Customer Reviews

When Your Body Gets the Blues: The Clinically Proven Program for Women Who Feel Tired, Stressed, and Eat Too Much!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the privilege of attending a Body Blues workshop given by Brown and Robinson, the authors of this book. When I left the workshop, I felt better already. Having read "When Your Body Gets the Blues," several things stand out about this program:

1) It makes sense.
2) It's "do-able." (I haven't found anyone yet--no matter how busy they are--who can tell me with a straight face that they can't fit this program into their lives.)
3) It works. It's a joy to banish those bouts of "fuzzy thinking" that leave you wondering if you're losing it.

I'm fifty, and many of my friends and coworkers (some of them much younger!) have the symptoms of "the body blues." In fact, it seems that maybe 25% of my female friends DON'T have the body blues. I sent a copy of this book to one of them. She read the first chapter and said "I see why you thought I needed this. This is me!" This book is now #1 on my list of birthday presents for female friends (and the men who love them?)

I wanted to add a word about the previous reviewer's concern that the authors were hyping "their" miracle vitamin pill. One of the things that impressed me about the authors at their workshop was their integrity, and I feel obligated to set the record straight.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that Brown and Robinson's study was called the LEVITY (Light, Exercise and Vitamin Intervention TherapY) program. For their study they asked a company to produce a supplement that contained six specific vitamins and minerals in an easily swallowed tablet; these same tablets can now be purchased in stores and is called the LEVITY(TM) Mood-Elevating Formula. The authors, who understand how important it is that the program be easy to follow, recommend this product for its convenience. However, as they point out clearly to their readers, neither author benefits from the sale of these supplements. In fact, the six vitamins and minerals are all common substances and readily available, and Brown & Robinson provide readers with all the information they need to put this formula together on their own.

I was very pleased to find out that someone has looked at women's health in a holistic fashion. The authors have done their homework and integrated information about exercise, light therapy and vitamin therapy so solve a problem that is pervasive and brings together a whole constellation of symptoms of malaise.

The Body Blues book not only is easy to read, but it is based on real verified science-- something one rarely sees in the self-help category. As a scientist myself I especially appreciate this.

With the exception of vitamins (which can be bought at any drugstore), all the authors' recommendations can be followed at no cost to the individual. This makes it even more surprizing that the authors have refused to sell or be involved in the sale of the vitamins they recommend.

Not only holistic thinkers, but public-minded too. A breath of fresh air.

Being a 33 year-old, divorced professional who is 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds, I am the quintessential "AVERAGE" American woman. This book was a huge success for me. I calculated my "Mood and Symptom Inventory" score over the past 6 weeks. Here's the breakdown:
Week 1: 24.5
Week 2: 35
Week 3: 39
Week 4: 35.5
Week 5: 41.5
Week 6: 45
The higher your score, the better you feel. Pretty amazing, eh? I was so tickled that I wanted to share it with you. Jo (one of the authors) sent me the downloadable Daily Journal which has been a huge help. Oh, and I, like so many others have lost 5 pounds without even trying.

This book is a rarity - science-based,yet easy to read, and loaded with helpful examples. Dr. Brown, the author, writes with compassion, and enthusiasm, sharing some of her own experiences with the program she and Jo Robinson devised. It made me wonder how many women might have been misdiagnosed as clinically depressed, and medicated, when only their BODIES were "blue". This is a cheerful, inexpensive, and eminently do-able program that makes sense and works. I received a number of inquiries from friends who'd seen my copy of the book, so it's making the rounds now!

One of the things I love about this book is that it makes good common sense. Our bodies need to move; they need sunshine. Staying sedentary and closeted will leave "our bodies feeling blue". The abundance of research in the book supporting the importance of exercise, nutrition and sunlight reminds us what we intuitively know: that most of us can make a difference in how we feel. We simply have to work a bit at it. Gratefully, Robinson and Brown make the "working at it" very do-able, and even enjoyable. Their approach is empowering and effective.
The one existing reviewer of this book seems to have missed the point that the authors say clearly that they do not benefit from the sale of Levity vitamins. Additionally, they encourage readers to simply supplement the individual vitamins they may currently be taking with those that have been shown to be associated with improved mood. This is another example of their down-to-earth approach.
As a psychologist, I have been recommending this book to my clients and they are already reporting significant changes. As for me, I'm looking for ways to move my exercise outdoors, to grab that extra walk at noontime, and, yes, take my vitamins.

