Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Dieting

I'm only on step one of my Foodist journey, but I wanted to share my experience so far because I think it applies to a lot of people out there.When I stumbled upon Summer Tomato a few weeks ago, Foodist was being promoted. I liked what I saw on the blog, but I thought - is there REALLY anything in the book that's not on the blog? Why pay for it? When I went past a Barnes and Noble while doing some errands, I sat down with the book and flipped through it for a few minutes. Honestly, I still wasn't convinced.But the idea of the book kept following me around, so I decided to order it. How apt to find that processing and applying the information in the book is just like chewing and digesting food. Sitting down, setting the scene, and chewing each bite in a way that I wouldn't as a blog reader really made the information even more applicable and inspiring. There is a quality to one's attention when one reads a book versus a blog. It's like using a sieve instead of a colander. Personally, I "caught" way more from reading the book.There was one idea that instantaneously revolutionized my eating - if there is food in your mouth, don't put food on your fork. I've always considered myself a "fast eater" and, while I'm still not devoted to counting chews, this prompt has had tremendous impact on HOW I've eaten over the past few days. Miraculously, this also makes it easier to change WHAT I eat. This piece of information is something that I might have skimmed over on the blog and I didn't even see it in the book when I was flipping through it. So, if you have a hard time justifying BUYING THE BOOK, I definitely understand. But I'm really glad I did.FOODIST will go on my bookshelf along with Frank Lipman's SPENT (aka REVIVE) as reminders that eating is basic human maintenance. I've already made the recipes (and some variations) and had a lot of success. I agree with the premise that LIFE SHOULD BE AWESOME. :)

THE FOODIST is a wonderful book written by Darya Pino; a scientist, a scholar and a down-home passionate foodie! It is well conceived, intelligent and funny. And the message reads loud and clear; how we can make food and eating a lifestyle choice-and be happy as a lamb-doing it. And to top it off, we are invited to continually explore what Darya calls the Zen of Mindful Eating.The author prepares us beautifully to understand and appreciate her arguments. The key is to consider food in a positive health-giving way and to banish forever the word diet from our thoughts. She prods the reader to track their own food behaviour through journaling. Indeed, we are urged to form a deep, respectful and loving appreciation of food; one which will enable us to pay less attention to our negative impulses like thoughtless binging.I particularly appreciated the chapter on the myth of willpower. She really hits it on the head with this one.Her personal stories are engaging and make the book lively, real and down to earth. Daryas' thinking and path to optimum health has such a universal character-that anyone reading the book will want jump on board.I liked the little conceits in the book...the multiple quotes to start of chapters and the lists and charts of this and that are great: things like 42 Code Words for Sugar, 10 Simple Ways to eat Less without Noticing, The Top 10 Most Overated Health Foods, The Top 10 Most Underrated Health Foods.THIS IS A FOOD BOOK NOT TO BE MISSED. IT WILL QUIETLY REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR LIFE. IT DID MINE.GREEN GRANNY

The whole premise of this book is that if you want to eat healthy and stay slim then all you need to do is be a "foodist". The problem is that she never defines what she means by foodist. Is it someone who is just really interested in food, someone who is interested in healthy food, a gourmet or someone who jumps on the latest food craze like avocado toast? You could definitely be what many would describe as a foodist and not be eating healthy food and not be slim.Another thing she says is that if didn't like vegetables as a kid then you can just teach yourself to love them especially if you buy them from a farmers market. If it was only that simple. I'm lucky because I never grew up hating vegetables, but some people just really don't like the taste of certain vegetables and they are likely to have an even stronger flavor from the farmers market. She also has a recipe called "How to Make Brussels Sprouts That Aren't Gross". I take exception to the assumption in that title. I have always liked Brussels and never thought they were gross. But I can guarantee that there are people that would never eat them no matter what.The fact is some people can't afford to buy good food or don't have access to good food. I think the author comes across as elitist who doesn't have real solutions to offer.

I bought this book because I am a fan of the author's website, and especially her readable, approachable writing style. The book held true to form in that regard, making it an easy and informative read. The book is full of tips and tricks to be more healthy and I found sections about the author's father to be moving and really a great anecdote for how mindfulness can transform lives.I would say there are a couple of areas in which the book is lacking. One being that it is hard to tell what the 'thesis' is. Obviously there are some big messages driven home: diets are bad, processed is bad, mindfulness is the goal, and habit forming is the best way to transform your eating. But I didn't feel like the book reached a point of unifying all of its messages into an underlying thesis woven throughout. Rather it read like disjointed chapters, albeit all of them useful and well-written. The other main complaint I have is just the over embracing of a reductionist nutrition perspective and the author's shying away from the ill effects of consuming animal products frequently.Still, I would say this is a useful book for everyone, and as someone who was already a *relatively* healthy eater, I would say I learned some tricks and ground rules which have helped me improve further. Recommended!

This is the best, most down to earth book I have ever come across that deals with the perennial problems of loosing weight, maintaining the loss and healthy living. It strips away the hype behind dieting and explains why normal diets don't work then suggests a way to live and eat well without fear of slipping back into old bad habits.This book is a must for anyone who has been plagued by the "diet, loose weight, pile it back on, diet, loose weight pile it back on, diet..." cycle.Oh, and did I mention that you can still eat and enjoy good food and wine?

I got this book in February, since then I have lost a over a stone, I feel great and I can run 5k without having a heart attack.I must admit I was only slightly over weight but this book reinvigorated my passion for good food, something I lost after those quick and easy meals at university. Darya's book has lots of great tips that achieve results surprisingly quickly and aims to inform you so you can make the right decisions about your food health.I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to loose weight or is interested in knowing a bit more about what they eat.I would rate it five stars, but this book is certainly aimed at American readers so some of the recipes and cultural difference (such as names of food) are not always applicable to ourselves. But don't let that stop you from reading this.Thanks Darya, you have a lifelong fan.

This isn't a diet it's a lifestyle change .... yep just like all the other diets.As a diet it's a good one but if you've looked at the whole 30 this is a dumbed down version.Would be good for someone who is new to weight management.

Amazing read!! helps change your perspective on food! and life in general. a must read!

Good information and perspective on the modern world of food, I would recommend to anyone curious about their diet and the effects of different foods