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Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, Energized, and Happy Self
The multiple New York Times bestselling author and Harvard-MIT educated women’s health expert delivers a revolutionary 40-day program to reconnect the brain and body to prevent and reverse the myriad symptoms and diseases afflicting millions of women.
Do you struggle to lose weight or to fall and stay asleep at night?
Do you feel lethargic and a depressed?
Do you endure irregularity or other digestive problems?
Do you want to feel better and happier and to maximize your health and longevity?
Dr. Sara Gottfried has the answer. Your health problems, she reveals, are in your head—caused by a malfunction in the connection between your brain and your body. Brain health is a powerful indicator of overall health and well-being. While our thoughts can affect our physical health, what we do to our body also has a lasting impact on our brains. When you ignore your brain-body symptoms, you raise your risk of serious cognitive decline, which leads to chronic health problems. It’s a vicious cycle, but it can be broken, Gottfried argues. In Brain Body Diet she shows how brain body health is the key to reversing a myriad of chronic symptoms—empowering you to live up to our potential and achieve the lasting health you desire.
The relationship between the body and the brain is necessary to function at our best today and for the rest of our lives. Designed for the female brain—which is different from the male brain—her breakthrough protocol will help you lose weight, get off harmful prescription medications, boost energy and mental functioning, and alleviate depression and anxiety in less than six weeks. Filled with incredible success stories, the most up-to-date scientific research, and the rich insights that are the hallmarks of her previous bestsellers, Brain Body Diet will completely change the way you look at your life and help you achieve total body health.
Do you struggle to lose weight or to fall and stay asleep at night?
Do you feel lethargic and a depressed?
Do you endure irregularity or other digestive problems?
Do you want to feel better and happier and to maximize your health and longevity?
Dr. Sara Gottfried has the answer. Your health problems, she reveals, are in your head—caused by a malfunction in the connection between your brain and your body. Brain health is a powerful indicator of overall health and well-being. While our thoughts can affect our physical health, what we do to our body also has a lasting impact on our brains. When you ignore your brain-body symptoms, you raise your risk of serious cognitive decline, which leads to chronic health problems. It’s a vicious cycle, but it can be broken, Gottfried argues. In Brain Body Diet she shows how brain body health is the key to reversing a myriad of chronic symptoms—empowering you to live up to our potential and achieve the lasting health you desire.
The relationship between the body and the brain is necessary to function at our best today and for the rest of our lives. Designed for the female brain—which is different from the male brain—her breakthrough protocol will help you lose weight, get off harmful prescription medications, boost energy and mental functioning, and alleviate depression and anxiety in less than six weeks. Filled with incredible success stories, the most up-to-date scientific research, and the rich insights that are the hallmarks of her previous bestsellers, Brain Body Diet will completely change the way you look at your life and help you achieve total body health.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2019
554 people are currently reading
1850 people want to read
About the author
Sara Gottfried
42 books352 followersSara Gottfried, MD is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and The Hormone Reset Diet (HarperOne, 2015). After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. She is a board-certified gynecologist who teaches natural hormone balancing in her novel online programs so that women can lose weight, detoxify, and slow down aging. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 10, 2020
Take home message.....Intermittent fasting (check), eat lots of veggies (check,) manage stress (check,) get sleep (check,) exercise your body and mind (check.) I agree with all of this. Where it gets overwhelming is when you start thinking about all the supplements you could take to be the best, healthiest version of yourself. This is my plan:
1) Continue IF because I ❤️it, and it fits well with my lifestyle.
2) Increase veggies while staying away from processed foods and sugar.
3) Exercise daily doing something I love to do
4) Sleep
5) Live a life that I love with people I love, doing things that I love.....which will continue to include a beautiful glass of ruby red wine!
If all that doesn’t work, I can always dig deeper using this book as a resource.
1) Continue IF because I ❤️it, and it fits well with my lifestyle.
2) Increase veggies while staying away from processed foods and sugar.
3) Exercise daily doing something I love to do
4) Sleep
5) Live a life that I love with people I love, doing things that I love.....which will continue to include a beautiful glass of ruby red wine!
If all that doesn’t work, I can always dig deeper using this book as a resource.
February 23, 2019
I won an Uncorrected Proof of Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, Energized, and Happy Self by Sara Gottfried, M.D. from Goodreads.
