To recoup from the holidays, what you need most cannot be found at any post-holiday sale. Although you might get some great deals on some fantastic stuff, serotonin will leave you, and your credit card account, in better shape.

        Serotonin is a brain chemical with two important functions. First, it balances your mood. This is why so many antidepressants, like Prozac, and other mood stabilizers have their effect via serotonin. The other important function of serotonin is to shut off your appetite. It is appetite, not hunger, that leads you to eat when you’re bored, stressed, or tempted by delicious foods around you. Appetite-induced overeating, not hunger, can add extra pounds and make it difficult to lose weight. And if you feel a post-holiday let-down, you’re exhausted, or you’re feeling a bit down because of the dark days of winter, you’re even more likely to overeat to soothe your emotions, your mood, or both. Under these circumstances, few people opt for steamed vegetables and broiled fish as they eat to comfort themselves. You’ve been there before and most likely you’ve chosen high fat sweet or salty foods like ice cream, potato chips, cookies, buttery mashed potatoes, pasta alfredo, or donuts. Eat more than a few nibbles of these foods and before you know it your weight is out of control. The good news is that certain foods can cut your appetite and make you feel good because of their effect on serotonin production. The key is to eat the right foods at the right times in the right amounts to make the serotonin you need.

        You may have seen serotonin or one of it’s building blocks such as 5-HTP or tryptophan sold as supplements at a health food store, but don’t waste your money buying them. They will do nothing to get more serotonin into the brain. The only way to give your brain more serotonin is to eat sweet and starchy carbohydrates. (Of note is that the sugar in fruit, fructose, will NOT increase serotonin in your brain).

        This is great news for anyone who wrongly believes that they should avoid carbohydrates because they’re either bad for you or they’ll make you gain weight. Eating carbohydrates sets off a series of biochemical reactions that allows the brain to make serotonin. The carbohydrates need to be fat free or low fat because fat slows the process of making serotonin. And too much dietary fat can make you feel sluggish. Also, in order for the brain to make serotonin, you must eat carbohydrates without protein. While protein is an important component of a healthy diet, it interferes with the brain’s ability to make serotonin.

        What you need to do is simple: eat carbohydrates when serotonin levels are naturally lower and when you’re more susceptible to overeating. For nearly everyone, it is late afternoon and evening. That’s when we crave carbohydrates anyway and explains the long lines at Starbuck’s in the afternoons. Our clients are thrilled to learn they can have pretzels or fat free cookies as an afternoon snack and then dine on low fat carbohydrate dishes like pasta marinara sprinkled with parmesan cheese or a large bowl of butternut squash soup with crusty bread followed by fat free hot chocolate and vanilla wafers. This afternoon and evening comfort food soothes the appetite and makes you feel good when otherwise you would suffer from cravings and a bad mood.

        Make sure you have protein and, if you choose, fruit, in the early parts of the day. Then, when you need a serotonin boost, for example late in the afternoon, in the evening, or during periods of stress, eat fat free or low fat carbohydrates.

        Before dinner, have a handful of pretzels or crackers. This will take the edge off your appetite. You’ve probably done something similar in a restaurant when the bread basket came. You munched on a few pieces and by the time your appetizer and entrée were served you weren’t nearly as hungry as when you placed your order. Next time, order two appetizers or just an entrée and eat some bread while you’re waiting to be served. At home, try a starchy meal like polenta with sautéed mushrooms and a dollop of sour cream for dinner to boost your evening serotonin. Or, if others at home want some meat, chicken, or fish for dinner, have a bite or two then save the rest of your portion for lunch the next day. Opt for lots of vegetables for good nutrients and wholesome starches like brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat bread or pasta.

        Feeling calm and getting control of your eating will allow you to move beyond the holiday season with your own spirits restored and your weight in check. Serotonin is the gift that keeps on giving all year long.

Some FAQ from www.serotoninpowerdiet.com

Q: Why has everyone told me to stop eating carbohydrates so that I can be thin?
 

A: You may be someone who used carbohydrates to help your mood when you were upset and you probably ate carbohydrates with too much fat or ate too much. People who gave you the advice don't understand that you were eating to make yourself feel better and even if they did, they probably think this is wrong. What they don't understand is that nature has given us an effective way of improving our mood. When this was discovered at MIT, people understood that they could use carbohydrates in the right amount and eaten at the right time to make themselves feel good and lose weight. When carbohydrates were removed from the diet, the drop in serotonin made people lose their good mood and their ability to control their appetite. That is a high price to pay for being on a diet.

Q: I am in sales and taking clients to dinner several times a week is part of my job. How can I hold back from eating and drinking? Won't it affect my business relationship with them?
 

A: Is it bad business to eat in a healthy manner? Are you being less than effective as a sales person if you are frugal in your alcohol consumption so you can be in charge and control the conversation and communicate information? Your mandate is to entertain your clients and you can do this, as a gracious host, without eating and drinking as they do. Order drinks and wines as before; you do not have to consume them. If you feel you must order a mixed drink, just sip it. When the wine comes do the same thing. If you do not want to draw attention to yourself by ordering a carbohydrate dinner, then choose a low-calorie entrée and skip the appetizer and dessert. Make sure that your salad comes with dressing on the side. Do eat bread — but no butter — as your carb and do not clean your plate. Remember that your primary task is to carry out business, which is why your meal is on an expense account. Only restaurant critics are paid to eat.

Q: Won't my brain be making too much serotonin if I eat all those carbohydrates and therefore affect my medication?
 

A: No, eating carbohydrates will not make your medication less effective. Since serotonin may be affecting certain aspects of your mood not influenced by antidepressants, like grumpiness or impatience, you may find yourself in an all-round better mood. None of our clients ever experienced negative effects from producing more serotonin. No one had to adjust his or her dose of antidepressants because they were eating more potatoes or pasta.

Copyright © 2006 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD