Sometimes, I wish I had nutritionist credentials, because, quite honestly, most people who come to me for neurofeedback or hypnosis could benefit from significant shifts to their dietary habits. It comes as a surprise to them when I mention that food affects mood and behavior, and that teaching themselves about what changes might help shift their problems (sleep, anxiety, anger, inability to calm oneself, etc.) would accelerate their brain-related work with me.

When someone has already committed to doing at least twice weekly, hour-long brain training in my office or the same number of hours once a week doing hypnosis, it is a tall order to get them to take additional time out of their busy schedules to make an appointment with a nutritionist. I get that.

At the same time, the people who end up with the best results from working with me are generally the people who are eating real food, focusing on good sleep, and moving their bodies regularly.  The foundation of all that is food, because food impacts one’s ability to sleep properly and to have the oomph to exercise or play a sport.

It’s outside my scope to dispense nutritional advice, but in an attempt to reach folks about the importance of fueling their bodies properly, I occasionally recommend books on food and nutrition that are worth taking the time to read. The title I’d like to recommend today is called Eat Smarter—Use the Power of Food to Reboot Your Metabolism, Upgrade Your Brain, and Transform Your Life, by nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson.  Stevenson is smart, and the level of detail he’s thrown into this book is mind-boggling. However, he has a terrific sense of humor and a way of approaching solid science that makes it approachable and easy to understand. It’s an easy read.

In fact, it’s so well-written that I find myself taking in information he presents much more easily than one would expect on this subject. For example, just before writing this, I texted a friend a detail I found fascinating while reading the book: Stevenson cited an Oxford University study showing that prison inmates who were provided with nutritional supplements for four months showed a 35 percent decrease in disciplinary infractions and a 34 percent decrease in violent incidents. He quoted one of the lead researchers as saying that a bad diet is a better predictor of future violent behavior than is a past history of violence. Wow. If dietary support can do that, imagine what else it can do! And, if a book contains information that you pass on like treasured trivia to a friend, you know it’s worth your time.

There is so much information in his book that could change your life if only you were to pick one or two things and try them.  But, if reading isn’t your thing, Stevenson has a podcast called The Model Health Show that addresses many of the subjects in his book.  His on-air personality is strong, so it may not be for everyone, but I have become an avid listener.