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The Writing Diet
The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size | Julia Cameron
2 posts | 1 read | 1 reading | 5 to read
From the bestselling author of The Artist's Way, a revolutionary diet plan: Use art to take off the pounds! Over the course of the past twenty-five years, Julia Cameron has taught thousands of artists and aspiring artists how to unblock wellsprings of creativity. And time and again she has noticed an interesting thing: Often, in uncovering their creative selves her students also undergo a surprising physical transformation-invigorated by their work, they slim down. In The Writing Diet, Cameron illuminates the relationship between creativity and eating to reveal a crucial equation: creativity can block overeating. This inspiring weight-loss program, which can be used in conjunction with Cameron's groundbreaking book on the creative process, The Artist's Way, directs readers to count words instead of calories, to substitute their writing's "food for thought" for actual food. Using journaling to examine their relationship with food-and to ward off unhealthy overeating -readers will learn to treat food cravings as invitations to evaluate what they are truly craving in their emotional lives. The Writing Diet presents a brilliant plan for using one of the soul's deepest and most abiding appetites-the desire to be creative-to lose weight and keep it off forever. I'm a creativity expert, not a diet expert. So why am I writing a book about weight loss? Because I have accidentally stumbled upon a weight-loss secret that works. For twenty-five years I've taught creative unblocking, a twelve-week process based on my book The Artist's Way. From the front of the classroom I've seen lives transformed-and, to my astonishment, bodies transformed as well. It took me a while to recognize what was going on, but sure enough, students who began the course on the plump side ended up visibly leaner and more fit. What's going on here? I asked myself. Was it my imagination, or was there truly a "before" and an "after"? There was! -from The Writing Diet
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There's 43 chapters in short, detailed easy to follow instructions on how to be the best at creativity and your whole being. I like how the book covers healthy wellness options for the mind, body, and spiritually. I'm definitely making this a goal to concentrate on a chapter per day beginning October 1st.

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@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Sounds intriguing!! 4y
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GlitteryOtters
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Writing snacks to fuel myself & my fellow Wrimo Littens! These are vegan cauliflower chickpea pizza bites & they are AMAZING. I just made a triple batch. I'm freezing most of these to quickly microwave & eat while writing throughout the month. They can be eaten plain or dunked in marinara sauce. I hope everyone doing #NaNoWriMo has their writing snacks ready! If not, apparently my house is the place to go, we have a freezer full of meals & snacks!

GlitteryOtters Recipe is from the book below. They have you make them as mini muffins, but I usually make a mix of both...45 to 55 minute cook time for the larger versions. So good!!! 8y
Seshat Looks amazing. 8y
ValerieAndBooks I will have to see if I can borrow this from the library (for cookbooks I like to try before deciding to buy). I'm not vegan but lacto-ovo with occasional fish. My daughter is also lacto-ovo and sometimes we feel we need new ideas! 8y
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GlitteryOtters @Seshat it is SO good! 8y
GlitteryOtters @ValerieAndBooks this particular recipe would also work well in a non-veganized format, with regular egg or egg white instead of VeganEgg & regular mozzarella shreds instead of the Daisy stuff. My favorite thing about this cookbook is that most of the recipes are relatively easy, even if some (like this one) have a fair amount of steps & most of the recipes are freezer friendly & all can be made in advance. With my heart failure, I cannot... 8y
GlitteryOtters @ValerieAndBooks ...always gauge how I will be doing, if I will have enough energy to cook, etc. By always keeping several meals plus snacks in the chest freezer, I am always certain of being able to have a quick and easy meal that is more substantial than just a sandwich on my bad days. 8y
GlitteryOtters @ValerieAndBooks ugh, phone autocorrect error. daiya, not Daisy! 8y
ValerieAndBooks That is really interesting-- I love the idea of freezing meals in advance but I've always had a hard time making/planning freezer-friendly food. I think part of the reason is my hubby and both sons are more the pasta/carnivore type, and incidentally I'm allergic to soy (one reason why I'm not vegan). I feel like I rely too much on carbs these days. 8y
ValerieAndBooks I've tried Daiya cheese (it is non-soy as I'm sure you know) but just don't like it 🙁. Glad regular cheese can be subbed in these recipes! 8y
GlitteryOtters @ValerieAndBooks if they like lasagna, typically that freezes well, per some of my friends who routinely make it as a freezer meal (partially baked in advance, finish baking after thawing in the fridge. They cook it in those cheaper semi-disposable metal pans (similar to the turkey pans you see at stores around Thanksgiving) & wrap it in tin foil or place in 2 gallon ziploc bag before placing in freezer. This book below also might be up your alley 8y
GlitteryOtters @ValerieAndBooks Daiya works well in some things--it works well in this recipe, but I prefer some other vegan mozzarella for pizza (we used to have Go Veggie's vegan mozz at our Whole Foods, now they only sell a lactose free one that isn't fully vegan, so my husband won't eat it--gotta find a new local source for it locally!).Our housemate is veg but mostly avoids dairy (aggravates her asthma), but she's subbed cheese for a couple of these recipes 8y
queerbookreader @ValerieAndBooks Daiya cheese tastes like sawdust. And most other major brand, non artisan nondairy cheeses. That was a huge issue for me when I was vegan last year. You're not alone in not liking it 😷 8y
EloisaJames We're doing the purple carrot deliveries, which makes us vegan 2 days a week--Im aiming at 3 so will check out this cookbook. Thanks! 8y
ValerieAndBooks @GlitteryOtters thanks for the cookbook recs. I'm stopping by the library today and will look for/inquire about them. And for the food ideas! @lemonlime799 lol about the Daiya. I had hoped I would acquire a taste for it, but just couldn't. Back to regular cheese, but I try to consume less of it now! 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames we have a ton of vegan cookbooks, I'd be happy to throw some recs your way, if interested. Just give me an idea what sort of foods you like and any food restrictions/allergies and I'd be happy to share. Or if there are certain foods you want to focus on (i.e., for the holidays we bake a ton of cookies from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookies cookbook as gifts), let me know. 8y
EloisaJames @GlitteryOtters that's so nice of you! I'd love a good review for the best vegan cookbook. My daughter has kidney disease; I'm actually seeing a renal dietician today. I just need to steer around a family that's not used to it and my reliance on pork chops! 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames thanks for the info, that helps a lot. I am a heart patient (congenital heart defects, need a transplant I cannot afford, in heart failure for over 7 years now, on beta blockers, blood thinners, diuretics & with problems with perpetually low potassium) & am married to a Type 1 diabetic who is studying to be a registered dietitian, so I know how much what we eat & drink affects our health & how we feel! Best of luck to you guys... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...as you work to figure out all this. If this is a recent diagnosis, I just wanted to say something I wish docs/nurses had said to my husband & I at diagnosis: it is the hardest at the beginning. Once you figure out your initial life hacks, diet hacks & other modifications, like exercise, fluid levels, get used to regular appointments & tests, it won't be so difficult. I think year 1 for me was harder than year 10, despite my being.. 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...obviously sicker now. I'm assuming with her disease she probably needs to watch her sodium & possibly potassium? One big life hack for me on recipes is, unless I am baking, always start with half as much salt as the recipe calls for. You can always add salt at the table, if you feel you need it, but start with less. Experiment with lower sodium options--for prepared/packaged foods, Engine2 brand line of foods available at Whole... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...Foods has been EXTREMELY helpful. I wish they'd existed when I was first diagnosed. Everything they have is extremely low sodium, vegan, and healthy. Their low sodium broth is the lowest sodium you can find, ditto their tomato sauce (my husband salts his when we eat, it is very low sodium), both are staples. I love their grain mixes (in freezer section) for quick & easy meals. Also, dietitian will probably suggest this too... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...but food tracker phone apps are extremely helpful for me to track sodium and potassium consumption. My Fitness Pal is free & my favorite (although, sadly, not every item lists sodium and/or potassium levels as some items are user input & not everyone cares about those). If she has to watch potassium, there might be apps to help her estimate potassium levels (I have one for vitamin K as it impacts my blood thinner--VERY helpful)... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...seriously, though, technology is wonderful at helping those with restricted diets these days. Wish I'd had all this tech 10 years ago! So, cookbooks: I consulted my dietitian student husband (who grew up with standard American diet & only shifted healthier & vegan more recently) & our vegetarian (vegan plus eats eggs) chef housemate who, like me, has been veg for 20+ years. We came up with a few cookbooks. Here's my husband's fave 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames in general I recommend most recipes by Veganomicon's author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, but some cookbooks by her are better recipe tested than others, Veganomicon is her best. Unless it is baking, cut salt by half if you guys are working with sodium restrictions. Our chef housemate's fave (and one I love too) is below. Huge book, lots of inexpensive used copies if cookbook budget is an issue, half vegan, all delicious. This cookbook... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...has led my husband to eat things I never thought I'd be able to get him to eat--like turnips and beets! Personally, my favorites are easy to make, low sodium unique meals, so Robin Robertson is probably my favorite vegan cookbook author. This cookbook below was the first I bought by her & contains many of our standards. I usually reduce the sodium on her stuff too, but it doesn't need quite as much reduction as some authors. 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames so far I've only been able to squeeze 3 of her cookbooks into my book budget, but I love all 3. Here are the other two I own & love: 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames i will also throw in a couple more cookbooks that might be helpful for a family transitioning diets...if Diner style comfort food is something you guys like, I cannot recommend this cookbook enough. This is the sort of food my husband would eat for every meal if he could, yet it is healthier than traditional fare 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames if sandwiches are your thing, this also might be up your alley (but definitely modify sodium if your daughter is on a restricted diet--many recipes as stated are way too salty for me). So many fun & fancy sandwiches and wraps, and their "green monster bread" is one of our top favorite recipes. 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames and last, but not least, if you guys eat a fair amount of bread or sandwiches (or homemade pizza!), consider investing in a bread machine & a good bread machine cookbook to make your own bread. Fancy bakery made and/or commercially prepared breads are extremely high in sodium, as are most pizza shells or prepared dough. We bought a $60-$70 bread machine & following cookbook & make most of our own bread, rolls & pizza dough using it. 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames also, feel free to hit me up anytime. I check Litsy & Instagram the most (same user name on Instagram, I post way too much food over there), hit twitter about once or twice a week (same user name) and I am always happy to answer Qs, to be there if you need to vent frustrations, whatever. Seriously, best of luck to you guys on such a challenging situation, and if I can ever be of any help to you, please let me know. 8y
EloisaJames @GlitteryOtters thank you so much for all this wonderful advice! My daughter's disease is chronic, but recently worsened. But--new meds and veg diet and her blood was significantly improved yesterday. She's in the opposite situation and can't hang onto potassium. So we add salt to everything. These will be so helpful--thank you!!! 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames so glad to hear the results were better yesterday! Isn't it amazing what diet & mess can do to make someone feel better?! I have the same problem with potassium (take 3 giant horse pills every day to replenish, plus take another med to help me hang onto it & still it is low 🙄), so I try to incorporate a lot of high potassium foods into my diet to help (coconut water, mangos, avocados, potatoes & bananas). If she likes smoothies... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames I'd definitely recommend having banana based smoothies often (2-3 bananas plus a small mango often works for me). Also, you guys might like this vegan meal...good potassium levels and every person I have fed it to LOVES it: http://m.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/mango-avocado-and-black-bean-salad-lime-dre.... You probably already know this, but just in case--if she starts getting unusual shortness of breath, contact doctors right... 8y
GlitteryOtters @EloisaJames ...away. For many people, as kidney disease progresses, salt tolerance goes down, leading to fluid overload (also, increased risk of heart issues leads to some kidney disease patients to have more sodium problems), so odds are high she might need to adjust sodium and/or fluid intake in future, even with the potassium issue. Seriously, good luck! I hope you find some cookbooks that fit your needs! 8y
EloisaJames Oh yikes--that's scary but good to hear! We just saw the dietitian and she gave us exactly the same list of potassium foods, except for coconut water. Unfortunately we gave Anna so many bananas as a young child that she burned out on them. I'll try that recipe--thanks! 8y
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