The Wellness Project by Phoebe Lapine
When Phoebe Lapine was diagnosed with Hashimoto's tyroiditis after college she struggled to reconcile her diagnosis with how she thought her 20's should be lived - lots of drinking and eating garbage. After cutting out gluten, she saw some improvement, but not enough. So, in the vein of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project she decided to spend a year focusing on her health and how to improve it without never enjoying her life. While some of the chapters/focus were interesting the whole book was more geared toward someone with Hashimoto's or autoimmune disease, so that got a little old for me since I don't have that. But, I pretty much lost complete interest during the chapter on birth control. She makes it sound like the Pill is the worst thing you could ever use and decides on the withdrawal method (?!?!?!) and FAM (fertility awareness method) which is where you track things daily like your temperature and vaginal discharge - seriously? who has time to do that? And this quote about the withdrawal method just pissed me off, "Most [women using this form of birth control] are in committed relationships and therefore have already nurtured the degree of trust needed to cede that kind of control to a man. And many acknowledge some comfort in handing over the reins; it's stressful to be the lone watchdog guarding the hen house." (p.251-2) WTF?! Are you going to hand the pregnancy reins over if it doesn't work?! This is the stupidest thing I've read in a long time. After this chapter I was pretty much done. I just felt like this book was so geared toward her specific situation that it was hard to get much out of it. Also, she worked from home so she had a lot more freedom to take exercise classes during the day, sleep in, cook better meals, etc. Overall, I wasn't impressed with this one.
Healing Back Pain: the Mind Body Connection by John E. Sarno, M.D.
Some quotes I liked:
"TMS can manifest itself in a variety of locations, and it tends to move around, particularly if something is being done to combat the disorder...It is as though the brain is unwilling to give up this convenient strategy for diverting attention away from the realm of the emotions." (p. 13)
"One often hears or reads that holidays may be stressful. What should be a time of relaxation and fun often turns out to be unpleasant for some people. I have often been struck by the fact that many patients will report the onset of attacks of TMS before, during, or shortly after major holidays. The reason is obvious: Big holidays usually mean a lot of work, particularly for women, who take the responsibility in our culture for organizing and carrying out the festivities." (p. 24) [not to mention actually seeing family members you don't like, are rude, etc.]
"The longer I work with TMS, the more impressed I am with the role of anger. We have all learned to repress it so completely that we are totally unaware of its existence in many situations. In fact, I have begun to wonder if anger is not fundamental to the development of symptoms than anxiety and, indeed, whether anxiety itself may be a reaction to repressed anger." (p. 51)
"In the long run, fear and preoccupation with physical restrictions are more effective as a psychological defense than pain. A severe attack of pain may be over in a few days, but if the person is afraid to do things for fear of inducing another attack or because he or she has found that the activity will invariably bring on pain, even if it is not an acute attack, then the preoccupation with the body is continuous and the defense is working all the time." (p. 61)
Why I Don't Call Myself Gay by Daniel Mattson
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was interested to read a book by someone who considers themselves a Christian and is also gay or attracted to the same sex. Mattson is Catholic and if I had realized how much of the book would be about Catholic teachings/ideas/theology I might not have read it, but I'm glad I did. While I don't agree with Mattson 100% (he does not think anyone is born gay) he is very courageous to open his life up and show his struggle and how he has reconciled his life with the teachings of the Church. The first part is his back story then the rest of the book covers how someone with same sex attraction CAN be a Christian and can glorify God through a life of celibacy. Mattson believes that we are all more than our sexuality and we were all made to glorify God. And while I have issues with the Catholic church, he believes (and I agree) that the Church is to shine a light on the truth of God's Word for the world. While his message won't be popular with the secular world and our current culture, I think he gives a lot of hope for any Believer who struggles with any sexual sin that God can help you and you are more than your sexuality.
