I’ve been waiting years for this book to be published, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! Here’s my Trim Healthy Mama book review.
Trim Healthy Mama Book Review
The most exciting thing about this book is that it arrived at just the right time in my life. Authors Serene and Pearl have been reading the same books I’ve been reading, and they’ve been digesting all the information about insulin and weight gain that I’ve been wondering what to do with.
And they’ve put it all into a fabulously sane, healthy, and doable plan! All that’s left for me to do is to put their ingenious plan into action.
As a busy mama, I’m so grateful that someone else has done all this work for me!
As I read through the book, I experienced this constant affirmation in my heart, that yes, this is the way of eating I’ve been looking for but didn’t quite know how to put it all together.
All the books I’ve read in the past eight and a half years (Nourishing Traditions, The Maker’s Diet, Eat Fat, Lose Fat, The Belly Fat Cure, and Why We Get Fat) were all stepping stones, preparing me for the way of eating described in Trim Healthy Mama.
The result is that when I started reading Trim Healthy Mama, I was ready for it. All of the information was like an affirmation of all that I had already been thinking and learning.
This book will introduce you to a way of eating that is not only nutritionally sound, but this plan also promotes healthy weight loss (if you have no weight to lose, they’ll teach you how to maintain a healthy weight while eating nutritious food).
For the Whole Family
But the rest of your family won’t be left behind! Their nutritional needs will be met as well.
This book was written by two homeschooling mothers with large families, so they include lots of time-saving shortcuts and ideas. They’ll show you how to meet the needs of the whole family, while creating harmonious meal times around your table.
We should be able to enjoy the aroma of a delicious hearty meal that’s gently cooking as evening falls without a sense of guilt about how many pounds it will add. We should look forward to a satisfying main meal, but also be kind enough to ourselves to enjoy dessert, if desired. And, above all, we should have the assurance that this meal will nourish the whole family while also being friendly to our waistline. This ideal is not too good to be true but it cannot happen accidentally. Greater understanding enables this state of food peace in your home.We want to teach you how to eat…while still being able to merge your needs with those of your whole family.
Balanced Nutrition
As I mentioned previously, this book is very balanced, not forbidding you to eat from certain food groups, but recognizing that God created all food groups to be enjoyed.
We promote an inclusive diet rather than an exclusive one. It includes all three essential macronutrients–fats, proteins, and carbs, even certain amounts of starchy carbs. We can enjoy all three and stay slim.We should not exclude any of the macronutrients that God created (carbs, protein, and fat) from our diet, but rather find a healthier balance for each one. It’s also important to understand that neither should we eliminate complete food groups. Diets that eliminate food groups are dangerous and always result in negative consequences.
Trim Healthy Mama is over 600 pages, and very comprehensive. Part I, “Gain the Knowledge,” clears up some common food myths and introduces some food wisdom. Part II, “Practice the Knowledge,” outlines the Trim Healthy Mama plan and how to put it into practice. Part III, “Join Us in the Kitchen,” is where you’ll find all the yummy recipes. Part IV, “Our Past and Present,” tells the authors’ journeys with health and nutrition. And the last section, Part V, “More Than Food,” discusses hormones, intimacy in marriage, exercise, skin care, supplements, and more.
One of the many things I love about this book is that it embraces the essence of womanhood.
This is not only a book about nutritional healing, although that will follow. This is a book about keeping a youthful figure, a youthful zest for life, and love…this Trim Healthy Mama way of life is about embracing the most practical basics of being a woman. The Bible talks about food groups. It talks about sex, and concerning many of the heroines of the Bible, it mentions the beauty of their physical form. God put a lot of thought and design into molding the female body. We honor Him by looking after it.
After reading Trim Healthy Mama, I’m inspired to put more thought and effort into making delicious, healthful meals for my family as we gather around our table, while at the same time improving my own health and vitality.
Favorite Recipes
Here are some of our favorite meals from Trim Healthy Mama:
Cheeseburger Pie
Cabbage Rolls
Chana Dahl Soup (okay, this isn’t my favorite, but it’s easy–made in slow cooker–and healthy!)
