Review of The Mars Venus Diet and Exercise Solution

I was listening to a free talk given by John Gray, who wrote Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.  He has a book called The Mars Venus Diet and Exercise Solution.  I actually don't follow these prescriptives, because I eat for my type, according to metabolic typing.  I'm a protein type as I discussed in an earlier blog.

There are so many "diet plans," out there--all written by so-called experts that one could become confused by reading them all.  John Gray recommends eating all three groups--carbs, protein, and fat--in one meal, but he is not concerned with the ratio of the three.  This is where Metabolic Typing offers a different perspective--eating based on your type.  This means combining protein, carbs and fat into a ratio based on your individual needs.  This is the type of eating I do, as discussed in previous blogs, to reduce my adrenal fatigue.

John Gray says that men need more protein to produce dopamine, since men usually run low on dopamine during stress.  He states that women need a little more fat than men to boost prostaglandin, which will in turn boost serotonin, since women tend to run low on serotonin when under stress.  He also recommends taking trace minerals.  I think John Gray does good research, and interestingly, the introduction is written by Dr. Daniel Amen, a brain chemistry expert, who I talked about in a different blog.  I also take trace minerals from time to time due to their depletion from the soil.

I tried John Gray's plan a couple years ago, and it did not help my adrenal fatigue.   I like the fact that John Gray is talking about balancing hormones (serotonin and dopamine).  For me, because of my Estrogen Dominance, this is done directly through bioidentical hormones.  I take natural progesterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA.  These will correct the estrogen dominance/hormonal imbalance and therefore have a cascade effect that will improve serotonin production. Also, Gray doesn't believe in letting blood sugar get too high or low, which is generally agreed upon in holistic health.  I eat every three hours to keep my blood sugar level balanced.

And I do like a couple of the recipe suggestions in Gray's book: quesadillas made with corn tortillas, mozzarella cheese, avocado, with chicken or black beans, and also cheese omelet with vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, and tomato.  Gray also recommends drinking a glass of water with lemon juice, aloe vera, trace minerals, and honey first thing in the morning to assist with cleansing the liver and lymphatic system.  I like that Gray is talking about cleansing,  which is a common theme in holistic health.  He also talks about eating healthier carbs rather than sugar or ones with a high glycemic index.

I bring up Gray's work to distinguish it from Metabolic Typing.   I think choosing an eating plan for health really depends on which health professional you choose to follow.  Right now I am following a lot of the information provided by Paul Chek in How to Eat Move and Be Healthy. 

Before I started Metabolic Typing and following the advice of my holistic health practitioner, Kristie Yaakoby, I was always hungry and I was eating constantly just to feel full.  Also, I really believe in organic eating, especially considering the fact that I am overcoming adrenal fatigue.  As I have written about in a previous post, Kristie recommended a host of supplements plus bioidentical hormones to help with my adrenal fatigue and estrogen dominance.

There are so many contradictory theories about avoiding starchy foods, eating a balanced amount of starchy foods, and even eating starchy foods to lift one's mood.  Gray recommends women eating sweet potatoes to produce serotonin in the morning, saying that this is a common morning meal in Japan, and that there is no word in Japanese for hot flash or PMS. 

Judith Wurtman, PhD and former director of the Research program in Women's Health at the MIT Clinical Research Center,  says that women who don't eat enough carbs may lack serotonin, and that eating carbs alone can raise the normal fluctuations in mood.  She says 99% of people have a decline in mood around 4pm and can raise serotonin by eating starchy snacks/meals of pasta, potatoes, polenta, rice, oatmeal, or soup with a side of crusty bread.  She has a book called The Serotonin Power Diet.  Again, more confusing information, when there are other health professionals (Mercola) saying to avoid starchy foods altogether.

Usually, I get low energy when I'm hungry and getting low blood sugar.  I stick to the Metabolic Typing plan, which is more specific about balancing protein, carbs and fats than John Gray's plan, and, for me, since I'm a protein type, less carbohydrate oriented than Wurtman's plan, and less extreme than Mercola's suggestion to avoid all starchy vegetables--hence somewhere in the middle of the three other recommendations.  I think it's good that there is so much research going on about the effects of food on our moods, and hopefully one day all the scattered and dichotomous research will be fleshed out and eventually converge.

A Votre Sante, (Here's to Your Health), Alix