A kinder approach to food and habit change: Intuitive eating and why it works
At Holly Health, we love hearing from our users and understanding their health goals. We have multiple opportunities in the app and across the service for our community to offer feedback, suggestions and help us improve our service. Sometimes, we receive habit requests that reflect a strict diet-focused mindset, such as eliminating snacks, restricting eating times, or swapping out foods in a rigid way. While we completely understand where these requests come from (after all, diet culture has shaped many of our beliefs around food for decades), we pride ourselves on taking a different, kinder approach, backed by science, called ‘Intuitive eating’.
Here’s an insight into why we gently decline certain habit requests and what we suggest instead.
Habit request: Stop snacking entirely or swap out foods
Some users ask us for habits that involve eliminating snacks or replacing certain foods (e.g., swapping out chocolate for something "healthier"). While this approach may seem logical, it often leads to an unsustainable cycle of restriction and craving.
Habits we suggest instead:
- ‘Practice food satisfaction’ and ‘Practice eating slowly’ habits.
- Why? Listen to your body, don’t restrict it. Instead of forcing yourself to eat only “healthy” alternatives, focus on making meals enjoyable. When food is satisfying, you're less likely to feel deprived or overeat later. Suppressing hunger often backfires, making you even hungrier later. Instead, focus on habits like “practice food satisfaction” and “practice eating slowly” to build trust with your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues.
- ‘Think before eating’ and ‘Check in with your hunger’ habits.
- Why? Your body has built-in hunger and fullness signals that are worth tuning into. Learning to listen to them can help you eat in a way that truly satisfies you, without the need for strict rules. Our habit ‘Think before eating’ helps you to take a moment to check in with yourself before eating. How are you feeling? Are you physically hungry, emotionally tired, or just eating out of habit? This simple pause can help you make more mindful food choices. One of our favourite habits, ‘Check in with your hunger’ is also grounded in this principle.
- ‘Eat more fruit portions’, ‘Eat more veg portions’, ‘Eat more fibre’ and ‘Swap simple for complex carbs’ habits.
- Why? Nourish yourself with more. Rather than focusing on removing foods, consider adding more nourishing options. These habits naturally support feeling fuller for longer and satisfaction.
Habit Request: Fasting and restrictive eating windows
Another common request is setting strict eating windows or skipping meals. While intermittent fasting is popular, it’s not something we promote. Restricting when you eat doesn’t address the deeper relationship you have with food and can often lead to increased hunger, preoccupation with eating, and even bingeing.
What We Suggest Instead:
- ‘From Punishing to Nourishing’ article - Our in-app article explains why intuitive eating is a more sustainable approach than restrictive eating. Rather than focusing on when to eat, we encourage users to explore why and how they eat.
- For more guidance, our weight management chat flow in the chat section of the app breaks down the key principles to adopting a compassionate and sustainable approach to food and habits - one that leaves restriction behind and fosters a positive relationship with eating.
- Lastly, we encourage exploration of our Holly Health intuitive eating habits that are designed to support the adoption of this approach (such as: ‘Practice food satisfaction’, ‘Practice mindful eating’, and ‘Check in with your hunger’.)
How else are we supporting people to adopt intuitive eating practices through Holly Health?
As part of our exciting Women in Innovation Award, led by our Chief Science Officer, Dr Daniela Mercado Beivide, we're thrilled to be developing a new pathway specifically for people struggling with weight management, with a focus on the psychological root of eating behaviour, including new features to support intuitive eating. Thousands of Holly Health users will get access to this new service pathway coming soon.
Written by Chief Science Officer, Dr Daniela Mercado Beivide, and Senior Ops & Product Manager, Lily Reveley-Chow.
