I made a post on the www.burnthefatinnercircle.com back in December 2007, and every now and again, someone on the forum resurrects it. In the post, I described the bizarre psychological craving for sugar (wanting to want a sugar craving so you could get the feeling of having a craving satisfied.)

Recently, several people posted their thoughts about the book Potatoes Not Prozac, which prompted me to go to my bookshelf and pick the book up and read it again.

I posted a reply to the old thread, doing something that I intended to do in my blogs here. Write a review of the book, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses...

So, here is the review, part II

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I read Potatoes not Prozac, and DesMaison's follow-up "The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Programme" (which was a disappointing rehash of the other book)

In my opinion, Potatoes not Prozac is a "must read" for fitness and nutrition pros, and anyone who wants to understand why they can't say no to sugar.

That is not to say the book is flawless.

The most useful information is not DesMaison's "solution" to the problem of sugar addiction, it is her personal history, her work with addicts, and her description of the biochemistry of addiction (food, alcohol, gambling,...etc.).

Read the Forward through page 77. For more detail on the science behind sugar addiction, read appendix A (p.197-205). In fact, if you're really in a hurry, Appendix A is the meat of the book condensed.

The remaining 120+ pages are dated recommendations for diet and exercise. To give you an idea: She starts with three meals a day and takes a food pyramid approach. (This isn't bad when stacked up against eating junk randomly, but you're much better off reading Tom Venuto's advice on nutrition.

DesMaison does commit the biggest sin in the fitness industry; one so egregious it taints what is a fantastically useful book. I'll quote the passage:

“Your sugar sensitivity is a problem that you inherited. You did not create this dilemma. Its not your fault.” (DesMaisons, 1999, p. 15)

Doesn't that just make your skin crawl? *laugh* Chapter 3, full of useful insight, is titled “Its Not Your Fault”. Agh. In fairness, she started writing this book in the mid-to-late 90s, and this was the mindset of the pop-culture fitness world. Still, DesMaisons leans heavily on the idea that people inherit sugar addiction – too heavily in my opinion.

So what is the useful information in the book? Here are some quotes to help you understand:


“When a client comes to see me about compulsive eating, I start by asking a simple question. 'Imagine you come home and go into the kitchen. A plate of warm chocolate-chip cookies sits on the counter just out of the oven. Their smell hits you as you walk in. You do not feel hungry. No one else is around. What would you do?' Does this question make you smile? You may think the answer is obvious, 'Why would I eat a cookie if I wasn't hungry?' Or they stop and think about whether they would eat the cookie. Or, with no emotional charge, they say, 'Well, I might try one.' People who are not sugar sensitive do not have a visceral response to the idea of smelling fresh chocolate chip cookies. People who are sugar sensitive laugh at the cookie question… (p. 16)

“…[T]here are three things in your body chemistry that contribute to the 'crazy' feelings [of sugar addiction]: 1) the level of sugar in your blood, 2) the level of serotonin in your brain, 3) the level of beta-endorphin in your brain.” (p.39)

“We'll look at the vital brain chemical [beta-endorphin] …and you'll see the role it plays in your feelings of self-esteem, your cravings for sugar, your capacity you handle painful situations [both physical and emotional] and your feeling of hope (or despair) about the future.” (p.40)

“When your blood sugar level is too low, your cells don't get the sugar they need and they start sending out distress signals… a condition known as hypoglycemia. [You feel: ] tired for no reason, restless, confused, trouble remembering, trouble concentrating, easily frustrated, more irritable than usual, [and anger unexpectedly]” (pp. 40-41)

“Serotonin is a brain chemical … [that] creates a sense of relaxation… Serotonin also influences your self-control, impulse control and ability to plan ahead.” (p. 41)

(Anti-depressants like Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Lexipro are serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These drugs allow the brain to flood with the stuff that makes you mellow.)

“Beta-endorphin [doesn't get much attention in] diet, depression and addiction books… [which is] strange because it is an immensely powerful [mood altering amino acid]… When your beta-endorphin is low, you feel depressed, impulsive and victimized. Your self-esteem is low. And you have a desperate craving for sugar… You may have heard of the 'runner's high,' a phrase that describes how the bod responds to the pain of long-distance running by automatically flooding the body with beta-endorphin, which produces a sense of euphoria.” (p.42)


Potatoes Not Prozac is a VERY informative read. If you haven't checked it out, do!

--Brien