Meal by Meal: 365 Daily Meditations for Finding Balance Through Mindful Eating 
asked by papi on November 7, 2006 2:21 AM
Meal by Meal is a book of comfort, guidance, and insight for anyone with an unhealthy relationship with food. Its power is in its approach: each day is a self-contained journey of conscious eating to help people nurture new and sustainable attitudes and practices. Although bad habits cannot be changed overnight, the author, Buddhist devotee Donald Altman, shows how to find peace by focusing on food issues one meal at a time. He shares inspirational daily meditations, including quotes from Zen stories, Native American practices, Hindu scriptures, the Bible, and sages from all major wisdom traditions. He also explores food preparation, rituals, and social attitudes and examines questions like "How can we learn that eating is not a pleasure race, but an area to find grace?" and "How can we stop using food to fill ourselves up, and instead use it to fulfill ourselves?" Through daily reflections, Altman enables people to make wise food choices and create balance in their lives.
Reviews
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I might not call this book meal by meal but I would call it day by day. I've been using it for about a month now as a guide for mindful eating. Some of the ideas are things I do, some of them are easy for me to implement, and some of them are a challenge. I like the idea of focusing on eating rather than dieting and it appears to be helping me make more concious choices about how I approach food.
reviewed by soulful on November 15, 2006 2:12 PM
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I was familiar with the work of Donald Altman from his earlier 'Art of the Inner Meal' and was impressed how his writing has found a fresh and densely pragmatic new form. 'Meal by Meal' is a fluid read of inspiring quotes coupled with practical insights by the author. This book is extremely handsome, a beautifully laid out composition making this both useful and pleasurable to read. If you have the discipline to read a page at a time, you will find this helpful day by day. I personally had trouble putting it down and would read a month at a time... but the suggestions are valid and useful on a second slower read. Worthwhile investment for someone wishing to calm their compulsive behavior for a more reflective perspective.
reviewed by 78704 on November 17, 2006 1:43 AM
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I open this book up several times a day to get inspiration. It always gives me a big dose of compassion and acceptance for my food struggles. Best of all, it connects me to a deeper source of food that gives me strength for mind-body-spirit. Rarely have I read a book that improved and changed my life on a dialy basis, but this one does! Perhaps it can for you, which is why I highly recommend MEAL BY MEAL as one of the most caring and compassion-filled books that I have ever had the opportunity of reading! This book makes love part of your daily recipe for eating, and it removes the guilt of food! Forget dieting, because if you use this book each day you will apply your deeper awareness and soul to your food choices. This book is a real blessing, and I am thankful it is there for all who need it!
reviewed by sumbuddy on November 28, 2006 7:04 PM
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I really like this book. It is a fitting companion to Altman's "Living Kindness". The daily quotes, the thoughtful vingnets, and the affermations all work well together. I like the Idea of having quotes from people from all walks of life. This is a book of meditations to be read a day at a time; though, I must admit, I have already scanned through the whole book. I like that it is spiritual without being religious, instructive without being preachy and serious without being dour. It informs our attitudes about food, but it is really about a mindfulness and living kondness. While it should be helpful for those with eating disorders, it should also prove useful to anyone seeking a little balance in his/her life. Besides, it is a lot of fun to read.
reviewed by markymark on November 29, 2006 1:38 PM
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What a delicious book!
Of course I went to read what was written on my birthday before I read anything else.
Altman writes eloquently for every day of the year.
It's hard to put the book down after reading the daily meditation. You just want to read more. It's that inspirational.
At times, my life can be so fast paced that by the end of the day I don't even know I've eaten. This book reminds me that food not only feeds the body but it feeds the soul if you take the time by using a mindful approach.
Ingredients: Insightful, inspirational with some dashes of humor.
Of course I went to read what was written on my birthday before I read anything else.
Altman writes eloquently for every day of the year.
It's hard to put the book down after reading the daily meditation. You just want to read more. It's that inspirational.
At times, my life can be so fast paced that by the end of the day I don't even know I've eaten. This book reminds me that food not only feeds the body but it feeds the soul if you take the time by using a mindful approach.
Ingredients: Insightful, inspirational with some dashes of humor.
reviewed by shagdag on November 29, 2006 4:37 PM