The Serotonin Power Diet - A Review
By Laura M. Turner

If you you are anything like me, you love carbs.  With that in mind - what could be better than having a delightful snack consisting of Biscotti, granola bars or popcorn - and actually have them help you lose weight?  No, I'm not kidding. The Serotonin Power Diet is designed to teach you about healthy eating - including "timing" your carbohydrate snacks so they can work for, not against, you and your weight.  Here's why.

Longtime friends, Dr. Judith J. Wurtman and Dr. Nina Frusztajer Marquis, made a fascinating discovery. Through years of laboratory research at MIT, clinical studies in weight loss and private practice, they noticed, most people - especially women - gained large amounts of weight after taking antidepressants and mood stabilizing drugs. Their passion for understanding the brain's role in controlling appetite led them to locate the nucleus of "emotional triggers" that cause weight gain.  Turns out the neurotransmitter, serotonin, (or lack thereof) is one of the most important variables in both weight gain and depression, according to their findings. 

What exactly is serotonin?  In laymen's terms: It's the chemical that gives your brain and your body a happy satisfied feeling.  It also, according to authors Wurtman and Marquis, is the "switch that turns off your appetite." Imagine it - a switch that puts you in control of your weight loss!  How to give your brain the serotonin boost it needs? Eating a timed carbohydrate snack before each meal. It's music to this carb-lovers ears!

Authors Wurtman and Marquis remind us that sure we will lose weight quickly on any of the new fancy low-carbohydrate diets, however, most of that weight is water.  Once the water has been removed, the body will seek to metabolize precious muscle for fuel.  High protein diets also deprive our bodies of the feel good mood elevator serotonin - resulting in both both depression and carbohydrate cravings.  This can lead to unhealthy overeating. Authors Wurtman and Marquis do give us the solution, yet be advised - it is not a quick fix.  Their Serotonin Power Diet is a 12-week weight loss initiation program, one that will help you lose 1-2 pounds each week without sacrificing muscle.  In fact you will be building muscle which, in turn, burns lots of calories and fat - even at rest.  Their program is designed to help you feel great and keep the weight off forever - It's a lifestyle.

In my opinion "lifestyle change" is what is missing in most of the quick fix diet programs out there.  In my mind - it needs to be recognized that to change patterns and to live healthy is a lifestyle.  The Serotonin Power Diet follows this principle.  It shows you that you can eat and lose weight without need for depravation, meal skipping or dangerous high-protein diets.  The three phase approach it offers, will help you to create a healthy new lifestyle.  Too, once you've lost the weight, authors Wurtman and Marquis take you into a maintenance phase that helps you keep your new body for good!

What's more, authors Wurtman and Marquis understand that healthy weight loss doesn't happen in a vacuum. You will need to exercise! They understand that weight loss and exercise work in tandem to achieve lifestyle goals.  And to stay healthy, you will need to work an exercise routine into your weekly program.  For this reader, The Serotonin Power Diet is a wellspring of healthy cooking ideas and delicious recipes.  It can help you work toward finding your bodies' natural instincts and using the power of your mind to work for you. 

The Serotonin Power Diet will be even more effective for those who have:

• Tried low carb dieting and found themselves heavier than they were before they started

• Are looking for a lifestyle program that will help them lose weight in a healthy way and be happy about it

• Been using antidepressants and found that they've gained weight even though they were naturally slim before

The three best things about The Serotonin Power Diet in my opinion are:

One: This book is helpful for the scores of people who have found themselves on antidepressants and have gained weight as a result.  Authors Wurtman and Marquis show us how to take control over our own minds and change the way we think, as well as describe an eating program that supports a positive thought process.

Two:  There is a significant portion of the book dedicated to overcoming the "excuses" associated with exercise and proper eating programs.  The Serotonin Power Diet focuses on helping its reader overcome the psychological roadblocks to healthy eating and lifestyle changes.  My how we sabotage ourselves before we've even begun!  This book helps you to overcome the excuses your critical mind conjures up and gets you right down to the business of first losing weight - then maintaining your new slim and fit figure for life.

Three:  I absolutely love that authors of The Serotonin Power Diet discuss and devote a significant portion of the book to exercise and creating an exercise plan in conjunction with healthy eating.  They recommend just 30 minutes each day! There is simply no better way to get healthy and stay slender that I know of.  It surprises me that very few of the latest and greatest programs marry exercise with weight loss - thank you Drs. Wurtman and Marquis. 


A Final Note:  The Serotonin Power Diet is a must for anyone looking to lose weight and keep it off.  Simply by reading this book you are giving yourself a great education about the body and will have all the tools you need to get off the "dieting" treadmill.  It is a roadmap showing you both where you need to go and how to get there. And once you have arrived, you'll simply enjoy the new view.
 

About The Serotonin Power Diet Authors:

Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, has been recognized worldwide for decades of pioneering research into the relationship of food, mood, brain, and appetite. Dr. Wurtman received her PhD in cell biology from MIT and took additional training as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in nutrition/obesity. The author of five books for the general public, she has written more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications.

Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD, received her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from George Washington University. Her articles on weight, stress, and lifestyle have appeared in numerous publications. With Judith Wurtman, she founded the Adara Weight Loss Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives, and in Boston, where Dr. Wurtman resides.

They are the authors of The Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain’s Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight. Published by Rodale. January 2007; $24.95US/$31.00CAN; 1-59486-346-6.

For more information, please visit www.serotoninpowerdiet.com

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Laura M. Turner is a natural health practitioner. She hosts
http://www.body-and-beauty.com a website dedicated
to inspiring and educating others about the benefits of
creativity, natural health and fitness.  Check out Laura's
latest book Spiritual Fitness: The 7-Steps to Living Well  
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News and Wellness Letter: http://www.new-body-news.com