When I first started reading this book some of their diet recommendations disappointed me so I stopped reading it. But after taking a second look and visiting their website I see that they have changed their mind and corrected almost all the things that were bothering me reguarding diet. Like what fats are healthy and that soy isn't so great after all. So please buy this book but make sure you take into account the changes they now recommend. This book needs to be have a new addition written with these changes because the very valuable information contained in this book needs to go forward in time. It needs to continue on but with accurate new information.

That being said, this book puts together all the pieces of my physical puzzle. I have found out some of the info contained in this book on my own through doctors who stumbled along and "dabbled" in my different problem areas. But they never connected the dots for me like this book did. It is facinating and brilliant and I think it will help me.

Since I've suffered from so many health problems for years and have never had any relief, my friend recommended this book to me. Upon first reading, I found it quite interesting and chock full of information relevant toward my symptoms. However, I didn't really know where to begin when looking for supplements and picking out the best and pertinent ones. A few weeks after reading this book, I went to an integrative medicine doctor, and during my visit, I realized that she had a similar approach to Ross, and she discovered that I have a thyroid disorder and have adrenal distress which have caused weight gain, reproductive problems, unresponsive allergies, depression, anxiety problems, insomnia, etc. Now, I'm using this book in conjunction with my doctor, and it is very helpful because I'm on the mend! Especially if you suspect hormonal/thyroid problems, work with a doctor or someone in health care with this book.

Just re-read this book again. I really think the author has a good idea exploring amino acid imbalances. She's on the right track. The book itself is a tad difficult to read but very informative. There are numerous case studies based on the types of imbalances including thyroid, blood sugar, allergies, yeast, fatty acids, and habitual dieting. Once the reader completes a questionnaire the advice follows. However, I read all the imbalances and I don't think it's as cut and dried as the book might imply. I'm also a little cautious about using high-dose amino acids in the forms discussed in the book. There are high-protein supplements, like egg white protein, that have the full complement of amino acids that might be safer. Dieters, in particular, probably aren't getting all of their nutrition resulting in various symptoms. Worth reading but adopted with careful consideration.

This book, and the Mood Cure, by the same author, really helped me. The other book helped with mood swings, and other menopause stuff, this one helped me to be able to stop almost all of my food cravings. I can actually eat a bite or two of chocolate and STOP. Something I was rarely able to do before I started following the recommended regimine in this book.
Until I started doing what is recommended in this book, I didn't buy or make sweet things very often. Because if they were in the house, I'd keep going back to them until they were gone. Once I started taking the amino acids I was evidently deficient in, I was able to eat a bit and leave it alone, like a regular person. LOL I can buy a pack of cookies, eat 2 or 3, and leave the rest for the next day. Amazing.
This worked for me.

I am pretty savvy when it comes to nutrition and healthy living, I've read alot of books on this topic and have been eating whole organic foods most of my adult life. I avoid fast food, processed food, additives, simple sugars, wheat, etc. I add supplements here and there when needed, keep the meals balanced with the right amount of protien, carbs and fats, etc. I thought I was doing pretty good, at least in the top 20% so I thought. Well, Julia Ross has changed my life. Within a week on her program, the mental fog that has been slowly drifting into my existence over the past 10 years has lifted. My memory has improved as well as my focus and mental clarity. My sensitivity to life's pressures and stresses is cut by half. I have more energy and it is more consistent through the day. My carb addiction and afternoon blood sugar drops (I have often commented (half) jokingly about joining "bread addicts anonymous") are nothing like they were. After one week on her program, I have experienced a dramatic improvement in all these areas. The program lasts three months, I am truly excited to see the end results of this cure. I purchased this book for myself along with The Mood Cure for my husband and we have been going through the books together. We are both experiencing dramatic improvements in our lives. It is worth mentioning that I was not achieving results on the lower doses (she gives a range). Follow her instructions and increase your dose until you get results. It may seem like a lot of supplements, but stay with it and follow her instructions. Once I hit the right dosages, I got results very quickly. Julia Ross and her Nutritional Psychology colleagues call it science, but for us this information is a *blessing* of the highest order. Thank you Julia for making this information available to the masses!

