Potatoes Not Prozac : A Natural Seven-Step Dietary Plan to Stabilize the Level of Sugar in Your Blood, Control Your Cravings and Lose Weight [1 ed.] 0684849534, 9780684849539

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER ABE YOU SU6AB SENSITIVE?

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A

Natural Seven-Step Dietary Plan • Control

•

Recognize

to:

1

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1

1

1

1

Your Cravings and Lose Weight

How

• Stabilize the

Foods Affect the Level

of

KATHLEEN DesMaisONS,

Sugar

in

Way You

Feel

Your Blood

Ph.D., Addictive Nutrition

Foreword ry Candace Pert, Ph.D.

What Readers Are

"Until

read this book,

I

believed that

I

other behavior patterns were

£ll

my

.

things that needed to be dealt with

Thank God

budget to achieve.

mood

"Every

that Potatoes

Not Prozac

sugars

and white

"To give a name

weeks.

.

hope. .

.

for this

talks about,

I

have heard many people

is,

me new

.

.

[DesMaisons's]

— L.R.

book!"

swing, every attempt at self-control, every high and low

thing

I

.

don't require a personal trainer and an upper- income

.

.

and

eating, depression,

individually, with a compartmentalized approach.

suggestions

Not Prozac

Saying About Potatoes

My

sleep patterns

.

but

flour,

I

.

I've

astonishing

talk about staying

away from

— K.R.

hounded me

been following the

cravings have

all

my

life

has given

program

for eight

all

PNP

but gone, energy greatly increased,

have improved, moods evened

delight, I've lost fourteen

to.

never knew why."

to the misery that's .

The

could relate

out.

And much

to

my

pounds with never a moment of hunger or

deprivation!! You'd better believe that I'm becoming a strong advocate of this program.

Thank

you, Kathleen, from the bottom of

—CD.

heart."

"WOW!

my

how do you know me well enough to write a whole book about me? Of course, you do know me, and all the other sugar-sensitive folks out there. Thank you, thank you, thank We'd never met

before so

—

you!"

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKS. was an alcoholic forty-five

three

all

organic food, quit sugar, and then

ago, all hell broke loose with

twenty years of therapy, gotten sober and back and thought to

some of my

I'm 29,

I

for ten years, quit drinking three years ago, lost

pounds, ate

months

L.B.

it

was hopeless.

torture."

I

still

now can

one

slip. ...

I

wham,

have had

had the monkey on see

more

clearly

my

an end

— K.D.

And you know am a new person already. My energy is back up, am handling like a sane person, am noticing the world around me. And

got your book at someone's recommendation.

"I

what!

!

crises

I

I

than

less

have

I

writing this book.

love the book.

love

.

I

weigh

"I

.

.

I

I

I

in years!!

am

way

it

is.

simply wonderful.

my

telling all

love the

how charming

It's

how

love

I

simple

it is. I

love the message of hope and do-ability."

I

— "From the up

first

at five a.m.

day,

I

was no longer exhausted

and go

day long and rarely

gym

to the

feel sleepy.

five

all

the time,

days a week.

I

"I

work

for I

me

my

THANK

my

diet.

this time.

I

One

I

But

I

thought

ended up reading

not put

it

night and

last

day

was

had

I

it

I

thought

tried I

them

It

I

what

all

"diet"

I

my

life

might work

came

life

book

across your I

could

both physically and

was touched by your compassion

decided to trust in your program. Thanks to your at

long

last to

get

under control."

"For the

first

my

answer to

time in years,

I

have hope that

I

may have found

depression and weight-control problems and that

—

actually be able to look forward to a "normal" life!"

"Potatoes lives.

J.

with no lasting success.

book and the work that you've done, I'm beginning

my

in tears because

from cover to cover that night.

amazed me, and

and understanding.

was

was time to get serious

it

accidentally

down. You were describing

emotionally.

I

—

at a loss as to

was pretty discouraged. Then

...

YOU!!!

to a tee."

life

at a bookstore.

again about

all

— R.H.

read almost half of your book

was describing

can get

to snack

THIS WORKS!!!"

it

T.S.

have energy

I

no longer have cravings

I

between meals. The confirmations go on and on.

"I

for

— A.

friends!!!!"

written.

it's

Thank you

Not Prozac

The

condition

is

a

book that simply

known now

as

will

the

may M.W. I

change many people's

"Sugar Sensitivity"

is

seen in

my

"

practice day in and day out. This

many

my

of

patients.

.

.

.

Many

book has become a

thanks for making

nutritional aspects of people's health so

—

Dr.

am thrilled that at last how we are feeling and "I

MEDICATION

much

someone who

is

my work

with the

easier!"

Rae Lynn Winblad,

there

great help to

Berkeley, California

is

that she doesn't want to prescribe

and say you

will feel better soon.

with

truly in tune

Hope

some

Thank

at last.

you, thank you!!"

am SO excited to find this information!! For years have racked my brain trying to figure out what made my son tick! Also, my daughter has these INTENSE sugar cravings, particularly around her "I

I

.

period.

I

have sent

your material to them.

all

solution to both their problems. it

The

to myself.

Thank you

so

"FAB-ulous!

.

.

.

certainly

seem

three o{ us

much!

I

to

am

I

.

KNOW

.

this

I've

!

the

going to apply some of

have the same metabolism.

— T.W.

! !

is

!

spent the

last

ten years experimenting with vari-

ous foods trying to avoid "fuzz in the brain" along with emotional ups

and downs. Your book

"I

loved the book.

what

I

I

finally explains

couldn't put

have been searching

for

it

it

— S.G.

all."

down.

...

even though

I

I

feel like I've

didn't

found

know what

that

— N.B.

was."

my gratitude, respect and admiration! During of my sobriety from drugs and alcohol gained over

"Kathleen, you have the

first

four years

I

sixty pounds, telling myself that "at least

would microwave

a nightly pint of

of pasta for breakfast later,

I

have

and vigor

commitment

his

to

wasn't vodka"

when

I

Haagen-Dazs, or have a huge bowl

on weekends

— and the strong

hood without dead."

a

it

— now,

six years

and one child

both physical and emotional health

desire to see Nicholas reach his

own

adult-

mother constantly weeping, being couch-bound, or

—

T.

"Thank .

.

.

you, Kathleen DesMaisons!

Through the

streaming

book

entire

down my

I

!

Your book has been a godsend!

was nodding

face, saying this

is

me,

this

my is

head, with tears

"Kathleen, thank you for writing your wonderful book.

and have had a "food" problem diets as there are in the world.

gained back more than

knowing that

I

my ery.

I

I

lost.

my

I

all

my

have been on lost

fifty-two as

March

cravings.

15

many

weight and always

AND NEVER UNDERSTOOD

regard myself as a recovering alcoholic even though

No more

No

more urges I

God

took

I

every day for this recov-

to eat the refrigerator.

just

It's

have gone down three dress

sizes

(my "D-day"). But

that's

not the important thing.

my

life is

the goal.

Feeling like this for the rest of

totally inadequate to say to you, because it

am

have suffered from the agony of

life.

a secondary thing, not a goal, but

but

I

have always

sugar in a different form and thank

since

life.

I

had no willpower, the agony of depression and the

agony of worthlessness

WHY ...

I

all

— D.K.

me."

comes from the

heart."

you gave

Thank

you,

me back my

—

it's

life,

C.J.

c

Potatoes Not Prozac A Natural Seven-Step Dietary Plan to Control Your Cravings and Lose Weight,

Recognize How Foods Affect the

Way You

Feel,

and

Stabilize the Level of Sugar in Your Blood

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

Fireside Book Published by Simon & Schuster A

B FIRESIDE Rockefeller Center

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New Copyright

©

York,

NY

10020

1998 by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

©

Foreword copyright

1998 by Candace Pert, Ph.D.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in

whole or

in part in

First Fireside

any form.

Edition 1999

Fireside and colophon are registered trademarks of

Simon

& Schuster Inc.

Designed by Chris Welch

Manufactured

5

in the

7

United States of America

9

6

8

10

4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

DesMaisons, Kathleen. Potatoes not prozac

:

a natural seven-step dietary plan to control your cravings

lose weight, recognize

how

foods affect the

way you

feel,

sugar in your blood/Kathleen DesMaisons p.

"A

—

and

and

stabilize the level of

1st Fireside ed.

cm.

Fireside book."

Includes bibliographical references and index. 1.

Sugar-free diet

— Psychosomatic Mental

2.

Compulsive eating

aspects.

—

— Diet

Depression, Mental

4.

Psychosomatic aspects.

6.

RM237.85.D47

therapy.

— Diet

3.

Compulsive eating

therapy.

Reducing

diets

I.

5.

Depression,

Title.

1999

613.2'5— dc21

98-48491

CIP

ISBN 0-684-84953-4 0-684-85014-1 (Pbk)

The recommendations

in this

book

are not intended to replace or conflict with advice given

to you by your physician or other health care professional. If you

or psychological conditions, or

if

have any preexisting medical

you are currently taking medication, you should consult with

your physician before adopting the suggestions and procedures in this book. Following these

may impact the effect of certain types of medication. Any changes dosage should be made only in cooperation with your prescribing physician.

dietary suggestions

Prozac

is

a trademark of Eli Lilly

and Company. This book by

Eli Lilly

and Company.

is

not

affiliated

in your

with or authorized

To Mother, who demanded

that this story be told

guided every step of the way. Let this is really

me

and who

always remember that

your work.

Acknowledgments

Moving from the dream

Many

process.

in the

and

The

of a book to the finished product

people have helped to

rooms of courageous men and

make

is

a big

this vision real. It started

women who had

tried everything

me to my own. now being told in

Their quest for recovery moved

still felt terrible.

shared journey led to the reality of the story

this way.

Thank you

to the

Union

create a doctoral program I

hoped. Thanks to

Institute

who

which could go

Ira Fritz,

my

as

gave

me

deep and

who

advisor there,

from the beginning. Christina Gianoulakis and

the freedom to as rigorously as

believed in

Elliott Blass,

me

mouse

me to rigorous and imagithought. Tammy Ramirez convinced me that statistics could and helped me to loosen up and have fun with my numbers.

doctors par excellence, trusted and cheered

native

be fun

Deberah Bringelson convinced the Peninsula Foundation that food for drunk drivers was not just some woo- woo California idea.

Judge Craig Parsons, Janice McLaren and Pat Pritchard made pen. Peggy

Thompson

put

all

it

hap-

the systems in place and has steadfastly

oiled the gears so there has never

been even a squeak. Michael Nev-

John Maltbie, Margaret Taylor and Don Horsley believed enough make the program a part of the County system. My dedicated staff,

ins,

to

George

Forrester, Rita

burning through

all

Tovar and Katherine Alden, have kept the

those days and nights that

I

sat at the

fires

computer

writing.

Christiane Northrop's unabashed enthusiasm started the publish-

Acknowledgments

8

ing miracle you

now

hold.

I

the story and standing with Special thanks to a visionary

with the manuscript so well be represented by a

The Simon hoped

man

I

thank her

me

of such

in finding a

skill is

and a

integrity.

home which

Carolyn Reidy's leadership

fits

perfectly all

sets a

tone for balancing risk-taking with careful hard work.

Mary

Ann Naples,

diately skill

what

it

understood the heart of this story and

could

mean

for so

many

people.

me on and

my

remarkable

My

editor,

knew imme-

member

I

have

and commitment.

reflects pride

Special thanks to

I

Her humor, grace and

represent the best of professionalism. Every staff

worked with

power of

home for the book. and gifted agent, Ned Leavitt, who ran had to run to keep up. I am honored to

& Schuster family

for in a publisher.

for recognizing the

three children and their father

held steadfast in trusting that

I

who cheered

could really write a book.

me through the hard friends who supported me all

Their support and encouragement nurtured times. Their belief

the way. ers,

I

am

Debbra Colman's encouragement and pray-

grateful for

which have always been steady

at every step first

was mirrored by dear

draft

Forrest's

And

as a rock,

Chris Ortega's listening

along the way, Joel Wheeler's affirmation of a horrible

which made

it

possible to write another,

and Margo

teaching the craft of writing which could speak last

but not

dog-in-training

who

least,

my

Silk-

knowing.

thanks to Vancouver D. Dawg, the guide-

got up with

me

every morning before

dawn

to lie

my feet while I tapped into the computer. Vancouver has taught me that love and service can go hand in hand to make wonderful

at

things happen.

Contents

By Candace

Foreword

Ph.D.

II

and Mr. Hyde

13

Pert,

Chapter

1

Chapter

2

Are You Sugar

Chapter

3

It's

Chapter

4

The Ups and Downs

Chapter

5

Brain Chemistry 101

S7

Chapter

6

Getting Started

78

Chapter

7

Take Three Giant Steps

9S

Chapter

8

Adjusting Your Carbohydrates

116

Chapter

9

Sugars and You

137

Chapter 10

Sticking with

147

Chapter

So You Drink Coffee, Smoke and

II

Dr. Jekyll

Not Your

Sensitive?

Fault

39

of Blood Sugar

It

Stay Fat? Chapter 12

26

Radiant Recovery

49

147

IIS

Appendixes

The

Scientific Basis for Sugar Sensitivity

Detox ifica tion from Alcohol

197

209

Contents

10

Glossary

215

Bibliography

221

Resources

235

Index

241

Foreword

While we think of sugar

as a food,

actually a drug

it is

substance acting throughout the brain and body

on

— an external

cellular receptors

designed for an internal chemical called glucose. Since glucose usually the only fuel the brain clarity, it is

mood

states

astounding

and the controlled

how

cavalierly

we

use,

and

is

mental

critical to

release of energy in the body,

sprinkle sugar,

inferior substi-

its

everything from children's breakfast food to ketchup.

tute, into

on the market

sugar were to be put

probably be Like

can ever

difficult to get

many drugs

that

less

for the first time today,

past the

it

If

would

FDA.

work through

cal effect characterized by

you take, the

it

is

receptors, sugar has a paradoxi-

two phenomena:

First,

of the drug's internal analog

the more of the drug is

produced in your

brain and body. Second, the receptors for sugar or any other drug

become

less sensitive

— sometimes

actually decreasing in

protection against the drug bombarding them. physically dependent

habit

now

on exogenous sugar

for

can

mood

I

—

as

become

— but our

exhaustion and

have long suspected that the

increase of clinical depression in our society

consumption of

easily

boosts

results in depression instead of well-being,

anxiety instead of a burst of energy.

How

We

number

is

linked to the increased

sugar.

exciting

it

was

for

me, then, to hear about Kathleen Des-

Maisons's efforts in developing a working hypothesis about sugar sensitivity

work

and

for

its

many

I

have been aware of her

vision, personal

warmth and passionate

role in addictive behavior. years.

Her

ii

Foreword

12

commitment

now moves

Prozac

have always touched me. Potatoes Not

to finding answers

her vision into concrete, specific guidance that

brings her clinical skills to a wider audience.

DesMaisons has a unique

Dr.

and making them accessible

Her

better.

thesis

is

gift for

taking very complex ideas

for regular folks

persuasive.

who

are trying to feel

Her combination of

clinical experi-

ence, personal honesty and scientific curiosity have led to real benefits for her clients.

While the

stories

remain anecdotal from a

As

perspective, they are powerful to hear.

something

Dr.

scientific

DesMaisons

suggests,

going on in the relationship between diet and behavior

is

— something beyond what

scientific research

has already shown about

biochemistry and mood.

As

a scientist

talks about,

science in

is

could never entertain that the

of my childhood

size

bag at Halloween could have any meaning. But as a

trick-or-treat

woman who

I

has struggled with some of the problems Dr. DesMaisons I

would not be so quick to dismiss her

nudged by pioneers from the

new ways and

who

field

ideas.

Sometimes

put studies together

ask questions from an unexpected perspective.

The

be tested in the laboratory. But the day-to-day

scientific story will

impact of Potatoes Not Prozac will be tested in the hearts and bodies of the people

who

identify with the profile Dr.

DesMaisons has so

powerfully outlined.

Foods can act as drugs, and we must be aware of

and physiology

— mental

twined that what and our

lives.

I

highly

and physical

how we

recommend

—

our moods

are so inextricably inter-

an enormous impact on

eat can have Potatoes

how

Not

Prozac,

which

believe

I

contains novel and important information for everyone from the most sophisticated nutritionist to the individual realize that

way we

what and how we eat helps

who

is

to explain

just

beginning to

why we

feel

feel.

Candace

B. Pert, Ph.D.

Author of Molecules of Emotion: Why

We

Research Professor

Department of Physiology and Biophysics

Georgetown University Medical Center

Feel the

Way We

Feel

the

Chapter

© and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll

Are

you aware of

ings?

yourself, smart

Are you committed

to your

you care about things deeply? respect your opinion? ally

Are you

and sensitive to

Do

own

others' feel-

personal growth?

Do

your friends value you and

successful in your

work? Are you usu-

confident and hopeful about your future?

But do you sometimes

your confidence

feel

and despair? Does

in self-doubt

it

slip

away, leaving you

seem "crazy" that you can be so

one day and so desperate the next? Worse, you may drop from

clear

the heights to the depths in the same day.

It's

almost as

if

another

person were inside you.

You hate want

to admit

it,

moody and

but you can be

to get things done, but your attention drifts.

and get

tired.

You crave sugar and turn

You seem

to

You

You

lose energy

and snack foods to

Sometimes you eat compulsively. You put on

get yourself going again.

weight.

to sweets

impulsive.

have no

self-discipline.

You often

feel

depressed

and overwhelmed.

You may have consulted your seling

doctor.

You may have gotten coun-

from your pastor or a psychotherapist. You may have been put

on Prozac or one of the other

antidepressants. But something

not the way you want

wrong. Your

life is still

seem to

an answer that works.

find

If this

chemistry

description

fits

may respond

you, you

to sugars

may be

it

to be

is still

and you can't

sugar sensitive. Your body

and certain carbohydrates (such

as

bread, crackers, cereal and pasta) differently than other people's. This

13

Potatoes

14

Prozac

Not

biochemical difference can have a huge effect on your moods and

How

your behavior.

you eat

you

feel

linked to what you eat

is

— and when

it.

Listen to Emily's story:

I

was overweight, depressed and exhausted

my life,

to be grateful for in I

Why was my hopeless? Why didn't

twenty pounds so in life?

I

fats

and high-calorie

day,

sometimes

had

tried lots of diets,

I

I

Sometimes

stick to

exercising.

So

But I

I still

couldn't sleep and

bears,

avoided

fruits. I

grazed throughout the

I

my I

it

for a

I

lost.

I

would

few weeks, then go off

was overweight and hating

and

life

I

I

was ashamed of

was plagued by anxious

it. I

it.

feelings.

I

tried therapy, figuring

was

I

just

"not

wasn't enough.

it

went

to

my

doctor and told her

She looked concerned and ordered a concerned.

gummy

my heart would start racing for no reason. I had sudden

outbursts of crying or anger. right."

and

always regained the weight

a failure in this part of

Often

Why didn't

meals and eat only once a day. Although

I'd skip

and stop

Sometimes

desserts.

an exercise program,

felt like

lot

was so discouraged.

ate healthy foods like pasta, vegetables

diet

had a

have the energy to do

I

and

start

I

battle with those extra

drank several cups of coffee a day, snacked on

I

my

the time.

but something was wrong.

about myself?

feel better

more

all

Maybe

I

my

series of

was starting menopause

might have a brain tumor.

long

list

of problems.

exams.

early.

I

too was

even worried

I

A week later my doctor called.

good news and bad news," she told me. "The good news

"I is

I

have that

you are not in menopause and you don't have a brain tumor. The

bad news

is

that

I

don't

and your physical exam

know what

results are all

Frustrated and depressed, Emily

Addictive Nutrition. She told

me

is

happening. Your lab

tests

normal."

came

into

my

private practice in

she was a recovering alcoholic with

nine years of successful sobriety and had heard that

I

was using nutri-

tion to help people with her symptoms. After listening to her story

and asking her some questions about her background and her eating habits,

I

recognized what was wrong.

I

had seen

it

time and again in

Dr.

women and men

jekyll

and

Hyde

Mr.

IS

seeking help for compulsive eating, alcoholism, drug

addiction or this strange collection of symptoms that had not re-

sponded to other treatments. Emily was neither

nor suffering from the

clinically depressed

of a bad childhood. She was not weak-willed or

effects

She was sugar

lazy.

Emily had a special kind of body chemistry that made her

sensitive.

more vulnerable

to the mood-altering effects of sweet foods

re-

than her friends were. She was caught in a vicious

fined-flour products

cycle of highs

and

and lows controlled by her blood sugar

brain chemicals. Emily responded to sugar as

if it

and her

levels

were a drug.

Sugar Sensitivity Sugar sensitivity turns a person into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

having two different people

live in

your body. From one

It's

like

moment

to

the next your fine sensitivity and openness turn into moodiness and irritability.

Your confidence and creativity dry up, only to be replaced

by low self-esteem and hopelessness. Your visions

for the future dissi-

pate into the frustration born of not following through.

This emotional Ping- Pong remains inexplicable without an understanding of sugar sensitivity. Like Emily, millions of people

who have

sugar-sensitive bodies are caught in the pain of not understanding a

problem that controls instinctively that

their lives. Sugar-sensitive people

something

is

seem

to

know

wrong but cannot make sense of what

it is.

Do

you

way?

feel this

If so,

your intuition

may be

right

on

target. If

you are sugar sensitive you are not inherently weak-willed or without reflects a

skewed body chemistry which

tried to correct unconsciously

by self-medicating with sugars

self-discipline.

you have

Your behavior

and carbohydrates. Your sugar sensitivity create this dilemma. that can be solved. a long time. Clear

perfect sense.

I

It is

is

a

problem that you inherited. You did not

not your

fault.

What's more,

it is

a

problem

have an answer that you have been seeking

and simple, the solution

As you begin

to understand

to sugar sensitivity

how

your

Mood

for

makes

nigar levels

Potatoes

16

and brain chemicals work and

own

the power of your

Prozac

Not

you

interact,

will start to appreciate

body. Instead of being driven by your body

chemistry, you will begin to chart your

own

life.

You

will find a

straightforward explanation for the behavior you have struggled with for so long

— and a straightforward solution based on giving your body

the kinds of foods

it

needs to keep your emotions in balance and your

in forward gear.

life

This book

tells

the story of sugar sensitivity.

Naming The and

comes out of my own personal

story of sugar sensitivity

my work

1988 because

I

I

wanted to make a difference

People relapse again

have

tried

an addiction treatment center

started

typical recovery rate for alcoholism

perts

is

— and again and

many

is

was out of the question

My history.

set

out to find

again.

Although addiction ex-

I

for

me.

knew

I

who came

into

way out of the

clinic

there had to be a better

my

way

my

They

personal

father died of alcoholism at the age

a brilliant, sensitive

bottle.

my

it.

was sixteen

He was

of fifty-one.

A

considered good. But accepting not being

determination to beat the odds comes out of

When

The

dismally low. People relapse.

able to help three out of every four people

1

in people's lives.

alternatives, the picture remains pretty grim.

25 percent success rate

— and

history

with thousands of clients in addiction treatment. After

a long career in public health in

the Problem

say

man who

he loved to party

couldn't find his as a

by the time he reached middle age he was drinking a

young man;

fifth

of vodka

every day.

My

father stayed sober for

was a career

officer in the

to discharge

him from the

one

year, the year

better for

ing

all

and we

of

us.

well.

turned eleven.

He

Air Force and his superiors had threatened service

if

went into detox and rehabilitation

remember that year

I

for the first

With my

Everything

finally lived like a

I

had

he didn't stop drinking. So he

— and only —

father sober, secretly

normal

family.

life

time.

I

was so much

dreamed of was happen-

— Dr.

One

year

and

Jekyll

despite being sober,

later,

Hyde

Mr.

my

17

father was discharged from

him

the Air Force for alcoholism. Past job evaluations had followed

and the Air Force did not recognize

commitment

his

—

or perhaps did not believe

my

to sobriety. In losing his job,

and our

his lifeline. His sobriety

family's

father was cut from

newfound

stability

careened

rapidly downhill. Five years later c he was dead.

took

It

time

felt

I

me

twenty-five years to grieve the loss of

only relief

his drinking. All

death,

we

all

—

relief that

colluded in creating a family

wounds

ashamed of

life.

After Dad's

that he

had died

We

it.

just carried

into the tapestry of our lives, each trying to

Tell Don't Feel Don't Share"

history has shaped

behavior ics

the

sense of the tragedy alone.

"Dont

My

At

he had been dying of alcoholism

not one of us ever talked about

for five years, but

on, folding our

reality,

myth

father.

to be

wanted then was a normal teenage

I

suddenly of pancreatitis. In

make

no longer had

I

my

I

me

my

deeply. Because of

father's alcoholic

learned to pay close attention to the interpersonal dynam-

around me.

learned to immediately "read" the emotional temper-

I

learned to grow up early,

ature of almost any situation.

I

high achiever, be the hero in

my

family.

Most of

all,

I

become

a

learned the

inviolable rules oi an alcoholic family:

"Don't

Don't

tell.

"What you

see isn't really happening."

"Everything I

even though you

fine,

is

learned to live in dissonance.

between what the enced in lies

Don't share."

feel.

my body and

of our family

difference

around

folks

in

life.

I

my

something

else."

kept confronting the discrepancy

I

me

heart.

feel

said I

was true and what

challenged

challenged

my

between what the church

my mother

I

experi-

about the

religion teachers about the

said

and how people acted.

I

constantly asked questions about the gap between the ideal and the real.

I

studied everything

dilemma of

this discrepancy.

wanted the world

At

I

nineteen,

had three babies

to

still

could to try to find a solution for the I

wanted to

live

what

I

believed and

I

do the same. dreaming of the perfect

in rapid succession.

family,

I

married and

But the gap between

my

ideal

18

life

my

and

filled

Not

loomed

large.

real life still

both in school and

mood

extreme

Potatoes

as a

new

parent,

My

successful

was overweight and subject to

felt clear

was

I

and focused. At other times

I

of "la-la land" and forget to buy milk for the

drift into a sort

children.

I

Although smart and

swings and sudden drops in energy. Sometimes

with self-confidence and

would

Prozac

husband thought he'd married

Dr. Jekyll

and ended up

He wondered how my behavior could change so quickly. As for me, I didn't really notice my own behavior. I was well trained to overlook dysfunction, including my own. My marriage stopped working when my youngest child was six months old. Neither my young husband nor knew how to make a relationship work or how to ask for help. Single again, I returned to college, worked full-time and threw myself into the task of raising my getting Ms. Hyde, too.

I

children. In the evening, after

the couch with

I

had put everyone to bed,

sat

I

Coke and popcorn, reading philosophy and

on

folding

laundry.

When

was twenty-six

I

damaged my sick, so

I

liver.

sitting

duck

alcohol, to

my

Because

stopped drinking.

probably saved

my I

It

liver

was impaired, alcohol made

My

children of alcoholics,

I

it

was a

body chemistry was primed to need

kept drinking

I

would have gone from enjoyment

dependence to abuse.

Turning

to

Sugar for Solace

But abstinence from alcohol nudged

me onto

hooked me, but

addiction. Alcohol hadn't

a different path of

sugar, ice

cream, pasta,

bread and soda did. These seemingly harmless foods wrapped

cocoon so thick and numbing that

When in

me

was a straightforward decision, but

As with most

life.

for alcoholism.

and had

came down with mononucleosis, which

I

finished college

I

management and

holic that

I

was,

I

I

my

even finished

before

I

moted

to supervise a

The

my own feelings.

I

high-achieving child of an alco-

degree. Eighteen staff

peared successful, competent and

from

to complete a master's degree

as the director of a nonprofit

hundred

in a

never missed the alcohol.

went on

counseling.

was hired

I

me

months

members.

skilled.

On

On the

later

I

program was pro-

the outside

inside

I

I

ap-

was running

sensed a huge pool of pain swirling below the

Dr.

bravado.

and

I

Hyde

Mr.

19

my father's what was driving my life.

wasn't aware of the impact of

I

hadn't a clue about

Finally, at the age of thirty,

realized

and

jekyll

needed help and

I

head of a community mental-health

therapy. Because

center,

thought

I

two hours and a hundred miles each way every week

She encouraged me

"Anger

to express

kills. It isn't safe."

my

—

family

direction of

it

my

we

my

was directed

my

therapist.

therapy and the dissonance

I

was hard

fault.

was

I

"Don't

for

just thirty

me

"don't feel" and "don't share"

tell,"

to see

I

thera-

my

say. I

let

father

was angry about the

between what she

later she

committed was not

my

had been

in therapy.

my

response to

drove

still

my

would

I

to understand that her death

and no one even knew

I

traveled

argued. Finally

felt

I

was saying and what she was doing. Two days suicide. It

I

anger was directed not at

at

pain.

was the

I

So

anger. "I won't,"

For a whole year

myself go and got angry. But or

my

me

should main-

I

tain the appearance of being emotionally "together."

pist.

my

could no longer ignore

I

went into

I

alcoholism on

pain. I

have the

didn't

skills to

new town and a better. I moved to a place

doughnuts, a things

the sea.

I

lived next door to

the ice cream.

had

I

was

I

hard to hold

it all

my

I

was

very, very good,

would unravel

between

an

near the ocean.

ice

gained more weight.

identified continued.

was good

life

make sense of the pain so I turned to new job. Perhaps a new life would make

still

I

The

parlor.

my

was comforted by

I

wasn't,

I

hit forty

didn't try again to face

inner feelings and

I

my ex-husband

and Ms. Hyde.

Dr. Jekyll

when

was comforted by

early pattern

and when

together, but if

cream

I

my

I

I

When

fell apart.

I

tried

realized that

pain.

The

I

my

old gap

life

had stretched to the

to California,

where the softness of

external

limit.

My the

solution then was to

hills,

the sound of the sea and the openness of the people

soothed me.

I

reconnected to the child within

and dance and laugh. weight and I

my mood

I

its

development

started feeling

me who

all

loved to swim

good about myself, but

my

swings continued to plague me. After every diet

gained back the weight

food had

move

I'd lost.

Because

I

roots in emotional wounding, for years.

I

groups and seminars, and

my problem with worked on my inner

thought I

read hundreds of books, attended dozens of filled

countless journals with poetry.

Potatoes

20

No

Not

Prozac

how much inner work I did, though, I seemed to be losing battle. The needle on my bathroom scale was now

matter

fighting a

nearing 240, but

When

I

I

thought the problem was

just a

matter of willpower.

developed enough discipline, everything would be

time went on and things didn't change,

I

lived with deeper

fine.

As

and deeper

feelings of inadequacy.

Lessons from the "Drunks" In spite of

— or perhaps because of— an inner sense of hopelessness,

continued to be committed to helping others heal.

county

I

addicts.

and

I

worked

idea of doing this

leapt at the chance.

frequently abandoning alcoholics

and

was asked by the

I

in to start a treatment center for alcoholics

To me, the

who came

my own. They

my

Once

work

the clinic got going

I

found myself

desk to work directly with our

my

into our clinic mirrored both

and drug

"coming home"

felt like

were trying to keep their

I

clients.

The

father's story

from crumbling

lives

beneath them.

Although

had spent twenty years working

I

began to get

really

it

in public health,

about alcoholism and drug addiction

I

only

when

I

heard these people's halting voices and listened to their painful stories.

What

learned was that what

I

we were doing

port groups and pleas for abstinence

Even "good" treatment done by sionals didn't help

much. Our

The more some missing

knew

in

my

I

I

didn't

work

Our

needed to

recovery rate was no better

find out why.

between what

I

more

I

was struck by

heard them say and what

I

knew drinking

wasn't just an easy

way out

unpleasant feelings. Something else was going on. if

I

I

felt. I

heart that their addiction to alcohol was not about a lack

of willpower.

that

profes-

clients kept relapsing despite their best

listened to the "drunks," the

link

sup-

particularly well.

and trained

sensitive, caring

intentions to "work the program."

than the national average.

—

— counseling,

I

to escape

was convinced

discovered this missing link our treatment program for alco-

holism might succeed.

At work

the same time there was a troubling discrepancy between at the clinic

and

my own

life.

Although

I

my

hadn't used alcohol

in eighteen years, I

my

didn't see

I

and

jekyll

Dr.

had never been

Hyde

Mr.

in

21

any kind of recovery program.

compulsive use of food, particularly sugars and carbo-

hydrates, as an addiction.

just

I

thought

I

was

fat

and that

this

was a

my early childhood issues. A thousand failed diets had convinced me that I was a slug who couldn't get it right. Since was successful on the outside, hid my feelings of despair and put in even function of

I

I

longer hours.

Yet as

drawn

I

my

I

story then, but

wanted

I

meant

I

began to see that

was teaching.

have

to

This meant

I

had

was going to have to

want

live

to just teach recovery,

My

I

past.

So

I

it

role of the hero

my own

started learning

meant

what

to be codepen-

— taking

responsibility

— had shaped my

professional

ending up in charge of an alcoholism treatment

center, surrounded by a

grace of something

my

an alcoholic, what

needs instead of

development.

didn't

to confront

to be the child of

for others'

I

I

it.

and how playing the

dent,

started being

I

At moments, I wished I were an alcoholic could put words to my own suffering. I didn't have a name

out the ideas

it

addicts,

subtly into recovery.

myself so for

worked with alcoholics and drug

"bunch of drunks," was no accident. By the

much

bigger than myself,

— working on myself while

I

I

stayed with the process

worked with the men and women

at

my

clinic.

Discovering Food as Pharmacy

My

recovery focused on using the Twelve Steps which originated in

Alcoholics

idea of surrender to a

"higher

Anonymous and started with the power." The idea of surrendering to

a higher

work

me. But surrendering to something "deeper"

my

for

life

had

did.

over to the something deeper and asked for help.

chance, a friend told really

worked

me

that she

for her.

had been following

power didn't

So

I

One

handed day, by

a food plan that

She was eating protein and

vegetables.

I

and started losing weight, which surprised and pleased me. But even more astounding was what happened to my moods and didn't dream about bread and behavior. I didn't crave sweet things. tried

it

I

pasta.

My

emotional ups and downs evened out.

I

wasn't confused or

Potatoes

22

foggy at certain times in the day. things done.

I

set goals

Prozac

Not

was able to think

I

clearly.

I

got

and moved toward them without a constant

struggle to stay focused.

Although

had done a

I

the changes

I

physiological.

I

had happened

down on

hadn't suddenly gotten in

sugars

my

change in

my brain and for.

I

my

my body, and it felt like the missing had changed my food mostly by cutting

—

and starches

— and subsequently experienced

physical and emotional well-being.

hypersensitive to sugar. Perhaps

I

way my

I

my body

I

went

I

to

a huge

began to wonder

had inherited an

alcoholic's

eaters like

me

are

physiologically craved sugar

body had physiologically craved alcohol.

father's

thought, wouldn't this hold true for

So

Something

act together.

body chemistry. Perhaps alcoholics and compulsive

so,

knew

I

in

whether, being the child of an alcoholic,

the same

self,

was experiencing were not psychological. They were

been searching

link I'd

work on my inner

lot of

my clients. Asking

these

of foods they ate revealed data that was

my clients as well? men and women what

no

surprise to

If

kinds

My clients' patterns. No

me.

eating habits closely resembled

my own

wonder

with these "drunks"! Almost none of

them

I

felt

such an

affiliation

previous eating

ate breakfast, few ate regular meals,

most ate a very high per-

centage of white bread, pasta and cereal, and sweets. I

Whenever

I

talked to clients

all

who were

ate a great

many

unable to stay sober,

found they were eating primarily sweet things and refined-flour

products.

Almost immediately clinic's steps to recovery.

people, a plan based

on

added nutritional awareness

I

protein,

complex carbohydrates

rice), fruit

had experienced

in

my

(like

whole

and vegetables. The food plan

was simple, easy and affordable. The plan I

my

put together a food plan for sugar-sensitive

I

wheat, potatoes and brown

gaps

one of

as

friend's

I

developed

program when

I

filled in

the

had used

it

knew

that eating only protein and vegetables

wasn't the best alternative

— our bodies need more carbohydrates on

myself.

I

intuitively

an ongoing

basis

than her plan provided. But

if

I

kept the basic

concept, added complex carbohydrates and continued to minimize the use of sugars,

I

was sure the revised food plan would work.

an educational component directed

my

clients.

I

also

added

at the addictive personalities of

Dr.

I

my

told

eating for

and how

them

explained to them

Hyde

Mr.

my

23

was not a diet but a way of

clients that this food plan

life. I it

and

Jekyll

theory about sugar sensitivity

number of ways. Compared

clinic, their

results.

diets, their lives

began to improve in

to other clients

we had seen

at the

withdrawal symptoms passed more quickly and gave them

discomfort. Their

ished.

told

up and paid attention.

sat

—.and got remarkable

Then they tried the food plan As my clients changed their

less

I

that eating sugar could sabotage their recovery from addiction

by priming them to crave alcohol, they

a

When

might be predisposing them to alcoholism.

mood

swings mellowed. Their cravings dimin-

Their energy increased. They were more enthusiastic and com-

mitted to their recovery than ever. People to achieve sobriety

began getting

— and

who had never been

staying

—

After using the food plan with several hundred

able

sober.

men and women,

I

found we were achieving unusual success with alcoholics and drug addicts.

The

basis for the

leave

my

track record told

changes

job and

I

it

was time to establish a

saw coming from

my

sell

me

house to

Finding

start

Out Why

My doctoral research took me

my

food plan.

working on

It

my

I

scientific

decided to

Ph.D.

Worked

into professional journals and academic

textbooks on nutrition, endocrinology, psychopharmacology, psychiatry

and addiction.

I

learned about the wide-ranging effects of blood

sugar and the powerful emotional impact of certain brain chemicals,

chemicals which can get pushed out of balance by an overuse of sugar.

One known

of these brain chemicals, serotonin, was becoming better to the public, thanks to the advent of Prozac, the

new

antide-

pressant that boosts serotonin levels and brings feelings of optimism, creativity

and peace of mind. To

chemical

I

my

astonishment, the other brain

was learning about, beta-endorphin, was

as critical to

emotional well-being

as serotonin but

was not being discussed outside

My

reading showed

me

scientific circles.

direct impact

on

that beta-endorphin has a

a person's self-esteem, tolerance for pain (including

emotional pain), sense of connectedness to others and personal responsibility for action. You'll learn brain chemical later in the book. For now,

let's

all

ability to take

about this amazing

go back to

my

story.

