Customer Reviews

Stop Your Cravings: A Balanced Approach to Burning Fat, Increasing Energy, and Reducing Stress

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It's the new year. Time for those annoying resolutions - the `fridge at work is jammed with co-workers' lunches who have decided to eat healthy, the fitness club is jammed with new people lifting weights and trotting on treadmills. And the bookstores are jammed with "new you" diet books, everybody claiming to have the ANSWER that we need. Don't make the mistake of lumping Jennifer Workman's book in with the others; it simply stands alone in its own special category. At its heart is Ayurveda, a 5000-year old Indian medical practice. You can't go wrong with something so timely. Combine that with a solid fitness and nutritional background, and you have someone who can help us make it in the modern world.
The book does focus on food but it's more than that - understanding why we grab certain foods, why some foods may not work well in some situations (cayenne aggravates someone like me in the dead heat of summer while a good friend thinks it's just fine), and why certain kinds of exercise don't get the weight off and why yoga does help a lot. The food is all do-able --- from the ginger, lemon, and honey-laced green tea (OK, I gave up coffee as the first thing to my lips in the morning) to kale sauteed with garlic and onions. What we don't want to give up is taste and Workman beautifully explains how to integrate the basic principles into daily eating. Nobody looks at my lunches and exclaims, "Oh yuck! WHAT are you eating now???" It's easy to move in and out of restaurants making interesting yet delicious choices based on my metabolism and genetic makeup without even thinking about it. Yes, chocolate is part of the plan! No guilt. Just good food.
The book takes on new meaning with all the stress inflicted upon us after September 11. How do we make everything stay in balance without stressing out and gaining a few tons? Jennifer's program isn't just about eating - it is about whole life, encompassing the mental, emotional and spiritual parts, too. Everything truly does work together. Lofty? Not really. It makes sense that at the end, she addresses the big picture and world hunger. How many diet books are concerned about that? Better hang onto this one.

I've been looking for something that goes beyond traditional Western nutrition--the dogma of the macronutrient wars that we're all so familiar with (high carb/no fat, low-carb, etc...) and focuses on my individual needs, which can change. I checked out this book by chance, and was pleasantly surprised--it really just made sense of everything.

This is truly an East meets West approach to healthy eating--it combines the best of both approaches and makes the more unfamiliar Eastern approach very accesible. I think that the title "Stop Your Cravings" may not catch enough people's attention--it goes way beyond that. Don't be put off that this has an Ayurvedic slant--the menus and recipes span the globe from Indian and Asian to Mediterranean and even American cuisine. It's refreshing to see a diet book acknowledge that everyone is different and that some people (such as myself) will thrive on a lower carb/higher protein diet while others do better on a higher carb diet... dairy is fine for some but congestive and mucus forming for others... and high-gluten grains (which include the overrated "whole wheat" products) should be reduced for most people (not completely avoided) and low-gluten grains (rice, millet, quinoa) are favored.

I also like the exercise recommendatioins based on your Ayurvedic type--it really helped steer me in a direction where I now feel like I'm getting the right exercise for me. The fact that one of the most respected people in strength training endorsed the book (see Charles Poliquin's comments on the back cover) really made me give this book a serious look--and I'm glad I did.

Basically this book ackowledges (even celebrates) individuality and doesn't prescribe a rigid "one size fits all" regimen of diet or exercise. It's WAY beyond the typical diet and exercise book--it gives you the information to make choices that will help you achieve lasting health and weight loss based on your preferences and constitution.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

This one is a keeper! Take it from someone who has read 20+ books lately on diet and nutrition and holistic healing. Jennifer Workman puts it all together in one volume. This is a comprehensive approach to your total health; mind, body & spirit.

Her dietary recommendations around sugar and highly refined carbohydrates are in agreement with many others - don't eat them except in very small quantities. There is a quiz to determine your Ayurvedic type - Vata, Pitta or Kapha, with specific recommendations for each type from food to exercise.

I borrowed this book from the library and had to buy it. It truly is the best book I've ever read on nutrition.

This book DOES teach one to control food urges through the use of herbs and spices... A good, easy read with lots and lots of info.....

This book is different in that it addresses different body types, and does not emphasize on deprivation style diets, but on eating to balance your body. This book is about lifestyle. There is something here for all.

I loved the book. I read the whole thing & that is amazing. I 1st borrowed the book from the library & loved it so less than half way through I found it on Amazon & it said good condition $2.32 - you can't beat that - It was in Perfect condition. I was drawn towards the author's writing, so down to earth and honest. The book is simple, organized and easy to understand. Of course, I am complicated so it is harder for me to know what to do, but most people should be one or a combo of dosha's, but I had to be 3 so it is a little confusing where I am imbalanced. I don't know how to begin w/that, but I am going to email the writer. I went to the website and it seems simple enough. I will let you know how emailing goes. For now I just finished the book and I am going over it again to see what exercises, foods & supplements I need to review & get for myslef b/f I begin the simple 3 day cleanse and then begin from there. Good Luck. I highly recommend this book it makes total sense especially for me who has to lose weight & is out of balance and loves food & doesn't have to change much, but mostly exercise & eat more & spice up my food. Simple - love it!