Food Story: Rewrite the Way You Eat, Think & Live

Museles (Whole Food Energy) delivers a somewhat contradictory workbook-cum-cookbook aimed at changing one’s relationship with food. She notes how people—herself included—who struggle with dieting tend to have a particular “food story” they tell themselves, which inhibits their ability to enjoy and relax during meals. Different types of food stories are cataloged, such as the notion that food is an escape from a hard day, a reward for a success, or a treat to “keep secret.” (There’s space for the reader to journal their own feelings, experiences, and “stories.”) She also explores the concept of “food noise,” including how conflicting studies can compromise an eater’s innate understanding of their food needs. However, in a later chapter, stress is diagnosed as a “nutrient-blocker” and harmful for digestion, which reads basically like “noise,” as well. Foods and recipes are categorized by what mood they support, such as healthy fats’ ability to stave off depression, or “Mood smoothie bowls” that incorporate plant-milk, protein powder, and a spinach base with varied toppings (“Happy”calls for banana, avocado, mint leaves, and cocoa nibs). To her credit, Museles justly recognizes how most food trends are diets by a different name, and are no substitute for a holistic approach, but her mission lacks clarity. In the end, it mixes in as much “noise” as self-knowing. (Oct.)