Rating: 
Summary: Food really does have secrets to heal...
Review: "Deborah Kesten shows us that foods are not merely physical things but substances intimately connected with our mind and consciousness. This is why most cultures have had a sacred, spiritual regard toward eating . . . Highly recommended!"
-- Larry Dossey, M.D. author of "Healing Words"
Rating:
Summary: Ancient nutritional wisdom meets modern science
Review: "While over 2,000 new books about food were published over the past year, the most successful books on food were neither recipe nor diet books. They are, instead, part of a new trend of books exploring the comfort, humor, social comaraderie, and physical and spiritual healing we receive from food...Author Deborah Kesten...is at the forefront of this new look at nutrition...
Kesten's book, The Healing Secrets of Food, is like a nourishing meal - a shaman's soup which has slow cooked for days so that the bones have become one with the broth and even the scent is healing to body and soul."
--Rev. Dr. Katherine O'Connell
--"Food for the Soul" column
--Santa Cruz Sentinel
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Food Insights
Review: Because I tend to overeat, I've had a weight issue my entire life. Because of this, I've turned food, eating and nutrition into a kind of hobby, second only to dieting, my #1 hobby and pastime. I read whatever I can about food to find out what's healthiest. After reading The Healing Secrets of Food, the way I've thought about food my entire life has begun to shift--ever so subtly. For instance, I'm actually eating less fast food, and instead of "inhaling" my food, I've begun to take the time to slow down when I'm eating. And I tune into my feelings. Slowly, somehow I'm focusing less on dieting and instead, I sometimes actually taste my food and enjoy it. Also, I've always wanted to meditate, but don't seem to find the time. With Kesten's tips and new ways of thinking about food, I've decided to use the times I eat as a chance to meditate. And all this has happened without much effort. This book is filled with fascinating insights about food that I've never thought about before, and it's already changing my life. Not drastically. But enough to begin to make a positive difference. I'm amazed at the difference this book has already made in my life. And I think you will be too. It's not just about the healing secrets of food. It's also about the healing secrets of life.
Rating:
Summary: Blends issues of food and healing with a spiritual approach
Review: Blend issues of food and healing with a spiritual approach to nutrition and health and you have Healing Secrets Of Food, a treatise which provides both a history of food in various cultures and religions and a survey of Western nutritional science. Chapters probe the importance of food in healing various ailments.
Rating:
Summary: Informative and fun...not boring
Review: Books that deal with preventative health issues are of great interest to me because I learn so much and my life always improves. This is one of those books that is not boring, but such a great joy to read. A physician friend recommended it because it deals with the whole issue of how and where we eat and not just what we should eat. Part Two chapter two is one of my favorite chapters because it deals with the healing secret of socializing and the "French paradox" which is all about how eating at an hour and with others, that best suits the individual is healthier, and that communing which is where the term communion comes from, helps a person to not overeat and to better digest one food because when we eat amongst those we like, we tend to eat slower and we tend to eat better or healthier foods as well. The story shared in this chapter about the midnight meal is well worth the price of the book itself. Chapter Seven titled The Healing Secret of Optimal Food is wonderful because it deals with eating healthy whole foods and not getting sucked into believing good food needs to be difficult to prepare or fancy in any way. That having a bowl of fresh apples, oranges, kiwi, bananas, peaches, grapes etc and eating some with pleasure and passion does wonders for the senses. Or a simple fresh spinach salad with lemon juice and oil dressing and cutting off some fresh slices of hearty rustic bread to eat with the salad can be like dining at a quaint café in the French Alps. Or how about some garbonzo beans (chickpeas) with fresh tomato and steamed shrimp with a vision of a Greek seaside café? The book also speaks of meats and how to choose them wisely and prepare them so they retain their goodness. And eating meat in smaller servings like the French, Italians, Greeks and Asians do, which is more as a condiment in many ways. I was also pleased to read the "Asian Wisdom" section that spoke of how some eat congee which is a soup for breakfast since we eat soup for breakfast a lot. Or even vegetable stir fry. Come to think of it, the books great value for me, was how it kindly pointed out to Americans that other cultures have a great deal of wisdom to share when it comes to eating well and not being unfit or fat.
