Book Notes: "The Skinny Rules" by Bob Harper

The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin by Bob Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read diet books like I read parenting books: never looking to adopt a whole new system, just looking for a few tips for tweaking the one I already have.

And maybe the reason I liked this book is because Harper's system is very close to the one I already have. What does he advise? Eat lots of veggies, don't eat fake stuff, eat enough protein, don't eat too many calories, work out. Yep.

So is it everything you've heard before? Yes. But here that's a good thing, because the same old advice is delivered well and in a voice full of humor. (Points to Harper's ghost writer, who managed to write a book that reads like Harper talks, yet has the clarity you expect from the written word.)

What else is there to like besides the good advice and good delivery? The realism. Harper points out that healthy living in our unhealthy society is *hard*, and I, for one, thank him for admitting that. I've read way too many diet books that talk about how easy their system is, and it's never true. I much prefer Harper's "hard, but worth it" take on things.

What didn't I like? Well, I thought his advice of no carbs after lunch was unrealistic. Not bad advice (the biological reasons behind it were interesting), just impractical if you're cooking for a family.

And . . . well, really, that's about it. I liked the rest, and the recipes at the back of the book look great - the few I tried were delicious, and I look forward to trying some more. If you're looking for a primer on good eating or, like me, just a reminder, this is a good book to pick up.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

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Book Notes: "Cinch!" by Cynthia Sass

Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches by Cynthia Sass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recently reread Cythia Sass' "Cinch!" and really liked it. The best part? Her "puzzle pieces" idea.

Though she supplies a ton of recipes, the most valuable concept in this book is her idea of building each meal out of five healthy components: produce, lean protein, whole grains, plant-based fat, and spices/seasonings. I love this! It makes it very simple to build a healthy lunch or dinner out of whatever I happen to have in the house.

I especially like all her ideas for using spices and seasonings. My husband calls me a "spice cook" because I'm attracted to recipes based on what spices are in them. Ginger and garlic? You've got my attention. Cumin and chili powder? I'm in. A pumpkin soup with sage and lemon? Mmmm. So this idea of spices and seasonings as a necessary component to the simplest of meals - even breakfasts! - is right up my alley.

In fact, I think my favorite meals in here are her breakfast ideas. I've tried her suggestion of adding mint to plain yogurt and layering it with berries spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Delicious! And I've tried adding fresh ginger to my smoothies - it's perfect! The ginger adds an incredibly fresh and bright taste.

So, if you're looking for a diet book with food that actually tastes good because it's, you know, ACTUALLY FOOD? This is your book.

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Some Short Book Reviews

Strange to be starting a new books-read list for 2011. This year I'm hoping to write a mini-review for most of them here on the blog, mostly because lots of the books I read I find via other folks' blogs, and I want to pass on the favor.
First up: Sweater Quest, My Year of Knitting Dangerously, by Adrienne Martini. I'm pretty sure I heard about this one from my friend Katie, of The Good, the Plaid and the Snuggly. Like her, I found myself disagreeing with a lot of her viewpoints, but still enjoying the ride, especially because of all the interesting interviews she managed to snag in the course of writing the book.
Next, The Breach, by Patrick Lee. This is a page-turner, but it left a bit of a sour feeling by the time I was done. A near-future sci-fi thriller, this does keep the action moving and it keeps you guessing. I love the way the author led you around one corner after another, always revealing an interesting new plot point. Loved the way he dealt with the grandfather paradox. But, in the end, it was kind of hard to root for the hero or the heroine. Both of them commit pretty gruesome murders. In both cases, the motivations are understandable (revenge, in both cases), but there's never even the slightest bit of regret later - or even any thoughts of - and then rejection of - regret. The murders are just there, and I find that troubling. Heroes that make mistakes? That's the stuff of story. Heroes that never ever (even in the middle of a thriller) do any self-examination? Not so much, I don't think. But, great plot, great action. So . . . I'm ambiguous about this one.
Then, Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches, by Cynthia Sass. So, one of my favorite things to do when I'm trying to remind myself that I actually like being in shape is to read diet and/or fitness books. Even if I don't end up agreeing with them, I enjoy the new perspective and I can argue (in my head) with the author. This one? Not much to argue with. Is it exactly how I'm going to eat from now on? Nope. (For one thing? I like red meat.) But it was surprisingly sane, very encouraging, and included lots of interesting information from various research studies. She also does a great job of explaining why she makes her various recommendations; in other words, she doesn't just order, she educates. I appreciate that. Finally, the recipes look really good, and she also includes a section that teaches you how to make up similar recipes on your own.

That's it for now! Hope you're reading something good yourself. :)
Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

links: heresy vs. schism, what you can fit in the day, simplicity and more

First off, a short little meditation by David Mills, blogging over at First Things. Here's an excerpt:

Back when I was an Episcopal activist, both liberals who were busy gutting the Episcopal Church of its traditional beliefs and conservatives who didn’t want to challenge them were fond of intoning “Schism is worse than heresy.” It was a little odd to hear this from members of a tradition that began in a break with the Church of which it had been a part over what its leaders thought to be heresies.

But the real problem with the claim was theological: that heresy is itself an act of schism. It is a break with the tradition, a rejection of what had been the shared and official belief, a willful refusal to remain in unity with one’s brothers, a transfer of allegiance and obedience to a new and alien ideology.

I'd've copied more, but it's only about four paragraphs long anyway; I encourage you to follow the link and read the second half. It's brilliant. And sad.

