How to Eat INTUITIVELY on a Vegan Diet| Learning to Make Peace with Food

Hi guys, I’m Abbey Sharp and welcome to Abbey’s Kitchen. In another episode from my series Enlightened By Intuitive Eating, I’ll be discussing Principle 3 of Intuitive Eating: Make Peace with Food and how to eat intuitively on a vegan diet.
Alissa Rumsey: alissarumsey.com/
@alissarumseyrd
/ alissarumseyrd
Amee Severson: www.prospernutritionandwellne...
@amee_rd
Research Links:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3...
psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-1...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
My book, The Mindful Glow Cookbook affiliate link: amzn.to/2nev0lf
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My amazon #affiliate shop: www.amazon.ca/shop/abbeysharp
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My other favourite intuitive eating books in my amazon #affiliate shop: www.amazon.ca/shop/abbeysharp...
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Check out my blog for healthy recipes, parenting tips and tricks and busting nutrition myths and diets: www.abbeyskitchen.com
Video Contribution By:
Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD, tasteofnutrition.com/

[@louveable3623]

New year resolution: finding peace with food and starting to eat intuitively

[@AbbeysKitchen]

yaaaaas

[@devinmarks6709]

Don't give up!! It might take longer than you initially think. I made it my new year resolution two years in a row because it was such a slow process for me. Goodluck!

[@playeatlivewell]

Just saw this video ❤ hope you are doing well on your journey

[@playeatlivewell]

@@devinmarks6709 it truly does! It is a journey

[@Speakup117]

Sometimes I get a little sad knowing you’ll never truly know how deeply your work has affected my life. Thank you so much Abbey.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

caroline g thank you, that means so much to me

[@paigemartins286]

@@AbbeysKitcheni truly feel the same! these videos saved me from quasi recovery in my ed. i was stuck in a similar loop for so long and these really were an aha moment for me!

[@Sandreline]

I have a snack cabinet. When I have food-restrictive thoughts or impulses, I make myself have a snack. Slowly those snacks have been depleting less quickly because 1. I'm having fewer disordered urges and 2. since the snacks aren't taboo they're a lot less enticing. Bonus, I enjoy the snacks a lot more without the emotional baggage.

[@clarissahinshaw6037]

Great video, although I would have also talked about mock meats, vegan cheeses, etc. A lot of vegans and non-vegans like to demonize these food as “bad foods” but they are tasty options that don’t harm an animal and shouldn’t be feared in intuitive eating.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Cheesy Rural Vegan great point 👍🏼

[@lauraholzinger5875]

BriefcaseBlues but how would this be different with any other vegetables on the fields that are not grown in your own garden? It sure is a problem, but banning mock meats because of this does not make a lot of sense

[@lauraholzinger5875]

BriefcaseBlues I know that thats how farming works but it’s not only the soy burgers that harm animals, it’s all other fruits and veggies as well that are farmed industrially, so you want to say that people are not vegan that eat those as well? You can not see everything white or black, if someone is eating a soy burger, because they are trying to help the animals and the environment, they are doing their part, it’s better than eating beef.

[@kathrynashin7154]

@@briefcaseblues6061 this is one of the dumbest arguments against veganism. You absolutely save an animal by eating soy burgers instead of a beef burger. Do you know what is fed to the livestock that are killed for people to eat? Soybeans! Corn! Most of the grains being grown, taking up massive amounts of land, are being used for feed for animals that humans are eating. Eating meat uses up SO much more land, water, resources, and creates SO much more pollution. There's literally no way you can argue against that. Vegans are doing the best we can- we are not hypocrites. Veganism is defined as, "a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose." See the part that says "as far as possible and practicable"? In the industrialized world in 2020, most people are not going to live off the grid and grow all of their own food. Are you?!

[@krisb294]

@@briefcaseblues6061 thank you for bringing that up. & that's just the farming side of it. That doesn't even touch on the animal cruelty that goes into the packaging or shipping sides of it. Really, compare the impact of walking to a local farm to get your meat (just 1 cow can feed a family of 5 for an entire year) to the impact buying grains, fruits, and vegetables at your local big grocer (where a lot of them are coming all the way from Asian countries, especially things like Chia that are specifically marketed to vegans & vegetarians). I get that when you live in a food desert it's nearly impossible to eat anything that is environmentally or ethically concious (unless you grow it yourself), but for those of us that live in more abundant places (like the midwest USA for example) we should be eating more ethnically & environmentally friendly (instead of buying the factory farmed beef that was shipped to your grocer from over 20 hours away, buy the ethically raised beef from only 20 minutes away. Instead of buying bananas that came from Central America in a lot of packaging, buy the bananas that came from a realatively local farm an hour from you).

