Enjoying Passover as an Intuitive Eater

Get the matzoh out, because it is almost time for Passover! For many people, Passover is a time spent with family and friends, however, this year may look different as you may not be able to gather with the ones you love. Despite everything, there is still plenty to celebrate and you can still make it a holiday season to remember!

There are so many wonderful old family recipes that tend to only be made around the holidays. You may be excited to dig into your favorite dish from childhood, while also experiencing feelings of anxiety and fear of “over-indulging” in these foods. It’s important to remember the holidays should be an enjoyable time and can be celebrated as an Intuitive Eater!

You can apply the ten principles of intuitive eating directly to the holiday season. Each principle still holds, even throughout Passover. The first step to enjoying Passover as an intuitive eater is rejecting the diet mentality.

Principle #1: Reject the Diet Mentality: The diet mentality is that negative voice in your head saying, “you can’t have this,” or “you can’t have that.” But you CAN enjoy the foods you love and lose the guilt, negative thoughts, and messages surrounding them.

As you begin Passover, concentrate on your body, heart, and the food in front of you. Passover should be an enjoyable time of celebration with family, not a time of dieting. Enjoy all that yummy foods made with love from recipes handed down from generation to generation. Listen to what your body is telling you and take it from there.

Principle #2: Honor Your Hunger: You may be wondering how do I honor my hunger? You can honor your hunger by simply asking yourself questions before, during, and after eating. Ask yourself- Am I hungry? How hungry am I? What do I need? How can I nourish myself?

By asking these questions you learn about your body and what it wants and what foods make you feel like your best self. By honoring your hunger, you begin to restore trust in the relationship between food and your body and get reacquainted with feelings of hunger and fullness.

Principle #3: Make Peace with Food: Give yourself unconditional permission to eat the food you love. Restriction leads to deprivation which in turn leads to overeating and feelings of guilt. If you’re at the start of this journey, please be patient with yourself. It will take time to rebuild new eating experiences.

Principle #4: Challenge the Food Police: Don’t let diet culture tell you how to eat this Passover, or ever for that matter! Food isn’t “good” or “bad.” Food is food! When you hear the food police screaming at you, shut it down as best you can and realize that with time, this dieting voice will fade into the background.

Principle #5: Discover the Satisfaction Factor: During Passover this year, really be with your food. Take a moment before the meal to breathe, avoid distractions, and focus on the food in front of you. Try to eat slowly, putting your fork down in between bites so you can truly savor what is in your mouth. It will make the eating experience truly satisfying.

Principle #6: Respect Your Fullness: Your body was created with built-in signals that work to tell you when you are hungry and when you are satisfied enough to stop eating. Try to pause mid-meal and focus on what your body is feeling, are you beginning to feel satiated, or are you still hungry? Let that guide the remainder of your meal.

Principle #7: Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness: The holidays can stir up a lot of different emotions, from happiness to sadness, from excitement to anxiety. One of the Intuitive Eating principles is to cope with your emotions with kindness! This means feeling and accepting your feelings without judgment, and with gentle kindness.

Principle #8: Respect Your Body: It’s important to remember what you see on social media is not always the reality. Some people use Photoshop or alter their pictures to look more appealing. The truth is that everyone is different and that’s okay! You may struggle with loving your body so instead, work to reaching a place where you can respect your body and accept yourself with neutrality and kindness.

Principle #9: Movement – Feel the Difference: Movement is important for a happy, healthy, and strong body. Find a movement that brings you joy instead of focusing on working out for weight loss.

Principle #10: Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition: Eating well is not about perfection! “In matters of taste, consider nutrition, and in matters of nutrition, consider taste.”

For Passover, this year remember these 10 principles as you enjoy the holiday as an Intuitive Eater. Choose foods that you enjoy and taste great. You now have the knowledge and tools to enjoy the holiday season, release the guilt around food, and trust your body!

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