Do you struggle with your weight? Read Ravenous

As a person who has long struggled with weight issues I was especially interested in Dayna Macy’s new book “Ravenous – a food lover’s journey from obsession to freedom”.

Ravenous is not your typical diet book.  “… diets have always felt temporary to me,” Macy writes, “We talk about ‘going on’ them, and that means we go off them, too.  There’s no middle ground.  I want to find a balanced way of eating that I can live with the rest of my life.” [1. introduction page xvii] Amen!  I feel that way, too, as I’m sure many others who strive to maintain a healthy weight.

To achieve her goal Macy takes the reader on a journey to discover how the foods she loves are actually produced.  For example, in one chapter she gives a detailed description of her trip to a California olive ranch.  We learn that the ranch grows six types of olives, only a few of the thousands of varieties of olives that can be produced.  I enjoyed reading these little food facts.  As a lover of olives myself I had no idea there were so many variations.

In other chapters I learned about the production of sausage, cheese, chocolate, squash, and other foods.  A few recipes of Macy’s favorite foods are included for good measure, too.

Intermixed with the author’s discoveries are bits of wisdom from the food producers she meets.  “If people understand where their food comes from and how it grows,” says a California Olive farmer, “they become more connected to their health and to themselves.” [2. chapter 4 p. 48]  Macy does a good job of bringing along the reader on her culinary adventures. As she discovers more about her favorite foods and the people who make them, we learn too.

I found the chapter describing the inner workings of a cattle slaughterhouse disturbing.  After watching the killing of a 1200 pound steer, Macy promises “to never be cavalier about eating meat again; to eat less of it; and when I do eat it to honor it.  And to support places like this, which takes such fine care of their animals in life and in death.”  [3. chapter 10, p. 133 ] With her riveting descriptions Macy makes the reader care, too, and think twice about the foods they consume.

To conclude her book Macy shares what she has learned, with insights any life long “dieter” like myself can relate to.  “I’ve begun to see through the delusion so many of us share – that when we reach a particular weight, we will automatically be happy,” Macy writes. [4. Chapter 14, p. 186]  This and other perceptions from Macy end the book nicely.

In my “Candy Bar Cravings” blog post in December I wrote that to lose weight effectively I have to get to the reasons why I overeat.  As I read the author’s struggles with food, “Ravenous” gave me more insight into my own diet issues.  I recommend the book for anyone wanting to take a fresh look at why they eat the way they do.

This is my first book review in partnership with Hay House.  I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.