Good Mood Diet Blog

I am sorry. I have been AWOL from my own blog for weeks. This is a very busy time of the year in my house: school, sports, recitals, high pressure time at work, and oh yes, trying to take care of myself. Something had to go so that I could keep at least some time to myself, and blogging seemed to be the easiest thing.

I track my stress levels. I've learned that if I don't intercede on my own behalf when the demands start to ramp up, no one else will. Sometimes the house just stays a mess, sometimes the laundry just doesn't get done. Sometimes we eat many meals of whatever I can find in the cupboards because I couldn't get to the grocery store (but my cupboards still have mostly feel great food in them).

This morning I chose between exercise and practicing piano, so that I would finally sit down and write to you, and still have the time I needed to make breakfasts and lunches, get my kids off to school and be on time to work. I sat down and practiced piano because THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO! It was a bigger stress reliever to practice than to go exercise when I would just be unhappy that I hadn't practiced. And now here I am, doing the other thing that I really wanted to do.

My message is that it is very important to set your priorities and figure out what is highest on your list that will make you feel good. Even though the public health message is that everyone should be active every day, on this one day I chose to be creative instead. If there are days that you have to choose, then choose with your heart. Figure out what you really want. Because if you don't, you'll go for the chocolate cupcake, right? Because despite having done what the "experts" tell you to do, you still didn't do what you wanted to do.

So listen to this expert. I live a real life, with many of the same realities that you live with. I do love to be active, and I miss it mentally and physically when I don't get to exercise. Today I'll stop my work at my desk periodically and do some jumping jacks, maybe some push ups, even some running in place so that I feel better. I'll do some ab crunches on my ball that I sit on (rather than a chair at my desk). I don't care how stupid someone else thinks I look, I know that in the end I'll look alot better, and feel alot better, than they will.

Thank you for allowing me to manage my stress. I may still have a few weeks where I'm not as consistent as usual with my blogging, but I'll try to be more present than absent.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

While trying to work more produce into your daily menu, it might be helpful to know which fresh vegetables are available each month. This will vary by region, of course, and may often be greenhouse-grown rather than field-grown.

There are vegetables that are available almost all year (though prices vary with season) are:

Beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, endive, escarole, garlic, green onions, greens, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers and spinach.

Here’s the month-by-month for getting fresh vegetables:

If you're like me, you end up in the kitchen at the end of your workday and say, "Now, what am I going to make for dinner?" One of the most frequent questions that I am asked as I speak to groups of people is whether The Good Mood Diet works for kids. This month, our culinary expert Karen Friedman-Kester has helped us with both questions.

Karen has created recipes that the whole family will enjoy, and that are perfectly geared for Good Mood eating and the Good Mood lifestyle. They are easy (a high priority in my house), taste great (also high on the priority list) and are full of feel great foods. We've been making turkey panini in my house for over a year. Start with this classic recipe, and then get creative. Let your kids see how many great combinations of ingredients they can find to make delicious, custom-made panini.

Have you ever read the ingredients label on a box of bread crumbs? If you haven't, then you might wonder why Karen suggests that you make your own. First, it's pretty hard to find real whole wheat bread crumbs. But even if you do, you'll be shocked at the long list of chemical ingredients added to the crumbs that are far beyond those that belong in bread. So take Karen's advice and make your own.

The bruschetta are great for adults and kids. In fact, let your kids be the chefs and prepare the bruschetta for your next gathering with guests. It's a great way to get kids involved in the cooking, and out of trouble. The energy bars fall into the same category: great adult or kid food that can be made by the kids.

And if you've never been a turnip fan, the Spring Vegetables will turn you into one.

Enjoy!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

If you watch my speaking schedule, you might have noticed that on March 22nd I was on the UCLA campus presenting The Good Mood Diet. The focus of the day-long conference was how food affects mood and brain health, and two esteemed speakers joined me in presenting for the day.

Monika Woolsey is President and Founder of After The Diet Network. Monika spoke about how food impacts brain health from the perspective of degenerative diseases of the brain, eating disorders and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Monika has been working in this area for 25 years, and is a friend and colleague.

Laurel Mellin, MS, RD, is an associate clinical professor of family and community medicine and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine and directs The Institute for Health Solutions. Through her earlier work with childhood obesity, (SHAPEDOWN), Laurel and her colleagues at UCSF began studying how stress effects the brain, our bodies and behavior. This research led to an evidence-based program for adults to learn how to effectively manage stress and become healthier. The Solution Method is a learning system to "block stress and boost joy".

This was the first time in many years that I had the opportunity to hear Ms. Mellin speak, and the first time I heard her lecture about The Solution Method. No matter where you are in your life, and no matter how stressed you feel, this program is worth investigating. Ninety percent of the chronic diseases that we suffer from in this country are stress-related, including overeating and obesity, with all their related syndromes and diseases.

Please take the time to investigate both websites. It will be a worthwhile investment.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

This is the first in a series of Physical Activity Scheduling Solutions from exercise guru, Alice Lockridge.

Are you looking for ways to squeeze an exercise program into your busy day? Well, consider starting at the beginning of the day.

Maybe you could workout first thing in the morning before anything or anyone else gets your attention. Other people are finding this works for them. Statistics from the US Census Bureau indicate that more people are rising early and, in many cases, hitting the gym to get their daily dose of exercise and avoid rush-hour traffic. Nearly 18% of American workers now leave their homes between 5am and 6:30 am -- three million more than in 2000, and 6 million more than in 1990.

So give this a chance; maybe it will work for you too. Early Bird Activity could be the answer you are looking for.

Alice Lockridge,
MS Phys Ed - Exercise Physiologist for Every Body!
PRO♥FIT

All of us are aging. As we often say in my house, it's better than the alternative. Staying as youthful and active as possible as we age is the goal. Research shows that diet plays a huge role in how long we will live, and how healthy we will be as we age. The Good Mood Diet has all the anti-aging nutrition knowledge built-in.

On Saturday April 12th at 3 PM I will be presenting The Good Mood Diet at The Fountains at Pacific Regent for Sunrise Senior Living. The program is open to the public.

Excellence in service has been a tradition of Sunrise Senior Living for over 20 years. Sunrise offers care options dedicated to the individual, including independent living, assisted living, cottage style assisted living and Alzheimer's care. The Fountains at Pacific Regent (919 109th Avenue NE, Bellevue, Washington) is a beautiful example of how Sunrise strives to make communities feel right at home, treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

I hope that you can join me as we celebrate life together.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Being told you have cancer can really be a shocking experience. It will probably upset every part of your current life. New research shows that the best first thing to do when receiving this news is to get up and take a little walk, lift a little weight and stretch for a little while. This way you can begin to feel better mentally and physically right away.

According to Cheryl Rock, PhD, RD and colleagues, breast cancer survivors who eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day plus exercise cut their risk of dying by half.

In their research study, they followed 1,490 women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer for 11 years. Their findings make it clear that this combination of diet plus exercise was key in cutting the risk of death. And this was true and consistent regardless of what the woman weighed. Being physically active and eating more produce is what made the difference.

Exercise is essential for living after this diagnosis, but it is also a very challenging expectation. We are in a society that does not encourage self-care or physical activity. Our daily life is full of barriers that keep us from doing what’s good for our own health. It takes advanced and complex planning skills in time management to add exercise to our already over-filled daily schedule.

You’ll need to figure out what forms of physical activity are most convenient, fit your personality style, are basically enjoyable to you and that fit into your lifestyle and financial situation. This will take some analysis and we’ll cover more of these details in future blogs. Right now, just do something – anything – and and start today!

Alice Lockridge,
MS Phys Ed - Exercise Physiologist for Every Body!
PRO♥FIT

The nature of publicity is that along with the great information that gets out, there's usually something that the magazine gets wrong. While some magazines fact check, many don't necessarily check with the source before the story goes to print. The wonderful story about Amy Anderson's success with The Good Mood Diet in the First for Women February 25, 2008 issue doesn't show the diet that she followed and continues to follow with great success. It gives a completely different diet.

In the story, Amy tells about her 94 pound weight loss, her current successful pregnancy (congratulations, Amy) and her 200 percent improvement in mood. Amy has now passed the 100 pound weight loss mark!! To follow the diet that Amy follows, you need to follow The Good Mood Diet. It is quite different than the diet outlined in the magazine. Make sure that you've got the original and only: The Good Mood Diet, by Dr. Susan Kleiner with Bob Condor.

You can chat with Amy and many other Good Mood Dieters in the chat rooms found around the web. From www.goodmooddiet.com, click on "join the GMD club" and you'll be able to enter the Yahoo! groups chatroom where Amy finds support. There are also Good Mood Diet Clubs on www.facebook.com and www.sparkpeople.com.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I have always been a fan of whole grains, and I have never jumped on the low-carb bandwagon. Here's good news to make you feel great about including whole grains in your diet.

A study just published from Penn State University has shown that eating whole grains keeps your waistline smaller and your cardiovascular system healthier. 50 subjects with metabolic syndrome were split into two groups: a low-calorie, whole grain diet or a low-calorie, refined grain diet. Subjects were free-living and worked with a dietitian to establish their meal plans to follow the study protocols. All subjects exercised according to a recommended plan. The diets included 4-7 servings of grains (depending on calorie level), 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of low-fat dairy, and 2 servings of lean protein. Sound a little familiar? The study lasted 12 weeks.

Here are the results: while both groups lost similar amount of body weight, the whole grains group significantly reduced abdominal fat, but the refined grains group did not. Only the whole grain diet had a positive effect on lowering blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammatory processes in the body. High levels of CRP are strongly linked to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. CRP levels in the whole grains group dropped by 38%, with no significant change in the refined grains group. Previous research has shown that CRP levels can drop with weight loss. But in this study the reduction in CRP was not associated with weight loss; it was associated with the consumption of whole grains.

So you can be thin and healthy, and eat whole grains. What a way to feel great!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

It may not come naturally, but it’s worth the work. Prodding your kids about produce will produce good things.

Keep at it! Talk to your kids about eating fruits and vegetables. Remind your child to eat some vegetables even though you’ll get an eye rolling response. Don’t give up! Research shows it will work eventually and it’s normal that kids don’t always like what’s good for them the first time they try it or the second or third sometimes. Keep trying. When introducing a new food, or reintroducing one that has been previously refused, just keep going. It may take 20 times, but eventually the food will be familiar to the child, and he will not be so afraid to try it.

Research from Yale University shows that gently prompting children to make healthy food decisions will actually work. In a recent study they tracked what elementary students picked on their own when school lunch programs offered options from each of the food groups. They found that only 60% of the children took a serving of fruit that was available. But when the cafeteria workers (at another similar school) asked the kids if they would like fruit or juice with their meals 90% of the students picked out one or the other to have with lunch. And 70% of them ate (or drank) what they’d picked.

Prodding about produce can produce good things!

Alice Lockridge,
MS Phys Ed - Exercise Physiologist for Every Body!
PRO♥FIT