Potatoes

24

As facts

worked on

I

I

my

was learning

and compelling

science.

I

with

I

my

found that

of the biochemical

all

form an elegant

clinical results to

My research confirmed my suspicions — and

story.

name I had given

doctorate

fit

Prozac

Not

the

to that story. Sugar sensitivity has a basis in rigorous

was amazed that no one was

about

telling the public

it.

my doctoral dissertation conducted a study to measure the effect of my food plan on the toughest audience 1 could find multiple-offender drunk drivers. These people mostly middle-aged men For

I

—

—

— had not been

able to stay sober despite huge court sanctions and

intensive drunk-driving education and counseling. All of

already gone through an entire forty-hour

first

offender program, had

now

paid thousands of dollars in fines and fees, and had driver's licenses for

eighteen months.

lost their

worked with a group of

I

of these "hopeless" alcoholics for four

them had

months and

at the

thirty

end of my

outpatient treatment program, 92 percent of them had gotten sober and stayed sober.

These

and

clients weren't drinking

time in

for the first

months

their lives they were experiencing recovery. Eighteen

later

I

checked back with them and only a few were back to serious drinking.

The

rest

maintained their sobriety or had significantly reduced the

level of their drinking.

These same

continue

results

as the

program

has grown to serve close to two hundred people. In addition,

my

At

helping people to stop drinking.

drunk

drivers,

my

went

success with sugar sensitivity

private

the same time

practice

was

I

was working with

women and

with

filled

beyond

far

men who were overweight or ate compulsively, adult children of alcoholics who felt tired, crazy and depressed, and former addicts and alcoholics who, though clean I

became known

tried everything

them how

and

and

sober,

still

as "the lady of last resort." still felt

rotten, they

my

food plan.

people experienced the same miraculous I

had experienced. Not

came

surprisingly,

to me.

When

I

would write

a

book about sugar

I

people had

explained to

they tried

shift that

sensitivity

me

it,

my drunk

word began

and more people from across the country called ised

When

and beta-endorphin worked

their bldod sugar, serotonin

and showed them how to use

and

didn't feel well.

drivers

to get out. for help.

and the

these

I

More prom-

crucial role

of beta-endorphin. Potatoes

Not Prozac

is

that book.

It

offers

you a simple program

for

Dr.

Jekyll

and

Hyde

Mr.

25

counteracting the effects of sugar sensitivity and shows you

make

that miraculous shift

happen

own

in your

life.

be able to do this without going on another deprivation

will

not have to throw away the foods you love. You

respects your style

and your needs. You

and design a food plan that works

to

What's more, you

will

make radical changes that drive you crazy. The seven-step program you'll learn is a

how

will

diet.

You

not have to

gentle, simple process that

will

for you.

be able to read your body

During

this process

I

will

help you understand the "why" of feelings you have never been able to resolve. itively

You

come

will

to understand

what you have known

but been unable to name. You will find an answer you have

been looking Potatoes

for.

Not Prozac

man and woman who feeling

bad

inside. It

is is

is

for every child of

tired of looking

for

an alcoholic and every

good on the outside while

everyone stuck in addiction, depression,

low self-esteem and compulsive behavior. This book it is

your

tried so

story. It

is

the story of

all

o{ us

who have

is

my

story

and

waited so long and

hard to get free o{ these "crazy" feelings and our Dr. Jekyll/

Mr. Hyde behaviors. is

intu-

sugar sensitivity.

One powerful

answer

is

biochemical.

One

answer

Chapter

2

© Are You Sugar

now you tive.

By with

my

And

are probably if so,

how

clients.

Let's start

When

wondering

if

Some

a client

you, too, are sugar sensi-

sugar sensitive are you?

There are two ways to determine

like using the checklist ter.

Sensitive?

this,

both of which

use

people prefer the informal approach, others

and questionnaire included

later in this

with an informal way to diagnose sugar

comes

I

to see

me

chap-

sensitivity.

about compulsive eating,

start

I

by

asking a simple question.

Imagine you come

home and go

into the kitchen.

on the counter

chocolate-chip cookies

sits

Their smell

you walk

one

else

Does

is

hits

you

around.

"Why would

I

in.

What would you

this question

obvious, but people

as

make you

who

A plate of warm

just out of the

You do not

oven.

feel hungry.

No

do?

smile?

You may think the answer

is

are not sugar sensitive respond by saying,

eat a cookie

wasn't hungry?"

if I

Or

they stop and

think about whether they would eat the cookie. Or, with no emotional charge, they say, "Well,

I

might

try

one." People

who

are not

sugar sensitive do not have a visceral response to the idea of smelling fresh chocolate-chip cookies.

People

who

are sugar sensitive laugh at the cookie question. Their

bodies are already responding to the very idea of the cookies.

know 26

they would inhale a cookie

— probably more than one,

They

at that!

You

Are

They might

eat the

whole

Sugar Sensitive?

plateful,

a sugar-sensitive person, hunger triggers their desire to eat

of

how

is

is

even

if

27

they were not hungry. For

not the driving motivation.

What

the smell of the cookies, the anticipation

the cookies will feel in the mouth, and the warmth and

sweetness of the chocolate. Even the feeling of having a cookie in

hand

will

have a powerful association

for

them. Those cookies mean

mean comfort. The cookies are friends and lovers. People who are not sugar sensitive think this response to the cookies is strange, perhaps even stupid: "What on earth are you talking about?" But people who are sugar sensitive always know exactly love, they

what the cookie question means. I

have asked

this question of

many, many groups. Every time

I've

received dramatically consistent responses. While one part of the

group will be waiting for the punch line cookie?"

all

after

I

ask,

"Would you

eat a

the sugar-sensitive people are laughing. Their bodies were

already responding to the image of the plate

full

warm

of

cookies in

the kitchen. Try this experiment with your friends and see what kind of response you get.

A second powerful diagnostic question that When

you were

little

and had Rice Krispies

I

use

is

this:

for breakfast, did

you

eat the cereal or did you eat the cereal so you could get to the milk

and sugar

People

at the

who

bottom of the bowl?

are not sugar sensitive think the milk

who

are disgusting. People

bottom of the bowl

and sugar

at the

are sugar sensitive

smile.

objective was to get to the dregs

of

tilting

They remember that the real milk and sugar. They got high by

mouths and

tasting the

clump of sugar

the cereal bowl into their

at the

bottom.

Your answers to these two questions may simply reinforce what

you already know. Some people

— perhaps

including you

—

are very

attached to sweet things.

There are

lots of

other ways to get clues to your sugar sensitivity.

You might think back Children

who were

to the size of the bag you carried at Halloween.

not sugar sensitive carried those small orange

We

plastic

pumpkins.

Easter.

Ours was gone

carried pillowcases. Their in three days.

candy

lasted until

Potatoes

28

Prozac

Not

Diagnosing Sugar Sensitivity If

you are

still

How can know for sure

asking,

I

Check each

O 2 O -)

3 Q -1

2 Q

of the statements that applies to you:

sweet foods.

I

really like

I

eat a lot of sweets.

I

am

I

now have

very fond of bread, cereal, popcorn, or pasta. or have had a problem with alcohol or drugs.

One or both

of

my

parents are/were alcoholic.

One or both

of

my

parents are/were especially fond of sugar.

I

am

I

continue to be depressed no matter what

I

often find myself overreacting to stress.

I

have a history of anger that sometimes surprises even me.

overweight and don't seem to be able to easily lose the extra pounds.

How many

I

do.

boxes did you check?

you are reading the right book.

If

you checked three or more,

If

you checked

good company. Each of these statements

your answers

really like

all ten,

relates to

you are

in

an aspect of sugar

go through them one at a time so you can see what

sensitivity. Let's

may have

to tell you.

sweet foods.

Answering yes to you

sugar sensitive?

take a look at the core issues associated with sugar sensitivity.

let's

I

am

if I

really like

this question alone indicates sugar sensitivity. If

sweet foods, you

may have an

intense physiological

response to them. Sugar-sensitive people actually respond to tasting

and eating sugar ple's.

A

in a

way

"normal" person

and leave the

rest

for

that

more pronounced than other peo-

will enjoy sweets, but

tomorrow.

through dinner thinking about feel

is

A

dessert.

more confident and powerful

can eat half a cookie

"normal" person doesn't

A

sit

"normal" person does not

after eating

sweet things.

You

Are

I

Sugar Sensitive?

29

eat a lot of sweets.

Even though

Sugar-sensitive people are likely to eat a lot of sweets.

you

you shouldn't, you may eat candy, cookies or

feel

Dessert

may be

the most important part of your meal. You

eat sweet things during the day

Or you may Lindsay, a

ice

and then binge

really love sweet things but

cream.

may not

at night.

choose not to eat them.

slender client of mine, was sugar sensitive. Because she

tall,

was concerned about

calories

and

fats in

her

diet,

she had stopped

eating hot fudge sundaes, candy bars and the other sweets she usually craved. But even though she had eliminated obvious sugars from her

sweet things continued to find their way into her mouth. She

diet,

ate

power bars

She

to fruit juice.

have a

for breakfast.

glass of

She stopped drinking Coke and switched

She would

also discovered she loved carrot juice.

wine with dinner

make up

as a treat to

for

how much

she missed her high-calorie splurges.

But

all

of these foods contain high amounts of sugar. Lindsay's

biochemistry was craving sugars and drove her to find them even

without her knowing what she was doing. Her power bars and

many

of the other "healthy" low-fat foods she ate were very high in what their labels called carbohydrates. Sugars

who

are sugar sensitive find them.

Go

come

to page

in 1

many

20

forms. People

for a fuller discus-

sion of sugars.

I

am

very fond of bread, cereal, popcorn or pasta.

Your body may respond to foods made with white

You may

were

sugars.

then

feel terrible later on.

find

for you. In the evening,

you

feel

good soon

You may love

you might

after eating

bread. Cereal

settle

flour as

if

they

them but

may be

on the couch with

a staple a

huge

bowl of popcorn.

Rank

yourself

these foods.

on

a scale of

You may be

1

to 10

on your attachment

surprised to find that

to any of

even though you don't

have a very powerful emotional attachment to bread, cereal, popcorn or pasta. You would kill for French bread. You know where all the homemade pasta is sold. Don't get nervous. It's okay to eat "sugar," you

feel this way. ful

Your attachment to these foods

your sugar-sensitive biochemistry

is.

tells us

only

how power-

Potatoes

30

I

now have or have had If

Prozac

Not

a problem with alcohol or drugs.

you have used alcohol or drugs in an addictive way

in your

life,

it's

at

some time

very likely that you have a body chemistry that

responds more intensely to alcohol or drugs than other people's. Your

attachment to sugars

you up biochemically

sets

for the addictive use

of alcohol and even certain drugs.

Even

if

sensitivity

you are recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, sugar can

affect

how you

feel.

This accounts for

much

of the

syndrome called the dry drunk. Hair-trigger reactions and impulsive behavior can be caused by what you eat and

when you

eat

it.

Many

of the unexplained physical and emotional symptoms that people take for granted in addiction recovery,

such

as irritability, cravings,

mood

swings and sleep disturbances, actually result from having a sugar

low self-esteem may continue

sensitive body. In addition, feelings of

long after they seem rationally warranted. For example, Christine,

who

got sober five years ago, expected to feel a whole lot happier and

healthier than she does.

She has

been promoted three times year, but still worries that

problem to

is

in

which she

loves, has

two years and makes $20,000 more

she will be a bag lady in her old age.

a

The

that Christine stopped drinking but didn't change her diet

compensate

can make you

for her sugar-sensitive body.

feel terrible or

What and when you

eat

wonderful.

One or both of my parents are/were If

a fabulous job,

alcoholic.

your parents drank to excess or drank in an alcoholic fashion,

you may have inherited a to alcohol that

overwhelmed influence.

makes you

— or angry

You can

specific type of brain-chemical response feel tearful,

and belligerent

depressed and emotionally

— when you

are

under the

inherit other aspects of sugar sensitivity as well.

Your parents may have been sugar sensitive long before they started to drink. Seventy-eight percent of the

drunk drivers in the program

I

ran reported that their fathers were alcoholics and their mothers

loved sweets. This combination of an alcoholic father and a sugarsensitive mother, or vice versa, maximizes the

born with a sugar-sensitive body.

chance that you were

Sugar Sensitive?

You

Are

One or both of my parents are/were

who

People

Dairy

I

pleasant memory,

ful

remember our family

Queen on summer

day, the

memory

it

grow up in houses where going to the local

ritual of

evenings. Ice cream not only created a

carried a

whole emotional charge

as well.

To

this

of the sweet, cold, creamy soft treat evokes a power-

and pleasant response

As with

especially fond of sugar.

are sugar sensitive often

sweets abound.

31

in

my body.

the question about chocolate-chip cookies, non-sugar-

sensitive people

do not respond

hood memory of going

in this way.

to Dairy

Queen, but

it's

report a child-

memory with

a

do not remember the

different emotional content. Their bodies

ing of the ice cream in their

They may

mouths with the same

feel-

Ask

intensity.

a

a

non-sugar-sensitive person what he or she remembers about food from

childhood.

Then

ask a sugar-sensitive person.

guarantee there will

I

be a big difference in their responses.

I

am

overweight and don't seem to be able to easily lose the extra pounds.

Sugar-sensitive people often crave carbohydrates. This isn't an

emotional craving but a physiological one caused by the way their

body chemistry overreacts to eating sweets and carbohydrates. They find dieting difficult

and often unproductive

stricting calories does

who

not result in weight

are sugar sensitive

can eat

as

few

loss as

800

as

those calories are from carbohydrates they will

may have

tried a high-protein diet, like that

Sears's Mastering the Zone, is

and

had

initially

likely that they started feeling restless

slipped

and

it

well:

lose

effect.

should. People

and

calories a day, still

gain weight.

recommended

success.

if

They

in Barry

But over time

it

and uneasy. Then they

ate carbohydrates, could not get back

experienced a disastrous rebound

drome"

in the long term. Re-

on the

diet

and

You know the "y°'y° s Y n '

ten pounds, regain fifteen; lose fifteen, regain

twenty.

I

continue to be depressed no matter what

Sugar-sensitive people

You may

may have

may

do.

a hard time getting mobilized.

feel frequently sad or apathetic.

crawl through the day with very sion

I

little

You may be depressed and

energy. For

women,

get worse just before menstruation. Often, «

the depresnsitive

Potatoes

32

Not

Prozac

people are miserable in the winter because the decrease in daylight

may

impaired brain chemicals. You

affects their already

self-medicate

your depression by eating sweet foods since sweets are one of the few things that

make you

like

Prozac but

you

likely

still

have a

You may be taking an antidepressant

feel better.

have symptoms of depression.

If that's

the case,

sugar-sensitivity aspect to your depression that nei-

ther you nor your doctor has recognized.

I

often find myself overreacting to stress.

make

Volatile blood sugar levels

You may

reactive.

conflicting feelings ple,

my

agency. job.

handle or cry

off the

fly

sugar-sensitive people edgy

drop of a hat.

at the

and

The

you have don't seem to make sense. As an exam-

worked

client Shirley

as a senior

She was well thought

manager

in a

governmental

did excellent work and liked her

of,

Most of the time she was steady and

would get overwhelmed and want to

sit

clear,

but at other times she

and cry when her boss gave

her feedback about her work. She was always surprised by the power of her anger, which seemed to bubble up from out of nowhere. Like Shirley,

you may think of yourself

as a really nice person

— and most

of the time you are, but at other times you feel totally out of control.

These mood swings may well be due to sugar

I

sensitivity.

have a history of anger that sometimes surprises even me.

Sugar-sensitive people can have episodes of anger

overtake

them without

Hyde. Your dark side close to you

know

brakes don't work.

because

it

reason.

stays

it's

just doesn't

Your

fit

seem

made

and Mr.

is

low and your impulse

to

fit

is

particularly scary

your "real" personality. to

sound familiar? Does the sugar-

your experience? Sugar-sensitive people often

comforted by answering haven't

flash point

intensity of your feelings

Are these patterns beginning sensitive profile

feel like Dr. Jekyll

to

hidden most of the time, but those people

there.

The

You may

which seem

my

diagnostic questions. Patterns

sense start fitting together.

feel

which

You

Are

Sugar Sensitive?

33

Sugar-Sensitivity Questionnaire

In addition to answering

my

more formal questionnaire

I

diagnostic questions, you can use a

have developed to determine your sugar

Remember, though, that even

sensitivity.

determine the exact degree of your sugar Sugar

sensitivity, as

am presenting

I

recognized or "proven" syndrome. sis

It is

this questionnaire

cannot

sensitivity.

it

to you,

a theory

is

—

not a

scientifically

a working hypothec

— based on my own observation of how my addicted and/or com-

pulsive clients respond to sugars

and on

my

in-depth investigation

of the solid scientific research that has been done

and the

sensitivity,

and

role of brain chemicals in alcoholism, addiction

nutrition.

now

Five years from

authority and a blood hypothesis.

The

stories

your sugar sensitivity will have a scientific In the meantime,

test. I

have heard from

and too consistent to be ignored any

name and

a solution

scientific authorities.

an answer to the let

on carbohydrate

go of the

is I

my

let's

work with my

longer.

clients are too familiar

Giving these

stories a

too important to wait for the approval of

suggest you try the program

sugar-sensitivity problem, take

I

what

recommend for

fits

as

you and

rest.

This questionnaire doesn't have a score.

Its

purpose

is

to give

you

information about the relationship you have to the foods that are part of the sugar-sensitive profile.

The

questions about whether you

lied,

kept a stash or went out of your way to get something sweet are included to help you look at the truth of your behavior, not to

you

feel

bad about

make

it.

There's nothing bad about having a sugar-sensitive biochemistry. defuse the negative messages you have always

The more you can

received about your behavior, the freer you will be to begin this

healing process.

Remember

people just like you

that there are hundreds of thousands of

— people

who know something

is

wrong,

who

joke about being "addicted to chocolate" but rarely talk about what is

really

going on inside them.

As you want

explore the power of your

to ask yourself

more questions

own

sugar sensitivity, you might

like this.

Try not to be judgmental

Potatoes

34

Prozac

Not

Sugar-Sensitivity Questionnaire how much

As a child,

What

did you like sugar? (Rate yourself on a scale of

0-9.)

kinds of sugar foods

did you eat

when you were

a child?

How many

How many

times

days

each week?

a day?

How much

did you

eat each time?

Candy Soda Dessert

Ice

cream

Straight sugar (from the bowl,

cubes, honey,

jelly,

etc)

Other kinds of sweet foods (indicate which ones):

No

Yes

As a child, did you ever hide candy?

As a child, did you ever steal anyone else's candy?

As a child, did you ever steal

money

to

buy sugar -foods?

Did you especially like the sugar and milk at the bottom of your cereal

bowl?

As an adult,

how much do you

like

sugar? (Rate yourself on a scale of 0-9.)

Rate yourself for the time

you were using sugar the

How many

most often as an

a day?

adult.

Candy Soda Dessert

In coffee

Ice

or tea

cream/frozen yogurt

times

How many each week?

days

How much

did you

eat each time?

Are

You

Sugar Sensitive?

