These three recently released books offer tips and insights on weight loss, wellness and developing healthy habits.
*****
"THE HALF-DIET DIET: The Guaranteed Weight-Loss Program That Reboots Your Body, Mind, and Spirit for a Happier Life," by Richard Eyre, Familius, $16.95, 196 pages (nf)
Richard Eyre is a well-known author and speaker on an array of topics. In his new book, The Half-Diet Diet, Eyre shares common sense ideas on how to control the appetite and help the body improve performance.
But unlike other writers, the focus is not solely on appetites for food and drink. The Half-Diet Diet invites readers to take a second look at the methods they are using for losing weight while also considering other ways to improve their lives.
The first few chapters focus on learning to control weight and diet and recognize the power the body has to tell a person what it wants. Instead of starving or bingeing the physical self into submission, most people will have more success listening to what their body wants and needs for nutrition. Additionally, slowing down the pace of eating will make for a more enjoyable meal and will allow time for the food to register.
But improving diet is only part of Eyres dietary plan. Appetites for food are one thing, but other appetites become addictive in life. These addictions, such as technology, fast-paced living or lack of exercise for the mind, are just as damaging and need to be controlled, he writes. Suggestions given in these areas are similar to those used to help lose weight but are focused on a broader platform.
The Half-Diet Diet is not just about eating and drinking but also helps readers find improvement in a balanced life. Physical, mental and spiritual suggestions invite readers to seek balance in how they view the world, live their lives and understand others. Eyres work, mostly based on his observations and experience, is more than a plan to lose weight; it is an opportunity to improve one's personal experience with life.
Mike Whitmer
*****
"WHOLEFIT: Wellness for Life," edited by W. Jared DuPree, Plain Sight Publishing, $16.99, 258 pages (nf)
WholeFit: Wellness for Life is an inspiring and instructive book as it shares a method of evaluating the many aspects of life that together determine a person's wellness and then offers tips for taking action to increase wellness.
The 19 contributors share different aspects of life through stories and examples. Then they challenge the reader to make changes, to grow and increase wellness. The action items are concrete and practical, encouraging the reader to be better and stronger. This book could be read over and over; the first time through to understand the concepts, and again to complete the assignments and begin the process of change. The authors remind the reader that wellness and change are a lifetime pursuit and to be patient and persistent.
The contributors to WholeFit: Wellness for Life recognize the complexities of the human existence and teach that everything is connected. The book addresses these areas of life in sections such as "Our Minds and Our Hearts" (motivation, life purpose, mindfulness), "Our Bodies" (diet, fitness, chronic illness), "Our Relationships" (family, marriage, spirituality) and "Finding Life Balance" (stress, career, finances).
"WholeFit" advocates a unique approach to problem-solving. The many possible solutions to a problem are explained as doorways. So often people try to repeatedly go through the same doorway to solve a problem, but that doorway won't open. People must try a different doorway, looking for underlying causes to the problem. Then he or she can solve problems through new, unexpected paths, such as increasing energy by pursuing hobbies or decreasing pain medication by improving financial health.
Several of the contributors live in Utah, and others have graduated from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. WholeFit is also the name of a St. George-based wellness clinic founded by W. Jared DuPree, Ph.D., the book's editor and one of the authors. There is no profanity or sexual content in the book.
Andrea McDonald
*****
"THE JOY OF HALF A COOKIE: Using Mindfulness to Lose Weight and End the Struggle with Food," by Jean Kristeller with Alisa Brown, Perigee, $24.95, 288 pages (nf)
In "The Joy of Half a Cookie," author Jean Kristeller offers readers a realistic and scientifically proven way to lose weight without the guilt that can often come with restricting foods a person loves.
Kristeller discusses the power of mindfulness and how it can help a person reach his or her weight-loss goals by enjoying favorite foods and not setting boundaries with food. The premise of the book is based on her Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training program that allowed participants to end their battles against food and to eat mindfully with true culinary satisfaction.
"The Joy of Half a Cookie" is divided into two parts. The first portion of the book gives a comprehensive overview of the science behind mindful eating. The second portion provides readers with practices to aid in the cultivation of mindful eating. Its focus on teaching readers to concentrate on the mind-body connection with food is a refreshing take in a field that values rigid rules and boundaries.
The book takes the reader on a 10-week journey combining mindful eating practices with practical ways to eat healthy and be aware of food calories.
While a person may not necessarily lose 10 pounds fast, the approach taken in the book is realistic and sustainable. Kristeller has succeeded in creating a program readers can utilize for the rest of their lives as opposed to a month or two.
The values taught by this book can easily be transferred from parents to their children and foster a generation of mindful eaters who are at peace with food.
