Conscious Eating
by Gabriel Cousens M.D.
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gabriel Cousens M.D.Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-01-15
ISBN: 1556432852
Number of pages: 850
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
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Book Reviews of Conscious Eating
Book Review: a few small problems and one very BIG problem; otherwise...
Summary: 4 Stars
i'm studying to be a naturopathic doctor and this was a required text.
i was already vegan when i read this book and i was considering moving to a raw-food diet. this book did further convince me of that choice, and my family is transitioning now.
however, i did have a few problems with the book. they are certainly easy enough to gloss over in favor of the solid knowledge that it does in fact contain, but they were there nonetheless.
first of all, there was one GLARING error in his discussion of breastfeeding toward the end of the book. he says that the two circumstances under which a woman should not breastfeed are in the case of certain medically-necessary medications, and if the baby is jaundiced. sadly, cousens is extremely misinformed about jaundice and gives very bad, completely false information in this case. i was a student midwife for three years and i am a certified lactation educator now. if a baby has jaundice two things are most important to help it pass: to expose the baby to natural light and to NURSE NURSE NURSE. fluid will help the bilirubin pass faster and if a baby is given water or formula instead, it can cause health problems and interfere with breastfeeding. one potential problem resulting from jaundice is lethargy. if jaundice isn't caught early and breastfeeding isn't established well, then serious problems can occur because the baby is not awake enough to take in the necessary fluid to help the bilirubin pass. as a result, jaundice may persist and bilirubin levels may raise to dangerous levels. this is why it is of paramount importance that breastfeeding is established early and babies are breastfed exclusively, on-demand from birth. breastmilk is absolutely the best healer for jaundice; if breastfeeding is not established and the baby is deprived of the breast, jaundice is much more likely to occur and to persist to a critical level. while every breastfeeding expert and supportive organization in the world says that breastfeeding is the best thing you can do to prevent and correct jaundice, cousens claims that breastmilk contains "substances" that supposedly prevent bilirubin from passing. but he doesn't say what these substances are, and he gives no references, and i have not been able to find a single piece of scientific literature supporting his assertion. universally, the fact stated by experts is that except in the case of a few extremely rare metabolic diseases, breastfeeding can and should continue when a baby is jaundiced. please overlook cousens' inaccuracy and look to your midwife, lactation consultant, LLL leader, or BREASTFEEDING-FRIENDLY doctor for more accurate information if your baby is jaundiced.
with that long diatribe aside... :)
i found some of his spiritual commentary off-putting. as a casual pagan who is vegan in part due to spiritual reasons, i am certainly open to considerations of spirituality in diet, and i consider myself very tolerant of religious beliefs. but in this case i found most of his comments irrelevent and even somewhat nonsensical. again, this is easy enough to overlook, but it might be a serious bother to some people. the sections on jesus, the apostles, and the bible, while interesting, were especially confusing in context.
this book is dense with intense information. it is really a scholarly work and was quite difficult for me to get through in a timely manner with a toddler and a newborn. but i did come away with a ton of really excellent insight and understanding. some parts i discarded, but other parts i found surprisingly enlightening. i went in very skeptical about the ayurvedic diet system that he describes, but i was amazed at how specifically true, and positive, it ended up being when i adjusted my eating habits to fit his recommendations for my "dosha."
i didn't feel that the book was laid out very well. i felt that many chapters were stuck in at random. and i found a lot of his commentary saccharine and condescending - such as looking at food as "love messages from god." gag.
he also plugs his own health resort regularly, which is a great option for the rich who have money to burn on such luxuries.
i was also thoroughly disappointed that he didn't have any advice whatsoever for applying a live/raw-food diet to babies or children.
i did find the book basically informative and enlightening and i found most of his principles easy to apply, despite the aforementioned problems.
-chandelle
Summary of Conscious Eating
Conscious Eating has been referred to as the "Bible of Vegetarians," for both beginners and advanced students of health. This classic work in the field of live-food nutrition is an inspirational journey and a manual for life. Included is new information on enzymes, vegetarian nutrition for pregnancy, and an innovative international 14-day menu of gourmet, Kosher, vegetarian, live-food cuisine, plus 150 recipes.Natural Foods Books
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