Are you stuck? Stuck in your weight? Stuck in your mind? Stuck in your diet? Just stuck. Stuck. Stuck.
It’s okay. Sometimes we get that way. We just do.
Getting stuck means we WERE once moving forward. Oh, to move forward again. In our stubborn stuck-ness, we resolve to undertake the exact same steps that worked before–but this time kicking ourselves brutally to really stick with it this time. As if that’s all we need to do to take care of it.
Hey. Let me throw out an idea I once heard:
“It’s not really organized if you have to keep organizing it.”
In other words, it may look nice and sound nice for a little bit after you clean it up, but if it easily falls back into disorder and dysfunction, the system needs changed somehow. It’s not going to work for you. You can blame your man, woman, kids, or even yourself for messing something up (I have plenty of times…)–but maybe it’s time to stop trying to find success, order, and peace with the same broken system. Find and create your own system, using what works for you.
I’ve had the delightful pleasure of corresponding with two authors recently who refuse to stay stuck. Even better, they refuse to shut up. Even, even better. They keep open minds. And even, even, even better. Yes, it gets better. They answer your questions with sincerity and motivate you to get un-stuck too.
Thank you, Tim Steele and Jessica Flanigan, for sharing your hard-earned knowledge with the world in your true, authentic ways. Today I want to share a smidge about the books The Potato Hack (Tim Steele) and The Loving Diet (Jessica Flanigan), two books that could potentially get you unstuck from your stuck.
The Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified
Why it would be your read:
- You avoid the potato because you’ve heard it’s not healthy for whatever reason. (You should DEFINITELY read this book.)
- You just like well-written, informative literature. This book is full of easy-to-read scientific, practical, and historical information on the potato.
- You’re stuck in your weight (or even in your diabetes or gastrointestinal issues) and enjoy testing different ideas out. (Please always be safe! And talk with your doctor. You know, you know.)
- You’re curious about these all-potato diets that people are trying. (Are these people as crazy as you think? You’ll be surprised!)
- Tim Steele takes time to answer every question posed to him via e-mail or his website (Vegetable Pharm).
- It’s a straight-forward read with honesty and humor.
Who this book is not for: Fanatics who will stick to any diet despite getting worse. The Potato Hack is for those with good, common sense.
Personal note: I had already re-introduced the potato happily and successfully before reading this book, but reading even more science on it supported my idea that our diet should be as broad as we enjoy and tolerate, with an emphasis on real. The book is not restricted to a potato-only diet, although it does outline one for us. I tried a hard-core, potato-only hack for just over three days. Personally, I had no issues and didn’t mind it a bit, except my kids’ food smelled wonderful.
The Loving Diet: Going Beyond Paleo into the Heart of What Ails You
Why it would be your read:
- You’ve tried everything for your health, and something just isn’t budging. You’re at the end of your rope. Can’t anyone help you?
- Your health is intruding on your peace and ability to go about life. (Conversely, the book can help even those struggling with life turmoil, such as a divorce, job difficulty, or loss, which may or may not be related to disease in the moment directly–but still holding life back.)
- Autoimmune Paleo, GAPS, or some other diet is not working for you, even after FODMAP, SIBO, histamine, and so on, modifications.
- Jessica Flanigan (AIP Lifestyle) is a knowledgeable, compassionate nutritionist whose clients are tough cases, so she writes from experience, not just theory.
- You feel like mindset plays a role in your illness, but you’re not sure how or what to do about it.
- A nice, non-technical read. (You can read it even in deep brain fog, taking it as slowly as you need to.)
Who should not read it: A cynic who thinks he (or she) is too good for some touchy-feely type techniques.
Personal note: The diet and supplement portion of the book was not my draw to this writing, as I feel pretty comfortable with my own diet (and have tried “everything”). However, the mind-body component was huge for me, as I’ve found it instrumental in controlling headaches and food intolerances. If you are Christian, the book is not necessarily written from a Jesus-centered point of view, and I can’t say that I know the author’s take on religion after reading this–which for me is a plus, as I actually can get frustrated with differences in theology and dogma.
These are my own takes. My own opinions. I’m happy to answer any questions I can. I’ve appreciated the works of the authors and have communicated with them personally, although my post was spontaneously prompted from my gratitude for their contributions to health. They’ve put some GREAT ideas and knowledge together!
Thanks!
Terri
The HSD 
Seriously. Sometimes I feel like you know what I am thinking and give me a suggestion through your blog. Lol. I am in such a rut. I eat clean(in fact, I have cured my horrific allergies-I was allergic to everything from grass and trees to any animals with fur). I exercise. I meditate. I feel good but I cannot lose any weight!! I am a good 30 pounds heavier than I should be. In fact, this week I started swimming again to try a different exercise tactic. I will check out these books and see if I can glean any good info from them. Thank you for the suggestions.
Here’s an excerpt from each.
From The Potato Hack I will share something interesting that I did not know regarding potatoes and amino acids/proteins.
“Note the presence of all nine essential amino acids. There are nine others [amino acids in potatoes] as well. This is considered a ‘complete’ amino acid score. In fact, the quality of proteins found in potatoes is better than that found in some meat and meat products. An all-potato diet will not leave you deficient in essential amino acids…”
From The Loving Diet, which if you meditate already, would fit like a glove.
“Take a deep breath. Now in your mind, picture what your illness looks like and feels like. It probably has a very definitive, energetic feeling for you of hatred. You hate it, or you’re frustrated by it, most likely…Think of something you love…Take that feeling and transfer it to the illness. Love it…I’m asking you to love the entire part of you…What if this disease didn’t hold you back? What if you knew you could move through it to something better on the other side of it? What does that other side look like to you? I’m asking you to ask your brain to do something that it is not used to doing, in part because maybe the illness represents weakness or failure to you…There’s a deeper wisdom coming forward through this illness that has something to tell you.”
Well, anyhow. Both books key on some fascinating ideas that aren’t so mainstream. I actually corresponded with them because of butyrate. I wrote a little commendation for Steele’s book–but I am a VERIFIED Amazon purchaser for both books!!!! 🙂
Terri
I found both these books very intriguing when I had read them. Very interesting that we seem to always be on the same page, literally with no pun intended. 😎
Ahaha! I love word plays! Love them. Cooked, cooled potatoes definitely a plus for me. But sometimes I get behind in cooking them. Or I cook them badly the first time around and the second time around they’re about unbearable… Ha! But aside from that, good. And I loved reading the history of the potato and all potato diet.
Ah! You read The Loving Diet? I’m keeping that one, Big Magic, and The Dark Side of the Light Catchers in a stack on my bedroom dresser to re-read. (I already pick them up and re-read certain sections anyhow. Then love to read some red letters and see if they connect…) Trust where life leads you. 🙂
I’m so excited by these book recommendations!!!
Sent from my iPhone
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You’ll have to let me know what you think if you read them! Not your ordinary health books. I mean, who makes money off of potatoes?
Thanks, Terri! I really just hope my book is a piece to someone’s puzzle. A potato diet most likely will not be the “be all, end all” but it does seem to open doors and get people to thinking. I have been pleasantly surprised by the reception the book has gotten, and how people are seeing it for what it is.
One thing that has really surprised me, the variation “potatoes by day” seems to work as well as all-potatoes, and is very easy to do long term. Sometimes I think that the sheer volume of food choices is counterproductive to dieting, and the potato hack simply provides an ample supply of good food with satiety and nutrition.
Thanks again for the kind words.
Tim
It’s a really enjoyable book. Very well-rounded on the topic. I’m glad it has gotten a good reception. And as you come across new articles and people give you so much feedback, you’ll have to have the second edition in a few years!
You know, that is really surprising about the “potatoes by day!” Wish we understood that even more. What that could tell us if we understood that! And I’ve thought on that before, too, the sheer volume of food choices may not be nutritionally, healthfully, gut microbiomally (fake word) advantageous.
Fun stuff to think on, but we know it comes down to individual matters on diet, putting it together. Eating one way to achieve a goal, and then switching it up to maintain it or achieve another area with deficit.
Happy Friday!
Terri
These sound great, I’ve added them to my list! Will I have time to read with a baby?!
Have you read any Michael Pollan?
LOL! I was just thinking today, I really need to read some Michael Pollan. I’ve read much about him, but I haven’t read him! I know he loves plants. I love plants, but I also know that some people feel good on meat. But I still think those meat-eaters need plants too. But, I’m going to get me some Michael Pollan. 🙂
Wow I love how similar we are thinking! I totally get what Pollan says but I do like meat too, it’s an ongoing struggle in my mind.
It would be a struggle, except unlike some, I feel good eating meat! I didn’t choose that! I’ve just experimented enough to know that’s the case. But plants help round out meats. And meats help round out plants. My sensitivities have improved and at least now I can eat some nuts and gluten-free grains. But when I do that, WHAMMO!, I overeat. Crazy. 🙂 But, life is good!
Very glad to hear your sensitivities have improved, my digestion is doing okay though slightly more hit and miss with the pregnancy but that was to be expected I guess. It really is about experimenting and knowing how you react to what is so important.
Oh, yes. Hmm. Will you have time to read with baby? Depends on the baby and how he/she sleeps. Good sleeper, yes. Bad sleeper, no.
You will not have much time to read with a TODDLER, though, unless you get them to bed at 7:30. In which case, you still may be too tired to read!
Ah all the fun to come! I was a terrible sleeper, I am very scared karmic retribution is going to give me a very bad sleeper in response to all the pain I caused my Mum!
Uh oh…