Liquids till Lunch: 12 Small Habits That Will Change Your Life for Good – Transform Through Micro Changes: A Renowned Health Expert's Roadmap

by MaryRuth Ghiyam

A dozen life-changing and easy-to-follow actions everyone can replicate regardless of budget or time, from the renowned health expert and founder of MaryRuth Organics, one of the fastest growing health brands in the world. 

MaryRuth’s brand embodies her core mission—to help others feel and perform their best. Liquids Till Lunch encapsulates her philosophy, and is a roadmap anyone can follow to substantially improve their health, happiness, and psychological well-being. From the importance of portion control to positivity, from fasting to stressing less, each chapter is packed with life-changing anecdotes from her clients, and scientifically backed research.  Like B. J. Fogg’s Tiny Habits , this book is about the micro changes you can make to transform your life in a major way. Using these methods, her clients have overcome health and emotional obstacles they once thought were impossible. They did it by tackling the greatest challenge of all: being kind to themselves. Liquids Till Lunch now shows everyone how.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Self Help

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 8, 2021

About the author

MaryRuth Ghiyam is a Certified Health Educator, Nutritional Consultant, and Culinary Chef. After the passing of her brother and father, and her mother’s diagnosis of two benign brain tumors, she traveled the country to learn about the body’s path to heal itself—and stumbled upon what she termed the MaryRuth Method. The method took off, gaining hundreds of followers in just one year, and eventually, led her to create wholesome supplements for her family, friends, and fans of the MaryRuth Method. This grew into MaryRuth Organics, and the business has been flourishing ever since. https://www.maryruthorganics.com/

Reviews

[Caprise Satterfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really love the 12 actions she proposes but felt like I could have been just as happy looking at the infographic of them instead of reading many stories that pushed causation from the correlation. Over stretched a bit but I fully think implementing many of these 12 actions do the body and mind great things.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess: At some point in chapter 1, I was ready to pronounce this book a bunch of bull, and probably leave it unfinished. The author has an organic company and is talking about nothing but liquids until lunch...which no doubt would include her own products, right? While she doesn't deny that this would be a benefit, this is actually not the direction it takes. Liquids till Lunch is the recommended health action to adapt in chapter 1, and it talks about a variety of ways to approach this in a way that don't required specific products. For example, you could just drink water. So the first bit of good news is that it isn't a book-o-mercial. The second bit of good news: Even though she uses some persuasive arguments supporting nothing but liquids until lunch, this is in fact the most radical and controversial (if that) of the 12 practical actions. The 2nd one is a great one that I needed to hear: Her version is gross to me, "chew your food until it's liquid", so I change it to "chew your food without swallowing until there's nothing left to chew".

My one nitpick is that the book is heavily anecdotal and very lightly evidence-based. However, it doesn't take a lot of reading or exploring the world of modern nutrition and fitness to realize that there is a lot of practical sense here. I will probably be making use of most of these, even step 1 at least once or twice a week.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometime you read the right book at the right time. This was a spontaneous pick up off the new books shelf when I was in the library to pick up other books. I have been considering some post-pandemic health changes and the suggestions here are a great start. I enjoyed the reasoning behind her suggestions-especially the last few chapters. I really enjoyed this book, the graphics and her client stories.

[Hj · Rating 4 out of 5]

so so good. The only thing I disagreed wholeheartedly with was when she states that it doesn't matter who or what "good" you worship. It does matter. It matters more than anything. The rest of the material is fab.

[Stephanie Weisgerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mood: Optimistic, Purposeful
Theme: Structure Creates Freedom
Pace: Appropriate; Short chapters with brief explanations of each habit
Writing Quality: Favorable
Length: 287 pages

MaryRuth Ghiyam begins her inspirational health centered book by giving a brief background on the tragic deaths of her father and brother, only a few years apart, when she was a young teen. This led her and her mother into enormous debt. Despite the situation they found themselves in, MaryRuth became a certified health educator and nutritional consultant with high end clientele. She later developed MaryRuth Organics, launched in popularity from a sugar free liquid multivitamin supplement which gained a fan following. Her motivation was to get her and her mother out of debt which she accomplished in spades.
Through research and personal trial & error, she came to realize there are 12 essential easy steps that when incorporated daily into ones life, compound into extraordinary benefits, often curing what ailed the client to begin with. Written with grace and humor, she gives examples in each chapter of a client she dealt with who struggled with a particular step and how they changed for the better.
Some of my favorites habits were:
-Drink only liquids until lunch; also known as "dirty fasting" in the Intermittent Fasting Community
-Chew your food until it becomes liquid
-Incorporate 15 minutes of daily stretching.
The science behind each of these particular habits was very convincing.

I can say after personally incorporating the 12 steps, I feel fantastic and can agree that structure in daily life really does create freedom. I've noticed a significant uptick in my energy and I have a much more positive outlook on my future. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an easy lifestyle change to begin their health journey.

[Tracy Jentzsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am generally not a fan of "self help" books, but I absolutely loved this book by MaryRuth Ghiyam. Easy to read, this book guides you through MaryRuth's 12 steps of self awareness, leading you to microactions that will move you forward in your life. As I began reading, I added each step as I went along. I haven't mastered them, but I can tell you that I really feel different; more focused and somehow, lighter. I think what I like about the way she approaches this is that she doesn't tell you what to do as much as she presents an approach and explains why you will benefit from it. The steps are all very practical, but it helps to read about it, read the examples that she gives from her practice of nutritional/health-wellness counseling, and think about how it applies to you. The only negative I saw was that her clientele might not be as relatable to all of us (for example, it seems like she deals with a lot of CEO's and very wealthy clients). MaryRuth is just such as positive person, and I feel like I have a better grasp on how to harness that in my own life now. I love her twelve steps and really enjoyed reading this book and gaining a deeper understanding of the power of positivity and self care.

[Kaylee Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

i listened to maryruth’s interview with kelly leveque a few weeks ago and was so motivated by her story and her mindset, resilience and passions for wellness that i requested this book from the library and just finished reading it! the book is broken down into 12 actions you can complete in a 24 hour period, all free, all with the potential to radically improve your health and wellness!

as i was reading, i was happy to note i already do many of these actions on a daily basis and i feel encouraged to prioritize the rest of them! they are tangible things like daily sunshine exposure, stretching, success mindset and chewing your food til it’s liquid, to name a few. while i wish the book had less time spent on stories/examples about her clients, i overall really enjoyed the book and take with me some gained insight, some great quotes/metaphors (like “pain now or pain later”) and further motivation to keep pursuing wellness in my own life! ☀️

rating: 📖📖📖📖 - i rly liked it

[Beth Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

These 12 actionable steps to a healthier life—inside & out—aren’t exactly rocket-science strategies. As other reviewers have said, this is a blog post turned into a just-shy-of-300-pages book. Lots of stories about the author’s clients and how life-changing it was when they, say, got a good night’s sleep. Good grief.

Nothing. New.

Save your mullah.

[Cie Sav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super rudimentary ideas, but solid!

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good tips and stories. I already knew a lot of the advice so it wasn't revolutionary for me, but nevertheless, good reminders on living and thinking in healthy, helpful ways.

[Hala · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely rate a book a finish so low, especially one that had a lot of inspirational easy, cheap tactics to better one's life. The 12 habits the author describes are easily adaptable to everyone's life and like all self-help books it is a reminder of how we can all live better. But, the anecdotes were weak at best, the case studies from the author's practice were boring and there was little follow through on how they turned out, and the book probably 240 pages longer than it needed to be. I would invite the author to have a Ted Talk and convey all her important messages in a powerful small segment of time.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written for Enneagram type 3s. If this is your default strategy, this book will offer lots of support for you. There is a strong focus on action, accomplishment, and measurable results. If you are a do-er more than a be-er, this week probably be a great fit to help you through times of struggle. If this is not your default strategy type however, the information may be hit or miss. As with all information, take what works and leave the rest!

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not crazy about the title. I thought it was a book about having a liquid lunch which means only drinking alcohol. But the author provides not only some useful hints on improving your health but gives you examples of people. Occasionally she also offers some research but she does it in such a way that it's not over the top. Good reference book. She not only tells you, for example, to chew your food til it's liquid but she explains why.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book because I misread it as “Liquids for Lunch”…I soon realized it had nothing to do with the three martini Mad Men era lunches my co-workers and I have been doing our best to bring back…
Common sense advice here, but way too many words. I really just needed the list of twelve things I should be doing each day to hang on the fridge.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous, practical way to help you feel good and improve your life without any “rules!” MaryRuth is a light, and her personality and positive vibes flow through the book. I will read this over and over whenever I need to get back on track and try to be the best version of myself!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most borderline OCD self-help book I’ve ever read- life is all about structure, lists and control according to MaryRuth. As optional self-care, these 12 actions seem helpful. As a rule of life, no, thank you.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, with a few caveats. First of all, major trigger warning for anyone with eating disorder history. This book does include diet advice, and while I personally found it helpful; it may not be for everyone. Anytime you are limiting foods or altering your eating schedule, there are risks involved, and to her credit, the author DOES mention that you should talk to a DR prior to making health changes. I recently read a really great book called What’s Eating Us; which helps me view dieting and myself in a more discerning light. Highly recommend that book. Anyway, what caused me to read Mary Ruth’s book is that I have been a consumer of her vitamin products for a few years now, as they seem to be fairly clean and highly recommended. I found her book while scrolling around on her site one day and thought it might be interesting. In it, she tells her background story, and she has definitely been through a lot. She seems to have a very upbeat attitude about life and is a highly organized person. Her 12 steps are simple to remember and try to figure out how to incorporate your life, but not necessarily easy. Some self-discipline will be needed. I do plan to try to follow her steps and have already incorporated a few of them. I have been struggling with gut issues and low energy, and so the liquids till lunch idea was something new I had not considered. I am not one who is going to go hungry, I like food way too much and I work out and being strong is more important to me than being thin. So for me, I’m incorporating this method with a yogurt, drink or container of yogurt in the mornings. Part of her argument for liquids until lunch is that it will be easier for your body to digest. And when your body has to work hard on digestion, you might feel tired. That makes sense to me. She also talks a little bit about intuitive eating. That also makes sense. I also want to point out that she is very type an and for someone like myself who struggles with ADHD and procrastination, it can be easy to feel bad about myself and my challenges while reading a book by an author who seems to have everything together. So there’s another trigger. I would just take her advice with a grain of salt. Use what works for you and makes sense for you and throw out the rest.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book is certainly impactful & makes you think about your life. There is a good amount of info in this book that actually tackles so many areas of life that you don't always think about. I found it pretty helpful & imagine you will too. There is only one thing that I don't agree with which is how the author mentions drinking so much water/liquid to then have to go to the bathroom like every hour. Um, no. That's not ok nor do I think it makes sense for anyone. Of course people don't drink enough water but that's totally overboard. I was moved by the storytelling but also thought it was excessive, there was no need to go through so many throughout the book, but that's just me. I also think that a few could be combined like stretching & exercise since they go hand in hand. I also think it makes more sense to eat fruit in the am along with drinking your smoothies. Everyone is going to do what works best for them so these are suggestions that should be followed but not mandated. I like the move forward every day notes in the book which are insightful. I definitely enjoyed the sections of the book that gave concrete things to do to make these changes in your new habits. So share this knowledge & just keep at it!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the idea of small, easy to implement actions to be something intriguing. When it comes to health, it can be easy to feel pressured to make radical changes all at once. Yet, Mary Ruth Ghiyam advocates for the other with her 12 habits you can embrace for a more lasting change.

I may not be embracing all of them at once and some (like a good night's sleep) I already do. The idea of liquids only to lunch fits well with attempting intermittent fasting. Chewing your food 30+ bites (until it is liquid) is intriguing, but not something I have been consistent with doing.

