Hedonic eating - what happens when we eat just for pleasure?

Rise From Within, with Terri Pugh

Rise From Within, with Terri Pugh
Hedonic eating - what happens when we eat just for pleasure?
Apr 21, 2025 Episode 152
Terri Pugh

Have you ever found yourself reaching for something tasty – not because you’re hungry, but because it just feels good?

Maybe it’s chocolate after a stressful day, or chips while watching telly, or just a snack because it looks too good to resist.

That’s hedonic eating – eating for pleasure – and it’s something we all do.

In this episode (inspired by a listener question from Rose in Canada!), we’re digging into what hedonic eating is, why it’s totally normal, and how it fits into a more peaceful, intuitive relationship with food.

We talk about:

  • What hedonic eating really means (and how it’s different from emotional eating)
  • Why your brain is wired to want food that tastes good
  • How restriction makes cravings stronger
  • Why satisfaction is actually protective when it comes to food
  • How to enjoy food for pleasure without guilt or chaos

Plus: Luna’s very dramatic trip to the vet (she’s fine, she’s just not talking to me about it), and the unexpected joy of an early morning food shop.

It’s a practical, kind conversation about food, pleasure, and ditching the guilt.

And if you have a suggestion for an episode topic, drop me a message like Rose did. All the links are below.



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A quick heads up - my transcriptions are automatically generated. For this reason there may be errors, incorrect words, bad spelling, bad grammar, and other things that just seem a little 'off'. You'll still be able to understand what is being said though, so please just ignore that and enjoy the episode.