Dopemine 'diet'. Low carb recipes!

[loosingit2017]

Just ordered this book from Amazon as it's on offer. It looks great. Full of low carb really tasty looking recipes. It's basically low GI/naturally filling fresh foods and cutting out refined sugars and carbs, whilst allowing healthy fats, proteins and veg, which I know works for me. But has zero bread, pasta, rice, wheat etc (which I love but is my enemy!) the idea is to retrain the brain to feel good from the good stuff rather than the highs from quick fixes that then come with a crash. Nothing new in the theory I guess but It's great to have new recipes to try. I'm wondering if anyone else has got this book or follows a similar approach to weight loss (not in any way contradictory to the NHS plan I don't think!)

[jopo]

If this is Tom Kerridges book, he lost 12 stone over three years, good going for a chef surrounded by food everyday. He also went tea total since 2013 - that's got to have helped his significant weight loss.

Sound a great lifestyle diet. Xx

I've added the 'bones' of the Dopamine diet below for anyone's interest.

DOPAMINE DIET

Dopamine is known as ‘the happiness hormone’, a chemical released in our brains when we experience a pleasurable sensation – be it from food, laughter, alcohol, sex or gambling.

Our bodies create it by breaking down an amino acid called tyrosine, which can be obtained from lots of foods.

DOMPAMINE HEROES

The diet is rich in the following foods. They’re high in tyrosine, which can help the body produce dopamine.

Dairy products - full-fat cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt and double cream.

Eggs For reasons of welfare and flavour, always buy organic or free-range eggs.

Fish Oily fish such as salmon, sea bass, trout, tuna, sardines and mackerel are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a good source of vitamin D. Seafood, especially oysters, is also rich in essential omega-3s.

Fruit - Berries, Apples, blueberries, grapes, oranges, papaya, strawberries and watermelons.

Well-sourced meat buy grass-fed beef and lamb, free-range pork and free-range chicken and turkey.

Vegetables artichokes, avocados, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and seaweed, dark green leaves such as spinach, sprout tops and kale. Their strong, iron-y flavour – especially when combined with garlic, salted anchovies and lemon zest – is powerful, and the iron helps to increase dopamine levels.

Nuts Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts.

Spices and chillies Hot, chilli-rich foods don’t actually increase dopamine levels but they do help to release endorphins in your brain. When you eat hot, spicy food, your mouth sends signals to your brain telling it that it’s on fire. Your brain releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, which leaves you with a natural ‘high’.

Miscellaneous Chocolate, green tea, vanilla, lavender, sesame seeds and the algae dietary supplement spirulina also help to promote the release of dopamine and endorphins.

[loosingit2017 in reply to jopo]

Fantastic overview. Thanks. X

[jopo in reply to loosingit2017]

Thank Q xx

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Excellent overview, thank you. This sums up the book really well.

[jopo in reply to Ceals]

Thanks Ceals

[lucigret in reply to jopo]

wow, so much information, thank you jopo . This should go into the Topics section somewhere so we can keep referring to it.

[SurreyMan]

I also researched this diet after seeing Tom Kerridge on Sunday Brunch a couple of weeks ago.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

I am mainly reducing my carb intake instead of cutting out completely, but I have been enjoying tasty meals with the reduced carbs, so I would recommend the concept. Recently I modified a fish pie recipe by adding shredded cabbage plus leeks to the sauce and halved the amount of mash. It still tasted really nice and was filling. I used single cream in the fish pie instead of double cream, but it still felt rich and delicious.

[loosingit2017 in reply to SurreyMan]

Sounds lovely! I make fish pie with a layer of sauted greens at the base (spinach, leeks, broad beans, peas...whatever we have in!) then top with sweet potatoes mash or last week just did a cheesy crust on top (light cheddar and Parmesan with black pepper). That was really tasty! More of a 'Bake' I guess. But yum! Served with green veg and then my husband had mash with it.

[jopo]

We're all coming round for fish pie SurreyMan

[Ceals]

I have the book and have enjoyed reading it. I can't bring myself to use as much cream as he does, but it has made a huge difference to him. Have cooked a few things, and also adapted to account for our tastes.

[loosingit2017 in reply to Ceals]

Any favourite recipes? They all look great and not hugely unrealistic but some cuts of meat might be expensive, and most might be time consuming (there's no easy way to tell from initial glance at recipe). I love a book that says time, cost, kcals, carbs at the start! Online recipes unusually do but Then trying to do that alongside s search for healthy, nutritious, low carb etc. I'm probably wishing for too much!! Any books/sites you find good for that??

[Ceals in reply to loosingit2017]

The book gives you the carbs per portion but not other nutrients or calories. The moussaka is good, Moroccan chicken with cauliflower cous cous (which is so good in its own right), Lamb ragout with courgette spaghetti, Chicken, avocado and lettuce wraps. In fact depending on what you like there really is a huge variety of recipes. I tend to adapt a bit, certainly don't use his quantities of cream.

Hope some of that is helpful.

[loosingit2017 in reply to Ceals]

Yes thank you! I've put the chicken on the menu this week!

[loosingit2017]

SurreyMan or jopo or anyone else who knows about dopemine diet, Tom Kerridge, Banting, paleo, ketosis...

Do u know if carb & sugar REDUCTION (rather than complete elimination!) plus the nice full fat stuff meat, dairy etc and veg works for weight loss, or if it's not extreme enough as doesn't produce 'ketosis' when your body goes into super fat burning mode? A lot of these diets seem to strip out all wheat, sugar, refined foods, and that's often where I fall down. I can do well for weeks and then fall into the temptation of things like pizza, pasta, noodles, cake, chocolate, crisps, pretzels, white wine, Gin & tonic etc and then fail and am back to square 1?and it becomes a yo-yo of extremes. I feel I could sustain it better if I were to keep some carbs like oats, wholewheat pasta occasionally, wholewheat flour (I hate almond flour), and dense veg like sweet pot, butternut squash, etc. Then I can make things like pizza/flatbread/pancakes with whole grain flour, or have a glass of wine once a week, and make it a long-term lifestyle that isn't a constant sacrifice. Anyone know?

[SurreyMan in reply to loosingit2017]

I've found that I was able to loose my excess weight using a low carb diet. I guess it may not be as quick as complete elimination but you are less likely to fall off the wagon!

I also introduced peanut butter in my diet as I feel it keeps me full and helps me avoid unhealthy snacks.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

[loosingit2017 in reply to SurreyMan]

Oh yes peanut butter, different to other nuts/butter, but I love peanut flavour and hate almond flavour, so that was one other 'in between' food that I think is helpful in its own way. And dried fruit/nuts/dark choc trail mix. If I have that I don't have a choc bar/crisps.

[Ceals in reply to SurreyMan]

I love peanut butter, it is great on slices of apples.

[jopo in reply to loosingit2017]

It's complex. I tend to stick to low GI foods at the moment because I want to lose weight.

That means cutting out things like bread, potatoes, cakes, biscuits, pastry, all processed food etc, pizza, pasta, crisps .......Yes the list seems endless but I could also list 200 things that I happily eat now which are filling, delicious and nutritious.

I wanted to completely change. I now realise that I easily turn sugar/carbs in to fat and always seemed hungary. After eating a high carb meal (about 4hours) you'll be craving some more.

Check out a book called Blood Glucose Diet. It will make sense, I Promise Xx

[Ceals in reply to jopo]

Agree, the Blood Sugar Diet book is really interesting, and some nice simple recipes.

[loosingit2017 in reply to Ceals]

Brilliant! Thanks for advice and tips!

[lucigret]

I was just looking at this book on Amazon.