Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food--Includes CD [With CD (Audio)]

This book changed the way I think and feel about food in general. Had I known about this book years ago, the constant yo-yo dieting, and years of following "fad" diets (Atkins, South Beach, Vegan...) would not have consumed me. I plan on giving this book as a gift to all my friends who struggle with food addiction. This is NOT a diet book, but reading it has helped me to lose over 40 pounds. When I feel like I am falling off track of "paying attention" while I am eating, I read the book again. I have read it 3 times, and will continue to refer back to it forever. Along with the book, I meet with a Mindfulness Meditation group every week, and continue to meditate on my own everyday.

This by far the best book I have read on these subjecys. Most books emphasize one aspect ot the other but this book emphasizes both aspects equally. It is simple to follow and keeps to the point Rosetta Wilson

An excellent book. I came upon this book by chance while browsing through a Yoga magazine and this book was suggested as a newly published book. It looked interesting and while I was at the bookstore, I bought it. I'm so glad I did. It is written in simple humanistic terms explaining the different kinds of hunger we have that we're unaware of and how we view food. Humans truly should only eat when hungry and somehow such a simple truth is overlooked by so many. She explains how we ate as children. The author is a spiritual teacher who explains zen way of eating in a very calm peaceful way. This is an eye opener for all of us trapped in the thought of why most all diets do not work. Treat yourself to this book!

As a consequence of the American search for the perfect healthy diet, we have developed a love-hate relationship with food. Confusion reigns about what foods we are to eat and which we are to avoid. Our reliance on scientific evidence has simply added to the confusion. We can't even agree if we are naturally carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore. "Mindful Eating," written by physician and Zen teacher Jan Chozen Bays, provides a way back to sane eating. Bays does not prescribe what we are to eat but provides gentle guidance about how to eat. This book provides numerous exercises to help us be present to ourselves and our food. Bays teaches us to become aware of our seven forms of hunger--eye, nose, mouth, stomach, cellular, mind, and heart hungers. Each hunger satisfies legitimate needs. Bays instructs us with understanding and humor on how to recognize and satisfy each hunger. Her approach is a return to an intimate and joyful relationship with food. Stop dieting. Read this book and discover how to physically, mentally, and spiritually relate with food and return to sane eating.

I came upon this book accidentally in the new cook book section at the Carnegie library. I took a glance and the contents seemed interesting. So on my driving home, I listened to the guided mindfulness exercises CD that came with the book. This was not what I expected--my way home felt like a transformed journey to self discovery: the exercisers were simple, practical; the voice soothing; the effect, however, was profound. I was intrigued by how was it possible that our body would know the foods that we need at a particular point in time? I eagerly plunged into the book and read all about the seven kinds of hungers. I was very pleased for the insight I gained from the reading. This book inspires. The writing is lucid and thoughtful.