Readers, especially women, who suffer from depression, weight gain, and other chronic conditions may want to try the protocols outlined in Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, En, and Happy Self by Sara Gottfried, MD.
The book describes in wonderful detail how the brain and body are connected: how toxins in the gut, for example, impair the brain. Symptoms, causes, and solutions to physical difficulties are explored in the easy-to-follow narrative. Sidebars, charts, and experiences of real-life patients are employed to enhance the reader's understanding.
Dr. Gottfried goes into great detail as she outlines the protocols she uses with her patients to help them detoxify their "brain body" and improve their health.
Personally, I appreciated the extensive details concerning various toxins, where they are found in the environment, how they enter the body, and the damage they can inflict. I also appreciated much of the advice on, for example, which foods and other natural sources to consume in order to address specific toxins. However, I am not a fan of taking supplements which, to me, are a different type of drug and unnatural, and I admit that the author's listing of supplements to take as part of the protocols totalling turned me off of the program.
Many readers may find help for their personal difficulties by reading Brain Body Diet and following the protocols.
Readers, especially women, who suffer from depression, weight gain, and other chronic conditions may want to try the protocols outlined in Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, En, and Happy Self by Sara Gottfried, MD.
The book describes in wonderful detail how the brain and body are connected: how toxins in the gut, for example, impair the brain. Symptoms, causes, and solutions to physical difficulties are explored in the easy-to-follow narrative. Sidebars, charts, and experiences of real-life patients are employed to enhance the reader's understanding.
Dr. Gottfried goes into great detail as she outlines the protocols she uses with her patients to help them detoxify their "brain body" and improve their health.
Personally, I appreciated the extensive details concerning various toxins, where they are found in the environment, how they enter the body, and the damage they can inflict. I also appreciated much of the advice on, for example, which foods and other natural sources to consume in order to address specific toxins. However, I am not a fan of taking supplements which, to me, are a different type of drug and unnatural, and I admit that the author's listing of supplements to take as part of the protocols totalling turned me off of the program.
Many readers may find help for their personal difficulties by reading Brain Body Diet and following the protocols.
March 10, 2023
Read all I plan to read. Gottfried’s books are great resources, so I’m planning to have it on hand for when I really need it. She’s convinced me to try intermittent fasting!
March 6, 2019
This is not the first book I read about the connection between our Brain and our Body and the reason why we cannot help one without taking care of the other also. So there were interesting things but also some other not so easy to prove and also difficult to do stuff. It didn't convince me completely but maybe it is just me.
Questo non é il primo libro che leggo riguardante la connessione tra il corpo e il cervello e di come non si possa aiutare l'uno senza prendere in considerazione l'altro; quindi c'erano cose interessanti, ma anche teorie difficili da verificare e modifiche complesse da mettere in atto, quindi tutto sommato direi che questo libro non mi ha poi convinto del tutto, ma magari sono solo io che sono pigra.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Questo non é il primo libro che leggo riguardante la connessione tra il corpo e il cervello e di come non si possa aiutare l'uno senza prendere in considerazione l'altro; quindi c'erano cose interessanti, ma anche teorie difficili da verificare e modifiche complesse da mettere in atto, quindi tutto sommato direi che questo libro non mi ha poi convinto del tutto, ma magari sono solo io che sono pigra.
THANKS EDELWEISS FOR THE PREVIEW!
July 15, 2019
Really great information! I just wish there was a recap or checklist at the back of the book to get you started. It’s hard to retain all the action items with the way the chapters are organized. Do you do them all at once or do they build on each other? A bit overwhelming.
January 15, 2024
Don't be fooled by the title
It is not so much a diet book as it is
A book abou brain and body health
Very good read
It is not so much a diet book as it is
A book abou brain and body health
Very good read
May 4, 2022
A very insightful listen/read! I was a bit overwhelmed with all the doctor lingo, but felt the information & message was helpful to better understand how the female mind and body are connected (simply put). I am working with a functional medicine doctor and this was a fabulous intro to functional medicine. I took many takeaways that I could implement within my diet, exercise and lifestyle. (Audio)
April 14, 2019
I read a lot of health and diet books. I liked the different spin on this one - the inclusion of the “brain connection,” including neurotransmitters, genetics, etc made me learn a lot
January 4, 2024
While Gottfried shares some important information with plenty of evidence cited, sprinkled among this crucial info are bizarre unfounded claims that I just couldn’t swallow (like nuts and coffee being riddled with mold, despite nuts being in many of the recipes she shares).
The information was also presented in a less than user-friendly fashion, so if the goal is to help those who this info is new for, I’m sure it does help to some degree, but the organization feels mediocre at best.
Always up for experimentation, I tried many of her recommendations and recipes, and to her credit, tracking my blood sugar (I caved and ordered some CGMs despite not being diabetic) was quite insightful, especially in regard to stress. Ironically, however, my blood sugar was at its worst after eating meals she recommends (made specifically according to recipes in her book). Vitamin C can throw off glucose monitors, showing falsely high reads, however, and I did nerd out and calculate the estimated concentration of Vitamin C in my blood, comparing it to concentrations in studies that were sufficient to show artificially high glucose levels…it was comparable IF absorbed all the Vitamin C I ate (unlikely) within about 10 minutes (highly unlikely). So, the jury’s out on this one.
What I did really appreciate about this book was how much she drives home the importance of relaxation. Having been a primary care doc in a former life, I can safely say in my experience the average person doesn’t fully grasp the systemic impact of insufficient relaxation. Most people know “stress is bad,” (not all stress…), but are stumped as to why they’re not losing weight, or why their hormones are out of whack. I think Gottfried does a great job of constantly reiterating just how harmful it is to be constantly “on.” I also appreciated the tremendous focus on brain health (yes, yes, it’s in the name), but she discusses the many different ways brain health can be impacted by diet and lifestyle, and this too, is too commonly unknown.
So, kudos to her for getting this out there, but it would be a much more powerful book if she:
a) stuck to evidence-based claims (and cited that evidence)
b) found a better way to organize the info,
and
c) provided more guidance on how an individual can experiment to find their healthy dietary balance (instead, she gives vague prescriptives like “eat a moderate amount of protein”).
The information was also presented in a less than user-friendly fashion, so if the goal is to help those who this info is new for, I’m sure it does help to some degree, but the organization feels mediocre at best.
Always up for experimentation, I tried many of her recommendations and recipes, and to her credit, tracking my blood sugar (I caved and ordered some CGMs despite not being diabetic) was quite insightful, especially in regard to stress. Ironically, however, my blood sugar was at its worst after eating meals she recommends (made specifically according to recipes in her book). Vitamin C can throw off glucose monitors, showing falsely high reads, however, and I did nerd out and calculate the estimated concentration of Vitamin C in my blood, comparing it to concentrations in studies that were sufficient to show artificially high glucose levels…it was comparable IF absorbed all the Vitamin C I ate (unlikely) within about 10 minutes (highly unlikely). So, the jury’s out on this one.
What I did really appreciate about this book was how much she drives home the importance of relaxation. Having been a primary care doc in a former life, I can safely say in my experience the average person doesn’t fully grasp the systemic impact of insufficient relaxation. Most people know “stress is bad,” (not all stress…), but are stumped as to why they’re not losing weight, or why their hormones are out of whack. I think Gottfried does a great job of constantly reiterating just how harmful it is to be constantly “on.” I also appreciated the tremendous focus on brain health (yes, yes, it’s in the name), but she discusses the many different ways brain health can be impacted by diet and lifestyle, and this too, is too commonly unknown.
So, kudos to her for getting this out there, but it would be a much more powerful book if she:
a) stuck to evidence-based claims (and cited that evidence)
b) found a better way to organize the info,
and
c) provided more guidance on how an individual can experiment to find their healthy dietary balance (instead, she gives vague prescriptives like “eat a moderate amount of protein”).
April 4, 2019
Informative book. One of the few I have read that addresses females.
January 3, 2021
I read a lot of self help and nutrition books. If you met me you’d understand why, anyways, I found this one complicated. Or maybe I’m just not ready for this book health wise...thank goodness. I feel it lacks the ability to bridge “doctor talk” to the common person. It gets pedantic and wordy. Great information but nothing I could use.
So if you like a lot of medical mumbling, enjoy it! If not, here’ s my summary: eat the apple, take the walk, detoxify, genetic test, make small choices to restore daily life balance, meditate, achieve homeostasis and DON’T bother trying her recipes at the back.
So if you like a lot of medical mumbling, enjoy it! If not, here’ s my summary: eat the apple, take the walk, detoxify, genetic test, make small choices to restore daily life balance, meditate, achieve homeostasis and DON’T bother trying her recipes at the back.
August 6, 2023
Lisa Ishaq recommended this book. In my quest to find out more about a diet for more energy and overall better eating, I'm going through her books.
But generally speaking, it's just another book that needs no more than loosely reading. I did not read every page, or even every chapter. It was more something like, read the pages that were pertinent to me. I was most interested in eating for increased energy and for increased memory. I think her science is solid, but it is way too restrictive for me and not something I would be able to do. I will read her other books though. I think she has some good points.
But generally speaking, it's just another book that needs no more than loosely reading. I did not read every page, or even every chapter. It was more something like, read the pages that were pertinent to me. I was most interested in eating for increased energy and for increased memory. I think her science is solid, but it is way too restrictive for me and not something I would be able to do. I will read her other books though. I think she has some good points.
September 21, 2023
We all know that the brain body connection is important and Dr. Gottfried has proven herself to be highly dedicated to women's health and well-being. Put those two things together and it makes for an interesting book. I think the highlights of this book are the values it places on intermittent fasting, creating a diet LOADED with vegetables (cooked and raw), keeping stress at a minimum, practicing good sleep hygiene, and exercising your body and mind. Where the book gets overwhelming is when Dr. Gottfired starts to get deep into the weeds regarding supplements, testing, and even some of the more complicated food regimes.
March 30, 2019
A detailed analysis of the brain/body connection and how to correct/alleviate problems. There is not a simple, "magic-bullet" book, and the details cannot be absorbed in one quick read. I found it useful to read only one chapter at a time to see what I was doing right, what I could improve, and what I could not easily change __ breathing city air, for instance. I am not convinced that supplements really are helpful. I don't think I'll add the ones suggested.
August 31, 2020
I did get some helpful information from this. Especially because one of the case studies mentioned was a young woman who had a stroke, so I could identify with those issues and feelings. As someone who has been on depression and anti-anxiety meds for a long time, I'm anxious to try some of the supplement and nutrition ideas to stabilize my body dynamic.
March 10, 2019
Sara Gottfried is on the leading edge of women's health. This new book goes beyond her others and is packed with great info on how to clear your brain of toxins, how to reset your body weight set point and how to age gracefully. I'll return to this one again and again.
October 6, 2019
Lots of good information but most of it seems to be repeated in each chapter. Very glad the author did not include all the scientific notes and references in the book - what was there was entirely sufficient.
September 11, 2020
I couldn’t even finish this. It is reads like a jumbled mess. The author spends way too much time telling us we will learn “how” later in the book and rambles along never actually getting to a point.
December 31, 2020
Not dissimilar to other books I've read along this line, it still offered some insights not gleaned from my previous readings. She has a LOT of recommendations for supplements (the amount was a bit overwhelming, to be honest). A helpful book though.
April 17, 2021
So many good tips on how a healthy mind and body help one another function better. I'm a nutrition student so I love the topic and believe that we call all improve from it advice. A few more easy recipes for nutrition benefits would hve been great to see.
March 19, 2019
So similar to all the other books out lately. Disappointed. Was expecting more.
May 3, 2019
Excellent, thorough nutritional advice about the role of gut dysbiosis on physical and mental health including causes and remedies.
June 30, 2019
Brain fog, recall, resetting set weight point... great updated research! Younger was a book that changed my views. This book updates that info.
July 22, 2019
In a word, complicated. Good information but I found it technical and boring. Also, all the supplements are confusing. I wouldn’t know where to begin with all the supplements suggested.
October 14, 2019
Some good points but too complicated and detailed.
February 11, 2020
I like Dr. Sara‘s approach to health and healing. There are many attributes that she lists that I need to implement in my own life. More veggies & more stress reduction to start!
May 23, 2020
A very dense read, but a lot of good, practical tips at the end of each chapter
August 30, 2020
Good stuff, very useful, despite a bit too much science for my anxious mind.
April 21, 2021
Amazingly specific for women of childbearing years with chronic health issues. Very helpful.
January 18, 2022
Didn't learn anything from this book. It's a good refresher though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews