Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food [Paperback]

Judith Wurtman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 1988

Revolutionary and scientifically sound news about the food/mind/moodresponse from a renowned M.I.T. scientist who explains how to enhancedaily performance dramatically through dietIn this breakthrough book, Dr. Judith Wurtman explains how what we eat and when we eat it affects our moods, minds, and lives. Translating her findings into practical programs, she reveals what foods can prevent afternoon slumps; increase productivity; help us carry on with activities after work or work through the night, calm stress and anxiety; and aid sleep. At the heart of the book are her guidelines about how carbohydrates and proteins interact in the body, and how to use this knowledge to set your own food/mood clock. In addition, Dr. Wurtman shatters many of the common myths about food, showing how to take advantage of caffeine, sugar, and carbohydrate snacks to increase productivity, and includes a test used at M.I.T which enables readers to explore their own food/mind/mood response. This book shows you how to eat to:Beat stress and fatigue at workHave a faster, more focused mindAvoid mood swings that lead to erratic, out-of-control eatingSet your own food/mood clock to perform at your peakBoost energy for morning, afternoon, or evening activitiesStay alert through marathon meetings or long eveningsFly through time zones and arrive feeling first-rate by using revolutionary anti-jet lag tactics...and much more

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The brain has three neurotransmitterschemicals that pass on bits of information through electrical impulsesthat it manufactures from components of foods we eat. Two, dopamine and norepinephrine, are alertness chemicals that make us feel more attentive and mentally energetic. The third, serotonin, is a calming chemical that eases tension and stress, and enhances concentration. Wurtman, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's department of applied biology, has written an interesting, well-organized book that explains which foods will produce the amino acids necessary to make these chemicals, and how to combine and schedule meals to relieve stress and achieve maximum concentration and alertness. The book includes the test used at MIT, which will enable readers to explore their own food/mind/mood responses. The work is not intended as a weight-loss diet (though Wurtman is the author of The Carbohydrates Craver's Diet and Eating Your Way Through Life, but since fats are discouraged and sensible amounts of proteins and carbohydrates are advised, a reader who follows the book's suggestions may lose weight as well. (November
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Dr. Judith Wurtman, an M.I.T. research scientist and author of the bestselling Carbohydrate Craver's Diet and Eating Your Way Through Life, has appeared on more than 200 radio and TV shows and is quoted regularly in The New York Times and other print media as an authority on nutritional subjects.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (January 26, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006097138X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060971380
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very useful advice, but the book repeats itself endlessly, December 30, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food (Paperback)

this will have to be short, or i will be guilty of the same sin of which i accuse Wurtman. The advice that Wurtman provides is easy to follow, tremendously useful, and broadly applicable: it has not failed yet with anyone to whom i have offered the advice. i question whether it is the order or the proportions of the foods that Wurtman suggests to be eaten, but the end results are indisputable. my only beef (pun intended...) is that the author could make the same points in a book of less than half the length

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Tool to Harness Your Bio-Chemistry, June 22, 2000

By 

PBKider "pbkider" (Milford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food (Paperback)

Need to be more sharp before a speech or meeting? Doing the overnight shift or an "allnighter" in school? This book will give you some great information on how to harness your bio-chemistry to work for you, by using small amounts of food. Facinating information to try. I think this is invaluable for someone looking into doing some fine tuning in their daily lives. I would only caution though, that this should not be followed "like a bible" but read to experiment. As the author states, it takes some patience to find the right food and amount. But used like that, this book can be a unique tool that I have not found anywhere else.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars good book shocking condition, November 12, 2009

By 

Millroy (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food (Paperback)

This much loved book arrived in appalling condition with multiple underlinings and dog eared pages. Its condition was not as described and should cause serious concern. I will not buy another product from this seller.