FSB has sent me another interesting diet and lifestyle book to review this month! Let's see what you think of this concept:The easiest way to lose weight is to use your brain.
Here's why: The brain contains the switch that turns your appetite on and off.
Serotonin, called the satiety,or satisfaction, chemical, is the brain chemical that turns off your eating. To lose weight you have to know how to activate the "off button'" before you either overeat, or chose foods that are not on your diet.
You don't need to take medication, or herbs, or special supplements, to boost serotonin. All you need to do is follow the simple meal and snack plan in The Serotonin Power Diet, and your brain will produce more serotonin. During years of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Wurtman and Dr. Frusztajer discovered the connection between eating, emotions and serotonin. By using your brain's natural chemistry, you can:
- Turn off appetite by triggering more serotonin before meals
- Stop the universal carbohydrate craving in the late afternoon by triggering more serotonin before the cravings begin
- Prevent emotional overeating by triggering serotonin during those stressful times (and thus reducing the effects of stress)
- End the overeating that comes with the use of antidepressants by making the brain produce more serotonin (works equally well for those not on antidepressants)
Looking at the ACTUAL diet plan in the book, this is a 12 week plus plan. There are 3 phases where you change the amount, and what you can eat:
- surge control-1st 2 weeks
- serotonin balance- weeks 3-8
- serotonin control- weeks 9 and on
- Breakfast- protein, carbohydrate and fruit or fruit juice for breakfast
- Snack- 1 hours before lunch- carbohydrates only
- Lunch- protein and vegetables
- Snack- 3-4 hours after lunch- carbohydrates
- Dinner- Carbohydrate, vegetable
- Snack- 2-3 hours after dinner, carbohydrates
Other diets, like the Mayo Clinic, allot more calories per day, and allow you to use the food pyramid for a more balanced diet. And if you are on an alternative work schedule, sticking with the timing of the daily diet as noted here, may be very difficult. The Serotonin diet also urges no chocolate at all. As we’ve seen on other reviews on this site, quality dark chocolate in small amounts CAN be beneficial. AND as anyone who has had bad PMDD or PMS can tell you, hot chocolate, a chocolate drizzled mini rice cake or a handful of pretzels, does NOT satisfy that type of severe chocolate craving, like a piece of actual chocolate can. It’s all in the AMOUNT you eat to satisfy that craving. This diet is also restrictive and does NOT allow for any indulgence meal/special function while on the diet, like the One Day Way does.
In essence, this diet has some good ideas, that can be combined with a more sensible balanced diet plan, like the Mayo or One Day Way, to give you the SAME effects. The type of diet you choose is what best fits your lifestyle and what you think you can STICK with. This one may work for you if you need more of a stricter diet plan.
Giveaway:
One winner will receive the review copy of
The Serotonin Diet I was sent for review!
Entries:
Make sure I have an email address, with your comment, so I can contact you, if you win! If I don't have a way to contact you, you will forfeit your win!
Requirements: must be resident of US
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Contest will end on February 7th, at midnight. Winner will be picked by Random Number (random.org) on February 8th, and emailed. As soon as winner’s info is received from winner, I will mail them their book!
Disclosure: I received a review copy from FSB Publishing free of charge, for me to review. I was NOT told how to review the products.