Overall, this was an interesting title to read with gems for anyone seeking to improve their health and well-being.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperOne for an advance reader copy for review. All opinions are my own.

[Esmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honestly more interested in MaryRuth's story of starting her business than her health advice. Much of the advice is really not that revolutionary or unexpected. She blends a certain amount of practicality to intermittent fasting, hydration, exercise, sleep, etc. Her advice to chew your food until it is liquid seems difficult. I think that properly chewing food is important, but I'm not sure I can quite go that far. It is what it is...

This is not to say that her supplements aren't high quality or the advice is bad. Her supplements are likely very high quality and the advice is probably something we should all follow....The book is still a light read and rather average.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly better than I expected. The title put me off a bit (still my least favorite part of the book due to my own mental blocks) but the book itself had a lot of good ideas. There was easy to understand science and sweet examples. It was well written and had legitimately healthy ideas


A few things I want to apply from this book:

- 15 minutes of direct sunlight, eyes closed, no sunglasses
- chewing food 20x or until liquid
- swishing liquids like smoothies in mouth to start digestion
- bedtime routine and in bed to hit pivotal sleep times 10pm, 2am, 4am
- stretching whenever have a few minutes like on phone calls

[Lacey Mastrodonato · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a pretty huge waste of my time. I thought I'd learn some fresh things to help myself live a healthier lifestyle but it's the same old info. Get sleep. Exercise. Don't stress. It read more like articles in a Readers Digest than a book. And the chapter on chewing your food until it's completely liquid made me nauseated. I know the author has a wellness line that you can buy at places like Target and that she started it because she lost both of her parents and wanted to help people live longer lives. Noble. But this was a silly book of regurgitated info.

[JulesB · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not that the book was bad, but it was pretty obvious. I thought the first two chapters provided interesting ways to look at digestion and water intake, and those were informative. However, the remaining chapters were just overviews of ideas with no information on the details. For example, what kinds of stretching should be done? Why not give a few basic stretches people could do? Anyway, not a bad book, but I’m glad I checked it out of the library. It’s not a resource to own.

[Kelsey Kacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

12 pieces of good advice—I’m motivated to chew my food more, exercise, get sunshine, sleep more, all the things. I think the most persuasive part was her own story—she’s gone through so many difficult challenges, but living these steps seemed to help her not just survive but thrive. I don’t think I’d recommend it to friends unless they had a solid natural health background already because she doesn’t include much research.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reread for me. This was definitely not new advice, but she did have some nuggets from her life and that of others that was good.

Will I implement some the 12 small habits? Well, I do a core 5 (exercise, sleep, healthy eating, sunshine and universal force of goodness).

Need to focus on more consistency with some of the others.

All in all, not a bad book. I wanted to read it mostly because I’ve taken her supplements before.

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was advertised to me as a targeted ad. I didn’t purchase it but borrowed it at the library since I was curious why this was thought to interest me. Waste o time. The book is discombobulated in rando thoughts and personal stories. I ended my misery at the end of chapter 10 of this 12 chapter book. I’m not convinced and am okay with solids through lunch.

[Bonnie Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 12 simple, practical, and transforming habits that can be added to your daily routine in any order. I read this back in April, maybe? I was only able to add about 4 of the 12 habits (only a few have to do with food, others are getting sun on your skin, stretching, etc) and felt great benefits. Then the food truck took over my life, lol.

[Ashley Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this book and am already seeing positive effects from implementing multiple of her 12 steps. I also appreciate how she made such a point of saying we shouldn’t stress ourselves out by doing all 12 immediately and perfectly. Just do one and see how it goes. Then add another. See how your body feels.

[Christine Foley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is misleading

The title led me to believe this book was a straightforward advice book on managing your digestion. Instead is full of stories that have nothing to do with digestion or diet.

[Marcia Wuest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read to jump-start the new year or reset and start over toward better self care. Great suggestions, she fully explained the rationale behind each, and took the intimidation out of getting started on a doable path toward better health.