The Healing Secrets of Food: A Practical Guide for Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul [Paperback]

Deborah Kesten (Author), Dean Ornish (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2001

Eating fulfills more than physical needs, which might be why one is inclined to gorge on fatty foods when feeling tired or depressed. Deborah Kesten believes that well-being is affected not only by different types of food but also by varied ways of preparing and eating meals. Kesten encourages the reader to take a multidimensional approach to food. Combining scientific facts with traditional food practices from around the globe, Kesten provides ways to benefit from the six healing secrets of food — socializing, feelings, mindfulness, appreciation, connection, and healthy eating.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In The Healing Secrets of Food, Deborah Kesten shows us that foods are not merely physical things but substances intimately connected with our mind and consciousness. This is why most cultures have had a sacred, spiritual regard toward eating. In our obsession to scientize nutrition, however, we have forgotten this vital connection. One of the great values of Kesten's work is that it is utterly practical. Our failure to heed her insights has largely resulted in our tortured relationship with food and the epidemic of eating disorders that plague our society. Kesten shows the way out. Highly recommended." — Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing beyond the Body and Prayer Is Good Medicine --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (September 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577311884
• ISBN-13: 978-1577311881
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Horrible!, June 11, 2002

By 

Stephen Byrnes (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healing Secrets of Food: A Practical Guide for Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul (Paperback)

Ms. Kesten's book claims to be a treatise on traditional food wisdom, but it is obvious from the book that she knows very little about traditional diets or what native peoples throughout history have eaten.

Ms. Kesten makes many dismaying and untrue statements like this one: "Not only do diets high in 'sat fats' [saturated fats] make you feel sluggish (by lowering the amount of circulating oxygen in the blood), they may also impair memory and alter your mood by encouraging depression." No scientific references are given for this idiotic tidbit.

Throughout the book, Kesten disparages fats in almost any form and in this she shows her lack of knowledge about lipid biochemistry, as well as native diets which are rich in animal fats as numerous explorers have reported (e.g., Weston Price, Viljhalmur Stefansson, Cabeza de Vaca, and Samuel Hearne). Kesten offers no reputable research to back up her dubious claims about fats--how convenient to be able to make far-flung claims and offer no supporting proof!

In chapter three, Kesten states that saturated fats are "memory-dimming," citing the ideas of Richard and Judith Wurtman who claim that eating fats may slow down serotonin production and therefore cause depression. This unsupportable claim is at variance with research which shows that vitamin D (found only in animal fats which are highly saturated) can fight chronic fatigue, depression, and seasonal affective disorder. Traditional peoples who ate lots of animal/saturated fats were strong, healthy, and cheerful as Price's seminal work showed. Mood disorders and depression go hand in hand with poor nutrition--something Kesten's book is teaching though she is unaware of it.

The book has several chapters on "healing secrets" and the importance of being mindful, appreciating food and socializing while eating. She does have some good ideas, but they are eclipsed by her dismal dietary advice.

Chapter seven is devoted to urging people to eat fresh, whole foods. She then makes the outrageous statement that "technically, because they are not plant-based, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy aren't whole foods." HUH!? I guess making up your own definitions is one way to make your plan seem logical!

She then addresses the "Paleolithic perspective," and makes the false claim (a la Boyd Eaton), that our Paleolithic ancestors ate a lowfat diet--something that is not supported by nutritional anthropology (HL Abrams. J Appl Nutr, 31:1,2:43-59, 1979; HL Abrams, Food & Evolution, Temple University Press, 1987). She mistakenly claims that wild game has a fat content of about 4%. Did she check with any hunters before she wrote her book? Obviously not as wild animals like bison have a high amount of body fat in certain areas. Anthropological research shows unequivocally that native peoples prized the fatty parts of the animal over the lean muscle meats. And the whole animal was consumed, including the inner organs some of which (e.g., the brain) are very fatty.

The bizarre grand finale of her book is her description of a Christmas dinner of "optimal foods" in Norway, 1995. She rightly describes the typical Norwegian Christmas foods of fresh cod, lutefisk, pork ribs, sausages, and mutton--all true traditional foods that nourish and sustain during the dark, cold winter. For this dinner, however, she comes up with a mostly vegetarian meal consisting of melon soup, freshly squeezed juices, and plant foods with a little dairy. She admits how difficult it was to find such foods in Norway during the winter. This should have given her a clue about the validity of her dinner: She's going against nature with her strange ideas about food and native diets!

How serving a meal of fruits and veggies during a frigid Norwegian winter has anything to do with "ancient food wisdom" is hard to understand. Do not be deceived by this book. It is a far cry from traditional food wisdom.

A better and more accurate book would be Fallon & Enig's NOURISHING TRADITIONS, also available from amazon.com.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and fun...not boring, July 22, 2003

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Healing Secrets of Food: A Practical Guide for Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul (Paperback)

Books that deal with preventative health issues are of great interest to me because I learn so much and my life always improves. This is one of those books that is not boring, but such a great joy to read. A physician friend recommended it because it deals with the whole issue of how and where we eat and not just what we should eat.

Part Two chapter two is one of my favorite chapters because it deals with the healing secret of socializing and the "French paradox" which is all about how eating at an hour and with others, that best suits the individual is healthier, and that communing which is where the term communion comes from, helps a person to not overeat and to better digest one food because when we eat amongst those we like, we tend to eat slower and we tend to eat better or healthier foods as well. The story shared in this chapter about the midnight meal is well worth the price of the book itself.

Chapter Seven titled The Healing Secret of Optimal Food is wonderful because it deals with eating healthy whole foods and not getting sucked into believing good food needs to be difficult to prepare or fancy in any way. That having a bowl of fresh apples, oranges, kiwi, bananas, peaches, grapes etc and eating some with pleasure and passion does wonders for the senses. Or a simple fresh spinach salad with lemon juice and oil dressing and cutting off some fresh slices of hearty rustic bread to eat with the salad can be like dining at a quaint café in the French Alps. Or how about some garbonzo beans (chickpeas) with fresh tomato and steamed shrimp with a vision of a Greek seaside café?

The book also speaks of meats and how to choose them wisely and prepare them so they retain their goodness. And eating meat in smaller servings like the French, Italians, Greeks and Asians do, which is more as a condiment in many ways. I was also pleased to read the "Asian Wisdom" section that spoke of how some eat congee which is a soup for breakfast since we eat soup for breakfast a lot. Or even vegetable stir fry.

Come to think of it, the books great value for me, was how it kindly pointed out to Americans that other cultures have a great deal of wisdom to share when it comes to eating well and not being unfit or fat.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant banquet for nourishing body, mind, and soul!, June 14, 2002

By 

Jan Cortland (New York City, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healing Secrets of Food: A Practical Guide for Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul (Paperback)

The Healing Secrets of Food takes you on an extensive, self-exploring journey that reveals the core ingredients of optimal eating; what Kesten describes as "nutritional truths": feelings, mindfulness, appreciation, connection/love, socializing, and optimal foods.

I am a research scientist and my studies on lifestyle and health have been published in medical journals ranging from the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet to Psychosomatic Medicine. Because of my work, I am quite knowledgeable about scientifically credible food and nutrition information, and in my opinion, the insights and advice in Kesten's book create an exemplary, worthy model of what nutritional science ought to be.

Of the many books and articles I have read about food, nutrition, and optimal eating, The Healing Secrets of Food is by far the most balanced, timely, and innovative. While remaining scientifically credible throughout, the author calls upon ancient food wisdom that has served humankind for millennia. Kesten has brilliantly synthesized nutrition insights from Western nutritional science, Eastern healing systems that include nutrition (such as traditional Chinese medicine), and what she calls "timeless food wisdom" from world religions and cultural traditions. By eliminating unimportant dietary details, the ideas that are most helpful stand out more clearly. Ultimately, what emerges is a complete, scientifically credible, detailed and practical nutrition program that has the power to heal body, mind, and soul...literally.

I found myself especially impressed by the way in which Kesten turned to credible Western research and studies to verify the healing power of the food and nutrtion secrets she reveals. Indeed, in the foreword, Dean Ornish, M.D., tells us that "it is rare to find someonw who can skillfully walk the tightrope between scientifically proven nutritional concepts and those that are more dificult to prove yet are often even more meaningful. In The Healing Secrets of Food, Deborah Kesten has done just that."

Ultimately, this is a book that can help you nourish every aspect of your being each time you eat. Unlike many food, nutrition, and diet books that are aimed at helping you find "the answer" for weight loss or feeling better, The Healing Secrets of Food shows you not only what to eat for health and well-being, but also how to eat for weight loss and optimal health. In this way, it provides a multi-dimensional, comprehensive eating style and way of life that can enhance your physical, emotional, spiritual, and social health every time you eat.

Many people will find Kesten's personal experiences with the healing secrets fascinating, and the tips at the end of each chapter, incredibly practical and useful. I certainly did. Much of the work is based on a successful seminar that the author has been teaching and researching over the years, so the practical suggestions have a lot of experience and substance behind them.

Whether you are grappling with weight issues, an eating disorder, or food-related ailments, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, or heart disease, The Healing Secrets of Food provides the insights you'll need to discover the best way for you, personally, to eat--based on your personal nutriton and health concerns and goals. This is because the book is a brilliant synthesis of scientifically proven nutrition wisdom, as well as spiritual, psychological, and social nutrition insights. In addition, the Personal Food Profile questionnaire at the end of the book is an excellent self-help tool for making dietary improvements, and I intend to adapt it to some of my own research studies.

In so many ways, The Healing Secrets of Food is a groundbreaking, well-written book--truly a good read--filled with dependable, timeless, practical information. Its wisdom will remain with you long after you read it. Highly recommended.