The Good Mood Diet - Boost your serotonin levels to lose weight, curb cravings - and feel great!

"My wife & I needed to shed a few pounds. We raced through The Good Mood Diet. We couldn't put it down. We learned loads of important nutritional information that we incorporated into our diet. The book made perfect sense to us. It really resonated with us; especially the section concerned with eating the snacks that take the edge off your appetite. We started doing the exercises suggested in the book. They were challenging yet not overly difficult. Humorous at times, always educational, we heartily recommend The Good Mood Diet! "
~ Written on 2007-03-13

"This book should be required reading for anyone on antidepressant medication. In fact, doctors should prescribe it along with their prescriptions.

I've been on various meds for the past 6 years and gained about 45 pounds since. My doctors had no good answers when I complained about never feeling full no matter how much I ate or wanting to eat sweets, chips, nuts, and other high calorie foods, especially in the evenings. My doctors just told me to eat a balanced diet and avoid carbohydrates. That only made my cravings worse! Now I've discovered "The Good Mood Diet" and learned that Dr. Wurtman conducted medical research on how the diet is effective for losing weight while on antidepressants. In the past 6 weeks, I have been following the diet and it's the first time I've ever lost weight since being on my meds. I feel more energetic and I'm not thinking about food all the time. I eat crackers or toast with honey in the afternoon and that keeps my cravings in check before dinner. I feel so satisfied at dinner eating rice, pasta, and potato. Now I rarely crave sweets after dinner which used to be my prime time for overeating. The doctor authors of this book give so many ideas for easy protein-rich breakfasts and lunches.

I'm ten pounds lighter already and I know I can keep losing since I don't feel deprived. I feel so much better about myself! I have already recommended this book to my cousin as well as several friends. I would like to see everyone in the health field and everyone on antidepressant medications know about this effective program."
~ Written on 2007-03-06

"If you've had trouble sticking to a diet in the past because of a bad mood, feeling hungry, or feeling deprived, this is a good book for you. The snack of pretzels or low fat biscuits an hour before lunch and dinner works like a charm to cut down my appetite so I eat less at those meals. I no longer crave dessert in the evening and I even notice I fall asleep more easily now that I eat pasta, bread, or potatoes plus vegetables for dinner. It's so comforting. I also feel more energetic during the day now that I eat protein at both breakfast and lunch.

The practical and simple program is effective and time efficient which is important for me as a professional and mother of three. The uplifting yet highly informative tone is wonderful, too, and all too rare in other dieting books. I found the science explaining how carbohydrates are essential in order for your brain to make serotonin which shuts off your appetite and puts you in a good mood absolutely fascinating and clearly explained. I stick to the low glycemic index and wholesome carbohydrates I like to eat and they work perfectly in the diet. Occasionally I eat a refined sweet when I have a craving and it's nice to have that option. It's your choice which foods to eat.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with food cravings and hates to diet. This is not a diet as much as a way that feels most natural to eat. I am definitely in a good mood not only because of the diet but because I've found a great way to lose weight."
~ Written on 2007-03-03

"My wife read this book and swears by it. I've tried to capture some of her enthusiasm below.

I've tried lots of diets in my day...and never found one that fits into my life instead of having to fit my life into the diet. Now I've found one. It's simple and easy and most of all it makes sense.

I, like many people, am a born snacker, but have always been forced to feel guilty when I eat between meals. That's depressing. Now I've found that healthy snacking actually keeps me happy and my weight down.

I have a busy and stressful life juggling graduate school and three children. Following other diets was always too stressful. Now I can follow a diet and be in a good mood too. Even my kids say my mood is better. By following tips from the Good Mood Diet, I feel less stressed during the chaotic children's bedtime routine in my home.

In addition to being helpful, I thought the book was easy to grasp. It has the right amount of humor to make dieting not seem like a chore. Best of all the recipes are terrific. Try the prawn and fennel stir-fry!
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~ Written on 2007-02-25

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Judith Wurtman's 'Good Mood Diet' uses the science of serotonin control to enable dieters to lose weight and curb carbohydrate cravings.

Wurtman's research shows that protein-rich meals hinder the tryptophan-to-serotonin conversion process. Her detailed research and clinic-based 12-week, three-stage, Serotonin Surge/Balance/Control Snacking programme employs meal-plans that favour either protein or carbohydrates. The programme also allows high-carb, low- or fat-free, snacks, to be eaten up to three times daily, between meals.

These snacks are not to be considered a source of nutrition for the body, or a treat. On page 65, Wurtman warns: `They [high carb snacks] are a treatment to increase your serotonin level. If there were some way of getting more serotonin into your brain with a pill, we would recommend it. But there isn't. You must rely on the only option nature gives, you, and that is carbohydrates.'

This diet, she claims, enables dieters to benefit from the serotonin-induced reduced appetite and good mood that follows a controlled intake of high-carbohydrate. The timing of snacking is key. The serotonin boost caused by the high-carb intake must coincide with a subsequent meal-time. Then, the programme claims, you will be less inclined to over-eat. If your problem is eating in response to anxiety, on page 129 Wurtman explains how this also can be controlled by high-carb snacking prior to an anticipated stressful event, in order to induce a mellow mood.

Snack-cupboard suggestions (pages 66 & 180) include high-carb fat-free hot chocolate mix, Marshmallows, Japanese rice crakers, chocolate-free Turkish Delight, and low-fat cereal bars. Fructose-containing drinks or snacks will be ineffective as they do not cause sufficient amounts of insulin to be released and so no serotonin will be produced (page 73).

The issue of the programme's high-carb snacks producing blood sugar spikes, an over-production of insulin and blood sugar dips is dismissed briefly (also on page 73) with reassurances that, unless someone is diabetic, there is no cause for concern.

The popular recommendation to eat low Glycaemic Index foods to keep blood sugar levels steady is irrelevant to this eating plan, which is confusing, and I am concerned about the risk of dieters abusing high-carb snacks to try to control low moods.

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~ Written on 2007-01-28