[@MeganDurka]

I’ve been intuitively eating a vegan diet for 2 years now. After developing BED because of Freelee and High Carb Hannah and Fully Raw Kristina trying to convince me to lose weight and heavily restrict, I was at a total loss. I now have absolutely 0 restriction within my vegan diet, because it’s entirely ethical and environmental and I’ve never been happier. Love this video ❤️

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Megan Amber I’m sooooo glad

[@carrotlover7763]

BriefcaseBlues - you do you Boo and I will do me. I am fine if you want to eat a burger. I think most people who are here watching this video are interesting in being educated about their health. They may also be interested in animal welfare as well, but I don’t think you are going to win anyone over by telling them they are hypocritical by eating soy burgers. How each individual chooses to do this is up to them, not my place to judge; as Abby says there aren’t bad foods and good foods.

[@carrotlover7763]

BriefcaseBlues - Have a Happy New Year!

[@ube4856]

what's bed?

[@weightlossat50]

But have u lost any weight

[@BriLamberson]

I wish this intuitive eating series was a playlist on the channel. It’s so good! Your videos are so, so helpful and I’ve watched dozens of them over the past week.

[@jazzimilz]

As a vegan who is embarking on intuitive eating, THANK YOU! I have struggled with eating disorders since I was a teen (I'll be 28 on 01/21). When I became vegan, it was totally for ethical reasons, but I noticed my same old unhealthy relationship with food still weighing down on me. I finally had ENOUGH! Stopped weighing myself, stopped labeling food as "bad," and am starting to learn to follow my gut, literally. It is totally possible to have a healthy relationship with food as a vegan. As per usual, you're a queen & i love ya.

[@nerdyvegan8212]

I went vegan New Year's Day, 1993. I had been lacto-ovo vegetarian for ethical reasons for a little over a year before that, and decided that I didn't "need" eggs or dairy, so I dropped them. I was pretty healthy for much of that time, but from around 2005 to late 2017, things got a little out of balance, and I gained 25-30 pounds over that stretch. I was "feeling heavy", so I decided to address it by upping my activity a bit, and making one small adjustment to my diet. The adjustment wasn't subtraction of anything; it was starting my lunch with a salad. I found that I didn't snack as much later in the day when I did that, and coupled with the increase in activity, dropped about 5 pounds a month, without feeling any deprivation. As I went, my activity went up, I felt light enough that I could run again without wrecking my joints, and actually ran a half-marathon a month before my 55th birthday. Now my eating habits are in a good place, and I'm within 5 pounds of where I was in 1993. Sometimes addition is the best way of subtraction.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Nerdy Vegan yes for sure!

[@allyas]

I love to hear from long-term vegans and vegetarians! I was born in 1993 (not to make you feel old), being vegan must have been so much more difficult in the 90s than it is now (I'm a vegetarian for 6 years now and the changes in options even in that timespan is amazing).

[@KattReen]

That's awesome!

[@uglyvegan7945]

I am one of those vegans who doesn't consider meat food. I think a better analogy to this than the ones you used is that most North Americans don't consider dogs or horses food and would be very likely to refuse to eat things like crickets if offered. I am, however, worried about raising my child vegan because she may not understand the rationale behind the restriction and will wonder why, for example, she can't eat cake at a birthday party. I will do things like bring a vegan version of the food that's being served at a party or family dinner, but ultimately it will be her choice if she wants to eat non-vegan foods outside of the home. She's only 6 months old so none of these situations have come up yet, so we'll handle them as they do.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Ugly Vegan I think that’s a reasonable way to approach it!

[@melissamargolese8782]

Unnatural vegan talks about raising kids vegan a fair bit, might be worth a look

[@Trekkifulshay]

My 10-year-old and 6 year old are vegan due to allergies. They know which options are safe for them when we go out and are usually fine with it. I almost always have emergency treats or snacks if need be. I try to present it as we're not excluding food groups coconut milk yogurt is in the dairy group and lentils are protein as is sunbutter. I'm cautious about eating food we're not used to [while not allergic to it] after probably 4 years being egg-free I accidentally ate eggs and the stomach ache was not fun. IDK if that's a common reaction.

[@swinxfee]

Yesss Thank you. My friends always ask me how i can "resist" non vegan junk food. Easy, I'm repulsed by it.

[@julianakoch7550]

Abbey, you absolutely nailed it. Lots of people wonder what you eat as a vegan and I cannot tell you how often I heard some jokes about vegans only eating grass. Of course I can laugh about it but unfortunately some people really think this. I am vegan for two year and animals and their products are not food for me. They are dead animals and some people decide to eat them for some reason. The same as I would never think about eating a dead cat, I have 0 desire to eat dead cows, pigs or chickens. Veganism is so much more than a diet and I dont feel restricted at all. I actually feel like since I went vegan the diversity of my food improved a lot. I have never heard another Omni saying this and I am so happy about it! Thank you!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Juliana Koch 🙏🏼❤️

[@xmiss.bunnyx]

I've been watching you videos a lot and they've been having such a positive impact on me. :) I've been more intune with my hunger queues and listening to my body more and i don't feel compulsions to over eat. :)

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Sarah Duffton I’m so happy to hear that 🙏🏼❤️

[@IDontWantThisStupidHandle]

Can I Heart this video? I was just starting to research intuitive eating, and I am vegan, when I saw your notification!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

John Macomber you can like it! 😊

[@IDontWantThisStupidHandle]

Ms. @@AbbeysKitchen already done! KZbin needs a heart reaction ;)

[@annala2956]

Truly intuitively eating would not include constant overeating, as intuitively, we know that overeating every day doesn’t make us feel good. Intuitively, we know that we need to get enough veggies, protein, and healthy fat. I’m all for intuitive eating being the goal. Some may just need guidance to get started. Great video, Abbey!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Anna LA thank you!

