The Enlightened Diet: 7 Weight-Loss Solutions That Nourish Body, Mind, and Soul

I, too, have been struggling with my weight for several years. Who hasn't? What got to me, though, was how similar all the popular diets were to each other. They all consisted of restricting something and encouraging you to move more. That sounds fine and dandy in the lab and scientifically it is "proven" to work. If it "worked" then why didn't everyone who counted calories and exercise more lose weight? I was one of those people. So I read this book, because the authors claimed to have identified 7 eating patterns that had (mostly) nothing to do with what or how much you were eating, but HOW you were eating. I've never seen the Zone, South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc address how you eat with such emphasis, and even if they did they just gloss over it. Not only does this book have science to back it up, it has techniques you can use. Most books just have suggestions; this one had steps you could take to make their advice work in your life. Some of it does sound corny, especially if you're unfamiliar with meditation or mindfulness. But I figure if you're so desperate to lose weight, you will try anything. And all you have to do is buy this book and read it. It was wonderful and pleasant to read (although the author constantly used phrases like "remember when I mentioned earlier in the chapter" and then summarizes what she's written so far. I do have a memory, lady.) I intend to use the techniques in this book starting now!

This book is a must read handbook to those of us who want to understand the how and why we eat the way we do. Very practical, very real make sense stuff! I can actually say I get it now!

The book Enlightened Diet by Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz makes the connection between the way you eat your meals and live your life and the outer expression of that consciousness as reflected in how much extra weight you carry. In short, the authors show how food and body weight issues are really all about consciousness -- being conscious of the atmosphere and company at meals, the taste of the food, the freshness of the food and its preparation, how stress impairs good digestion and the unexpressed emotions that food may be masking. It's a great wake-up call for people who want to shift away from mindless eating.

As an expert in weight loss and the mind-body connection, I have read hundreds of weight loss and diet books. The Enlightened Diet, by Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz, cuts through the superficial and brilliantly illuminates those deeper psychological factors that are at the source of a successful weight loss plan. Easy-to-read and supported with stories of real-life examples, The Enlightened Diet is a refreshingly clear, relevant approach that stands far above the sea of "eat this, don't eat that" diet books. In addition to my own materials, I will be recommending this book to my clients and in my weight loss classes. --Lauren Archer, President, Positive Central - [....]

As someone who has struggled with weight and food issues for years, I was on my way to attempt a very restrictive calorie program when I got this book. It has really turned around my thinking. Now I'm focusing my diet efforts on nurturing myself as opposed to punishing myself. The tips and suggestions are very helpful--especially the mindfulness exercises for eating.