The Serotonin Power Diet is not your ordinary diet. It recommends that you boost levels of the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, sleep, appetite, and a few other factors. You do this by snacking on carbs, like pretzels, cheerios, popcorn, or cherry licorice bites. The diet recommends that women who are suffering from severe pms eat fat free chocolate breakfast cereals, no pudge brownies, chocolate sorbet, and other lowfat chocolate foods. It also suggests that low carb dieters start eating carbs to lose weight and even recommends that sleep deprived menopausal women start eating potatoes and pasta for dinner.

The first two weeks on the diet focuses primarily on snacking along with a diet that focuses on eating carbs at the right times and in ideal serotonin boosting food combinations i.e. protein and carbs are rarely eaten together because protein blocks serotonin production.
Phase 1: Serotonin Surge Snacking Schedule:

• Snack 1: eat an hour before lunch
• snack 2: eat mid to late afternoon 3 or 4 hours after lunch
• snack 3: eat in mid-evening 2 or 3 hours after dinner

Phase 1 snack guidelines:

• 30-40 grams of sweet or starchy carbs or a combo of both. If you have less than 15 pounds to lose then make sure it's under 30 grams of carbs.
• 1-3 grams of fat and no trans fat
• less than 5 grams of protien
• no more than 180 calories

Serotonin Power Diet Recommended Snacks:

• bread stick, breakfast cereals, biscotti (low-fat)
• cinnamon raisin bread, whole wheat english muffin
• fat free fig newtons, fat free graham crackers (two of my favorites)
• granola bars, fat free hot chocolate, marshmallows
• whole wheat matzo, oyster crackers, small pita bread
• air popped popcorn, pretzels, rice cakes
• saltines, soda crackers, tea biscuits
• the alternative bagel, toaster waffles

So what can you expect if you follow this plan
I was pretty skeptical when I tried this plan because as many of you know I'm a personal trainer. I don't eat all-carb snacks and I rarely eat carbs after 3pm. I tried this plan during pms week. This is the week when I'm super moody, severely fatigued, and I tend to overeat, eat all the wrong things, or eat too much sugar. This is the week that ruins all the hard fat burning workouts and the clean eating I do the 3 weeks prior to pms. I was really surprised to find that the plan worked to reduce cravings, reduce appetite, and to prevent binges. I haven't felt the need to pig out on anything and my mood and energy levels have been great. The hardest thing to get used to was eating carbs and veggies for dinner. I typically eat protein and veggies for dinner so this has been nearly impossible for me to do which brings up another great thing about this diet.

The Serotonin Power Diet isn't just about snacking. It's a 3 phase diet plan that is 12 weeks long and it provides diet guidelines for every meal at every phase. The book is chock full of roadblocks, road signs, and road assistance to help you succeed and there are tons of stories of other dieters on the plan that you will probably relate to. This is the ideal plan for people who are tired of low carb failure, for women suffering from pms or menopausal weight gain, for stressed out, depressed work professionals gaining weight from anti-depressants, for stay at home moms who binge on sugar and carbs to soothe themselves, or for anyone who has trouble controlling portions and calories.

Get the book and learn how to use carbs to help you lose weight. The Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain's Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight (Hardcover)


Boost Serotonin levels with: Serotrim The Orange Flavored Unique Snack for Serotonin Power Diet, Free of Caffine/Drug/Fat - 14x1.35 Oz Packets