Then, more brilliance from Patricia Wrede. You may have heard the rocks-sand-water-in-a-jar parable before, but I, at least, have never heard it told with this ending. If you ever feel like you're doing too much, or not getting done the things you think are most important, you'll want to go and read this.

Next, Auntie Leila on how we need to be less patient with our children. And . . . in the way she means it, I absolutely agree. Go read this wise woman's words.

Quotidian Moments has a short, simple post about, well, simplicity. I really liked this part, where she's talking about why she doesn't use Tapestry of Grace, even though it's a good program:

This is why I need simplicity, and it's why I have to define simplicity as what is simple for me. When I find some things overwhelming, I don't always know why. I have no idea why I can work with K12 fairly easily while TOG makes me feel jittery just looking at it. I just know I have to respect that. If I absolutely HAD to work with TOG, say, my husband really wanted me to or something, I'm sure I could make it work. But then, that would be different. Making things work is something different.

There's a sort of freedom in not needing to be involved with something that would be a burden, even if it is good in itself.

You've probably heard that muscle weighs less than fat, which isn't true, but here's a nifty photo showing what is true: that muscles takes up a lot less space than fat. I just think it's a neat visual.

This post on Conversion Diary offers a striking new perspective on the people who just happen to be in our lives (or, in other words, nothing's that random). In all honesty, this post has helped me even this week. 

This might be a bit connected to my current series (is it a series? It might be a series) on education and character . . . at least a bit. Anyway, go read about how "Christian faith is essentially thinking".

And, on that point, I'll leave off. I'll have a new post on homeschooling and character growth up soon, because I don't think I"ve changed my mind completely, but your comments and points are certainly refining my thinking on the subject, and helping me see what the ladies I met might have been getting at. I'm still mulling it all over, and I'm very grateful for the help you've contributed to that mulling-over process. Thank you!

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

Links: abortion, exercise, raw food diets, children and music

"You Shouldn't Have Been Born, Caleb Jones" is a powerful article written by a young man with cystic fibrosis. It's his perspective on prenatal testing and the subsequent offering of abortions to mothers who have children diagnosed with conditions like his. He points out:

With prenatal testing, nearly ninety percent fewer souls are brought into the world with Down’s syndrome today, but none of them were cured.

". . . but none of them were cured." Wow. That's powerful. And as a mother who was - oh so subtly, a mere "you do want to continue this pregnancy, don't you?" - offered abortion for two of her children, children dearer than my own life, this article really resonates with me. I encourage you to take a look at it.

Anne Kennedy writes about having lots of kids. As always, it's a good read. An excerpt:

Whereas with one child, you don't really have to say anything out loud or formalize anything, its just you and the kid, what could possibly go wrong (heh), but with FIVE children one needs institutions to keep oneself afloat. These institutions further allow one to impress the world.

Not that I have any desire to go raw, but I've really been enjoying the blog Living Healthy in the Real World, because the author, Sagan, keeps trying such interesting things! She's just started a one-month experiment in eating raw, and I'm looking forward to reading how it goes. (She also isn't convinced it's a wonderful idea, but doesn't want to knock it till she's tried it - I'm curious to see how it goes!)

Good gravy. Not that I ever like thinking too hard about prison, but this workout sounds amazing. I'd try the descending burpees right now, except that I'm pretty burned out with the push-ups and pull-ups.

If you, like me, are still contemplating your New Year's Revisions, try this post about "making time". Best part is at the very end: "Ruthlessly trim your virtual itinerary."

Finally, this made me smile. There's some objectionable language in the post, but it explains the context for the video. Some folks were stuck at an airport, and everyone was in a bad mood, when a young man started tuning up his guitar, and got everyone singing. If you need something to make you smile, this is it.

peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

Book Review: the No S Diet

This is a nifty little book that started as a nifty little website.

Basically, this is a computer programmer’s idea of what a healthy, life-long eating program ought to look like, and he came up with it after being frustrated by how complicated most other diet plans are.

His website really has all you need to follow the diet – and it really is easy: no Sweets, no Snacks, no Seconds, except, maybe, on days starting with S – but he wrote the book as a kind of FAQs, and I enjoyed reading the plan fleshed out a bit more.

I’ve been trying his plan for the past, oh, two months or so, and it really is workable. I’ve modified it to exclude fruits and veggies from the “snacks” category, because I just am going to have a banana most mornings, you know?

His website also has a cool little program called a “habitcal” that I’ve been digging. It’s a calendar that you can fill in every day in either red (for failed), green (succeeded) or yellow (exceptions – like holidays or sick days) for any habit you’re trying to establish. I’m using it right now for No S’ing, exercise, writing 1000 words/day and homeschooling. All of those things are things I do regularly at this point, but I’d like to get even better at them, and seeing in color how often I’m succeeding is really motivating. It’s a free program, so I recommend checking it out.

All in all, this is the most sensible eating plan I’ve ever read about, and you can easily tweak it to include things you care about, like using whole grain products or eating seasonally. Unless my life changes dramatically (always possible!), I’m planning on using this as my basic plan from here on out.

I’d add that this comes at a good time for me, because I’ve spent most of the past six years either pregnant or nursing, and now that those special nutritional demands are over, I’ve been trying to figure out how to eat as an adult for what feels like the first time. Having this as my basic eating plan and the 30 Day Shred as my basic exercise plan helps me feel like I’m good to go, at least for now. I know that the Lord alone knows what’s coming up, but for now, it’s nice to have something to be going on with.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell