Always Enough, Never Too Much

As a long time listener and fan of the author’s podcast, Our Hen House, I was really interested to read about Jasmin’s journey. Jasmin really puts herself out there and shares some seriously intimate details that make you laugh, cry and rage. (Yes, I literally did all three.) The journey is mainly about Jasmin’s challenges surrounding food and her finding a healthier way of living both mentally and physically. As a once overweight teenager who has struggled with various eating disorders and eating in general pretty much my whole life, I can relate to much of Jasmin’s story. Some people are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol or sex and then some of us are addicted to fat, salt and sugar. And it really sucks when food becomes your coping mechanism because you actually do have to eat to live so it gets real complicated and difficult. Somehow I found my way to healthier eating and living too. I didn’t do a juice cleanse, like Jasmin, but I do think going vegan helped. It really made me think more critically about what I put in my body. I.e., if I can’t eat eggs or dairy whatever will I eat? Oh yeah, beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, pasta and so on and so forth! It actually opened up my food world to a more nutritious and nurturing way of eating. Anyway I digress…what I mean to say is that Jasmin is not alone in her story. There are many of us out there who struggle on the daily trying to figure it all out and still be true to ourselves. It’s certainly not easy. Jasmin is an inspiring example of a woman who has stayed true to herself and yet has not been afraid to change in ways that help her be a better healthier, version of herself. I also really appreciated her thoughts about being treated differently as a TW (thin woman) compared to when she was fat. Thank you so very much for sharing your story, Jasmin. You are never too much and you are always enough!

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it after an email exchange with the author (totally unrelated to writing) and seeing the book link in her email signature. Memoir is my favorite genre and I own a couple dozen, mostly written by women. Of all that I’ve read this had a totally unique focus, which was on food and diet. I hadn’t put all that much conscious thought into my relationship with food prior to reading this book but Jasmin really brought out all the ways (both good and bad) that food impacts our lives, our relationships with others, and especially our relationships with ourselves. Also very interesting and something I have not previously read about was the vegan lifestyle in general. Jasmin went into great detail explaining how she came to be vegan and how that decision affected her life. Overall there were lots of really great tidbits that anyone could take to heart about self reflection and self acceptance. I loved this book and will happily buy more of this author’s work. Unsurprisingly, Jasmin’s blog is outstanding too!

Great memoir for those who struggle with food addictions and yo-yo dieting. Jasmin Singer recounts the struggle of growing up fat, the lifelong impact that it carries, and the habits embedded in the body. I found myself reading a memoir that mirrored my own life! Especially when she talks about the ethical and moral obligation of the vegan diet– it’s written beautifully! I also deeply relate to the fat-phobic tendencies of friends and family (who genuinely don’t understand it themselves) and the impact it has on the psyche. Ultimately being healthy is the goal, which the author accomplished through monthly juicing and plant based foods. I’m so encouraged to continue my own juicing journey and sos-free vegan diet.

Absolutely loved this helpful memoir! It speaks to a painful issue that plagues many relearning how to eat. The food industry markets overconsumption. The diet industry teaches deprivation and binging.

As Singer comes to realize, food should be about nourishment, satisfaction and fueling the work we want to do in the world. “…true health comes from finding abundance, both on your plate and in your life.”

Singer is a person of wide-ranging, evolving identities to whom various labels could be applied. While the reader may not identify with all or any of these incarnations, Singer tells a strongly relatable story about how we view our bodies and other’s bodies, how we treat ourselves and others because of them, and our relationships with food.

“So while it is possible to be bigger and be healthy, I am furious that our country is getting fatter and sicker because we are being fed addictive foods that are reliant on manipulating our tastebuds and our desires.”

It’s her own story about food addiction, how it came about and how she found peace, told in a buoyant, loving not prescriptive or preachy way.

“Once I started taking the time to be honest with myself about where food truly comes from, I found that if I truly want to consume in a way that comports with my worldview and is in harmony with my ethical beliefs, whole, plant-based foods must become the star of the show.”

Her mantra is change, “…it humbles me to think that I’m still evolving. I will always be evolving. I wonder what’s next. I wonder how my life will change as new truths become clear to me. (And I wonder what my hair will look like then.)”

Listen to Jasmin Singer talk about the book on the Rich Roll Podcast, Episode 222, How Jasmin Singer lost 100 pounds by finding peace with herself. Read the article that sparked the book, “What Losing 100 Pounds Taught Me About How We Treat Overweight People” in mindbodygreen.com.

Recommended for anyone who has ever dieted, weighed themselves, or had disparaging thoughts about their own or anyone else’s body.

As a fat, vegan ex drama student who has dieted my whole life this book rang loud bells. Both funny and insightful a really great read and a truthful account of life on both sides of the fat/thin divide. Inspiring, will be juicing for myself now. If you ate stuck on the diet wheel read this book.

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