Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain's Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight »

JUDITH J. WURTMAN, PhD, received her PhD from George Washington University is recognized world-wide for her pioneering research into the relationship of food, mood, brain, and appetite. The author of five books for the general public, she has written more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She divides her time between Massachusetts and Florida.

NINA FRUSZTAJER MARQUIS, MD received her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from George Washington University. Her articles on weight, stress, and lifestyle have appeared in numerous publications. With Judith Wurtman, she founded the Adara weight loss centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and Miami.

Do diets make you cranky? Do you crave sweets and starches? Do you overeat when stressed or worried? Have you gained weight as a side effect of your antidepressant medication? Are yu ready to effortlessly lose 2 pounds of pure fat each week?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, it's time to harness the power of serotonin.

Serotonin is the body's 'feel good' brain chemical. It increases feelings of well-being and calm - and it also turns off the appetite. Eating your favorite starchy and sweet snacks, in carefully calculated amounts and at specific times, causes your body to increase its natural serotonin production, turning off your appetite. The result? Easy and painless weight loss.

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     x
The Brain-Weight Connection
Solving the Carbohydrate Riddle     3
Appetite, Hunger, and Eating Triggers     22
If You Want to Change Your Weight, You Have to Change Your Mind, Too     34
Before You Begin     48
The Program
Snack Your Way to Serotonin Power     63
The Serotonin Power Diet     75
Change Your Body     97
Now What Do I Do?     115
Planning Your Strategy
The 12-Week Guide     143
Troubleshooting     165
Maintaining Your Weight Loss     174
Cooking the Serotonin Power Diet
The Kitchen List for a Meal in Minutes     187
Basic Meals and Quick Kitchen Tricks     191
Recipes     202
Endnotes     275
Index     277