35

Do you eat/drink the following? (Use the time of

most frequent use as an

How many

adult)

a day?

times

How many

days

each week?

How much

did you

eat each time?

Fruit

Juice

Coffee or tea with sugar

Alcohol

Milk

White breads or pastry Cereal

Yes

Have you ever

lied

about how much sweet food you ate?

Have you ever kept a supply of sweet food on hand? Have you ever gotten upset

if

someone

else ate

your supply of sweet food?

Have you ever hidden your supply from others? Have you ever gone out of your way to get something sweet to eat? Have you ever

lied

about how much bread you were eating?

Have you ever hidden your supply from others?

Have you ever gotten upset Have you ever

lied

if

someone

else ate

your supply of bread?

about how much cereal you were eating?

Have you ever hidden your supply from others? Have you ever gotten upset

Do you consider If

Do you ever think

If

so, rate

someone

else ate

your supply of cereal?

yourself an alcoholic?

so, rate the level of

Do you think

if

your alcoholism on a scale of 0-9.

of sugar as "love"?

of yourself as being addicted to sugar?

your sugar addiction on a scale of 0-9.

No

Potatoes

36

as

you do

this.

Allow yourself the humor of your "addiction." Perhaps

you don't outright but do you is

around?

lie

Prozac

Not

by omission?

Do you

when

about

lie

Do

or whether you are eating sweets,

you eat sweets only when no one

else

put the bag with the goodies inside something else

what you

so people can't see

out-of-the-way place to

are carrying?

chomp your

Do you

park your car in an

special treat?

Do you

hide the

candy wrappers under the other trash so your spouse won't know what

you ate?

Do you

eat your children's cookies

know what happened

to

them?

Do you

and buy huge quantities of candy and

Do you know

tell

go to the warehouse stores yourself that

By now the answer

and

like it

sugar, to

body responds

affects the

to Sugar?

to this question should be pretty clear to you. Yes,

you can be addicted to

cal

a good buy?

it's

the hours of the Godiva chocolate store?

Can You Be Addicted

ucts that your

and then say you don't

sweet foods and to white-flour prod-

to as sugars. This addiction

same biochemical systems

in your

body

morphine and heroin. You can actually get high on

can make you

feel

euphoric immediately afterwards.

have your regular sugar toms. Yes, you can

the sugars have

"fix,"

become

is

physiologias

do drugs

sugar. Eating If

you don't

you may experience withdrawal symp-

physiologically

dependent upon the

effect

on your body.

Being sugar sensitive means you have a special biochemistry. You

have a

different relationship to sugar

than a person with a "normal"

biochemistry. Your heart sings at the sight of a newly opened box of

candy, your molecules seem to

jump

to attention

when you

get a whiff

of chocolate. This sensation of your body jumping to attention

about greed.

It

is

whose brain has

is

not

the natural response of a sugar-sensitive person just

released

a

powerful chemical called beta-

endorphin in response to a certain smell.

When you

eat chocolate,

is

there a part of you that actually feels a

greater level of self-esteem? Chocolate enhancing self-esteem

seem

like

an outrageous

idea, but

may

chocolate releases beta-endorphin,

and beta-endorphin causes an increase

in feelings of self-esteem.

Your

— You

Are

relationship to sweet things

Sugar Sensitive? operating

is

more powerful than you have

my

In

sugar-eating past

better after didn't

had candy.

I

make

sense that

I

I

knew

would binge and

about what

I

could do with

later

I

and

show

for

my

It felt crazy.

and

feel

day

I

after

life. I

feel

why

so

much

I

felt

with a sense of possibility

world was

in

all right.

my journal,

A few hours

nothing good would ever happen for me, I

would end up a bag lady with nothing

life.

How

could

possibly feel such contradictory things

I

them almost from one minute

sat in the library

working on

my

to the next?

Ph.D. and

I

first

remember the read about the

my

impact of beta-endorphin on self-esteem. The hair on the back of

neck stood up.

it

doing something so "bad."

would write plans

feel confident that the

would crash and

much

was emotionally comforting, but

start soaring

my

no change would ever come, to

it

good

so

I

lists

It is

never understood

Sometimes

make

a cellular level.

realized.

I

felt

on

37

I

suddenly saw the connection.

as self-medication to

stupid about

my

Consciously

I

I

was eating chocolate

achieve self-confidence. Instead of feeling totally

behavior,

wanted

I

began to see that there was wisdom in

to feel better

it.

and more secure and uncon-

knew there was a relationship between chocolate and selfconfidence. Of course I turned to chocolate when I felt down. The problem is, sugar- induced self-esteem doesn't last too long. sciously

And way

I

having your self-esteem wear off that quickly to live

—

yes?

The good news

is

is

a pretty fragile

you can evoke beta-endorphin-

linked self-esteem without the negative and addictive effects of choc-

You do not need chocolate! You need a sense of self-esteem based on an inner sense of well-being that comes from biochemical

olate.

What you eat can have a huge effect how to develop a food plan that can

balance, clarity and well-being.

on how you

feel.

We'll see

help you overcome the drawbacks of the sugar-sensitive body you inherited.

You can make sense of what

is

happening

in

your body. Learning

about sugar sensitivity will give you a perspective that takes away the negative charge you have carried

You

will shift

all

these years about your eating.

from thinking you have character defects to understand-

ing that you have a body with a volatile blood sugar response, a low level of beta-endorphin, a

low level of another brain chemical called

Potatoes

38

Not

Prozac

serotonin and a heightened reaction to sweet foods.

And

you

how to change these things by what and when you eat. The good news about biochemically based behavior is that

will

learn

change rapidly. get results.

You do not have

You can

start

it

can

to pursue years of psychotherapy to

making sense of your patterns of behavior

today to understand what foods affect you negatively and why. You

can

start

changing what you eat and

As soon shameful

as

feel better right

now.

you do, what has been an overwhelming

— mystery

self-exploration.

in your

life

will

become a

— and perhaps

fascinating journey of

Chapter

3

o Not Your

It's

I

am

right, the "crazy" duality in

IfJekyll/Mr. Hyde syndrome, feel crazy,

your

is

your

Fault

I

call

a result of sugar sensitivity.

The problem

but you are not.

which

life,

is

the Dr.

You may

biochemical.

It's

not

fault.

If

you are sugar

sensitive, there are three things in your

body

chemistry that contribute to the "crazy" feelings:

•

the level of sugar in your blood

•

the level of the chemical serotonin in your brain

•

the level of the chemical beta-endorphin in your brain

The Root An

of the Problem

imbalance in the level of any one of these biochemicals can bring

about striking changes in the way you out of balance

you

it is

to

When

is

sugar sensitivity can have such a

life.

You may have heard about the impact of your blood sugar your well-being.

The

making

look at them one at a time, then put

show you why

powerful effect on your

three are

all

almost impossible to isolate which one

feel so bad. Let's take a

them together

feel or act.

effect of

widely talked about in the

last

low serotonin

level

levels has also

on

been

few years; books about Prozac and

If

Potatoes

40

several "food

Not

Prozac

and mood" books have examined the value of

raising

serotonin levels.

We'll discuss these issues brain chemical that

And

endorphin.

— and one more. We'll look

no one

is

the public about

telling

you'll see the role

at the vital

—

beta-

plays in your feelings of self-

it

esteem, your cravings for sugar, your capacity to handle painful

and your

situations

As you

feelings of

learn about

how

hope

(or despair) about the future.

these three biochemical systems interact

to create changes in your feelings

and behavior, please don't worry

about the impact this information will have on the way you

eat.

The

food plan you will develop to counteract the problem of sugar sensitivity

is

not about deprivation or

self-denial. You'll

be able to

start

on

that plan in Chapter 6. For now, just be tender with yourself and be attentive.

The

Let's start

story you're about to hear

with the most commonly

The Level

is

intriguing.

known

system.

of Sugar in Your Blood

Your body uses a very simple form of sugar called glucose fuel.

During digestion

into glucose.

It is

all

the carbohydrates you eat are broken

carried by the blood throughout your

Tired

when appropriate

Tired

all

the time

Tired for no reason

Focused and relaxed

Restless, can't

Clear

Confused

Having a good memory

Having trouble remembering

Able to concentrate

Having trouble concentrating

Able to solve problems effectively

Easily frustrated

Easygoing

More

Even-tempered

Getting angry unexpectedly

irritable

keep

still

than usual

down

body to be

Low Blood Sugar

Optimal Blood Sugar

Energetic

as its basic

It's

Your

Not

Fault

41

used as energy by the cells as needed. All your

cells, particularly

those

in your brain, require a steady supply of sugar at all times.

When

your body has the optimal level of sugar in the blood to

supply your

cells,

you

feel

good.

When

your blood sugar level

low, your cells don't get the sugar they

need and they

start

is

too

sending

out distress signals. These distress signals are the symptoms of low

blood sugar, a condition

known

as

hypoglycemia.

Brain Chemicals: Serotonin In addition to blood sugar, a

how you feel and

act.

number of chemicals

Serotonin

is

in your brain affect

a brain chemical that

important for sugar-sensitive people.

It

is

particularly

creates a sense of relaxation,

"mellows you out" and gives you a sense of being

at

peace with the

world. Serotonin also influences your self-control, impulse control

and

ability to

plan ahead.

Low

Optimal Level of Serotonin

Depressed

Hopeful, optimistic

Reflective

Level of Serotonin

and thoughtful

Impulsive

Able to concentrate

Having a short attention span

Creative, focused

Blocked, scattered

Able to think things through

Flying off the handle

Able to seek help

Suicidal

Responsive

Reactive

Looking forward to dessert without an

Craving sweets

emotional charge

Hungry

Craving mostly carbohydrates

for a variety of different foods

like

bread.

pasta and cereal

When

your serotonin level

is

low,

you may

feel depressed, act

impulsively and have intense cravings for alcohol, sweets or carbohydrates. Scientists

have worked hard to

of serotonin in the brains of people

find

who

ways to increase the level

are depressed.

The

result

is

Potatoes

42

Prozac

Not

that the newer antidepressant drugs that do this

and Effexor

Zoloft, Paxil

— have been dispensed

— such

as Prozac,

to well over six mil*

lion people.

Because of your inherited sugar

toms of low serotonin

sensitivity,

you may find the symp-

familiar.

Brain Chemicals: Beta-endorphin Beta-endorphin

is

the brain chemical that's gotten the least attention

in the diet, depression

cause

it is

and addiction books. That's very strange be-

immensely powerful and can drive you inexorably toward

deeper addiction

— or

raise

may never have known

your

before.

Low

Optimal Level of Beta-endorphin

Having high tolerance for pain Sensitive,

of health that you

spirits to a level

Level of Beta-endorphin

Having low pain tolerance

sympathetic

Tearful, reactive

Having high self-esteem

Having low self-esteem

Compassionate

Overwhelmed by

Connected and

in

touch

others' pain

Feeling isolated

Hopeful, optimistic, euphoric

Depressed, hopeless

Taking personal responsibility

Feeling

Having a take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward

Craving sugar

"done to" by others

sweet foods Emotionally overwhelmed

Solution-oriented

When

your beta-endorphin

is

low,

you

and victimized. You may be touchy and low.

And

you have a desperate craving

feel depressed, impulsive

tearful.

for sugar.

munity has been investigating beta-endorphin years, but the public

limited.

understanding of

You may have heard of the

describes

how

its

Your self-esteem

The

for

effects

scientific

is

com-

more than twenty

has remained

fairly

"runner's high," a phrase that

the body responds to the pain of long-distance running

by automatically flooding the body with beta-endorphin, which produces a sense of euphoria.

Not

It's

Your

Fault

Understanding the powerful emotional levels in

your brain

is

43

effects of

beta-endorphin

crucial for people with sugar sensitivity.

The

beta-endorphin story may radically change your sense of why you feel the way you do. As you see from the chart opposite, some of the effects of

As

beta-endorphin are similar to those of serotonin.

you've read over the symptoms on these three charts, you

may

have had two reactions. You may be comforted by recognizing patterns that sound so familiar and fit your experience so well. You may also be

amazed that your emotional

feelings

and behavior can be so

strongly affected by your body's chemistry.

A Delicate Balance A

normal body balances blood

easily.

Your sugar-sensitive body

sugar, serotonin is

and beta-endorphin

likely off balance.

The

levels in all

three of these systems must be optimal for you to conquer the Dr. Jekyll/Mr.

Hyde syndrome.

If

you work on only one

make some

factor, the others

will

remain unbalanced. You

still

experience the negative symptoms of having low levels of the

will

progress, but

you

will

other two factors. Let's

look at this

visually.

Here you are

Low

Low Blood Sugar

before

Level of Serotonin

making any change.

Low

Level of Beta-endorphin

Depressed

Having low pain tolerance

Impulsive

Tearful, reactive

Having a short attention span

Having low self-esteem

Confused

Blocked, scattered

Overwhelmed by

Having trouble remembering

Flying off the handle

Feeling isolated

Having trouble concentrating

Suicidal

Depressed, hopeless

Easily frustrated

Reactive

Feeling "done to" by others

More

Craving sweets

Craving sugar!

Craving mostly carbohydrates

Emotionally overwhelmed

fired

all

the time

Tired for no reason

Restless, can't

irritable

keep

still

than usual

Getting angry unexpectedly

like

bread, pasta and cerea!

others' pain

Potatoes

44

As you can whack.

Now

you

see,

Prozac

Not

bad with

feel pretty

say your doctor puts you

let's

more

focused. But you are

—

how

of sweets and starches. Let's see

Low Blood Sugar Tired

all

keep

Reflective

more optimistic and

—

Low

and thoughtful

Tearful, reactive

Having low self-esteem

Confused

Creative, focused

Overwhelmed by

Having trouble remembering

Able to think things through

Feeling isolated

Having trouble concentrating

Able to seek help

Depressed, hopeless

Easily frustrated

Responsive

Feeling

More

Looking forward to dessert a

Craving sugar!

irritable

still

than usual

lots

Level of Beta-endorphin

Able to concentrate

Restless, can't

on

Having low pain tolerance

Hopeful, optimistic

Tired for no reason

get stabilized

things look now.

Optimal Level of Serotonin

the time

to raise your

way you always have

eating the

still

on Prozac

depressed,

less

these levels out of

Once you

serotonin level and ease your depression.

Prozac you start feeling better

all

others' pain

"done to" by others

bit

Hungry

Getting angry unexpectedly

So although your depression and you

feel isolated

explain this?

help

— and

aren't as

It

it

bad

Here

is

lifting,

your self-esteem

and emotionally overwhelmed.

is still

How

low

can you

make any sense. The Prozac is supposed to But why do the black feelings still come? They

does.

the past, but something

five in

what

is

doesn't

as in

exhausted at

Emotionally overwhelmed

for healthy foods

is

is still off.

And you

are

still

the afternoon.

happening. You have raised your serotonin

level,

but your blood sugar and beta-endorphin levels remain low. You

still

You

feel

hard to concentrate. Your

first

and

get tired isolated

feel crabby,

and your self-esteem wobbles a

and overwhelmed and

find

it

thought may be that your medication another drug

Then

like Paxil or Zoloft,

the same problems

better, so

come

you keep searching

isn't

and

working. You

for a

lot.

may

shift to

while things improve.

back. But you are committed to feeling

for solutions.

It's

Not

Your

Fault

45

Perhaps you come across one of the popular diet books Atkins'

New

talk about

like Dr.

Diet Revolution or Barry Sears's Mastering the Zone that

needing to

stabilize

your blood sugar by eating more protein

or "balancing" each of your meals with a specific ratio of protein, fat

and carbohydrate. These dietary plans you

feel.

So you decide

one of these

identify

many

of the symptoms

to drop the medication altogether

diets. It stabilizes

and

start

your blood sugar and you begin to feel

better.

Here's

what that looks

like:

Low

Optimal Blood Sugar

Low

Level of Serotonin

Level of Beta-endorphin

Depressed

Having low pain tolerance

Impulsive

Tearful, reactive

Focused and relaxed

Having a short attention span

Having low self-esteem

Clear

Blocked, scattered

Overwhelmed by

Having a good memory

Flying off the handle

Feeling isolated

Able to concentrate

Suicidal

Depressed, hopeless

Able to solve problems

Reactive

Feeling

Easygoing

Craving sweets

Craving sugar!

Even-tempered

Craving mostly carbohydrates

Emotionally overwhelmed

Energetic

Tired

when appropriate

others' pain

"done to" by others

effectively

like

Once

again,

you

bread, pasta and cereal

start to feel better.

But trouble

make

turns out, the very behaviors that

is

coming. As

it

these diets improve your

blood sugar level will decrease your level of serotonin and make your low-serotonin symptoms worse.

And

if

you use sweets to create the

carbohydrate balance advocated in Mastering

the

Zone, you will also

make your low beta-endorphin symptoms worse. One problem is that many of these new diets advocate "specially balanced" nutrition bars. fat,

the use of

These bars are advertised

as low-

natural and healthy. But they often contain high levels of what

Potatoes

46

their labels call carbohydrates,

Not

Prozac

which

are actually sugars that will

activate your low-beta-endorphin symptoms. Chapter 5 will tell you all

about

how

this

happens. These nutrition bars are very compelling

for sugar-sensitive people.

You may find yourself wanting

to eat several

bars a day. But thanks to your inherited sugar sensitivity, off as

what

starts

convenience becomes dependence.

However, you are on the right track in wanting to blood sugar.

If

stabilize

you forgo nutrition bars that are made with

your

sugars, stop

using sugars and white-flour products (which your body reacts to like sugar),

and eat complex carbohydrates

achieve the

diet's

(like

beans or whole grains) to

balancing process, you can avoid the problem with

your beta-endorphin.

Now

things are getting better.

factors creating your Dr. Jekyll/Mr.

You have improved two of the

Hyde syndrome. Take

a look at

the next chart.

Optimal Level of

Low

Optimal Blood Sugar

Depressed

Energetic

Beta-endorphin

Level of Serotonin

Having high tolerance for pain

when appropriate

Impulsive

Sensitive, sympathetic

Focused and relaxed

Having a short attention span

Having high self-esteem

Clear

Blocked, scattered

Compassionate

Having a good memory

Flying off the handle

Connected and

Able to concentrate

Suicidal

Hopeful, optimistic euphoric

Able to solve problems

Reactive

Taking personal responsibility

Craving sweets

Having a take-it-or-leave-it

Fired

in

touch

effectively

Easygoing

attitude toward sweet foods

Even-tempered

Craving mostly carbohydrates like

As you can

see, this

is

Solution-oriented

bread, pasta and cereal

a huge improvement.

You have balanced

your blood sugar and your beta-endorphin. However, you

still

have a

problem. Within a few weeks you will begin to feel desperate. Your

It's

Not

Your

Fault

47

depression will return with a vengeance and you will feel completely

discouraged because you are doing

the right things and you

all

still

feel bad.

This

is

why

biochemicals son.

And

is

balancing the levels of

all

three of these important

so crucial to your well-being as a sugar-sensitive per-

you can do

with simple food and

it

lifestyle

changes.

On

the next chart you'll see the profile that can be yours by using the nutritional approach

I

have developed

for people

with inherited sugar

sensitivity.