I am a nurse practitioner with a PhD and clinical research background. I work daily with chronically ill women, many of whom are just feeling 'down' by the demands of life and their illness. Most have limited resources for extra frills or fads, or health clubs or the latest spandex, cute workout clothes. This book is great! First of all, it has the best of the science to support the easy to follow plan, and secondly, it supports two of the critical components to staying well - good nutrition and 20 to 30 minutes of planned activity (walking) each day. The addition of bringing more light into daily living, is a bonus.

At first I thought the vitamins had to be the LEVITY vitamins, but this isn't true, and the authors emphasize that over the counter brands can offer the six vitamins found to be essential to helping elevate mood. No where in the book did I get the message that I had to buy LEVITY products in order to get the desired outcome, and that is great because it means that ordinary, not so well off folks can walk (free), get more light (free), and take a good multivitamin. They even explain how to read the vitamin bottle labels to make sure you are getting what is needed.

I want to thank the authors for this book.... it is a commonsense approach to self-care essentials and it's targeted to improving overall mood. It does not claim to 'fix' life's problems, just to aid in helping women feel better and hopefully cope better.

I am using this in my current clinical practice... just love it!

Designed to help women with the issues of depressed mood, anxiety, sleep disruption, fatigue, and wieght management, this book offers clinically proven interventions which can truly make a difference in the lives of thouseands if not millions of women. The authors have taken sound clinical research results and translated them into practical guidelines. By providing simple self assessments and step by step solutions, Body Blues empowers women to take control of their health. The challenges of changing behavior are significant. Brown and Robinson have distilled the process of how to follow the LEVITY program with detailed instructions and helpful hints. In addition, the quotes from study participants and the questions and answers at the end of the chapters make the book come alive. Reading it is like talking with a wise and good friend. As a nurse practitioner and an educator, I am recommending this book to women of all ages.

...After reading this book I know we can offer more choices and options for our needed patients. The material is sound and it falls into line with healthy eating, and positive exercise, using more light is the same concept we have been offering to patients for a some time now.
My only negative feedback about this book is they do not offer any assistance with light therapy products and devices, or locations to purchase them...
I think the authors did a great job with the book. I feel strongly enough about this book, I recommend it to the patients at our hospital for review to help in their recovery.

I bought this book the minute I heard about it and I've been on the program for the past month. I'd been feeling horrible for quite some time -- years, really. And, I'm thrilled to report that the LEVITY program works like a charm. I've got more energy, I'm losing weight and, most significantly, the cloud of emotional malaise that had pretty much engulfed me, has lifted.

A great, great book.

After hearing some buzz about this book, I decided to put it on my lists of books I'm reading to try and figure out whether there's any medical reason I gained 20 pounds in a year. I can not testify yet to any benefits of the program I've experienced, as I just finished reading it last night. I do not consider myself to have a mood disorder. But I do get pretty irritable at a certain point in my cycle. When I saw the authors' graphs illustrating the influence of estrogen on serotonin levels throughout the cycle, I definitely had a "Wow! That's me!" moment.

I noticed a reviewer displeased that this book was too basic. Well, it is basic. It really does boil down to get enough light, get a little exercise, and take an inexpensive supplement. This will probably not go far in helping me shed my excess pounds, but the authors never claimed that the LEVITY program leads to rapid weight loss. In fact, they make a point of stating that it won't. What it can do is help you balance things out so that you're not turning to mid-afternoon munchies to try and keep your emotions on an even keel. It's basic, yes. But if it's basic, why not do it? You can always exercise more.

I appreciated the fact that the book was well-researched and well-documented. It was not overly-scientific to my taste. I would really encourage any woman to be familiar with the content of this book and act on its simple recommendations.