Some quotes I liked:
"We all acknowledge the weight of the societal resistance to or rejection of the Church's teachings on marriage and sex. The opposing forces are formidable. Out of fear of being called a 'hater' or 'homophobe,' or worse consequences, we can remain silent and unwilling to raise the banner of truth in a compassionate and thoughtful way." (p. xxxiv-xxxv)
"I have always wanted to live my life based on reality, on the way things really are. On the one hand, the way things 'really are' is that I am sexually attracted to men. But despite what the gay rights movement said about me (that my feelings and attractions reveal my true sexual identity), I never felt convinced by their arguments. 'Being gay' never really made sense to me. Defining reality based on my feelings seemed a rather unconvincing premise upon which to build a life...I want to live my life based on reality, not based on what I feel reality to be." (p. 90)
"We associate this sort of propaganda with the political machine of dictators; yet the weaponizing of the word 'can be found wherever a powerful organization, an ideological clique, a special interest, or a pressure group uses the word as their 'weapon.' The gay rights movement deftly uses the power of propaganda, the word wielded as a weapon, against anyone they perceive stands in the way of their aims. Just recently, a group of 'progressive organizations' fomented a propaganda war against Christian and other religious organizations who still uphold traditional marriage, in opposition to same-sex marriage, by labeling such organizations as 'hate groups.' In some countries like Sweden, it is becoming illegal to even preach about homosexuality as being immoral." (p. 102-3)
Some quotes I liked:
"We all acknowledge the weight of the societal resistance to or rejection of the Church's teachings on marriage and sex. The opposing forces are formidable. Out of fear of being called a 'hater' or 'homophobe,' or worse consequences, we can remain silent and unwilling to raise the banner of truth in a compassionate and thoughtful way." (p. xxxiv-xxxv)
"I have always wanted to live my life based on reality, on the way things really are. On the one hand, the way things 'really are' is that I am sexually attracted to men. But despite what the gay rights movement said about me (that my feelings and attractions reveal my true sexual identity), I never felt convinced by their arguments. 'Being gay' never really made sense to me. Defining reality based on my feelings seemed a rather unconvincing premise upon which to build a life...I want to live my life based on reality, not based on what I feel reality to be." (p. 90)
"We associate this sort of propaganda with the political machine of dictators; yet the weaponizing of the word 'can be found wherever a powerful organization, an ideological clique, a special interest, or a pressure group uses the word as their 'weapon.' The gay rights movement deftly uses the power of propaganda, the word wielded as a weapon, against anyone they perceive stands in the way of their aims. Just recently, a group of 'progressive organizations' fomented a propaganda war against Christian and other religious organizations who still uphold traditional marriage, in opposition to same-sex marriage, by labeling such organizations as 'hate groups.' In some countries like Sweden, it is becoming illegal to even preach about homosexuality as being immoral." (p. 102-3)
The Bad Food Bible by Aaron Carroll, MD
Every day there is a new headline about a new "superfood" that will help you live forever or a new "evil" chemical that's been found in processed foods that will send you to an early grave. How do you know what to eat? Is anything safe? Dr. Carroll is a medical doctor, but early in his career while researching whether wedge pillows really helped infants with acid reflux he found that many doctors are just making their best guess based on whatever the current research is at the time. While digging further into the research he found Dr. Carroll discovered that many of the clinical tests weren't done well or for very long or had conflicting results. So, how do you sort through all the "evidence" given to support whatever current food trend is going on? Dr. Carroll walks through how scientists do their research and the best (most accurate) ways to do clinical trials and tests. Then the rest of the book goes through various "bad" foods and the research that supposedly backs up the common claims about that food. For the most part Dr. Carroll is able to show that research can really be bent to fit most any claim and it very often is even by medical professionals. Also, the research is often funded by an organization with an agenda, for example the Sugar Research Foundation trying to make sure sugar isn't seen as the blame for weight gain - fats and meat should be. Dr. Carroll covers butter, meat, eggs, salt, gluten, GMOs, alcohol, coffee, diet soda, MSG, and non-organic food. I pretty much agree with him on everything except his stance on GMOs - he is just wrong about this issue in my opinion. But, his overall view point and take away for the book is summed up well in the last paragraph of the book, "Eating is one of the great joys of life. Don't let people use misinformation or bad science to deprive you of the pleasure of good food. If they tell you that you need to drastically change your eating habits, or that you need to avoid this or that food completely, be skeptical; that's almost never the case. You can eat things you love and still live a long and healthy life. Let this book be your guide." (p. 198)
Some quotes I really liked:
"There's a lot of potential good in GMO crops. It's also important to recognize that this kind of modification also occurs in nature [NO, it does NOT]. DNA mutations eventually confer adaptive benefits on certain species, allowing them to overcome such challenges without human intervention. This is Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection at work. Genetic engineering just dramatically speeds up the process and allows for more specific changes than nature usually stumbles upon through the halting process of random mutation." (p. 83) [What GMOs do is NEVER found in nature. How would fish DNA naturally evolve into plants? How would poison naturally evolve into plants? That is what GMO crops are doing, not to mention that Monsanto wants to own plant DNA - not own their ideas or technology, but OWN MULTIPLE PLANT DNA. Read Modified by Caitlin Shetterly to get the real scoop on GMOs and their threat to our health and environment.