[@silentfriend369]

4 years vegan, and healthier than ever before. :) thanks for helping people safely go vegan.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Me M ❤️❤️

[@geoffreygushue2280]

When I was a teenager, I spent my summers in Ontario picking vegetables... the screams of the tomatoes, the agony of the corn and the sobbing of the carrots still echo in my mind, to this day, I eat mostly meat and my doctor says I'm in great shape,( I'm sixty two)! Vegetables have feeling too!

[@nathanielberkeley-biggs2855]

Me M Not if you have been eating vegetables from Supermarkets?

[@KattReen]

@@geoffreygushue2280 If you hear vegetables screaming, there's probably some pills you could get prescribed to make it stop. Vivid delusions are no joke.

[@nathanielberkeley-biggs2855]

Shannon Hurley but you are not Vegan if you are funding animal cruelty and death by buying vegetables from supermarkets. It isn’t just about cooking with vegetables, it is about avoiding cruelty to animals, not encouraging it by shopping at supermarkets.

[@kittykittyykitten]

I appreciate you addressing the question re: intuitive eating and veganism as it is one I asked directly, so thank you for taking the time to give your thoughts

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Elise Fellows of course ❤️🙏🏼

[@sarahirwin6631]

Last night I really had a mouth craving for a Dairy Queen dipped cone. After watching your videos I realized I should just go get it! So I had my dipped cone and enjoyed the hell out of it. About halfway through I didn’t want anymore, so I fed the rest of the ice cream to my dog, which he was super happy about. In the past I would have beat myself up for having “bad fast food”, or “sabotaged my efforts to lose weight” or “ruined a good day of eating” but instead I felt so happy that I listened to my body and enjoyed myself. Watching your channel has made me realize how much my relationship with food has been messed up through out my childhood, adolescence and adulthood. I’ve slowly been moving away from diet culture for awhile now and moving towards intuitive eating, and your channel has been so helpful to uncover some very sneaky and deeply held beliefs.

[@TaliaMann]

This is an excellent video!! I make videos on ED Recovery and I'm always worried about mixing in vegan content because although I'm vegan, I never want to promote eating disorder behavior. I think as you mentioned, intention really is key here. It's so important to do it for the right reasons and I've been able to eat vegan and intuitively for years and have recovered from an eating disorder.Thank you for this video, Abbey!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Talia Mann you are very welcome. Thanks for sharing

[@ellacaulfield9939]

Thank you so much for addressing this topic! I'm vegan for ethical reasons but I also love the concept of intuitive eating. I love that you explain the difference between self restriction and veganism (most people associate these concepts as the same thing).

[@erinb4237]

Thank you! I got flack for skipping fried foods (they make my stomach hurt) and raspberries (developed an allergy in high school). Yes, while I might want to have that fried raspberry cheesecake, I know that it will make me feel terrible. I'm not being restrictive, I'm taking care of my health. It's very aggravating when intuitive eating is taken to a dangerous extreme when it's supposed to be not extreme at all.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Erin B it’s not extreme at all, you’re so right! It’s actually just the natural thing to do!

[@catherinec6747]

I am one of those people who just can't have chocolate in the house. After stumbling across your chanel, I have spent the last month or two trying to listen to my body more and took chocolate off the exclusion menu. Turns out I don't particularly like chocolate. Mind. Blown.

[@dlambert4]

I am vegan and have been for almost 9 years. I do not feel deprived or feel restricted in any way. I do not view animals as a food source for me so I don't miss eating any meat, fish cheese, dairy, or eggs in any way. That said, when I eat out, if some butter or oil snuck into something I ordered I don't freak out over it. I agree with everything you say in this video and I am trying to help my clients with these concepts even though most of my clients are not vegan and eat a SAD diet. It's not my job or desire to convert my clients to become plant based eaters. My job is to support and coach them around their desires to lose weight and become healthier. These themes are the most common ones I hear every day. I will be sharing your video with my clients for sure!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Diane Lambert amazing thanks!

[@myneoangel4299]

Abbey, this series has come at the best time! I’ve been using your videos as “extra reading” while reading the intuitive eating book. Also, being a vegan for 5 years, I’m really happy you covered these concepts together! It wasn’t until watching this that I’ve realized WHY I’ve been craving chocolates and cakes the past couple of years... milk and eggs in their “whole” forms have such strong ethical attachments to them that I don’t miss or crave them ever. The problem is when I’m traveling, which is a lot, all the chocolates and sweets that I would classify as “trigger foods” for myself are suddenly off limits, not entirely because they are are chocolates and cakes, but because they have milk or eggs in them. So while I would MUCH prefer to find vegan options of these things to enjoy, they are not really available in a lot of instances that I find myself. This has led to a lot of binging on the vegan and even non-vegan versions of these foods, which I always immediately feel guilty about! Since I don’t get that visual cue of the milk or eggs, (since they’re baked into the items) I’m not getting that same ethical response as I would if someone offered me scrambled eggs or a glass of milk. Wow, I’m so happy this helped me piece this together! Thanks!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

this does make sense!!

[@hannahmcdowell7401]

These videos have been so incredibly helpful for me! I hope you keep making more ♥️

[@Christine_G129]

I think a lot of my overeating is guilt of food waste, which is mostly when eating at restaurants or when I don’t control the portions. My grandmother and mother always made me finish my plate even when I was full. I decided that I would never make my kids do that and I never did. I do believe it helped them have a better relationship with food in some ways.

[@tiffany9843]

Best video ever! And at such a perfect time for me. Thanks again abbey! Sending love always.

[@felichagomez]

I developed an ED at around 7 years old due to extreme trauma. Your channel has helped me more than any RD I've seen. Thank you for providing this free content for us. You're literally saving lives. I can't thank you enough ❤️

[@doodles8003]

I love your videos! I've recently started 'making peace' with food and allowing myself 'food freedom' and I've never felt happier and more comfortable with my eating habits!

[@spydula1]

I came into this expecting to just learn about diet, and came away learning a widely applicable lesson in mental health. Thank you so much for your work!

[@kirogurl]

This series has honestly changed my life and understanding of my relationship with food. I find these videos inelligently resourceful. Much more so than your reviews of What I ate in day by other KZbinrs.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

i am so so glad!

[@bridgetkline2073]

Thank you so much for this video!!! This is how I naturally started to eat when I got to college because I had so much choice. Maybe the first week or so I went crazy over the cookies and grilled cheese and ice cream in the dining hall, but after that, I just listened to what my body wanted. More often than not, I chose fruits and vegetables and meal options that would make me feel full without being overly greasy. (Dining hall food all tends to be fried) As a vegetarian, I totally agree that I don’t consider meat to be food. It’s a habit that anything containing meat doesn’t appeal to or belong in my body. Looking forward to more of your videos!!

[@sopp92003]

You are life changer abby, thank you so much for this video! Truly truly thankful

[@mchandra66]

I found your videos at a really good time. I have started on plant-based eating for about 6 months but find it un-natural for me as I’ve always been an intuitive eater. Love all your positive reinforcement of what I had been feeling and thinking. Thanks

[@pamcake958]

👈 Lifetime member of the “Clean Plate Club” And, I can absolutely agree with the concept of “Habituation.” I’m starting my intuitive eating journey, and for one month, I gave myself 100% permission to eat a slice of pie every single night. At first, I was overjoyed to eat dessert a.k.a. a “bad” food every day! But after about a month, the “novelty” wore off for me and I didn’t want to eat pie anymore. Now, I want to eat fruits. I am being absolutely honest. Fruit! Thank you, Abby!💖

[@allyas]

Not vegan, but vegetarian for over 6 years. What you said in the beginning is so right. Meat just doesn't count as food for me, I'm not restricting consciously like I would with dieting (and it lasts significantly longer than any diet I tried and failed). It's like with food I don't like, it isn't even part of my radar when shopping. I never considered being vegetarian a roadblock in trying intuitive eating. But I see why adopting a vegetarian/vegan life simultaneously while trying to eat intuitively could be difficult, because your intuition still counts animal products as food and not eating them can feel restrictive and not intuitive.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

A S totally!

[@kathyg8125]

cereal is also my trigger food! thanks so much Abbey. I relate so much with you, but I am feeling better knowing I'm not alone. My knowledge towards food and balance also grow so much with your help!

[@kimmikimbels1840]

For a person who got here through Coach Greg... Well I actually really like you and your content. Currently on the intuitive eating journey. Thank you for you videos they are helping me a lot😊

[@kim1676]

Hi. I just began learning about intuitive eating through a podcast and now watching Abbey, it makes so much sense. And I have already seen changes in my relationship with food. Thank you so much for this channel. After spending so much years considering myself plus size or overweight, I can except my body.

[@choochd]

What you said about our experience of animal products as vegan is so true!!! People are always like "how do you not want to eat meat, I'd be thinking about it all the time, or I could never give up cheese or bacon?" As a vegan of 5 years now I can honestly tell you, meat, dairy and eggs do not even enter my mind as food choices when I am hungry. It's not restriction or deprivation like many believe it to be. I can paint with all my colours, I'm just using a different pallet. That's how I feel.

