The Serotonin Power Diet

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The Serotonin Power Diet

Reverse weight gain due to antidepressant use and emotional overeating. The Serotonin Power Diet is Carbs are the key component to appetite control! by Judith J.

Serotonin is the 'feel good' neurotransmitter that helps control your appetite and boost your mood. Stop by the website to buy the book, www.serotoninpowerdiet.com. Our story is your story. We know how hard it is to struggle with weight loss, especially when you are stressed out, overwhelmed and fighting against seemingly uncontrollable food cravings. You want to feel energetic, healthy, and feel good about the way you look. Yet, a combination of your emotions, brain chemistry, and/or medication is making it really hard for you to lose weight. You fear that if you gain more weight or don’t get control over your eating, you will reach a point of no return. That’s where we come in. The Serotonin Power Diet can help you regain control of your eating, which will not only lead to weight loss, but will increase your mental energy and improve your mood. This is not just our opinion. In fact, it was research conducted at M.I.T. Wurtman, PhD, that led to the discovery that eating carb snacks at strategic times during the day led to an increase in serotonin in the brain, which helped participants manage cravings, and feel happier and more energetic. Dr. Wurtman worked with Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, to create The Serotonin Power Diet, to help the millions of people battling emotional eating and medication-related weight gain. You deserve to experience relief from cravings, a sense of calm and actual weight loss, with our expert guidance and support. Get started now! We are available for one-on-one consults and coaching which you can book on our web site. We welcome you and wish you all of the success you're looking for.

11/22/2023

Envisioning what a successful holiday looks like for you will help you actually make it happen. For example, for Thanksgiving, you might aim for: 1) eating only to the point of feeling 80% full, 2) learning something new about everyone you’re spending time with, and 3) planning a game or outdoor activity you’ll plan either for yourself or with others.

The key then is to tap into how you’ll feel as a result. For example: 1) respectful of my body by not overeating, 2) greater connection with others by being curious, 3) a sense of anticipatory excitement and fun in doing something I enjoy.
Taking a moment to plan is a small investment for a big payoff.

And don’t forget to build in down time as needed for self-restoration and gratitude.

Speaking of gratitude, we are so grateful to all of you for your involvement in The Serotonin Power Diet community and the inspiration your afford us. Here’s to a very happy Thanksgiving!

Judy & Nina

11/21/2023

Good quality of sleep is supportive of weight loss as well as insulin sensitivity, daytime productivity, good mood. And how you sleep can also impact your longevity: It turns out that the regularity of your sleep is more important than how many hours at a time you sleep when it comes to reducing the risk of all-cause mortality according to a recent article published in Sleep 2023 Sep 21:zsad253 by Windred et al.

Bottom line: sticking to a set bedtime and wake up time can be good for your lifespan - and for your overall health as well.
And do aim for at least 7 hours a night! Zzzz...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37738616/

09/01/2023

As fall approaches, it's a great time to clean out your kitchen. Unhealthy food products have a negative health impact and can not only prevent weight loss, but can also increase your risk for weight gain.

Take a look in your pantry, fridge, and freezer and read ingredient labels. Toss out as many items as you can part with that contain:

1. Added sugars (including dextrose, cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maltose, etc.) - sugars lurk in sauces, prepared meals, dressing, etc.
2. Added chemicals such as sodium nitrite, monosodium glutamate, trans fats & hydrogenated oil, artificial food coloring such as Red Dye No.3 and any other ingredient you don't recognize as an actual food.
3. Emulsifiers like lecithin, mono- and di-glyderides, polysorbates, carrageenan, xantham gum, guar gum, and other gums.

Support your health and weight loss goals with healthy food!

11/03/2022

Blanching broccoli and other vegetables is a great way to lock in flavor, color, and crunchy texture. We encourage you to try this recipe either with broccoli or broccoli rabe - it's nutritious and delicious.

Enjoy!

10/31/2022

The perfect after-dinner-clean-up kitchen is this: not because it's spotless, spacious, and high end...but because you are not in it nibbling and munching on leftovers and whatever snacks and treats you find in your cabinets.

One of my own struggles, and my clients often face, is that dinnertime sometimes morphs into eating while cleaning up and even after that.

It's only a problem, though, if you are trying to follow a plan of deciding ahead of time what you're going to eat, both in terms of amounts and the specific foods, for health or weight loss purposes.

My weight creeps up if and when I do this sort of mindless eating. The point is not to punish yourself with unrealistic limitations on your eating. The point is to enjoy what you're eating, enjoy the meal time, and when it's over, bring it to a close and move on to the next thing in your day.

For me, and most of my clients, getting out of the kitchen is key, whether to read or watch a movie, go for a walk, hang out with your kids, or practice guitar (which is what I've been doing lately,) or even leaving the clean up for another family member or for the next day.

Notice your after-dinner habits, check in with your long term goals, and see what works for you - without judgement or punishment.

And honor the end of dinnertime by planning something you're looking forward to doing after dinner - what is that for you? I'd love to hear!

10/18/2022

Does making healthy, flavorful, easy salad dressing get any easier? You can whisk this together with fresh lemon juice, minced garlic or garlic powder, and fresh or dried parley for a tasty tahini dressing. Best thing: no mess given the squeeze bottle.

Or you can also just throw arugula, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pre-sliced mushrooms, chopped purple onions, plus drained & rinsed chickpeas, leftover chicken, or drained tuna or other canned fish together in a big bowl, squeeze harissa tahini on top, and toss.

Voilà! Lunch is served :-)
Use 1 Tablespoon of tahini per serving: you can use up to a Tablespoon or one ounce of added fat on top of the meal guidelines per day.

If you can't find this or other flavored squeeze bottle tahini at your local market, it's available on amazon and other online vendors.

10/12/2022

When thinking of which carb to make for dinner, think of root vegetables: they can help boost your serotonin and can also help you feel more grounded.

While fall brings new beginnings such as the start of the school year, it's also time of settling down from the bright days of summer so often filled with the excitement of friends, family, and travel.

Eating vegetables from the earth, as emphasized in Ayurvedic and other culinary traditions, can increase our connection to the ground that supports and nourishes us.

Think beyond white potatoes and try sweet potatoes (orange, white, and purple varieties if you can find them), turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, and celeriac. Asian and other ethnic markets sell additional root vegetables you can experiment with. All are packed with nutrients and flavor, and they offer a substantial component to meals.

Many supermarkets, fall farmers markets, and CSA boxes are filled with root vegetables and the good news is that they keep in the fridge or a cool spot in the house for weeks or months. Plus they're usually very inexpensive.

Try them roasted, sautéed, boiled, or in soups and stews.

Root vegetables can be an added comforting way to experience the fall in addition to other serotonin-boosting foods - enjoy!

10/06/2022

This is a question we get often from clients and readers. The answer: it depends.

We'd love to hear what you think!

Food should be tasty enough that you will eat it - and not resent the fact that you're eating something you might not love.

Of course food brings pleasure to the taste buds and other mouth sensations including the sounds of chewing and textures. It's wonderful to enjoy those aspects.

Please remember the bigger picture pleasures of food that truly nourishes your body and supports your health and weight loss goals. Maybe think of it as delayed gratification if you're reluctantly eating chickpeas, kale and other leafy greens, and chicken or fish without processed sauces.

Embrace pleasures that include the company with whom you're eating, the visual and olfactory qualities, and the connection to the food production and preparation.

Food does not have to be purely functional or purely indulgent.

Eating is what you make it: aim for a balance between short term (taste) and long term (health and wellness) so that your diet is sustainable and gets you the big picture results you're aiming for.

Bon appetit!

09/13/2022

What’s a good way to incorporate red cabbage into your diet? Perhaps best known as a topping for fish tacos, you can also pickle, roast, steam, or sauté it. Or include it in soups and stews.

A great way is to shred it with a hand held grater and incorporate it into stir-fries and in my salads: it adds vibrant color and substance to both.