[In talking about the percentages of Americans who drink alcohol and how much per week] "Whereas people in the ninth decile consume fifteen drinks a week, people in the tenth and final decile consume seventy-four drinks a week on average. Seventy-four! You have to average two bottles of wine a day just to make it into the bottom half of this decile...Seventy-four drinks a week is more than four and half bottles of scotch. It's three cases of beer. It's ten beers every day - on average...These 10% of Americans [24 million people] drink more than half of all the alcohol consumed in the United States every year...If those 10% could reduce their drinking to the level of the ninth decile, overall alcohol sales in the United States would fall by 60%." (p. 106-7)
"In many ways, organic foods are now every bit as corporate as the conventionally grown stuff, with bucolic brands and packages obscuring the gears of the industrial food system. 'Cascadian Farm' is owned by General Mills. 'Back to Nature' was owned for some time by Kraft, which in 2012 sold it to Brynwood Partners, a private equity fund. 'Moringstar Farms' is owned by Kellogg." (p. 174)
"Perhaps more than anything else, I found myself saying that I wanted readers to realize that we can't believe everything we hear about dietary health, even when it comes from scientists. The truth is much more complicated than any one study can reveal." (p. 187)
Some quotes I really liked:
"There's a lot of potential good in GMO crops. It's also important to recognize that this kind of modification also occurs in nature [NO, it does NOT]. DNA mutations eventually confer adaptive benefits on certain species, allowing them to overcome such challenges without human intervention. This is Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection at work. Genetic engineering just dramatically speeds up the process and allows for more specific changes than nature usually stumbles upon through the halting process of random mutation." (p. 83) [What GMOs do is NEVER found in nature. How would fish DNA naturally evolve into plants? How would poison naturally evolve into plants? That is what GMO crops are doing, not to mention that Monsanto wants to own plant DNA - not own their ideas or technology, but OWN MULTIPLE PLANT DNA. Read Modified by Caitlin Shetterly to get the real scoop on GMOs and their threat to our health and environment.
[In talking about the percentages of Americans who drink alcohol and how much per week] "Whereas people in the ninth decile consume fifteen drinks a week, people in the tenth and final decile consume seventy-four drinks a week on average. Seventy-four! You have to average two bottles of wine a day just to make it into the bottom half of this decile...Seventy-four drinks a week is more than four and half bottles of scotch. It's three cases of beer. It's ten beers every day - on average...These 10% of Americans [24 million people] drink more than half of all the alcohol consumed in the United States every year...If those 10% could reduce their drinking to the level of the ninth decile, overall alcohol sales in the United States would fall by 60%." (p. 106-7)
"In many ways, organic foods are now every bit as corporate as the conventionally grown stuff, with bucolic brands and packages obscuring the gears of the industrial food system. 'Cascadian Farm' is owned by General Mills. 'Back to Nature' was owned for some time by Kraft, which in 2012 sold it to Brynwood Partners, a private equity fund. 'Moringstar Farms' is owned by Kellogg." (p. 174)
"Perhaps more than anything else, I found myself saying that I wanted readers to realize that we can't believe everything we hear about dietary health, even when it comes from scientists. The truth is much more complicated than any one study can reveal." (p. 187)
Slow: simple living for a frantic world by Brooke McAlary
This book came into my life at the perfect time. I had put it on hold based on the title and when it came in it was so beautiful that I just wanted to start reading it right away. Brooke McAlary was living the typical "keeping up with the Joneses" life of accumulating all the stuff society told her she needed, but she was overwhelmed and barely keeping her head above water. After her second child was born she had severe postpartum depression and that was when she decided to change her life. It was a slow process, but little by little McAlary de-cluttered her house and life. She began to see that saying "yes" to everything often meant saying "no" to the truly important things like her family and health. She covers decluttering and de-owning, mindfulness and disconnecting from technology to reconnect with nature and real life. She also talks about the wobbly art of balance and how to deal with "backsliding" into our old ways.
