Meal by Meal is a book of comfort, guidance, and insight for anyone with an unhealthy relationship with food. Its power is in its approach: each day is a self-contained journey of conscious eating to help people nurture new and sustainable attitudes and practices. Although bad habits cannot be changed overnight, the author, Buddhist devotee Donald Altman, shows how to find peace by focusing on food issues one meal at a time. He shares inspirational daily meditations, including quotes from Zen stories, Native American practices, Hindu scriptures, the Bible, and sages from all major wisdom traditions. He also explores food preparation, rituals, and social attitudes and examines questions like "How can we learn that eating is not a pleasure race, but an area to find grace?" and "How can we stop using food to fill ourselves up, and instead use it to fulfill ourselves?" Through daily reflections, Altman enables people to make wise food choices and create balance in their lives.
Donald is a psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk. Born in Chicago, he now resides in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches at Portland State University as an adjunct faculty member of the Interpersonal Neurobiology Program, and is an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Donald also serves on the board of directors of "THE CENTER FOR MINDFUL EATING."
In his own words: "Mindfulness is my passion. I ordained in a Burmese Buddhist monastery with a wonderful mindfulness teacher-- the venerable U. Silananda (author of The Four Foundations of Mindfulness). Later, while leading workshops on spiritual eating, I found many people coming to ask me about eating disorders that they were struggling with... and so I returned to school and am now a licensed psychotherapist. I believe it only takes a few grains of mindfulness each day to deepen enjoyment in daily life, and I have seen how it has changed lives in a positive way... one moment at a time!"
In addition to bringing practical mindfulness skills and strategies to anyone wanting a less chaotic life, Donald also travels around the country teaching therapists and professionals how to use clinical mindfulness interventions for anxiety, depression, and stress.
