Customer Reviews

Depression-Free for Life: An All-Natural, 5-step Plan To Reclaim Your Zest For Living (Lynn Sonberg Books)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this book, Gabriel Cousens discusses his five-step program for treating depression -- without Prozac.

The book starts by defining depression and discussing the major types (such as major depression, manic depression, and some others), talks about how anti-depressant drugs such as prozac & MAO inhibitors work, then launches into Gabriel Cousens' five-step approach.

The fivefold approach is basically: <1> amino acid precursors are used to build up the brain chemistry, then <2> he adds vitamin/mineral supplements, <3> essential fatty acids, <4> dietary advice, and <5> lifestyle factors (touch, support, spiritual connection, counseling, etc.) By far, the main emphasis on the book is about the biochemistry of depression, as the last section on the lifestyle factors (<5>) is very brief in relation to the rest of the information in the book.

Along the way, there are checkpoints (that easily stand out, for reference) which you will need to determine which supplements will likely be the most effective for your style of depression.

Some of the stuff in this book is truly new material. The information on optimizing the diet for your specific metabolism (slow or fast oxidizer) is new, and since blood sugar is a major component in overcomming depression, it is very welcome. This is the most mainstream of Gabriel's books, so he does not spend any time going over the benefits of raw foods, and though he does suggest a mostly vegetarian diet, he does not stress it very heavily here. Nevertheless, the diet section has lots of vegan raw-food recipes that are used at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, for those who are interested in that lifestyle.

I understood after reading this book why I feel much less depressed during the day when I have sunflower seed meal for breakfast - it has to do with my fast oxidation metabolism combined with the seratonin boosting properties of sunflower seeds. (I discovered that I felt better eating sunflower seeds before I read the book, so it was a pleasure to read the book to discover why that meal is so effective for me.)

Many depression books throughout history have focused on your mindset, thoughts you think, and patterns of behavior. Not this one. Gabriel Cousens touched on something very interesting, which I totally agree with, having suffered from depression myself. The foods you choose to eat have a profound impact on your moods. Certain foods, eaten regularly enough could precipitate panic attacks, sleepiness, withdrawal, etc.

Gabriel breaks it down into two categories... fast and slow oxidizers, when speaking of the proper diet. There's a questionairre, which makes it very easy for you to discover which type you are.

There is also a section on nutrients for the brain, nervous system, and those that may elevated the mood. However, much like the diet, there are certain nutrients that will help certain kind of imbalances, and not others. Might sound complicated, but the information is thorough enough to make anyone understand it.

Last but not least, there are recommendations to help overcome self destructive behavior, negative thinking, and patterns of laziness.

All in all, quite an excellent book, most certainly one of the best I've ever read on depression. Sure, your depression problem may not be an imbalance due to improper food choices, but then again, it could be the ONLY problem, as it was for myself.

Reading this book and being treated by Dr. Cousens have been a blessing to me. After suffering from anxiety and depression for almost 10 years, I came upon this book and was intrigued with how natural it all seemed. After being treated by Dr. Cousens via phone consultations the past 8 months, I am convinced. THIS MAN IS A TRUE HEALER. With amino acid supplements, I can now sleep soundly and the anxiety is virtually GONE. This book has truly changed my life for the better and I want to spread the following message to the world: NO ONE SUFFERS FROM A "PROZAC" DEFICIENCY. If you're searching for a natural alternative to drugs, this is the way to go.

This book was exceptionally helpful to me. It explains in a clear way the effects of different foods, nutritional supplements, drugs, and other factors on mood. After suffering from recurring depression and energy-level fluctuations, I had started reading all I could find about non-pharmaceutical alternatives to Prozac and other popular treatments.

This book seems to present the broadest range thus far of the alternatives with the most specific descriptions and explanations. It helps you look at your own biochemistry and points to possible directions for the causes of your depression and for eliminating them. It makes it easier to talk to your doctor and request the right kinds of tests to rule out other problems. It points out practical ways to depression-proof your life with custom changes that include nutritional supplements, diet, and lifestyle. I have just made some changes and look forward to seeing whether they were good ones.

For me, the most useful part was the detailed explanations of amino acids and nutritional supplements: what they are, when they are most helpful, their safety, and how to use them. Other related books I have read and liked tend to cover in depth only one area, such as diet and exercise, or vitamins and other supplements, or else they touch on many things but very superficially. This seems to cover a broad area in enough depth to make it useful. It also includes a formidable reference section for each chapter and a useful bibliography.

This book contains lots of info - especially about amino acids, vitamins and other supplements. It has a number of self tests to help you determine what deficiencies might be contributing to your depression. It could be organized a little better - you have to read the whole thing carefully to determine dosages and contraindications, etc. I stopped using my porescriptions anti-depressants and followed this book to a T and I feel better than I ever have before. I also used it with a friend when they were stopping drinking (alchoholic) with much success. Highly recommended.

This is the best book I have read on the topic of depression. Gabriel Cousens is brilliant, well-read, well-researched, thorough and easy to read. This book completely changed my level of depression instantly when I found which nutrient I was missing in my diet. This is a must read!

If I had my own TV show, this is the guy I would invite on to be my alt med guru.

Fortunately, Dr. Cousen's advice is sound, affordable, and beyond fad-tv material.

I had annoying, and serious, vertigo side effects from prescription antidepressants and turned to this book without expecting much. Detailed analysis of different biochemical deficiencies (what's good for you may not work for me) were interesting, and a program I followed based on what I learned from the book proved surprisingly effective. Yaaayyyy!

I wish I could force this book on anyone I know on prescription AD's, serious side effects and all, but alas some people will not consider anything not blessed with FDA approval & Pfizer (or whoever). But if you are open to a natural method, I think this book must be the most comprehensive and informed specifically on depression.

I read this book and tried to follow along while I was experiencing a pretty bad depression. I was hoping to find some immediate steps I could take to alleviate my symptoms, but by the time I got to the end of Part 1, which is supposed to help you identify your personal deficiency that may be causing depression, I was completely frustrated and had no idea what category I fall into based on all the redundant symptom lists that are given (for example, if you feel tired all the time, does that classify as "fatigue", "lack of energy", "apathy", or "exhaustion"?).

The author is obviously really knowledgeable on the subject and I am glad I read it. I have taken from it some things I am going to try and hopefully they will help. I just think it should be presented in a way that is more in tune with its intended audience...a depressed person who feels tired and has trouble concentrating! There is SO much technical information and background about brain chemicals, supplements, hormones, etc., that by the end of the chapters, I had no idea which "type" I was or what steps to take.

I'm sure if I were feeling better, I'd get alot more out of all the detail...but then again, why would I be reading the book if I were feeling better?

I don't review books that I don't like. This one was a bit too medical for my taste (I discovered that I generally crave a psychological take on depression) but it is a book everyone who feels depressed, or ill, should have as a reference. As a result of reading the book I started taking vitamins every day and felt instantly much better. I noticed that I have been concentrating on depression so much from the "how-do-I-feel?" point of view that I have just about ignored all the physical things that affect the mood. While the book was a bit dry to read, it gets the job done. I feel that now I have a whole view on depression and I can address it from all the angles.

This book makes a good reference for the different uses of amino acids that can help depression. It also details the different types of depression so you can find your symptoms and individualize your treatment. The dietary information is sound. A well written how-to that will help a lot of people.