The Cosmos in a Carrot: A Zen Guide to Eating Well Book

The Cosmos in a Carrot distills the best of Buddhist wisdom, nutritional information, and health advice and puts it together in a lively guide that challenges conventional thinking. Aimed at a broad audience, the book is divided into three main parts: What Would Buddha Eat, A Mindful Diet, and A Mindful Diet in Action. Author Carmen Yuen offers authoritative discussion of nutritional science, such as calories, antioxidants, and the different types of fats, and gives practical suggestions on consumption strategies, mindful grocery lists, and recipes. In clear, informed prose she helps readers understand their relationship to food, weight, and health by using a “whole systems” approach of mindfulness techniques to break the patterns of unhealthy eating. The Cosmos in a Carrot explains how to integrate foundational Buddhist ideas, such as non-violence and no-self, and practices like the tea ceremony into the reader’s everyday experiences with food. Profiles of four “mindful eaters” help personalize the process.

Publishers Weekly

Diet and nutrition books probably number in the thousands, and they all preach more or less the same message: control your portions, don't eat processed foods and drink lots of water. The nutrition message in this book, by a writer with a Buddhist studies background, is similar, but there's a twist to distinguish this guide from its eat-better kin. Looking at eating in a Buddhist light makes it possible to slow down, become aware and make better food choices. The book rests on the mindfulness teachings of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and demonstrates the practical applications of his Buddhist teachings. Much of the material is helpful. Two appendixes summarize core mindfulness teachings, and short portraits of four "mindful eaters" show the book's approach in action. Strategies abound, although some are more realistic than others. For example, asking local farmers for advice seems geographically limited or simply romantic. The author does acknowledge that organic means more expensive. This book will work best for people who are tired of diet books and ready to be more thoughtful about food. For those who constantly struggle with eating, making a connection between eating and the noble Buddhist truth of suffering may be revelatory. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.