Eating My Secrets: Health, Healing, Hope Book Review
You know it is going to be a life changing book when you are in tears while reading the introduction. In the her latest book, Eating My Secrets: Health, Healing, Hope, Debra Mazda discusses how a lot of women use food and eating to protect themselves from past hurts. This is a book that rips all the scars off the wounds and starts the reader on the path to recovery and forgiveness.
Book Description
Most overweight women have been taught that to lose weight it's just a matter of going on a diet. For these women, the “eat less, move more” philosophy just sugar coats the fact that some use food and eating to protect deep dark secrets from the past. Debra Mazda, a professional who has worked with women most of her adult life, knows this issue is more complex. She has watched women lose 100 pounds only to gain 150 back. Debra knows this cycle all too well in her own life. Obesity plagued Debra in her childhood and teen years, culminating in a mental breakdown in her 30's. This began her journey to Health, Healing and Hope. Not only did she lose over 100 pounds, but she was able to forgive those who abused her for years.
Eating My Secrets is the story of a woman who was stuck in the pits of Hell but was lifted back up by God who had bigger plans for her life. Her faith has supported her for years. Today she's on a mission to help women silence the shame that so many suffer from. By telling her story of challenges, setbacks, and triumphs, she's moving the conversation about weight, emotional eating, abuse in a new positive direction.
My Thoughts
Like I stated before, when a book has you in tears before finishing the introduction, you know it is going to be life changing. I can't say that it was an easy read. Yes, it can be read in a couple of hours but there is (or was for me) so much raw emotion that needed to be worked through. So I would say it was a book that you don't want to put down but you have to in order to process your emotions. I mean it is hard to read while crying!
Having struggled with weight since my teen years, I completely understand the whole self medicating with food issue. As a young woman, I had several relationships that were not healthy. As I gained weight, I lost the will to fight for myself. This putting up walls so that I wasn't hurt wasn't a conscience thing, but the more I weighed, the less abuse I received from my partners.
Even years later when I was in a very healthy relationship where I knew that I was loved unconditionally by my husband, I was still plagued with keeping the old wounds covered. For me, the protective covering was food.
Eating My Secrets: Health, Healing, Hope is a story of forgiveness. And through that forgiveness, hope and healing. The author is transparent in sharing her story. The tools that she shares would be helpful for anyone struggling with past hurts.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.
This sounds like a book that you need to give a weekend to.
I cannot wait to read this. I suffered from an eating disorder for most of my life and do find it helps to read about others’ journeys.
Sounds great. Fantastic review.
I think the book sounds great and I would love to read it.
Sounds interesting! I would love to read this.
Lately with the weather changing colder I have been feeling depressed. I like to read to boost my spirits.
I need to read this book!
this sounds really good
I am one of those people that do eat and nibble on things to feel better emotionally. This sounds like a great book. I can’t wait to read it. Thank you for sharing
Sounds awesome! Can’t wait to read it. Will pass it on to my daughter as well
I know this subject well and I can’t wait to read this!
Sounds very interesting. Thanks for the review & sharing this.
This sounds like some very informative information. I can’t wait to check this out. Thank you so much for sharing
This was such a great review, I wonder why is it when we are upset or even happy that we turn to food instead of exercising or taking a walk or even just walk away but for some reason it seems like it’s just so easy to turn to food.
This looks like a wonderful read for someone dealing with Self Esteem issues.. I think at times we are all unsure of our selfs..
I agree. Depending on the season of life we are in. But I too understand how hard it is to let the past go and move on if for no other reason than our own sanity.
This sounds like a powerful and emotional book to read. I will be adding it to my pile to read and share with other women I know.
This would be a great book to leave at places where women visit. I left a couple of copies at a coffee house and at my family practice office.
I can’t tell you how much I truly love this review!
I can relate to this book. This is how I use to handle issues in my life.
So many of us did exactly that… Learning to let go just for yourself is a hard lesson.
What a great and interesting read!
everyone should read this, great subject matter
I agree. I think it would be so informative to men that are partnered with women that may have been abused in the past.
Yes, it first starts with God! This really resonated with me, not so much with food but other crutches. Will pass this on to the halfway home I volunteer at. Thanks!
You are so right! Past hurts don’t have to be abusive to cause trouble for us later in life. The principle is the same of letting go of past hurts or crutches and moving on. It is hard to do.
So many women are shamed when they should be supported.
That is so true.. and a lot of the time we are the ones doing it to ourselves. Learning that the wrong was done to us.. and not our wrong is hard.
important subject matter, to many people over focus on self low self esteem
great review, you got my attention
Thank you. I think this would be a great book to help men understand the issues too.
I love all the support this book offers to those women dealing with this!
This is such a great review. What a wonderful story that I am sure is helping so many women.
thanks for shearing the story
sound like a fun informative read
everyone should read this, Self esteem is an important quality
great book an important topic
healthy dont always mean happy, starts with self love
looks like an informative read
Unfortunately they do not stock this in my library
HAve to check this out
everyone deserves to be loved
This book sounds very interesting. I know many of us use food to comfort us in difficult times which can lead to overeating and weight gain.
The key to weight loss is water. lot of water
So much of weight loss is about emotion. I love that it includes forgiveness!!
Swimming is helping with my weight gain, but it’s getting harder to find places to swim as the summer draws to a close.
Though it’s more on the funny side, “Eat This, Not That” is one of my favorite books! I don’t think it’s very similar to this book, though…
TLC shows are so offensive to women suffering with weight gain, it’s shameful. It’s so nice to see books like this that offer support instead.
I’ve been looking for a great book, none of the books I have read lately have left me satisfied. I think I’ll definitely be purchasing this soon, thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks for the wonderful review on my new book! It is much appreciated. I had a story to tell for other women to see the possibilities in life. “EATING MY SECRETS” was a labor of LOVE that I wrote. It took years as I wanted to give up many times, but the LORD JESUS was with me with every word! He had my back then and now!!!!!
debra
Thank you for sharing your story. So many women “self medicate” and comfort themselves with food. I was one of them too. I enjoyed the book even though it did force me to uncover hidden past hurts and decide how I was going to deal with them in the here and now.