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WHEN YOUR BODY GETS THE BLUES
BY MARIE-ANNETTE BROWN, PhD, RN
AND JO ROBINSON
Every few years, a book comes along that changes peoples lives. When Your Body Gets the Blues is one of them. This bestselling book focuses the spotlight on a type of mild depression that goes undiagnosed and untreated in millions of women. The textbook term for this condition is vegetative symptoms of depression. Dr. Marie-Annette Brown, University of Washington researcher and clinician, has dubbed it the Body Blues.
The most common symptoms are:
· Low energy
· Overeating
· A craving for carbohydrates, especially in the second half of the day
· Lack of concentration or fuzzy thinking
· Irritability
· Feeling tired or sleepy during the day
Most women have some of these symptoms some of the time. But women with the Body Blues have them to such a degree that they interfere with their relationships, compromise their ability to perform at work and at home, increase their risk of obesity, and erode their overall quality of life. Until recently, most women with the Body Blues have had to choose between drug treatment and no treatment. Now there is a lifestyle program that has been clinically proven to banish the Body Blues.
The All-Natural Solution. When Your Body Gets the Blues features an innovative lifestyle program developed by Dr. Brown and her colleagues at the University of Washington. Called the LEVITY Program, it consists of three key elements: 1) increased light exposure during the day, 2) brisk outdoor walking for just 20 minutes a day, and 3) a specific combination of six common vitamins and minerals. Extensive testing revealed that this simple regimen:
· Cuts womens depression and irritability scores in half
· Reduces their carbohydrate cravings
· Relieves their anxiety
· Increases their ability to cope with stress
· Renews their energy and vitality
· Enhances their ability to lose weight
As impressive as these test results may be, however, they fail to convey the depth of the emotional response of the women who have benefited from the program. The book is available at all book stores.
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