Eat. My. Books.

About a year or so ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Eat Your Books, a great cookbook indexing website. At least it would be great if not for one glaring flaw. All of the cookbooks I've purchased or received as gifts over the past year (and there have been a TON in the former category) are all about Paleo, grain-free, and gluten-free cooking. Yes, all of them. And not one of those cookbooks is indexed on EYB. Meaning, when I'm at work and think to myself, "I need to look up that recipe in Gather before I hit the store on my way home", I can't do that. Now, if I were cooking something from any of the umpteen million non-Paleo/GF cookbooks I own (like The Cookie & Biscuit Bible)...I'd be set. This for me is, how do we say, a total bummer.
...and here's where I go on a mini-rant. I realize that this "new hot trend" in dieting is seen as a fad, but for me and millions of people like me, it's not a fad at all. It's a lifestyle, and an approach to eating that actually works to the benefit of my body. It's not just about dropping pounds quickly. It's about feeling well. I honestly don't recall the last time in my life I felt this healthy, or had so few ailments/complaints. Am I still overweight? Sure I am. But I'm losing weight in a healthy way, and at a healthy pace. Since October 1, 2012, I've shed roughly 40 pounds (and I hope to be nearer the 50-pound mark by the time October 1, 2013 rolls around). I'm eating what my body needs in order to function, and I'm avoiding (mostly) the things that keep it from functioning well. I am no longer in a constant state of gastrointestinal distress (which is nothing short of a miracle). I haven't had a cold in almost a year. I am sleeping more restfully. I'm not breaking out like a 14-year-old. And I have energy! Can I do better? Sure I can. But this is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet, and I'm in it for the long haul. The project manager in me sees this in a very "Kaizen" sort of way: continuous improvements, little by little, day by day. That's where I am.

To circle back to the topic at hand, if EYB wanted to also take a Kaizen approach to its business model by expanding its list day by day, I would be fine with that. The concept is a great one, and in practice it's a wonderful, useful tool for people on the go. At least, it's wonderful and useful when the book I want to pull a recipe from is indexed on the site. Now that I don't cook pasta or bread...not so much. Cue the sad trombone.