I finally decided to get my hands on a book that has had a lot of people talking for the past few years – Skinny Bitch.
When I first heard of this book, and actually saw it in the book store, I had no idea it was the sassy and smart piece of work that it is. And I definitely had no idea that it is such a fun book about being healthy. I dismissed it as some melodrama gossip book and that was that. Boy was I wrong.
I had actually believe it or not, just recently found out about what Skinny Bitch is really all about. The people who told me about it were raving with how good it was. Crude and forthright too, but great nonetheless.
Hence I decided to read it for myself and I cannot tell you how glad I am that I did. This book is outrageously brave and says what so many of us, especially women need to hear loud and clear. In Skinny Bitch, nothing is held back and perhaps that is what makes so many people gravitate towards it so much. Perhaps it is time we start hearing the harsh truth, that deep down we knew all along.
Skinny Bitch: The Origin
Skinny Bitch was published at the end of 2005 and written by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Rory is a former agent for Ford models and is a self-taught know-it-all. Kim is a former model, who also holds a Masters of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition. Today, they both continue to write books in the “Skinny Bitch” line and counsel many people around the world.
The story began when the two authors met at a talent agency and though both were obsessed with (junk) food, they knew they could not keep going at the pace they were going. They hence decided to change their ways, and since the changes were so amazing and beneficial for them, they decided to go out and help others by spreading the word on being healthy.
Ultimately, “Skinny Bitch” was born, which is in a nut shell “a no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous.”
Skinny Bitch: The Structure
“Skinny Bitch” is a small book (in terms of physical size), and is just under 200 pages. It is a super easy read for anyone, starting with teens, and can easily be read in 1 day.
It starts off with a short introduction that immediately grabs the attention of the reader with its straightforwardness and then progresses into 13 fun chapters. These are as follows:
Chapter 1 – Give It Up
Chapter 2 – Carbs: The Truth
Chapter 3 – Sugar Is The Devil
Chapter 4 – The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet
Chapter 5 – The Dairy Disaster
Chapter 6 – You Are What You Eat
Chapter 7 – The Myths and Lies About Protein
Chapter 8 – Pooping
Chapter 9 – Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don’t Give a Shit About Your Health
Chapter 10 – Don’t Be a Pussy
Chapter 11 – Let’s Eat
Chapter 12 – FYI
Chapter 13 – Use Your Head
Through the names of these chapters alone, you can already get a little bit of an idea that this is not your typical health book!
The book ends off with an afterword and gives some recommended reading resources. And just when you think that is the end, after all the sources consulted and endnotes, be sure not to miss the last page. I was generally pleased with the book but had a couple small critiques, that was until I read both chapter 13 and the last page, which is a special “p.s.” section from the authors that ties in the overall message to the public beautifully! And in a book called “Skinny Bitch“, where one may think there is no elegance and modesty – judge not, for the authors have covered it all and really thought of everything to make this a fun, simple and wise resource to have and share!
Skinny Bitch: The Content
So this is perhaps the only post that you will ever see me use the word “bitch” in. Yes, you can imagine, just the mere title of this book makes some people cringe a little. But as I say again, judge not. The authors actually explain in the book the reason for the title and it is not at all what you would think.
Personally, I was in love with this book after reading the introduction. And then with each page, came bouts of laughter and head shaking of “how true”. It is really such a fast, fun and to the point read. Something to know right off the bat is also that the book is not any kind of diet book, but actually a healthy lifestyle book.
In terms of the “crudeness”, I was fairly warned about how “straightforward” this book is. So I expected the worst. Well to my surprise in terms of the language the book is not that bad at all. So if you are hesitant to let your teen read it, fear not. As a former high school teacher, I can tell you they talk way, and I mean way worse amongst each other each day. Having said that, yes you should be prepared for a few “sh#*” words and the odd “f#*&” word. But trust me, and I say this as someone who generally does not condone those words, I personally found that they give great character to the book, without being overdone or offensive.
I was extremely impressed with the research the authors have done. From both a nutritional, scientific and political stance, they have really done their homework. The facts are very legit and the book follows with an impressive sources cited section.
So what is it all about? Well in theory, most women want to be thin (and healthy), yet when it comes to practice they don’t follow through so well. I mean let’s be honest, no matter what age you are today, didn’t you know from a very early age that too much food will make you overweight? Of course. And yet countless people do this every day (for various reasons) and then are faced with battling (literally) excess weight. Some are even surprised, like “where did this all come from?”
The goal is to know when you’re full (without having stuffed yourself) and be able to put the fork down. You aren’t six anymore. You won’t get the praise of elders for cleaning your plate. It’s okay to leave food on your plate.
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Secondly, more and more sources have been blatantly saying to us that for one, westerners eat way too much animal products, and two, animal products are highly fattening. And don’t kid yourself about the low-fat and zero-fat options (the girls cover that very well).
And thirdly, perhaps if we fell from another planet yesterday, we may have never heard of the effects of sugar, but having lived on this planet all our lives, we must really get real about its effects and stop pretending that that “one chocolate bar” can’t be that bad.
Brace yourselves, girls: Soda is liquid Satan. It is the devil. It is garbage. There is nothing in soda that should be put in your body.
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
So yes, the authors do a fantastic job of jolting the reader awake to face what they have always probably known all along, just conveniently been sweeping aside. And as I always say, this is also not the time (or ever) to hide behind the “everything in moderation” paradigm.
Aside from presenting an award winning case for veganism from the point of one’s health, weight, the planet and the animals, the authors also do great justice to two very misunderstood topics – carbohydrates and proteins.
And aside from covering junk food really well, don’t think that coffee, alcohol and the cigarettes went unnoticed in this book. They were perhaps the funniest sections of the book!
Finally, and this is another huge strong point for the book, the authors say loud and clear what needs to be said about the government and various so called “health” and “environmental” agencies, when it comes to protecting us. In one sense of the word, we are kidding ourselves, if we think that they do.
And fear not, Rory and Kim do not leave you with all the negatives to fend for yourself. They include a list of vitamins and minerals and which foods to find them in, they include a list of vegan products that they recommend, a list of ingredients to avoid and they even include a full month, three meals a day worth of excellent menus!
I also really enjoyed and was impressed with the last chapter, where the authors take a rather gentle and beautiful turn and focus on the power of the mind-body connection and yes even our spiritual essence. It was truly a book that in the fastest and most fun way possible, covered it all when it comes to waking up out of our zombie eating states.
The only one concern with the book that I had, was that it does still fall back onto processed vegan food, and I know that this is a personal preference, as the health paradigm of optimal health that I live with and promote stays away from processed food. I also know that the authors decided to go that route as they want to show people that there are numerous substitutes for pretty much all animal products out there and to give people the sense of feeling that they have lots of options and are not restricted, which I have to keep in mind most people need, especially when they are making a drastic lifestyle change when it comes to food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I cannot tell you how happy I am that I have read the book. I am so happy in fact, that I want to recommend it to so many people I know because thanks to the user friendly format, humor and frankness, I actually think this may be the breakthrough that so many out there need.
The standard American diet leads to disease and is killing today’s generations – this cannot be argued. Some people still think that they need to “eat for their taste buds” and that life is “too short to deprive oneself.” Well, I tell you this, and Rory and Kim say it also – there is nothing you would be depriving yourself of by changing your current eating habits, based on the “Skinny Bitch” ideas, except sickness and pain. It simply comes down to making a conscious choice to finally start putting yourself and your health first, instead of being at the mercy of society’s influence.
So if you have not read “Skinny Bitch” yet, I highly recommend it, and guys do not be afraid either. This book does not only apply to the ladies. But if you are unwilling to pick up a “chick book”, not to worry, for the ladies have written ”Skinny Bastard“ which just got published this year!
And hence it is with great pride that I give this book a 10 out of 10 and applaud the ladies for doing such a wonderful job by trying to improve the health of others with honesty, integrity and humor.
Take excellent care of the body you were blessed with, and love, love, love it!
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin