Lynn Rossy is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Savor Every Bite.” The book provides daily tips and tools for whole-body healing — including how to eat mindfully, move your body in ways that feel delicious, and live with greater ease and joy. She gave an author talk about the book through our library last year. Rossy is a health psychologist who has developed Eat for Life, a research-based mindful eating program. She is the author of one previous book, “The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution.” Lynn was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email.
Daniel Boone Regional Library: In each chapter you have a “savoring practice” that you encourage the reader to try. Do you have a favorite one that you personally use the most?
Lynn Rossy: I do love each chapter and each “savoring practice” in the book because I think, taken together, they give you a complete path for finding your way to freedom from suffering — whether that is about food, your body, or anything else. With that said, chapter 35, Gratitude and Grace, would have to be my favorite. At least that is the first one that popped into my mind when I read your question.
I use the practice of gratitude every day, multiple times a day. I use gratitude when I first wake up in the morning to thank my body for waking up to allow me to live another day. I also thank the parts of my body for working as well as they do, without any intervention needed from me. I am grateful before eating a meal for the food that will nourish my body. I am grateful at the end of my meditation and yoga practices and often send out my gratitude to others at this time. I am grateful as I go to sleep at night for the day I just lived and the people in it that bless my life. I even say “thank you” for the difficult circumstances and people because they are my teachers for learning to live with more grace and ease. Saying “thank you” for the blessings in our lives — from large to infinitesimally small — begins to form a way of living that is more joyful, happy, and resilient.
DBRL: The book is intended to be read sequentially, but the content is flexible enough that you also encourage readers to jump around to different chapters if they wish. Did you intend to have the book be this flexible from the beginning or was this something that developed during the writing process?
Rossy: I also felt like this would be a book that could be used in a lot of different ways. Sequentially, you will taste the entire meal of the book (excuse the pun). People that are looking for ways to heal their relationship with food and their bodies would definitely benefit from this type of reading. However, I am a big fan of just opening up a book and reading what appears and often get pretty interesting messages that way. It’s almost like the universe is helping me with what I need at just the right time. You could read through the table of contents and see what section calls to you. Learning, in the process, to tap into your internal wisdom that just knows where you should head next.
DBRL: The mindfulness approach to eating that you teach is quite different than using diets. Is there any part of dieting and diet culture that is useful in your view?
Rossy: No one has ever asked me this particular question. So, thank you. And, it depends on what you mean by “dieting.” For instance, a diet can be the type of food that a certain culture eats because of the food that is grown in that area and because of the culinary traditions that have developed over the course of history. And learning the different recipes from these different cultures can be exciting, tasty, and fun.
But, “diet culture” — the collective set of social expectations telling us that there’s one way to look and eat — mainly in the service of being thin — is only destructive in my view. Diet culture has destroyed the happiness and well-being of people across ages, genders and cultures, as well as disrupted their ability to appreciate their bodies and enjoy their food. I do not see any good that has come from that.
DBRL: As an active blogger, do you think that blogging has had an effect on your writing process over the years?
Rossy: I never set out to be a “blogger” but I do admit that I enjoy writing. My process moved from more of a wellness focus to a deeper exploration of mindfulness and how it can help in every area of your life. This transition happened mainly because I moved from working for someone else to working for myself. It is freeing to be able to explore what you want based on your current experiences and see how that connects with other people.
DBRL: Read anything good lately you’d like to recommend?
Rossy: It’s really hard to suggest just one book, so I will refer you to the best mindfulness books of 2021 by Mindful Magazine. Depending on your reason for wanting to read about mindfulness, you will find a book here that fits the bill from self-compassion to chronic pain. By the way, my book is mentioned here as well.
DBRL: Where can readers get a copy of your book?
Rossy: You can get my book wherever books are sold. But, I recommend going to your local bookstore. Here in Columbia, I would recommend Skylark Bookshop. If they don’t have it they will get it. It is also available in audio if you like your books that way. But, this is a book you might want to mark up and tag, so I guess I would suggest a paper copy.
