Book Recommendation: Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston

Anita Johnston’s Eating in the Light of the Moon is a beautifully written and deeply insightful exploration of the emotional and cultural roots of disordered eating. Using a combination of storytelling, mythology, and psychology, Johnston offers readers, specifically women, a unique framework for understanding their relationship with food, body image, and self-worth.

Rather than prescribing “cookie-cutter” treatment plans or surface-level behavior changes, Johnston delves into the symbolic meanings behind struggles with food. Through a series of lyrical myths and folktales drawn from diverse traditions, she shows how eating issues are often symptoms of deeper unmet emotional or spiritual needs. Food, she explains, becomes a substitute for expression, power, connection, or coping when those avenues are blocked or denied.

One of the book’s strongest elements is its compassionate tone. Johnston avoids blame and instead invites readers to view themselves with curiosity and tenderness. She encourages a shift from a controlling, shame-based mindset to one of listening…listening to the body's wisdom, to emotions, and to the deeper stories we carry. This approach can feel especially healing for those exhausted by years of dieting, guilt, and self-criticism.

The use of metaphor is particularly powerful. Johnston likens the recovery process to navigating by moonlight, suggesting it is subtle, intuitive, and personal, rather than linear or forceful. These metaphors not only make the psychological concepts accessible but also foster a deep sense of connection between the reader and their inner world.

Johnston’s work is an invitation to begin an inner journey.

This book and the author have a special place in my heart. I had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Johnston previously in my career. I was able to learn years worth of brilliant instruction, insight and compassion as she consulted on many cases with me. She lead training and process groups with clients struggling with eating disorders. Her approach in-person is just as compassionate and brilliant as on her book.

Eating in the Light of the Moon is a poetic and wise guide for anyone seeking to heal their relationship with food and themselves. Johnston offers hope not through rigid solutions, but through self-understanding, storytelling, and the gentle reclaiming of one’s own inner voice.

Want more? Check out www.LightOfTheMoonCafe.com