Rating:
Summary: Informative and fun...not boring
Review: Books that deal with preventative health issues are of great interest to me because I learn so much and my life always improves. This is one of those books that is not boring, but such a great joy to read. A physician friend recommended it because it deals with the whole issue of how and where we eat and not just what we should eat. Part Two chapter two is one of my favorite chapters because it deals with the healing secret of socializing and the "French paradox" which is all about how eating at an hour and with others, that best suits the individual is healthier, and that communing which is where the term communion comes from, helps a person to not overeat and to better digest one food because when we eat amongst those we like, we tend to eat slower and we tend to eat better or healthier foods as well. The story shared in this chapter about the midnight meal is well worth the price of the book itself. Chapter Seven titled The Healing Secret of Optimal Food is wonderful because it deals with eating healthy whole foods and not getting sucked into believing good food needs to be difficult to prepare or fancy in any way. That having a bowl of fresh apples, oranges, kiwi, bananas, peaches, grapes etc and eating some with pleasure and passion does wonders for the senses. Or a simple fresh spinach salad with lemon juice and oil dressing and cutting off some fresh slices of hearty rustic bread to eat with the salad can be like dining at a quaint café in the French Alps. Or how about some garbonzo beans (chickpeas) with fresh tomato and steamed shrimp with a vision of a Greek seaside café? The book also speaks of meats and how to choose them wisely and prepare them so they retain their goodness. And eating meat in smaller servings like the French, Italians, Greeks and Asians do, which is more as a condiment in many ways. I was also pleased to read the "Asian Wisdom" section that spoke of how some eat congee which is a soup for breakfast since we eat soup for breakfast a lot. Or even vegetable stir fry. Come to think of it, the books great value for me, was how it kindly pointed out to Americans that other cultures have a great deal of wisdom to share when it comes to eating well and not being unfit or fat.
Rating:
Summary: A book for every household
Review: Deborah Kesten has been working in the field of nutrition as a researcher, educator, and health journalist for over 15 years...In this inspiring and edifying work...the author challenges us to move beyond the idea of food as fuel and the body as a machine to something she calls "integrative nutrition" -- the power of food to heal physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially...THE HEALING SECRETS OF FOOD ought to be in every household where individuals are consciously seeking to practice everyday spirituality. Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
-- SPIRITIUALITY & HEALTH magazine
Rating:
Summary: The Healing Secrets of Food
Review: Finally, a book that speaks clearly to the spirit, vitality and healing power of food. As a health practioner and spiritual counselor I have often spoken to people about the importance of not only what they ate, but invoking the goodness and power within the food. Kesten so beautifully illustrates this power and makes every morsel in the pages easily digestible and healing to people from varied backgrounds.
Rating:
Summary: Food for thought, thought for food
Review: Here is a thought-provoking challenge of our current notions about food, nutrition and health. From THE HEALING SECRETS OF FOOD emerges a superb description of the multidimensional power of food to heal. A strong dose of this book should be prescribed by anyone interested in true nourishment and total health. I found it to be a savory supplement for healing body, mind, and soul.
Rating: 
Summary: Big disappointment; Beware 5 Star Ratings
Review: I hate to write negative reviews, but here goes. I was extremely disappointed in this book. It basically amounts to be grateful for your food, eat with others when you can, chew slowly, and eat whole natural foods. Good advice, yes, but not worth the price of the book. I was also disappointed in the book's failure to include much in the way of scientific proof in support of the statements. Many times the evidence presented is purely anecdotal, or purely personal. Examples of the latter include the author's telling us how a neighbor surprised her one year with a chocolate cake left on the doorstep, and how after she and her husband hiked in the mountains for days on end, they each ate two full meals at the first restaurant they visited. Not much there in the way of nutrition or health information. Lastly, I think that the glowing quotes on the book jacket should come with a truth in advertising disclosure. One of them was written by her husband (who works at Ornish) and another comes from another executive at one of the Ornish groups. Oh, did I mention that the author has worked at Ornish too? I just think that I could have done better for the money, and would advise anyone looking for substantial nutrition and health information to look elsewhere. Like a book by Dean Ornish (who wrote the book's introduction). By the way, one of the glowing 5 star reviews of this book was written by the author's husband, who didn't disclose his status as such in the review. Sheesh; hype, anyone?
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