How do you help your kids develop a balanced relationship with food and their body? An intuitive eating approach supports kids in developing confidence and trust in their bodies. In this episode, Diana and Summer explore 3 keys to raising intuitive eaters by supporting children to find ways of eating that are nourishing and internally driven.

About Sumner Brooks

Sumner Brooks, MPH, RDN, LD, CEDRD is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and certified eating disorder specialist (CEDRD) based in Portland, Oregon who has been working with clients on all levels of the disordered eating spectrum for 15 years. Sumner is a mom and has put her knowledge, intuition, and parenting skills of Intuitive Eating to the test of real life. She is also the founder of an online training platform for weight-inclusive eating disorder professionals geared toward dietitians, called EDRDPro.

Key Takeaways

• Nutrition is complex, and we often oversimplify it by labeling foods as good or bad
• Intuitive eating is not a “free for all” approach without routines or structure. Instead, we balance routine with flexibility
• Culturally we are conditioned to overthink food, body size, and weight management
• The three keys to raising an intuitive eater are 1) expressing unconditional love and support of your child’s body, 2) setting up flexible and reliable eating routines, 3) developing an intuitive eating voice
• Psychological flexibility processes such as values and acceptance can be very helpful in taking an intuitive eating journey

Related Resources

• Download Your Daily Practice for this episode
• Find out what kind of Striver you are and get your free Skillful Striving Toolkit
• Want to dive deeper into ACT? Take Diana’s course: Foundations of ACT
• Read How to Raise an Intuitive Eater by Sumner Brooks
• Read The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Check Sumner’s guest blog post on Intuitive Eating
• Learn more about Sumner Brooks and intuitive eating with kids
• Follow Sumner on Instagram
• Listen to Diana’s conversation with Evelyn Tribole, the co-founder of Intuitive Eating

Diana’s Events

• Reserve your spot in Diana’s Reset and Restore Retreat in Costa Rica in 2023!
• Sign up for Diana’s From Striving to Thriving Summit!
• See Diana at an upcoming event

Connecting With Diana

Thank you for listening to Your Life in Process! Subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts. If you have any questions or feedback you can contact Diana by email podcast@yourlifeinprocess.com or leave Diana an audio message at (805) 457-2776. Follow Diana at YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thank you to the team Craig, Angela Stubbs, Ashley Hiatt, and Abby Diehl. Thank you to Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Remember when you become psychologically flexible, you become free.

Episode Segments

• [00:00] – Introduction
• [01:58] – Welcome To Sumner Brooks
• [09:04] – Where Do You Start With Intuitive Eating??
• [13:12] – 3 Keys To Raising An Intuitive Eater
• [16:23] – An Acronym To Reduce Body Shame In Kids
• [17:40] – How To Have Uncomfortable Body Conversations With Kids
• [22:39] – How To Develop A Flexible And Reliable Eating Routine With Kids
• [28:15] – How To Cultivate An Intuitive Eating Voice
• [42:02] – Diana’s Summary
• [43:50] – Your Daily Practice
• [48:36] – Connect With The Show