I loved that she wasn't pushing minimalism or a certain way to slow down - she reiterates that this process is all about whatever works for you and what is important to you. I also like that even though she has children the whole book wasn't about her kids it was more about whatever your family looks like or whatever your priorities are how best to enjoy that more. She also recognizes the importance of technology in our lives, but encourages serious boundaries - both with the amount of time we use technology and what we feed ourselves with social media. This is probably the most well done book about simplifying or slowing down that I've read. McAlary gives lots of great tips and ideas, but doesn't try to create a new "slow Joneses" to now idealize. Overall a wonderful book that I will probably end up buying because it's just so beautiful and inspiring!
Some quotes I really liked:
"Instead, think of decluttering as one step in the process of creating a slower, simpler life, not the goal. It's more about approaching our home - and the things we choose to keep in it - with intention. It's about choosing actively what things to hold on to, what things to let go of, and what things are meaningful to us. There is no right or wrong, but we do have a choice." (p. 43-44)
"Clutter is deferred decisions. It's the physical manifestation of procrastination. It's overcommitment in the form of stuff." (p. 44)
"As my raw, real, feeling self was revealed, two things began to happen. I began to experience more. More joy, yes, but also more realization, more discomfort, more pain, more bittersweetness. More awareness of the beauty and tragedy of life. For the first time in many years (maybe ever), I was becoming emotionally available, and it was stunningly uncomfortable." (p. 117)
"There is constant stimulus in modern life, and the opportunity to let thoughts out rather than cramming more in is a rare one. By walking in silence, with no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks, we invite our thoughts to do their thing without impediment. So often, I will have a breakthrough in these moments of silence, as my thoughts, which need time to roll around in silence and put themselves in some kind of order, gradually work themselves out." (p. 132)
"We do a lot to avoid feelings like anxiety, sadness, or anger. We stay busy, we self-medicate, we say yes, we say no - all so as not to experience the 'bad' feelings life has for us. But these feelings are important, because in order to feel the highs of joy and happiness, we also need to understand the lows of grief, envy, or disappointment. Mindfulness allows us to acknowledge and accept such feelings, feel them in all their depth, and understand that they are valid and important. It also helps us to understand that they are not everything - even on days that feel like sadness has swallowed the whole world." (p. 141-2)
"The technology isn't the problem; it's how we choose to use it. And it is a choice. We choose to keep our phones in our pockets. We choose to put them on the dinner table. We choose to respond to emails at 11:30 p.m. We choose to update statuses when we're sick, or in bed, or on vacation, or while someone who loves us waits for us to look at them. We choose to document an endless succession of precious, personal moments, and we choose to view so much of our life through a screen." (p. 154)
"Now I can see that the idea of balance is a good one, when viewed with two caveats:
1. Not everything in our lives deserves the same weight. Aim instead for the correct weight.
2. Balance isn't a daily act. Not everything will be given attention every day, and that's OK.
The difference is the weight we give things. Keeping the house immaculately clean doesn't need or deserve the same weight as spending time with our closest people." (p. 216)
"What does a (realistically) ideal day look like for you? One that fills you up, ticks the boxes you want ticked, makes time for the important things in your life, leaving you satisfied as you lie in bed at night? Not a holiday or day off, but a work-school-cooking-meetings-laundry kind of a day...Think it through, and write it down if you want to. Choose one thing in that ideal day that you aren't currently doing - make it a good one, one that will contribute to your core - and add it to tomorrow." (p. 236-7)
"So often, we avoid doing things because we're afraid. Afraid to fail, fall flat on our faces, or admit we made a mistake. Afraid to backtrack, afraid to be judged. We don't make changes, because we're afraid the requirements will exceed our capabilities or the problems will be bigger and more complex than we anticipated. So we stay where we are. Comfortably stuck. Studiously avoiding change or new experiences, out of fear of what the other side holds." (p. 241)
"Behavioral consultant Nicholas Bate refers to this regular checking in as 'taking your MEDS,' or, more specifically, paying attention to: mindfulness, exercise, diet, sleep Once I recognize which of these areas has changed, it's simpler (again, not necessarily easier) to recognize the issue and start fixing it." (p. 245)
I loved that she wasn't pushing minimalism or a certain way to slow down - she reiterates that this process is all about whatever works for you and what is important to you. I also like that even though she has children the whole book wasn't about her kids it was more about whatever your family looks like or whatever your priorities are how best to enjoy that more. She also recognizes the importance of technology in our lives, but encourages serious boundaries - both with the amount of time we use technology and what we feed ourselves with social media. This is probably the most well done book about simplifying or slowing down that I've read. McAlary gives lots of great tips and ideas, but doesn't try to create a new "slow Joneses" to now idealize. Overall a wonderful book that I will probably end up buying because it's just so beautiful and inspiring!
