Book Review: Ravenous by Dayna Macy

Like many women, Dayna has had a life long obsession with food.  In particular, olives, cheese, salami, and chocolate.  She decides to explore the deeper meaning behind her appetite for these particular foods, and in doing so, she discovers how to cope with her ravenous appetite.


Dayna travels to a chocolate shop, an olive farm, a small ranch that slaughters it's own beef, and a sausage maker to see just how her food is made.  She believes that seeing the origins will better help her to understand her cravings.  What she finds is a deep respect for the people who work so hard to provide good, decent food, and an understanding that her childhood memories are firmly tied into these cravings.  She appreciates the food that comes to her table and is mindful of the journey it has taken.


What I really liked about Dayna is that she didn't try to just diet her heaviness away.  She searched for a meaning behind her cravings, and sought to understand the root of her problem.  She learns that her mind and body form a cohesive link, and work together.  She learns to find balance by measuring her food instead of tossing things together.  In taking the time to measure, she learns to slow down and appreciate what is in front of her.  


Anyone who feels out of control with food, or just wants to take a moment to reflect on where our food comes from should pick up this book.  Just reading it made me stop and think about how I feel about food and my body.   As Dayna says, 


"It is with gratitude and humility that I am learning to take care of my body, because it is the embodiment of my spirit and the vehicle with which I make my way through this complicated, magnificent world."