44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This time it was my husbands turn to lose weight...., May 29, 2007
This review is from: The Feel-Good Diet: The Weight-Loss Plan That Boosts Serotonin, Improves Your Mood, and Keeps Pounds Off for Good (Hardcover)
Everyone knows I am the biggest fan of Cheryle R. Hart and Mary Kay Grossman for writing The Insulin-Resistance Diet book which forever changed my life.
After losing 40+ pounds on my own and still having high cholesterol and still being 60 pounds overweight (not to mention feeling terrible) I needed answers. My OB/GYN found the problem and suggested The Insulin-Resistance Diet book by Hart and Grossman. I am now a total of 100 pounds lighter (50+ pounds thanks to the Insulin Resistance Diet), my cholesterol is normal and my Insulin levels are normal. I have kept the weight off for 2 years and couldn't love my life more.
My husband on the other hand had a much harder time over the Holidays and I decided The Feel Good Diet was what he needed to take off the weight. The two of us loved the book because it spoke to us from different angles. My husband is very analytical and likes to know how the clock works, I on the other hand, just want to know what time it is. The Feel Good Diet works because it gives you the "why" and "how" all in one book.
The biggest change for me was the quality of sleep I now enjoy after having my Evening Seretonin-Boosting Snack. The S'More Serotonin Snack is to die for or an evening watching a movie while snacking on popcorn made my husband very happy. The other significant change was our energy levels in the afternoon by incorporating the afternoon snack.
Cheryle Hart and Mary Kay Grossman not only wrote books which allowed me to lose weight and changed my life but they educated me about my body and empowered me to be able to keep the weight off. To be able to live a life where you control your weight instead of the food controlling your weight is AMAZING!!!!
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47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some intriguing ideas, but . . ., March 7, 2008
The author's earlier "Insulin Resistance Diet" was my first introduction to reducing carbs, and I still rely on her advice to balance carbs with protein, but this new diet relies way too heavily on artificial foods for my taste. If you are perfectly happy with rice cakes and fat-free bottled dressing and artificially sweetened yogurt and the like, this diet may appeal to you. But if, like many of us, you have begun avoiding long lists of chemical additives, sodium, preservatives, etc., in favor of whole, minimally processed foods, this diet would be a major step backward. The authors also advocate deliberately spiking insulin between meals in order to promote serotonin production, but it seems to me that it would also spike hunger and hypoglycemia.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lose Your Weight Not Your Mind, January 7, 2007
This review is from: The Feel-Good Diet: The Weight-Loss Plan That Boosts Serotonin, Improves Your Mood, and Keeps Pounds Off for Good (Hardcover)
Ever felt like your diet was making you "lose your mind"? Authors of The Feel Good Diet, Cheryle Hart, M.D., and Mary Kay Grossman, RD are betting it has. If you are one of the millions of dieters who's tried any of the hip, low-carb programs out there (and, hey, who hasn't?) you've more than likely suffered not only from a uncontrollable flux in weight (yo-yo), but gained "yo-yo brain" as well.
Turns out, as authors Hart and Grossman tell us, by going strictly on a low-carb/high protein diet we're depleting our brain of the neurotransmitter serotonin (that's the one that makes you happy and is at the helm of your sex drive). Therefore, if you have the dieting blues - The Feel Good Diet can help you. It offers excellent words of wisdom from Hart and Grossman who have helped many (especially women) overcome their weight loss difficulty through their Women's Wellness Workshops conducted in Spokane, Washington. After working with many clients who've wondered why they'd gotten depressed after weight loss, they decided to share their findings with you.
In their solution, Hart and Grossman first give us a basic physiology lesson. This includes the lowdown on how the body's neurotransmitters (including serotonin) and hormones (including insulin) affect the delicate balance of the body's biochemistry. Most understand the basics -many of the carbohydrates we eat are responsible for creating an insulin "spike" from the pancreas to counteract the sugar (glucose) levels in the blood.
Therefore, by lowering your intake of these sugars, your body will lose weight. Too, high protein diets can also be a solution to dangerous diseases like diabetes by preventing the pancreas from secreting too much insulin. But, here's the catch: low carb/high protein diets disrupt the production of the helpful neurotransmitter serotonin. This, in turn, can have adverse affects on "mood, energy, appetite and sex drive."
What's the answer to all this?
Hart and Grossman have it all worked out for us with both their Link-and-Balance method of eating (linking insulin "spiking" foods with low insulin "spiking" foods in a balanced meal). This regulates the body's precious hormone and insulin feedback loop. They also help us raise our serotonin through timed snacks and supplements. It's a perfect system! Thus, your body is balanced, the weight comes off and, what's more: you and your body are both happy.
The Feel Good Diet will come as a blessing for those who have:
-Lost weight but feel depressed
-Lost weight then ate normally gaining back the weight and then lots more
-Searched for a way to lose weight in a healthy, sensible way
The three best things about The Feel Good Diet Program in my opinion are:
One: This book is brain-food in itself for all that desire to understand the body's physiology and body chemistry. It helps us understand why chronic illnesses such as diabetes have become a problem, why we are seeing a rise in obesity (especially in children) and how simple changes in our diet can turn all that around.
Two: As an exercise enthusiast, I was also pleased that there was a significant portion of the book devoted to exercise. I love that authors Hart and Grossman point out that fat-burning doesn't have to equate to killing yourself in the gym (who came up with this idea, anyhow?). Their diet program, in conjunction with a healthy cardiovascular and weight training/resistance training program makes healthy sense.
Three: The Feel Good Diet also gives us information on both proper supplementation, as well as an understanding of avoiding poor diet choices. The majority of the public is misinformed about the addition of additives such as high-fructose corn syrup to commercial foods and the damage this can cause to the body. Cheers for raising awareness and enlightening the public on these important subjects, as well.
A Final Note: With your New Year's Resolution for weight loss aim to get yourself a copy of The Feel Good Diet. With it you can get back your to your fighting weight, improve your mood and keep your marbles, too!
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