[@agillespie3053]

Loved this video, working on improving my relationship food has been a big part of the last six months and your advice really helps me feel like I'm headed in the right direction in terms of listening to my body

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Amy Gillespie so glad to hear that ❤️❤️

[@katischaefer]

I love your series on Intuitive Eating. Thank you for your help! :)

[@meigochan2015]

these videos are like therapy for me so grateful Abbey

[@hannw7]

Pretty sure my intense IE therapy saved my life in 2011. Love watching this series for reminders. You are so great, Abbey! It’s really wild to be able to have sweets and chips in the house and forget they’re even there or have to toss because it’s so old. Like Halloween candy. Taking back the power over food is the best feeling. You’re FREE!!!! ♥️

[@rchlh]

Thank you for these videos! I've been trying to follow intuitive eating over the holidays, since I live abroad and only come home with my family for 2 weeks per year, so instead of restricting I'm just enjoying my family's cooking and eating what makes me happy. Thank you and happy new year!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Rachel York thank you 🙏🏼❤️

[@bhaminilakshminarayan1812]

I am learning so much about myself through your work. Thank you!

[@leighannedavis1990]

I really needed this video, thank you. I really appreciate your level headed approach to Intuitive Eating

[@AbbeysKitchen]

LeighAnne Davis ❤️🙏🏼

[@oHeide]

little off topic but I want to applause you, Abby, for having your content reviewed by colleagues. Since this just ensures the quality of the content even more for your viewers. And it would probably be easier, faster and ultimately more profitable for you to just make these videos based on your own expertise (which still is far better than making videos without any expertise) and that would be great, but it takes something to say "can you please look over my work and tell me if you have any concerns" to a colleague. Thank you so much for going the extra mile (and apologies for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker)

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Heide Witzka thank you!

[@taylorgriest]

I love it when you do vegan videos! Thank you for giving amazing nutritional advice! My husband and I have been plant-based for 2 years now but we never feel restricted. Yes, we do eat very "healthy" most of the time, but if I want coconut ice cream, I eat it! If we want a delicious doughnut for breakfast, we eat it! Cake on my birthday... YES PLEASE!! We have found it is very easy to not overeat if you let yourself enjoy a treat every now and then when you want one :)

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Taylor Griest yes totally!

[@marianafranca5744]

I’m loving this series, it is very informative and makes me thing about all the hurdles I had to jump on mu journey to make peace with food as well. I really glad to have found your channel, Abbey. U rock

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Mariana França ❤️❤️

[@emmallen2]

I recently started being more mindful when eating out about not stuffing myself and listening to satiety cues. What an amazing difference, to enjoy eating out without feeling sick/stuffed afterwards!!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Emma Allen 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@beckylashua8456]

Thank you for being so understanding of vegans. And thank you for giving us this advice! :) I am going to try to eat more intuitively from now on.

[@emilylawrence5234]

One of the most succinct explanations of how and why to implement intuitive eating into your life I've come across. Love it, Abbey! The only additional thing I would mention (and that I have to remind myself) is that the goal with intuitive eating is not to eventually eliminate the foods that you used to have power over you. It's so easy, with our minds soaked in diet culture, to approach IE with thinking the goal is eventually to lose weight, reduce cravings and hunger, and to get rid of the foods you love. That's diet culture, and IE is not a diet replacement, it's the 180 of dieting and does not share the same goals.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Em 👍🏼👍🏼

[@EmmaPathy]

always so insightful abbey! thank you for your videos!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Emma Pathy ❤️❤️

[@sarahbarber8780]

Thank you Abbey! this channel has helped me so much

[@bethanygreenwood8259]

Abbey, this series is fantastic and so frigging helpful!! Thanks so much 😊

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Bethany Greenwood so glad

[@eatingtherainbow]

Yay!! Just subscribed! I am so glad I found your channel - such amazing information and content!! Thanks Abbey! 😀🌟 I am vegan and an intuitive eater - it is so important to listen to our bodies! xx

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Eating The Rainbow yes it really is!

[@eilishfarrelly5256]

This is a brilliant video! Really clear and helpful THANKYOU!!

[@MrsWill-wd3mb]

I love how you talk about food environment. Gluten was a simple thing to remove knowing that it will immediately have a substantial negative effect on my body so it is easy to avoid. That has never happened with me with any other food.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Mrs. Will 👍🏼👍🏼

[@YumiYarns]

I know this is an older video of yours, but I just wanted to comment & thank you for helping to remove the moralization of foods. Because of a lot of the "health" claims about soy products & flavorings, I haven't let myself have soy matcha lattes from Starbucks in at least 6 yrs even though they're my absolute favorite item on the menu. While I still don't plan on getting them super regularly because of the price, I did have one yesterday as an afternoon snack and thoroughly enjoyed every last sip. Thank you so so much for the work you & your team are doing here!

[@mind.wanderer]

This is such a well done video! Such a neutrual video, very well formed sentences and so meaningful! thank you so much

[@AbbeysKitchen]

im so glad!

[@kumiko.k.]

Begginig to feel the power of intuitive eating! Just now I had symptoms of low blood glucose and craving for sweets, so I allowed myself a piece of cake for lunch and it felt amazing! Thank you ✨🙏♥️

[@alexstornello3180]

Holy crap, this video made me cry. I had no idea how bad my issues with food were before looking into intuitive eating. So thankful for this.