Some quotes I really liked:
"Instead, think of decluttering as one step in the process of creating a slower, simpler life, not the goal. It's more about approaching our home - and the things we choose to keep in it - with intention. It's about choosing actively what things to hold on to, what things to let go of, and what things are meaningful to us. There is no right or wrong, but we do have a choice." (p. 43-44)
"Clutter is deferred decisions. It's the physical manifestation of procrastination. It's overcommitment in the form of stuff." (p. 44)
"As my raw, real, feeling self was revealed, two things began to happen. I began to experience more. More joy, yes, but also more realization, more discomfort, more pain, more bittersweetness. More awareness of the beauty and tragedy of life. For the first time in many years (maybe ever), I was becoming emotionally available, and it was stunningly uncomfortable." (p. 117)
"There is constant stimulus in modern life, and the opportunity to let thoughts out rather than cramming more in is a rare one. By walking in silence, with no music, no podcasts, no audiobooks, we invite our thoughts to do their thing without impediment. So often, I will have a breakthrough in these moments of silence, as my thoughts, which need time to roll around in silence and put themselves in some kind of order, gradually work themselves out." (p. 132)
"We do a lot to avoid feelings like anxiety, sadness, or anger. We stay busy, we self-medicate, we say yes, we say no - all so as not to experience the 'bad' feelings life has for us. But these feelings are important, because in order to feel the highs of joy and happiness, we also need to understand the lows of grief, envy, or disappointment. Mindfulness allows us to acknowledge and accept such feelings, feel them in all their depth, and understand that they are valid and important. It also helps us to understand that they are not everything - even on days that feel like sadness has swallowed the whole world." (p. 141-2)
"The technology isn't the problem; it's how we choose to use it. And it is a choice. We choose to keep our phones in our pockets. We choose to put them on the dinner table. We choose to respond to emails at 11:30 p.m. We choose to update statuses when we're sick, or in bed, or on vacation, or while someone who loves us waits for us to look at them. We choose to document an endless succession of precious, personal moments, and we choose to view so much of our life through a screen." (p. 154)
"Now I can see that the idea of balance is a good one, when viewed with two caveats:
1. Not everything in our lives deserves the same weight. Aim instead for the correct weight.
2. Balance isn't a daily act. Not everything will be given attention every day, and that's OK.
The difference is the weight we give things. Keeping the house immaculately clean doesn't need or deserve the same weight as spending time with our closest people." (p. 216)
"What does a (realistically) ideal day look like for you? One that fills you up, ticks the boxes you want ticked, makes time for the important things in your life, leaving you satisfied as you lie in bed at night? Not a holiday or day off, but a work-school-cooking-meetings-laundry kind of a day...Think it through, and write it down if you want to. Choose one thing in that ideal day that you aren't currently doing - make it a good one, one that will contribute to your core - and add it to tomorrow." (p. 236-7)
"So often, we avoid doing things because we're afraid. Afraid to fail, fall flat on our faces, or admit we made a mistake. Afraid to backtrack, afraid to be judged. We don't make changes, because we're afraid the requirements will exceed our capabilities or the problems will be bigger and more complex than we anticipated. So we stay where we are. Comfortably stuck. Studiously avoiding change or new experiences, out of fear of what the other side holds." (p. 241)
"Behavioral consultant Nicholas Bate refers to this regular checking in as 'taking your MEDS,' or, more specifically, paying attention to: mindfulness, exercise, diet, sleep Once I recognize which of these areas has changed, it's simpler (again, not necessarily easier) to recognize the issue and start fixing it." (p. 245)
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Some quotes I did like:
"Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food." (p. 70)
"Garlic is divine. Few food items can taste so many distinct ways, handled correctly. Misuse of garlic is a crime...Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic." (p. 81)
"Skills can be taught. Character you either have or don't have. Bigfoot understood that there are two types of people in the world: those who do what they say they're going to do - and everyone else." (p. 96)
