Ok…I have to ‘fess up. It is time to “come clean.”

I have been reading another book. One that wasn’t even written by Judy, or anyone at Thin Within.

This book has been the best thing to come down the pike in…well…a LONG time. Maybe since Thin Within!  Actually, if I can be quite truthful, lots of things I wish we had said just a bit differently when we were writing the Thin Within book, have been said just right in this easy-to-read treatise.

Book titles aside (and I wish it wasn’t called what it is, but I think I understand why Zondervan and the author chose it), The Eden Diet by Dr. Rita Hancock is well worth the read. Absolutely! Dr. Hancock consistently demonstrates that she knows her medical “stuff,” and we are reminded of some basic bible truths as well as her take on what really does make good nutrition sense. You might be surprised, in fact.

This lady isn’t just one of those MD quack-type people either. She was an undergraduate at Cornell University and did some intensive studies of “gastric diseases.” She has studied nutrition until the cows come home. And well, you can read more about her at her website. I won’t repeat it all here.

More than just an expert from afar, however, Dr. Hancock has also struggled deep in the trenches of obesity–she knows what it is like to have a HUGE hurdle ahead of her and to rise to conquer it! She has allowed God to transform her thinking, has lost a boatload of weight and has kept it off “imperfectly” for 25 years. This lady has a lot to say and she knows of what she speaks.

How, you may wonder, if I was the collaborator (writer) for the Thin Within book, can I possibly so unashamedly declare the praises of “the competition?” The way I figure it…the reality is, we are all in this together. If someone can say it in a way that I think is helpful, then I am ALL for it! Especially if every page holds truth that is consistent with my life’s message and, more importantly, what I believe God wants for his people. He calls us to freedom–listening to our bodies, engaging our brains, and using the spiritual insight he has given us.

What is the difference between this book and Thin Within? Why might someone enjoy reading this book? Well, Dr. Hancock is very NO-nonsense in her approach. She cuts to the chase in a point-blank sort of way. There is no pussy footing around. If you find yourself a bit tender or a sensitive person, she may be a bit “harsh” for you. But what I found was that, for me, she was downright practical. Don’t get me wrong…she blends this with plenty of biblical wisdom and spiritual insight. She just doesn’t mince her words.

Where Thin Within has chapters chock-full of invaluable exercises that have helped many of us get to the root of our overeating and obsessive behaviors, Dr. Rita is more likely to say, “Sure, you can ask why, but the point is, you have to STOP it. To STOP it, you have to retrain your mind to think and believe differently! So HOP to it! Oh…and here is HOW!” (This isn’t a quote, so please don’t email me that I misquoted her…it is her tone I am trying to capture!)

For the record, I didn’t find one word of condemnation in The Eden Diet. I haven’t launched into the workbook study yet and plan to soon.

Anyhow, in the days ahead, I will likely share some of the nuggets of wisdom I have gotten (and will continue to get) from reading The Eden Diet and working through the workbook. In the meantime, let me say this…where I needed a drill sergeant to sort of call me to HUP TO and to RISE UP and DO that to which God has clearly called, God provided Dr. Rita’s voice in her book. In the past two weeks that I have spent reading this book, I have found myself seeing all my many excuses (more than I thought!) for what they are…SIN! 🙂 Not only that, but well…I have been STOPPING it! WHOO HOO! My size 16s are fitting better now. But the best part of all is the clean conscience that I have as I stand before the Lord…obedience IS possible, one baby step at a time.

This book gets 5 stars from me…HUGE thumbs up! WHOO HOO! Thank you, Dr. Rita Hancock and thank you Jesus for providing someone to say it short, sweet, to the point but purely! Pointing to you!