Review
of "Body by Eats"
eBook By Leigh Peele
Yep, I wasn't quite
sure what to make of the name of this book when
I first saw the title, too...
But then I started
reading it...
And as I was reading
it I realized, this is a whole lot more than just
a nutrition and recipe book...this is a whole new
way of thinking about food and how you use it and
enjoy in relation to fitness, health, fat loss and
muscle-building.
Leigh Peele (the author
of this book as well as the "Fat
Loss Troubleshoot" book), put in
a TON of thought and effort to the creation of this
book.
It's more than just
great nutrition information...it's nutritional philosophy
and a lesson in critical thinking all at the same
time.
And THOSE are several
of the big reasons why this book stands out in the
field of nutrition programs and books.
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On a personal note, I've
known Leigh Peele and her approach to nutrition for quite
awhile. She definitely knows what she's talking about
when it comes to eating and getting the results you want,
whether it be fat loss, muscle-building or improving performance.
She's also got a very entertaining writing style that
you'll really enjoy.
When you start reading the
"Body By Eats" book, the first thing that jumps
out at you is that Leigh takes a whole different approach
to food than most "diet" books. She actually
WANTS you to eat food AND enjoy it... (what a concept!).
This book is in large part
about learning how to eat the food you enjoy while still
getting the results you want from it. There are no "bad"
foods.
Her main
point in this book is "don't fear the food."
And Leigh does a masterful
job deconstructing our phobias and myths about food and
water...this excerpt really exemplifies it...
Panic-Inducing
Study #1: A recent study said that plastic
water bottles contain trace amounts of DEHA, a
cancer-causing chemical, and that heating or reusing
bottles would release the chemical. The media
got a hold of this study, and before long, everyone
started to look askance at water bottles, our
new silent killer.
If the media had
bothered to vet the study, they would have found
that it was a thesis paper by a student at the
University of Idaho that hadnt been peer-reviewed
or confirmed by any other scientists. Furthermore,
the paper said that DEHA was dangerous, while
the EPA later said that it "cannot be reasonably
anticipated to cause irreversible chronic health
effects."
I assure you that
the spit left in your water bottle from not cleaning
it is 10 times more deadly.
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She actually WANTS you to
learn how to think critically about these fancy studies
that come out (and which tend to confuse people more than
help). In fact, she includes a VERY well done section
devoted entirely to how to read these studies "between
the lines" so you know exactly what is going on and
what was REALLY proven (or not proven).
Because as I'm sure you
know, it's very possible to interpret results to skew
them the way you think they should come out. Statistics
can be used to prove anything...98% of people know that...
;)
The section on organic food
is really quite eye-opening as well. According to the
research Leigh has done on the subject, organic food has
been shown to be pretty much no different than "normal"
food in terms of nutritional content and pretty much no
more gentle to the soil than normal farming (interestingly
enough, nicotine is actually used as a pesticide on some
organic farms!)
And then we come to vegetarian
eating. Here's Leigh's take on it - she's not for it or
against it...to her, it all comes down to what you enjoy
and what your thoughts about eating meat are. She does
bring up a few good points about veggie eating and meat
eating that bear mentioning.
The most common
argument against eating meat is that its
just healthier. A lot of studies suggest that
vegetarians are healthier than carnivores, and
when studies are conducted in the context of the
average American diet, then yes vegetarians
are healthier. But heres the problem: These
studies ignore how most vegetarians can afford
to be vegetarians. They can afford to buy better
food and avoid fast-food joints both habits
that contribute to lower blood pressure, lower
cholesterol and an overall healthier makeup.
So whats the
point? Dont fear the food. Food as a whole
isnt unhealthy. Eating large amounts of
low quality food is unhealthy, but being afraid
of any kind of food is counterproductive. If youve
retreated into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle
out of fear, then go back and examine the studies
and reports that scared you. Are they legitimate
studies, or did you happen to wander into a shock
documentary? Examine your sources.
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As you can see, Leigh's
goal is to take the emotion and reactionism out of food
and eating and replace with it enjoyment and rational
thinking. It's an excellent approach and one that we certainly
endorse and practice ourselves.
In fact, I'd have to say
this quote from the book sums it up for us...
Getting the body
you want is about monitoring your food intake
and finding the right training program.
Before we move on
to my cookbook for calorie-burning, let me admonish
any whole food acolytes reading this to be done
with their loyalty to all things "clean."
If you're going to take this journey with me,
then you can't judge others for eating "unclean"
foods, and you can't be afraid of any foods, even
the "bad" ones.
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Another very interesting
part of this book are the case studies that Leigh herself
perform on clients of various ages, activity levels,
and nutritional states. This is really eye-opening stuff...a
lot of it will run contrary to some notions you have
about eating and training. She makes of point of stating
it's not "peer reviewed" studies or anything
like, but the trends she talks about will really get
you thinking.
And THAT
is what she is really trying to do with this manual...get
you to think about what you're eating rather than listening
to what the media or so-called authorities tell you.
That's something
we DEFINITELY agree on.
Then we come to the recipes...
I'd like
to say this is the real "meat" of the book,
but that would be a really bad joke for a nutrition
manual...so I won't say it...
Leigh has
put together a TON of great recipes you can use that
are focused on several different areas...fat loss, bulking,
dessert, and vegetarian.
These are
pretty self-explanatory, though as you can imagine,
the vegetarian section isn't something we delved into
too much. The other recipes look VERY good, though.
You're not going to be missing out on anything here...pizza,
pulled pork BBQ, lasagna, ham sandwiches...stuff you
probably wouldn't imagine you'd be eating on a diet!
Leigh is
also including the Body By Eats book in "audiobook"
format (MP3) so you can listen to it wherever it's convenient
for you (which is an excellent idea).
She is also
throwing in 2 months of to her "Body By Eats"
membership site, where you'll get even more content
and SUPPORT.
The Downsides
If you're a "skimmer"
you're probably going to miss a lot of the really good
parts of this book. This isn't a book where you can get
the gist of things by skimming through quickly then follow
a paint-by-numbers diet program.
To really get the most out
of this book, you'll need to read it (and/or listen to
it) thoroughly and really understand the points she's
trying to make.
This isn't a "meal
plan" style of book...it's a book designed to help
you learn how to think for yourself and understand food,
rather than being afraid of it.
The other downside is a
technical one...if you're on dial-up, this package is
going to take a long time to load - the file sizes are
pretty large.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, this is an excellent
and thought-provoking nutrition manual...something that
you'll really get a lot out of. We may not agree with
everything Leigh has in it but overall, her approach is
very good and something we have no trouble supporting.
Definitely check it out!
To read more about
"Body by Eats,"
click here now...
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