Savor audiobook

I bought the hardcover edition of this book when it first came out in 2010. I can tell just how far I'd gotten into it when I put it aside by the highlighting I'd done up to that point--about 50 pages. I don't know why; maybe it just wasn't the right time. Because this time around it has reawakened the desire to practice mindfulness, not just with food, but in all aspects of my life.

An excellent approach to eating in today’s crazy busy world.

If you've dabbled into mindfulness prior to reading this book, most of it feels like old news applied to a new topic. Which, the authors explain, is the essence of mindfulness--being mindful of __________. In this case, it's consumption, specifically food and health. A few favorite gems: - Name your urge or cravings. Here, they call it the "habit energy." So, when you reach for the oreos automatically after a day's work, say, "hello habit energy. I know you are there." Then, act differently. - Pretas, or Hungry Ghosts: Mythical beings desperate for food, with insatiable appetites but mouths too small to feed. Ravenous, the act of eating doesn't help them overcome negative emotions and cravings. Instead, they have more pain and agony. If you consume like a Hungry Ghost, ask yourself why. What are the obstacles? How can you make different choices in the present moment?- "Ask yourself where you are in this healthy-weight journey. Focus on whether or not you aspire to be a different person, to feel better about yourself, to be able to function better, to be happier. Ask yourself what this extra weight means to you, and ask yourself whether you are truly ready to let it go. It is very important for you to believe that you can achieve a healthy weight." (p. 29)- Four Nutriments: 1) Food and Drink (choose what you put into your body), 2) Sensory (choose what your senses pick up, whether it's pleasant, joyful images or violence and distress), 3) Volition (our will, true desires -- what type of life does your desire create?), 4) Consciousness (what seeds of consciousness do you feed and water in your own mind? Is it hate, anger, mindfulness? Whatever we allow to conjure up, it is what we are eating.)- "Only by looking deeply into the nature of our suffering can we discover its causes and identify the nutriments that have brought it into being. After we have practices for some time, we will see that transformation always takes place in the depths of our consciousness; our store consciousness is the support, the base for our consciousness. If we know how to acknowledge and recognize the presence of the mental formation, embrace it, calm it, and look deeply into it, we will gain insight. This insight can liberate us and transform our afflictions in their form as seeds, so that they no longer arise in mind consciousness." (p. 61)- "Mindfulness is the moment-to-moment awareness of what is occurring in and around us. It helps us to be in touch with the wonders of life, which are here and now. Our heart opens and is immersed in the present moment, so that we can understand its true nature. By being present and mindful of the present moment, we can accept whatever is at that moment as it is, allowing change to happen naturally, without struggle, without the usual resistance and judgement that cause us to suffer more." (p. 68)- We resent ourselves for having weight problems or other distresses, but we need to realize that these problems are not separate entities from ourselves. We cannot solve them from the outside. They are not separate from us. They are our own body, our feelings and mind, all connected to the greater world. - Four Foundations of Mindfulness: 1) Body (this is YOUR body; own it, know it, love it), 2) Feelings (have awareness of our feelings), 3) Mental Formations (have awareness of our mind's activities), 4) Object of Mind (consciousness is always consciousness of something; we are not separate from the objects of our mindfullness)- Appreciation for all that your body does, your functioning organs, etc.- Recognition that you and the universe are one--your metabolism is the sun, the minerals from the stars make your cells, etc.- Desire means unwholesome longing. Like the Habit Energy, acknowledge the Desiring Mind. Recognize when the Desiring Mind is present or not present. Desirelessness leads to greater happiness because their is unattachment. - Work through unpleasant emotions with mindfulness. For anger, acknowledge that you are angry. Approach it with compassion and understanding. At the time of feeling anger, you are one with your anger, not separate from it. The more compassion there is towards an emotion, the more you can forgive and let it go. - Internal Knots: Mental knots are born form habit energies and misperceptions of reality. These are blocks of sadness and pain tied up deeply in our consciousness, learned from families and society. They transform into cravings, addictions, avoidance behavior, burying the unpleasantness. The only way is to work through them and recognize them. Then, let it go. - Seven Practices of Mindfully Eating: 1) Honor the food (universe, gift, farmer, moderation, health, pleasant emotions, unplug from distraction), 2) Engage all the senses, 3) Serve modest portions, 4) Savor small bites and chew thoroughly, 5) Eat slowly to avoid overeating, 6) Don't skip meals, 7) Eat mostly plants- Countering speed eating: Make each bite mindful, take small bites, put utensils down between each bite- Overeating: Smaller plates and utensils, avoid distractions- Stress / emotional eating: Be aware where you work (move your office if it's close to the kitchen), reduce your stress (relaxation tapes, meditation, read book, soft music, bath), distinguish physical vs. emotional hunger- Answer these questions: Why do you want to eat more healthfully? What's bad about eating foods that are unhealthy for you, or eating too much? What are obstacles that make it hard for you to eat mindfully, and how do you circumvent them? - Weekend overeating: Journal, make social time active time- How active should you be for health benefits AND keeping weight off? Moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 200-300 min/wk (walking, biking, gardening), strength training, 2-3 days/wk, flexibility/stretching, 4-7 days/wk- Strive to be mindful all day long, but begin with chunks of time -- set aside time to be mindfully moving, mindfully eating, mindfully breathing and sensing as you do these things

I am not sure if this is what I am looking for. There is nothing wrong with the content of the book, i found it informative. I just wish that it would cover broader idea of eating, not only on weight loss. Though, the essence of the information in it is indeed applicable broadly. Yet, since some people might have different eating issues, it could be triggering for those who are susceptible. I think it might make more sense to include words such as "for weight loss" in the title therefore it can be more specifically targeted.

It’s a great beginners manual on mindfulness to mind body and soul. It breaks down each section into a very easy read. If you are looking to start a mindful path or maybe brush up back on the mindfulness journey. This is a good book for it!

I mean, it's not exactly thrilling, but it is well-written and it helped me change my attitude towards the act of eating in such a way that I have been able to establish healthier eating habits. Also a good introduction to mindfulness in general. I recommend for anyone who has even a mild problem with over-eating.

Fantastic book! In 3 weeks this book has helped me change my view of food and how I eat it.

I feel more mindful and relaxed just by reading the book, not even having started on any of the suggestions.The simple act of breath alone really does wonders.

A great book about mindfulness in general. Not just a diet book.

I enjoyed this book, it’s a great book for self help and reference for those who want to live mindfully, exercise mindfully, lose weight, eat better, live better and make a lifestyle out of it. It’s a book with a wealth of information and detail practices to carry out any aspect of purposeful mindful living.At times I felt like the book was a bit imposing on certain practices, making me feel a bit faulty or culpable of some of the world’s illness like world hunger, though I have numerous beneficial take aways from the book, such as the art of eating mindfully, appreciating and being grateful for the food we eat, to savor that moment in which we are present either cooking, serving or eating the food, a reminder that everything in this universe is connected and that we all have an involvement with each other in one way or the other.Some of the take aways for me were the mindful walking exercises and the mindful eating exercise, these two had the most impact on my reading of the book, because I have always search for a way to reach healthy weight as conservatively as possible and I think these two practice will help me reach this goal. I particularly enjoyed the story of eating with the Chef and the way he mindfully cooked, served, ate and cleaned up after the meal, how he instructed everyone to be present at the moment and interact with the food. I particularly enjoyed the part that recommends integrating family into the preparation of meals, and to talk and about the foods being prepared, I can related as I often invite my Son into the kitchen while I am cooking to help me, it’s a precious time for us.I found the title of the book to be certainly precise and in tune with its main objective to teach us to savor everything we do, from eating to exercising to driving or waiting in line, a reminder that every action as a third order of effect and a resulting action in the universe and that all we do had an effect on others as well. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to make a significant change in life for the benefit of self and the universe.