Alice Williams
*****
"THE HALF-DIET DIET: The Guaranteed Weight-Loss Program That Reboots Your Body, Mind, and Spirit for a Happier Life," by Richard Eyre, Familius, $16.95, 196 pages (nf)
Richard Eyre is a well-known author and speaker on an array of topics. In his new book, The Half-Diet Diet, Eyre shares common sense ideas on how to control the appetite and help the body improve performance.
But unlike other writers, the focus is not solely on appetites for food and drink. The Half-Diet Diet invites readers to take a second look at the methods they are using for losing weight while also considering other ways to improve their lives.
The first few chapters focus on learning to control weight and diet and recognize the power the body has to tell a person what it wants. Instead of starving or bingeing the physical self into submission, most people will have more success listening to what their body wants and needs for nutrition. Additionally, slowing down the pace of eating will make for a more enjoyable meal and will allow time for the food to register.
But improving diet is only part of Eyres dietary plan. Appetites for food are one thing, but other appetites become addictive in life. These addictions, such as technology, fast-paced living or lack of exercise for the mind, are just as damaging and need to be controlled, he writes. Suggestions given in these areas are similar to those used to help lose weight but are focused on a broader platform.
The Half-Diet Diet is not just about eating and drinking but also helps readers find improvement in a balanced life. Physical, mental and spiritual suggestions invite readers to seek balance in how they view the world, live their lives and understand others. Eyres work, mostly based on his observations and experience, is more than a plan to lose weight; it is an opportunity to improve one's personal experience with life.
Mike Whitmer
*****
"WHOLEFIT: Wellness for Life," edited by W. Jared DuPree, Plain Sight Publishing, $16.99, 258 pages (nf)
WholeFit: Wellness for Life is an inspiring and instructive book as it shares a method of evaluating the many aspects of life that together determine a person's wellness and then offers tips for taking action to increase wellness.
The 19 contributors share different aspects of life through stories and examples. Then they challenge the reader to make changes, to grow and increase wellness. The action items are concrete and practical, encouraging the reader to be better and stronger. This book could be read over and over; the first time through to understand the concepts, and again to complete the assignments and begin the process of change. The authors remind the reader that wellness and change are a lifetime pursuit and to be patient and persistent.
The contributors to WholeFit: Wellness for Life recognize the complexities of the human existence and teach that everything is connected. The book addresses these areas of life in sections such as "Our Minds and Our Hearts" (motivation, life purpose, mindfulness), "Our Bodies" (diet, fitness, chronic illness), "Our Relationships" (family, marriage, spirituality) and "Finding Life Balance" (stress, career, finances).
"WholeFit" advocates a unique approach to problem-solving. The many possible solutions to a problem are explained as doorways. So often people try to repeatedly go through the same doorway to solve a problem, but that doorway won't open. People must try a different doorway, looking for underlying causes to the problem. Then he or she can solve problems through new, unexpected paths, such as increasing energy by pursuing hobbies or decreasing pain medication by improving financial health.
Several of the contributors live in Utah, and others have graduated from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. WholeFit is also the name of a St. George-based wellness clinic founded by W. Jared DuPree, Ph.D., the book's editor and one of the authors. There is no profanity or sexual content in the book.
Andrea McDonald
*****
"THE JOY OF HALF A COOKIE: Using Mindfulness to Lose Weight and End the Struggle with Food," by Jean Kristeller with Alisa Brown, Perigee, $24.95, 288 pages (nf)
In "The Joy of Half a Cookie," author Jean Kristeller offers readers a realistic and scientifically proven way to lose weight without the guilt that can often come with restricting foods a person loves.
Kristeller discusses the power of mindfulness and how it can help a person reach his or her weight-loss goals by enjoying favorite foods and not setting boundaries with food. The premise of the book is based on her Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training program that allowed participants to end their battles against food and to eat mindfully with true culinary satisfaction.
"The Joy of Half a Cookie" is divided into two parts. The first portion of the book gives a comprehensive overview of the science behind mindful eating. The second portion provides readers with practices to aid in the cultivation of mindful eating. Its focus on teaching readers to concentrate on the mind-body connection with food is a refreshing take in a field that values rigid rules and boundaries.
The book takes the reader on a 10-week journey combining mindful eating practices with practical ways to eat healthy and be aware of food calories.
While a person may not necessarily lose 10 pounds fast, the approach taken in the book is realistic and sustainable. Kristeller has succeeded in creating a program readers can utilize for the rest of their lives as opposed to a month or two.
The values taught by this book can easily be transferred from parents to their children and foster a generation of mindful eaters who are at peace with food.
Alice Williams
