All this worry, Resch believes, is a result of restriction. We all live in a world that says certain foods are forbidden (that list seems to grow longer by the year) and others are allowed in moderation — another word that’s lost its meaning. (“Moderation” is code for “restriction” these days. Rarely do you hear advice to add a food in moderation.) That’s it. There are no foods we can all agree are 100% allowed at any time, in any amount we desire. And of course, any substance can harm you in the right amount — even air and water. But unless you suffer from a very specific psychological disorder , you’re not going to OD on water. We know that. The same is true for food, yet, somehow we haven’t gotten that message.With a hesitant client, Resch often starts with a basic question: "What do you think it would be like if all you could eat was your favorite treat?"“Let's say is a hot fudge sundae. That’s all that you can eat, just hot fudge sundaes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day this week," she says. "What do you think that would be like? Inevitably, people go, ‘Well, that would be really great, but I bet after a while I'd get a little sick of them.'”Duh, right? The truth is that sundaes are legal and available, almost anywhere, anytime. The problem is, we don’t walk around with that sense of constant availability in our minds. Instead, we’re all trained to think of sundaes as of an exceedingly rare, almost criminal indulgence.That’s why the primary goal with intuitive eating is reversing that illogical thinking until you have a sincere and total permission to eat hot fudge sundaes — to eat anything — without judgment, restriction, or anxiety.“Then, over time, we start to realize it's just a hot fudge sundae,” says Resch. “It's not this golden ring on the merry-go-round.” Then, and only then, can nutrition come into play. Because, reminder: Nutrition has nothing to do with judgment, restriction, or anxiety. It has to do with nourishment.When we have that internalized permission to eat, “we start to have that natural toddler's desire to have a full range of foods,” says Resch. “You start craving a piece of chicken or you start craving a salad,” she adds. “Of course, if you tell someone that’s all they can eat, then they're going to rebel against it.”This is why permission is the first step for beginners and consciously focusing on nutrition is last. It’s not because it’s less important but because it’s more advanced. “The problem is that people tend to want to think about nutrition too soon," she says, "before they’ve really made peace with all foods.”Again, Resch’s entire career is based on eating in a healthy, normal way. She knows the value of nutrition to our well-being and longevity. But she’s seen up-close just how this concept, which should be an empowering tool, has been perverted into a weapon. The only solution is neutrality.“Of course we know that green jelly beans are not as nutritious as broccoli. However, there's got to be the same emotional reaction to whatever the food is,” says Resch. “Until you can do that, you can't think about nutrition.” And when you do, it’s important to do so make sure that peace accord remains in place.