Optimal Level of

Optimal Blood Sugar

Hopeful, optimistic

Energetic

Beta-endorphin

Optimal Level of Serotonin

Having high tolerance for pain

Tired

when appropriate

Reflective

and thoughtful

Sensitive,

sympathetic

Focused and relaxed

Able to concentrate

Having high self-esteem

Clear

Creative, focused

Compassionate

Able to think things through

Connected and

Able to concentrate

Able to seek help

Hopeful, optimistic euphoric

Able to solve problems

Responsive

Taking personal responsibility

Looking forward to dessert a

Having a take-it-or-leave-it

bit

attitude toward sweet foods

Having a good

memory

in

touch

effectively

Easygoing

Hungry

Even-tempered

You don't have optimal levels in

for healthy foods

to settle for

all

Solution-oriented

one or two out of

three.

You can have

these vital systems.

The healing process I have developed will allow you to design your own food plan, one that will specifically target your needs and personal priorities. Using it, you will learn to read your own body to see which

factor

is

contributing to your symptoms. You will learn which

when it is best for you to Chapter 7, when you eat is almost

foods contribute to your overall health and eat them. as

As you

will discover in

important as what you

eat.

Learning this process won't happen overnight.

Then

il

no magic

Potatoes

48

pill

that

Not

makes everything work

effort into

it.

But the process

better rapidly.

As you come

is

Prozac

all at

once.

You

will

have to put

very simple and you will start feeling

to understand

how

your blood sugar,

serotonin and beta-endorphin levels affect you, you will

become more

and more excited about the mastery you can achieve. The Dr. Mr. Hyde syndrome

is

not a

life

sentence!

Jekyll/

Chapter

4

© The Ups and Downs

of

Blood Sugar Because you are sugar sensitive, you respond differently to sugar than other people do. This the effect of what you eat

is

most immediately apparent in

on your blood

sugar level. People

with normal body chemistries can eat sweet foods without experiencing dramatic changes in their blood sugar level, but for you the story is

When

different.

you eat something sweet, the

result

is

not the

pleasant spurt of energy caused by a slight increase in your blood sugar level,

but

all

the devastating feelings brought on by a sharp decrease

in blood sugar. Let's take a closer look.

How Normal The

Blood Sugar Works

level of sugar in your blood fluctuates with eating, sleeping

other activities.

When

you

eat,

your blood sugar level goes up.

you use energy, your blood sugar

level goes

you

feel. If

is

that

has a very powerful effect on

how

your brain or your muscles can't get the blood sugar they

need to perform, they wrong. You

it

When

down. The most important

thing for you to understand about your blood sugar level

because you are sugar sensitive,

and

may

will tell

you very clearly that something

get tired, shaky or irritable.

time concentrating. You

may

forget things.

thing sweet to provide a quick pick-me-up.

is

You may have a hard

You may reach

for

some-

Potatoes

SO

Most of the sugar rest

Prozac

Not

comes from the foods you

in your blood

comes from the extra sugar stored

used

if

you run out of food

sugar for the average person

for energy. is

The most

which

is

The

to be

efficient source of

carbohydrates because they require the

amount of work by the body

least

in your liver,

eat.

them from "food"

to convert

to

sugar in your blood. Carbohydrates can either be simple, like beer, sugar and white flour, or they can be complex, like potatoes, oatmeal

The simpler a carbohydrate is, can be broken down into glucose (the simplest and whole

grains.

into your bloodstream,

burned

is

mechanisms to achieve

which

blood and pull fuel.

and

the longer

it

Your body uses a number of

draws from the regular sugar pool

this

instructs your cells to

by releasing a hormone called

open

into the cells themselves,

move

up,

where

it

sugar out of your

can be burned

for

When the level of sugar in your blood goes up, your body releases

more

insulin

and thereby moves more sugar into your

only provides fuel for your

on an even If

low.

this. First, it

Your body does

it

cells

to maintain the perfect level of sugar in your

— neither too high nor too

in your blood.

is,

it

and released

can be carried to your

it

The more complex a carbohydrate be broken down and released into the blood.

Your body's goal

insulin,

sugar)

for energy.

takes to

blood

where

the more quickly

cells, it also

cells.

This not

keeps your blood sugar level

keel.

the level of sugar in your blood drops, your body will turn to the

backup sugar supply stored in your calories

worth of sugar

at

liver.

Your

liver stores

any given time. After

this

about 400

backup supply

is

used up, you are in trouble. Your body needs more sugar to keep functioning.

It tells

you to

eat.

Now!

For most people, this system works well.

They

are not

of the changes in their blood sugar level. However, are biochemically sugar sensitive.

overreact by releasing far that their cells

more

open up and

When

some people

they eat sugar, their bodies

insulin than

pull in

even aware

is

needed.

The

result

is

more sugar than they should. This

causes the level oi sugar in the blood to drop too low and triggers

those "crazy" Mr.

Hyde symptoms

of low blood sugar, including

tigue, restlessness, confusion, frustration,

poor memory and

fa-

irritability.

The

Downs

and

Ups

The Impact

of

Blood

Sugar

51

of Sugar Sensitivity

Sugar-sensitive people have a

more

volatile blood sugar reaction to

eating sweet foods than do other people.

you are sugar

If

sensitive,

more quickly and goes higher than other peocausing your body to release more insulin than is needed for the

your blood sugar pled,

rises

amount of food you have

eaten.

As

a result of this spike in insulin,

you experience a quicker and steeper drop in your blood sugar

You

more vulnerable

are

to low blood sugar level, also

level.

known

as

hypoglycemia. Let's

look at the blood sugar response of a person

sensitive.

Mary

is

a "normal," active working

who

woman. She

is

not sugar

gets up, has

a breakfast of oatmeal, whole grain toast, juice and one cup o{ coffee

with sweetener around seven in the morning. She has a turkey sandwich, chips and a glass of milk for lunch at around one in the afternoon, drinks a cup of tea

when she

gets

home from work, then

eats a piece of

chicken, a baked potato and green beans for dinner at about six-thirty in the evening.

This

is

She has

a piece of apple pie for dessert.

what Mary's blood sugar curve might look

like:

Blood Sugar

Dinner

Lunch

Breakfast

Mary's blood sugar

is

low when she gets up because she hasn't

eaten since the night before. Her sugar level

then begins to

fall as

rises after breakfast

her body uses the sugar for energy.

her blood sugar around noon signals her body that

Mary

recognizes these signals and has lunch.

her body digests the food she has eaten.

As

it's

Her su^ar

and

The drop time to level

in

eat.

rise

the nigai in that food

la

Potatoes

52

Not

Prozac

used for energy, her blood sugar level will begin to drop in the

When Mary

noon.

after-

eats dinner, her blood sugar rises again. After

dinner and while she sleeps, her sugar level eventually drops back to

where level

it

is

started at the beginning of the day. Overall, her blood sugar

pretty stable

and predictable. There are no extreme peaks or

valleys. Let's

person at

look at what your blood sugar curve

— might

be.

Your typical day might

—

as a sugar-sensitive

start like this.

You

get up

seven and grab a cup of coffee with 2 teaspoons of sugar and some

cream before you race out the door. You stop on the way

to

work and

pick up a second cup of coffee (with the same cream and sugar) and a chocolate muffin.

At

ten you have another cup of coffee with 2

teaspoons of sugar and more cream. You are so busy working that you forget to eat lunch.

At

three in the afternoon you get really tired and

you are going to

feel as if

fall

off the

cliff,

so you go to the deli

downstairs and get a pasta salad and some iced tea. are really sleepy so

four-thirty

you

you get a Coke from the machine. You get home

pour yourself a

at seven,

At

glass of

wine to unwind and watch the

news. You go poke around the refrigerator for something to

eat.

Finding nothing, you boil water, cook some pasta, put butter and cheese on

it,

and eat

it

while watching TV.

At nine you

munchies so you fetch a bag of cookies and a

glass of

get the

milk from

the kitchen. Let's take

your day a piece at a time and see what's going on behind

the scenes. This graph shows your blood sugar rising after having the coffee

and muffin.

#

Danger

Blood Sugar

Coffee and Muffin

The

and

tips

As you now know,

Downs

of

Blood

Sugar

53

sugaivsensitive people overreact to eating simple

carbohydrates; blood sugar goes up higher and more quickly than

other people's.

The

sugar in your coffee and the chocolate muffin

created a blood sugar spike and your body gets the message that

something

is

wrong.

danger! and goes into action to get

It registers

the extra sugar out of your blood. .Your body wants to maintain the correct level of sugar within your blood. If there

pancreas will release insulin to

your

cells.

If

move

is

too much, your

the sugar from your blood into

your blood sugar spikes up, your body will

tell

pancreas to release a big hit of insulin, which instructs your

open up and use the

sugar.

This rush of insulin does

experience a rapid and steep drop in your blood sugar

#

its

job,

your

cells to

and you

level.

Danger

Blood Sugar

#

Danger

Coffee and Muffin

Because of this big hit of insulin, your blood sugar drops dramatically,

and your body again

registers

danger! and

gets mobilized to find

comes from having too

little

sugar in

your blood. Whether consciously or unconsciously, you

start

looking

a solution. This time the danger

something to

for

find

raise

your blood sugar level quickly. Desperate to

something sweet, you drink more coffee with sugar

what happens now with your blood sugar

guess

level.

in

it.

It

You can

shoots up

again. If

you chart these ups and downs during the

day, they

might look

the graph on the following page.

body experiences these dramatic peaks and valleys several times a day. What are the consequences o\ these wild

You can

see that your

fluctuations in your blood sugar levels?

The

first is

simple. Your mixxls,

Potatoes

S4

Not

Prozac

Blood Sugar

Time

like

your blood sugar, fluctuate

sometimes you

feel low.

all day.

You may

Sometimes you

feel focused

on the phone. Or your problem-solving

alert for

whom

but then you can't remember

after eating,

and

skills

feel

high and

30 minutes

you are talking to

suddenly desert you

and you haven't a clue how to cope with the emergency that

came

up.

Your Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde symptoms change with the

change in your blood sugar

(Sometimes

levels.

that Dr. Jekyll drank was filled with sugar.)

own

just

blood sugar curve would look

like if

I

wonder

What do you

you plotted

it

if

the vial

think your

throughout

the day?

Adrenal Fatigue In addition, each time your blood sugar spikes so quickly, your body's internal alarms start ringing

adrenaline, the

hormone

and

signal your adrenal glands to release

that gives you a quick surge of energy and

mobilizes you in the face of danger. This response kept our ancestors alive

when

they were being chased by saber- toothed

feel that zing

to

today

when you have

tigers.

You can

a near-miss accident while driving

work or when someone comes up from behind and takes you by

surprise.

The

you more

adrenaline rush makes your heart

alert. (It also tells

pump faster and makes

your pancreas to get in gear and release

insulin to reduce the high level of sugar in your blood.)

The problem is, your adrenal glands are designed for coping with emergencies. They are not built to go into action several times a day,

The as

Ups

Downs

and

of

Blood

SS

they do whenever you eat a large dose of sugar. So

sugar spikes set your adrenals off morning, to

Sugar

tire.

Adrenal fatigue

sets in.

When

respond more slowly to the danger

noon and

when blood

night, they begin

that happens, your adrenals

catching the

signal. Instead of

rapidly rising blood sugar early, they go into action late.

Think of the adrenals working overtime

as a volunteer firefighter

months.

for three

He

is

who

has been

totally exhausted.

The

alarm bell rings at three in the morning. Instead of leaping out of bed,

he vaguely hears the alarm, it is

struggles to focus, finally recognizes that

the bell ringing rather than his dream, stumbles out of bed, gropes

for his boots,

walks to his truck, slumps at the wheel, then

mobilized to turn the motor on and get to the

from his bed, drop his

feet into his boots in

fire.

He

finally gets

used to leap

an instant and be out the

door before the bell had finished ringing. But his fatigue

is

clobbering

his response time.

Because your adrenals are reacting

even higher and your body

releases

to get that sugar out of your blood

late,

your blood sugar has risen

even more insulin

and into your

cells.

in

an attempt

The

result

is

that the peaks and valleys in your blood sugar level get steeper and

the interval between

them

gets shorter.

Your blood sugar curve

starts

to look like this:

Blood Sugar

Time

Ironically, adrenal fatigue

reaction to sugar

— which

is

caused by your body's over-

— means you need more sugar more often because

you drop into the lower danger zone more and more frequently. Thus adrenal fatigue makes your blood sugar ups and downs even more

Potatoes

56

Prozac

Not

pronounced and some of your Mr. Hyde symptoms may get even worse. to

You may not be aware that

what you eat and when you eat

this it.

are caused by stress, lack of sleep or

change

for the

worse

You may think your bad

PMS. Think about how

related

is

feelings

often you

experience the following symptoms:

Q Q Q

Fatigue

Irritability

Restlessness

Difficulty

Confusion

Anger (men)

Q Q

Shakiness Frustration

It's

no wonder you don't

roller coaster.

and when you stable

feel well.

Feeling

Anxiety

You

eat,

are riding a physiological

your blood sugar can't be counted on to remain reliable

and steady source of energy. By three you are crawling through the

the afternoon, you feel as

if

seven, you can hardly get

together to

But the problem

is

stabilize

insight will help is

weepy (women)

Because you are sugar sensitive and because of what

and give you a

Unless you

remembering

you

it

not in your mind.

make It is

day.

in

By

dinner.

not a matter of attitude.

your blood sugar, no amount of counseling or feel better. That's the

bad news. The good news

that you can solve this problem by understanding three things:

1

which foods

will give

you a stable blood sugar level that

will

not

send your adrenal glands into action unnecessarily 2.

which foods

3.

when

will

to eat to

evoke the

least reactive insulin response

keep your energy up and your

spirits

high

In the next chapter we'll look at the two other key players in defeating your body's sugar sensitivity, the brain chemicals serotonin

and beta-endorphin. Then

you'll start putting into action a food

that can give you the emotional stability

wanted

— and deserved —

for so long.

plan

and high self-esteem you've

Chapter

S

© Brain Chemistry 101

While

extreme highs and lows in your blood sugar level can

have a devastating

effect

on how you

blood sugar stable will not solve Dr. Jekyll/Mr. this

book.

A

all

feel,

getting your

the problems of the

Hyde syndrome. If it could, you would not need to read number of experts have written on the importance of

blood sugar levels to emotional well-being.

But

there's

more

to our sugar-sensitivity story,

crucial information that has not before. This information

is

3.

serotonin, can have dramatically positive

The way

includes

some

about the crucial importance of beta-

we

Beta-endorphin and

your moods and your energy

it

been widely available to the public

endorphin, one of the two brain chemicals

beginning of Chapter

and

discussed briefly at the

its

better- known partner,

— or negative —

effects

on

level.

these brain chemicals work

is

a little

more complex than

the mechanics of blood sugar, and you will need some background in

how

the brain works.

If

you'd rather skip the details about the

ence and get started on your food plan, turn to Chapter design your plan, you'll find out which of

its

As you

seven steps will affect

your blood sugar, serotonin and beta-endorphin

you can return to the material

6.

sci-

levels.

in this section as

That way

you reach each

step.

In the long run, however, taking the time to learn about

how

brain works will provide you with a real sense of confidence.

It

your will

help you to understand the subtle nuances of what you are feeling

57

Potatoes

58

and the reasons you are feeling tween

feelings based

beta-endorphin

Not

You can learn the

it.

on blood sugar

levels.

This

Prozac difference be-

fluctuations, serotonin levels

and

ability to identify the specific physiologi-

changes behind your feelings and behavior becomes incredibly

cal

The

exciting.

chart your

again in

puts you in the driver's seat and gives you a

you never have before. As

life as

my

worth the

skill

I

to

have seen time and

clients, this exhilarating feeling of self-confidence

effort to

way

is

well

understand the material.

We'll begin this chapter by taking a look at neurotransmitters, the family of brain chemicals to belong.

As we saw

moods and the

in

Chapter

which serotonin and beta-endorphin 3,

they have a powerful effect on your

behavior. You'll learn the purpose of neurotransmitters,

mechanism by which they send information between brain

and what the brain does to

Then

try to

keep

this

we'll look specifically at serotonin

examine how

traditional drugs,

cells

information flow steady.

and beta-endorphin and

both prescription and nonprescrip-

tion, affect the neurotransmitters. Finally, we'll see

why and how

using food can provide an ideal alternative for balancing your brain chemistry.

Neurotransmitters: Messengers of the Brain

Your brain

designed to communicate information. Billions of brain

is

cells talk to

each other

moment by moment through

work of interconnecting another. There is

is

cells.

These

cells

complex net-

do not actually touch one

a tiny space between each of

passed across this space by

a

them and information

way of chemical messengers

called neuro-

transmitters.

There are many kinds of neurotransmitters, each of which has different molecular shape

one brain

cell

and

carries

its

own

distinct message.

wants to send a message to another,

it

and look

cell.

These neurotransmitters

for a place to land.

When

releases the

appropriate type of neurotransmitter into the space between

the receiving

a

it

and

float across this tiny space

Each receiving

cell

has thousands of

BrainChemistrylOl receptors ready to catch receptors

and each

its

59

neurotransmitters. These are called neuro-

designed to match a neurotransmitter.

is

A molecule of serotonin, for example, can only pass The same

a serotonin receptor.

its

message to

true with beta-endorphin. If any

is

other kind of neurotransmitter hits the beta-endorphin receptors,

nothing happens. But

when the neurotransmitter that fits

comes along, the receptor recognizes pass. If

enough receptors

get the

and allows the message to

it

same message, then the

responds and passes the message to the next

happens in a

the receptor

entire cell

Of course, this all how this communica-

cell.

very, very short time. Let's look at

tion works with our two neurotransmitters, beta-endorphin and serotonin. First, here's

cal

and emotional pain, works. Mary drops

Her if

an example of how beta-endorphin, which eases physi-

first

response

is

one of intense

pain.

a

heavy box on her

She

nauseous and

is

she will pass out. However, before too long, she

focused.

Her

fingers

swelling and help to

While Mary ice water, she

is

is

still

hurt, but she

numb

knows

feels clear

and

that ice will reduce the

standing at the sink with her fingers in a bowl of

surprised to notice that she feels a

Mary's brain recognized a it

feels as

the pain.

crisis

when

little

smashed her

spacey. This seems strange since she just

reach

fingers.

relaxed and fingers.

But

the pain sensations started to

and responded by releasing beta-endorphin molecules that

blunted those throbbing sensations. Let's

take an even closer look at this painkilling mechanism.

Mary's beta-endorphin molecules are stored in her brain

cells.

When

the sending cells recognized pain, they released beta-endorphin.

The

beta-endorphin molecules crossed the space between brain

and

hit the beta-endorphin receptors cell to receive

on the receiving

the message and respond to

it.

cells,

causing the

Because Mary

pain, a lot of beta-endorphin was released

cells

felt

much

and a powerful pain-

blocking message got through.

Second,

let's

see

havior, functions.

eater

who

how

Diane

serotonin, is

sugar sensitive.

loves certain foods.

weight, but

when

which deals with mood and be-

She often

She

talks

is

also a compulsive

about wanting to lose

she goes out to a restaurant one evening and bread

Potatoes

60

on the

appears

table while she

Not

is

Prozac

waiting for her dinner to be served,

her resolve evaporates. Diane has low levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter

which puts the brakes on impulses. Because she

sensitive, Diane's If

sugar

is

behavior "brakes" don't always work.

Diane had the body chemistry of a normal person, her brain

would have an adequate

which would enable her

level of serotonin,

now" as impulsive behavior (as hunger) and not act on it. But because Diane's

to recognize the message to "eat bread

opposed to actual

serotonin levels are naturally low, there brain

flowing between her

less

This small amount of serotonin crosses the space between

cells.

her brain

is

cells, finds

the serotonin receptors and passes along the

message to stop, which should defuse Diane's impulse to because there

isn't

very

much

serotonin, the message remains pretty

weak. Not enough of the receptors are activated, so the

cells don't

and Diane's impulse to eat the bread

pass the message along,

quieted. Instead, she practically inhales the bread, eating

than she

wants

imagine that

Let's still

really

feels

I

is

not

way more

to.

we can

She

increase Diane's serotonin levels.

bad about her eating patterns and

her table, thinking,

But

eat.

will just

have a

looks at the bread

still

little

of this bread while

I

on

am

waiting. But before she pops a piece into her mouth, something hap-

pens.

A

little

voice says, Wait a minute, Diane. Are you sure that's

the best thing to do? thinks, Well,

So Diane thinks about

um, maybe

that's

She

sighs

and

not such a good idea. Diane has

just

it

a

little.

exercised impulse control, courtesy of serotonin.

When we many more

increased Diane's imaginary serotonin level, there were

serotonin molecules hitting the receptors, and the cells

passed the message throughout her brain, in effect telling her to wait. Diane's impulse quieted

down

as the

message got through. She got

another benefit from increasing her level of serotonin: her feelings of irritability, isolation

understand

how

and depression were quieted

all this

worked

about the serotonin action. in control of her life

what

it

in her brain.

She

And she didn't need

Diane didn't

as well.

to.

didn't

She

have a clue

just felt

more

and her behavior. Diane's brain knew exactly

was doing, though: more serotonin equals impulse control and

better feelings. Later, you'll learn

how

to increase your serotonin (and

Brain

Chemistry

101

61

your beta-endorphin) by changing the foods you eat and doing other things like exercising, meditating or praying, laughing and even having good sex!

Up

Cleaning

and Regulating the System

After a neurotransmitter hits it

floats

its

receptor and passes

back into the space between brain

the receptors again.

At

cells

this,

is

The

down

as a little

First,

the used neurotransmitters.

rid of the "leftit

releases en-

like to

think of

Pac-Man chomping the used neurotransmit-

vacuum

cleaner that sucks up the used messengers and

them back

in the sending cell to be recycled for later use.

These "vacuum cleaners," called reuptake pumps,

Man

I

To

other mechanism that prevents neurotransmitter overload

a sort of

deposits

available to hit

your brain has a couple of ways to get

zymes that break

ters.

is

a risk of overload.

over" serotonin or beta-endorphin molecules.

each enzyme

message along,

the same time, the sending cell keeps releasing

more of the same neurotransmitter, creating prevent

and

its

are, like

the Pac-

enzymes, usually very effective in doing this cleanup. Your brain

not only wants things cleaned up,

it

also

wants them orderly and

organized. That's

why

neuroreceptors

carefully orchestrated to stay in balance. If things

is

the brain's system of neurotransmitters and

get unbalanced, your brain will try to compensate for the problem.

Pac-Man Eating Used Neurotransmitters

Potatoes

62

Three of these adjustments are These

Prozac

Not

particularly important for our story.

are downregulation, upregulation

and withdrawal.

Downregulation

much

Receiving too doesn't

like

endorphin

is

of any given message confuses your brain.

being overloaded.

If

much

too

number

of hits

though there are more neurotransmitters

them

places for

serotonin or beta-

released, the receiving cell will close

receptors, thereby limiting the

It

it

down some

of

its

can receive. Even

released, there are fewer

to land. This process of closing

down

receptors

is

called downregulation.

Downregulation

is

what causes people

drug. Let's use painkilling drugs as

to develop a tolerance to a

an example. Painkillers

phine work because their molecules are shaped molecules.

They

fit

into the beta-endorphin receptors

the painkilling message. But

many more

get

hits

when you

mor-

beta-endorphin

and pass along

take a painkilling drug, you

than you would normally. So your brain, which

values balance above

all else,

After a while

down some

it

like

like

closes

wants to get things back to normal. of

its

receptors. In other words,

it

downregulates. Downregulation means your brain cells are getting

fewer is

hits, so

the same

amount of your

painkiller has less effect. This

what has happened when you develop a tolerance

need a bigger dose to do the

job.

You might need 50 mg of morphine

the

day and 500

days

mg

drug and

Downregulation happens

quickly. first

for a

to get relief from pain

on

of morphine to achieve the same effect ten

later.

Just as painkillers

sants

work on the beta-endorphin system, antidepres-

work on the serotonin system.

When

Prozac for depression, she was prescribed 20

over some

initial side effects,

she

felt a

Barbara started taking

mg

whole

a day. After getting lot better for a

months. The Prozac was increasing the number of serotonin her brain. to

fairly

40

mg

Then

few

hits in

her depression returned. Her doctor upped the dosage

a day and Barbara felt better again. But over time the bad

feelings started creeping

back

in.

Barbara's brain was downregulating

in response to the increase in the serotonin hits, so the Prozac

now

Brain

had

less

Chemistry

of an effect. Here's a picture to

101

63

show you how downregulation

works:

Normal

Receiving

**""

Cell

Downregulation

Sending

Receiving

Sending

Cell

Cell

Cell

t

More Neurotransmitters Fewer Receptors

Upregulation

The

brairvchemistry balancing system works in the other direction as

well. If your level of serotonin or

beta^endorphin gets too low, your

brain will open up more receptors so

it

can get more

hits.

Here

is

a

picture that shows upregulation:

Normal

Upregulation

Receiving

Sending

Receiving

Sending

Cell

Cell

Cell

Cell

t Fewer Neurotransmitters More Receptors

Upregulation creates some interesting problems. sensitive

and have naturally low

If

levels of serotonin,

have more serotonin receptors. This means that

if

you

you are sugar then you also start

taking a

Potatoes

64

drug like Prozac, you

Prozac

Not

may have

a very big reaction to

sudden you are getting more serotonin

many

already upregulated to have

may

feel

anxious or

jittery,

cells

All of a

was

hits in a system that

extra serotonin receptors.

So you

or have wild dreams or other side effects

because you are receiving many,

your

it.

many more

have not yet downregulated to

and

hits of serotonin

restabilize

your serotonin

level.

Upregulation causes another interesting problem for children of

They

alcoholics.

— and,

my

in

opinion,

all

sugar-sensitive people

born with low levels of beta-endorphin, so their brains are nor-

are

mally in an upregulated state to compensate: they have more beta-

endorphin receptors than normal. This means they can overreact to any substance that evokes a beta-endorphin response. look at one of

my

clients.

Joe, a twelve-year-old

endorphin.

On

Let's take a

son of an alcoholic, has low levels of beta-

the outside he acts cool

when hanging

out with his

buddies, but inside he doesn't feel too good about himself.

One

day

Joe and his buddies sneak a six-pack of beer. His buddies have normal

They drink

brain chemistry.

high and pretty relaxed.

slightly

But

a can or two of beer and feel good,

has far more endorphin receptors because his

Joe's brain

natural level of beta-endorphin

of beer,

POW!

is

low.

So when Joe drinks two cans

Alcohol causes a release of beta-endorphin with

capacity for easing emotional pain. Joe feels better

than he has in his whole

have amplified the

effect of the

alcohol in the beer. "This

You bet he

will.

own

He

is

world.

He

because his extra receptors

great," Joe says.

first

on top of the

beta-endorphin release caused by the

will probably

relive the euphoria of his

life

is

its

spend the

And

will

he drink again?

rest of his life

seeking to

drink.

Withdrawal

The

third

way your brain

tries to

ating withdrawal symptoms.

dence on a substance or sugar

— you have

— such

recover from imbalance

When as a

is

by cre-

you develop a physical depen-

morphine-based

painkiller, alcohol

altered the natural state of your system. Your

brain gets used to having the extra serotonin or beta-endorphin hits

— BrainChemistrylOl caused by the substance and

it

"complains"

You experience these complaints irritability,

if

65

the substance

is

cut

off.

withdrawal symptoms such as

as

headaches, diarrhea, joint pains and other flulike symp-

toms.

When you are experiencing withdrawal and you take the substance your neuroreceptors are screaming at least for a little while.

ways to

test

whether the

physical withdrawal.

your body what

it

for,

you immediately

This rapid improvement feelings

craves,

it's

one of the best

you are experiencing come from

you immediately

If

is

feel better

feel better

when you

give

a strong clue that you are dealing with

physical dependency and withdrawal.

Now that you have a better sense of the overall chemistry affecting your brain process,

let's

take a deeper look at the specific neurotrans-

mitters affecting the sugar-sensitive person.

Serotonin As we saw you life.

feel

in

Chapter

3,

when your serotonin

is

in

mellow and relaxed. You have a sense of being

an at

ideal state

peace with

Serotonin also increases impulse control, which allows you to

more

easily "just say no."

People with low levels of serotonin do not

have good impulse control.

no" because there

say

level

is

It is

almost impossible for them to "just

such a short time period between the urge to

do something and doing

it.

This

is

why

warm

the

cookies on the

know what has you vow to stick

kitchen table hop into your mouth before you even

why no matter how many times with your diet, you are not able to. The insufficient serotonin level in your brain isn't giving you the time you need to make good decisions.

happened. This

is

Besides being impulsive, people with low levels of serotonin can feel

depressed and often find themselves craving simple carbohydrates

such as bread, pasta or candy.

works to do whatever or

it

it

your brain

can to increase

open up more receptors

are releasing,

When

to grab

it.

is

low in serotonin,

Not only does

it

it

upregulate,

whatever serotonin your brain

cells

also produces cravings for foods that will raise your

serotonin level. Simple carbohydrates do

this.

Here's how.

Potatoes

66

Serotonin

made from the chemical tryptophan, an amino

is

comes from

that

Prozac

Not

protein. But while eating turkey will get tryptophan

into your blood, this won't necessarily

carbohydrates to

mean

that the tryptophan

your brain to make serotonin. You need simple

will actually get into

move

the tryptophan into your brain, where

be used to make serotonin. We'll talk more about

phan

acid

to raise your spirits, improve your sleep

relaxed in Chapter

but for

7,

how

feel

more

that snacking

carbohydrate can raise the level of serotonin in your brain eaten enough protein

can

to use trypto-

and help you

now remember

it

if

on

a

you've

to get tryptophan into your bloodstream.

first

This fact has encouraged a number of authors to recommend eating sweets

—

in particular chocolate

—

as the ideal alternative to

While chocolate does

antidepressant drugs.

I

serotonin levels,

not the best solution for raising your serotonin

levels

it is

strongly disagree.

and relieving depression. Chocolate may work

but not for you. You are sugar sensitive. will get a rise in

will backfire

your serotonin

on you by

level,

When you

someone

for

raise

else,

eat chocolate you

but at a huge price. Chocolate

increasing your craving for sweets and reinforc-

ing your addiction. You'll see

why

this

happens in the section on

beta-endorphin.

How Antidepressants Work Another school of thought nin levels

— and thereby

sant drug.

says that the best

relieve depression

—

way is

to raise low seroto-

an antidepres-

to take

Most antidepressants work by increasing the number of

serotonin molecules received by the neuroreceptors.

who developed

antidepressants focused

cause the original low

on

The

scientists

creating drugs that would

number of serotonin molecules

released by a

depressed person's brain cells to remain in the space between cells for a longer time, thus allowing these molecules to hit the serotonin

receptors

the

more than once. Some antidepressants do

Pac-Man enzyme

this

by blocking

that gobbles up secondhand serotonin; others

work by stopping the reuptake pumps from vacuuming up the used neurotransmitters.

Drugs type.

like Prozac, Paxil, Effexor

They

turn off the reuptake

and Zoloft belong to the second

pumps

so secondhand serotonin stays

Brain

between

cells

and continues

Chemistry

101

67

to hit the serotonin receptors. In effect,

more use out of the serotonin you have. These antidepressants tend to work better than the Pac-Man-blocking kind

your brain

is

getting

because they have fewer side

The good

effects.

thing about drugs like Prozac

is

that they

do increase

your serotonin level and improve, the problem moods and behaviors associated with low serotonin.

of serotonin blocked,

less irritable

Thanks

cereal.

to say

make you

no

in

Chapter

less

depressed, less scattered,

and

less likely to

3,

higher levels

more focused,

less

crave sweets, bread, pasta or

to improved impulse control, you are also better able

to alcohol, food

As with

As we saw

and compulsive behaviors.

the chocolate "solution," however, there are significant

problems with taking antidepressants. case, your brain will close

down some

we saw

First, as

in Barbara's

receptors after a while in re-

sponse to the increase in serotonin caused by the antidepressant and

you

will

have to increase your dose or change the type of medication

you are using to get the same

Second, many of these drugs are

effect.

very expensive and must be taken under the supervision of a psychiatrist,

ance.

and your treatment may not be covered by your health

And

side effects.

third,

insur-

even these newer antidepressants have unpleasant

You may experience nausea,

jitteriness,

weird dreams or

problems with your sleep. You may find that you have no sexual drive, are less sensitive physically to sexual stimulation

orgasm. While antidepressants can be lifesaving depression that does not respond to anything

may be

a high price to pay for this

There alter

if

you have a serious

else,

levels.

What and when you

your seven-step process.

the side effects

relief.

are other options. Certain ways of eating

your serotonin

ful ally in

and cannot achieve

If

can significantly

eat can be a wonder-

you eat a baked potato (with the

skin) as a snack before bed, you will put the biochemistry in

make serotonin. As you begin to see why potatoes may be

to get the tryptophan into your brain to

continue to read this book, you will a better alternative

than Prozac.

motion

Potatoes

68

Prozac

Not

Beta-endorphin Let's turn to the other neurotransmitter

important for sugar-sensitive

people, beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin acts as a powerful natural

We've

painkiller.

discussed the runner's high (also called an endor-

phin rush), whereby the body responds to the pain of long-distance running by flooding the brain with beta-endorphin. Your natural beta-

endorphin

is

incredibly potent

for sugar-sensitive people,

beta-endorphin

and serves you

however,

may be low and

endorphin releasing substance

is

well.

The problem

that their "normal" level of

their natural response to a beta-

may be

(like sugar)

significantly greater

than that of people with ordinary body chemistry. As

we'll see later,

that can cause huge problems.

In scientific terms, beta-endorphin ing that

it

opiumlike

is

an endogenous opioid, mean-

can be found naturally in the body and that

effect, as

it

has an

heroin and morphine do. Like the other opioids,

proper levels of beta-endorphin produce a sense of well-being, reduce pain, ease emotional distress, increase self-esteem, create affective stability

and even create a sense of euphoria. Not

surprisingly, beta-

endorphin also controls anxiety, defuses paranoid anger and relieves certain types of depression. effects

coming from

lems you run into

sufficient beta-endorphin,

when your

beta-endorphin level self-esteem that

is

With

is

system

isn't

feelings, reduces all

these positive

you can see the prob-

producing enough.

If

your

naturally low, you will have to live with low

biochemically based

and

is

not responsive to psycho-

therapy or counseling.

Narcotics such as morphine, heroin and codeine work like beta-

endorphin because their molecules have the same shape. They can

fit

into the beta-endorphin receptor sites and fool the brain into think-

ing that as that

more natural beta-endorphin was

produced by our

own

sent.

The

result

is

the same

beta-endorphin: high tolerance to pain,

a sense of euphoria, optimism

and high

self-esteem.

As we saw in the case of Joe, alcohol also has a beta-endorphin effect on the brain. It does not act on the receptors directly, as narcotics

do, but causes the brain to release additional beta-endorphin to

BrainChemistrylOl

69

produce the high we associate with drinking. sensitive people

have naturally lower

brains have opened up

we

we tend

sensitive people

we

since

sugar-

levels of beta-endorphins, our

more receptors

to receive what's there

get an even bigger high from drinking than

Like Joe,

And

many

— and

of our buddies.

to really like the effect alcohol produces. Sugar-

have a greater reaction to

beta-endorphin response, as we will

all

the things that evoke a

see.

Sugar and the Beta-endorphin Response Let's

go back to our old friend sugar in the context of this heightened

beta-endorphin response. Like alcohol, sugar causes a release of betaendorphin.

It

can make you

feel

high and reduce both physical and

emotional pain. Normal people can enjoy out

ill

effects.

endorphin so

But sugar-sensitive people respond to the beta-

effect of sugar in a bigger

many more

this property of sugar with-

way because they

receptors. For them, eating sugar

alcohol! Sugar can

make

us funny, relaxed,

silly,

naturally have

can be

like

talkative

drinking

and tempo-

rarily self-confident. If

you are sugar

sensitive,

you have no doubt experienced

druglike effect after eating sugar. Unfortunately, this response usually taken seriously. People

make

is

this

not

jokes about being a "choco-

holic," but rarely speak of the real pain caused by the continuing

and

compulsive use of sweets.

A number of scientists and physicians have been interested in how sugar affects our minds and bodies. In fact, people have been writing

about the harmful effects of sugar since the early 1950s. But most of these publications weren't taken seriously by the medical community.

They tended to be dismissed as "unscientific" and "anecdotal." But more recently, scientists have started looking at sugars in a more focused way. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Elliott Blass, now a researcher at Cornell University, conducted some fascinating experiments that the possibility of using sugar as a safe analgesic (painkiller) for

looked

at

babies.

To

test his

hypothesis that sugar could be used in this way, Blass

timed the reactions of a group of mice exposed to a potentially painful level of heat.

He first rested the front foot of a mouse on a hot

plate

and

Potatoes

70

then measured

how

lifted their little feet

quickly

it

The mice

the heat.

mice a drink that was 11.5 percent sugar and

repeated the experiment. This time

— twice

paw from

lifted its

up in an average of 10 seconds.

Blass then gave the

seconds

Prozac

Not

as long

—

to

lift

took them an average of 20

it

those

little

paws. These results sug-

gested that the sugar was blocking the pain of the heat;

it

was acting

like a painkiller.

Blass then tried to establish the neurochemical basis for

was seeing.

He had

what he

observed that the ingestion of sugar was reducing

the mice's pain response, but he wasn't sure which neurochemical

pathway was. involved.

It

was

Blass's belief that

a release

natural

so

drug Naltrexone to

test his hypothesis.

Naltrexone, which blocks the

painkilling effect of opioid drugs such as

by

somehow

of the — perhaps by causing beta-endorphin — he designed an experiment using the

acted like an opioid painkiller

the sugar

sitting in the

morphine and heroin, works

beta-endorphin receptors and preventing them from

receiving the soothing,

painkilling

message that beta-endorphin

wants to transmit to the body. Blass reasoned that

if

Naltrexone also

blocked the painkilling effect of sugar (which he would learn by observing whether the mice reacted quickly or not to the hot plate), it

would mean that sugar acted on the brain

beta-endorphin system

—

like

— and

specifically the

an opioid.

new experiment, Blass gave the mice a dose of Naltrexone before giving them the sugar drink. Then he tested their reaction to the hot plate. The mice picked up their little feet real quickly. This In his

time those

little

as

if

they were saying,

HOT!!!" The Naltrexone had indeed blocked the effect of the sugar. Because Naltrexone works only on

"That thing painkilling

paws were up in 8 seconds

is

the beta-endorphin system, this experiment showed that sugar affects the brain the same

endorphin

release.

way opioid drugs

Thanks

to Dr. Blass,

do, by stimulating a beta-

we now have

solid scientific

evidence that sugar works like a drug to block pain.

Sugar and Isolation Distress In 1986, the year Blass did the experiments pain,

he

also reported results

on

sugar and physical

from an experiment on sugar and emo-

Brain tional pain in

which he measured the

distress." "Isolation distress"

emotional

how many were with

101

71

effect of sugar

on

"isolation

a scientific term that describes the

when

they are separated from their

alone.

left

measured isolation

Blass

is

of young animals

stress

mothers and

Chemistry

distress in little

mouse pups by measuring

When

times they cried during the test period.

Mama Mouse,

they didn't

cry.

When

the pups

they were taken away

from Mama, they started crying big time. The eight pups that were given nothing to soothe them cried over 300 times in a six-minute period.

The

eight pups that were given sugar water cried only about

75 times in the same period. Next, Blass gave the pups a dose of

Naltrexone before giving them sugar water, and

ment the Naltrexone blocked the soothing second batch of

little

as in the

effect of the sugar

pups cried as often as those

who

and the

hadn't had the

Apparently the sugar was blocking emotional pain

sugar.

heat experi-

just as

it

had

blocked physical pain for the mice on the hot plate. Since

Blass's

effects of sugar

experiments, scientists have continued to look at the

on the mind and

Most of

body.

this

work has been

in the context of alcoholism research. Since both sugar

done

alcohol evoke a beta-endorphin response, a

number

and

of studies have

linked the preference for sweets to a preference for alcohol. Scientists

have

shown

clearly

to prefer alcohol to try these

—

that alcoholic mice

really

go

for sweets.

— mice

that have been bred

The next

step for science was

same experiments using people rather than mice.

In early 1997, Dr. Alexey Kampov-Polevoy published a study

showing that alcoholic (it

was twice

as

men much

preferred a very sweet sugar drink

sweet as Coke) to one which was

less

sweet.

Only 16

percent of the nonalcoholics tested liked the very sweet drink best but more than two-thirds of the alcoholics did. ine that the alcoholics were having the

sugar as Joe

As

to his

first

might well imag-

same "Wow!" reaction

to the

beer.

scientists are slowly exploring the relationship of sugar to alco-

holism, ple

had

We

we can draw from our own experience

to see

how

as sugar-sensitive peo-

powerful a "drug" sugar can be.

(Remember,

a

sugar-sensitive person has a significantly stronger beta-endorphin re-

sponse to

how

it

than people with normal body chemistries.)

We know

big an impact the soothing beta-endorphin release triggered

Potatoes

72

had on our own

sugar has

intuitively seek sugar

tional pain.

ence with

know

ice

We

attitude toward sweet things.

when we need

We also have

Prozac

Not

own pain-numbing

cream, chocolate, cereal and French bread.

experi-

We

was caused by beta-endorphin, but we sure knew

it

to

and emo-

to quiet our physical

the truth of our

seem

didn't it

was

happening.

Why Not Sugar? why not use sugar as a drug to ease our pain? "It's a "What harm can there be in something so natural?"

So,

the story

is still

food," you say.

Stay with me,

unfolding.

People with normal body chemistries experience the opioid effect of eating sugars as simply a pleasant feeling. For sugar-sensitive people, this pleasant feeling

can become a euphoria which

is

powerful enough

to create a strong attachment to the food or drink producing the effect.

Because we love things that make us

feel

good,

we want more.

In fact, this heightened sensitivity to the druglike effects of sugar

is

the hallmark of the sugar-sensitive person. Let's

review

why

a sugar-sensitive person has such a powerful re-

sponse to eating sugars.

Remember

that sugar-sensitive people have

naturally low levels of beta-endorphin

up

far

more receptors

Because of

this,

to catch

what

and little

have opened

their brains

beta-endorphin there

sugar-sensitive people will

have a heightened

sponse to any substance that evokes beta-endorphin.

Which

is

is.

re-

exactly

what sugar and alcohol do. This heightened response happens to Nancy

when

she eats ice

Nancy is sugar sensitive. Her natural levels of beta-endorphin are low. Most of the time she feels ugly, unacceptable, alone and generally out of touch with the world. But when she has ice cream, she feels really, really good: strong, safe and brave. So whenever Nancy feels upset, she just nestles down with a bowl of ice cream. As she gets older, Nancy becomes dependent on the ice cream to cream.

maintain some semblance of feeling okay. But she

is

now

quite

BrainChemistrylOl

73

overweight. So she commits to a diet and stops eating ice cream. For a

while she

little

is

pleased with her willpower. She starts to lose

weight. But she doesn't feel good.

She

morbid, tearful and hope-

feels

less.

Then, before her period (beta-endorphin in

women

Nancy

just before menstruation),

driven to get ice cream. She

sitting at

and vanilla

idea of chocolate chips

am on

is

levels are at their lowest

ice

starts feeling absolutely

her desk at work and the

cream grabs her and won't

let

Nancy goes home and her boyfriend calls. She is crabby. They have a fight. She gets into the car and drives to the convenience store at eleven at night. She buys a go.

No,

I

a diet, she

tells herself.

pint of

Rocky Road

plastic

spoon she keeps in her glove compartment. She

much

better.

All

is

will see, there will

cream and

ice

starts eating

it

in the car with a feels

much,

right with the world. For a little while. But as

we

be a big price to pay for the comfort of the Rocky

Road.

Cravings and Relapse

Aside from the havoc sweets cause in your blood sugar like ice

level, treats

cream, candy and other sugars can create a major problem for

the sugar-sensitive person. these substances

As we saw

is

The

short-lived

earlier,

drug- induced "happiness" caused by

and

sets

up cravings.

when you have low

levels of serotonin, your

brain produces cravings for simple carbohydrates, like sugar, that can

be used to make more serotonin. In addition, cravings are closely linked to the beta-endorphin system.

amount of a drug want more because of a mechanism Ingesting a small

called priming. Priming

is

the reason

(like sugar)

can make a person

in the beta-endorphin system

it is

so hard for a sugar-sensitive

person to "just say no" after having a taste of something sweet. As we have seen, sweet foods or drinks activate a soothing beta-

endorphin

release.

This

is

why candy

has been recommended CO alco-

holics in early recovery. "It will cut your craving for alcohol," they are told.

And

that's true.

moment, but because

it

Candy does

cut alcohol cravings in the

primes the beta-endorphin system to want

Potatoes

74

more,

the person up for even stronger cravings

sets

it

Prozac

Not

— and alcohol

relapse.

Minimizing the priming is

effect

is

a key part of stopping cravings.

also a crucial part of relapse prevention.

lated beta-endorphin system will after

you stop using alcohol or

It

Priming an already upregu-

have a huge impact. Remember that your brain will open up even

sugar,

more beta-endorphin receptors to compensate

for the reduction in

beta-endorphin caused by going cold turkey. Because more receptors are open,

an

influx of beta-endorphin (triggered

by the renewed use

of sugar or alcohol) will have a huge impact. If

Nancy

stops using sugar entirely

have dessert wonderful.

"just this

With

once"

many

so

and then one day decides to

at a business

feel

receptors already waiting to receive the big

have an experience of euphoria

influx of beta-endorphin, she will

that fairly sings to be repeated. If she

isn't

her "just this once" one dessert, she

effect of

luncheon, she will

attentive to the priming

may

find herself slipping

back into her former big-time use of sugar. Ice

cream and chocolate do produce a wonderful sense of

ation, but the sugar-sensitive person

tionally

relax-

can become physically and emo-

dependent on them, and increasingly tolerant to their

be driven to eat more of them and experience withdrawal

effects,

when

they

aren't used.

This pattern are not pleasant

is

addiction, plain

and natural foods

and simple. Candy and

ice

cream

for the sugar-sensitive person.

Even

though they can help your brain produce serotonin, they are not the solution to either low serotonin levels or low beta-endorphin levels.

The So what

Sugar-Sensitive

are you to do?

You need carbohydrates

You

Dilemma

are faced with

two powerful dilemmas.

to get tryptophan into your brain,

naturally low level of beta-endorphin,

and your

which you inherited from your

parents, gives you a heightened response to things that evoke a beta-

endorphin response

—

things like ice cream, chocolate and alcohol.

Brain

Chemistry

Having these things makes you

101

75

feel really good.

They

actually in-

crease your feelings of self-esteem.

But when you eat sweet things (or drink alcohol)

beta-endorphin system downregulates over time, shutting of

its

your

regularly,

down many

receptors in an attempt to stem the influx of sugar-stimulated

beta-endorphin and keep things on an even keel, so you need more sugar to get those good feelings.

You end up

has become even harder to stop because

symptoms

if

now you have

It

withdrawal

you do.

you decide to go cold

Finally

feeling desperate.

turkey.

You stop having alcohol or

anything sweet and you weather feeling horrible for the

first

few

weeks. You have managed to quiet the cravings and you feel better.

But

now

your beta-endorphin system upregulates

receptors so

can get more beta-endorphin, the

it

dropped since you cut out alcohol and

duck

—

for relapse.

receive even a

You have

little

lots

sugar.

it

opens up more

influx of

which has

This makes you a sitting

of receptors sitting there waiting to

alcohol or sugar and prime your brain with the

message that beta-endorphin feelings are good and you should go get

some more.

If

you decide to use sugar or alcohol when you are

in this

upregulated state, you will feel fantastic since you have lots of receptors to receive the

beta-endorphin "feel-good" message. But

try to stop again,

it

will

be even more

difficult

when you

than before because

you now have more receptors open and waiting. More receptors mean greater withdrawal

"drug"

little bit

starts

— more

receptors screaming

when

circle.

After what you thought would be just

of sugar or alcohol, your sugar-sensitive brain chemistry

driving you to relieve the discomfort of these ever-greater with-

drawal symptoms. Upregulation explains

why we

lems getting back on track after a

our diet or our sobriety.

If

slip in

instead of quitting again, you keep

all

on using

have huge prob-

a lot of chocolate,

sugar or alcohol, your system will downregulate over time

down some receiving

you

their

isn't there.

becomes a vicious

It

a

symptoms

receptors

— and you

have

will

as short a

enough beta-endorphin. In

will find yourself feeling worse.

a harder

—

close

and harder time

time as a few days,

You keep hoping that you can

find that wonderful feeling again, but

it

continues to elude you. You

Potatoes

76

spend your

Not

Prozac

crawling through the days and trying to keep with-

life

drawal at bay. You end up feeling like a true addict

with your drug and you can't

whole thing

is

live

stupid because, after

without for

all,

— you

And

it.

can't live

you think the

goodness sakes,

it's

"just"

sugar.

Balance The

story of sugar sensitivity has given

you are

craziness

to feel better

swer.

It's

now you

But

feeling.

want

is

Once Again

and medication

not your fault. This

is

you an explanation

for the

are ready for a solution.

You

like antidepressants isn't the an-

a story about biochemistry.

And

there

an answer.

The

solution

right times

is

almost deceptively simple: eat

the right foods at the

and you can keep your serotonin and beta-endorphin

their optimal levels.

The

nutritional solution you'll learn

and easy

natural, fun, inexpensive

is

What's more,

to follow.

at

holistic,

it

has no

side effects.

Eating the right food in balance all the time.

ing of

how

is

the ideal

way

to keep your brain chemicals

Making food choices based on an understand-

your brain and body chemistry work will prevent the

dramatic ups and downs in beta-endorphin that lead to upregulation

and downregulation, cravings and withdrawal symptoms. In fact, by adjusting what you eat, you can deal with the three key issues of sugar sensitivity all at once:

you can

stabilize

your blood

sugar level, you can boost your beta-endorphin and serotonin levels,

and you can minimize the dangerous priming

effects.

You don't have

to cope with three different treatments, three different dosages or

complex

instructions.

You don't even have

to try to understand

it all.

If

you make some simple food changes, your body chemistry and

brain chemistry will right

and

come

into balance.

feel energetic, optimistic,

and connected to

others.

You

You

will reclaim your birth-

grounded, competent, easygoing

will also discover other

ways to increase

your body's natural production of beta-endorphin without using alco-

Brain

Chemistry

101

77

hoi or sugar. Exercise, music, good sex, laughter, meditation, prayer,

even the simple smell of an orange can

all

evoke beta-endorphin.

We'll talk about each of these in later chapters. For now, to

remember

life

indeed.

is

that there

is

life after

addiction

— and

it's

all

you need

a very

good

Chapter

6

o Getting Started

Now process.

way

that you have a good sense of the science behind sugar

sensitivity,

you are ready to put your food plan into action.

As you do

this,

You

you

will use the

that will

work

will

be the author of your

recommended

for you. In

my experience,

change includes knowing your own you made a change in your

tools to

life

style.

healing

make changes

in a

the best preparation for

Think about

that really

own

worked

a time

for you.

when

How

did

you approach making that change?

One

useful

way

to discover your style

do when you're taking a a toothbrush

AAA

to

to think about

your favorite place.

and some clean underwear

Or do you go

door?

trip to

is

what you

Do you just throw

in your bag

and head out the

and get maps and guidebooks, make

reservations for every stop along the way, trace your route with a pink

marker, pack your bags three nights ahead and take along your

meal in a cooler? Or perhaps you it all

and hands you an

itinerary

call

your travel agent,

and your

who

first

handles

tickets.

Before you read any further, put your finger in the book right at this paragraph,

then close your eyes and think about what you would

do to get ready

for a trip.

things

Do you

like to

have a plan or do you explore

more spontaneously? Must you know

take things

on

trust?

Do you

prefer to

all

do things

the facts or do you all at

once or do you

take baby steps so that the process happens slowly?

Whatever you in your

78

life.

And

prefer, that's

your personal style for making changes

a crucial part of your success with this program

is

Getting

adapting

much

to

it

better

fit

if

own

your

you take

what you've got

— even

Although

style.

slowly,

it

Started

it is

this

program works much,

important for you to

a preference to

if it's

79

do things

all at

with

start

once. Each

of you reading this book will go through the process slightly differently.

Don't Use the D-Word Remember isn't

that developing a plan to address your sugar sensitivity

about going on a diet

—

it's

about being in relationship with your

food and your body. This means that you will have to learn to read your body, to hear what "crazy" for a long time,

and balanced

it

it

telling you. If

is

may seem hard

to

you have been feeling

know what

feels like. If so, turn to the charts in

being healthy

Chapter 3 and read

over the words that describe what an optimal level of health like.

Words

like "energy," "focus," "stability"

remember or imagine what

As you

in store for

is

what makes you

triggers you,

and what makes you

to do.

You

tells

will get guidelines

You

You

feel

feel clear.

get a sheet that

for yourself.

you make

as

will help

will learn

what you

when

like,

to

what

good, what makes you feel crazy,

This

a

is

life

plan rather than a diet.

you in black and white exactly what

and support on making the

will continually refine

what works

right choices

for you.

Any

slip

you more information about your own

will simply give

vulnerabilities, about

you

you progress.

read the next chapters, you will learn what and

eat to help you reach your goals.

You won't

you

and "joy"

feels

which

biological system was activated or

which

brain chemical got out of balance.

a

Almost deceptively simple, the food plan you develop will address number of complex systems all at once. As we move through the

process,

you also

will learn

how

the positive changes you are making

each of the biochemical imbalances we have looked at. try out new behaviors and experience the resulting changes

will affect

You

will

in your body.

You

will

be able to see

how

these changes are in synch

with the science of blood sugar and brain chemistry. Throughout the process, just let your

Now

let's

body be your guide.

get started with your food plan.

Potatoes

80

Take

It

One

Your sugar-sensitive brain, with

do everything

to

me

right now.

You want

Before you

O

know

I

I

and white

flour

on with

to get

may want you

once,"

all at

to leap right in

— even

it

says. "Tell

and give up

and nicotine

caffeine

it.

critical points:

Take

at once.

it all

told

me

to

it

remember two

start,

Don't try to do

Yes,

love of impulsivity,

its

Now!" You want

the bottom line.

alcohol, drugs, sugar

Step at a Time

"Give

right away.

Prozac

Not

it

in

sequence.

you to adapt the program to your own

but

style,

these two things are critical to your success. Trust me.

don't try to do

First,

7

and

start there.

step until

the

Do one

seven steps

all at

Some up

his

body

On

when he

first

a typical day

Then he had

came

to me.

months by going

for six

to

Tony skipped

(a low-fat brand, of course)

energy. In

He was

When Tony

between

and 1

I

Tony

did.

ate a

power bar

and an "energy charger" drink

for lunch.

it

and

had no

his so-called meals,

huge

calories

salad.

He

and gave

he snacked on candy

for

day.

talked,

of

I

outlined a plan that included spending

my program

he made any changes to office

client

exhausted most of the time. His muscles ached and he

week doing Step

my

my

a large plate of pasta for dinner with a

was on edge throughout the

left

Each step builds on

He had been trying to build the gym to lose fat and add

breakfast

drank a pot of coffee each day because

a

it.

people ignore this advice and do what

felt terrible

energy.

not proceed to the next

you have mastered the one before

He

him

Do

step at a time.

once! Don't turn to Step

Don't skip around.

last.

muscle.

all

— keeping

his eating habits.

a food journal

— before

But Tony wanted more.

He

and decided he would stop eating sugar and drinking

caffeine the next day.

And

migraine and

he had been run over by a ten-ton

felt as if

he

did.

Three days

later

he had a severe truck,

both

.

Getting

Started

81

of which are signs of sugar and caffeine withdrawal.

Tony

that

The

my program

truth

is

that

was clear to

"didn't work."

what Tony did doesn't work.

program without following the feel

It

steps sequence,

it

If

you

try to

do

this

won't work. You will

worse instead of better and you will give up.

If

you do the

steps in the

recornmended

order,

you

will stabilize

each of the biochemical functions involved in your sugar

There

is

plenty of

room

in the plan for

sensitivity.

you to exercise your

own

judgment and make your own choices. But don't tinker with the big plan. Trust that there

dramatic results order, the

if

is

a

method

You

to this madness.

you follow the plan

as

it's

outlined.

Done

will get

in that

program works.

The food plan

that

is

presented

is

designed to change your blood

chemistry and improve your neurotransmitter function. Even though it

may seem obvious and

simple, the foods in this plan create profound

physical and emotional change. Don't be deceived by the simplicity.

This

is

powerful medicine.

Seven Steps Here

to Feeling Great

are the seven steps that will free

you from the Dr. Jekyll/Mr.

Hyde syndrome:

1

Keeping a food journal

2.

Eating three meals a day at regular intervals

3.

Taking vitamins as recommended

4.

Eating the

5.

Adjusting your carbohydrate intake to include more complex foods

6.

Reducing or eliminating sugars (including alcohol)

7.

Creating a plan for maintenance

recommended amount

of protein at each meal

Potatoes

82

Step The

very

first

Not

Prozac

Keeping a Food Journal

1:

program

step in starting your

things you eat and drink

—a

is

keeping a record of the

food journal. Before you make any

changes to your food, you need to understand your sugar-sensitive

body and how

know your own

eating patterns.

general sense of how you a

At

reacts to different foods.

it

good day or a bad

feel.

day, but

this point,

you may not

You may have nothing more than

You might be

able to

remember having

you can't say more than

that.

The food journal helps you remember the details of each day. vides a baseline for you at the beginning of your program. picture of "before."

As you continue

able to look back at your journal

Your food journal

it,

but

and see how

will also teach

it

in a consistent

gives you a

It

far

you have come.

you to read your own body. Your

gives you clues

bigger picture. These clues

pro-

It

the program, you will enjoy being

body doesn't have a computer printout to going on with

a

tell

you directly what

and symptoms that hint

may not be

in words, but your

and predictable way. You

just

at the

body

have to learn

is

talks

its

lan-

guage. Your food journal will teach you the language of your sugarsensitive body.

Start by getting a blank really like,

carry

it

one that

fits

book

to write in. Find a

your style and

with you, get one that

fits

life

rhythms.

If

you need to

in your pocket or purse.

hunting expedition to find something perfect like to color in their journals or

book that you

draw

Go on

Some

for you.

a

people

Molly used colored

pictures.

pens to highlight different foods in her journal. Jessica put her journal

onto the computer and added to each

entry. Elizabeth kept

your journal writing

is

it.

fit

who you

Don't skip

it

each

day.

Mark drew

lines

under

her journal right in her daily organizer. Let

are.

Your journal

this step. It

is

will tell

really, really

your

story, so

enjoy

important!

Once you have your own book to write in, keeping a food journal very simple. First you make four columns. They will include: 1

2.

The date and time of your entry. What you eat or drink. Include amounts and be you can. Don't

just write

as specific as

"chicken" and "potato." Put

down

Getting

Started

83

"one large roasted chicken breast" and "one huge baked potato with 2 tablespoons of sour cream." If you don't know weights or measurements,

it

will help to learn

ing cups and spoons.

them. Get a set of measur-

You might even buy

a food scale.

You

don't need to be precise, but your estimates should be in the

Experiment so that you can begin to estimate reason-

ballpark.

ably well.

Learn the difference between

1

and 2 cups of milk or between

4 and 10 ounces of meat. Reading labels sense of the amounts you are eating.

what you drink

will also give

Remember

to write

you a

down

as well. Include things like milk, soda, juice or

alcohol. Also include the

amount of water you

drink.

Water

down anything you

notice

helps to keep your system clean. 3.

How

you feel how you

about

There

is

state of

a

physically. Write feel.

Physical

symptoms

are

body sensations.

huge range of physical symptoms. They can

imbalance or a state of balance. You may not have

The more you pay your food journal will become. The

noticed these symptoms specifically before. attention, the

chart

reflect a

more

which follows

useful will

show you some

feelings:

Clues for Balance

Clues for Imbalance

Headaches

Bright eyes

Stomach pain

Hunger

Muscle cramps

Stamina

Coughing

Natural deep breathing

Fatigue

High energy

Insomnia

Restful sleep

Restlessness

Focus

Shakiness

Alertness

Muscle weakness

Strength

No concentration

Good attention span

Pallor

Good

color

Potatoes

84

4.

How

you

feeling.

Not

Prozac

feel emotionally. Pay attention to

You may have

what you

a hard time with this one.

write "fine" or "good" for

many

pages.

Use the

list

Some

are

people

below to help

you learn to describe different kinds of feelings: Clues for Imbalance

Clues for Balance

Anxious

Confident

Bored

Excited

Scared

Energized

Had

Humorous

Sad

Happy

Depressed

Interested

Scattered

Focused

Restless

Calm

Irritable

Relaxed

Agitated

Easygoing

Hyper

Patient

Here look

is

an example of what a blank page of a food journal might

like:

Date

Time

What

1

Ate or Drank

How

1

Feel Physically

How

1

Feel Emotionally

GettingStarted

How Go

85

Food Journal Works

the

own journal. Write down what you eat or drink. Try to write it down as soon as you have eaten something rather than waiting until the end of the day. Write down physical or emotional feelings whenever you notice them, not just when you eat. For example, you may find that you feel really good at lunchtime, then at 1:30 p.m. you feel as if you would like to lie down and go to sleep. Write down what you had for lunch at 12:30 p.m. and then write down "Sleepy" at 1:30 p.m. Carry your book with you. The more ahead and

specific

to

start

your

and detailed your journal, the more information you

work with

You may continuing

remain

in creating your

own

difficult.

Sometimes people want

is

easy but

do the program but

to

resistant to the idea of keeping a food journal. Often, they

have no idea why. You may think be bothered. You days: "I didn't

down

food plan.

find that getting started with your journal

is

have

will

may

start

remember

it's

to take

my book it," "I

out in a few

fizzle

with me," "Writing

know what

I

eat,

I

it

all

don't

down."

it

Sometimes people Writing things

trouble or you can't

with a bang and then

got too bothersome," "I lost

have to write

much

too

really

down seems

terrifying or petty.

of failure or hopelessness attached to the of a food journal

how they eat. You may have feelings

do not want to look

may make you

panic.

way you

at

Even the

eat.

You may be

idea

surprised to

discover that food has a bigger emotional charge for you than you realized.

You may have had bad experiences with writing down your

food.

Some

diet programs require

you to keep a log

in

which you record

everything you eat. You are allowed only a certain number of units of

bread or meat or

fruit,

so recording your food

becomes

a

way of seeing

whether you have been "bad" and eaten more than you were supposed to. This approach can set up a real feeling of deprivation and thus

make the food

log the target of your frustration or resentment.

log reinforces the negative feelings you self

may

The

already have about your-

and your relationship to food.

The program

I

have developed helps you change these old

beliefs

Potatoes

86

— and any others The

process

judgments.

down

is

If

Prozac

Not

that get in the

way of making changes

negative feelings

come

up,

if

you

feel

that you ate three jelly doughnuts at 9 a.m.,

between what you eat and how

you

Date

do

& Time

it,

write that

What

1

bad about writing

remember that you

you'll feel emotionally

down

Ate or Drank

for a

in your journal.

How

1

connection

later see the

you find that you keep your food journal

forget to

life.

designed to be fun, informative and free of negative

are recording information that will help

If

in your

physically.

few days and then

Keep

Feel Physically

and

track of what-

How

1

Feel Emotionally

Nov. 10

7:00

2 doughnuts

Tired

Depressed. Feel as

if

can hardly function

11:00

2 cups of coffee with

Really

good

cream and sugar Exhausted

11:15

1:00

Burrito

1:15

Nachos

Unable to stay awake

Large Coke

Wired

Crabby about work

Sad.

How

can

1

be

wired and sad at the

same time? 3:15

2 cups of coffee with

Relaxed

Happy

Tense

Satisfied

cream and sugar 4:00 5:30

3 beers

Relaxed

7:00

3 pieces of chicken,

Warm

coleslaw,

mashed

potatoes, 2 biscuits

with butter and honey,

hot fudge sundae with

whipped cream and nuts

8:00

Full

Feel great!

1

Getting

ever comes up for you for at

least

Started

87

a week. Even

if

you end up with

six

pages that say you forgot to notice, keep writing!

The

table opposite

Take a look

at

it

is

a sample page from a beginning food journal.

to get a sense of

what you can put

in yours.

Using Your Journal as a Planning Tool

At

the end of a week, take a look at what you've written in your food

journal.

Do

not

are doing Step

criticize

now and

1

for three weeks, or 1 1

p.m., or if

Go last

what you

if

ate.

Simply look

doesn't matter

it

you have been eating

if

at the facts.

You

you eat only chocolate

cream every night

ice

at

you have been skipping two out of three meals.

back to the very

page and look over your entries for the

first

week. Without judgment, pay attention to what you

over what you have written and meal. Don't try to figure out what

try to it

see.

Go back

remember each day and each

means. Don't jump ahead and

try

to analyze everything.

Now

examine the times when you

paper and write

down

a

ate.

summary showing the

Don't include what foods you ate or

you

ate.

will

look something like

10/12

10/13

10/14

Take a separate piece of dates and the times

how you

felt.

this:

11:00 a.m.

breakfast

3:00 p.m.

snack

6:30 P.M.

dinner

10:30 P.M.

snack

12:30 p.m.

lunch

2:30 P.M.

snack

8:30 P.M.

dinner

10:00 P.M.

snack

11:00 p.m.

snack

1:30 p.m.

lunch

3:00 P.M.

beer

6:00 P.M.

drinks

9:00 P.M.

snack

Your paper

Potatoes

88

Prozac

Not

Becoming a Good Detective

made this summary, write out the answers to the questions which follow. Answer every question carefully. Proceed like a detective on the hunt for information about your sugar-sensitive body.

After you have

Do you Do you Do you Do you

How

eat at mealtimes? eat

between meals?

graze throughout the day?

eat at the

same times each day?

long do you wait to eat?

Write about what you have discovered. Take some time to

on your

reflect

pattern. Let the answer to each of the questions sink in.

The

begin to see your patterns of eating. Don't judge yourself.

will

more you

are able to just observe

will be for

you to make changes

and note these

You

things, the easier

it

later.

Looking at Your Eating Patterns Let's take a

Q

look at each of these questions more closely:

Do you eat at mealtimes?

you eat

at regular

to get around to

and

six in

Which

it?

Typical mealtimes are seven in the morning,

may

generally include one meal in the

one meal

at

Or

morning reasonably soon

midday and one meal

may have a regular routine change everything on the weekend. they

Do you eat between meals? Even

may

eat

between mealtimes,

too.

if

in the evening.

You may

because food

is

eat because everyone at

how

after It is

irregularly they

during the week and then

you eat regular meals, you

You may

next meal or you may eat because you upset.

noon

vary in different families, but

often a surprise for sugar-sensitive people to see eat.

Do

mealtimes or do you eat whenever you remember

the evening. Mealtimes

getting up,

times of the day do you eat?

get hungry before your

feel tired, bored, restless or

work

does.

there. Nurses often talk about

You may

having candy

eat just all

day

GettingStarted

89

long because the patients at the hospital always keep the nursing station in

good

supply.

Some

Do you graze throughout the day?

people don't eat meals.

They catch what they can as they're working. You might find you are really busy at work and can't take the time to eat a meal. You eat a little as you go. Or you may have children at home and really don't have time to sit down for a meal. Sometimes people just need to have food with them. They carry a little snack as they go throughout the day. Do you eat

You may shift

at the

You

or you

may

do you

find that

eat?

work

you simply don't notice the

when you notice you are hungry. Or you eat when it. At what intervals do you eat? Some people wait

until they fall off the cliff

takes to

it

regularly

eat only

you get around to

long

How

eat three times a day but always at different times. Your

may change

clock.

same times each day?

fall off

the

from low blood sugar and then cliff

eat.

How

depends on what they had to eat

at

their last meal.

How

before you simply have to eat

hungry.

They

more than

how long you are something. Some people

long do you wait to eat? Notice

actually feel better

a few hours. Others

intervals but they never

if

able to go

never get

they don't eat. Others can't go

have very consistent and regular eating

even think about

it.

After you have done this exercise, you should be able to describe

your eating pattern in a clear summary.

Looking at What You Eat After you have become really familiar with your style of eating, look at the

content of your eating. Set aside your date-and-time summary

and go back to your complete food journal. Look at what foods you are actually eating at meals and for snacks, then answer these questions:

What kinds of foods do you usually How much sweet food do you eat?

eat?

Potatoes

90

Not

Prozac

Are you eating any protein? Are you drawn

to fat?

Are you using a

lot of caffeine?

Go through these when you

Many

kinds of foods do you usually eat?

people

who

a sense of your

main

What foods

are

you drawn

are sugar sensitive eat mostly carbohydrates

such as bread, sweets and pasta.

Look

for

eat.

What to?

way that you did those

questions in the same

staple?

Or

they like

Do you see

lots

of fruit.

Can you

get

anything appearing every day?

for patterns.

Q How much sweet food do you eat? Try taking

a yellow marker

and

highlighting the sweet foods you recorded in your journal. This will

provide you with visual confirmation of whether you are drawn to

sweet foods. Sugar-sensitive people often eat sweets two or three times

Or do you binge on sweets? Do you have them every day? Get to know your own sweet- tooth pattern. Remember that sweets come in two forms. The first is overt sugars like candy, soda, cookies or cake. The second is covert sugars such as the high-fructose cornstarch found in many processed foods or the a day.

Do you

nibble as you go?

hidden sugar in canned vegetables or ketchup. You have to read with a fine-tooth comb to find the coverts. (We'll talk a about this in Chapter

is

found in

yogurt, meat, fish, chicken, beans, seeds, nuts if

more

9.)

Are you eating any protein? Protein

to see

lot

labels

eggs, milk, cheese,

and many

grains.

Look

and when you are eating proteins. Are they a regular part of

your diet? Are you drawn to them?

Do you

consciously choose

them

or do you try to avoid them?

Are you drawn to fat? Fat, like sugar,

is

linked to the beta-

endorphin system. Sugar-sensitive people may well have an increased opioid response to eating cut

fat.

Fat and sugar work in tandem.

down on your fat, you may have

Likewise,

if

you eat

less sugar,

If

you've

unwittingly added a lot of sugars.

pay attention in your food journal to

Getting

how and when you add

fat.

Started

Moderate

91

levels of fat

can work in your

behalf because they will not spike your blood sugar.

Are you using a lot of caffeine? Notice

thing which contains caffeine. This

and certain sodas

Some

Jolt.

like

may

how

often you have some-

include coffee, tea, chocolate

Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper and

over-the-counter medications like NoDoz, Vivarin and

Do you find that you use caffeine at a each day? Notice how you feel before and after you have

Vanquish contain regular time

caffeine.

the caffeine.

.

Assessing

Now

becoming

that you are

this questionnaire.

Check

Where You Stand

$6*d>

familiar with your food journal,

(L

1.

1

use alcohol.

2.

1

eat three meals a day at regular intervals.

3.

1

eat protein at each meal.

4.

1

eat approximately the

5.

1

my

weight

use caffeine

Indicate

in

O

recommended amount

of protein each day (.4

coffee

§3

tea

1

G>

UP

per day).

take a B-complex vitamin, vitamin C and at least IS

mg

of zinc daily.

1

Total

1

1

1

O

if

Potatoes

92

the box you checked has a it.

You

will probably

in

it

Prozac

and score zero

the box has a

if

need two to three weeks of data to see

We

typical patterns.

1

Not

have not talked about

all

in

of your

all

of these issues yet, but

they will give you a sense of the total program.

Add up

your score. Get your food journal and double-check your

answers. Let's go through

1 .

if

I

them

together.

you ever have something alcoholic to drink, even

use alcohol. If

you drink only once a month, the answer

will

be

yes.

Check no

if

you have made an intentional decision not to drink alcohol or to remain clean and sober, and you have stuck to your decision, or simply don't drink.

As we saw

in Chapters 3

increases your blood sugar level

and

4,

and negatively

if

you

drinking alcohol

affects

your beta-

endorphin system.

2.

I

eat three meals a day at regular intervals.

A meal includes two or

A bagel and coffee does not count as a meal. A hot fudge sundae does not count as a meal. A bagel and a scrambled egg would be a meal. A tuna fish sandwich and an apple more

nutritious foods at a sitting.

could be a meal.

week?

entire

If

Do you

eat three meals a day every day during

you skipped any days during the week, answer ^

an

this

question no. Regular intervals means that you eat your meals between

and

four

hours apart. Traditional mealtimes of 7 a.m., noon and

six

6 p.m. provide a reasonable guide for regular intervals.

3.

and

4.

I

eat the

recommended amount of protein

at each meal. Pro-

tein foods are eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, fish, chicken, beans, seeds, nuts

and many

meal, or

you do not eat three meals a

the

if

grains. If

recommended amount

(.4

you do not eat enough protein

gram

then the answer to these questions

5.

I

use caffeine. Caffeine

Diet Coke, Royal

Crown

is

X

day, or

each

you eat more than

your body weight in pounds),

will also

found in

if

at

be no.

coffee, tea,

hot cocoa, Coke,

Cola, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper, chocolate,

chocolate candy, NoDoz, Midol, Bromo-Seltzer,

found in Chapter 11). Because caffeine

is

etc.

(a full

list

is

an addictive substance that

GettingStarted

can

affect

your

mood and may

93

create problems,

we

will

want

to take

a look later at your caffeine use.

6.

I

eat overt sugars.

and things that you

7.

I

Overt sugars are cake, candy,

ice

cream, soda

traditionally think of as sweets.

Covert sugars are the sweet things hidden

eat covert sugars.

in foods, like high-fructose corn syrup, malt barley, maltodextrin,

concentrated pear juice, white grape juice and raisin paste. Fruit covert sugar.

Most people

reading labels.

start

If

is

a

are not aware of covert sugars until they

you have not made a conscious choice to

eliminate sugars from your diet, you are probably eating covert sugars.

We will 8.

I

talk about covert sugars in

eat foods

made with

depth in Chapter

refined white flour.

9.

These foods include white

bread, refined-flour breads, white rice, French bread, bagels, pastry

and

pasta.

9.

smoke

I

month), answer

10.

I

you smoke

cigarettes. If

at all

(even two cigarettes a

this question yes.

take a B-complex vitamin, vitamin C and at least

The recommended vitamin

5

mg of zinc

daily.

protocol explained in Chapter 7 includes

you are not taking them, the answer

these. If

1

will

be no.

If

you are

taking megavitamins or supplements that don't contain the amounts

recommended, the answer

will

be no.

Your Score

As you

start

your

new food

plan, your total score will probably be

Don't be discouraged. The lower your score is, the more dramatic your results will be. Your score will change over time. As people change their eating habits with this plan, their K

between zero and

move up

to 5 or 6.

wonderful.

how you

3.

The

When

'

increase in your score will give you

are progressing.

teel

their scores progress to B

good reading on

Potatoes

94

If

your score

is

higher than

3,

Not

Prozac

you have already started to make

changes which will support your recovery. Even 9,

you

will find the information

which follows a

if

you score an 8 or

useful support to your

program.

By now, you should be well on your way food journal. Congratulations!

you move through the next

And

to keeping a complete

keep your food journal going

six steps of

your program.

as

Chapter

7

© Take Three Giant Steps

Now

that you understand the vital role of your food journal,

you can

work with food

start to

(please note

I

itself.

Working with the food

do not mean dieting) may evoke

deprivation: "Oh, no, you aren't going to take away

you?"

Or

attached

my

ice

feelings of

cream, are

sugar or coffee or French bread or whatever you are most to.

Starting to

work with food

is

likely to

touch some pretty

core feelings. Please

remember

that

my

program

rather than a deprivation model.

I

is

am

based on an abundance model

not taking away anything.

At

some point you may decide that you do not want to eat foods that contribute to your "craziness." But you will be making that decision from a place where you

feel filled up,

nourished and committed to

your health.

To

get to that place,

we

start

not by taking foods away, but by

adding them.

We

will look again at the

seven

steps.

The

steps

we

will

be cov-

ering in this chapter are highlighted. Let's

move

your food journal 4, you'll

Remember you will be continuing throughout your program. As you do Steps 2, 3 and

to Steps 2, 3

and

4.

be pleased to notice that you

start to feel better quickly,

before you've begun to reduce the sugars you eat. Don't

don't skip and don't leave any of these early steps out. as a

even

jump ahead,

The

plan u