I came across this interesting article in an online newsletter called the Well Being Journal. The article is by Julia Ross, author of the Diet Cure, who specializes in eating disorders. She’s worked with people with eating disorders and other addictions and in this article, she talks about how our deficiencies in essential amino acids (which make up protein) can cause mood disturbances like depression and OCD and physical issues like fatigue, lack of energy and mental fogginess.

Natural Prozac
I was excited to find this article because it corroborates the theory I’ve had about serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter produced in our gut and used by our brains as a natural type of Prozac. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid (cannot be produced by our body) that is a precursor to serotonin. If we are born with a deficiency in serotonin, dieting or stress could tip us over the edge and set us up for an eating disorder.

Serotonin Deficiency – Many Causes
Some of the reasons we might be deficient in serotonin from birth? A parent who suffered from depression or alcoholism was mentioned by Ross. If you study the biochemistry of digestion and the Body Ecology Diet principles, you learn that at birth, you could also have a compromised inner ecosystem. That basically means your digestion is faulty, so you don’t break down protein properly — resulting in not having those essential amino acids necessary for soothing your emotions and self-esteem. Serotonin as the issue in eating disorders is not a new or alternative theory — it’s been coming up as an issue in ED research for years now. The key from a pharmacological point of view is drugs, like Prozac. The key from a digestive biochemistry point of view is to correct your digestive deficiency so that your body can create its own serotonin.

How Can A Way of Eating Cure An Eating Disorder?
The only reason I can wrap my brain around this is because it’s the only way I can explain how starting a diet that corrected my digestion simultaneously cured me of 16 years of bulimia. It was so astounding to me that changing the way I eat could do this — and not only cure me, but change my whole outlook on life. Suddenly, I became that happy person I wanted to be. After so many years of thinking I was screwed up, how could a way of eating fix my mind too?

Ross goes on to explain that when psychological counseling does not help our emotional eating, we need to look at these four neurotransmitters:

  1. dopamine/norepinephrine, our natural energizer and mental focuser
  2. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), our natural sedative
  3. endorphin, our natural painkiller
  4. serotonin, our natural mood stabilizer and sleep promoter.

Each of these neurotransmitters are made up of amino acids — building blocks of protein. So protein rich foods, like eggs, fish, meat and poultry are great sources of these essential amino acids. From what I read, it looks like she would recommend a more targeted approach to matching diet and amino acid supplements with the root cause of the problem – the specific depleted neurotransmitter.

Pseudo-Emotions Caused By Deficiency
Ross says that any of these neurotransmittters, if out of balance, can create what she calls “pseudo-emotions” that are just as real and distressing as emotions that originate in our minds. To me, this is just one more piece of evidence that our minds and bodies are linked — and no one yet has all the answers as to what’s right for treating us. I wish I could explain in words how different it feels to be grounded nutritionally — it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life before. When I went to Julia’s Diet Cure Website and looked at her questionnaires, I noticed so many indicators in my life: family history of diabetes, family history of depression, family history of alcoholism, Native American, Scottish and Scandanavian ancestry, thyroid issues, etc. I think I must have had several things in each category that she takes you through.

Amino Acid Stops Cravings
Another interesting point I found in the article is what Ross said about L-glutamine. This amino acid has the ability to stop sugar and carbohydrate cravings. Funny, becuase I started using Body Ecology’s Vitality SuperGreen about 6 months ago — mostly because I wanted a high quality alkalizing green drink — and it has a special, highly absorbable form of glutamine (GlutImmune). Donna Gates had often talked about the value of GlutImmune for building muscle mass and boosting immunity, but I didn’t realize that it also would help me with cravings. I used to drink BED lemonade (lemon, water & stevia) to help with cravings, but I noticed that I needed it less and less when I got back to the US and could order Vitality SuperGreen.

A Balanced Approach
I’m not sure how I’d feel about The Diet Cure as a plan for total health — I haven’t read the book. I do think the information on neurotransmitters is interesting and certainly aligns with what I’ve found in other sources, including scientific research. No matter what “diet” comes along, I look for balance, which is why I like Body Ecology Diet so much. It’s more about building your “inner ecosystem” or creating a digestive tract that works — than it is about emphasizing any one food or supplement. The whole goal is to fix your digestion and fill it with healthy bacteria, which start to do the work for you. The healthy bacteria (microflora) create the amino acids, vitamins and minerals your body needs — they’re in your body, so they can see and take action on what’s missing. No one else can be as exacting as they can. These healthy microflora end up doing all the work — all we have to do is have a balanced lifestyle and way of eating. The other thing I like about Body Ecology Diet is that once you create this healthy inner ecosystem, you can return to the foods you love. Perhaps, like me, the foods you love will end up being those on BED, like lots of vegetables and no longer having a desire for sugar. More than anything else, balance is what I tend to look for when evaluating any suggested eating plan.

Life’s A Puzzle
I am grateful to continue to find wonderful resources with answers for what happens to the body when it gets out of balance. I am a firm believer that we can heal on the level of mind, body and/or spirit — sometimes you never know which lever you’ll pull to find your solution. In any event, we need good health in all to live a life of aligned joy and peace. I think it just takes time, persistence, passion and trust to find the answers that point you to your own healing path.

Related items