Savor

Mindful Eating, Mindful Life

By: Lilian Cheung, Thích Nhất Hạnh

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Common sense tells us that to lose weight, we must eat less and exercise more. But somehow we get stalled. We start on a weight-loss program with good intentions but cannot stay on track. Neither the countless fad diets, nor the annual spending of $50 billion on weight loss helps us feel better or lose weight.

Too many of us are in a cycle of shame and guilt. We spend countless hours worrying about what we ate or if we exercised enough, blaming ourselves for actions that we can't undo. We are stuck in the past and unable to live in the present - that moment in which we do have the power to make changes in our lives.

With Savor, world-renowned Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung show us how to end our struggles with weight once and for all.

Offering practical tools, including personalized goal setting, a detailed nutrition guide, and a mindful living plan, the authors help us to uncover the roots of our habits and then guide us as we transform our actions. Savor teaches us how to easily adopt the practice of mindfulness and integrate it into eating, exercise, and all facets of our daily life, so that being conscious and present becomes a core part of our being.

It is the awareness of the present moment, the realization of why we do what we do, that enables us to stop feeling bad and start changing our behavior. Savor not only helps us achieve the healthy weight and well-being we seek, but it also brings to the surface the rich abundance of life available to us in every moment.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2015 Thich Nhat Hanh and and Lilian Cheung (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Same old advice with justa pinch of mindfullness

If you are very new to dieting and health, I suppose this book might be able to give you some ok basic information about how it's better to keep portions in control, move and exercise regularly, etc., not eat junk food, etc. But for anyone who's been struggling with weight for more than a year or two, and has tried a couple of different diets, this book offers very little.

After years of struggling with my weight, last year I lost 40 lbs and have kept that off for close to a year. I still would like to lose another 10 lbs, but most people consider me "normal" weight despite my being a lb or two in the "overweight" category according to BMI charts. What I've been trying to do recently is to approach food in a more mindful way. My whole life I've done the opposite at least in terms of how I eat, not necessarily what I eat. So I have always gulped food down so fast that it doesn't give my brain a chance to signal my body that it's full.

I've done some mindfulness meditation, but unlike the videos and audio I've used for that, this book tended to be filled with things to say as you breath in and breath out. It does take you somewhat through the idea of thinking about where your food came from, how it was made, etc., but in general I found the advice way to prescriptive. It's pretty anti-alcohol of any kind, regarding the risk of becoming alcoholic or overindulging over the benefits that have been show for longevity and cardiovascular health. And while there are certainly risks, it seems awfully draconian to recommend against it for everyone because a small subset might have an issue with it. Additionally, the book is pretty obviously pro-vegetarian or even pro-vegan, although they do make a point of including fish occasionally in examples of healthful meals, but mostly it's all about vegetarianism or veganism. I eat a mostly vegan diet, but do like to have sardines (probably the most sustainable kind of fish) and an occasional piece of free-range chicken, and there's no evidence these are harmful to either the environment or to my health when eaten in moderation.

Moreover, the entire tone of this book seemed to be that of the paternal doctor telling you what you should and shouldn't do. "These are the facts, now do as I say in order to rid yourself of your excess weight with the added dimension of mindfulness."

The dietary/medical advice listed seems a bit contradictory as well. On the one hand there's very standard calories in vs. calories out mantra, stay away from saturated fat, even dietary cholesterol (now accepted as unimportant even by the FDA), and promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet, but then on the other hand they suggest different weight loss plans all had similar effectiveness, so use whichever one works for you.

The narrator did not help the situation either, sounding like your typical old-style 1950's narrator that projects a sense that "I know best."

If you get this book to learn about mindful eating, you should skip all but that relatively small part of the book, and even then there might be a lot that is extraneous or not useful to you. At least that's what I felt. If you are just recognizing for the first time that you need to lose a lot of weight and have no idea how to, this might be a more useful book for you, but there are probably better, more informative books out there with a gentler and more constructive tone than this one.

A mediocre book for a prepared reader

I kept skipping most of the book because so much information in it was mediocre, repetitive and really not new! If you want to listen for the 100th time that it's bad to eat in front of the TV, then this book is for you.
The only reason I give this book 3 stars, not less is that I liked the 6th chapter (Audible count). It's never too much to be reminded of mindfulness, this chapter connects to the Buddhist philosophy.
Otherwise I'm quite disappointed. Those nutritional recommendations made me roll my eyes, honestly...
It would be so much better if the author concentrated more on mindfulness and less on nutritional info that you find everywhere now.

very helpful

LOVED it! Specific details on how to do mindful eating. Well worth the time to listen! I am so glad I bought this one!

Great information - I will be listening again!

Grounded helpful information about living a mindful life from all perspectives.

Have already started implementing some of these and they really work!

Highly recommended for anyone interested in making changes for the better.

Mindfulness is the focus

Changing your mindset and habits about nutrition and exercise. If you're new to mindfulness, this a good resource. If you're looking for new information on nutrition and exercise, this is not it. This is about being mindful of your eating, nutrition, habits, exercise and so forth. Unless you're a mindfulness expert, this book will be helpful in your mindfulness practice. And being mindful and aware of your old habits that led you to being overweight is a good start.

Life changing!

This production is an easy listen. Reminds me of the night time host on a call-in radio station.

The content is masterfully compiled. It has changed my life. In the 6 weeks since I have started this book and began to implement it's suggested practices I am down 24lbs! At 35, I feel better than I did at 25! The peace of mind delivered through the application of truly savoring my food is on par with the physical benefits!

I would definitely recommend this production to anyone struggling with weight loss or obesity!

Well wishes and healing thoughts to all readers of this review.

Life changing Book

This is a life changing book. It bring to the attentions the missing links that have alluded all who tried to implement lasting changes in their lives and failed. It goes to the depth of the "why" and "how" in an awe-inspiring mastery of the knowledge and understanding of the true nature of things. It is a must read for anyone who seeks a genuine path of true enlightment, self-mastery and lasting inner joy.

Mishmash of platitudes

I love Hanh's *real* books, and this is a dumbed down version designed to increase sales by adding the ever popular notion of losing weight. The dietary advice is not only separate from mindfulness, but actually contradicts it, as in recommending the use of tangible goals and frequent measurement. That's western nutritional advice, not mindfulness, and it's been shown not to work. It's also out of date: e. g., the old studies about the importance of breakfast, which were funded by cereal companies, have been debunked. I'd suggest sticking with Hanh, Salzman, Siegel, Kabat-Zinn, Chodron, etc. to learn mindfulness, and looking for more up-to-date nutritional advice.

Not helpful in any meaningful way.

basically, the book tells you to eat healthy and exercise and live a very peaceful happy life.

Absolute garbage.

I could not continue which is very rare for me. A complete waste of money.