Our Favorite Intuitive Eating Books, Podcasts, and More!
The end of the year is often a time of reflection, and this year we’re thinking back to some of the most helpful Intuitive Eating books, resources, and practices we’ve used with our wonderful clients—and some that our clients have shared with us!
We love supporting individuals one-on-one to improve overall health and well-being, and we know how challenging it can feel to work toward healing your relationship with food and body when you’re surrounded by others who may still be stuck in diet culture. Accessible support, encouragement, and knowledge can be so helpful to have in between nutrition counseling sessions. Here are a few of our favorite things, including Intuitive Eating books and other resources you can use to help you get started.
HAES, Body Image, & Intuitive Eating Books
Intuitive Eating for Every Day: 365 Daily Practices & Inspirations to Rediscover the Pleasures of Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S
The newest addition to the world of Intuitive Eating books, this daily guide offers bite-sized practices to help you create positive experiences with food and body.
Body of Work by Lauren Brereton
Body image is a tricky topic; simply reflecting can be a great place to start. Love this book for its beautiful poetry and thought-provoking journaling prompts.
Gentle Nutrition by Rachael Hartley
A non-diet cookbook that encourages readers to take a look at the big picture when it comes to eating in an enjoyable and health-promoting way!
Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison
A history of diet culture and the diet industry—and how letting go of dieting benefits our health. This is a must-read for anyone transitioning to Intuitive Eating books for guidance.
Other Favorite Readings
Just Eat It by Laura Thomas
Body Image Through Stages of Life from The Joy of Eating
The Hierarchy of Nutrition Needs from The Joy of Eating
Actionable Steps to Help You Develop a Happier Body Image by The Real Life RD
Grieving the Thin Ideal by Made On a Generous Plan
Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
Our Favorite Podcasts
Podcasts are an incredible way to learn, reflect, and feel connected—whether you're on a walk, commuting, or relaxing at home. These are some of our top picks that inspire, educate, and entertain:
Maintenance Phase – Probably one of the most recommended podcasts this year, Maintenance Phase offers a smart and sassy deep dive into health and weight science. Hosts Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes tackle topics like the diet industry, wellness trends, and body image myths with wit and well-researched insights. It's a must-listen for anyone interested in debunking diet culture and understanding the complex history of health messaging.
The Messy Intersection with Diana Rice, RD – Hosted by Diana Rice, RD, The Messy Intersection explores what it’s like to raise kids amidst diet culture while navigating real-life parenting challenges. Diana brings warmth and expertise to conversations about food, body image, and creating positive family dynamics. This podcast is perfect for parents who want to foster a healthy relationship with food and body for themselves and their children.
Unlocking Us with Brene Brown Episode with Sonya Renee Taylor, author of The Body is Not an Apology - In her iconic podcast, Brené Brown dives into the human experience, discussing topics like vulnerability, courage, and connection. A standout episode features Sonya Renee Taylor, author of The Body Is Not an Apology. Together, they unpack the radical act of self-love, body liberation, and what it means to embrace ourselves fully. This episode is empowering and thought-provoking—a must-listen for anyone seeking to break free from body shame.
Food Psych with Christy Harrison - A long-standing favorite in the non-diet world, Food Psych offers deep conversations around intuitive eating, diet culture, and food freedom. Host Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDRD, interviews experts, activists, and individuals to shed light on the harms of diet culture and provide actionable insights for creating a peaceful relationship with food.
Our Favorite Apps
Apps can be a great way to integrate support, mindfulness, and self-care into your daily life. Whether you’re working on connecting with your body, managing stress, or cultivating new habits, these tools can help:
Calm - Mindfulness can be a powerful tool, especially when connecting with our bodies and calming the mind. The Calm app offers a variety of guided meditations, sleep stories, and relaxation techniques. We especially love the Body Scan and Calm Body meditations for grounding and tuning into physical sensations.
Headspace - Perfect for beginners and experienced meditators alike, Headspace provides guided mindfulness practices tailored to different moods and needs. Whether you're looking for stress relief, better focus, or support with mindful eating, this app has a user-friendly design and engaging content to help you build a sustainable practice.
Sleep Cycle - Getting enough restful sleep is vital for overall health and well-being. Sleep Cycle not only tracks your sleep patterns but also wakes you up gently during your lightest sleep phase. This feature helps you feel more refreshed and ready to tackle the day, making it a favorite among those working to improve their sleep hygiene.
Nerva - This gut hypnotherapy app is a game-changer for those living with IBS. Based on clinically validated hypnotherapy techniques, Nerva helps users reduce gut-related anxiety, improve digestive health, and build a better connection between the brain and gut. It's an innovative tool for addressing the gut-brain connection.
Finch - Meet your new self-care companion! Finch is a virtual pet that grows and thrives as you complete self-care tasks. Set goals, check in with your feelings, and celebrate your progress—all while nurturing your adorable digital friend. This app turns self-care into a fun and rewarding experience, perfect for those who want gentle encouragement and motivation.
Our Favorite Practices
Curate your social media. We internalize images and messages that we’re repeatedly exposed to. Unfollow accounts that make you feel negatively towards yourself only show one kind of body or promote one “right” way of eating and accounts that encourage dieting or weight loss. You can also choose to limit the use of social media altogether.
Set loving boundaries with others and with yourself. This may look like saying, “Hey, we actually don’t talk about food or bodies that way in our family/at our house,” when food, diet, or body judgments come up in conversations. Loving boundaries and good self-care for yourself may look like prioritizing adequate sleep or rest, time alone, doing some meal prep, or planning on the weekend to make things easier during the week. Work Week Lunch is a subscription platform with many meal prep recipes for people who don’t have time or prefer not to cook much during the week. Even better, it aligns with Intuitive Eating!
Engage your senses. This could mean many things, but the key is to intentionally pay attention to the experience! Engaging your senses could mean being in nature, taking in your surroundings, wearing soft/comfortable clothing, aromatherapy, listening to music, etc.
Journal. Again, you could write anything, but some examples include daily gratitudes, letters to yourself, writing out unhelpful thoughts and examining them or reframing them, or a “brain dump”!
Connect. Reach out to your tribe. Take some time to do something relaxing, like taking a bath.
Find Joy. Sing, dance, write, draw, paint, color, have a good laugh, light a candle, reflect on happy memories, and plan to make more.
What are some of your favorite things that have helped you create a more peaceful relationship with food? What resources and supports might you be missing? Wishing you a restful, happy, and healthy holiday season, and looking forward to connecting with you in 2022!
Warmly,
Carolyn, Andrea, Kris, and Lauren, your CV Wellbeing Dietitians