Product Reviews Title: Can You Be Alone With a Bowl of Chocolate? Strengthening Healthy Food Choices Author: Irene Berman-Levine, Ph.D., RDN Date: June 9, 2023 Publisher: Irene Berman-Levine, Ph.D., RDN, Nutrition Program Planning (self-published) Price: $24.99 Review: Tools, tips, resources … oh. my! As dietitians, it seems like we are always on the lookout for new ways to reach, connect and help our clients achieve a healthy relationship with food while helping them create a base of lifestyle skills in an effective way. I am always excited when I learn about a new resource to help with this endeavor. This book got me very excited about adding a new resource to my nutrition counseling toolkit. This practical and positive book is an invaluable resource to anyone wanting to gain insights, skills and tools to help reframe how a person looks at, behaves with, and thinks about food. Not only that, this book is great for anyone who wants to help others (e.g. clients) gain insights, skills and tools to help reframe how they (clients) look at, behave with and think about food. I realize that is a bold statement, but it is accurate. The author created a resource that not only provides a lot of information that she has gleaned from 40+ years working in nutrition counseling. The author crafted a book that is very practical, which really could be called a book/workbook. There are myriad topics covered along with prompts for the reader to apply the topics, complemented by insights and comments that are offered by the author that give an extra dimension. These author’s comments actually serve (in my opinion) as a “voice of a companion.” This dimension is an added element that provides some candid perspectives from someone “in the business” of nutrition with a very personal angle that allows the readers to feel as if the author is on the journey with them. This is very effective and unique. This book covers 12 chapters which all focus on critical areas in “strengthening healthy food choices.” They range from exploring long-term goals, self-talk, overall health behavior change, factors that influence your environment and food choices, portion control, dining out, dining at home, how stress impacts food choices, planning, etc. These may seem like topics found in other books of this type, but the thing that distinguishes this book from others is the use of practical applications through writing prompts and other very personal thought exercises, assessments, etc. These are offered in every chapter so the reader can get the most out of the book and have the most personal way of applying all the material and topics. Whenever I review a product or resource, I always ask myself “How could this be improved or modified to be more effective or better?” I can’t think of anything for this book. I think it is just right the way it is. I can see myself using this book for my clients AND for myself. If you are looking for something to supplement or bolster your nutrition practitioner toolkit, I recommend picking up a copy of Can You Be Alone With a Bowl of Chocolate? Strengthening Healthy Food Choices. Reviewer: Toni Toledo, MPH, RDN Title: Instructor, San Jose State University and podcast host for PATH Positive Approaches To Health podcast and RDN for Teen Kitchen Project Affiliation: San Jose State University, PATH Podcast, and Teen Kitchen Project
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