5 Minutes for Books – Chocolatherapy Review and Giveaway

May 21, 2007 by Guest Contributor

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Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books and congratulations to last week’s winners…

The winners of the Get a Hobby! book are:

Becca at Becca’s Blank Slate
Tina at She Plants a Vineyard
Jessica B
Kelli at Holding the Mirror up to My Soul
Jodi at Mama Jodi’s World

The winners of the bilingual alphabet book from Sweet Arts Design are:

Heidi at Butterfly Mom
Erica at Butterfly Kisses
Janne at Janne’s Jabberwocky

Today’s review is written by Jennifer. To win a copy, make sure you leave a comment at the end of the post. (This week’s contest is open to US and Canadian shipping addresses.)

Chocolatherapy – Satisfying the Deepest Cravings of Your Inner Chick

This week’s book, Chocolatherapy by Karen Scalf Linamen, speaks to the needs of so many women. The book’s subtitle sums up the real focus of this lighthearted look at serious issues: Satisfying the Deepest Cravings of Your Inner Chick.

No, the truly fattening truth is that–if your life is anything like mine–you get handed daily servings of stress and crisis, not to mention chaos, change, heartache and headache. I don’t know what your favorite binge-food happens to be (if it’s celery, close this book immediately and give it to a normal friend), but when I’m on an emotional eating bender, I reach for the chocolate. . . . It’s dawning on me that I’m probably not really craving chocolate. At the risk of dissing my faithful cocoa friend, I’m realizing chocolate is often just a quick fix. Chances are good that I’m longing for something else. Something healthier. Something deeper.

Chocolatherapy, pages 9 – 10

Chocolatherapy is not about emotional binge eating or the excess weight that often comes along with it. The author, Karen Linamen, has battled both of these problems, but early on she reminds the reader that other women’s cravings in response to stress include shopping, working out, surfing the net, or cleaning–anything that we do to excess to avoid our real problems.

Each chapter address one of the things that we really crave when we reach for the carbs (or other binge of choice):

visibility
escape
community
sleep
clarity
control

Throughout the book, Ms. Linamen sprinkles nuggets of truth and encouragement regarding her own experiences with parenting, divorce, friendship, adult ADD, body piercing, and worry. Yes, I said body piercing. This book is written from a Christian perspective, but it is definitely not one of those “perfect-Christian woman” type of books that do not address the reality that many of the women (Christian or not) who read them are facing.

Karen Linamen comes across as insightful, but not untouchable. I am thankful for women who are willing to be this open so that we can learn from their positive experiences as well as benefit from the knowledge that they have gained from their not-so-positive life choices.

At the end of each chapter there are questions to deepen the reader’s ability to relate the concept to her own life. Entitled “Living the Sweet Life,” they encourage or challenge the reader to think a little bit more personally about what she’s read so that she can take action on the “a-ha’s” that she might have had while reading. The end of the “Escape” chapter features these questions:

What kinds of events or stresses make you crave escape?
Describe two of your favorite escapes: one that puts on the pounds and one that is calorie free.

Because of these questions, and the common nature of all the needs described in this book, it would make an excellent book to read for a book club (as long as people were open enough to share fairly personally), or for a selected group of girlfriends to read and discuss (over chocolate desserts, of course!)

I enjoyed this book and, because of the conversational tone and the fact that it’s only 173 pages, it was a quick read as well. A busy mom could easily read a chapter while waiting in the carpool line, or sitting outside while the kids are playing (as I did this beautiful Spring week.)

What’s your temptation–sweet or salty? What’s your favorite pig-out food?

If you would like to win a copy leave a comment by Saturday. Winners will be announced next Monday. (This contest is open to Canadian and US shipping addresses.)

Jennifer Donovan blogs at Snapshot

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