My takeaway: If you have a healthy relationship with food, there is nothing else that you cannot achieve. Mindful eating introduces you to mindful living, the life of present moment where you savor each moment: it being eating a cupcake, running a treadmill, reading a book, making love etc. Performing any task, really. It's only by being present or meditating that you are able to create a new you in the long run (I am reading this book along with "Becoming Supernatural" by Joe Spinenza whose central theme is meditating). The authors manage to show you that "food" is not necessarily what you feel with your taste buds or your nostrils but also with other senses. From what you see, hear or touch, what messages or input do you receive about food, weight or relevant correlates? What are your beliefs and attitudes about food including your perceived control over what you eat? All of these are important in addition to seeing how your mindful eating or living is not affecting just you but everyone and everything e.g. that apple that you eating, somebody had to plant it, tend for it, harvest it, polish it, package it and ship it to you. Boggling your mind further, that apple had to grow in à right kind of soil, had to receive energy from the sun, and water from the sky etc. etc. So...pause and ponder this, when you eat an apple! Savor!Apart from advising on what food to eat and how, the authors really show that what you eat also depends on your immediate and distant environment as well as national policies that dictate what food should be grown and consumed. Importantly, they also tell you how you can make the prevailing environment work for you and for your health.Read this book!

Interesting of using Buddhism thoughts to guide one’s dietary habits & needs and how to achieve good physical & spiritual being by merely practicing the Buddhist teachings:1) Acknowledge the suffering (for being fat/unhealthy)2) Find the root causes of the suffering3) Have faith that you CAN change it, as the past doesn’t exist anymore, and we should be living in the present, a state we can control; what matters is the journey ahead.4) Living mindfully, and be conscious of all our actionsActions:1) Practice mindfulness when we’re eating - appreciate the taste, the portion, the texture, the nutritions, the labour behind the preparation, the gratitude for having a warm meal etc.2) Apply moral ethics - we and the world is oneness - that practice compassion to other living creatures should always be in our mind - less meat, which means more environmental friendly way of eating3) How we feed our mind (when we are feeding ourselves) - stop all cravings - think before we put anything in our mouth; mindful of our consciousness 4) Focus on the good quality (not quantity) of all nutritions. There is no good or bad (e.g. carbs are bad, or fat is bad); Balance is what we must achieve.5) Maintain regular exercise 6) Meditation

What a wonderful concept. We all know how difficult it is to maintain proper eating and exercise goals. So much of it is your mental attitude towards sticking to your set plan. For me, it’s not that I don’t know how to eat and exercise properly, it’s all about following through. This book addresses the mental challenges we all face when trying to lose weight. I know people who follow this practice and have been successful. This philosophy gives them tools to confront those tough times when you could get off course. I truly believe that the big challenge in weight loss and exercise programs is that they don’t address the mental challenges that everyone faces when trying to follow a set routine. This strategy addresses these challenges.This approach has given me hope that I can improve the choices I make when it comes to eating and exercises. Thank goodness. Wish me luck.

This is my first book about Mindfulness, and I think it is a very good choice to start with. The fact that mindfulness is introduced via practical activities, goals ... made a lot of the concepts described in the book very accessible.I loved the scientific arguments put forward in every topic, and I loved how anyone can benefit from the book ( I have no intention to lose weight, still I learnt a lot of good practices).I loved the Buddhist dimension of the book, though it is not dominant it answered some curious questions I had about it.I recommend this book :- For people who want a lifelong strategy to lose and maintain healthy living and healthy weight.- For people who are curious about mindfulness and want to learn about it in a practical manner

Savor gets to the heart of what really matters in helping to affect lifestyle changes: mindfulness and awareness. At the same time, it helps us delve into why we have our own particular challenges with food and weight gain, and work to overcome it. This is a very practical book. It doesn’t espouse any fad diet (and in fact references studies that show weight can be lost on any of them). Co-written by a Harvard nutritionist, it’s got solid advice for helping us develop better eating habits. It also delves into the importance of exercise and sleep, while helping the reader to develop their own concrete ideas to affect change in their lifestyle. This book covers it all and at the same time, it inspires.