By IFEDD Member Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, FAND and Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S

Reviewed for IFEDD by Haley Cox

Intuitive Eating is truly the one book I believe everyone should read. This book is for anyone who has ever struggled with food– clinicians, patients, or just the general person. From a clinician perspective, this book serves as a guide on how to begin to heal a patient’s relationship with food. Many EDD shun the thought of intuitive eating with eating disorders. However, actually all of these principles can be applied while working with an ED client. In chapter 16, “the ultimate path toward healing from eating disorders,” the authors share how the concept of intuitive eating process can be introduced and started in ED clients.

Evelyn and Elyse do a great job of providing a balance of science, examples, and what I like to call “powerful statements” in order to help engrain their concept into a reader’s mind. These “powerful statements” are scattered all throughout each chapter. One of my favorites that stuck with me is “A dieting body is a starving body.” The authors hook your attention with these statements and then expound upon them with correlating research and client examples. The science is not too “science-y” to be read and understood by the general population. Overall, this book provides all the information you would most likely want to know about intuitive eating. And in case you want more information, they provide endless resources within the book to continue one’s IE journey.

The only drawback to this book is the length. At around 300 pages it’s not exactly a quick read. If someone is not motivated to start this process or is not an avid reader, this book could be overwhelming at first. I really like the addition of the appendix at the back with step-by-step guidelines for how to start your IE journey. I think from a clinician and client perspective that the best way to read this book would be to read these step by step guidelines first, and then work through each step and corresponding chapter (s). I almost wish this were at the beginning instead of the end!

I highly recommend this book to all dietitians and every person I meet who voices their struggle with food. Elyse and Evelyn do an excellent job of laying out everything there is to know about the subject with clear step-by-step guidelines, provide honest expectations of how your brain and body may respond, and then encourage you to continue the journey. This book is a must-read!

https://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-4th-Anti-Diet-Revolutionary/dp/1250255198/

By Susan Albers, PysD

Reviewed by Kristen Whittington, MS in Nutrition, Dietetic Intern

Eating Mindfully for Teens is not a workbook I would invest in. While the intention of the workbook is to be more mindful around food, there are undertones of diet culture that have potential to make clients feel shame. Additionally, the workbook encourages dieting/disordered type behaviors. For example, for cravings the workbook recommends substitutions for the food you may be craving, such as if you aren’t sure you are craving a milkshake, have a smoothie instead. A better option would be to get the Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens, by Elyse Resch, which takes a more “light and curious” approach to exploring the client’s relationship to food.

I would not recommend this entire workbook for any teen with an ED (or any teen in general, for that matter). There are a few good activities in it, but overall it has a ton of triggering language. It doesn’t really teach how to improve the relationship with food at all. My general impression is that it comes more from a guilt/shame and “don’t eat that” perspective than a compassionate all foods fit perspective.

By Amy Pershing, LMSW, ACSW and Chevese Turner, founder of Bing Eating Disorder Association

Reviewed for IFEED by Janice Baker, MBA, RDN, CDE, CNSC, BC-ADM

For insights and valuable perspective into binge eating disorders, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.  Working with patients for nearly 40 years with a variety of medical and psychosocial challenges, the clarity, practicality, support as well as science/medical references in this book are relevant to nutrition therapy and eating disorder practice in almost every setting I have worked in.

Early in my career, the promotion of numerous weight management approaches started to become notably magnified and highly lucrative. However, the under-the- radar collateral damage was rarely of topic of discussion in professional education. Seeing approaches to weight management in my community by inpatient management, witnessing tragic outcomes, including chronic and severe disabilities, bariatric surgery pre/post op patients, as well as diabetes management I strongly support this book as not only a resource for practicing RDNs but highly recommend as required reading in undergraduate coursework for nutrition science, exercise science, nursing and related degrees. The credentials and well described lived experiences of the authors, support my opinion of this book as a highly recommended resource, as the insightful and well researched information included are consistent with evidence-based science. As a CNSC RDN for several years, this is a particularly critical aspect of any recommended resource.

The book was organized well, and I especially appreciated the bibliography citations at the end of each chapter.  Appendix A, “Online Resources for Community Building” is also an excellent and helpful reference for providing further support to our patients and clients.

I highly recommend this book for both treatment providers and patients.  As an RDN for many years, I’ve had to seek out education, resources to recommend and support to help counter the damaging and condescending messages my patients have continuously received as part of our culture. Reading this book has greatly helped me improve my skills and provided me greater insights into the struggles that so many have, no matter what age or gender.

https://www.amazon.com/Binge-Eating-Disorder-Journey-Recovery/dp/1138236934/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XXE4ZTYS0KBD&dchild=1&keywords=binge+eating+disorder+the+journey+to+recovery+and+beyond&qid=1606682448&sprefix=binge+eating+disorder+%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1

By IFEDD Member Christy Harrison, MPH, RD

Reviewed for IFEDD by Robyn Goldberg

Anti-Diet is a book written by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD.  Christy has written a fantastic book that is well referenced and researched on everything that a person needs to know about diet culture, the problems with it and how to challenge it.  This book is useful for both professionals in their practice and the general public in their personal life.

In Anti-Diet, Christy has many of our peers who work from a weight inclusive approach share their story regarding how they became “anti-diet” after their own journey’s through diet culture.  She provides information that helps a person reflect on their own belief system and what it will take to remove oneself from diet culture with having the courage to take a different stance.

This is book is a must read for all clinicians who practice in any discipline as Christy is honest about what it will take to approach food, their body and recovery differently. She describes the current trends about “wellness” and the other names that are used as it is supposed to represent the “picture of health”.  Christy is straight forward about all the terms synonymous with the “healthism” and how they all avoid the facts that our psychological well-being is being impacted by this.

I really appreciate Christy’s picture describing diet culture, the wellness diet and food activism with describing them all in addition to offering clues for identifying terms that are code names for a diet.

Her chapter titles are catchy as chapter after chapter Christy backs her statements about how diet culture steals our time, money, well being and happiness and what a person’s life can be like without diet culture. Every chapter has various peers woven into it as the example fit precisely like a key fitting into a lock.

I love that Christy not only has guidelines for health care providers to prevent weight stigma and disordered eating as she has many wonderful references listed at the back of the book. She wraps up the book with discussing the importance of having a community or tribe that is supportive who can see the “Life Thief” and support the individual to remove themselves from body negativity, food shaming and unrealistic cultural ideals.

https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Diet-Reclaim-Well-Being-Happiness-Intuitive/dp/0316420352