Books about fatness, contemplation, and flowers
Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD
What if dieting— including both traditional diets and the modern diets disguised as "wellness"— were actually bad for you on a number of levels? What if weight loss was actually an unhealthy goal, and what if we could embrace health at every size?
These are questions I've been introduced to through various books and sources over the past couple years, but this book puts them together into a wonderful introduction to these concepts.
The book is roughly divided into thirds: one part history of diets and diet culture (including its explicit ties with white supremacy), one part discussion of all the problems with dieting (from the downsides of gaining and losing weight instead of staying at a steady weight, to the systemic prejudice against anyone who doesn't fit the current notion of a "healthy size"), and one part a brief overview of what non-disordered eating, an inclusive society, and health in any body can look like.
I bladed through this book in a day, and felt like all the pieces were clicking together. So much of my therapy journey the past year and a half has been learning to tear down the rigid external rules in my life (even if they're self-imposed!) and to trust myself to do what's right and intuit my own boundaries without the external rules to convince me that I'll be safe from myself. "According to a leading school of thought in psychology, there are three universal psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness," Harrison writes. "…Diet culture sabotages our ability to meet these fundamental needs."
Few topics stir up such intense emotions as food and fatness, but I encourage you to check out this book, especially if you feel a strong reaction to the premise of the book. Agree or disagree with Harrison's interpretation of the science, you'll definitely walk about with a new perspective.
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh
How do the tenets of Zen Buddhism apply to a world on fire? This thoughtful and thought-provoking book, assembled from the disciples and students of renowned Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, tackles this question through the lens of inner peace, outer suffering, and action that is grounded in contemplation rather than recklessness.
I tend to be a "doer," so reading about meditative practice (in both Buddhist and mystical Christian traditions) annoys me to no end— but reminds me that thrashing around without an internal sense of groundedness will get me nowhere. I hate that, but I need to hear it. If you're looking for a book with answers, this isn't it (other than some "eat vegetarian because beef is bad" rhetoric, which feels out of place). But the questions it poses are worth thinking about.
Blue Iris: Poems and Essays by Mary Oliver
I'd never read a collection of Oliver's poetry, and this was the first one that came into the library, a collection of writings across her career that focus on plants. I've read most of the poems several times, loving the attention and affection she calls to not just irises but oaks, trillium, roses, and swamps. Definitely a lovely introduction to her work.
Previously on What I've Been Reading:
All What I've Been Reading posts
~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment