Intuitive eating lessons from Italy’s food culture

I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in Italy last month. In addition to the art, scenery and beautiful weather, my core beliefs about food and nutrition were reinforced.

I am an intuitive eater. I ate like this even before dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch provided the name, framework and benefits of this approach. The most simple definition is that an intuitive eater listens to their body cues and eats when hungry and stops when full.

That was exactly what I did in Italy. Most days my biggest meal was at lunch. And it was usually a lot of wonderful, fresh, perfectly cooked pasta. There were usually vegetables somewhere in the meal and there was definitely fresh bread to be dipped in olive oil. And I ate until I felt full.

I am not a carbo-phobe (if that isn’t a word it should be), and not once did the thought of calories or fat cross my mind. Many nights I didn’t eat dinner because I was still full from lunch. I listened to my body cues and ate accordingly. And sometimes my body told me that all I needed for dinner was gelato, and that’s just what I had. Intuitive eaters surround themselves with nutritious food choices, and then listen to their bodies for how much they should eat.

I became a dietitian because I love food. And the Italians are a wonderful example of people who enjoy every aspect of food. Eating is never rushed. Even in a busy food court, inside a weekend food market, people were taking their time to enjoy the food and talk to their companions.

Rarely did I see people on their phones. And there is no rushing to finish a meal at a restaurant. I had to search for the server to get a check at the end of a meal. There are studies that say eating slowly can lead to eating less. With slow eating your brain has time to receive the fullness message from your stomach.

Eat slowly, savor your food and listen to your body’s fullness messages is my Italian insight.

Sheah Rarback MS,RD is a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami FL. sheahr@gmail.com