The WOW Diet Words of Wisdom, Dietary Enlightenment from Leading World Religions, and Scientific Study

by Michelle Snow

Recipes and food suggestions for a healthy diet.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of gathering information from sacred texts that deal with food, but there was quite a bit of personal speculation and preference on the part of the author. I would have liked to see the 'diet' part of the book follow the findings more closely. For example, most of the texts suggest eating meat sparingly or not at all. The author says she eats meat at least once a day. That doesn't quite seem to fit. I'm not a vegetarian and I don't even eat meat every day. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with eating meat, but if you're following the sacred texts, it certainly wouldn't be daily.

[Mariah Gerlach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes complete sense. I'm sure that if I had the willpower and stamina to do as advised and follow this diet I'd feel a lot better all around. My body would undoubtedly be healthier and I'm sure I'd have more energy just as Michelle testifies she does. It's a difficult thing to completely change one's lifestyle, though. I'm trying my hardest and one day I'll get there.
I really liked the research and background information Michelle provides here. It all makes sense. She really delved into scientific and religious research looking for answers. The book is very well-written and easy to read.

[Nani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty quick read, and interesting info about eating healthy from various religious codes. Many health issues can be improved or helped by healthy food choices. Included at the end are a lot of recipes that look simple and practical. I was reminded of this quote by Ann Wigmore, "The food you eat can be either the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."

[Stasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm looking for ways to eat healthier and this book title caught my eye for the comparative religious aspect. The first chapter tells you the author did the research after finding out as an adult that 2x a month is not normal for bowel movements. I think this quote sums up a lot of her issues - "I decided to decrease my dairy intake from six to eight cups of whole milk, a half cup of yogurt and an ounce or two of cheese per day to one cup of milk, a half cup of yogurt, a half cup of cottage cheese and one ounce of cheese per day." - - All I could think when I read that was no wonder she couldn't poop!!

[Jessica (Books: A true story) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, honest, practical and to the point. It was very relatable to me as a fellow IBS sufferer. I enjoyed following her on her journey of discovering different religions and how they helped her change her diet. I especially liked the insights that Buddhism provided about thinking where your food came from and all the plants and animals that sacrificed their lives so I can eat. I was worried that since this was non-fiction, she would go on and on about this and that research but instead I was pleasantly surprised by a very honest and funny journey to find relief to her constipation. I laughed out loud when she talks about going on a vegan diet and after a while felt like the lion on Madagascar and just wanted to chew on a zebra's butt. Half of the book is recipes and I'm excited to try them all.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's actually not all about the Word of Wisdom that the Mormons follow, but also includes, 7th Day Adventists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jewish, Hinduism, and what science has to say. There were a lot of scriptural references, AS WELL AS scientific studies to back up her claims. Snow puts some really good charts in her books to help you understand all the information at once, and she even includes recipes in the back to help you change your diet. I'm excited to try some of them!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading her voice. I first found out about this book after seeing her present. Her book was a lot like her presentation--to the point, funny, honest. It was fun to read about her research of ancient words of wisdom in regard to diets of many religions. Many of the principles she highlighted I have also found to be true in my life. I'm anxious to try some of the recipes in the back of the book.

[Shellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of good recipes in this plan.
Her unique idea of uniting all (or many) religions as a play-book for healthy eating is refreshing.
If you need more help or encouragement you might give this book a try.

[Katherine]

The book starts out with a very interesting quest to find answers for health. It is very enlightening, and very informative about what many religions consider healthy. In this book, Michelle finds her answer to health issues, and shares it with others.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched look at what different religions teach about nutrition. Eye opening about how similar many of the teachings are. I'm looking forward to trying to implement these practices in my own diet. So glad Snow included recipes.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information about other religions and their dietary guidelines.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the concept of looking at various religions' diet guidelines as inspiration for drawing up your own health plan very interesting. I never read diet or food books, but this one was very good.

[Pam Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.