Grade: B+

I have a love / hate relationship with health and diet books which tends to lean more towards the hate side. I am of the opinion that most “fad” diets are just that, a fad, and probably unhealthy in the long run. I think that’s an idea which is gaining popularity, thank goodness, and the proof is in the decadent chocolate pudding the book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat by Michelle May, M.D. a physician and recovered yoyo dieter who believes that figuring out why you overeat and learning to retrain yourself to eat instinctively and guilt free is much more important than counting calories, avoiding carbs, loading up on protein or having salad or weight loss shakes every day.

This book is not a diet book, which I’m sure is something you’ve heard before, but honestly it’s not. It would actually fall more in line with a self help book with a lot of good information about nutrition and exercise – she doesn’t tell you what to eat or how much, but rather explains a bit more about carbs, protein, calories, fat, etc. so that you understand what they really are and how they really work. You’ll also find recipes in this book, but they, again, are not a requirement – just a few healthy recipes that her family enjoys.

The goal of this book is to stop feeling guilt about what you eat; to stop thinking of some foods as good and some foods as bad and to trust yourself to eat a balanced meal. May believes that depriving yourself of foods you love will only lead to overeating later and that usually there are other reasons why you over eat that are important to address if you really want to change those habits.

The biggest tip she gives is to ask yourself before eating, “Am I hungry?” It might sound silly, but people frequently eat when they aren’t hungry, for a variety of reasons. If you slow down, pause and ask yourself this simple question and then decide how you really want to proceed, it can make a big difference.

I really enjoyed this book – it’s not necessarily new information but it’s definitely something I think a lot of people should read and know. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who is fed up with the world of dieting and wants to figure out a way to just eat and be happy. You can find out more about Michelle May and her AM I HUNGRY? Workshops at her website.