Eat Your Way to Happiness is now on Amazon! You can order your copy today.

Reviews are starting to come in. Here’s one from Basil and Spice:

“Elizabeth Somer has hit a home run with Eat Your Way To Happiness. While in large part she is preaching to the choir where I am concerned, I took away many jewels of knowledge. If you think that you know all about a nutritional diet, you might still find a few morsels to help you go to an even higher level of healthful living.”

Read the entire review here.

Q: My wife and I have adopted the food and mood way of life. It seems it was designed or at least marketed to women more so than men. Are there any adjustments I should make as a male on this program?
– Shaun in Fort Worth

A: I wrote the book for people. Women are more likely to buy the book (many buy it for their husbands!), but everything in the book applies to men, women, teenagers, etc… – Elizabeth Somer

Q: Where can I obtain a hard copy of your book?
– Wendy from Hillsboro

A: That depends on which book you are referring to. You can order hard copy versions of Nutrition for Women ($27.50 plus $4 s&h) and Age-Proof Your Body ($25.00 plus $4 s&h) from Nutrition Communications, 4742 Liberty Road S., PMB 148, Salem, OR 97302. All other books are in trade paperback only and can be obtained from the above address, at any local bookstore, or from Amazon.com. -Elizabeth Somer

Q: Does The Origin Diet give an everyday what to eat menu?
– Anonymous

A: Yes. The book comes with menus, recipes, brown bag lunch ideas, snack ideas, shopping lists, and everything you need to get started. I conducted two studies on 40 people who followed the diet for six to twelve weeks. Every week they came to class and gave me suggestions what they needed to help them stick with the Origin program. All of those lists, recipes, diet tips, ways to sneak vegetables into your diet, healthful alternatives to everything, and even a detailed supplement program are provided in the book. – Elizabeth Somer

Q: I love your new book, The Origin Diet! Are there any additional cookbooks that you would recommend to those following the diet?
– Anonymous

A: First, The Origin Diet has an extended recipe section at the back of the book with everything from appetizers and soups, and salads to chicken and fish dishes, vegetables, whole grains, and casseroles. Second, I ran two studies on 40 people who followed The Origin Diet for six to twelve weeks. We found that many, many recipes easily could be converted to Origin guidelines. So, I would recommend looking through the cookbooks and magazines you already have and see which ones fit the criteria, which is that they are made from vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, nut or olive oil, chicken or turkey breast, any seafood, and/or whole grains. Often you can adapt a recipe as easy as switching from butter to olive oil or from white rice to brown rice. Of course, the more a recipe depends on processed and refined ingredients, the bigger the challenge to fit it into a healthy Origin recipe. – Elizabeth Somer

Q: How do I get started on The Origin Diet?
– Anonymous

A: Well, first off, you don’t have to live in a cave or eat wooly mammoth to eat in sync with your heritage. In fact the people who have adopted the Origin Diet found it much easier than they had anticipated. But it did take two basic habits: planning ahead and bringing food with you. When those two basic rules are followed, the rest of the diet fell into place. The more steps you include in your diet, the greater the health benefits, but adding any step to your routine will improve your health and your waistline. Some people who have adopted the Origins diet found it easy, since they needed only to fine-tune already healthy eating styles. Other people found the process a bit daunting at first, until they realized they didn’t need to make all the changes at once. For example, one woman found that she was most motivated to stick with it long-term if she followed the guidelines during the week, but relaxed the rules on the weekends. Another person settled into a pattern of following the diet when he was home, and sticking with it about 75% of the time when he traveled. The most important goal is to stick with this healthy eating plan for life; if that means including a few processed foods into your daily or weekly plan, then by all means do it! – Elizabeth Somer

Q: Does The Origin Diet have a pyramid?
– Anonymous

A: Yes. On page 126 is the Origin Pyramid. Starchy vegetables and whole grains are the bottom tier, then two layers of fruits and vegetables, one fresh, frozen and dried, and the other raw selections. The fourth tier up is divided between fish, seafood, and meats that nutritionally resemble wild game and other protein-rich foods such as legumes. The rest of the pyramid contains nonfat milk, then nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados, and finally at the top eggs and honey. Basically, you’re designing your diet around foods you could hunt or gather. If it doesn’t grown on a tree, bush, vine, or plant; can’t be dug up or harvested; isn’t hunted or fished; or cant’ be found in nature, then it probably doesn’t belong on your plate. – Elizabeth Somer