Chocolate Nut Slab
Chocolate “Kisses” (From the Chocolate Nut Slab Recipe, w/o nuts)
Cheesecake
Slim Belly Jelly (delicious swirled in Greek yogurt or on the cheesecake)
Cheesecake with Slim Belly Jelly
Update on my progress (July 2013)
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I just read your review this evening. I just purchased this book last week, because I had been hearing such good things about it!! 🙂 I can't wait to read it!! 🙂
I hope you like it, Tanya! There's a bit of a learning curve in figuring out the plan! 🙂 Blessings, Joy
I'm sure there is, so if I get discouraged, I have a few people I can "chat" with. 🙂
I am about 1/2 way through this book and can confirm everything you wrote! I feel the exact same way, that they took all the information from all the books on my shelf and made it sensible and most important, biblical! I am being so blessed and am going to officially kick off my first full day Monday!
Great review. Now to check out the rest of your blog. 🙂
Hi Heather! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an encouraging comment! I'm so glad you're enjoying the book, too, and I hope you are blessed on your Trim Healthy Mama journey! 🙂
I've been, mostly, following the Trim, Healthy Mama plan for about 6 weeks and have lost 7 lbs.! My clothes were looser after the first 24 hrs. I think the abundance of carbs in my diet must have been causing a lot of bloating in my body. I feel so much better and have a lot more energy as well. I don't think I've taken 1 nap since starting the plan. Another benefit is that my PMS symptoms were almost nonexistent this month. I love the THM way of eating! I actually eat better than I did before starting the plan-I mean I'd much rather have salmon cooked in a little butter and lemon juice with a side of roasted asparagus than a turkey sandwich any day! I go off the plan at least once a week and splurge by eating whatever I want for a meal. I also still use real sugar in my coffee but I did cut back on the amount of sugar I use. Even with these deviations from the plan, I am consistently losing weight so this plan definitely makes room for a little cheating as long as you jump back on the eating plan as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing your review and have a great day!
I've been, mostly, following the Trim, Healthy Mama plan for about 6 weeks and have lost 7 lbs.! My clothes were looser after the first 24 hrs. I think the abundance of carbs in my diet must have been causing a lot of bloating in my body. I feel so much better and have a lot more energy as well. I don't think I've taken 1 nap since starting the plan. Another benefit is that my PMS symptoms were almost nonexistent this month. I love the THM way of eating! I actually eat better than I did before starting the plan-I mean I'd much rather have salmon cooked in a little butter and lemon juice with a side of roasted asparagus than a turkey sandwich any day! I go off the plan at least once a week and splurge by eating whatever I want for a meal. I also still use real sugar in my coffee but I did cut back on the amount of sugar I use. Even with these deviations from the plan, I am consistently losing weight so this plan definitely makes room for a little cheating as long as you jump back on the eating plan as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing your review and have a great day!
Wow, what a great testimonial, Melanie! Thank you so much for sharing this encouragement here so other ladies can find it and be motivated–it's motivating to me!! 🙂
I missed seeing this earlier, but I've heard so
much good about this book, so I bought it last this past week. I can't wait to read it!
I so enjoyed reading your post!!
Is the book REALLY $35??? That's what I see on Amazon. Good grief, I can't pay that for a book no matter how helpful it might be!! This looks like a great resource, but I haven't seen a book that expensive in a long time!! And I do not mean to sound so negative. I just went over to your link to see about purchasing and I was blown away by the price.
Yes, it really is $35! I know it's expensive, but it is over 600 pages. Do you use Swagbucks ? If you use Swagbucks as your search engine (you have to sign up first), then you can earn $5 gift certificates to Amazon. Just by saving up my Amazon gift cards, I've been able to get many books and other items for free!
Here's a post I wrote about how to use Swagbucks, if you're not familiar with it.
Hope you have a great week!
Swagbucks is like Twitter and Pinterest for me. I signed up but haven't made it work for me yet. LOL!!
600 pgs…that's a big book!! That makes more sense. Thank you for replying. I hoped you would hear my "voice" as one of surprise and not snottiness!!
Dawn, I totally understand! It is a lot of money for a book. I don't do Twitter, either (don't even understand it!). But Swagbucks is worth it for me since it's so easy to use and you can get free stuff!
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
New reader here! Great review, you put it together perfectly. I am loving this book and already lost 2 sizes. It does not feel like a diet whatsoever! I love all the food wisdom and overall total woman health that this book gives. I read it everyday~
Thank you, Sarah beth! Wow, that is really encouraging to me that you've lost two sizes already! Thank you so much for sharing your success here. I'm sure it will be such an encouragement to others, too!
