Mastering Mindful Eating: Transform Your Relationship with Food, Plus 30 Recipes to Engage the Senses

by Michelle Babb

The author of Anti-Inflammatory Eating Made Easy and Anti-Inflammatory Eating for a Happy, Healthy Brain offers a new approach to how we eat in her latest book, an engaging guide to intentional eating. Unlearn everything you’ve been taught about calorie counting and dieting to reconnect with your body’s innate wisdom and rediscover the pleasures of food.

Having an of-the-moment awareness of what you put into your body and observing—rather than judging—how you feel can have a powerful impact on your relationship to food and, in turn, your health. “We all have the innate sensibilities to tell us what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat, but we learn how to override those cues at a very early age and then we spend a lifetime neglecting our bodies and ignoring the signals that tell us everything we ever needed to know,” writes Babb.

Whether you want to break the cycle of restrictive fad diets, curb emotional eating, or build a more meaningful connection to food, mindful eating is a healthy, sustainable solution. In Mastering Mindful Eating, you’ll learn how to identify physiological factors that lead to unhealthy eating choices, liberate yourself from sugar cravings, make peace with your body to reach your own ideal weight, and more.

Includes 30 vegetarian recipes designed to enhance your introduction to mindful eating.

Genres: Cookbooks, Health, Nonfiction, Cooking, Self Help, Food

208 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Kammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via netgalley!

Finally a healthier eating book that actually emphasizes positive body image! This book starts you off with some serious reflection time as to what is your relationship with food and how to fix it so it is a healthy one. It’s a non judgment but gives you the facts straight up kind of approach. I loved the fact that it also touched upon Eating disorders and how that is not the way to succeed. Next it gives you ideas of how to better mix and match your food. Followed by ideas of recipes that are simple, healthy and will satisfy any craving. What is even greater is the fact that the author dedicated a few pages at the end to give you ressources with positive image links. no better way to have people change their ways of eating then by being encouraging and judgement free!

[Brindi Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the things we know we should do, but don't. Nothing too new or more impressive than I read before. But I am a huge fan of mindful eating, and would give this to someone newly interested.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Mastering Mindful Eating is an objective and information dense look at our emotional and physiological relationships with food and eating and how they relate to one another. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Sasquatch Books, it's 208 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

Reading the introduction, I found myself nodding along at several points thinking "Wow, I do that all the time". I know that I have had a troublesome (and emotionally loaded) relationship to food and eating which has spanned a large portion of my life. The author makes a lot of valid and sensible (and compassionate) observations about the unhealthy and stressful stigmas associated with obesity and how to begin to disentangle emotions from our eating and develop kind and compassionate habits to help ourselves.

This was an emotionally loaded book for me personally. I found myself touched (and/or teary-eyed) at several points, especially in the first section. Most of the studies referenced and the general discussions are slanted toward the population of the USA, but there are good takeaways for readers living outside the US.

The second section of the book contains a number of recipes to engage the senses. There are recipes to appeal to sight, smell, taste, hearing, and feel. The ingredients are listed in a bullet style format with American standard measurements (no metric equivalents). Step by step preparation instructions follow and are clear and easy to follow. The dishes are well photographed and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

The book does include a resource list, solid bibliography for further reading, and cross referenced index as well as a short author bibliography.

This is a holistic book with fairly broad scope. It's not a complete treatise on either mindfulness/eating or cooking, but does both of them well enough. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sunaina Rao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC.

I usually don't review cookbooks, but here are my thoughts.
If you are new to nutrition or healthy eating or body positive talk, then this might be a good book for you. The first half of the book is a mediation on nutrition and how to choose healthy foods. There's even a section about making shopping trips more healthy and peaceful. While there is a section that discusses mindful eating, it is buried under all this other basic nutrition and tips on healthy eating. For the most part, the author discusses their own experience using mindfulness techniques they read in other books (made me feel like I should go check out those other books). This isn't a book designed to dive deep into mindfulness, but it does impress upon your the importance of it.
The second half of the book goes into recipes. Some of the recipes are good - I did make the fresh basil rolls. They aren't particularly innovative, but they do look good. I'd say that it runs into the trap of many cook books where it relies on "exotic" ingredients (the author seems to love black rice) to make these basic recipes interesting. This isn't particularly exciting as someone who is comfortable in the kitchen and might be off-putting to someone who is new to cooking. It tries to do both and isn't super successful
Overall, not a bad cookbook, but maybe isn't the most groundbreaking thing.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that Mastering Mindful Eating was going to solely focus on, well, eating mindfully, but it also offers a much more holistic view of health by delving into other varied topics such as leaky gut, fat shaming, and gratitude practice. While reading this, I kept being reminded of the below quote:

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." -Thomas Edison

We all have innate sensibilities regarding what and when to eat. But we are so out of practice to actually listening to our body that it can be difficult to break these deep rooted psychological habits. I felt slightly hypocritical when I started reading this while simultaneously eating during a lunch break, basically being the opposite of mindful and not allowing myself a chance to rest my brain. The tips the author provided did shake me out of my routine enough to realize the rut that I had fallen into. I think one of my favorite sections (besides the delicious-sounding plant-based recipes at the end!) was when the author mentioned the frequency of hearing the phrase, "I just can't seem to find the time to do it." I felt called out! As someone who plans every moment of every day, it was useful to have someone say that there are limits to what can be achieved in a day, and the highest priority should be taking care of the mind, body, and spirit. I could definitely be managing my time more wisely.

My three star rating is not due to any dissatisfaction with the book, but only because I already feel quite familiar with the subject and some of the suggestions provided. But even still, I appreciated this all-important reminder to listen to the cues from my body, be more present, and prioritize health. 3.5/5

[Mairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You are the subject of the grand experiment of your life. You are biochemically unique."

This read was super informative. Mastering Mindful Eating gives you all the tools you need to transform your relationship for the better with food. This is a very important step to take prior to star any diet or proceed with any weight loss surgery. This is a good book to help you recalibrate your thoughts, whether you need to lose weight, change the way you feed yourself, or if you want to better understand the body and mind connection.

I enjoyed all the lists included in the book (yes, I'm a list freak, everything in my life needs to be made in a list lol), I was satisfied to read that the author and I have the same stand regarding BMI, and I loved the emphasis on our personal feelings; yes, diets never take into account our feelings (our 'why's") and what our goals are behind the weight loss or lifestyle change.

Thanks to this book, I will work on my daily journal entries, change my morning routine, and start eating more bowls #followingthetrend

A very good read overall that helped me refocused, a much-needed action after this most unusual 2020.. and 2021 doesn't look any better so, get this book and, like The Rock always say, "FOCUS!"

Thank you Net Galley and Sasquatch Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have a question though: why printing the book in China? (losing one star over this..)

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Sasquatch Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read so many books on mindful eating and the importance of food but I have never read a book that focused heavily on the psychology of food and the relationship you have with food so I was immediately intrigued. I knew a lot of eating lead to emotional eating but the only technique I learned was asking yourself the question Am I hungry and putting your hand either on your stomach or heart. Now after reading this book, I have picked up more techniques that will help me eat because my stomach needs it, eating enough to feel satisfy, and eat more foods that make you feel good. I can't wait to share and spread the word of this book to our patrons and my wellness community group who will certainly appreciate this book a lot.

We will consider adding this title to our R Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite fascinating and extremely helpful. Babb teaches the reader how to forsake traditional diet culture and adopt mindful eating, along with the various benefits of doing so. Intuitive eating is natural, but many of us have lost the ability to do issues like stress and the type of food commonly consumed today. I found her tips on how to lessen cravings and be more aware of what we eat quite helpful and I also really enjoyed her including information on how largely the gut impacts our hormone signals and even how many calories we actually absorb. The book was a great combination of science and lighter reading of interesting stories and applications, that it is readable for a diverse range of readers. I found it be applicable to our fast paced world and extremely helpful in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprising book.

Going beyond being a recipe book this book dives into different aspects of mindful eating. It tackles our relationships with food and breaks them down by physical and emotional aspects. There's tips on how to be mindful about now only what you eat but when you eat and how you shop. There's a certain amount of choice and ability implied in some of these tips that makes it a bit inaccessible to everyone.

There's advice to reframe our relationship with eating as something positive and even artistic. There's also vegetable-rich recipes included in the book. The pictures are beautiful! Although some of the recipes are a bit time intensive.

Overall it's a thorough book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much more than I anticipated I would. The concept of being more aware and mindful of the plate of food in front of us while eating seems quite simple, but I certainly don't practice it.
I usually eat lunch/breakfast with a screen or a book in front of me while I chow down. I find myself hungry and looking for something sweet after I finish..and then something salty. It's a vicious circle and one that has had me adding some pounds over the years, but more worrying bad eating habits.
Today I took some time before I ate my food to appreciate it and enjoy it, and I did find myself feeling fuller and more satisfied. Amazing.
I still haven't tried any of the recipes but I hope to do so soon!

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I work hard to follow intuitive eating practices, typically. And when I saw this book, I thought it would give me more information on how to better doing that. And expanding that knowledge. Especially coming from a background where I have a less than healthy relationship with food.

But the further I read into this book, I felt like the author was pressing me to feel bad for not following this way of thought perfectly. I ended up skimming the last chunk before the recipes to find caveats of information I might find useful, and there are some great pointers for people new to mindful eating. But as someone who has an unhealthy relationship with food, instead of promoting a good relationship between my body and food. I was left feeling that the mechanisms that I use to ensure I make it thru periods of my life are wrong.

This book may be good for people without a history of disordered eating, but I wouldn't recommend it for people who do.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Mastering Mindful Eating to be a very interesting read! I appreciate the holistic viewpoint throughout the book along with historical information and humorous anecdotes. This combination allowed me to better connect and stay engaged throughout the book. I liked the practical tips and advise. It seemed more doable and less overwhelming than other books I have read on this topic. Plus, the recipes look colorful and delicious. I am looking forward to trying them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Babb starts with such a rosy lie: how he wanted to bring blessing to the world, how he started to learn so and so. There is the strong religious bias: mindful eating, concentrate on the food. And the rest is a reversal of the first part: conventional advice given in the governmental textbooks: eat breakfast, get carbs, f insulin, count calories like it's 1881. It turns out Babb is one of an endless stream of medical wannabes produced by the many diploma mills, and who knows? maybe he will get some morning TV show invites now that he has a book.

[Cozy Book Spot · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a nice book about mindful eating and the art of eating instead of struggling with calorie counting and all the diets that means restrictions and depravations. It's an interesting concept and I'm reading more into it. There are lots of informations and then there are healthy but yummy recipes at the end. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good general information book, but I found the tone to be a bit..judgy which felt ironic giving the information being presented around food and eating. I do plan to try some of these habits though such as: spending 30 minutes chopping/prepping veggies when I bring them home so that I can easily eat them later, savoring my food more, not having a phone at the table.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I am not sure I learned very much new from it. The included recipes are beautiful and probably tasty too. Some do involve relatively unusual ingredients (where does one buy sorghum for popping, for example?).

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful tips and advice to help pinpoint emotional eating and ways to curtail it. Tantalizing recipes to help you eat mindfully like Portobello-wrapped Dates, Cashew Cookie Bars, and Five Spice Tofu Sushi Rolls.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way she worded some things were odd, but I’ve never read anything about mindful eating, so it was really interesting. I’m inspired to read other books about it.

[Beeley Plant]

DNF

[Thomas Zegray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the structure of the book and the many reasons to go back for both reference and recipes......

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, concise, but for me a 3.5 stars read. Most of the recipes included involved food I just don’t have in my house, so didn’t make any of them.