I liked the book and unlike most diet books as its primary role is to make one feel better rather than skinny. For those primarily interested in Amino Acids and the role of aminos in depression, anxiety, ocd, etc the Mood Cure is much better. The Mood Cure is written better, has much of the same information and diet suggestions and seems to be a rewrite of the Diet Cure, which could explain why the writing is better. At any rate both books come highly recommended. I have been following the amino acid suggestions and I must say, I feel better. Bravo!

Written for the lay person, but loaded with the scientific basis of nutrition and what the foods we eat do once inside our bodies. I'm following the advice given in the book and it has been spot on. I recognized a lot from college chemistry and biology, but this was far, far easier to understand and apply. I now look at food in a whole new light and feel better than I have in years. My only criticism would be that she continually refers you to other chapters, which made sense within the context of whatever subject she was on, but you had to keep going to the table of contents. It would have been helpful to have the chapter number included on the top of the right hand page so you could leaf through to the referred chapter quickly, but all in all a small inconvenience in an otherwise great experience. This book is a keeper for future reference, and I have already recommended it to some friends.

After I read both the diet cure and the mood cure, I had the (dis)pleasure to meet Ms. Ross at her recovery center in Marin. It was awful. She has a prescribed plan that is one size fits all (for the most part). Her book is confusing and I'm not sure where the research is to back it up. She acts as a therapist, but she's not licensed. I wasted thousands of dollars in her program. She demands that you buy her supplements, see her nutritionists, do what she says otherwise she'll draw conclusions on you based on your unwillingness. She doesn't believe that people should have minds of their own, that they should following mindlessly according to her teachers.
I did her supplements. They made me sick (nauseous). I finally cut out her ridiculous plan and realized that I was fine the way I was. I would not reccommend this to anyone. If you are struggling with weight or body image, I'd encourage you to read "Overcoming Overeating," anything by Geneen Roth or "When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies."

After I read both the diet cure and the mood cure, I had the (dis)pleasure to meet Ms. Ross at her recovery center in Marin. It was awful. She has a prescribed plan that is one size fits all (for the most part). Her book is confusing and I'm not sure where the research is to back it up. She acts as a therapist, but she's not licensed. I wasted thousands of dollars in her program. She demands that you buy her supplements, see her nutritionists, do what she says otherwise she'll draw conclusions on you based on your unwillingness. She doesn't believe that people should have minds of their own, that they should following mindlessly according to her teachers.
I did her supplements. They made me sick (nauseous). I finally cut out her ridiculous plan and realized that I was fine the way I was. I would not reccommend this to anyone. If you are struggling with weight or body image, I'd encourage you to read "Overcoming Overeating," anything by Geneen Roth or "When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies."

It can get a bit tedious at times and if you buy all the recommended supplements, you'll be spending a fortune. However, I did think the research was thorough and they had some really great points. Worth highlighting before passing along to someone.

Julia Ross nails so many of the diet culprits in today's epidemic of mood problems and health woes that her book will help many people. And though we always hope that diet changes alone will work, almost all of us need to use supplements -- sometimes a lot of supplements -- to get our health problems turned around. I give her 4 stars and not 5 because the book IS a little disorganized and the science isn't always as complete or accurate as I would like. But, heck it comes close. And when this happens, she is right with her recommendation and almost so with the rationale. That's not bad given the massive amount of misinformation in the diet book world! As for for the "spotlight review" by Caroline Bertorelli featured above and the review by the anonymous "reviewer" below, I concur with what Ross says about soy. It's a real health problem and anyone who wants to know more owes it to them,selves to get a new book called "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla Daniel. I hope Ross finds this book too as I believe it will lead her to update her next edition with a more complete discussion. Meanwhile, I give Ross a lot of credit for recognizing this problem before most of us. She will help a lot of people with this book.

It is not very easy to follow this books format.I would recommend a notebook nearby to help It is not for someone who wants an effortless fix to their problems. You do need to dedicate some time and effort to get started and be willing to make changes in your lifestyle and diet. But you see results of your efforts very quickly, some in 24 hours as the book says some take a little longer. It is a great source that you can reference as new problems creep up as your body begins to change.

I enjoyed reading this book. I've actually been seeing a nutritionist who recommends the same type of "cure": eliminate allergy foods and eat a basically lower-carb, yet healthy diet. The difference was the amino acids that are recommended in the book.

The only thing I'd change about the book is its organization. I had to read it twice before the informationed started to "compile" in my head (and on paper). I wish there was some sort of quick reference sheet.

I noticed in some of the other reviews that people had some negative side effects, mostly in the first week. My advice is to cut back on some supplementation if you feel jittery or depressed, like she recommends. Also, you have to expect some negative feeling "detox" effects. Keep going for more than a week and give it a good try.

After being on the diet for a week or so I no longer had chronic indigestion. I had more energy and my friends said I looked "bright." I really believe that there are certain "truths" to the way our bodies work, and this book has really integrated all of the good things I have experienced about different diets. Expect a lot of work, however.

Back in November, I started "The Diet Cure." I was a little overweight, had low energy and mood problems. Thought eating healthy would help. Oh man. Increasing my protein intake from the little (or none) I ate to the whopping 20g a meal that she recommends (and cutting down drastically on carbs) brought on a state of ketosis that caused a constant ache in my kidneys. On top of that, my face started flushing beet red every couple of hours. I was miserable and teary and almost passed out on the street.
So I stopped the Diet Cure after four days. Just FOUR DAYS of it and FOUR MONTHS LATER I am still struggling to deal with the mess it has caused in my body. My doctor says it triggered hypoglycemia, which I have to manage by eating six carefully controlled meals a day. My kidneys seem to have bounced back, but the mystery facial flush only stopped a week ago after I tried everything I knew to deal with it.
I know that it's not Julia Ross's fault that I wasn't eating any protein to begin with, but I do think her advice was highly irresponsible. Sudden, dramatic dietary changes can mess you up irreparably. I have heard similar stories from a number of people now. I wish I'd heard them before I read this book. Sudden dietary changes can give you big, nasty, lifelong diseases like colitis or hypoglycemia, just to name the ones I've personally heard about.
What's sad is that the diet she recommends is actually pretty good for me. If she had advised me to gradually ease on to it over a period of 12 months, I'd be writing a very different review.
So please please please, if you're considering following this program, make the changes gradually. If you do it fast, what happened to me may not happen to you - but why take the risk?

I was intrigued with the possibility that this book might have some interesting new slant on nutrition, and perhaps some valuable advice about how to counteract symptoms with supplements.

Instead I was constantly distracted to notice that Ross relies on information of psuedo-science nutritionists. She references the blood type diet, and some of her information seems to come from Weston-Price. Her erroneous information on soy seems to come from the latter source. Her understanding of vegetarian diets is faulty, as she either is unaware, or prefers to ignore, the bulk of scientific evidence points to the superiority of vegetarian diets over those heavy with meat. Her understanding of carbohydrates seems to come from Atkins. As another reviewer mentioned, she mainly references other pop diet books rather than scientific studies.

So, given that she relies on unscientific sources for some of her information, how credible can I find the rest to be?

Maybe there's something of merit in here. I surely hope so, but my confidence in the author is shaken. I'm interested in advice based on sound nutritional science, not gimmicks and quick-buck trends.

I wonder if there is another book out there which addresses the same questions, but is more scientifically oriented?

This book is basically a rework of the Atkins diet with a few added features I find dangerous. The author suggests taking all kinds of supplements and though available at a local health food store, we need to be careful with how many supplements we take. The author suggests that we consult our Doctor, many people will not and just self-medicate themselves. I believe the author's intention is to benefit others with this information, I just wish she put out a stricker warning or more information on supplements.

I've read more than my fair share of diet books. They don't work!

The reason you eat too many carbs is because you are addicted to them. Why? The carbs change your brain chemistry and your brain no longer makes the same level of neurotransmitters. When you stop the carbs, your brain is still not making the neurotransmitters, so it craves foods to replace what it is missing.

The answer is amino acids. You can take simple amino acids, 5-htp, glutamine, etc. and cure your problem.

In about 3 months, your brain chemistry will be normal and you will no longer have the cravings. It is not about willpower. You are ADDICTED. There is no point in being hard on yourself.

This author found that amino acids could help 90% of drug addicts overcome their addictions. They can help you overcome your addiction to sugar and carbs.

Finally a natural method to stop addictions.

I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I'm forty three years old. When I recieved the book "The Diet Cure" I was drinking eight or more FULL water goblets of wine a night. I didn't admit to being addicted since I "only" drank at night. I was tired and weak all day. I would be all out of breath if I had to walk further than three feet. I had perimenapausal symtoms such as hot flashes and a pounding heart. I was miserable and felt miserable. My moods were irratic..I had negative thoughts all the time. My self esteem was shot.

My aunt(God bless her!) sent me "The Diet Cure." At first I thought..Oh this is crazy! I was in denial. I was so use to feeling awful that I thought there's no way this is going to help me! But, I decided to give it a try since my aunt was nice enough to send it to me. I am so glad I did! I took my time as the book suggests and read everything until I understood. I set a date (one week before Christmas) to start on the plan. The first day had amazing results so I decided to continue. I will tell you I have never been so surprised in all my life...I feel like a new person! I use to lay down most of the day, never go out and I couldn't wait for 6:00 to come so I could start drinking!
I no longer drink, I walk moderately for thirty minutes on the treadmill daily, I no longer have naps during the day. I won't get on the scale because I don't think a person should be weighed like meat..but my size 3X clothes are looser and the best part for me is I feel GREAT! Thanks Julia! I could go on and on! I highly reccomend this book! ;)
Marcia

This book has a lot of good information on how to supplement yourself correctly. I am definitely going to add some of these suggestions to my eating and living habits. I would have liked more information on the supplements they suggested but in all I would recommend reading this book.

...at least for me! Her recommendations for amino acid supplementation worked incredibly. Although only 10 - 15 pounds overweight, I have dieted and "not dieted" since I was a teenager. By 45, I have learned that dieting, even moderate programs such as Weight Watchers, are only something I can follow for so long. I would always inexplicably binge, feel completely confused and completely without "will power" and note one more failure.

Though I would prefer to be slimmer, I have always been more upset by the fact that I couldn't "control myself" or follow through with a decision to eat healthfully and not binge. What wierd, psychological thing was causing me to do this??

Hello Dr. Ross! If only one, tiny thing stands out as a "magic wand" experience (and there are more than one) it was her "emergency" recommendation to handle cravings. Open a capsule of L-Glutemine and let it dissolve under your tongue. I have never experienced such an about-face when it came to fighting the urge to EAT IT!

From reading some reviews by others, I would encourage readers to follow her recommendations in full, not "sort of." Certainly everybody's body chemistry is different, but you will not be giving this program a fair trial if you approach it haphazardly. That said, it is a very simple program to follow: eat lots of protein, and lots and lots of vegtables and fruit, and take your amino supplements. No rigid combinations or measuring is required. You only need to make sure you're eating enough protein and veggies. (It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen for me - I never ate LOTS of either of those things!) Yes, the supplements do cost, but if you are a binge eater, believe me you'll make up the cost on all the food you DON'T buy any more.

Even if you are a vegetarian (for ethical or health reasons) consider this program. If you are as frustrated and demoralized as I was, it's really worth a try.