutztown University; and coeditor of Philadelphia Reflections

Intuitive eating often makes sense intellectually, but many people (understandably) struggle with the discomfort and uncertainty that go along with putting it into practice. With Intuitive Eating for Life , Hollenstein shows us how mindfulness is an essential skill that will help you sit with these challenges. Full of reflection prompts, tools, and practices, this book will help you explore your relationship to food, eating, and your body from a place of compassion and curiosity.

Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD , author of Unapologetic Eating

Intuitive eating should be easy and straightforwardright? Often, this is not the case. Yet, we shouldnt give up on intuitive eating, as it enhances well-being. Instead, we need practices that support it. Youll find this support within Hollensteins book. Stocked with mindfulness practices and information, this brilliant book will help deepen and sustain your intuitive eating path and build trust and confidence in your body.

Tracy Tylka, PhD , professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, Intuitive Eating Scale developer, and editor of Body Image

Relatable, practical, and filled with honesty, Intuitive Eating for Life enlists powerful mindfulness techniques to help us think about the way we approach food from an intuitive and nonrestrictive place. The mindful moments sprinkled throughout the book help you tangibly find ways to apply these techniques to your everyday life without feeling overwhelmed!

Bethany C. Meyers , founder and CEO of the be.come project, and advocate for body neutrality

I wish this book were a standard-issue user manual for having a human body! Have you tried intuitive eating and needed something to make it work? Intuitive Eating for Life is your magic ingredient. Jenna tackles tender realities of living in a body with the gentleness and precision of a true mindfulness master, and offers a path to the cessation of suffering that arises from diet culture. Brilliant and invaluable!

Erica Mather, MA , yoga therapist; and author of Your Body, Your Best Friend

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS is a registered trademark of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

New Harbinger Publications is an employee-owned company.

Copyright 2022 by Jenna Hollenstein

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

All Rights Reserved

Cover design by Sara Christian; Acquired by Ryan Buresh; Edited by Karen Levy

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hollenstein, Jenna, author.

Title: Intuitive eating for life : how mindfulness can deepen and sustain your intuitive eating practice / Jenna Hollenstein, MS, RDN, CDN.

Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022028037 | ISBN 9781684039401 (trade paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Diet--Psychological aspects--Popular works. | Mindfulness (Psychology)--Popular works. | Body image--Popular works. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / Eating Disorders & Body Image | BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Mindfulness & Meditation

Classification: LCC RM222 .H65 2022 | DDC 613.2--dc23/eng/20220713

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022028037

This book is dedicated to your intelligent body, compassionate heart, and flexible mind. May you embody your true brilliance.

Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the first page of the rest of your life. That might sound dramatic but I mean itthis is life-changing stuff. Im glad youre here.

Youve probably already heard of Intuitive Eating. Its everywhere and people are talking about how great it is. Perhaps you bought the Intuitive Eating book or workbook. Felt enormous relief. Tried to let go of rigid control over how you ate. Experimented with some forbidden foods.

After decades of dieting, its liberating to think you could eat what you love without guilt or shame. But finding a balanced approach to eating without restricting or binging feels impossible. Without the structure of rules and diets, you may have begun to feel unmoored. Without restricting, you gained weight. You felt you were losing control, confirming you cant trust your body. Perhaps you concluded there was something different about your body and that Intuitive Eating wont work for you.

Know youre not alone. Intuitive Eatingthe evidence-based model created by registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch that will completely transform your relationship with food and bodyis simple but not easy to do. Especially on your own.

Intuitive Eating is not the eat when youre hungry, stop when youre full diet. It does not progress linearly through neatly organized principles. It unfolds differently for each person doing it, so while there are some common milestones, individual variations in experience can feel unexpected and insurmountable.

Many people have found success with Intuitive Eating by working with a professional like myself, a nutrition therapist trained by its creators. Someone to reflect your experience back to youencouraging you to celebrate your progress, guiding your attention, recognizing obstacles, and supporting your work to deepen self-knowledge. Simply being in relationship with someone who holds space for you and believes in you can help you sustain Intuitive Eating when things inevitably become difficult.