Potatoes Not Prozac

More evidence is emerging that some food tricks really do boost your mood and help you feel more relaxed and happy. A book by Kathleen DesMaisons, “Potatoes Not Prozac”, gives the details, but here’s the super-simplified version:

Tryphtophan is an amino acid in animal proteins. If you let a chicken/turkey/fish meal digest for a couple of hours, you’ll have tryphtophan in your blood stream. Then, if you eat half a plain baked potato (or 100 calories of any high-glycemic carbohydrate), the insulin you produce will carry the tryphtophan into the brain, where it gets turned into serotonin, the neurochemical that makes you feel happy, calm & content.

For example, try eating chicken plus veggies at dinner and then eat a plain potato 2 hours later. It should have you feeling happy and relaxed at bedtime.

I was skeptical at first, but I think it worked on me. The trick is to have the self-control to not overeat those carbs. 100 calories is the amount that will give you the effect without going overboard and storing fat.

Give it a try and let me know how it works!