The weight loss industry is huge, and seems to grow bigger every year. This is not without with some reason. Americans are on average heavier now than they were 70, 50, or even 30 years ago. The library too has its share of self-help books, weight loss guides, and specialty cookbooks to help people with nearly any diet need. Some of our books focus on activity plans or weight training, some focus on eliminating or reducing salt, sugar, carbohydrates, or fat from the diet, and many have a combination of the two. One popular method in recent years has been to focus on weight loss from a spiritual point of view. There are now many Bible-study based weight loss programs found in and out of churches around the country. For a slightly different point of view the Port Library now has Cravings: a Catholic wrestles with food, self-image, and God by Mary DeJurris Poust. The author focuses on her own weight loss and spiritual journey, guiding the reader through a spiritual journey as they reassess how to eat. This book is not focused on what to eat, or how much, but eating mindfully and looking to God and faith to fill the void many people try to fill with busy activities and mindless eating. Each chapter has discussion questions meant for personal reflection, and a meditation for the section. The author includes several personal anecdotes to help the reader along on their journey. And don’t worry about a list of dos and don’ts; with only eight chapters and less than a hundred and fifty pages you won’t be reading long. Instead, the book guides the reader through simple, step-by-step ideas of increasing spiritual health as physical health is addressed. This book would be a good addition to other diet books or cookbooks, even if the reader has other medical concerns that limit certain foods. Because of the focus on spirituality over food, this book will be shelved in the library’s section of Bible study and religion books, rather than health and wellness.
You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God by Mary DeJurris Proust.
ISBN: 9781594713057, 149p.
Adult Non-Fiction, Faith & Religion Section