[@totalpartridge]

YESS such a great way to start the new year x

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Little pony whip Whip 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@cassidylampley8929]

I'm very excited about this homework!

[@belenlg5978]

this video was great!! I always thought it was curious how when I turned vegetarian three years ago for ethical/environmental reasons, I never had cravings, despite having a history of restriction causing me binges

[@zainabhusham2010]

Love this one thank you so much you’re really helping me a lot🙏

[@cuesitiondedibujotec]

This is honestly really helping me realize my own corrosive mentality around food and frankly really tune into a more healthy one. I grew up in a hispanic family where diet culture is very VERY prominent, and I have so many ideals about eating engraved in me about what I'm "supposed to" eat or not. Specially as a woman. Even though I have already come a long way from where I used to be (I have struggled with anorexia before), I realize there is still such a long way to go to heal my relationship with food and fully trust my body. I feel like I am in the right path tho, and this videos are amazing guidelines and super reasuring!!! It is honestly super empowering!!! Thank you so much!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Iliana Martinez so glad it helped ❤️❤️

[@nathan.valdez13]

I appreciate videos like this! I’ve struggled with disordered eating, and by watching your videos and consulting a doctor, I overcame my disorderly eating habits. I’m still struggling to reject the diet culture mentality, but I’m doing a lot better in the fact that I allow everything in moderation. Once again, thank you for making all your great videos!!! I’m loving this series!

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Nathan Valdez ❤️❤️

[@deannaheadrickartist]

I really like your word choice. Thank you for the videos.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

The Mural House ❤️🙏🏼

[@cheekygrin6258]

Great video! Thanks for addressing this issue

[@selahbramwell6639]

Thanks for this information, I'm really enjoying watching your videos. I would love to see a video on the Low Fodmap diet/intolerance, as it's being recommended frequently now for conditions like IBS and Endometriosis.

[@karsonbruce9585]

Thank you I am vegan and have been dealing with this anxiety for so long about how to make peace with food. I NEEDED this.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Karson Bruce soooo glad

[@vinyllotus]

IE takes time and patience, but it is completely worth every bit of effort and every second. Having a trusting relationship with my body is so beautiful.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Stephanie Jones it truly is ❤️

[@Sophie-um4vz]

Abbey, you are amazing!

[@meaganemerson4053]

AWWW So perfect! I was telling my husband about intuitive eating and he asked about us being vegan. We are vegan because our why has to do with the environment but also, I do not enjoy animal foods. He was concerned that IE wasn't for him if it meant that he couldn't restrict animal foods. But this is perfect. He will enjoy this video and see that he can still do this. It's not a feeling of deprivation. Thank you!

[@swim610]

I'm not going vegan...I love my meat but the principles of intuitive eating that you lay out resonates and its working. Thank you so much for your work and being brave in the face of the diet culture. Keep going!

[@fr3agy]

❤️❤️❤️ love this!!

[@sadiedavenport]

I love you for saying this!! I wish my teenage self could've heard this. Also, thank you for explaining that veganism is not a restrictive diet, or a diet at all

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Johanna Bisceglia for sure! 🙏🏼

[@Yasmin-ox4sq]

Thank you so much for doing this!! Loved it

[@AbbeysKitchen]

so glad

[@eleanorwait6311]

Watching this whilst eating the cookie I’ve been craving :)

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Eleanor Wait 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@luamiazga2731]

Very inspiring! As a vegan mom of two, I really want to be a good example with my relationship with food! I have been experimenting with intuitive eating for the past two years now, and I think I am starting to get the hang of it! ❤🙏😁

[@jennfischetto]

Thank you for this video and this series. I read IE in the summer, so this is perfect timing for me to follow along. I still label foods and overeat the fun foods, but I'm catching myself with the labeling and I now crave broccoli and miso soup too. I finally have hope that I'll one day eat intuitively and not give the overly processed foods such importance.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

so glad

[@fashionstar578]

Thank you thank you thank you for these videos!! They're totally changing beliefs that I've held my whole life, and I am no longer a member of the "clean plate club" which truly feels freeing!🙌

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Hannah Allain amazing!

[@EvieBam]

And she's done it again!! Knocked this out of the park Abby and just in time for the toxic diet culture that's associated with the New Year. Thanks for all your amazing work and contribution to helping people live healthier happier lives all while understanding the science

[@AbbeysKitchen]

so glad!!

[@edus82]

I felt like this video spoke to me. Thank you!

[@BuffTaanJai99]

Hi Abbey. This is an interesting concept. Thanks for keeping my mind open to different stuff and helping me have people outside of my echo chamber

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Taanvira Jai 🙏🏼❤️

[@paula92111]

Such an informative video. Great job!

