Sugar Brain Fix: The 28-Day Plan to Quit Craving the Foods That Are Shrinking Your Brain and Expanding Your Waistline

by Mike Dow

We now have proof that sugar shrinks the human brain. So, the question is How do you regrow yours--while simultaneously shrinking your waistline? The answer may be simpler than you think. New York Times bestselling author, brain health expert and host of  Freaky Eaters and My 600-lb Life Reunion , Dr. Mike Dow, will help you understand how sugar mixed with bad fats shrink the brain. This leads to a condition he calls sugar brain , and it may leave you feeling tired, blue, achy, stuck, impulsive, or foggy. Since most people in the modern world now eat sugar and bad fats at every meal, sugar brain is pervasive. It's also dangerous since sugar brain can lead to depression or dementia. Here's the good Sugar Brain is reversible. The solution? Dr. Mike's 28-day Sugar Brain Fix. It uses his Kediterranean (TM) Diet template-- which combines mild ketosis with the Mediterranean diet. By combining brief periods of intermittent fasting with fasted workouts, you'll boost BDNF--a protein that's been called "Miracle-Gro for the brain." You'll also incorporate Mediterranean principles like adding anti-inflammatory omega-3 superfoods. Dr. Mike will help you use add two clinically proven tools to effortlessly change your eating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and his groundbreaking hypnosis protocol Subconscious Visualization Technique (SVT). The Sugar Brain Fix also uses the secret of gradual detox to bypass withdrawal symptoms. Sugar and bad fats release serotonin and dopamine, respectively. Dr. Mike's program will show you how to manufacture these feel-good chemicals without addictive foods. In 28 days, your waistline will shrink as you grow your precious your brain.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Food, Diets, Self Help, Audiobook

360 pages, Hardcover

Published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Linda D Porras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! The answer for me!

I love reading Sugar Brain Fix by Dr Mike Dow.
Sugar has been a weakness for me all my life and his description of how and why is an answer to my prayers! I’ve tried so many times to just go cold turkey with sugar only to be defeated and return to it. I love the approach of adding the greens to my diet instead of restricting the sugar to change my way of eating. The change is truly emotional and physical. I am making the changes one step at a time and I can feel the difference. I feel like Dr Mike Dow is speaking to me as I’m reading and I highly recommend that you read this book. It’s the answer for me and I hope for you as well.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

first health book that gives you a set plan on what to do and it is nice how its focus is on adding positive things in life than focusing on what you have to remove.

talked about it with my family and making them read it now!

[Elizabeth Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read!

[William Schram · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Sugar Brain Fix" is a book concerned with the brain's reaction to sugar. According to Doctor Mike Dow, sugar has deleterious effects both on the brain and on your waistline. Dow recommends a change in diet and lifestyle to combat these effects. He favors the Mediterranean Diet along with Keto to slim down.

The book functions both as a workbook and as a self-help book. So you can write in the book if it belongs to you. At the same time, you can read about uplifting stories of hope. These people were just like you, addicted to sugar. Once they took Dow's advice, they lost weight and became confident in themselves.

Although the book contains testimonials, it is not overly saccharine. Half of the book is devoted to the workbook section to allow writing. It makes the work appear longer than it is.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree that we need to cut out sugar, however I find this too prescriptive. I think that we just need to avoid processed foods and that will solve all our health and weight related issues.

[Amber Hawes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book seems to be written for those with more extreme food addictions in mind, I felt like I was still able to glean some valuable insight into how sugar and fatty foods impact your brain function.

One thing I really liked about this book was the fact that Dr. Dow approaches it from a whole-brain perspective. He stresses the importance of building up positive habits and mindsets before trying to remove sugar and fatty foods from your diet. There are a lot of tips about reframing the way you think and view yourself that are applicable beyond one's relationship with food.

On the other hand, I did feel like this book was slightly repetitive and at some points simplistic. Essentially if you are anxious you have a serotonin deficiency and therefore must crave sugar and if you are listless and unmotivated you have a dopamine deficiency and therefore must crave fatty foods. Personally, my food cravings and emotional feelings do not seem to be linked in such a black and white manner. I believe there is probably some connection, but that seems overly simplistic for me. Also, the quizzes were terrible. They contradicted themselves and each other and were a complete waste of time. You are much better off just reading the effects of low serotonin and dopamine and making the decision for yourself.

I learned a lot in this book and will be trying his 28-day plan to quit sugary foods, but I may be doing some of my own alterations since my main purpose is not to lose weight, but simply eat healthier.

Also, it is adjustable for vegetarians! - A necessity for me ^.^

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember ever reading a book this long. Well I am glad I did, there is so much information in this book, you can't help but learn something new. As a sugar addict I have been reading various articles & books about how bad sugar is for you. It's astounding. Downright scary, actually. I mean to find out your brain can actually be shrinking?! Um, holy hell, that is some really deep stuff which hit home, that I was NOT expecting. Like seriously, why don't doctors tell you this or even ask about your diet (what you eat, not like actual diet), so annoying.
The amount of info coming at you is really important & also takes a bit to process. I mean I didn't know all about the gut-brain relationship plus serotonin & dopamine is also really important to understand. It basically comes down to how everything is connected.
I am so glad I read this book & can appreciate the changes that need to happen w/ food. I definitely know I can be eating healthier & that doesn't always happen even as a veg*n. I may not be nto candy like the cover photo, my downside is baked goods. Chocolate is also a huge thing I can't do w/out daily.
I am gonna say the whole thing about skipping meals does not appeal to me. To actually follow this plan is the only reason why this doesn't five stars. Since I do intermittent fasting already & eat two meals a day w/ snacks I really can't tolerate skipping a meal, I love food too much.
So whether you follow it to a t or not, this is definitely worth reading, then pass it on to someone else struggling. nobody wants their brain to shrink.

[IE · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF page 18. I couldn’t get past the predatory tone in this book. There is no doubt some useful information in here, somewhere. But reading this was so tedious from the beginning. At one or more points early in the book it actually advises “not to skip ahead” and that’s exactly what I was tempted to do because it was so dull. After seeing the way this Dr talks about his clients in the book, I decided not to bother reading it at all. He paints himself as the be-all know-all of everything, and even when his client had a realization, it was actually because she was “repeating the words that (he) had once said to her”. And so much power dynamics, “she could barely look at me as she spoke”. It felt icky, his clients seemed like victims without personal empowerment. This book is written from an egotistical viewpoint and felt repulsive to read. By all means, reduce sugar intake but I don’t agree with this prescriptive method.

[John Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for anyone interested in improving their quality of life through restoration of natural serotonin and dopamine production, the chemicals our bodies produce that affect our cognitive abilities.

My wife and I just completed our own 30 day sugar fast, neither one of us were big sugar consumers, nor do we eat anything processed but we allowed ourselves to be blind to the way our bodies turn some of the foods we eat into unnecessary sugars. E.g. pasta, rice, most bread.

Included in the book is information on studies that have proven that the consumption of sugars and bad fats greatly decreases BDNF production, the brain growing hormone, resulting in what is known as a “shrunken brain”, leading to a decrease in brain function.

Recommend addition to the health resource section of your libraries.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to hear that sugars (including most replacement sugars like aspartame and breads, etc) not only increase our waist size, but that they also reduce our brain capacity. I like that this plan doesn’t require restricting any foods completely, that it encourages adding good foods first before removing “pit fall” foods like sugars, fried foods, etc). It encourages occasional intermittent fasting followed by a fasting workout, getting good sleep, positive thoughts, improving relationships, learning new things, etc. to replace the seratonin and dopamine we get from sugars and bad fats. This plan combines the Mediterranean diet and the Keto diet (but with no absolute restrictions).
Highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to kick a sugar addiction, decrease brain fog, anxiety, feelings of sadness and get to a healthy waist line.

[Inna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sugar Brain Fix" by Mike Dow dives into how our diet affects our brain and waistline, but it misses the mark. The book keeps repeating the same things over and over again, making you feel like the author doesn't trust you to get it the first time. It starts off promising with some science about food and the brain, but then it just turns into a bunch of similar case studies that don't add any value to the content.

The book feels longer than it needs to be; honestly, the main points could have fit into a short guide. And the recipes at the end? Well, they're a bit out there with fancy ingredients like tigernut flour, which isn't what you'd find in a typical kitchen. The book has its moments, but overall, it leaves you wanting something more comprehensive.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and interesting to me. I’ve always wanted to cut back on my sugar intake, because I eat wayyyyyy too many sweets. Now I understand more about the brain chemistry behind it all, and will look to boost my serotonin (and dopamine) levels will booster foods and activities. I’m not quite sure I can follow the 28-day plan, but I’m willing to try some of the intermittent fasting and fasted state workouts. I’m really not too interested in following a strict plan, but I think the overarching ideas of booster foods and activities (as opposed to pitfall foods and ideas) are ones I can look to incorporate into my daily life.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this whole book and then found out that the author isn’t a licensed dietician and is instead a TV doctor a la Dr. Oz. It was hyper focused on diet, which is why I assumed it was written by a dietician. Had it included more information on diet and brain, I might have found it more credible. There were just blanket statements and quizzes about anxiety and depression. I did find valuable information in the book, however I would recommend fact-checking everything. For example, the author states that certain organic foods have more nutrients and its not true in all the scenarios covered in the book.

[Marla Parkhurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a diet book. It doesn’t say it in the title, but he’s recommending a mix of gentle Keto and the Mediterranean diet. He lost me on it at “no potatoes.” But there is still a lot of good info here, especially the parts about using certain activities to boost your serotonin and dopamine, and healing your relationship to yourself through more positive thought patterns (similar to CBT.)

One of the best diet books I’ve read. But I can’t and won’t be doing without potatoes.

[Tiffany Smart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked: the information on sugar/bad fat addictions, the correlation between serotonin (sugar) and dopamine (bad fats), the idea of replacing unhealthy activities and foods with natural replacements, all the lists, focusing on adding “good” foods instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t eat.

Disliked: the formal “28 day diet/steps” he suggested, it’s not necessarily helpful for me but it might be for others.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start by saying it is an informative guide to quitting sugar but you have to get through almost half the book before he starts actually giving tips. During the first half it is mostly repetitive and quite a chore to read through. Nevertheless the actual detox is definitely worth a try if you are attempting to get rid of sugar and attempt a healthier lifestyle.

[Melissa Shreve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for understanding the brain. Eating sugar a no no. Something I am often addicted to. Even our talk in our head can cause issues wit our body. A lot of things to think about. Great recipes at the end that I will use.

[Marguerite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Common sense guide to clean eating and eliminating sugars and empty carbs. It gives some result narratives. Menus and food choices are limited so after reading more research is needed.
Recommend for a start on eating for healthier.

[Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately it was superficial with minimal evidence based referencing. Don't get me wrong, the advice is solid - avoid processed sugar -, but it felt a bit repetitive, shallow, and didn't actually explore the brain science.

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of pop psychology. Plenty of plans and diets. I'm not sure the diets are all that healthy. They still rely on lots of sugar in the form of fructose. The focus of dopamine and serontin is helpful as most diet plans miss those two essential hormones.

[Erin Dwyer Sears · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, I wanted more brain science and less diet. Albeit the diet 28-day fix isn't an awful start to changing eating habits as it adds foods first before encouraging limiting. Also it makes things seem MUCH easier than in real life. Also very repetitive.

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, basic diet book. Realistic goals and expectations, with a focus on optimum health over pure weight loss. The emphasis on the role serotonin and dopamine play is very beneficial; another great book that expounds upon that is The Hacking of the American Mind by Dr. Robert Lustig.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info about sugar and its effects on the brain. Dr. Mike's process sounds sort of doable although I think it'd be pretty difficult to not eat factory raised meat and such, but I think any small changes in his direction is a good thing regardless.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. It's a great idea, but I don't want to purchase all new foods just to follow this plan. We all know sugar is bad for us.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay. I would have liked to see more of the science behind sugar and the shrinking brain.

[Nunik Kartikarini · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an Asian, I wonder why westerners eat a lot of junk foods.
Healthy Menu or foods mentioned in this book already staples here

[Stacey Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Very interesting facts and very informative.

[Alicia Alvarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! Lots of recipes and ways to become healthier, avoid disease, and not have to take medicine.

[Antonio Villegas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good information in this book but i get annoyed when the same things are repeated over and over again.

[Sofia Washburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong and then became repetitive. Interesting idea but I ultimately didn’t finish the book. Could’ve been an essay.