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To be honest, I had always wanted to read something by this author, but I wasn’t interested in his books about success, which was the only ones I knew, until I saw this one. I got it via Blogging for books, being this the first time I request a book from this web.
The thing is – I’m not alone in the world 😀 I wanted to know why I eat like a horse when I’m in the exams period, and why I can be comfortably reading for hours without thinking about food in the relaxing weekends after the exams.
Chopra says we are naturally programmed to seek comfort, so when we have a gap to fill we try with the most available and easy one: our stomachs. What he proposes is a way to act in a different way, being aware of our decisions regarding food in this case, without forgetting the rest of your unhealthy habits. This is not about dieting, on the contrary, the author explains throughout the book why dieters never get results on the long run.
As you may know, Chopra is fond of Ayurvedic medicine, so he explains his point of view through this discipline: in the book he talks about the six flavours you have to eat in every meal to satisfy your hunger; about the best foods, mainly vegetables (this is nothing new, though) to fit your needs, and the best habits when it comes to the table, which are simple things like making an effort to think about what you are doing – eating – and what the food you are about to nourish your body with is. Besides, I think this book is also an introduction to a new way of life, I mean, we read about nourishment, not eating, about being aware of our choices and feeling good about ourselves.
Regardless of this, let’s say, spiritual approach, Chopra also explains the scientific reasons why he is telling you all those things. He is an endocrinologist, after all, so I also liked to read about the hormones in control of our appetite and the rest of body functions, as well as our brain function when food is involved. That’s why I think that this book will satisfy the scientific-minded readers as well as the ones who want to know about other exotic ways of life like Ayurvedic medicine.
In my opinion, the book explains perfectly well all the emotions we experience with food in times when you don’t eat just for pleasure, but for stress, and I found that the solutions Chopra claims will work are the same ones I have read in other books about similar matters, like The willpower instinct, by Kelly McGonigal (my review): both, scientific and more spiritual explanations, say that you have to practice self-awareness and what I call self-kindness if you want to change any habit. McGonigal says you will change your bad habits and live healthily and Chopra says you will also experience joy and lightness of soul, but I think they are talking about the same thing.
I’m sure What are you hungry for? is a book I’ll read again and recommend often.
PS. This is not a recipe book, so there are only a few recipes based on Ayurveda at the end of the book. However, the internet is filled with recipes which follow this discipline. I still haven’t tried any of them, but I made a start getting used to drink a ginger beverage with 2-3 of slices of ginger in boiling water with also a slice of lemon. It doesn’t taste bad and it’s supposed to suppress hunger if you drink it before meal times.
From Isi 