Stop Your Cravings: The Ayurvedic Plan for Losing Body Fat, Increasing Energy, and Using Food to Manage Stress
With more than 50% of Americans overweight, our $50-billion weight-loss industry clearly isn't working, insists Workman. A dietician and founder of Balanced Approach, a nutritional consulting company, Workman advocates Ayurveda, an ancient Indian health system that offers a holistic approach to eating and health maintenance. Central to this system is good digestion (largely ignored in the U.S., where "taking a Tums is the appropriate conclusion to every meal," Workman laments). The trick to good digestion is understanding one's constitutional type (there are three, characterized by certain eating, sleeping and exercise habits) and eating accordingly. Foods are divided into six tastes and six qualities, and Workman shows how one can find a constitutionally appropriate food to satisfy any craving. "Broccoli isn't necessarily good for everyone and chocolate isn't necessarily bad," as long as balance and moderation prevail. Workman also recommends stress-relieving techniques to break the binge cycle, advocates Yoga over more punishing exercise, exhorts readers to listen to their "natural intuitions," and calls for support of organic and cruelty-free farmers through controlled, conscientious spending. To this end, she includes healthy recipes and a resource guide. While some readers may find living by their intuition harder than Workman makes it sound, for the most part this is a simple, accessible guide to better nutrition and overall health.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.