[@christina7454]

I relate to the returning home one SO MUCH. I studied in a foreign country where some dishes/foods I was used to just weren't as commonly available.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Christina ❤️❤️

[@clairec9745]

Became vegan a few years ago but got drawn into the obsessively healthy whole food diet I discovered online and low and behold ended up developing a binge eating disorder. I have now adopted a vegetarian diet which even if I don't have a lot of dairy it is far easier to sustain a healthy relationship with food. It is a shame as I feel I will never be aligned fully with veganism as I once was and have felt backlash from others from going back to vegetarianism when I don't wish to disclose my why. Glad you are discussing this.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Claire Boyle 🙏🏼❤️

[@BloomingLisa]

Really appreciate this video - very thought-provoking. A few concepts I’m struggling with in the video though: I was a vegetarian for 10+ years and then vegan for 5. I’ve also had a long term eating disorder. When you discuss Vegans not seeing animal products as ‘food’ this applied to me for many years BUT I also dissociated myself from many other foods. I didn’t believe cakes, sweets, soups, juices, etc should be regarded as ‘consumables’ and thus these were never viable options for me. I was just able to shut out any options that didn’t fit my stringent guidelines. Our brains have an amazing ability to detach from foods we don’t allow ourselves to eat or that we believe to be bad/impure etc. How do we therefore know that not seeing meat or dairy as ‘food’ is not just psychological severance due to abstinence? It’d be quite difficult to eat intuitively whilst thinking in such a black/white manner. If someone chooses not to see chicken as food and their body craves chicken for instance, they wouldn’t even be aligned enough with their body to recognise this sensation. If certain foods are disallowed we are intercepting our natural intuitive capabilities… Also, IF most people that don’t eat animal products genuinely don’t crave them or fancy them why do so many vegan products replicate meat/dairy? If the appearance of meat or the smell of bacon or the texture of milk were really that unappealing why would someone want to eat something that mimics the animal version of the product? I have nothing against veganism or vegetarianism…our farming practices suck. But I feel like there are a lot of nuances and a bit of dishonesty somewhere regarding this apparent ‘food freedom’ on a vegan diet, the concept that veganism isn’t restrictive, the idea that most vegans are ‘disgusted’ by meat yet eat faux meat products, etc. Having a well-balanced vegan diet is difficult and it’s quite challenging to eat out or even purchase some alternatives (depending on your location and financial status) - also, even though veganism is of course a more ‘ethical’ choice (but probably not a biologically more natural choice)imo it’s dangerous ground for those with eating disorders. It’s too hard to know if the restriction/virtue-signalling is a sneaky tendril of the Eating Disorder or if it’s as innocent as it seems… Just my thoughts anyway…

[@avaearles5609]

Mine is cheesecake. Oh good lord cheesecake. When I was on a super restrictive diet I would make this super low carb and low fat "cheesecake" that I though was just AMAZING. When I would make it I would eat the equivalent of 4-5servings ( in one sitting) and eat the whole thing (24 servings) within a day or two. I made it about a week ago and it was disgusting, (like I threw out all of it). Luckily, I was making a real cheesecake for my husband for Christmas, so I still got my cheesecake fix. There is still about two slices of cheesecake sitting in the fridge that me and my husband are going to enjoy tonight.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Ava Earles enjoy!

[@hannah6yearsago683]

it's been so fun! i got so tired of worrying about everything i ate😌

[@23ladybuggie]

Thank you Abbey!!☺️

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Martine Girard ❤️❤️

[@ima7333]

Great stuff, Abbey! I cannot stick on any diet. Dieting makes me miserable. I simply listen to my body like my GI suggested such as if i needed to lose weight, i only eat when i’m hungry. The problem that causes me to gain weight is eating junk food all day. When i only eat when i got hungry, i tend to eat things that would sustain me. This sort of “diet” works for me. Thanks for defining “diet” & restrictions.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Ima Purnomo ❤️❤️

[@malorieann1150]

While I don’t entertain her anymore, I initially learned intuitive eating and went vegan because of Freelee. Her restrictive diet actually helped me come to peace with food because it was the first diet where I could eat ALL I wanted. She always said “smash in the carbs” - and I did just that, breaking the 1,200 calorie, low carb plan I had always known before. I gained a lot of weight at first (about 10 pounds) but now, 4-5 years later, I eat an intuitive vegan diet with no restrictions at all. I’m glad you’re spreading the intuitive eating message! It’s a much better way to live/eat.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

so glad!

[@leisaann]

I order pork, fish or seafood when I dine out because my husband is allergic so i rarely cook it at home. I ALWAYS take home half or more to enjoy the next day. Portions at restaurants can be huge for me to eat in one sitting. Glad i do already do some intuitive eating habits.

[@liliansheamaple3257]

This all makes so much sense and feels good to hear! After struggling with anorexia when I finally decided to start eating “normally” again it was still very restrictive and I would often feel guilty even if I was eating very “healthy.” Intuitive eating is really simple and the most natural way of eating and for the most part I follow this way if eating. I do have a question though, sometimes I eat when I’m not hungry because it’s dinner time and I don’t want to get hungry in the middle of the night, is this still considered intuitive eating?

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Lilian Maple yes!! Watch the hunger episode! I discuss this (anticipatory hunger). I do this too!

[@Kathubbss]

I am loving this series! It’s really putting things in a different perspective. How do you deal with thoughts of knowing this food will make me feel awful (for me it’s fried food) but wanting it anyways? I will get nauseated from just the smell but still want to eat it? Even a small portion will still make me regret it!

[@Shelf_Improvement]

23:37 is the piece I've been missing. Thanks. ❤️

[@AbbeysKitchen]

Sheryl 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@HerrFinsternis]

Iove this series, I'm so glad that you found this fire again and did not let dr whats-his-face convince you dietitians are obsolete. The series raises many questions in me, some for you, some for myself, and up untill now I've been keeping all of them to myself because I expect things to become clear as the series progresses. But I don't recognise my own journey at all when regarding the list of pitfalls you mention in this particular video, and given the topic of next video this does seems like an appropriate moment to give voice to some of my questions. In this video you speak of a "food environment" and this term is really interesting to me. One can say I am in the process redefining my own food environment since the beginning of the year, which I think is a far more helpfull use of vocabulary then saying I'm "on a lifelong diet", thanks for that. And there is a distinct difference I think because like I said, I haven't fallen into any of the pitfalls you mentioned this video; I don't feel guilt, I don't jojo, I'm not seduced, my "offlimits" don't present themselves as an enigma, I never binge .... some foods I used to eat just don't register as food anymore. Which is really inconvenient at times, but that's my new relationship with them all the same. So you must be dying to know what these foods are right? To understand that we have to go back a year. I was getting into sports for the first time in 20 years since my early teens, loving what I discovered (sportsclimbing) for the exercise, puzzle elements and social engagement. I also got injured and after months of being in that position I didn't decide to take a break but I did decide I could stand to loose some weight to ease those injuries. As a climber it just seemed like a sensible approach and I could stand to loose some anyway, even though my weight had never bothered me untill then. A friend of mine who was severely overweight had turned to a low carb diet, did him a ton of good up untill that point, and I thought it was a terrible idea because the brain needs sugar right? He explained about gluconeogenesis and I thought "well why not". No bread, no rice, no pasta, no refined sugars, no potatoes. The one bad thing about this choice was not eating bread. The Netherlands are a bread country, we have breakfast and lunch with bread and replacing that was impractical. But maybe it's this difficulty what made it work for me. This dietary change presented a practical problem that had nothing to do with feeling restricted in the sense you talk about in this video. It meant I had to get creative, three times a day and I loved it. I have learned to eat so many new things, am taking much more time to prepare and eat my meals. I dined three times a day basically. I've never enjoyed my food as much as on this diet. The weight dropped (which didn't do anything for my injuries btw) and mentally I felt calmer, more focussed, at ease and all in all happier. This was when I started to research what this change in my diet was actually all about, I wanted an explanation for why I felt that good. I learned about keto and ultimately a lot about nutrition and the many misconceptions we grew up with. I also learned the hard way this stuff is complicated. "Do not raise your insulin" is the keto credo "because you should fear insulin resistance". While I could understand the second part the first part seemed so janky to me (why a hormone always be bad?) but I ignored that feeling. Which after a couple of months spelled bad days for me, because keto has another credo that says to take it easy on the protein. Put these two together when you are climbing 10+ hours a week and you can probably figure out this was not sustainable for me. At the time I didn't know what was wrong but what's bad is that not a single one of these keto hubs offer help. "Beware you electrolytes" was allways the answer but the truth of the matter is is that mainstream keto internetbabble aims to serve overweight people who don't move around much. So nobody tells you about the other great things insulin does, or that proteins synthesized into muscle tissue don't turn into sugar. So after licking salt of my hands for a couple of days I felt like a loony, stopped "the program" and went to find other more reputable sources with an actual scientific basis like biology books or podcasts featuring researchers that did explain the rest to all these half truths I had learned thus far. And I'm great now. Doing my own version of a low carb diet. There's very little rules; I take care of my protein intake, I still avoid refined sugars and refined grains, I reserve the carb heavy wholefoods for my post workout meals and that's about it. One thing requires a bit of care, where I live Iodine is mainly found in bread, so I do make sure to occasionally eat cod or put cranberries in my dessert. Other then that I make the meals I feel like making, and have a second dessert or a bowl of nuts or cheese if the meal wasn't large enough. In that sense I'm a very intuitive eater. I feel like my "diet" is not very restrictive at all. It's basically a Mediterranean keto diet, finetuned for those that exercise a lot. I love doing the research and most of all I love buying, preparing and eating my meals, which I take ample time for these days even at work. And oh, I almost forgot, it has made me a lot stronger at climbing which is why all of this began. So yes I kinda have this little food-policeman telling me some foods are bad, but I eat so many different foods now then I did back then it's hardly more restrictive. I am really curious to learn what you think of all this.

[@AbbeysKitchen]

HerrFinsternis I think if it feels good to you and is sustainable without too much thought, it works!