Good Mood Diet Blog

If you’re anything like many of the women that I talk with who have tried The Good Mood Diet, you might think that there’s too much food to eat to let you lose weight. That’s the fallacy of the commonly accepted belief of how to lose weight. In fact, while I was at The International Society of Sports Nutrition Annual Conference and Exhibition, I talked with a researcher who told me that he had been studying women who had always followed low calorie diets, and couldn’t lose weight. When he got the women on a moderate exercise plan and a diet of 2600 calories; yes, 2600 calories; they started to finally lose weight.

How is this possible? We know that the way that you burn calories is by using energy in the body. Muscles burn energy; fat just hangs around. The amount of energy that you burn is referred to scientifically as your metabolic rate.

First rule of metabolic rate: the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, the more energy you burn; even just sitting on the couch.

Now, the body is a very efficient machine that is built for survival and adaptation. While in a well-fed state it may take a certain number of calories, or a specific metabolic rate, to run the functions of your body, if you don’t give it enough fuel, it will slow down to meet the available energy.

Second rule of metabolic rate: the less you eat the slower your metabolic rate, the fewer calories you burn; even just sitting on the couch, AND, doing everything else that you do, even exercise.

If you don’t have the calories to sustain your muscles, you’ll lose them. So your metabolic rate has slowed, and now eating less can make you fat. Not to mention feeling lousy. The most sure fire way to reverse this is to start to exercise and eat more. Then you can rebuild your muscle and your metabolic rate. And that’s the foundational premise of the amount of food in The Good Mood Diet.

For those of you not losing on the 1600 calorie plan, it might not be a bad idea to try the 1800 calorie diet plan. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit. You already know that too few calories didn’t work. Why not try the alternative?

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

It’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it…working in Hawaii, that is.

I just returned from the garden island of Kauai where I spoke to a wonderful group of folks interested in raising their mood and their health. With many thanks to the Wilcox Health Foundation and its director, Lani Yukimura, we spent most of the day learning, exercising, and eating according to The Good Mood Diet plan. It was a wonderful seminar full of sharing among all of us, ending with the creation of what I hope will be several Good Mood Diet clubs that will be active around the island.

We were on Kauai only a few days, but we discovered two delicious places that really blend perfectly with The Good Mood Life.

Bar Acuda is a wonderful new tapas restaurant from chef/owner Jim Moffat that relies on the fresh local ingredients available from the lovely garden isle and its neighboring islands, as well as the absolute best from the mainland. Found in the lovely setting of Hanalei, the inspired combinations of flavors and textures set Bar Acuda high on our list of favorite restaurants worldwide.

Kauai Kunana Dairy, a family-owned goat farm, creates a scrumptious selection of artisan organic goat cheeses that are obviously touched with love. We loved everything from the cheeses to the granola, and even the dark chocolate-covered apple bananas locally grown on Kauai. Yum!

If you are interested in having a Good Mood Diet seminar come to you, please email me at contact@goodmooddiet.com.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I love the phrase “United we Stand” but I’m usually referring to my exercise classes when they are doing the #1 most important exercise – standing and sitting for muscle strength.

If you want to have firm thighs and a tight butt and make your body’s biggest muscle groups hungry, then you’ll need to practice standing and sitting for more lower body muscle strength.

Beside all the health and beauty reasons to do what gyms refer to as “squats,” you really want to get good at this activity because it the most important one to help you stay active and independent as you reach a more advanced age. If you can’t get up out of a chair, the bathtub or off of a toilet, you can’t live in your own home any more.

So let’s stand united! You need to learn to stand up for what you want – a firm hip and thigh area or you’ll fall for every uneven surface you walk across.

Eat Right and Exercise Regularly!
Alice Lockridge

One of the common concerns that I hear about from clients is that they have a problem with eating late at night.

"How late?", I ask.
"Sometimes after midnight," is the common response.
"Why are you awake after midnight?", I ask.
"I don't know. I just am."

If this is a pattern that you have, it's time to take action. If you stay up late and then need to get up early in the morning, you're depriving yourself of sleep. This strategy will likely ruin your health faster than just about anything else you can think of.

When you stay up late you have a greater risk of overeating. Since your body will begin to get hungry 3 hours or so after your last meal, if your last meal was dinner at 6 PM, or even a snack at 9 PM, by midnight you'll be hungry again, even though you don't need the calories. If you were sleeping, you wouldn't be eating.

Think carefully about why you are really staying up so late. Are you avoiding going to bed for some reason? If not, then begin to work on changing your sleep habits. Sleep experts call it "sleep hygiene". Start to keep a log, just like you keep a log for your diet and/or your exercise. Plan to get into bed 15 minutes earlier than usual. Keep that up for a few nights, or a week, and then get into bed 15 minutes earlier again. Keep this up until you find that you're not eating at night, and you're getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

By going to bed earlier you will truly be healthier, maybe wealthier, and you'll feel wiser and in a much better mood.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Everyone has a different stress point, and often different things can work to take the stress away. While reading about things that can be stressful, or listening to your spouse or neighbor talk about what relaxes them, can be very informative, it is very important to look inside yourself and figure out what bugs you and what makes you feel better.

For instance, I live in the Pacific Northwest where we love the outdoors, and cycling is a very popular sport and past time. I live on a very twisty turny single lane road that does not have a bike lane. While so many people that I know think that it's the best urban bike ride in Seattle, you'll never find me cycling along the roadway. Rather than working as a stress reliever, cycling on that stretch of pavement raises my blood pressure. I'm too nervous about being hit by a car to enjoy the ride or the scenery. I prefer to use some of my precious free time to drive in a car with my bike on a rack to a less precarious scenic byway, and then enjoy the physical exertion and the world around me without the overwhelming feeling of risk usurping my stress reduction. It's not the amount of time I spend cycling, it's how I spend my time on the cycle that counts.

As they say, to each her own. You must find your own personal strategies for relieving your stress. Even if they're different than everyone else's ideas, all that matters is that they work for you.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

One of the most frequently asked questions during my presentations is whether organic produce is better for you than conventionally grown produce. While there are many socially conscious reasons to purchase organic, whether organic foods are actually more nutritious is still an open question, but one that scientists are working to answer.

Results from a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is adding one notch to the column in favor of the nutritional benefits of organically grown tomatoes. Scientists studied the levels of two flavonoid compounds, quercetin and kaempferol aglycones in organically-grown or conventionally-grown dried tomato samples between 1994 and 2004. They found that the organically-grown tomatoes contained on average 79 and 97 percent more quercetin and kaempferol aglycones than conventionally-grown tomatoes.

Why, and what does this mean? First, the researchers explain that "overfertilization" of conventionally-grown plants diminish the plants' requirements for the natural defense mechanisms offered in response to nutrient deficiency. Flavonoids are natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that protect cells from damage.

While we cannot claim that all organic produce responds similarly to these tomatoes, and this evidence does not close the book on the question of whether organically-raised produce is more nutritious than conventionally-raised produce, this research offers an interesting direction for future research, and adds to the body of knowledge regarding the response of crops to organic versus conventional methods of farming.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

My family and I are going to the premier showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix tomorrow at 12:01 am. We can't wait. We've actually been having several weeks of a Harry Potter marathon. We've listened to the story in talking book format to refresh our memories since it's been so long since reading the 5th book in the series. We've been watching all the previous movies on video and DVD. And now we're reading the series backwards from the 6th book.

While going to the movies is a favorite past time, eating in the movie theatre is typically not one of my favorite things to do, although it seems like everyone else loves it. I find eating while trying to absorb a film distracting. Not to mention that buying a drink and a candy at the theatre costs more than the entrance ticket.

I like to be very aware of when and what I am eating. I like to enjoy it. Eating at the theatre is mindless, rather than mindful eating. I find that I'm putting my hand to my mouth, chewing and swallowing without any sense of the real experience of eating.

And tonight (or Wednesday morning, if you choose), it's going to be midnight when I'm at the movies. I certainly won't be hungry at that time. If I'm eating, it's just because that's what the popcorn and candy vendors want me to do.

So I've got something I'd like you to try: the next time you go to the movies, hang onto your wallet and pass by the candy and popcorn counter without stopping. Watch the film without eating. You can sneak in or buy a bottle of water, but don't eat. See what you think. Then plan on what you'll do with the extra cash that you've saved, and see what a good mood that will put you in!

Yours in a Magically Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Sorry everyone for the very late post today. My internet connection has been down. But here I am, wide awake after the 12:01 AM showing of Harry Potter this morning. What a great time we all had, and it was really a great movie. If you get a chance to see it at an IMAX theatre, do it! It was fabulous on the big screen.

We went to bed at 3 AM, and then my daughter and I were awake at 7:30 AM. She had tennis camp, and then I went and worked out. Believe it or not I am refreshed and very ready for my day, despite my very brief sleep. There's nothing like good intense exercise to get your brain and body pumped.

It's supposed to be 97 degrees here in Seattle today, and we rarely have heat like this. Remember to stay cool, and stay hydrated!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I have been blogging that I hear from Good Mood Dieters about how they feel now that they're on the plan. Here's a letter that I just received that is really uplifting.

