MSI Press Blog

  What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Starting in August, we will share near-daily, as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is The Optimistic Food Addict by Christina Fisanick. Amazon review by GMU Patriot - I was lonely and hungry for something deeper than what food could satiate. To say that I was moved by Christina Fisanick Greer’s memoir, “The Optimistic Food Addict” is an understatement. I found myself in every word. As a fellow food addict, I know what it is to “dance with the dragon” (confront our substances) every day. Christina vividly illustrates what she’s endured battling fo...

photo and The Conversation article by Laura Brow n I cannot stick to diets. I have tried for at 50 years to do so, but I just can't. I know from my friends that I am not alone. THIS diet, though, I CAN manage. It's not exactly a diet. It is more about modestly manage what you buy and eat, as explained clearly and briefly in this great article from The Conversation today: " Changing Your Diet Could Add Ten Years to Your Life -- New Research. " Very nifty, summative, easy-to-use chart, too. Worth the few minutes to read, especially since research says it may add TEN years to your life. Easier said than done? If you are struggling with low self-esteem from food being in control of your life, MIS Press author, Dr. Christine Fisanick, has a very sane and helpful approach to it all. She shares remarkable personal details in her book, The Optimistic Food Addict . Description from Amazon and other sellers:  The Optimistic Food Addict explores the author's journey through...

  Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT‑E) is the gold‑standard treatment for binge eating disorder. It helps people understand how restriction, guilt, and distorted beliefs about food and body image keep the binge cycle alive. When it’s used: CBT‑E is often the first‑line approach when binge eating is tied to irregular eating patterns, chronic dieting, or harsh self‑judgment. How it works: Therapy begins by restoring regular eating — three meals and two to three snacks daily — to stabilize hunger and reduce physiological triggers. Then, it helps identify and challenge the thoughts that lead to binges: “I’ve already blown it,” “I’ll start over tomorrow,” or “I can’t control myself.” Expected results: Within 12–20 weeks, most people experience fewer binges, less guilt, and a more balanced relationship with food. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s consistency and self‑trust. image and some content AI-generated This post was inspired by the book, The Optimistic Food Addict...

  Lent can be a beautiful season of renewal, but for someone who lives with binge eating or a binge‑restrict cycle, it can also feel like a trap disguised as holiness. The Church speaks of fasting, sacrifice, and self‑denial; the disordered mind hears diet culture, control, and the promise of finally “fixing” oneself. It’s a dangerous overlap. Many Catholics give up sweets, snacks, or entire food groups during Lent. For someone with a binge‑eating pattern, that kind of abstinence doesn’t lead to holiness. It leads to the familiar spiral: restrict, white‑knuckle, binge, shame, repeat. One writer described how she used to treat Lent as “yet another diet,” hoping each year that the season would finally force her body into submission. Instead, she gained weight, lost peace, and missed the point entirely. Mental‑health professionals echo the same warning. Lent is a time when unusual food behaviors—skipping meals, avoiding certain foods, pushing through hunger—are socially accepted, ev...

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. People often imagine binge eating as a lack of willpower or “overeating,” but BED is a clinical, biologically influenced disorder that affects people across every age, gender, body size, and background. What BED Actually Is Binge Eating Disorder is defined by reurrent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food in a short period of time , paired with a sense of loss of control during the episode. People often describe it as feeling “driven,” “numb,” or “checked out,” as if the binge is happening to them rather than by them. A binge episode typically includes: Eating much more rapidly than normal Eating until uncomfortably full Eating large amounts when not physically hungry Eating alone due to embarrassment Feeling guilt, shame, or distress afterward Unlike bulimia, BED does not involve purging , fasting, or excessive exercise after the binge. Who...