Book Nook - Skinny B**ch

Skinny B**ch, written by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin:



This book is like the Basic Training of the diet world.  You're going to be called all sorts of mean names, and you're going to suffer.  But in the end, you'll be nice and buff (or in this case, skinny). 

The tone of this book is really what sets it apart.  Seriously, you will be called some mean names by the authors, in their attempt to snap you out of your evil eating ways.  The tone starts right with the title, which as the authors explain, was chosen to get your attention and get you interested in reading this book over the billions of other dieting books out there.  Throughout the book, the authors use the tone of tough-love, relating to the reader on a very I'm your best friend & I'm gonna tell you like it really is level.

One criticism I've seen of this book is that it's a pro-vegan book in disguise.  I can see this reviewer's point of view.  There's really nothing about the title or idea behind the book to let you know that veganism is a much discussed topic here.  But that's not necessarily a bad thing, I think.  I believe that everyone should be well-informed about the food they eat.  Yes, the book touches on the positive aspects of being vegan (like being better for the environment, eating way less saturated fat, not to mention the issue of animal cruelty) and really pushes the vegan agenda.  If you are a meat eater, make sure to read the book all the way through.  Perhaps you'll learn something about being vegan (or, on the opposite end, you'll learn something negative about eating meat) that will nudge you to give vegan a try.

One warning: the section on animal cruelty is difficult to read.  The authors thankfully tell you that it's coming up and give you the option of skipping ahead, although they encourage you to read it.  The horrific stories of cruelty in the slaughterhouses of the meat industry and the egg and milk facilities of the dairy industry are heartbreaking.  And eye-opening.  And although I'm not a vegan (but am a vegetarian) I've been thinking about trying it just based what I've read in this book.  Actually, on a side note, I think it would be sort of neat to keep a few hens around for eggs.  That way, you can still have the ease and wholesomeness of eating and baking with eggs without buying into the cruelty of the egg industry.

Anyway, I think you're seeing where this book is heading.  To be a skinny b**ch, you just need to eat a plant-based diet.  Give up the sugar, the soda (the authors call it liquid satan).  Yes, even diet soda (did you realize that a bi-product of aspartame is formaldehyde).  Give up the junk food.  Give up the meat & the dairy.  Give up the coffee.  (See, I told you it's the equivalent of Basic Training!)  The authors encourage you to eat organic fruit and vegetables, whole grains and soy products.  Personally, I'm not so sold on all the soy products out there - some of them are very processed, and you know what they say about processed foods.  But the point is that there are options out there, and many better options than the vast amount of fast food, junk food and sugary sweets Americans consume on a daily basis.  I really loved all the research that the authors mention.  There is a lot of good, factual information here to give you the motivation to stop eating all this bad stuff - and get the body you want in return.

Usually, I love reading my books on CD, but this one, I think would be better in book form, simply because the latter section involves lists of current organic, vegan products the authors recommend (listening to a product list is kind of boring, and I think I actually fell asleep during that part).  There's also a list of common ingredients in processed foods and what the ingredient actually is.  This is good to have and maybe even take with you to the grocery store, but it's not the most intriguing thing to listen to on CD.  Plus, there's lots of bad language and you definitely don't want your kids to overhear it!  So, I'd say get this one in book form, not on CD.

I've been eating lots of junk lately & feeling like I need some motivation to get healthy.  This book provides a large dose of facts to motivate you to eat healthy and get the body you want, all without making sacrifices.  Sounds pretty good to me!

-Cheryl