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The Mindful Diet: How to Transform Your Relationship with Food for Lasting Weight Loss and Vibrant Health
From the renowned Duke Integrative Medicine center, The Mindful Diet is the first book to combine health psychology with cutting-edge nutrition research to deliver an up-to-the-minute method for eating mindfully and breaking the yo-yo diet cycle.
It’s easy on occasion to eat too much, eat too quickly, eat for comfort, or choose junk food. But for increasing numbers of people, this behavior is the norm, not the exception. Every year millions of Americans vow to lose weight and get healthy but aren’t able to overcome the largest roadblock to these changes—ingrained eating habits. Most diets don’t address the roots of unhealthy behavior, and they also can damage self-worth as those trying to lose weight repeatedly cycle through success and relapse. Now, for the first time, two leading experts from Duke Integrative Medicine offer a new paradigm for eating and health—a step-by-step program that dismantles old patterns, provides new tools for making healthy choices, and fosters deep, internal motivation.
Grounded in scientific research, The Mindful Diet examines how what we choose to eat and drink affects our body on a biochemical level, and how we can become aware of our own internal signals through the practice of mindfulness. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to eating, in which dieting becomes an exertion of willpower, The Mindful Diet focuses on the many variables that drive our habits—including stress, unhappiness, and even unconscious beliefs—and provides a roadmap for sustainable change. Loaded with concrete meditation exercises, behavioral techniques, nutrition advice, and meal-planning charts, this book provides the tools to avoid cravings, stop emotional overeating, and figure out when you are full. Lasting weight loss and healthy living begin in the mind: now you can learn how to re-program your body, make healthy choices, lose weight, and keep it off for life.
It’s easy on occasion to eat too much, eat too quickly, eat for comfort, or choose junk food. But for increasing numbers of people, this behavior is the norm, not the exception. Every year millions of Americans vow to lose weight and get healthy but aren’t able to overcome the largest roadblock to these changes—ingrained eating habits. Most diets don’t address the roots of unhealthy behavior, and they also can damage self-worth as those trying to lose weight repeatedly cycle through success and relapse. Now, for the first time, two leading experts from Duke Integrative Medicine offer a new paradigm for eating and health—a step-by-step program that dismantles old patterns, provides new tools for making healthy choices, and fosters deep, internal motivation.
Grounded in scientific research, The Mindful Diet examines how what we choose to eat and drink affects our body on a biochemical level, and how we can become aware of our own internal signals through the practice of mindfulness. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to eating, in which dieting becomes an exertion of willpower, The Mindful Diet focuses on the many variables that drive our habits—including stress, unhappiness, and even unconscious beliefs—and provides a roadmap for sustainable change. Loaded with concrete meditation exercises, behavioral techniques, nutrition advice, and meal-planning charts, this book provides the tools to avoid cravings, stop emotional overeating, and figure out when you are full. Lasting weight loss and healthy living begin in the mind: now you can learn how to re-program your body, make healthy choices, lose weight, and keep it off for life.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
117 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
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May 17, 2015itle: Think Before Taking a Bite
“The Mindful Diet” by Ruth Q. Wolever & Beth Reardon
Reviewed by T’s Blogging
03/20/2015
10:41 a.m.
Everyone at one time or another has traveled down the dieting road. Some are able to change their lifestyles and remain in shape, and then there’s those of us that lose a few pounds and end up adding them back on along with some extras. Over the past few years, I have tried every diet pill and signed up for every gym memberships, which I would only use a few times, and then I’m telling myself, “T, men like thick women. Just be okay with your extra hundred pounds and keep it moving.” The lies we tell ourselves.
When given the chance to read and review “The Mindful Diet,” I jumped at the opportunity in hopes that maybe this book could offer a better understanding of how to lose the weight and keep it off. Of course, I thought there would be these strict routines and disgusting meal plans. Instead, the authors offered a different approach to fitness…, a mental approach.
The authors break down each step to obtaining and maintaining a healthier lifestyle by first understanding who you are. It’s about self, and getting a visual look at the entire picture and not just the excess weight along with a quick fix. This book uses mental affirmations, meditation, exercises, a checklist, and actually gets to the root of what role food plays in your life.
This is indeed a useful and life changing read. It is not about losing weight, it is about being a better you, internally.
I give “The Mindful Diet” 5 out of 5 stars.
Happy Reading
T’s Blogging
www.mcwpub.blogspot.com
“The Mindful Diet” by Ruth Q. Wolever & Beth Reardon
Reviewed by T’s Blogging
03/20/2015
10:41 a.m.
Everyone at one time or another has traveled down the dieting road. Some are able to change their lifestyles and remain in shape, and then there’s those of us that lose a few pounds and end up adding them back on along with some extras. Over the past few years, I have tried every diet pill and signed up for every gym memberships, which I would only use a few times, and then I’m telling myself, “T, men like thick women. Just be okay with your extra hundred pounds and keep it moving.” The lies we tell ourselves.
