Can you be vegan and an intuitive eater?

Now that veganism is widely accepted in our culture, people often ask me “can you be vegan and an intuitive eater?” Isn’t veganism restrictive? Doesn’t that go against the principles of Intuitive Eating? How can you give yourself unconditional permission to eat all foods but not eat certain foods? The short answer is that it is possible, but it really depends on intention – why you are or want to go vegan – whether it’s to lose weight, for “health”, environmental or animal welfare reasons.

Why does intention matter?

Intention matters because veganism (along with vegetarianism) is often used to disguise or legitimise dieting and disordered eating behaviours. And dieting is not compatible with Intuitive Eating. This is because actively trying to lose weight means complying with external food rules which prevent you from tuning into and trusting the messages your body wants to send you regarding food and eating. And learning to tune into and trust these messages is central to becoming an intuitive eater.

I am not suggesting that everyone who goes vegan is dieting or has some form of disordered eating or an eating disorder. That’s not the case. What I am saying is that to answer the question “can I be vegan and an intuitive eater?”, it’s important to first get really clear on your reasons for being or going vegan.

What are your reasons for being or wanting to go vegan?

So, to answer the question: “can I be vegan and an intuitive eater?”, start by asking yourself why you are or why you want to go vegan? Be absolutely honest with yourself. Is it for environmental or animal welfare reasons? Is it for “health” reasons or to lose weight?

Vegan purely for environmental or animal welfare reasons

When your motivation for being or becoming a vegan is purely for environmental or animal welfare reasons, you can absolutely be vegan and an intuitive eater. Having said that, please remember that while these might initially be your reasons for going vegan, it’s very easy to get caught up in diet mentality in today’s culture. Diet culture is all around us – and the vegan community is no exception. Be aware that there are many influencers, health coaches, bloggers etc. promoting veganism as a way to control or lose weight. This being the case, it can be helpful to check in with yourself regularly and reflect on your motivations for your food choices. If they have anything to do with trying to change your body shape or size, that is a red flag that diet mentality is creeping in.

Vegan to lose weight

When veganism is embraced with a diet mentality, it simply becomes another diet (and dieting is not compatible with Intuitive Eating).

Vegan for “health” reasons

If you are vegan or considering becoming vegan for “health” reasons, I recommend taking some time to reflect on the reasons for your food choices to find out if they really are compatible with Intuitive Eating. Here are a few key questions to get you started:

• Am I vegan or wanting to go vegan because I believe it’s the healthiest way to eat or am I confusing health with being a certain weight? Is it actually weight loss I am after? Again, as I mentioned above, when veganism is embraced with a diet mentality, it simply becomes another diet (and dieting is not compatible with Intuitive Eating).
• Am I vegan or wanting to go vegan because I believe it’s the healthiest way to eat? Does the science support my belief? Do I really need to be (or go) vegan to look after myself?
• Is my decision to go vegan based on fear, guilt or shame?
• Will going vegan likely feel restrictive? If so, is being or going vegan really for me?
• Do I ever have cravings for non-vegan foods? If I do, is being or going vegan really for me?

But doesn’t being or going vegan go against the principles of Intuitive Eating?

Some of you might still be asking “but doesn’t being or going vegan go against the principles of Intuitive Eating? The answer, my friends, is “no”. We all have our own unique values system that we use as the basis for decisions we make each and every day. Intuitive Eating embraces values-based eating. In fact, in the third edition of their book “Intuitive Eating – a Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, Evelyn Tribole, RD and Elyse Resch, RD describe authentic health as “the dynamic integration of your inner world and the external world”, where the inner world includes your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and physical sensations and the external world includes philosophical preferences along with health guidelines. When you are truly attuned to your inner world, you can integrate certain philosophical preferences along with health guidelines while still paying attention to hunger, fullness, satisfaction etc.

How can you give yourself unconditional permission to eat all foods but not eat certain foods?

People who are vegan purely for environmental or animal welfare reasons don’t see animal-based foods as part of their food environment. They also do not feel as though they are depriving themselves of these foods. So they don’t experience feelings of food deprivation or scarcity. We can liken it to someone who avoids pork for religious reasons: pork is not part of their food environment and there is no sense of deprivation associated with avoiding it. Dieting, on other hand, involves restricting foods that would otherwise be eaten and comes with a clear sense of deprivation.

What’s the bottom line?

Intuitive Eating supports values-based eating styles including veganism. If practised carefully and not used as a weight loss diet or a way to mask disordered eating, you can be a vegan intuitive eater. Consider working with a dietitian certified in Intuitive Eating to learn how to do this practically and ensure you are getting the nutrition you need for overall health.

Ready to take the next step? Contact me and request a complimentary call to find out more about Intuitive Eating and how it can help you truly nourish yourself – body, mind and soul.