Riley Rees, Special to The Denisonians–
Those walking into Hoaglin Wellness Center on Feb. 13 for the Intuitive Eating Series were greeted by a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The floor was covered in beanbags and pillows for students to sit on as fairy lights were strung across the walls.
The Intuitive Eating Series at Denison is a six-week program led by Alyssa DeBord, who has been a licensed dietitian for over a decade and is a certified intuitive eating counselor. The program loosely follows the 10 principles of intuitive eating as described in the book “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, with each session covering around two of the principles.
The book was given at the beginning of the series for participants to read by themselves and follow along with the curriculum outside of the weekly meetings. The sessions begin with a group discussion, giving attendees a chance to share their own connections, as well as discuss anything that comes to mind surrounding food. The dialogue is then followed by a presentation that delves deeper into the discussed principles of healthy eating, as well as how to apply those principles to our own lives.
“[Intuitive eating] changed my life in such a powerful way and so I really wanted to share with others… the therapeutic aspects of nutrition,” DeBord said. “Intuitive eating to me means having peace with my relationship with food and my body.”
This series is the first of its kind at Denison. In previous years DeBord has given lectures and hosted luncheons surrounding intuitive eating, but she recognized and illustrated the importance of an interactive, bookclub style option. She discussed how this more “informal” and discussion-based education increased participation because of its casualness. She hopes to create more activities like the current series through Hoaglin in the future.
The last session focused on the principle of “making peace with food.” The group looked at ways to recognize and break down rules that individuals may have around food, which can mend one’s relationship with food and allow us to eat with intention. DeBord encouraged the group to reflect on how much of our time is occupied thinking about food and how we can better allocate that energy elsewhere in our lives.
“It’s helped me connect with my hunger cues and stop thinking about different foods as good or bad,” said Carly Broseman ‘26.
DeBord introduced the acronym “RAVES,” which stands for eating regularly, adequately, variably, socially, and spontaneously. She discussed how intuitive eating can often be a vague concept, but this acronym can give structure to that practice. It operates as sort of a step-by-step “path” to eating with intention, as one can check each letter of RAVES as they work through building better eating habits.
For anyone interested in learning more, the sessions take place in from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Hoaglin.