When given the chance to read and review “The Mindful Diet,” I jumped at the opportunity in hopes that maybe this book could offer a better understanding of how to lose the weight and keep it off. Of course, I thought there would be these strict routines and disgusting meal plans. Instead, the authors offered a different approach to fitness…, a mental approach.
The authors break down each step to obtaining and maintaining a healthier lifestyle by first understanding who you are. It’s about self, and getting a visual look at the entire picture and not just the excess weight along with a quick fix. This book uses mental affirmations, meditation, exercises, a checklist, and actually gets to the root of what role food plays in your life.
This is indeed a useful and life changing read. It is not about losing weight, it is about being a better you, internally.
I give “The Mindful Diet” 5 out of 5 stars.
Happy Reading
T’s Blogging
www.mcwpub.blogspot.com
December 26, 2020
I had bought this thinking it would be a book that heals ones relationship with food. This book claims to do that, but I don't feel like it did give any real advice about that and just encourages meditation and what they feel a diet should be comprised of. There is plenty of talk of what and how you should eat including the obligatory clean out the pantry information. It felt very preachy about embracing a slow-carb, vegetarianish diet focused on "only food our grandmother would eat." I'm not opposed to whole foods and less processed by any means, but I thought this book would be different. If you are looking for a book that focuses on overcoming years of toxic diet culture this book is absolutely not it and embraces diet culture as much as any other I have read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2016
★★★★½✩ I've read this book through twice now. Wonderful book, especially if you've never read anything like it. Others will find this information elsewhere. I did a lot of the exercises and found them very useful.
November 4, 2025
"When I came to Duke Integrative Medicine in 2007, I began to understand why not all my clients heeded my advice and 'got better.' I had believed that if people knew the right information-the biochemistry of food, the health statistics—they would change. But the integrative model helped me to understand that changing behavior is rarely about the information; it's about figuring out what's keeping us stuck and unable to make shifts in our lives."
As part of my final year of medical school, I did an "obesity medicine" rotation, because I was looking to get a better understanding of how to counsel patients asking for nutrition & weight loss advice.
Specifically, I was looking for an approach which would not be harmful, one which would help encourage people towards healthy lifestyle change while not size shaming, pushing diet culture, or perpetuating harmful cultural (and medical) narratives.
The rotation itself was a mixed experience--I worked in a lot of different settings with a lot of different providers who had a lot of different approaches. Frankly, a lot of physicians I worked with continued to have sort of narrow focus on weight loss as the end all / be all, whether that be from lifestyle or from the newer drugs which promote weight loss & treat a range of metabolic conditions (which, these drugs are truly incredible & no disrespect towards them, but this review review is about lifestyle changes so we are setting those aside). In fact, I was a little shocked at how little consideration most of the physicians I worked with gave towards what potential psychological harm their words or their shaming might cause. From their perspectives, they were knew how to make people lose weight, and people just needed to follow their instructions--there wasn't a lot of curiosity around why individuals might struggle to follow their strict & detailed (or vague and unclear) dietary guidelines.
Ironically, I left my obesity medicine rotation feeling that weight loss was probably not as important as I had previously believed. In fact, the focus on weight loss is probably harmful in a lot of ways, and our focus should instead be on health and on the health needs of each individual person.
Thankfully, I had the good fortune to work with a few dietitians & behavioral health experts, as well as one really cool (though expensive) residential program (structurehouse.com), who had a much, much different approach. Their approach is essentially the same approach to that which is laid out in this book (recommended to me by a dietitian), one which focuses first on the person, on thought patterns, self-destructive, common spirals, etc.
Their approach suggests that changing something as central to our identity as what we eat, how we eat, when we eat, is a tremendous undertaking, and one which is best undertaken from the inside out, rather than from the outside in.
While I have maybe a few quibbles here and there with some declarative statements in this book, overall I found this to be a thoughtfully constructed, helpful introduction to making lifestyle & behavioral change, one which pushes back against diet culture and which ended with practical advice on what to eat.
I think one thing that this book didn't address as much is how helpful it is, when making lifestyle changes, to have some community & partnership. Certainly a book like this seems like it would be at its most effective when worked through either in a small group or perhaps with a dietician or health coach.
Even though I already eat plant-based & am not looking to lose weight, I learned some interesting nutritional information which I am certainly going to incorporate into my diet, and I also gained a range of mindfulness techniques. Lastly, I am going to keep this book in the back of my mind as something that I can recommend to patients looking for help with lifestyle changes and treating metabolic conditions with food.
March 2, 2018
This book was part of the Changing From Within class offered at Duke Integrative Health.
I was a skeptic to mindfulness and meditation let alone tying these items to my eating habits. However, after taking the class and reading the book (twice)- I can honestly say my approach to food has completely changed.
I've learned to slow down and to apply different tools to determine what I need when it comes to my food intake. How to overcome emotional eating, and showing kindness to myself when I still emotionally eat.
I was a skeptic to mindfulness and meditation let alone tying these items to my eating habits. However, after taking the class and reading the book (twice)- I can honestly say my approach to food has completely changed.
I've learned to slow down and to apply different tools to determine what I need when it comes to my food intake. How to overcome emotional eating, and showing kindness to myself when I still emotionally eat.
February 14, 2017
This book has good information and useful exercises for making changes. I took my time to read it and work on implementing the tools. I hope to grow more successful at making good food choices from a place of awareness and self-compassion. The key take away boils down to, "is this food worthy of me?"
September 20, 2020
Holy crap. That was a struggle to get through. The information is good but it is an incredibly dry read.
June 11, 2021
On the way from Doha to Abu Dhabi; I have finished reading the very useful and interesting book “the mindfulness diet” by Ruth Wolvere and Beth Readon
The book is a teacher by itself.. very useful with so much of facts and information that we really need to know and feed our brains with.. it ended with recommended foods and ingredients that are highly essential for the mind, body and soul, where the beginning and the body of the book talk about changing eating habits, learning to understand the body with its signals, and getting into the meditation world
What I like most about this book is that how simple it is in terms of delivering the information, and it holds your hand when taking baby steps towards changing your entire lifestyle..
Highly recommended
10.06.21
October 1, 2017
So helpful, honestly the best "diet" book out there. Simply: get informed, be intentional, self-love, no stress. Boom!
May 6, 2019
This is a book you can go back to over and over again and continue to learn something new each time. Great resource and reminder!
June 5, 2019
This was pretty good. The advice is good. It's not a fad diet.
November 18, 2020
The Mindful Diet by Ruth Q Wolver PhD and Beth Reardon, MS, RD, LDN, with Tania Hannan
How to Transform Your Relationship with Food for Lasting Weight Loss and Vibrant Health
9781451666793
352 Pages
Publisher: Simon Schuster, Scribner
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Nonfiction, Health, Mind & Body, Eating, Diets
This has been a very challenging year for most of us. I have found that sitting around the house has made me want to look in the refrigerator or the pantry more than I should. I thought this book might come in handy in helping me address this problem. This book is divided into three parts:
Part1: Setting the Stage for Change
Chapter 1: Why we overate
Chapter 2: What’s on your plate?
Chapter 3: Getting off the roller coaster
Part 2: Building Your Foundation
Chapter 4: The practice of change
Chapter 5: The Goldilocks principle
Chapter 6: Get flavor to work in your favor
Chapter 7: Cure for emotional eating
Chapter 8: A body to love
Chapter 9: Know your triggers
Part 3: Eating for Total Health
Chapter 10: The four pillars of healthy eating
Chapter 11: How much food do you really need?
Chapter 12: Reconnecting with your food
Conclusion: Making change last
The book is written in a way that each part builds on the previous section. You want to read it in order to get the best benefits. The authors recommend a journal to track the exercises and meditation reflection. They suggest the exercises and meditation should take 15 to 30 minutes a day. This may seem like a lot at first, but once you get started you will find time goes by so quickly.
year I say I am going to lose twenty pounds but then it never happens. I get sidetracked or decide I will start next week. The problem is I never start. This book offers tips for overeating and losing weight with changes that could last a lifetime. The suggestions are not hard and the foundation behind the reasons are valid. After reading this book, I am determined to try again and stick to healthy eating for the long term. If you have issues with eating and dieting, you will find value in this book.
How to Transform Your Relationship with Food for Lasting Weight Loss and Vibrant Health
9781451666793
352 Pages
Publisher: Simon Schuster, Scribner
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Nonfiction, Health, Mind & Body, Eating, Diets
This has been a very challenging year for most of us. I have found that sitting around the house has made me want to look in the refrigerator or the pantry more than I should. I thought this book might come in handy in helping me address this problem. This book is divided into three parts:
Part1: Setting the Stage for Change
Chapter 1: Why we overate
Chapter 2: What’s on your plate?
Chapter 3: Getting off the roller coaster
Part 2: Building Your Foundation
Chapter 4: The practice of change
Chapter 5: The Goldilocks principle
Chapter 6: Get flavor to work in your favor
Chapter 7: Cure for emotional eating
Chapter 8: A body to love
Chapter 9: Know your triggers
Part 3: Eating for Total Health
Chapter 10: The four pillars of healthy eating
Chapter 11: How much food do you really need?
Chapter 12: Reconnecting with your food
Conclusion: Making change last
The book is written in a way that each part builds on the previous section. You want to read it in order to get the best benefits. The authors recommend a journal to track the exercises and meditation reflection. They suggest the exercises and meditation should take 15 to 30 minutes a day. This may seem like a lot at first, but once you get started you will find time goes by so quickly.
year I say I am going to lose twenty pounds but then it never happens. I get sidetracked or decide I will start next week. The problem is I never start. This book offers tips for overeating and losing weight with changes that could last a lifetime. The suggestions are not hard and the foundation behind the reasons are valid. After reading this book, I am determined to try again and stick to healthy eating for the long term. If you have issues with eating and dieting, you will find value in this book.
May 31, 2021
Some really life-effecting concepts introduced and discussed. Some of the same ideas I’ve seen elsewhere as well. Recipes are fine, safe, and palatable. Enjoyed it, but not sure I need to read again our own, other for the teaching mindfulness part of my job. There’s something about this book’s prescriptive tone that really clicked with the way I talk about mindfulness.
February 4, 2015
I think that this new trend of books that use Mindfullness not to diet but to understand the "hunger", are so much better than "normal diet books" that give always a lot of recipe but they do not really help people to understand why the eat what they eat or the way they eat. So I loved this one also and found it clear and full of easy tips that usually are not directly related to food.
Penso che questo nuovo filone che utilizza la mindfulness non tanto per fare la dieta, quanto piuttosto per comprendere le ragioni dietro la nostra fame, sono molto piú utili (e interessanti) dei normali libri per le diete che sono in circolazione, pieni di ricette ma che non affrontano il problema dell'educazione alimentare. Quindi anche questo mi é piaciuto, perché chiaro e pieno di utili trucchi che di solito, non sono direttamente collegati al cibo.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SCRIBNER FOR THE PREVIEW!
Penso che questo nuovo filone che utilizza la mindfulness non tanto per fare la dieta, quanto piuttosto per comprendere le ragioni dietro la nostra fame, sono molto piú utili (e interessanti) dei normali libri per le diete che sono in circolazione, pieni di ricette ma che non affrontano il problema dell'educazione alimentare. Quindi anche questo mi é piaciuto, perché chiaro e pieno di utili trucchi che di solito, non sono direttamente collegati al cibo.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SCRIBNER FOR THE PREVIEW!
July 21, 2015
While I already knew everything that was discussed in "The Mindful Diet" related to mindfulness and emotional eating, I find this is one of the few books written for a layman that explains the concepts clearly and concisely. Working with a therapist (as I did) is probably preferable, if you have the time and the money, but I found this book a handy reminder of the basics when I feel the need for some support. The section on how and what to eat was probably unnecessary - there are other books which explain the current healthy eating guidelines better and in more depth - but it's a good synopsis for those needing it. Highly recommended for those who have trouble "sticking to the program."
April 16, 2015
The Mindful Diet is a very real depiction of what I’ve researched in this past year. Since learning that the food I was putting in my mouth was causing the depression and illnesses I’ve experienced in the last thirty years. It is very wonderful to see that there are finally doctors that see the correlation of life and diet.
I recommend this book for everyone – if only so that you don’t fall into the trap of the trending fad or fast-food diets.
I recommend this book for everyone – if only so that you don’t fall into the trap of the trending fad or fast-food diets.
December 2, 2015
An interesting read and certainly a shift in mind set from so many of the other "diet" books out there. Mindful eating is doable for sure, and I find I did pick up some of the thinking that this book teaches, but when you have a very busy household, it is one of the first things to be forgotten as I eat on the fly. The upside? I am more careful to grab healthy choices rather than the first thing I see.
June 5, 2015
This book aims to cover and converge the topics of mindfulness/meditation AND nutrition, and only skims the surface of both. I've read deeply on both topics, so this didn't contain any new or worthwhile information or insights for me.
July 29, 2015
The first couple chapters offered great advice on eating mindfully by connecting a dining experience to your whole self. I liked the idea of viewing many aspects of your life as if on a wheel, each influencing the others. However, towards the end it turned in to your average food and diet book.
September 8, 2015
Nothing terribly revolutionary but excellent tools grounded in solid research and doing their best to avoid hype. I didn't work through the program as they recommend but chose some things to implement. Quite insightful.
April 17, 2015
Some good stuff on meditation.
December 16, 2015
Another diet plan. I think I found about ten new cookbooks in the library during this reading phase. There are a lot of them turning up during these Book Read listings. I read it. Meh.
September 15, 2015
Using mindfulness is an interesting approach to weight loss. I'm not sure if the book would be as effective as doing the actual program.
January 16, 2018
Enjoyed doing a book study on The Mindful Diet with Duke's Integrative Medicine Program.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews