About the book:
It is estimated that 45 million Americans go on a diet every year, yet most of those who manage to lose weight regain it in a matter of years.
The diet industry thrives on our desire to lose weight, but ultimately, it does more to trim our finances than it does to trim our waistlines.
The truth is that the more we diet, the more out of touch we become with our bodies.
Every second we’re counting calories or banning food groups from our plates, we become less aware of what our body truly needs. And the irony is, it is only when we know what our body needs that we can lose weight in a realistic and sustainable way.
So if diets don’t work; if calorie counting is a waste of time, how will we ever manage to reach our goal weight?
The answer is mindful eating.
This has become a bit of a buzz word in recent years, but that’s no reason to dismiss it. Mindful eating is the simple concept of being aware of what you’re eating and its relationship to your body, and it can change your whole world.
Simply by understanding the mind-body connection and learning to differentiate between what you need and what you want, you can see serious health benefits and lose the extra weight for good--without ever going on a diet again.
My review:
Sometimes books make you think a little bit and other times they make you think a lot. This one made me pay attention to behavior around food and how much attention I paid to food when I would eat. Sometimes the trigger would not be physical hunger, but emotional hunger. That's a good thing to be mindful of since it can lead to food addiction. I remember a time when candy was my go-to stress reliever like smoking would be to my peers. Thankfully getting sugar out of my diet several years ago helped me to break that cycle. So many times we eat for the wrong reasons or we eat without paying much attention to the food at all.
This author has found a way to reach into lives with her message that we need to pay attention to how our bodies feel as a result of what we are eating and to fully live in the moment (and enjoy) when we are indulging or simply sustaining life. I learned years ago how to eat slowly and allow my body to realize a sense of fullness. She brought this to mind. The book also discussed how to eat mindfully when you are with others. I really liked this section.
The author also goes into the calorie counting and how it doesn't work. She's right about that and I agreed with the points that she made. She also went into stress and weight issues (gaining and losing as a result) and the information given to help reduce stress and thus improve overall health was very well done. I wasn't fond of chapter 7 though. I found the techniques and descriptions of them a bid tedious so I skimmed that section.
I loved the section about taste, function and nutrition (chapter 8) and it really made me think about food in a different way. Last, the advice given on how to prepare for social events so you don't eat mindlessly while attending was a perfect way to wrap things up. Overall I enjoyed this book and feel that it is worth reading and sharing with a friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment