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Clean(ish) is the project of fasting author Gin Stephens. Her POV of the world with fasting goes perfectly well with a clean home by keeping it natural. Recommend to anyone looking for a more natural approach to the home
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review...and while I really hate to give bad reviews, this one did not do it for me at all. In fact, there were so many times I actually had to stop reading because it got on my nerves so much...it definitely took me longer to read than normal because I had to keep stopping. I think I could only do ten minutes a night or so. I have not read any other books by this author but I was really drawn to what it was about...and I would like to live a cleaner life than I do...but her writing style did not mesh with me at all...I felt like she was pushy and repetitive...basically preaching and almost yelling at times, it felt like. And there were SO many lists and to do items that said the exact same things, it started to make me angry while I was reading...I don't know if it was just the fact that it didn't translate well into digital or what but I honestly feel like the book could have been cut in half...when I opened it up and it said it would be over 7 hours, I just about changed my mind right then and there...
As most of you know, Gin Stephens is best known for her work: Fast, Feast, Repeat. I read clean(ish) after I had read Fast Feast Repeat. I did like Clean(ish) as it had informative information about fasting, and eating Semi-Clean. But I think it lacked true feedback on the Clean eating aspect. I get the book has the -ish, but as I was reading this book, I felt it went against everything I knew, that was the Clean eating way. I also felt Gin Stephens did a lot of self promotion in her own book for other things. Overall, an Informative book but if it were me, I would just stick to a book that is fully on clean eating and not just half-way clean eating. Also, if you haven't, check out Fast, Feast, Repeat!
I have been listening to Gin Stephens podcast for a while and have read all of her books. This book is easy to understand and very helpful. I have ordered this book for the library and I am sure that many patrons will check it out.
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading Clean(ish). I did not realize that this book was going to be "beginner" level for healthy eating. This book would be fabulous if the reader does not have any clue where to start with getting the junk out of their bodies, but since I am more experienced, I did not feel the need to keep reading this book.
If you only read one of Gin Stephen's books, I would recommend this one. Gin has done her academic homework here and has produced a decent reference book for making informed choices on a cleaner lifestyle. The questions for reflection after each chapter is a good idea as well. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Clean(ish): Eat (Mostly) Clean, Live (Mainly) Clean, and Unlock Your Body's Natural Ability to Self-Clean.
Trying to eat and live a clean lifestyle can seem overwhelming with too many prohibitions. In this book, Gin Stephens suggests that being even moderately clean has its benefits. She argues strongly for intermittent fasting as a way to help your body eliminate toxins (and lose weight). To be honest, I found the section on intermittent fasting most interesting, so I should probably read her first book on that subject.
Although Stephens means for this book to be reassuring, it still made me really anxious. Most days I’m barely getting by and while I know I should be eating more natural ingredients, shopping and cooking is still a challenge. Getting food on the table is achievement enough.
Others may react to this book differently. She refers readers to her website quite often, which I found off putting, but like I said, she intends to reassure readers that even making small, lifestyle changes can have big rewards. It did seem overly long with too many references to her own life, but beneficial overall. #cleanish #netgalley
I really enjoyed this book! It is a great reference point and informative for both the beginner and those who are more knowledgeable on the subject. Unlike Gin's previous book, this one does not just include diet, but lifestyle as a whole, since toxins and chemicals come at us from much more than just food. It is well researched, with many references, and I found her personal stories to be really helpful as well. As a teacher, she includes many sections to reflect on the reading and to for the reader to make their own clean(ish) plan. I am a big fan of the author's approach to not being perfect or extreme, but doing your best in your situation. As opposed to pushing one diet or product, she promotes eating whole foods, as opposed to non-food, or ultraprocessed food and researching the products you have in your own home or the products that may be available to the reader. Gin is such a likable and relatable author, which makes this book, like Feast. Fast. Repeat, a very pleasant read.
Just in time for those with a New Year’s resolution to try to eat better or avoid toxic chemicals in makeup and cleaning products, Clean(ish) is here to help. I really wanted to like the book. Unfortunately, I just didn’t. Here’s why.
1. The author loves to talk about her journey to living clean. A lot. The book seems almost like a memoir at times.
2. There is a multitude of science here. However, the author has no real nutritional or medical credentials. In addition, the science presented reminds me of the Dr. Oz television show. The science is only shown to support the author’s claims. No studies are cited with opposing views.
3. Worst of all, it’s overlong and boring. It boils down to eating organic fruit/veg and whole grains plus using green makeup/cleaning products. You don’t need to read a 432-page book about it.
Clean(ish) was a miss for me so it is not recommended. 2 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was interesting, as always with Gin, but to be truthful I felt she was at the very edge of what is responsible and supported in the data she presented.
I lead a pretty strict clean eating lifestyle. There wasn't a lot of new information for me to learn in this book, but I felt like the author did a good job of reinforcing the information I already knew. It's always good to have a reminder of why I am eating the way that I do. I thought this book would be great for someone just starting out into the lifestyle. I love that the author teaches readers to make small, slow changes. That's how I originally moved into my current lifestyle. That is doable. Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
This is a broad guide to supporting health by reducing the amount of damaging things that go into our bodies (through food and environment), increasing the amount of healthful things we put into our bodies, and supporting our bodies' ability to clean, repair, and heal itself.
What worked for me:
--An acknowledgment that food is meant to be enjoyed. This is no austere "eat to live" guide, but instead operates from the premise that food is pleasurable, celebratory, etc.
--A focus on a personal approach, acknowledging that everyone has different preferences, needs, and values.
--Lots of practical advice. Instead of just introducing concepts, the author provides tips, resources, and exercises to help the reader integrate the ideas into their lives.
What I had concerns about:
--Some vestigial fatphobia/diet culture. There seems to be an unchallenged assumption that thinner=better. The author spends a few paragraphs crowing about her current pant size.
--Some meanders into woo-woo. I totally buy the premise of a whole foods, plant-based diet. I'm less convinced about my need to connect to the electromagnetic energy of the earth.
--Unsubstantiated claims. There were many times the author said a variation of "Can I prove this? No, but it feels true to me." which is their prerogative, but readers should evaluate critically.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
Clean(ish) is a refreshing take on the 'self-improvement through healthy living' bandwagon! Gin Stephens has a realistic, doable approach to reducing the toxic load our food and environment have on our bodies that allows for a less than perfect implementation.
Ms. Stephens is not a scientist, nor is she a doctor or a nutritionist. What she is is a mother and a teacher who realized that the chemicals in our diets and environment have adverse effects on our bodies. She is also an extensive researcher. The teacher side of her comes through loud and clear in Clean(ish), as she takes hundreds of scholarly articles and research studies, pulls them all together and explains what they mean to the average person in language that is easily understood.
Each chapter ends with an assignment to assess your own home/fridge/pantry, using the information given. The assignments are a valuable part of the book, and are easy to do, taking only a few minutes to complete.
I am blown away by this book about cleaning up the way you eat and clean your home that takes a sane approach and preaches an imperfect implementation. Finally, someone gets it--every step taken in a positive direction is a good thing!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions in this review are my own.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.
Good book. Informative. Give it a try.
I've read Gin Stephens other books on IF so I'll admit, I thought this would be along that vein. I appreciate how she lays out at the start who the book is not for, because this definately has an audience, just not sure it was me.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very helpful book. It had a lot of good information on eliminating toxins from your life, but it made this task feel very doable.
I’ve read Gin Stephens’ other books and quickly picked CLEAN(ISH) up without realizing what it was about. Stephens has written extensively about intermittent fasting and I thought this was more along that vein; it is not. She became interested in removing food dyes and chemicals when she saw profound changes in the behavior of first one young son and then the other. As they neared adolescence, she reverted back to a standard American diet for the entire family, her sons appeared able to tolerate the food but she gained weight. Over time, after she used intermittent fasting to gain comfort with eating, she revisited her choices around chemicals, dyes, and plastics in the home. Her decision was to remove as much as possible and this book explains how she arrived at this decision and how the reader can also. There is a lot of work involved in this lifestyle, at first. Both mentally and then in the actual effort to remove and replace. The author seems quite happy with the results. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
I find this straightforward, easy to read, and mostly agreeable. I appreciate how she lays out at the start who the book is not for. I fall closer to some of those categories but still wanted to read the book. My big hangup with the book is the amount of control she gives weight. Weight is not as big an indicator of health as people act like it is. The "Obesity" epidemic is a fabricated reality by pharmaceutical companies, full of shame, and causes more harm than good.
I agree that eating whole foods is better for everyone, but shaming people for their weight is never helpful and a lot of the rhetoric in this book will perpetuate harmful ignorance, stigma, and pain.