Women and Fat

I have always been intrigued with the subject of food and diet, so I’ve ready plenty of books and even watched a few documentaries on the subject. This book Why Women Need Fat is just another book that confirms a lot of what I’ve already seen and read.

I enjoyed reading about the history of women’s shapes and sizes from 50 years past as well as the differences in omega-6 and omega-3 fats. It was helpful to read that a lot of our omega-6 consumption is found in very over-processed corn and soybean oil. Corn and soybeans are vegetables and vegetables generally contain little fat, so it’s surprising to find that there is so much polyunsaturated (unhealthy) fat in these oils. 

While this book discusses why women need fat, primarily for child bearing, many studies and comparisons used in the book were about men or women in other countries. There was a study of interest to me even though the only people in the study were men. It showed how men who are overweight and put on a limited calorie diet do tend to lose quite a bit of weight quickly, however, after a few months the weight loss trails off, the subjects became depressed, and all they could think about was food. When the subjects were able to eat whatever they wanted they ended up eating more than what they used to eat before they went on the diet causing them to gain back all the weight they had lost as well as more in very little time. I’ve actually seen this happen to friends that I know who have been on all sorts of diets.

I also found it a bit irksome when the author compared us to our “ape cousins.” What? There is no way we are related to or did we evolve from apes. That’s just nonsense. I think that whole comparison was an unnecessary part of the book and could have been taken out all together.

All in all I think this book was an okay read for those who don’t know much about natural fats, diet, and food, but for me it was all stuff I’ve already heard.

This is a paid review by BlogHer Book Club, but all opinions expressed about this book are mine.

The Lake of Dreams

It's been a long time since I've sat down and read a novel. My reading consists of magazines, cookbooks, homeschooling materials, and friends' blogs. When I saw the chance to join in on a book club through Blogher I jumped at the chance. It was time to start reading again, for fun. I had the chance to read a book called The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. When I began reading the book it didn't grab my attention right away and I feared that I would never finish the book. I pressed on and within a few chapters I was hooked and it was very difficult for me to put the book down.

Lucy is a young lady living in Japan although from the United States. It had been a few years since Lucy was home last. She suddenly returned home at the news of her mother being in a car accident. When she returned she was reminiscing in the cupola and came across a keyhole underneath the window seat. When she picked the locked she found old newspaper clippings and a letter. Little did she know that she was about to unlock an old family secret.

While at home feelings of her past also came to the surface. Her father had died nearly 10 years ago and his death was never really talked about in the previous years that she had been home. On this trip home there were many changes. These changes were difficult for Lucy to deal with and accept. Her mother was finally ready to start going through old things that had accumulated in the house as well as her father’s things. Lucy’s brother, Blake, was also moving on you could say. Blake and their Uncle seemed to have reconciled their differences and were now working together. An old boyfriend also appeared and Lucy found herself confused since she currently had a boyfriend in Japan. All of these changes seemed to catch Lucy off guard while at the same time she was intent on finding the answers to the family’s old and almost forgotten secret.

This book was beautifully written and had me wanting to keep reading most of time. There were a few areas which I felt could have been left out for they were unnecessary details. All in all I really enjoyed this book and could really relate to the characters. 

Though I am paid for participating in the Blogher Book Club all opinions about the book are my own.