What I Learned About Intuitive Eating On A Goop Wellness Retreat

Despite being a food and travel journalist, I’ve always struggled with my eating habits. I go to new restaurants to try out dishes, head to culinary festivals with some of the best chefs in the business, and travel to new countries where food is a significant part of the culture — like the Bahamas. I’ve practiced diets that never truly worked, resulting in a mindless cycle that I can only describe as mild binge-eating, restricting, and binge-eating again — left feeling ashamed of this habit I couldn’t seem to break.

While I've never been diagnosed with an eating disorder definitively, my relationship with food has struggled throughout the years, usually related to the high-stress emotions that I’m feeling at the time and, unfortunately, certain health problems in regards to my digestion system — but, as they say, ‘hot girls have stomach issues’.

Yet, these exciting trips with cuisines unknown to my own culture have allowed me to learn balance, and in this case, the mindset of intuitive eating.

“Intuitive eating is a practice to honor both mental and physical health,” says intuitive eating expert and registered dietitian, Sammi Haber Brondo. “It removes barriers from eating that stop you from enjoying, while also allowing you to prioritize your health. In a nutshell, intuitive eating is about getting rid of rules and rigid mindsets that make eating an obstacle and instead, make it easy and enjoyable.”

Thanks to Chef Tevin Kemp, I walked into the Baha Mar’s The Kitchen cooking class excited, and walked out more confident that I could be successful in eating mindfully.

The class started off with a pre-made coconut ceviche and spicy lemonade. I then began mixing the ingredients for our Johnny Cake, a popular Bahamian bread which resembles a pound cake, often enjoyed as a side dish. After I (kind of) perfected the dough’s consistency, the class popped them in the oven. In the United States — or at least, to me — a cake like this is associated with dessert and extra carbs, rather than a flavor addition to a solid meal. That’s when I first realized the problem with my mindset.

The main course was a seasoned, island grilled lionfish on top of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, onions and cassava) coated in a liquid lemongrass mixture. I quickly learned that coconut cream and ghost pepper are beloved in the Bahamas (which is both good and bad for a girl who is ultra-sensitive to spice). There was such an emphasis on the simplicity of earthly flavors and utilizing the entirety of ingredients. Chef Kemp explained that he uses every piece of the lionfish he can — from creating mouth-watering fish stews to ceviches. Fun fact: lionfish is actually an abundant food source in the Bahamas, but I had never tried it before this cooking class.

As we fell deeper into the class I was taught to score fish and season thoughtfully, while not underestimating the flavor of natural ingredients or creativity that they lend you. Chef Kemp explained that he grew up not necessarily focusing on a balanced plate, but rather understanding the notion that, “If it makes sense and it tastes good, put it there.” As a person thrust into a society where counting calories is the norm, I was floored by this simple opinion.

To truly practice intuitive eating, Brondo says you have to “let go of food rules and really understand how dieting and restriction is holding you back.” It’s all about finding the flexibility in those gray areas, such as eating when you aren’t super hungry, or tasting something to see if it’s delicious, despite not carrying a physical hunger. This is the part where I’d usually become frustrated with myself for snacking mindlessly, even when the snack is objectively healthy, refusing to give myself grace for just enjoying good food.

When you do actually implement intuitive eating though, you may experience health benefits. According to Brondo, also a recent partner of Carnation Breakfast Essentials, this may include a “higher satisfaction” with your body and a “higher motivation to exercise, because exercise is focused on enjoyment.” Intuitive eaters also tend to opt for more fruits and veggies, leading to “lower total cholesterol, higher HDL (good) cholesterol, and lower triglycerides.” I envied Kemp's mindset, because I’ve always viewed breaking my personal diet rules as a significant, rigid obstacle.

As I consumed the delicious meal, Johnny Cake and all, I headed back to my hotel room. I was left thinking a lot about my choices — cue the tiny violin. About why in the past I’ve allowed the decisions I make in the kitchen to define me so deeply, to control my life to the point where meals are not as pleasurable as they once were. And while the answer may be layered and nuanced, food doesn’t necessarily have to be. Maybe it is okay to follow your cravings while still maintaining your healthy quota of veggies and fruits.

Just like the stunning blue waters and soft sandy beaches in the Bahamas, there are things in life that are just meant to be enjoyed. Now, when I catch myself becoming upset about consuming that extra cookie or enjoying a weekday margarita, I tell myself to let food be one of them.

Watch My Mindful Eating Experience Here!

Baha Mar Resort’s Wellness Weekend is taking place September 13 through 15, 2024. For more information on the experience or to book this wellness weekend for yourself, check out the resort’s website.