Red cabbage is packed with vitamins & minerals. It has beneficial anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immune properties. Plus it’s high in fiber which can help your digestion and keep you feeling full which, in addition to it being a low calorie food, can support weight loss.

As with other cruciferous vegetables, cooking cabbage can make it easier to digest. To keep the vibrant red-purple color when cooking, try adding a splash of apple cider vinegar.

I’d love to hear your favorite ways to enjoy red cabbage!

09/07/2022

Are you drinking enough water these days? Fresh lemon or lime juice is refreshing and can make hydrating more enticing., If slicing and squeezing is unrealistic for you, bottled citrus juice is a great option. Santa Cruz lime juice is my “go to” but there are alternatives - aim for those with minimal additives.

Hydration is especially important for those of you living in cities with record high temperatures we’re hearing about in the news these days. And for all of us, adequate fluid intake is crucial for many reasons including:

- Weight management and exercise performance
- Ensuring proper function of all organ systems including joint, cardiovascular, and intestinal systems (and who doesn't want to be regular, right?)
- Cognition and mood

By the time you actually feel thirsty, your body may already be dehydrated so it’s important to drink preventatively. And yes, all fluids, including coffee and tea, count as hydration.

How much should you drink? The best indicator of adequate hydration is that your urine is somewhere between a light straw color and honey, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Cheers! 🥤

09/01/2022

Overeating due to change and stress, easy soups including those you puree, and the health benefits of resistance training are topics we address in this month's newsletter:

https://view.flodesk.com/emails/630e4147ad0833baef648a82

If you'd like to receive practical tips on how to be as successful as possible on the diet as well as how to care for yourself, body, relationships, surroundings, and the fun in your life, we invite you to sign up so you can stay in the loop. Either send us a message here or at hello @ serotoninpowerdiet.com with your preferred email address.

Here's to feeling and looking your best!

08/25/2022

Have you discovered nutritional yeast to enhance your eating? "Nooch" as it is sometimes known is a high protein, nutrient-packed, fat free, inexpensive, umami-enchancing, versatile addition to salads, in homemade salad dressing, beans, grains, pasta, fish, poultry, meat, and soups including as a stew or soup thickener. Think of it for anything you would otherwise sprinkle parmesan cheese on as a flavor enhancement to add variety to your eating. Since you can use it a Tablespoon or 2 at a time, you don't need to take the protein quantities into account if you're using it with carb portions.

Nutritional yeast is inactivated yeast loaded with vitamins, including vitamin B-12 which is good news for vegetarians, and minerals plus it's a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids your body needs.

A fun way to try it out is to make a delicious, serotonin-boosting popcorn snack: put 2.5 Tablespoons of popcorn kernels in small brown bag, fold the top down a couple of times, and cook in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes listening carefully to when the kernels start popping in intervals longer than 2 seconds, otherwise you risk burning the corn. Place kernels in a bowl and toss with 1 Tablespoons of nooch. For a savory snack, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and cumin, OR for a sweet touch, sprinkle with cocoa powder and cinnamon.

And do try it on some of your favorite foods - I'd love to hear some of your ideas and experience with it. Enjoy!

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Our Story

Our story is your story. We know how hard it is to struggle with weight loss, especially when you are stressed out, overwhelmed and fighting against seemingly uncontrollable food cravings.

You want to feel energetic, healthy, and feel good about the way you look. Yet, a combination of your emotions, brain chemistry, and/or medication is making it really hard for you to lose weight. You fear that if you gain more weight or don’t get control over your eating, you will reach a point of no return.

That’s where we come in. The Serotonin Power Diet can help you regain control of your eating, which will not only lead to weight loss, but will increase your mental energy and improve your mood.

This is not just our opinion. In fact, it was research conducted at M.I.T. by Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, that led to the discovery that eating carb snacks at strategic times during the day led to an increase in serotonin in the brain, which helped participants manage cravings, and feel happier and more energetic. Dr. Wurtman worked with Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, to create The Serotonin Power Diet, to help the millions of people battling emotional eating and medication-related weight gain.