Book Review: The Serotonin Power Diet

Recently, I was asked to review The Serotonin Power Diet, by Judith Wurthman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer, MD. After reading a brief description of this book, I knew I needed a copy, free or not.

I’ve made no secret of my struggles with depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder in particular.

(Now that I think about it, I need to do an IST update!)

I found this book to be very well written, well researched and informative. In fact, a funny thing happened while I was reading this.

Okay, first of all, this book is based on research that demonstrates that carbohydrate consumption drives serotonin levels, which in turn affects hunger levels.

You know how everyone who tried the Atkins Diet was usually really cranky while they ate their steak and 16 pounds of bacon (or, as my friend Jason joked when I tried Atkins: Bacon, topped with bacon, with bacon gravy…)

Well, according to the authors and research, people on carb only diets are not just cranky because they are eating nothing but steak and weenies.

No, they are also likely to be cranky because when you don’t eat carbohydrates, you are essentially cutting a key way that most humans affect their serotonin levels, via the intake of carbohydrates.

I had never heard of this before (funny how Dr. Atkins never mentioned this, or if he did, I forgot while I drank my 4 cups of cream, and ran to the weigh again) and while I was reading this book, I was concurrently reading an entirely different book dedicated more to the topic of healthy eating.

The funny thing was that I had purchased book B before I started to read The Serotonin Power Diet, and I was fascinated to find that these two books were essentially based on the same theory and ideas.

At that point, I become really spell bound sort of by this theory.

Why do we never hear about this?

We’ve all heard of diets, and low carbs, but we don’t we ever hear anything about our diet affecting a body chemical that has an enourmous impact on our mood and overall health?

I have to admit, to be honest, that since losing 60 pounds last year, and due to my very high family history of Type II Diabetes, I am very careful about my carb intake, especially refined carbs.

But, through reading The Serotonin Power Diet, I’ve come to realize how importants good carbs are in controlling and affecting both my mood and my hunger levels.

I think I was both mesmerized by the theory and dissappointed that we don’t hear more about this.

If you struggle with depression, and especially if you’ve struggled with anti-depressant weight gain, I highly recommend this book.  There is a well written diet plan, as well as information on how to deal with a variety of topics that address carb consumption, and overall mood. There are recipes, and suggestions on how to deal with just about any diet ‘road block.’

Most importantly though, I feel totally re-educated in the ways that carbohydrates can affect my overall health.

Take a read, well worth it.

If you enjoyed this post, get the e-mail version, follow my Working Mom series, or become an Examiner yourself!

Follow me for the next 4 weeks as I take part in the Gotta Love Chevy, Mom Needs A Time Out blogging project! There will be daily give aways and prizes! Come on over to our Facebook Group!
Or visit my friends over at Munday Chevrolet, here in Houston! Tell them Shannon sent you!