Serotonin Power Diet -- week 1 and 2

Thank you Christine aka Cricket for sharing the book

Welcome to the Serotonin Power Diet Team. Below are some important facts about the nutrition plan. I strongly suggest that you purchase the book or borrow the book from your local library.

(1) What the Serotonin Power Diet is?
(2) Nutrition Plan for Phase 1
(3) List of Healthy Snacks


Good luck to all!!! Wish you all the luck on your goals. Please let me know how you want me to help you. I am there for all of you.

BTW: Please do not forget to work out, at least 30 minutes a day. Or at least walk an additional 5,000 steps. 5,000 is the normal walking steps of an individual, we add another 5,000 steps so our daily goal is 10,000 for now.

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The easiest way to lose weight is to use your brain.
Here's why: The brain contains the switch that turns your appetite on and off.

Serotonin, called the satiety or satisfaction chemical, is the brain chemical that turns off your eating. To lose weight you have to know how to activate the "off button'" before you either overeat or chose foods that are not on your diet. Our book will show you how to boost serotonin to stop overeating, to quiet food cravings, and to experience feelings of satisfaction and comfort.

You don't need to take medication or herbs or special supplements to boost serotonin. All you need to do is follow the simple meal and snack plan in The Serotonin Power Diet and your brain will produce more serotonin. And within hours of following the food plan, you will find yourself feeling full, even after eating diet-size portions of meals. Your cravings will disappear. And for an added bonus, your mood will be better. You'll get this extra benefit because serotonin is also the "good mood" brain chemical.

Nature gave us a simple way to control our eating and balance our mood just by eating the right foods. During our years of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we discovered the connection between eating, emotions and serotonin. By using your brain's natural chemistry, you can:

Turn off appetite by triggering more serotonin before meals

Stop the universal carbohydrate craving in the late afternoon by triggering more serotonin before the cravings begin

Prevent emotional overeating by triggering serotonin during those stressful times

End the overeating that comes with the use of antidepressants by making the brain produce more serotonin.

Serotonin Surge - 2 weeks to increase our serotonin.

Breakfast: Protein, carb and fruit or fruit juice

Snack: 1 hour before lunch (see thread on Snack)

Lunch: protein and vegetables

Snack: 3 to 4 hours after lunch

Dinner: Carbohydrates (NO PROTEIN) and vegetables

Snack: 3 to 4 hours after dinner

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SUMMARY OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS: SEROTONIN SURGE
It is particularly important for dieters who have either avoided or minimized their carbohydrates intake to stay on this first phase for the entire 2 weeks. The same is true for those on anti-depressants. The goal is to make you aware that your brain and not your stomach can shut off your eating (page 75 of the book).

Summary: The amount of protein consumed at lunch is highest during the first phase of the Serotonin Power Diet because no protein is included during dinner. Lunch provides you with most of the protein that you must eat every day. Don't skimp on it. If you can't or won't eat vegetables at lunch, have a serving of fruit instead.

Dinner consists of complex carbs (pasta, rice, beans or polenta) and vegetable.

If you do not feel like eating anything after dinner, skip the third snack. page 80

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Page 76 to 79
Breakfast - (stays the same forever)
one serving of protein ( example: 1 large egg or ham, very lean 2 slices, Milk 1% 1 cup, yogurt 1 cup)

Carbohydrates ( bread 1 regular or 2 diet slices, cereals, 3/4 cup, crackers, whole grain 4 pcs, english muffin 1 regular, hash brown potatoes, low-fat 1/2 cup, hot cereal 3/4, pan cake, toaster, fat free 2, waffle round, fat-free 1)

Fruit - one fruit a day.

1st SNACK - an hour before lunch (see thread about snack)

LUNCH:
Fish/meat/pork/poultry/seafood - 4 ounces or deli meat low fat - 3 slices or salmon and tuna frozen patties 1, tuna or salmon canned 6-ounce can.

Vegetable: any combination of vegetables unlimited. Or carrots and beets (limit to 2 cups)

2nd Snack - 3 to 4 hours after lunch

DINNER:
The Serotonin Surge dinner is a complex carbohydrate and vegetable meal with whatever low-fat or fat free ingredients you wish to add during preparation. The servings may seem too large for a diet, BUT REMEMBER that the carbohydrate is the main dish. The portions are calculated to make sure you feel satisfied. If you want to taste a protein dish served to others take a bite or two. More will interfere with serotonin production. However, beef, chicken or fish stock or soup can be used as the cooking or flavor base of your food. Their content is much too small to affect serotonin synthesis. Also do not hesitate to mix carbohydrates together.

Basic grains and legumes, cooked 1 1/2 cups
Bread (1 ounce/ slice) 4 slices
Corn niblets 2 cups
Corn on the cob 4 medium
Corn tortilla 6 inches or 1 ounce 4
Potato, sweet or white (raw weight) 12 ounces
winter squash 4 cups

Vegetable is the same as lunch portion

3rd Snack: 3 to 4 hours after dinner
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SNACKS:
30 to 40m grams of sweet, starchy or a combination of sweet and starchy carbs:

Biscotti, low fat
Bread Sticks
Breakfast Cereal
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
English Muffin, whole wheat
Fig Newtons, fat-free
Granola Bars
Hot Chocolate - Fat Free
Jacobsen's Snack Toast
Marshmallows
Matzo, white or whole wheat
Mini meringues, fat free
Oyster Crackers
Pilot biscuits
Pita bread, small
Pop Corn Air pooped
Pretzels
Rice cakes, crackers and snacks
Saltines
Soda Crackers
Tea biscuits
The alternative bagel
Toaster Waffles

Phase 3 Serotonin Control you can add:
Fat Free frozen yogurt or ice cream with fat-free butter scotch or hot fudge sauce

Fat-free candy, licorice, mixed-fruits and other low fat sweets
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The question is: If the women are not satisfied with their portions what do they need to do?

If they are always hungry and they are women, I would suggest telling them to follow the men’s portions and dropping back down to the women’s portions one meal at a time until they don’t feel too hungry.

Again, for women, if the hunger is only at certain times of the day, have men’s portions for the meal that comes before the period they are generally hungry.

Have an extra snack (men and women)

Focus on bulk: choose high fiber foods (whole grains) and eat lots of vegetables (more than 2 cups is fine) at any time of the day even if it’s not mealtime (cooked ones are easier to stomach).

Try hot water with lemon juice as it’s soothing and refreshing – other warm liquids can help, too.

As long as they are not already adding oils or fats in the form of salad dressing to their meals, add a teaspoon of olive oil or other oil to their dinner or lunch for a total of 2 teaspoons added fat in the day.

Please remind people to eat enough protein at breakfast and lunch