Customer Reviews

The Feel-Good Diet: The Weight-Loss Plan That Boosts Serotonin, Improves Your Mood, and Keeps the Pounds Off for Good

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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!!!!

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.

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!

People who have dieted as long as I have know about dieting. We've read the new books, tried new ways of dealing with our persistent problem.

Normal weight people must find this confusing if they think at all about our dilemma. Why can't we just -get- the basic principle that you eat less than you expend to lose weight. Simple. Unfortunately, not that simple in our nation. Not that simple for bodies out of whack.

It is mysterious to me how people can just eat to live and not think about it 24/7. How freeing it must be to spend no time planning meals, logging calories in and out, making weight goals, etc.etc. I may never reach that level of normalacy but the principles in this book and it's predecessor The Insulin Resistance DietThe Insulin-Resistance Diet : How to Turn Off Your Body's Fat-Making Machine, help me see what is possible.

As a dieter I want to know one thing before I put money out on a new diet book. Does it help, does it work? Is this book going to give me some vital piece of information that will help me change my life? The answer to those questions is yes, this book does help,work and give vital information. The authors encourage you to change by slowly changing one new behavior at a time until you've changed your habits even if this process takes months. We want what we want when we want it which is usually now, but that is a formula for failure in any major life change.

I didn't expect this book to be significantly different from Dr. Hart and Ms Grossman's first book, The Insulin Resistance Diet but it is. If possible, I really recommend buying both books and reading the Insulin Resistance Diet first. Although the Feel Good Diet continues and expounds upon the material in the Insulin Resistance Diet, both books stand on their own. The Feel Good Diet is better understood if you read the Insulin Resistance Diet first. If you don't want to buy the Insulin Resistance Diet, go to your public library. The IR Diet is the philosophical underpinning for the Feel Good Diet. When you eat the Insulin Resistance way, there is a calm that settles over you which makes your life and the changes you'll be making so much easier.

I also suggest reading this book completely through before trying ANY of the suggestions. Don't go off half cocked, as I did. The apple cider vinegar Vinegar, Apple Cider, Unfiltered, Raw, Organic, 32 oz.works and works well. In my opinion, it doesn't taste bad either. You might add low glycemic agave nectarAgave Nectar Liquid Sweetener, Light, Squeeze Bottle, Organic, 8 oz., to sweeten rather than other, especially artificial, sweeteners. I don't use a sweetener. It's helpful to increase your intake of minerals before you start on the vinegar. The book lists natural sources of minerals. It is also good to increase the supplements you take as suggested in the book before you start taking the 5HTP.

The book talks about sublingual 5HTP in the form of craniyums. I have benefited from 5HTPSecrets of 5-HTP: Nature's Newest Super Supplement, it gives me time to make better food choices and drastically lowers my chocolate cravings. Although I do have some stomach upset when taking regular 5HTP I am still in the early stages of deciding whether craniyums are a better source of 5HTP. Not everyone has stomach problems with 5HTP. Most of the serotonin receptors in the body are in the gut area, the second brain, as Dr. OZ says.

This book has simple menus which help you reorganize your eating, it deals with acid, alkaline issues which are very important for overall health and it deals in detail with why we need increased serotonin and dopamine precursors to be successful at dieting. All of this is sanely given with an understanding that major changes do not happen overnight.

I found out that I suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder about 10 years agoWinter Blues, Revised Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder. I know what low serotoin feels like but didn't connect it with insulin resistance until I read The Insulin Resistance Diet about a year ago. Most of the weight I've gained has happened in the winter of each year when my serotonin is extremely low. If you gain 10 lbs a year over a period of many years, you end up with a weight problem. If you use food to supply the brain chemicals you need to feel good, you end up with a weight problem. And weight problems eventually lead up to many, many other physical, mental, emotional and relational problems, as we all know.

So bottom line, yes I do recommend this book.

Cheryle Hart, M.D. writes a very compelling book. The part that really speaks to me is the part about how while on Atkins I may have lost weight, but I also felt a little off, even a little depressed. Now I know that because I did not have enough Carbs, I lost serotonin, and like she said I lost my mind. While the book seems to be aimed towards women, it has been very helpful to me, too. Now I have two ways to increase my serotonin. One way is to eat my serotonin raising snacks and if that is not enought, I can get neurotransmitter precursors like 5-HTP and tyrosine. Thank you Dr. Hart.

This is a good book that goes into a more detailed approach than the previous "Insulin Resistance Diet" book for increasing serotonin in the body while managing insulin levels. Good recipes and meal plans for different calorie needs/levels. Also gives a great explanation of the science behind the diet.

Subtitled: The Weight-Loss Plan That Boosts Serotonin, Improves Your Mood, and Keeps the Pounds off for Good

The Feel Good Diet is a weight-loss program created by Cheryle Hart, M.D. and Mary Kay Grossman, RD. The reason most people quit the diet programs they are on is because their serotonin levels are drastically decreased from cutting out all the carbs in their diet. Without an even level of serotonin and dopamine, the dieter is left feeling depressed and loses interest in the diet. Serotonin is what controls your mood, appetite, sleep, and cravings.

In this book the reader is told how they can replace depleted serotonin so they can feel good and lose weight. The first part of the book is technical medical talk about serotonin, hormones, thyroid, insulin, cortisol, etc. It is interesting to read through but might be a little too technical for some readers who only want to know about the diet and how to lose weight.

The second part of the book has meal plans for the diet and explains the diet in more detail. Also there are numerous recipes in the back of the book to mix high insulin foods with low insulin foods to regulate your insulin level. The recipes sound good, but might make the average dieter wonder if they are really going to help them lose weight by eating Fried Potatoes, French Bread with Dipping Oil, or making things to dip into chocolate.

The Feel Good Diet book was an interesting book to read but I'm not sure if this is the kind of diet I would want to do. One of the main aspects of the diet is drinking apple cider vinegar mixed into water, before every meal. I was hoping for more of a diet plan instead of a list of specific foods to eat. The small section dealing with exercising was helpful.

Mostly, this book deals with how serotonin affects you and your weight. I know a lot more about serotonin now than I ever did before, but I really didn't learn much about how to lose weight. Overall the book is well written and interesting, but may be the perfect diet for only a select few people.

Armchair Interviews says: Decide if this kind of diet is right for you.

The Feel Good Diet by Hart MD and Grossman RD

by Dr. Joseph S. Maresca PhD

Overall, the book is well-researched. The findings make sense. There are good references cited from authoritative journals; namely,

- American J of Physiology

- Nutrition and American J of Clinical Nutrition

- European J of Pharmacology and Endocrinology

- J of Psychosomatic Research

- J of the American Dietetic Association

- J of Affective Disorders and J of Transmissions - Brain Research

- Exercise and Sports Science Reviews and many others

In the authors' next book, I would include some citations from The Lancet.

The book claims to assist in crafting a personal diet regimen that boosts serotonin,improves mood and maintains the weight loss into the future. Serotonin improves well being, controls cravings and contributes materially to the sense of well being.

The authors describe how serotonin is made via minerals and cofactor vitamins. Certain habits and foods contribute toward a neurotransmitter deficiency by the authors. These aspects include smoking, drinking, sugar, starch, chocolate,tobacco and carbs by late afternoon or evening. The thyroid and testosterone are the hormones of the metabolism. Testosterone can be measured via saliva or blood testing. DHEA or medications can be taken orally to increase the production of testosterone according to the authors. Calcium in the carbonate form is the preferred vitamin for weight loss together with stress control.

Plain or low fat yogurt has the highest calcium (Ca.) content according to

the authors. The low insulin spike foods are meats (low fat) , fish, poultry, eggs,low fat/sugar dairy, legumes, dried beans, nuts and seeds. There is an extensive section on sample foods. Omega 3 and 6 are the preferred "good fats". Super pH water is known to boost metabolism. More sample recipes are listed in Chapter 14.

After having had numerous medical encounters, I consolidated the advice of several physicians and my personal experience into a food/lifestyle profile which has helped me. This includes the following:

o frequent exercise (cardio and cycling)

o control over late day eating or eating after 8 PM

o bottled water, tea, caffeine-free coffee, occasional diet soda, low alcohol content white or red wine AS GOOD SUBSTITUTES for canned soda,

coffee with caffeine, higher content alcohol (> 10%)

o plantains, nuts and seeds as a substitute for potato chips and pop corn

o low triglyceride restaurant foods

o control over gluten consumption

o less protein to control proteinuria and protect the kidneys

o sugar free candies as a substitute for candy bars of all kinds and snack cravings

This regimen (by my own personal experience ) will take off 20-30 pounds permanently and improve blood chemistry in the area of glucose control, the SED RATE, the triglyceride totals and several other blood factors. It will help with the micro-crystalline measurements done by the Endocrinologist for pre-diabetic states. Long term application may help with the more chronic forms of progressive diabetes , pancreatic damage and

chronic diverticulitis which impacts everyone incrementally after age 40.

The book is recommended highly for anyone beginning the process of life-long weight management and/or more healthful eating. The acquisition is priced reasonably.

The authors take the yo-yo weight loss and weight gain syndrome out of the equation with a comprehensive look at hormone related stress factors and weight gain on the reader's body. With detailed explanation on why this occurs and how to prevent weight gain from repeating by balancing out your diet with proper foods.
The Feel Good Diet teaches the reader how to improve eating habits for a healthier, well balance eating lifestyle.

Exceptional with good information that is useful and sensible and easy to follow, along with good recipes.