Dr. Kleiner,

I wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I love the Good Mood Diet. I am sure you have heard it many times, but I wanted to say that I have tried so many different diet plans throughout my life, from no carb diets to counting points, and none compare to your plan. I am totally amazed. I am such a skeptic when it comes to diets, and let me say, to call your plan a diet is really an injustice because it is more a life style with perks! Diet should be one of those four letter words that shouldn't be used.

After just one day on the plan, I felt a world better! World is the key word here, because it was just days before that I was feeling really sorry for myself. I told my husband that I was beginning to feel like I was my own planet and that I was doomed to steadily gain weight the rest of my life. That is truly a sad feeling. I had no will power, or at least I thought I had no will power. Thank goodness I found your book at our local library and read it cover to cover. One of the best things it taught me was that these diets that eliminate favorite foods from my diet were what was making me lose control. I would deprive myself of those things that I really love and then as soon as my mood hit rock bottom, I'd throw my hands in the air and "pig out" on whatever it was that I was holding back on and didn't care. Now I know that my body needs things from all the food group, even carbs. I love that I get an egg every morning for breakfast (I used to skip this meal, thinking it would jump start my weight loss for the day), and hot cocoa each evening.

Now, after only 2 weeks on the plan, I feel so good about myself and the perk...I have lost 8 pounds! What's even more, I am never hungry and always happy! I can't believe the difference and how easy it all is. Dr. Kleiner, this is my new way of life! I won't be my own planet! I can't thank you enough for your wisdom.

Thank you so much!!!

Sincerely,
Kathy Jo Ramlee
Frankfort, KY

(about me: 35 years young, 147 pounds, with a goal to lose 17 more)

There's no question that eating off of the Feel-Great Foods list makes you feel better, but a study just published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that many of those foods might also keep yours eyes healthier.

According to one of the co-authors of the research, "Men and women who consumed diets with a higher glycemic index than average for their gender and age-group were at greater risk of developing advanced Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The severity of AMD increased with increasing dietary glycemic index."

Foods high on the glycemic index are also on the Feel-Bad Foods list. They are typically refined foods such as refined sugars and starches. So remember to think about what you NEED to eat, and use the Feel-Great Foods list as your guide.

On to another topic...

It's time for a vacation!! Next week we will be taking a family vacation out in the back country of Idaho. No phones, no internet, no TV, no radio...and no blogging. I know that you'll miss my daily blog, but everyone needs some down time. I'll come back full of fun stories of our escapades on the trails.

Enjoy the summertime, and I'll be back blogging and in an even better mood in a week!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I'm back from one of my family's favorite vacations: a week at Red Horse Mountain Guest Ranch in the back country of Idaho. We rode horses, hiked in the forest, rode mountain bikes, shot on a 3-dimensional archery range, beat the challenge course, kayaked on a pristine mountain lake, filled our bellies every day with good food and slept like logs every night. My husband put it best when he said, "Our bodies are pumped and our minds are relaxed; the perfect combination."

If you've never taken an adventure or active vacation, consider it. While lounging around is fine for a few days, challenging your body with only the activity to think about and enjoy, and without the stresses of every day life creeping in, is an exhilarating experience. Few things so beautifully combine to put us in a good mood more quickly than big physical activity followed by a hearty meal and a good night's rest. You wake up ready for more, and you get better at it every day. It feels great!

I'm ending today's blog with a recipe for Lemon Bars, generously shared with me by Chef Jim at Red Horse Lodge. They were just slightly sweet and deliciously crispy, and they were a tasty addition to the good mood feeling during our week at the Ranch.

Lemon Bars from Red Horse Lodge.
Chef Jim's Way

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix together and press into ungreased 9"x9"x2" pan. Build dough 1/2 inch up the sides.
Bake 20 minutes.

Filling:
Beat the following ingredients until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated fresh lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs

Pour over crust. Bake 25-30 minutes or until ALMOST no indentation remains when lightly touched.
Cool completely.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut and serve.

And ENJOY!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Seattle and surrounding King County has joined the very small ranks of cities that have now banned artificial trans fats from the menus of restaurants and fast food eateries. But in a more daring move that is only the second in the country, the King County Board of Health required nutrition labeling for menu items in chain restaurants.

According to an article in the July 19th issue of The Seattle Times, "The labeling rule, which takes effect Aug. 1, 2008, will require chain restaurants with 10 or more outlets nationally to specify nutrition information for each item that stays on their menu for 60 days. The information must include calories, carbohydrates, fats and sodium. The requirements also will apply to wine, liquor and other beverages listed on the menu."

While the restaurateurs are unhappy with the ruling, the Board of Health is determined to make the ruling into a workable solution for all parties.

I say kudos to the King County Board of Health! Thank you for advocating for the health and safety of the public. At a time when sugary sweet soda pop is camouflaged as an innocent bottle of water, and vitamin-packed candy bars are passed off as health-promoting energy bars, we need to know what's really in our food!

Information is power, but with it comes responsibility. Once the ingredients and nutrition information are listed for foods on menus, it becomes our responsibility to understand what we are reading, and know how to choose wisely. Chapter 5 of The Good Mood Diet is full of information to help guide you to Feel Great choices when you're eating away from home.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

My blog is being posted a little later than usual this morning; I just had to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you struggle with boredom and absent-minded eating, there's nothing like a good book to use as a cure. It works like magic! Really.

I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot to feed myself, and nearly forgot to make dinner for my family. Time passes, and the urge to eat just doesn't arise when your mind is fully absorbed with the story.

So along with planning your meals, your exercise time, and your rest, think about including time to read. Go to the library, search online, or get to your neighborhood bookseller and start to explore the wonderful world of books. Reading creates a fit mind and a healthy mood.

Yours, a little tired, but in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

While I've never promoted diet soda as a feel great beverage, I have often recommended the substitution of diet soda for a regularly-sweetened soda (with 10 teaspoons of sugar) for someone who just can't live without their morning or afternoon carbonated jolt. But a recent study may cause me to rethink that recommendation. If you are a regular or diet soda drinker, you should consider this news, as well.

Researchers at the Boston School of Medicine have studied a cohort of 6,000 middle-aged men and women from Framingham, Massachusetts for 4 years. All the subjects were healthy at the outset.

The initial results showed what has been seen before: that those subjects who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese. The subjects had a 30 percent greater risk of increasing their waist circumference, and a 25 percent increased risk of developing high blood triglycerides as well as high blood sugar. They also had a 32 percent higher risk of having low high-density lipoprotein or ”good” cholesterol levels.

If this was all they had found, it would be old news. But when they separated the group into a smaller subgroup of regular and diet soda drinkers, they found that those who drank one or more diet or regular sodas per day had a 50 to 60 percent increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Despite controlling statistically for other unhealthy behaviors that may be associated with regular soda-drinking, such as eating more calories, consuming more saturated fat and trans fat, eating less fiber, exercising less and being more sedentary, the results remained the same.

The researchers don't have any real explanations for this association, except for a theory that perhaps soda drinkers, whether regular or diet, may have a sweet tooth that is stimulated by the sweet-tasting beverage. Another theory is that the ingredient that creates the caramel color in soda may inhibit the action of the hormone insulin, which is needed to process carbohydrates.

There is certainly more research needed here, but even this single study will hopefully help a few of you to replace your sodas with water. Drink at least 5-6 cups of wonderful water each day to get a definite "feel great" response.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

You've probably read at least one article or heard one news story by now about how your risk of becoming obese is raised by 171 percent if you have a close friend who is obese. The flip side of that story is that those few people who had thinner friends, lost weight over the 32 years of the study. But there were so few of these relationships that they didn't quite make the headline.

The take-home message for me is exactly the second point; that if you build relationships with people who take care of themselves and stay fit, their good habits may rub off on you. That's what joining a Good Mood Diet Club is all about. So if you've begun The Good Mood Diet, find a friend, or make a new friend, to do it with you. Create your own Good Mood Diet Club. Chances are you'll not only help each other, but everyone else who is close to you, too.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

A very common misconception about exercise is that you'll burn more calories by not eating afterward. WRONG!! You get the biggest bang for your buck for enhancing your fitness and strength AND for calorie burning when you eat immediately after exercise. In fact, you increase calorie burning when you eat right after you exercise.

Liquid recovery drinks are especially beneficial right after exercise. They're easy to get down when you're appetite is suppressed from heavy exercise. The liquid is more quickly digested and absorbed compared to solid food, getting to your muscles more quickly. We can enhance the protein content of a smoothie without adding any fat more easily than with solid food. And a little more protein, along with carbohydrate, is what your muscles are looking for to recover, refuel, and build for the next day's activity.

So make sure to have the Good Mood Diet Smoothie recipe found in the menu pages of the book right after you exercise. If you can't do that, than find a good subsititute to have with you, within 15-30 minutes after exercise. You will feel the difference right away, and certainly later in the day and the next time that you exercise.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Just when I think I have had it
My refrigerator starts to call...
You haven't had your hot cocoa
Better sit down before you fall.

I carefully choose the right cup
the milk heats and starts to steam
Any moment I'll be able to sup
Maybe it's all just a dream.

The chocolate's beginning to soothe
My worries are starting to ooze
right out of my finger and toes
Oh yes, this is how the story goes.

Ahhh....

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner