MARISSA PENDLEBURY
Launched: 17th January, 2017
978-1909477674
Paperback, eBook
382 pages
Nourishing Routes
Book Description Health Diet Non Fiction
Everyday we’re assaulted by headlines screaming new information about the best way to lose weight or how to get enviable model midriffs. It’s no wonder everyone is confused as to what regimes or rules they should follow and are becoming more dissatisfied with their own appearance. According to ABC (Anorexia and Bulimia Care) 1.6 million individuals are affected by an eating disorder in the UK, and Marissa Pendlebury was no exception. At the age of fifteen she was diagnosed, and hospitalised, with anorexia nervosa, depression and body dysmorphia. After years of fighting to overcome her problems, medical and psychological evaluations and ascribed meal plans Marissa saw no light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn’t until the passing of her grandfather, her best-friend and champion for a positive mental attitude, that Marissa finally woke up to the realisation that it was up to her to change her mindset.
Nourishing Routes is at once the result of Marissa’s deeply personal self-development and an invitation to all individuals to join her on a a journey of positive transformation using compassionate living as the key. Divided into five parts, Marissa begins by introducing the concept of Nourishing Routes. She explains what it means to live more compassionately and offers light- hearted activities to help identity your own personal needs before moving on to show how we can then apply these concepts to our everyday lives. Marissa then specifically targets the area of food. A section closet to her heart, Marissa explores the damaging side of clean eating and faddy diets. Although keen to stress that the new wave of lifestyle trends come from a positive place, she asserts that in the individual it can quickly become overwhelming. Instead Marissa hopes to inspire those to break free from negative relationships with food and encourage a positive mindset that doesn’t involve branding foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or feeling guilty for what we do or do not eat. Progressing naturally to the subject of physical exercise, she highlights the importance of exploring different types of exercise and enjoying the experience rather than employing a rigid regime that can become boring and feel like a chore. Finally, Marissa concludes the journey with a life-affirming pledge that states her sixteen simple commitments to starting a life of compassionate health and wellbeing.