From The LIBRARY JOURNAL, FEBRUARY 1,
2005:
This program makes a strong case for not dieting:
rather, it stresses
developing a healthy relationship with food, one based on an
understanding
of both the physiology of hunger and one's own unhealthy behaviors
around
food. It also teaches how to eat mindfully. Rosen explains how, from
infancy, unhealthy eating habits are instilled in most American
children. She demonstrates why, unless there is an umderlying medical
condition, no foods should be considered
"bad" or "off limits". Listeners are taught to recognize how hunger is
manifested
in their lives and to identify the foods that will help to satisfy this
need.
Rosen offers helpful exercises, meditations, and relaxation tools. The
only
flaw in the audiobook is some background noise as the author shuffles
her
notes: overall, the quality is good. Those who follow Rosen's
suggestions
will need to be dedicated and willing to identify and rectify their
"disordered"
eating habits. Recommended for consumer health collections.
Kathleen Sullivan, Phoenix P.L.
From a professional using the CD set
with
a "food issues" group:
Last week we listened together to part of the first CD
- stopping
and doing the scale rating ourselves on healthy to unhealthy eating and
pondering different times in our lives, taking notes re the eating in
front of the mirror
and the 24hr eating diary to do for homework. I found the
healthy/unhealthy eating scale fascinating. It set off some awareness
of something that has been going on in me around food. Whenever I get a
pound under a certain weight,
(whether I know that by the scale or just how I feel in my body), I
tend
to have a binge. I could see how there is something about being that
lean
that scares parts of me back to a time in adolescence when I went to a
Finishing
School for southern belles for a year; I was anorexic that year. I'd
never
felt so out of place in my life. I think my food firefighter gets
pretty
panicky that I'm going back there. So that excercise was helpful for
me.
And the food diary - boy did it set off parts! I look forward to
discovering
how all this has impacted my group members.
From a member of the CD production team:
I've spent a good percentage of my life overweight and
recently
managed to take off the extra pounds. So far it stayed off mainly
because
my work schedule is presently hectic, but when I'm less busy it's
another
matter. That's my danger zone, I stuff myself. After we worked on
Alice's
CD, the message started to sink in for me. Even without planning to, I
found
myself mentally going through the steps rather than just shoveling my
food.
For the first time in my life I now actually stop and think about what
I
put in my mouth and why. (Regardless of what my skinny wife and kids
are
eating.) I think with this new awareness I can keep the weight off
permanently
because I'm thinking about food so differently now. I just wanted you
to
know that and I hope you forward my thanks to Alice. I'd like to meet
her
some day. She should fly out to record the next CD here.
I received "Feeding Ourselves" CD's. I
started listening yesterday
afternoon and found myself feeling great frustration and discomfort
which
quickly turned to "I don't want to think about this" "I gotta eat
something...now". I soothed myself by turning the CD off and getting
out of the house. I also
talked to myself about how the tape was fine but that it was pushing my
buttons,
so to speak. I did bring the CD with me and played it in the car. I
listened
about being an infant and being totally dependent on MOTHER for
sustenance,
comfort etc. I can only begin to image how bad my mother must have been
during
that phase of my life. How every coping mechanism, reward etc was about
eating...
So as I'm feeling all of this, and a need to be out of the house (away
from
myself) I decide to go food shopping. Why not?! I needed to kill
some
time so I decided rather than go in, get what I need and leave, which
is
my usual shopping routine, I was going to take my time and look at
every
thing on the shelves as a walking meditation. Well an interesting thing
happened,
I was not experiencing desire, no hunger, no inner gnawing (which I had
on
my way there) nor was I being driven to eat compulsively What I did
feel
was a profound sense of well being, belonging, safety, nurturance, self
love,
and fullness. Visually I saw bulk bins full from nuts to grains,
beautifully
packaged foods, fresh bakery products, whole grain breads, bins full of
healthy and not so healthy treats. I looked very closely and carefully
at every thing,
appreciating its packaging, color, smells and textures. I left there
with
such a sense of well being.
I have to chuckle about myself when I think about all of
this.
I belong to a bulk ordering coop. I really love to order bulk and have
the cupboards full, I wish I had a pantry ("A well stocked larder"). I
love everything
about it. How it looks and how it feels, being prepared. I'm this way
about
non food items as well. "One should always have things ahead, you never
know
what might happen." I'm not sure who I got that from, definitely not my
mother.
A much needed therapeutic companion for
people who struggle with
eating problems... and an excellent tool for professionals looking for
successful
ways to help clients heal eating problems".
Rivka Simmons - Founder of Have Your Cake and Eat it
Too!
"I highly recommend
these CDs for anyone
who has a disturbing relationship with food, and for all therapists. I,
as
a clinician, also benefited tremendously. This form of intervention
added
a new dimension to therapy. It allowed clients to proceed on their own
in
a way that felt deeply respectful to them. It helped to open new areas
of
therapy that had not been tended to and helped them move slowly into
those
areas." Anne M. Cinque,Ph.D., Psychologist - Washington, DC
"This CD series is a gem. A significant and
invaluable contribution
to the field of applied Buddhism... the best tool for working
meditatively
with eating problems that I know of. It is warm, wise, and perhaps most
important, effective. I recommend it highly to those who struggle with
regulating their
eating and also to those in the helpng professions who work with such
clients."
- Joseph Bobrow, Ph.D., Psychologist,Founder of Deep Streams
Institute,
Roshi, author - San Francisco CA
"This CD program is just perfect for both
therapists and patients.
It is a revolutionary, yet elegant and simple approach for anyone with
eating
issues." - Helen Krell, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of
Psychiatry,
U.C. Davis Medical School
"Nutrition has always been one of my
passions, so having a greater
understanding of this method feels vital. I've so enjoyed listening to
your
strong, clear, and comforting voice."
L.W. - Masseuse, Healer
"With all the chaos around me (during my
month in Pakistan) I'd
never have found eating peace without those cds. That voice became my
friend
and guide." H.T. - client
"I
like being able to eat consciously in my own space." B.H.
- client
"clear",
"gentle", "compassionate", "deeply respectful", "calm and
reassuring" - various clients
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