I'm so glad you stopped by, and I hope to see you here again!
I agree that it's a very balanced approach to dieting, but I did disagree with some of their choices as far as ingredients go. I don't think whey protein powder is so great nor do I approve of Truvia. They do say that you can use any kind of stevia, but one of their favorites is Truvia. And if you already know you don't like stevia, it could be tricky to modify the recipes. Just a heads up, since I kinda wish someone had told me about those things before I spent money on the book.
Thanks for mentioning that, Julie. Yes, they do recommend stevia, which didn't require any sort of adjustment for us, since we've been using stevia for years (and I started growing my own last year, too). And we use it sparingly, as we are used to the taste of food that isn't highly sweetened. For instance, in our morning oatmeal, I add stevia to sweeten mine (the children use honey or pure maple syrup), and I only require a tiny sprinkling (maybe about 1/8 tsp, if that much). It also helps if the oatmeal is cooked with some berries in it. 🙂
My husband and I will be the only ones in our home hoping for weight loss on this plan, and as Serene and Pearl point out, honey is wonderful for growing children. My two older daughters love to bake, and they will continue to make whole grain muffins and quick breads sweetened with honey for the five children. My husband and I will skip those treats, and opt for the more slimming recipes in THM instead.
We also have already been adding whey protein powder to shakes for years, so that wasn't an issue for us, either.
But there may be others who prefer not to use stevia or the whey protein powder, so thanks again for mentioning it (although again, I would point out that the value of the book for me was the principles you learn in it–you can add or subtract elements of the plan that don't appeal to you).
I enjoyed reading your review on the THM book. I'm hoping to purchase it within the next few days, as I feel it is something I really need in my life right now. I think my whole family could benefit from it in one way or another.
Blessings,
Andrea
Thanks, Andrea! If you buy it, I hope it's a blessing to you and your family!
Do they take wheat out of your diet? Just wondering because I am interested in tbis book, but don't want to exclude wheat!
Hi Fanny,
The beautiful thing about this book is that there are no hard and fast rules. If you want to continue to eat wheat, then you're free to do so. There aren't any recipes that contain wheat in the book (unless I missed them). The bread and muffin recipes focus mostly on alternative grains such as almond flour, coconut flour, flax, and sourdough bread made with rye flour. They also recommend quinoa and oats in a few recipes.
However, the authors don't forbid you from eating wheat. If you are trying to lose weight and control blood sugar issues, then limiting wheat is recommended, but they strongly advise against removing grains from your diet entirely. They also have in the plan a recommendation for eating sourdough and sprouted wheat breads. Children and those who don't need to lose weight or who aren't gluten intolerant can continue to eat more grains than those who are wanting to lose weight.
In my opinion, the book is very well-balanced and full of grace–nothing is absolutely forbidden, although junk food is strongly discouraged (white flour, white sugar, white pasta, etc.). But I love their approach.
I'm sure I'm missing something, so if you have further questions, feel free to ask!
Thanks so much Joy! Good to know.
Joy, it seems that this book is exactly what so many ladies need in order to stay healthy and to change their views about weight loss.
I am a diabetic, so my plan is actually quite simple. It includes everything that Our Lord created for us to enjoy…but all in a well balanced way.
Thank you for sharing Joy! :0)
m.b.
Your plan sounds very sensible, Maria! Thanks for stopping by!
Looks great! I just read about it in my latest Above Rubies, and I was wondering about it.
Thanks.
Visiting from Deep Roots at Home.
Thanks so much for visiting, Annie Kate!
I would also like to recommend 5 Steps to healthy Eating by Camilla Salisbury. Very tasty recipes. I like the knitting. I like it a lot. I knit socks… a lot. Come and visit http://www.Ravelry.com
Thanks for the recommendation, Christy! My mom knits socks. I haven't tried them yet–maybe someday! 🙂
So excited that you wrote this post…I have been hesitating in purchasing this book, but Now I think that as soon as my ebay auctions finish and I have the purchase price in my account, I'll do it! Thanks SO very much!
Blessings and Merry Christmas!
Lori
I'm glad it was helpful to you, Lori! Blessings and Merry Christmas to you!
Sounds like a great book Joy, thank you for the review!! I'm going to put it on my "One Day" list. 🙂 <3
Thanks, Tabitha!