Good Mood Diet Blog

Just like many of you, I've been busy every morning this summer packing lunches for my children before they go off to camp. Someone asked me the other day what I pack for my kids, so I thought I'd give you the menu for this week. In my house, food has to be fast, fresh and easy. I plan the menu for lunches for the week so that I can shop on Saturday and be set for the whole week.

Monday: Pannini made with mozzarella cheese, basil pesto, tomato tapenade, and balsamic vinegar and olive oil Italian dressing; sliced cucumbers, dried apple, water.

Tuesday: Laughing Cow lowfat cheese wedges with crackers, broccoli stalks, cherries, water.

Wednesday: PB & J, broccoli stalks, grapes, water.

Thursday: Yogurt, crackers, edamame, cherry tomatoes, dried mango, water.

Friday: Turkey sandwich with pesto and lettuce leaf and tomato slice bagged separately (to avoid a soggy sandwich), cucumber slices, cherries, water.

So there you have it. Feel free to borrow my ideas or create some of your own. Other weeks might include hard boiled eggs, a thermos of soup, or leftovers from dinner the night before.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

One of the recent questions in the GMD Club chat room was whether you should follow the Good Mood Diet Template every day, or just choose from the list of Feel Great foods. I can tell you from working with many different people that depending on who you are, both strategies have worked successfully.

The wonderful replies to the question posted in the chat room were what I would have always thought myself: that you should follow the template, had I not met those people who tell me that they just eat from the Feel-Great Foods list and really do feel great and lose weight. But even so they are not eating randomly. They are still following the basic concepts of always combining proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats at each meal, and eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. They are getting in their 3 dairy servings per day, the variety of fruits and vegetables, the goal of 5 fish meals per week, and so on. So there is a little more to it than just following the list. But it represents a great alternative for those people who would rather feel a little more freedom in their food plan.

And another departure for me...

If you've been following my speaking schedule, you'll see that I'm setting out on a road trip across Washington State today. My days will be very long, so I will take a short hiatus, and return to this blog on Tuesday August 7th.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Hello again! I'm back in the blogging saddle. I had a wonderful few days traveling around the state of Washington talking to folks about The Good Mood Diet. It's always so great to see your faces and hear your stories of success and happiness.

While I was gone the discussion came up in the GMD chat room about going off prescribed medications once you were following The Good Mood Diet. While the diet does have a very powerful impact on the health of your mind and body, please do not change any of your medications without consulting your physician or health care provider. Many of these prescription medications require you to taper off of them, rather than just stopping cold turkey. Without tapering you might experience very negative consequences. Additionally, your physician may have other important reasons for you to maintain your prescriptions.

The Good Mood Diet is a way of creating a very healthy foundation for your brain and your body. It is not meant as a substitute for clinical treatment or therapy. While many people have been able to reduce or stop their medications, this has been done only under medical supervision. Please do not try to manage your medical care without the advice and guidance of a medical expert.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I talk alot about how important dairy foods are around exercise. The proteins in dairy are ideal for helping your muscles recover and grow. Milk and yogurt also contain carbohydrate, so combined with the protein, milk is a natural muscle builder and mood elevator. And it looks like milk is even a great rehydrator.

A study just published in the British Journal of Nutrition compared milk with a sports drink on the impact of rehydration right after dehydrating exercise. Milk significantly outperformed the sports drink in fully rehydrating the subjects after dehydration, compared to the sports drink which did not fully rehydrate the subjects.

So make sure to drink your Good Mood Smoothie right after exercise. I promise that you'll feel the difference immediately, and for the rest of the day.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association have just issued new physical fitness recommendations. Americans should be doing strength training at least twice a week for at least 30 minutes. Yes, you heard it right. In addition to keeping your heart and lungs moving with cardiovascular exercise, it's time to get pumping and make a muscle.

In fact, if on a single day you have to choose between your cardio and strength training workout due to time constraints, I say do your weight workout. Pick up the pace and you'll be training your muscles and working your heart.

The updated recommendations suggest that adults do eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 different exercises on the major muscle groups, including the chest, back, shoulders, upper legs, lower legs and arms.

This could be strength training with free weights or machines, or weight-bearing calisthenics such as push-ups. This should be done on two non-consecutive days.

Adults 65 and older are encouraged to do similar amounts of physical activity, based on their fitness ability. They are advised to strength-train two to three times a week, doing a few more repetitions using lighter weights. This helps maintain and increase strength. Flexibility exercises are suggested to preserve the range of motion necessary for daily activities. People at risk of falling should do balance exercises.

And here's just a bit advice on how to strength train in your kitchen from the fitness class that I periodically attend:

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.

Now that you're laughing, smile while you're lifting your next weight!!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

If you live in the Seattle area, you can be part of the scientific process. A study investigating the impact of high fructose corn syrup on total calorie intake is being conducted at the University of Washington. As a participant in the study you will find out a tremendous amount of metabolic and physiologic information about yourself, and you will be making a wonderful contribution to the body of scientific literature trying to understand the causes of obesity.

To find out more, click here: Sweetened Beverages and Food Intake

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

When I read this study I couldn't help but smile. If you've read The Good Mood Diet you know that one of my maxims is "put your food to work for you." One great way to do this, if you are a coffee or tea drinker, is to have your caffeine before exercise. It can decrease your rate of perceived exertion. In other words, you don't notice how hard you are working, and you can workout harder, longer.

Now we have more great news: when caffeine and exercise were combined in mice, they had a significantly decreased risk of developing skin cancer. Four groups of mice were tested. One group had only exercise, one group only caffeine, the third group had exercise plus caffeine and the fourth group was a control group. All groups were exposed to skin cell damaging ultraviolet-B rays.

Cells with damaged DNA are programmed to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis, but not all do that, and damaged cells can become cancerous. Compared with the control animals, those drinking caffeine had a 95% increase in apoptosis in damaged cells. The exercisers showed a 120% increase, and the mice that were both drinking and running showed a nearly 400% increase.

The researchers really don't have an explanation for this occurrence, and they will continue to do research to see whether these results might be the same in humans.

In the meantime, keep using sunscreen, and don't be afraid to put your single serving of a caffeinated beverage to work for you before exercise.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Many people have told me that the life philosophy of The Good Mood Diet is as important as the diet and lifestyle plan. I couldn't agree more. How you approach food often is a reflection of how you approach life.

So just for fun and a little inspiration, I'm including a few of my favorite quotes today. If you have some favorite ones, let us know.

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt
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"Follow your Dreams- you never know where they might lead you."

-Anonymous
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"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

-Buddha
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"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.
We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

-Stephen R. Covey

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

The large Hass avocados are in the supermarket! I love avocados, but the very large Hass avocados are my favorite. They were perfectly ripe today. At dinner we enjoyed fresh avocado spread on seasoned Rye Krisp crackers. It is the perfect combination. Yum!

If you've taken avocados out of your diet, add them back. Here are some great nutritional reasons why:

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that are critical for the health of your brain, central nervous system and your heart.

Avocados are a good source of lutein, the carotenoid found to be associated with promoting eye health.

Beta-sisterol, also found in avocados, is a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.

Remember, 2 tablespoons of avocado equals one healthy fat serving, and is a strong member of the Feel Great Foods List.

And oh, does it taste good!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

It's the last few weeks of summer. Time for all the Departments of Transportation across the nation to pull out their road repair equipment and put it to use. Here in Seattle the month of August will see the worst traffic jams ever. Our major north-south corridor, Interstate-5, will be virtually closed, yes, CLOSED, for 3 weeks! Oh, there might be a lane or 2 open here and there, but don't count on it. The closure is effecting every other highway and surface road for miles around the city. It's a nightmare.

I know that we're not alone; there are major road repairs and traffic jams all over the nation. Wouldn't it be great to be able to abide by the recommendation to just stay off the roads and stay home? I find that a very practical guideline (LOL).

If staying home isn't an option for keeping you out of traffic and in a calm state of mind, then one other option is to eat enough healthy fats. I know this might sound silly, but people who consume diets that are below 25 -30% fat have a higher risk of feeling anger, frustration and anxiety. They don't cope with stress as well as someone who is feeding their brain the fats it needs to stay structurally healthy and strong.

Add back that avocado that I blogged about yesterday. Enjoy some peanut butter or other wonderful nut or seed butter. If you're allergic to nuts, soy butter is a pretty tasty alternative. Snack on a few olives; dip your crusty baguette in olive oil, put some smoked salmon on a bagel.

Every time you eat, you should have protein, carbohydrate, AND a healthy fat. What a great way to keep your cool while your stuck on the hot pavement of the freeway.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

If you're looking for support, you can have it 24/7 in the Good Mood Diet Club online chat room. On The Good Mood Diet website go to the "join the GMD club" page, and then click on the link to the chat room within the text on the page. You'll find a very active, smart, and helpful group of members that are there to support each other.

