Books and food – two things I can’t live without.
Food to keep me going, books to keep me sane. Let’s not argue over the latter for now – the point is, I like to eat and I like to read. That being the case, I hope you guys don’t mind me tossing in a short little book review at the end of today’s WIAW. I was recently sent a copy of Witness to Fitness by Donna Richardson Joyner and asked to give my opinion, so that’s what I’m going to do. But first, the food…
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve spent enough time talking about breakfast lately…
Eggy banana oats with a spoonful of cocoa added. Topped with almond butter and blueberry jam.
… so all I’m going to say about this bowl of oats is that you need to make it now and thank me later. Heck even I wanted to make it later, but what I didn’t want was to push my luck and risk developing another oatmeal sensitivity, so I went with something different for lunch…
Turkey, hummus, and cheese wrap with random veggies on the side.
… and dinner…
Sesame ginger tofu stir fry with brown rice.
And I even managed to refrain from including a bowl of oatmeal in my snacks…
Sunbutter and baby carrots.
English muffin topped with melted coconut butter and buckwheat honey.
Coffee Crisp.
Although I can’t say the same about cereal…
Kashi Cinnamon Harvest with 2% milk, a banana, and extra cinnamon.
… but you guys know how much I adore the stuff so that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise 😀
. – . – . – .
Earlier this month, I was contacted by TLC Book Tours asking me if I’d like to review a copy of Witness to Fitness by Donna Richardson Joyner…
I was originally a little hesitant since I wasn’t exactly in the market for a book on how to lose weight, but after a brief glance at the description, I became more than a little intrigued…
In WITNESS TO FITNESS, Donna Richardson Joyner brings together faith, food, and fitness in a way no one else has done before. She inspires the reader to follow her on a journey to good health and a deeper love of God, using faith to raise up each reader and provide the strength to make the changes needed.
Each day of Donna’s dynamic 28-day plan begins with an inspiring scriptural quote and a brief note from one of the people Donna has worked with whose life has been transformed by the Witness to Fitness plan. Additional features include a daily menu with delicious recipes, clear and instructive photographs of Donna demonstrating the workout for the day, and an inspirational song suggestion that adds just the right beat to keep moving.
Donna’s joy in her Christian faith is contagious. So is her belief that losing weight and taking care of your body means giving glory to God. And Witness to Fitness provides a unique fitness program that harnesses the strength, support, and joy to be found in His love.
Faith, fitness, and a focus on getting healthier instead of just how to lose weight? I could get down with that…
Things I liked:
- The emphasis on making long-term lifestyle changes as opposed to offering a quick-fix diet. The suggestions offered are easily maintainable and encourage a gradual adoption of healthier habits that will stick over time.
- The idea that a healthy mindset has to be adopted before a healthy body can be achieved. The author emphasizes the importance of seeing our body as a temple and learning to love ourselves enough to want to invest the time and energy that it takes to live a healthy life.
- The emphasis on nourishing the body by eating whole foods as opposed to trying to trick it with low-calorie diet food.
- The emphasis on movement rather than exercise. We are made to move, and even if we’re not doing any formal workouts, every little bit of activity helps.
- The 28 day plan is detailed and easy-to-follow. Each day includes a Scripture reading, a motivational success story, positive affirmations, a detailed meal plan (with recipes), and a workout with photos showing how to do each move. The workout plan includes cardio, strength, stretching, and rest days.
- The book is easy to read and the author is extremely genuine and motivational.
Things I didn’t like:
- The daily meal plan is only 1400 calories, which seems a bit low to me. However, the author does state that more may be needed and offers additional healthy snack ideas.
- The book seems to be geared at those who are at the very beginning of their fitness journey. However, the workouts, readings, affirmations, and recipes are things that anyone at any fitness level can benefit from.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Witness to Fitness. Although it’s written with the ultimate goal of weight-loss in mind, I found that there was actually a lot to take away in terms of healthy living in general – I especially enjoyed the focus on developing a healthier mindset and working on spiritual and mental health instead of simply focusing on physical. I didn’t follow the 28-day plan, but going over it provided me with some great workout and recipe ideas. Also, I found this book to be really motivational – reading it made me feel like I was getting my own personal pep talk. Donna’s enthusiasm is seriously infectious and she seems to really care about helping people get healthier. You can learn more about Witness to Fitness by visiting the Donna’s website, or you can leave a comment on this post for a chance to win your own copy. All you have to do is tell me the best thing that changed about your life since committing to a healthier lifestyle. The giveaway will be open until Friday, February 1st, and I’ll be announcing the winner on Saturday. And if you’re not interested in a copy, then tell me: what’s your favorite thing to combine with nut butter?
Disclaimer: I was given this book free of charge but not compensated for my review. All opinions are my own.
I want to to thank you for thiss excellent read!!
I definjtely loved every bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to
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Thanks for being a part of the tour!
