Intuitive Eating

I just saw a piece on the CBS Mornings show about "intuitive eating" that struck me as a very Epicurean way of looking at food.

Here's the site

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating - Intuitive Eating

10 Principles of Intuitve Eating

www.intuitiveeating.org

This line was interesting: "The Japanese have the wisdom to keep pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living."

Uh, hello?

I'm sure the video from the show will be up soon

CBS Mornings

Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth…

youtube.com

I feel I should provide a little more context and rationale for my post in light of your comments.

Quote from smoothiekiwi

I regard eating your food consciously and with great joy as inherently natural, something which bring us more pleasure in the end

Exactly.

Quote from smoothiekiwi

Still, I wouldn't call it inherently Epicurean

I completely agree; however, I think it's completely in line with Epicurean philosophy. (see below for more)

Quote from Cassius

That would almost be what we sense (rightly or wrong) to have been DeWitt's attitude toward Christianity, on steroids -- every observation of commonality between Christianity and Epicurus becomes "aha - there was crosspolination!" And every observation of people having a good time means that they are Epicurean!

Oh, Cassius knows I'll respond to this

But seriously, I *fully* concur there is no "cross-pollination" or influence or connection (from the researchers/dieticians here) in any way with Epicurean philosophy. I am not (at least in my mind) seeing Epicurean appropriation around every corner.

However, I think their descriptions falls well within an Epicurean tradition or practice unbeknownst to them. Their emphasis on paying attention to your body's cues, your feelings of pleasure and pain, your own interoception is exactly what an Epicurean could/would do.

To respond to @smoothiekiwi , I think it is actually inherently Epicurean without being directly connected to Epicureanism per se.

There are no "rituals" or "traditions" involved in this suggested way of approaching eating. Simply listening to your body's natural innate cues. Epicureans need to pay attention to their feelings of pleasure and pain, and this "intuitive eating" is saying exactly that.

Now, all this being said, this isn't a hill I'm willing to die on... But I think this approach *is* Epicurean in the broad sense. I do not want to go down the syncretism path, but I don't think this particular approach to a healthy attitude toward food (in this time of general abundance and easy access to junk/fast food) is a bad idea, and its general coincidence to being aligned to Epicurean principles was striking from my perspective.