There is recipe sharing, story telling, lots of Q & A, a few confessions, and tremendous outreach of caring and nurturing. It is such a great way to help yourself change old habits into new ones. I am inspired by everyone in the chat room. I even chime in every once in awhile.

So don't wait. Join the Club! It will make you feel so good.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I have been receiving an incredible number of success stories from Good Mood Dieters. They are an inspiration to read. I am going to begin to share some of the stories with you. Today's blog is from an incredible woman in Tasmania, Australia. This will definitely make you feel good.

"I'll try to keep this short - first of all I wanted to tell you that your diet has been a lifesaver (almost literally) - I bought the book The Good Mood Diet from Amazon. I'm recovering from major spinal surgery after a car accident and have had terrible trouble sleeping (due to thoracic nerve pain) and general depression caused by pain, incapacity and sleeplessness. Within 12 hours on the diet I felt calmer, 2 days later I actually slept a whole night (I usually manage 2 or 3 hours if I'm lucky) and but most amazingly I have seen a marked reduction in pain, and it is definitely the diet because when I go off it, my pain gets worse again."

She continues...

"I am considering starting a diet club here (I studied Health Science in Nutrition at university and think the concept is wonderful) and am looking into it on your website at the moment. I can't thank you enough - 2 weeks ago the idea of doing anything with other people didn't appeal to me at all. I've also ordered the pedometers you recommend and encouraged others to do so. Good luck in spreading the happiness."

The effects of food on the mind and body are incredibly powerful. If you have a good mood story to share, please send it in to contact@goodmooddiet.com with your permission to post it as a blog. It will make us all feel good.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Now that you're feeding your brain, you're probably noticing that you have more energy than usual. You might be sleeping better and even waking up earlier. If you've also added exercise to your life, you've realized that you really do have more time in your day than you thought.

It's time to take the next step. Get involved with something that you care about; take action. Research about the brain makes it clear that in order to feel really satisfied, you need to take an action. Really, a physical action is necessary to create the changes in the brain that allow us to feel true satisfaction. I think that is one of the coolest things that I've learned in my studies of neurobiology.

So, whether it's helping your neighbor bring in the groceries, or planting a garden for your aging parent, or making calls to raise money for a good cause or votes for your favorite candidate, take action, and get some satisfaction!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I am one of the lucky six who worked with Susan Kleiner in 2005 for the series of articles in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. My main reason for wanting to work with Dr. Kleiner was to help with the winter blahs. At the time, I noticed a big improvement in my management of stress and began to see some of the patterns that influenced my food intake--especially regarding food portions. Although weight loss wasn't my main objective, I lost 11 pounds. While I wore a pedometer and changed some habits to increase my activity, I just never managed to get the exercise part of the plan up and going. But I knew I would eventually.

Shortly after completing the three month test program in the P-I, I learned I was expecting my second son. With a new baby and a preschooler, I cut myself some slack but set a goal to be exercising regularly within a month after finishing nursing. In April I started working out with a personal trainer. Soon after my dad invited me to run a 5k with him on the 4th of July. I had never been much of a runner but it seemed like a good way to focus my exercise time so the trainer put a 9-week program together for me. My goal was to run the whole way and to beat 12 minute miles and I managed both (my time was 35:29). And now I am hooked. I ran another 5k this weekend and came in at 29:24--3rd place for my age group!

One of the fun outcomes of the exercise is that I am doing it with my boys. My older son rides his bike with me on the running trail and thinks it's fun when he rides faster than I am running. My younger son is very happy when I suggest we go out in the jog stroller and has been a very patient passenger.

With all this activity, I don't really track my food intake like I did during the test program, but I also think it is more of a habit to balance my food choices. I am still a devoted Daylight breakfast eater. My grocery list always has eggs, milk, nuts, olives, and lots of produce on it. And I buy my tuna by the case from the good folks at FV St. Jude. I think for me the program is a touchstone that I return to when I notice my stress levels rising or my pants feeling a little tight.

From the Happy Runner,
Paula Burke

I received an email the other day asking about whether the vitamin supplement that the emailer was taking was too high a dosage. The whole topic of vitamin supplements is a very good one to discuss.

First, you might already know my position on supplements:

If you are eating a wide variety of foods from within all the food groups, and healthy fats, then you are probably getting a good array of vitamins and minerals, and other factors that can only come from food, not supplements. Vitamin-mineral supplements are merely an insurance policy for those days when we just don't eat what we should. I do recommend a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement as part of The Good Mood Diet.

We only absorb, on average, about 10-15% of any vitamin-mineral supplement that we use, regardless of how wonderful the supplement may be. So in any case, a supplement is just that, a supplement to a good diet. Since we only absorb a small amount, quite a bit will show up in the urine. The dark color and odor that we often experience in the first or second void after taking a supplement is typically from riboflavin, but other water soluble nutrients are also in the mix. It is nothing to be alarmed about. However, if you are taking very high dosages, then you may have more than you need.

How do you know whether a supplement is a high quality product or not? There was just a great article on cnn.com/health that covers this answer in-depth. I highly recommend reading this article as a great resource.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I've written about the importance of sleep several times in the past few months, but we've got news about the impact of sleep on appetite. New research from The University of Chicago has shown that sleep impacts the secretion of leptin and ghrelin, 2 hormones integrally linked with appetite. Leptin is a hormone that suppresses appetite by affecting how full and satisfied we feel after eating. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite.

The research showed that study participants who slept only four hours a night for two nights had an 18 percent decrease in leptin and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin. When these results are overlayed with the results of the Nurses Healthy Study that showed that participants who slept five hours a night were 32 percent more likely to experience a weight gain of 33 pounds or greater, and 15 percent more likely to become obese, compared with participants who slept seven hours a night, it becomes awfully clear that sleep is a very important part of weight control. Along with an increase in appetite, lack of sleep probably causes the body to burn calories differently, saving more for energy storage (fat) in the body.

So, while you can't really lose weight while you sleep, you can't lose weight if you don't sleep. Sleep hygiene, as the experts call it, is a critical part of health care, along with good nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. So if it's late at night and you're reading this blog, go to sleep instead!!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

Congratulations to Trish Zuccotti, the 2007 World Masters Weightlifting Champion! Trish, one of my clients and a dear friend, broke 3 world records at the Games in Hungary this past weekend. She did it with hard work, fortitude, determination, and a positive attitude. She also has a great strength coach, Scott Hughes. You both deserve a high five from all us.

Just so that you all know the details, Trish competes in the female, 60 year old, 75 kg class. She never lifted a weight until about 6 or 7 years ago. There were 46 countries competing at the games, and Trish beat all her own personal records, and now holds the world records in the snatch, clean & jerk and the total of the two lifts.

So never give up on your dreams, and remember that it takes action to make them reality.

Way to go, Trish!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

I love to sing. I sing while I'm cooking, I sing while I'm warming up for a workout, I sing while I drive, and I even sing along with the music while I'm shopping in the mall (as long as my teenage daughter isn't there to stop me). I've been singing my whole life, and I know it makes me happy.

Lots of people know that dancing improves their mood. After all, it's a great physical activity choice for keeping your mind and body fit and healthy. But research also shows us that singing makes you happy. And if you're not a singer, the same research study showed that listening to a choir might make you almost as happy as singing in one.

So don't hold back. Sing with your iPod, the radio, or even better, a choir or a band. And if you just can't find your own voice, then listen to someone else's. While you're singing, or listening to someone else sing the blues, you just might start to feel much more in the pink!

Yours in a Good Mood (la la la),
Dr. Susan Kleiner

The kids are heading back to school. Let's face it, you haven't exactly been keeping your mind totally on your work during the sweet days of summer, either. So all of us, kids and...older kids, could use a little brain boost to get us back in serious thinking and learning mode again.

When people ask me what are the top few things that they can do to boost their brain power, I tell them this:

1. Make water a constant presence in your daily life.
2. Eat lots of fish rich in omega-3 fats.
3. Remember breakfast, and you'll remember other stuff.

And stay active!

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner

One of the wonders of our bodies is that no matter how full we are, there always seems to be room for dessert. One night when I came home from a very filling meal at a friend's house, and then looked for my stash of dark chocolate, I wanted to know why.

Our brain craves variety. We like to change what we're doing throughout the day if we can, rather than repeating the same activity over and over. We like to listen to different songs or pieces of music, rather than listen to the same song repetitively. And we like to have a variety of tastes in our meals. So no matter how filling a savory meal may be, when it comes to adding something sweet, our appetite is peaked again.

There are things other than sweet desserts that can satisfy the craving for variety: fruit is the obvious alternative. But if it's just variety that the brain desires, then why not an herbal tea or great cup of coffee (decaf at night, please). And of course, my perennial evening favorite, a good mood hot cocoa. All of these provide variety to typical mealtime entree fare.

So don't fight it. Indulge your brain and leave some room for variety.

Yours in a Good Mood,
Dr. Susan Kleiner