Vis medicatrix naturae - the healing power of nature - is a principle every naturopath learns on day one. It’s what drew many of us into this field: the awe of watching nature self-organise, self-repair, and regenerate when given the chance.
We see it when a forest regrows after fire, when skin knits itself back together after a cut, when the body shakes after shock to complete a stress cycle.
In my eyes at least, this is what magic is.
And yet, when it comes to food and bodies, many naturopaths forget this principle. We override, suppress, and mistrust. We hand our clients meal plans, calorie prescriptions in "natural" disguise (I'm gonna keep calling Metabolic Balance out even if it totally ruins my popularity), and rigid rules. In doing so, we silence the very voice that embodies vis medicatrix naturae: our hunger and fullness cues.
We see it when a forest regrows after fire, when skin knits itself back together after a cut, when the body shakes after shock to complete a stress cycle.
In my eyes at least, this is what magic is.
And yet, when it comes to food and bodies, many naturopaths forget this principle. We override, suppress, and mistrust. We hand our clients meal plans, calorie prescriptions in "natural" disguise (I'm gonna keep calling Metabolic Balance out even if it totally ruins my popularity), and rigid rules. In doing so, we silence the very voice that embodies vis medicatrix naturae: our hunger and fullness cues.
Hunger as Healing
Hunger is not a weakness to be suppressed - it’s the body’s river, flowing to sustain life. When hunger is dismissed or pathologised, it’s like damming the river: you might hold it back for a while, but downstream ecosystems collapse.
And yet, appetite suppression is everywhere. In naturopathy, it appears as “metabolism-boosting” detox teas and supplements - Paullinia cupana (guarana)¹, Coleus forskohlii (coleus)², Camellia sinensis (green tea)³ - or in high-protein shakes that dull appetite while minimising carbs, and the glorification of fasting. In mainstream medicine, it shows up as stimulant prescriptions, bariatric surgery to shrink the stomach to a fraction of it's natural size, and now GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy... all designed to silence the body’s call for food.
But silencing hunger does not heal the root cause. It creates deeper dysregulation: nutrient deficiencies, metabolic slowdown, loss of lean muscle mass, binge-restrict cycles, and a profound loss of trust in the body’s own signals (Dulloo & Montani, 2015; Polivy & Herman, 1985).
Intuitive Eating reminds us in its second principle - Honour Your Hunger - that hunger is not the enemy. It’s the call of the body seeking balance, restoration, and safety (Tribole & Resch, 2020).
And yet, appetite suppression is everywhere. In naturopathy, it appears as “metabolism-boosting” detox teas and supplements - Paullinia cupana (guarana)¹, Coleus forskohlii (coleus)², Camellia sinensis (green tea)³ - or in high-protein shakes that dull appetite while minimising carbs, and the glorification of fasting. In mainstream medicine, it shows up as stimulant prescriptions, bariatric surgery to shrink the stomach to a fraction of it's natural size, and now GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy... all designed to silence the body’s call for food.
But silencing hunger does not heal the root cause. It creates deeper dysregulation: nutrient deficiencies, metabolic slowdown, loss of lean muscle mass, binge-restrict cycles, and a profound loss of trust in the body’s own signals (Dulloo & Montani, 2015; Polivy & Herman, 1985).
Intuitive Eating reminds us in its second principle - Honour Your Hunger - that hunger is not the enemy. It’s the call of the body seeking balance, restoration, and safety (Tribole & Resch, 2020).
Fullness as Nature’s Wisdom
Just as hunger calls us toward nourishment, fullness signals that the need has been met. It’s the forest floor becoming saturated, saying “enough rain.” It’s the nervous system exhaling into rest.
Ignoring fullness (through chronic dieting and the resultant backlash binge eating, or overly strict portion rules) disconnects us from another natural boundary that keeps us in rhythm. Another principle of Intuitive Eating - Discover the Satisfaction Factor - overlaps here: when food is eaten with presence, without restriction, and with satisfaction in mind... fullness arrives as a natural ally, not an enemy.
Ignoring fullness (through chronic dieting and the resultant backlash binge eating, or overly strict portion rules) disconnects us from another natural boundary that keeps us in rhythm. Another principle of Intuitive Eating - Discover the Satisfaction Factor - overlaps here: when food is eaten with presence, without restriction, and with satisfaction in mind... fullness arrives as a natural ally, not an enemy.
Satisfaction as Medicine
In nature, animals don’t just eat to survive - they seek out foods that satisfy. Birds will fly past one feeder to reach the berry bush they prefer.
Our own bodies carry the same wisdom: satisfaction is not indulgence, it’s a signal of balance.
When clients eat in ways that deny satisfaction - choking down protein shakes, cutting out favourite foods, or following portion rules that leave them hungry - they remain restless, searching. This constant deprivation fuels binge-restrict cycles and erodes trust in the body (Polivy & Herman, 1985).
Intuitive Eating’s principle of Discover the Satisfaction Factor reframes satisfaction as a therapeutic tool (Tribole & Resch, 2020). When food tastes good, when it’s eaten in a supportive environment, when the nervous system feels safe, the body naturally regulates hunger and fullness more smoothly.
As naturopaths, we know satisfaction is woven into every other aspect of health: deep rest after exertion, the big sigh after stress, the sweetness of herbs that soothe the gut or calm the mind. To leave satisfaction out of eating is to ignore one of nature’s most powerful healers.
Our own bodies carry the same wisdom: satisfaction is not indulgence, it’s a signal of balance.
When clients eat in ways that deny satisfaction - choking down protein shakes, cutting out favourite foods, or following portion rules that leave them hungry - they remain restless, searching. This constant deprivation fuels binge-restrict cycles and erodes trust in the body (Polivy & Herman, 1985).
Intuitive Eating’s principle of Discover the Satisfaction Factor reframes satisfaction as a therapeutic tool (Tribole & Resch, 2020). When food tastes good, when it’s eaten in a supportive environment, when the nervous system feels safe, the body naturally regulates hunger and fullness more smoothly.
As naturopaths, we know satisfaction is woven into every other aspect of health: deep rest after exertion, the big sigh after stress, the sweetness of herbs that soothe the gut or calm the mind. To leave satisfaction out of eating is to ignore one of nature’s most powerful healers.
The Nervous System as Mediator
Polyvagal theory reminds us that the nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety (Porges, 2011). Hunger and fullness are two of those cues. When safety is absent - in trauma, oppression, stigma, and most certainly, prolonged dieting and semi-starvation - those cues can go offline.
Supporting clients to regulate their nervous systems is as much naturopathic work as prescribing nervines. Practices like gentle breathing (not the chaotic, harmful breathwork sometimes touted at wellness retreats), grounding with herbs such as chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and creating safe therapeutic space all restore the body’s ability to hear hunger and fullness again.
Supporting clients to regulate their nervous systems is as much naturopathic work as prescribing nervines. Practices like gentle breathing (not the chaotic, harmful breathwork sometimes touted at wellness retreats), grounding with herbs such as chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and creating safe therapeutic space all restore the body’s ability to hear hunger and fullness again.
Coming Back to Our Roots
Vis medicatrix naturae isn’t abstract. It’s the reminder that our clients’ bodies hold wisdom equal to any forest, river, or soil ecosystem. When we override hunger and fullness with diet rules, we betray that principle. When we invite our clients to listen inward, we honour it.
So, as naturopaths, our role isn’t to prescribe the next “metabolic reset”! It’s to midwife our clients back into relationship with their bodies, where hunger and fullness are seen not as problems to fix, but as nature’s healing voices to be answered.
Hunger, satiety, and pleasure are natural body cues. Reconnecting with and trusting them means reconnecting with and trusting nature.
With nuance and sensitivity,
Casey Conroy
Non-Diet Dietitian | Naturopath
✨ Want to bring this into your own practice?
👉Download my free practitioner guide: Working with Clients with Disordered Eating for Naturopaths - packed with weight-neutral care tips.
🌿 When you sign up, you’ll also join the waitlist for Body as Earth: Foundations in Disordered Eating Awareness for Naturopaths, Herbalists & Holistic Nutritionists and receive supportive emails every 1-2 weeks to help you integrate naturopathic weight-neutral care into your practice.
So, as naturopaths, our role isn’t to prescribe the next “metabolic reset”! It’s to midwife our clients back into relationship with their bodies, where hunger and fullness are seen not as problems to fix, but as nature’s healing voices to be answered.
Hunger, satiety, and pleasure are natural body cues. Reconnecting with and trusting them means reconnecting with and trusting nature.
With nuance and sensitivity,
Casey Conroy
Non-Diet Dietitian | Naturopath
✨ Want to bring this into your own practice?
👉Download my free practitioner guide: Working with Clients with Disordered Eating for Naturopaths - packed with weight-neutral care tips.
🌿 When you sign up, you’ll also join the waitlist for Body as Earth: Foundations in Disordered Eating Awareness for Naturopaths, Herbalists & Holistic Nutritionists and receive supportive emails every 1-2 weeks to help you integrate naturopathic weight-neutral care into your practice.
References
Dulloo, A. G., & Montani, J. P. (2015). Pathways from dieting to weight regain, to obesity and to the metabolic syndrome: An overview. Obesity Reviews, 16(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12250
Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (1985). Dieting and binging. A causal analysis. The American psychologist, 40(2), 193–201. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.40.2.193
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary anti-diet approach (4th ed.). St. Martin’s Essentials.
Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (1985). Dieting and binging. A causal analysis. The American psychologist, 40(2), 193–201. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.40.2.193
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary anti-diet approach (4th ed.). St. Martin’s Essentials.
Footnotes
¹ Paullinia cupana (guarana) - high in caffeine; marketed for appetite suppression via stimulant effects on the central nervous system.
² Coleus forskohlii (coleus) - active compound forskolin claimed to increase cyclic AMP, promoted for “fat burning” and appetite suppression (though evidence is weak).
³ Camellia sinensis (green tea) - catechins plus caffeine marketed to “boost metabolism,” with appetite suppression as a side effect.
² Coleus forskohlii (coleus) - active compound forskolin claimed to increase cyclic AMP, promoted for “fat burning” and appetite suppression (though evidence is weak).
³ Camellia sinensis (green tea) - catechins plus caffeine marketed to “boost metabolism,” with appetite suppression as a side effect.
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