Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - If you were raised on sugar, then is it impossible to lose it completely?

dmaterialized · 03-30-2007, 02:29 PM

Tasio, please look into the book "Potatoes not Prozac". (http://www.radiantrecovery.com/ is the doctor's site) The book is highly unconventional, but the author's points seem very logical-- and I have had IMMENSE success with using her advice.

Basically, it talks about how certain people have a genetic, or built-in from a very young age, craving for starchy, sugary foods. I have found in reading it that, while I have no real craving for sugar, I have immense pasta cravings all the time (which is converted to a type of sugar in your body). Eating a potato (one of the most satiating starches on the planet) trains your body to immediately produce a surge of dopamine (much the way you feel great when you eat sweets or starches), except it does it at night -- changing an otherwise very difficult cycle. The skin of the potato (according to her) contains nutrients that reduce or eliminate a lot of addictive cravings.

You should definitely read the book to convince yourself more of the science behind it (don't take my word for it), but here's what she recommends (and what I've had happen):

1. Tonight, RIGHT before you go to sleep, eat a potato (cooked) in any way you like except frying. You must eat the skin, and it must be cooked-- other than that, you get to figure out how you want to do this.

2. You will have REALLY bizarre, really visceral dreams, and most likely will remember them in detail.

3. Eat breakfast with mostly protein.

4. Do this every night, regardless of the times you sleep-- just eat a cooked potato and its skin right before bed. Your dreams will get progressively less bizarre or memorable - initially it's because of the surge of seratonin, but soon your body gets used to it.

Within about 4 days, I not only had more energy and more level moods, but I had NO particular attachment to any foods at all -- I ate whatever was around and enjoyed it immensely, didn't overeat, and found myself with a lot of extra time (most of my frequently addictive behaviors, like the Internet or IM, didn't seem like the best use of my time, so I simply didn't do them). The one thing I can't quantify is this feeling of just being... "free". Every day seems less cyclical and predictable -- it's as if I'm really waking up in the morning instead of just following a routine. I really can't explain it, but it's really nice.

This goes for everyone who has or thinks they might have problems with sugar/starch sensitivity-- I HIGHLY recommend it, even for a few days (you can always stop, but try for a week or more). There are multiple "steps" if you have a really serious problem, but for me the first two (potato and protein) broke me WAY out of my cycle almost immediately.

I totally sound like an ad for this "diet", but it's really incredible how much it's done for me. All the info is on the site (http://www.radiantrecovery.com/) and it's all free, so I'm not (even covertly) selling anything!

03-30-2007, 02:29 PM	#15 (permalink)
dmaterialized Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New York, NY / Bennington, VT Posts: 24	Tasio, please look into the book "Potatoes not Prozac". (http://www.radiantrecovery.com/ is the doctor's site) The book is highly unconventional, but the author's points seem very logical-- and I have had IMMENSE success with using her advice. Basically, it talks about how certain people have a genetic, or built-in from a very young age, craving for starchy, sugary foods. I have found in reading it that, while I have no real craving for sugar, I have immense pasta cravings all the time (which is converted to a type of sugar in your body). Eating a potato (one of the most satiating starches on the planet) trains your body to immediately produce a surge of dopamine (much the way you feel great when you eat sweets or starches), except it does it at night -- changing an otherwise very difficult cycle. The skin of the potato (according to her) contains nutrients that reduce or eliminate a lot of addictive cravings. You should definitely read the book to convince yourself more of the science behind it (don't take my word for it), but here's what she recommends (and what I've had happen): 1. Tonight, RIGHT before you go to sleep, eat a potato (cooked) in any way you like except frying. You must eat the skin, and it must be cooked-- other than that, you get to figure out how you want to do this. 2. You will have REALLY bizarre, really visceral dreams, and most likely will remember them in detail. 3. Eat breakfast with mostly protein. 4. Do this every night, regardless of the times you sleep-- just eat a cooked potato and its skin right before bed. Your dreams will get progressively less bizarre or memorable - initially it's because of the surge of seratonin, but soon your body gets used to it. Within about 4 days, I not only had more energy and more level moods, but I had NO particular attachment to any foods at all -- I ate whatever was around and enjoyed it immensely, didn't overeat, and found myself with a lot of extra time (most of my frequently addictive behaviors, like the Internet or IM, didn't seem like the best use of my time, so I simply didn't do them). The one thing I can't quantify is this feeling of just being... "free". Every day seems less cyclical and predictable -- it's as if I'm really waking up in the morning instead of just following a routine. I really can't explain it, but it's really nice. This goes for everyone who has or thinks they might have problems with sugar/starch sensitivity-- I HIGHLY recommend it, even for a few days (you can always stop, but try for a week or more). There are multiple "steps" if you have a really serious problem, but for me the first two (potato and protein) broke me WAY out of my cycle almost immediately. I totally sound like an ad for this "diet", but it's really incredible how much it's done for me. All the info is on the site (http://www.radiantrecovery.com/) and it's all free, so I'm not (even covertly) selling anything!