The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Rebalance Your Emotional Chemistry and Rediscover Your Natural Sense of Well-Being (Hardcover)

by Julia Ross (Author)
Key Phrases: special repair supplements, nutritional rehab, master supplement plan, New York, Resource Tool Kit, Adrenal Tool Kit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Ross, author of The Diet Cure, here offers a prescriptive plan designed to relieve a variety of ailments from seasonal disorders, stress, irritability and depression. Ross believes that many of these annoying and, in some cases, severely disabling disorders can be relieved through a change in diet and nutritional supplements. Readers are asked to first determine which of four "false moods" they suffer from: a dark cloud, blahs, stress or too much sensitivity. The survey is simple and the questions will immediately resonate with readers: for example, someone who is suffering from the blahs is likely to have difficulty focusing or require a great deal of sleep. Armed with their survey scores, readers can then turn to the appropriate chapter to learn which diets and supplements will be most helpful.Particularly reassuring are the author's detailed explanations of why she advises a particular strategy. While Ross is an advocate for nutritional supplements, she provides a sound overview for all her recommendations.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
...a remarkably comprehensive guide to improving and maintaining a more positive and joyous frame of mind. -- Christine Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and The Wisdom of Menopause

Julia Ross has written another innovative and wonderfully practical book to help people who suffer from mood disorders. -- Daniel G. Amen, M.D., author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Healing the Hardware of the Soul

The best book on the subject in years! -- Richard Shames, M.D., and Karilee H. Shames, Ph.D., RN, authors of Thyroid Power: 10 Steps to Total Health

This book can empower you to take control of your own emotional life. -- Bill O'Hanlon, author of Do One Thing Different

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (October 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670030694
• ISBN-13: 978-0670030699
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #290,847 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skeptic Becomes Scientist Becomes Convert, January 7, 2005

By	Jean L. Lukens - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a total skeptic. I've been a successful psychotherapist for 25 years. I've had mood difficulties my entire life and have consumed the usual therapies, medications and hormone replacement therapies and remedies without a "cure". What was most helpful about this book was the distinction Ross invites you to make between emotions caused by real events and thoughts versus "false moods" that are physiological states. Psychotherapy doesn't help correct physiological imbalances as efficiently as seeking a physiological remedy. Next, with a simple quiz, she divides these mood states into four basic catagories and invites you to locate yourself into a catagory or two based upon the prevalance of certain symptoms. So far, this is like a detective story with you and your symptoms as the main focus. The plot thickens: She educates you about the nature of the physical imbalance implied by your answers and explains the action of the recommended nutritional supplements aimed at your specific hypothetical problem. She tells you how to know by your response whether it is working and how to recognize when you've gone too far and should stop the intervention. Well, I was desperate. I decided to follow her regimen to the letter. Surprise! Her predictions were absolutely true to my own responses. If she says you can feel a supplement start to work in 10 minutes, then that is what it does. If she saya it takes months, then it does. BUT IT WORKED for me. It is 18 months since I first followed her advice and after a year or more of no supplements, some symptoms began to return. I'm not kidding when I tell you that the results are just as dramatic this time. I'm sold on her advice. One important result of reading this book is that I've learned to differentiate between when I am having a physical problem and when it is an emotional problem. Once you know this, you are more adept at choosing whether to seek psychotherapy, nutritional therapy, or hormonal therapy to address your psychological symptoms. No kidding, this book has set the ground work for me to have a similar quality of life in my post menopausal years as I had as a healthy young person. It restores hope because it applies logic and science. Another helpful thing she said that seems obvious in retrospect is that the "minimal daily requirements" are just that: Minimal to Prevent Symptoms of Disease. Think about it. These guidelines do not spell out "Optimal Daily Requirements" for good health. One note of caution: If you follow her advise too haphazardly or don't stick to the regimen, you will have less than a dramatic response and you will quickly relapse. Really do it. Take the so called "megadoses" for a month or two, while observing the safety precautions she spells-out and you will be amazed. I was. My body told me that I was on the right track almost right away so my initial misgivings about taking supplements were quickly allayed by the obvious better energy and health I was achieving. When I began, I had been so exhausted that for many years, even mild exercise left me feeling wiped out. Now, I am very active again, my depression and anxiety is minimal and I am now rebuilding my physical fitness. I did check out the assertions she makes with other articles in her subject areas, and although I am a lay person, her advise does appear to check out with mainstream research. Good luck! I've reread this book 5-6 times and am still consulting it.

148 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to believe, but it works!, January 21, 2003

By A Customer

The Mood Cure works! I've been on and off antidepressants for 5 or more years now. Most recently, I was taking Wellbutrin (300mg/day) and klonopin as needed to sleep. My husband and I were watching a spiritual infomerical about amino acid therapy one morning and he (the skeptic) made it his mission to "cure" me. He searched the internet and decided on "The Mood Cure," had to go out and buy it and the amino's that day! I went off of the pharmaceuticals cold turkey and after about a week and half of withdrawal and/or adaptation to amino therapy, my constant state of depression and anxiety miraculously dissipated. It's been two months now and the first month was filled with ENORMOUS turmoil and stress due to our life circumstances, not drug withdrawal or starting a new regime, and I have to say my overall state of calm and contentment have prevailed 99% of the time. Okay, things still get edgy around PMS time, but not nearly as depilitating!

If you are depressed, anxiety ridden, addiction ruled, even just not yourself, I highly recommend trying amino acid therapy. It's natural and given the american diet of today, you probably are deficient and the amino's can't hurt. And...if you've tried the full spectrum of popular antidepressants commonly prescribed, and don't like the endless and life interfering side effects, amino acid therapy may be your 'prescription' of choice. The only draw back to it is that amino acids aren't covered by your prescription drug plan so you may be shelling out more cash each month to maintain your mental health. However, according to 'The Mood Cure' after several months, maybe a year, of amino acid therapy your body will be back in balance and you'll be able to stop taking them!

Overall, my state of being is 100% improved over what it even was on antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills. This isn't to say I am 100% cured,but I am 100% improved.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mood Cure, March 20, 2003

By A Customer

This is a wonderful book! I highly recommend it along with "The Omega-3 Connection" by Dr. Andrew Stoll.
I have been through 3 severe clinical depressions in my life.I did the round of doctors, counselors and psychiatrists. I've been put on different types of medications until the doctors figured out which ones would help me. This, in my opinion, is sort of being like a guinea pig. They truly don't know you and your chemistry.
I've been fortunate enough to have never been hospitalized, but believe me, there were times I wish they would just lock me away or that God would end my suffering.
This book has a wealth of information on how our brain and body chemistry works.
I've been on this program for three weeks now and I'm off my antidepresant and anti-anxiety medication and feel great! I know I've finally found the right road to recovery!