Hmm, sounds like a pretty good read! I love checking out food/fitness books…even the ones geared toward weight loss…they give me a lot of inspiration for recipes and new ideas for snack combos! I totally got sucked into a Clean Eating meal plan book thingy the other day while at the grocery store…one flip through it and I was practically drooling on myself. Note to self: make those salmon burgers!
I always loved your eggy oats whenever I made them in the past! I really need to start making oatmeal more often…I’ve been working hard on a few recipes this week so I’ve practically been eating the same exact thing every day! But I DID have some carrots and sunbutter yesterday for a snack…great minds think alike!…LOVE that combo!
I should have added to my prior post that I would find this book interesting and helpful, and would definitely eat while I was reading it!!
I am taking Psychology courses online. Currently Abnormal Psychology. Trying to understand myself and other people. I try not to eat when I am reading for class. Otherwise, I like hummus and unsalted rice crackers, healthy cereal with Fage yogurt, sliced apples with almond butter, raw almonds. I am trying to eat better and my daughter is helping me with it. I can do much more, walk more, and have more energy. I can concentrate better, which is good for school. Best of all, I don’t feel 65!
HI Amanda! Thank you for the great review. I love that the book focuses on fitness and health rather than weight loss and deprivation 🙂 Thank you so much for being on the tour!
Oh Amanda, I would LOVE love to win this. A friend of mine has been wanting to get it and the $14 kobo price is just way too much for me 🙁
I’d love to have it personally for the A) recipes , and B) daily devotional.
Hope to win it. I will send you muffins and cookies and chocolate 🙂
…that is if I don’t eat it before wrapping it….or knowing me, I’d rip it open from the package and still eat it ….yipes. Gift card? 🙂
Hi!! I think the best thing that’s happened to me since committing to a healthier lifestyle is FOOD. ‘Nuf said about that 🙂
My favorite thing to combine with nut butter would have to be chocolate. GAH! SO GOOD!!
As usual, all your meals look delicious! I know I’ve said this already before, but I’m glad that you can eat oats again 🙂 I don’t know what I would do if I had to give them up! Coconut butter and honey is one of my favorite combos. I also love coconut butter + maple syrup, especially atop of waffles or pancakes.
Reading and eating = two of my favorite activities (often times done at the same time) 🙂 Thanks for the book review, I don’t think I’ve ever read a fitness book but wouldn’t mind checking it out. Based on your review, it seems that the author believes in whole foods and a healthy mindset above all…very important!
seriously love the name of your blog, cracks me up.
I am total book lover, so thanks for the review! I like finding new books that get me motivated and provide some ideas along the way.
I couldn’t help but to smile at the title of this post Amanda, because food and books = love 🙂 Well the food is getting slowly but surely incorporated into the LOVE part of my brain haha. I do snack a bit more when reading, unless I am in bed, because if I am hungry and trying to read, well it’s a big ole fail… I can’t concentrate in the slightest!
Thank you for the review and your thoughts on that book as well. The whole low-calorie thing would bother me too, but that’s good she mentioned that you might need to go higher. I hope most women would!
food and books go hand in hand, i def snack more when im reading too :-)! id say giving me a ton of energy. I don’t know how I got through all those sport practices eating french fries and cookies for lunch and special k bars for breakfast, go figure! sesame ginger tofu is a fav of mine! yours looks soo delicious!
Your breakfasts always look out-of-this-world good!
PS: Do you eat your dinner with a baby fork?
Well it’s not for babies, but it’s a smaller sized fork, yup! I just prefer it that way 🙂
Once I’m finished eating banana bread pudding (only two more dishes in my fridge!), I’ll be moving–no scurrying!–along to eggy banana oats. 😀 I can’t wait to try these, Amanda! I’ve also bookmarked your pumpkin bake (can’t remember the exact name), which I’m thinking would make a wonderful afternoon or evening dessert-like meal.
Thanks for the honest and thorough review of Witness to Fitness. The pillars of wellness laid out by the author–faith, food and fitness–have all played important roles in my own quest for a healthy life balance. 🙂 The best thing that’s changed for me since finding that balance and committing to a healthy lifestyle, is a sense of peace. I used to go about my days frantically–worrying about whether or not I’d worked out hard enough, eaten too much (or too little) etc. Now, most of those anxieties are gone–or at least more manageable. 😉
Okay, so I’m super curious about coconut butter since I’ve seen it everywhere and I’ve yet to try it. I love the flavor of extra virgin coconut oil, so is coconut butter really coconutty like that? And is the texture really different than coconut oil, because I feel like it’s really similar and I’d hate to waste money on it if it was basically the same. But it looks like a delicious alternative to nut butters!
The book looks really interesting, I like reading health and fitness books like that but it can be hard to weed through the not so healthy information!
It’s definitely really coconutty. The main difference is that coconut butter still has a lot of the flesh in it, so it’s thicker and more creamy.
The swirl of coconut butter and honey looks artistic and I’m sure it’s also delicious!
Man, even though your wrap sounds so simple, it sounds ridiculously good!! WHY WHY WHY MUST TURKEY MEAT BE SO EXPENSIVE HERE!!!! If it didn’t cost a leg & arm (which I need to function), I would be eating your wrap every.single.day!
Where did you get the Coffee Crisp bar?!?! That looks like something I need to find. Soon!
Coffee Crisp? They’re basically in every grocery/convenience store around here. It’s a Canadian chocolate bar, though, so I’m not sure if it’s available down in the States.
your eats look DELICIOUS, as always – how does Buckwheat honey compare to normal honey?? I usually just buy the stuff in the teddy bear bottle lol. Loved this book review too, it sounds like an interesting approach to a healthy lifestyle – I agree 1400 is usually too low, unless you’re really obese and need like…an intervention. But even then it’s not sustainable! Oh well. Bringing faith and motivation into it would really change a lot of lives for the better, I think.
Favorite thing to combine with nut butter…..um…what DOESN’T go with nut butter?!? lol I really do love it on toasted english muffins…it melts and seeps into all the nooks and crannies….NOM
How does it compare? Hmmm. It actually has a really strong and distinct taste that I like way more than regular honey. After trying this stuff, it’s hard to go back to the teddy bear bottles 🙁
Books and food… those are my two great loves as well. 😀
My favourite thing to combine with nut butter are bananas! That combo never gets old.
And that book sounds like an interesting read! I like that it focuses on more than just the physical aspect of health… health is so much more than that!
I’m definitely trying out that english muffin combo! Coconut butter+ honey sounds like heaven to me:)
I never really got into reading for pleasure, but I also haven’t given it a chance recently. Thinking I should…
It can be a really great way to relax as long as you find a book that you enjoy 🙂
I’m so making those oats tomorrow morning! It’s been way too long since I’ve had steel-cut oats and I’m anxious to try the egg white mixed in. As always, your photos look beautiful!!
Books and food are definitely a winning combination! Especially if the food all looks this good! That book sounds really interesting. I think that committing to a healthy lifestyle can positively impact your life in so many ways-how you feel, especially your energy levels 🙂
Have you ever had raw honey?
THAT would be an interesting read. I guess I’m also a book lover lol. Umm, well since I’ve been in recovery from Anorexia and BPD (always working on it!), my entire life has changed. I’ve put my health in a level that I’ve never done before. I put it before other things. Because of my HUGE change in my health, I have been able to go to school and FINISH my degree. I am engaged to be married. We live in a beautiful house. I have friends and truly cherish those who stuck by me through the horrible times. Really, so much has changed in my life. Sure, of course, at times I want to go back (wtf…yeah but you may understand that), but my life is SO different than before. I was so antisocial. I had no friends. Didn’t date. Didn’t work or go to school. I spent every waking minute counting cals, weighing myself, and stressing over every imperfection. My health declined and I went to treatment after treatment. To cut it shorter (lol oops too late), the difference is black and white.
That’s such an amazing and inspiring story to hear! Thank you for sharing, Briana 🙂
Sun butter and carrot is the best combo ever! And my dad would totally be jealous of that coffee crisp…his favorite canadian candy! I always pick him some up if I see it somewhere…I’ve never gotten into it though for some reason! Anyways, that book looks interesting! Since committing to a healthier lifestyle I’ve become a lot more in tune with myself both physically and mentally.
uh, i have changed so much and actually just included this in a survey i did. i love that i now focus on OVERALL health. not just diet, not just fitness, but a balance between the both of them. also my MENTAL health is so much better because of this, which i think is the most important. i am at peace with myself and way more accepting of my “flaws” but no one is perfect, i never will be, so i will strive to be MY best, not everyone else’s expectations.
i also love a good read, we have to remember to take all that information with a grain of salt 🙂
Loved hearing about the positive changes you’ve experienced 🙂 I definitely agree that finding that balance is key, as is accepting ourselves and whatever we perceive to be flaws. We can spend our life fighting to change the things about ourselves that we don’t like, but to be honest, that kind of seems like a waste of time. Self-acceptance is difficult, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
Your food always looks so good! I need to check out this book. Looks right up my alley!!
I totally love eating carrots with nut butter! Happy Wednesday!
i heard about donna a while ago and have been wanting to check out her book! think i’ll def pick it up now… oh and also: i have no clue how you make pictures of food look so pretty – my food doesn’t look that nice in real life! lol
That stir fry ginger combo sounds (and looks) terrific!
Best thing that’s changed for me? I have a greater respect for me body. For example, I used to have a cigarette or two whenever I drank but after taking up running, I realized it wasn’t worth it anymore and truthfully that I didn’t really like it anyway – I just liked the social aspect. Now, I still go outside with my friends to smoke but just don’t have one myself.
That sounds like a really interesting book. I’ve felt the same way when finishing some novels/articles. You may not agree with everything that was said, but in a way, they are still beneficial. They make you think.
I know some nutrition articles I read and am like… No way is 1200 calories/low fat diet/fruit only a healthy way to live. It just gives me assurance as to what I already know. Plus, this book kind of gave you a test to the dieting world. Just say no. And you passed! 🙂
Haha! Dieting: just say no! Sounds like a great slogan 😀