This book is based on a four step program that has been developed and refined in a clinical setting for over fifteen years. These proven clinical results are very impressive because of the depth and breath of challenging populations that have been successfully treated. These include alcohol/drug/sugar addiction, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, traumatic stress syndromes, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and attention deficit disorders.
Is there a correlation between the exponential growth in mood disorders and the systematic devitalization of our food? As more people consume food products as opposed to food Ms. Ross demonstrates that what clients and clinicians are struggling with in more cases than not is an epidemic of morbid malnutrition with mood and cognitive deficits as symptoms. The brain may well be the most malnourished organ in the body for the majority of us.
The brain, like most organs, needs certain nutrients in order to function effectively. Symptoms of deprivation manifest as mood and cognitive problems. Also, the brain like other organs, possesses an amazing capacity to repair and regenerate itself if fed the needed food. The first chapter expertly outlines true or false emotions based on the clearest explanation I have ever read of the neurotransmitters serotonin, catecholamines, GABA and the endorphins and the specific foods i.e. amino acids that each system needs. Excellently designed diagnostic questionnaires enable the reader to pinpoint neurotransmitter deficiencies while being educated, empowered and inspired to remedy the problem.
The chapters that follow continue to build a clear and coherent treatment approach complete with tool kits, specific protocols, diagnostic questionaires, references and research. One of my favorite chapters is the resource tool kit as I can readily access excellent therapeutic support and information. This book is an ongoing revelation because it has been meticulously crafted to work on many levels simultaneously. Another major strength of The Mood Cure is that it serves both client and clinician in appealing to the reader's intelligence, sense of responsibility for their own health and dignity as a human being.
Using The Mood Cure as an integral part of the treatment process has been extremely effective in my own clinical practice specializing in addiction and trauma recovery. Many clients no longer need medication while those who continue medication have been able to reduce their dosages dramatically. One client who suffered from severe mood swings declared how relieved she was to have found what she called a "user's manual" for her brain! This book is not however anti medication but rather challenges the current knee jerk response to automatically refer and medicate without first investigating nutritional and other organic problems that may be contributing to a diagnosis. Compelling examples that Ms. Ross discusses are the hidden epidemic of thyroid problems and adrenal exhaustion that sabotage treatment. A lesser known condition called Pyroluria, mostly found in alcoholics, uses up zinc, vitamin B6 and manganese and can be the confounding factor in treating stubborn mood problems.
This book is highly recommended as an invaluable resource for both client and clinician alike.
The mood questionaire at the beginning of the book is too broad and vague, and since a person's general mood can change from day to day depending on external circumstances, this can be difficult to assess. Testing for allergies is also very difficult, as symptoms can vary greatly in variety and degree. People can even have a positive reaction to a benign substance if they believe it is an allergen. In any case, self-testing is not recommended.
Ross is also too critical of carbohydrates and vegetarian diets, and doesn't often make a distinction between whole grains and refined flour. Conversely, she downplays the dangers of a high-fat high-protein diet. Not only that, her comparison of diets today with diets 100 years ago is too broad and scientifically shaky.
Cautions about supplements are mainly relegated to the back of the book, and she advocates taking SAM-e and melatonin, both of which are largely untested regarding long-term effects (melatonin can have many short-term side effects, and sales are banned in Canada, France, and Britain).
Undocumented/unsubstantiated statements include:
28- the study in which a serotonin deficiency is created.
112- "Take a look at the following sample menu. The word that comes to mind is *satisfying!*"
130- Hydrogenated fats are "one step away from a plastic."
134- "Fat really is jolly."
138- "Casein can be as addictive as gluten."
154- "I defy you to find more beautiful and cheery people than the Thai."
On page 45, she actually cites a study in which tryptophan cured depression in birds.
As if that wasn't enough, she even advocates pseudoscientific remedies such as homeopathy and blood type diets. Lack of replication by others, and recent criticism of high-fat and high-protein diets in general does not bode well for this diet. Proceed with caution.