Journalist-turned-author Connie Bennett’s latest book, “I Blew My Diet! Now What?,” is more about personal empowerment and lifestyle change than about weight loss.

A relatively new La Jolla resident who moved there initially from New York to care for her ailing mother, Bennett, CHHC, CPC, said her third health-related book is related to the past two – “Sugar Shock” and “Beyond Sugar Shock” – but not part of a series. Her impetus for writing it grew out of her own experience of binging on junk food while caring for her mom.

What would Bennett like people to get out of her new book? “I seek to encourage, educate, and entertain readers,” she answered noting “I Blew My Diet!” includes lighthearted cartoons. She added, “I also insist that it’s much easier to shed unhealthy excess weight and claim good health than people may realize. When people treat their bodies with respect, compassion, and kindness by eating better foods, they’ll feel better and be on the path to living happier, healthier lives.”

Concerning weight loss, Bennett noted: “The one thing I want people to understand is it’s (dieting) not about the weight. It’s more about the quality of the foods that you eat. When you eat better you feel better.”

Bennett has coined a term, GoalPowerPlus, to conceptualize her philosophy that dieting is more mental than physical. In her latest book, she details 21 reasons why people eat badly.

“I address those reasons and how to use different tactics to address those reasons for why people’s lives may be thrown off-kilter by a traumatic event,” she said pointing out, “A lot of people eat badly when that happens.”

Added Bennett: “I want people to know that you can pull yourself back on track (with weight), and that that can be relatively easy to do. You’ve just got to get clear on why you want to eat better.”

The author pointed out her latest book can be broken down into four distinct parts: 21 reasons why you ate badly, why you blew your diet, offering a “bounce back boldly” plan for dieting, and finally giving some “yummy” sugar- and gluten-free recipes for eating healthier, which Bennet said “can enable us to stop abusing ourselves by eating all these junk foods.”

Bennett noted that “I Blew My Diet” goes beyond her first two books in that she was personally impacted by what she wrote about. “After my mom passed away, I went hog wild eating carbs everything, so now I’m able to tell people what they need to know to cut out sugar and highly processed carbs,” she said.

Healthy carbohydrates include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, while unhealthy carbohydrates are processed or refined foods like white bread, sugary drinks, and pastries. Unhealthy carbs turn to sugar in your bloodstream, which can cause numerous ailments including being moody and tired, headaches, Type 2 diabetes, and brain fog. “My failure around carbs led me to confess to the world that I blew my diet, but that now I can take charge then eat better again,” added Bennett.

Concluded Bennett: “I’m trying to teach people that, with compassion and kindness, they can accept their goals and live the life of their dreams. We’re living in a junk food jungle. Everything is fast, easy and convenient. So temptation surrounds us. A lot of people, when they put food in their mouths, don’t think that what they eat is going to affect how they feel. I want to help people make that connection.”

BOOK SIGNING

There will be a book signing for “I Blew My Diet!” at Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla at 7812 Girard Ave. on Thursday, May 22. Bennett’s latest book is also available anywhere books are sold locally including Amazon. For more information, visit connieb.com.