How to Become Smarter (35 page)

• Amino acids are building blocks of proteins and also products of digestion of proteins in your stomach.
  
• Neurotransmitters are chemicals that neurons use to communicate with other neurons.
  
• Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters, and brain cells synthesize each of them from a single amino acid. For this reason, they are called
  monoamine
  neurotransmitters.
  
• The monoamine hypothesis of depression is an accepted biological theory of clinical depression. This theory suggests that clinical depression is the result of a shortage or low activity of dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin in the brain.
  
• One of the implications of this theory is the notion that a shortage of protein in the diet can cause depression.
  
• Traditional high-protein diets are unlikely to have an antidepressant effect because of the presence of mutagens in cooked meat (these compounds can have depressant effects).
  
• A
  raw
  high-protein diet that is safe should have antidepressant properties. A diet that contains large amounts of unprocessed unsalted cheese and raw wheat extract fits the bill.
  
• The possible antidepressant diet consists of unsalted unprocessed cheese, pasteurized low-fat milk, wheat extract, fruits, and vegetables and it appears to improve depressed mood within 2 to 3 days.
  
• Lactose-intolerant people and people allergic to cow milk may consider special lactose-free dairy and pasteurized goat milk as a source of raw protein.
  
• The combination of the antidepressant diet with hydrotherapy is more effective than either approach alone. You can use the following regimen if you feel depressed or nervous: an adapted cold shower in the morning (with an optional head-out hot shower), the same in the afternoon, and a head-out hot shower at night.
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Anxiety is the most prevalent mental disorder. Some cheap and simple antianxiety treatments exist that most people are not aware of. A hot environment and hot baths (Chapter Two) have sedative effects, and several studies show that heating the body reduces anxiety.
^M
Cooling of the body does not have sedative effects, but one study shows that repeated cooling sessions are effective in patients with anxiety disorders [
376
]. Therefore, it is likely that adapted cold showers (
Chapter Two
) can serve as an effective antianxiety treatment. In my experience, adapted cold showers reduce anxiety in situations where impulsivity is not a problem. They
increase
anxiety in situations where low impulsivity is crucial, for example, if you are trying to prevent yourself from doing something rash and stupid. Chapter Six will give some tips on reducing impulsivity. In my experience,
sudden
cold showers tend to increase anxiety in any situation. Pasteurized milk can reduce anxiety according to one study [
898
]. This may be due to the antianxiety properties of some components of milk, such as lactoferrin and casein [
333
,
865
,
884
]. The antidepressant diet, which is based on dairy, is effective at reducing anxiety, based on my experience. Studies show that high-fat diets reduce anxiety [
280
,
281
] and high-fat meals have mild sedative properties [
872
]. Therefore, an antidepressant diet that includes melted beef fat or pork fat (added to vegetable soups or stews) will be more effective.
^X
Large amounts of cooked flesh in the diet can increase emotional tension and cause anxiety according to some studies [
110
,
114
,
117
,
118
]. Therefore, temporary exclusion of cooked meat and fish from the diet should reduce anxiety, which again supports the antianxiety properties of the antidepressant diet (which excludes flesh). Large doses of caffeine induce anxiety both in humans and in laboratory animals; therefore, excluding coffee and all caffeinated drinks (many soft drinks contain caffeine) from the diet will reduce anxiety. (On the subject of food, a recent epidemiological study shows that a weak to moderate statistical correlation exists between anxiety disorders and unhealthy nutrition [
984
].) In conclusion, the above methods are dirt cheap and easy to implement, although some of them can have side effects, which we reviewed in the relevant sections of the book.

• The following techniques can reduce anxiety: a hot environment, warm/hot hydrotherapy, adapted cold showers, milk, the antidepressant diet, exclusion of caffeine and cooked flesh from the diet, and an increased amount of fat in the diet.
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Although hypomania (means “mild mania”) is generally an undesirable mental state, it may be useful when creativity or active imagination is necessary. If you use caution and moderation, the following regimen can help you to achieve the state of hypomania safely.

In earlier chapters, we talked about experiments on laboratory rats that involved a raw high-protein diet and brief moderate cooling. These studies have shown that those two treatments produce chemical changes in the brain that are consistent with elevated mood [
329
,
472
]. As we saw in Chapter Two, in humans, moderate cooling of the body can elevate normal mood within minutes, in keeping with the aforementioned animal studies. Moderate cooling can also increase the level of activity, thus exhibiting a stimulant effect in addition to the mood-brightening effect. The safe version of a raw high-protein diet that we discussed in the previous section (the antidepressant diet) improves depressed mood, but it cannot elevate normal mood or increase the activity level directly. This diet can lift normal mood
indirectly
due to improvement of mental abilities and the resulting increase in positive life experiences. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that a combination of the antidepressant diet with repeated cooling will work as an experimental model of hypomania.

Hypomania is a mental state with persistently elevated mood and an increased level of activity.
^Y
Literature suggests that this mental state correlates with increased creativity and increased life satisfaction [
473
-
475
]. Hypomania does not impair social functioning of the affected person and patients seldom report it to clinicians as a problem. This is not the case with mania, which can cause numerous problems, including psychotic symptoms, temporary disability, and hospitalization. There are pharmacological models of mania and hypomania, which are based on administration of high doses of certain drugs. On the other hand, it would be interesting to devise a nonpharmacological model of hypomania. As far as I know, nobody has published and validated this type of regimen so far. The importance of this sort of finding is two-fold: {1} it will give a person greater control over one’s mood; and {2} it will allow the person to activate one’s imagination, when necessary. Both goals are within the realm of emotional intelligence: regulation of emotions and the use of emotion to enhance thought.

The theory and my personal experience suggest that the combination of the antidepressant diet with twice-daily adapted cold showers (
Chapter Two
) may serve as a good experimental model of hypomania. I named it for convenience the “creativity regimen.” Each of these treatments can elevate mood—one directly, the other one indirectly. The combined effects are reliable and rapid: in my experience, this combination causes symptoms of hypomania within 2 to 4 days. I am the only person who tested this regimen. The experimental model of hypomania should work in healthy people with normal mood in a non-stressful work environment. This regimen elevates
internal
mood and does not have consistent effects on external mood. We reviewed possible side effects of cold hydrotherapy and of the antidepressant diet at the end of Chapters
One
and
Two
and
at the end
of the previous section (also see
Appendix II
).

I named this combination of physical treatments the “creativity regimen” because it facilitates problem solving and causes a flood of ideas. These changes are consistent with increased creativity, which we can define as generation of new ideas or new associations between pre-existing concepts or ideas. There is another variation of the creativity regimen—it consists of the fruit-and-vegetable diet and cold hydrotherapy. It can also activate imagination and enhance generation of ideas. This fruit-and-vegetable version is more likely to cause hyperactivity and racing thoughts. The drawbacks of this version are the following: the activity level can become too high (the person is unable to relax or sit still); there is a substantial loss of work capacity; and, when mood is depressed, the fruit-and-vegetable diet makes it worse. Both versions of the creativity regimen will increase impulsivity and procrastination. Consequently, this regimen is not appropriate for situations that require strong self-control.

It seems that the creativity regimen can cause a persistent state of hypomania, which can last for weeks and longer. I do not know if you can extend this state further because it becomes uncomfortable sooner or later, and I start craving normal mood and a normal pace of thinking. A brief period of hypomania, one to two days, can be fun and you may get an influx of new ideas. Once you get all the ideas that you need, this state becomes an obstacle to creative work. This is because elevated mood reduces motivation for the difficult and boring tasks that are necessary for
implementation
of the ideas. Another possible inconvenience of this hypomania model is hyperhedonia; that is, when a person derives pleasure from activities that would normally be boring. It can lead to an unproductive waste of time. There are other inconveniences of hypomania, outlined at the end of the previous section. Finally, you shouldn’t make any big, life-changing decisions in this state because your decision may turn out to be too optimistic. At the end of Chapter Six we will talk about making important decisions.

Nevertheless, you can extend this mental state beyond a few days as described below. It is possible that twice-daily adapted cold showers will start to disrupt the normal sleep pattern after a few days. You should not take cold showers after 7 PM. If you get insomnia with twice-daily adapted cold showers, then eliminate the evening cold shower and do them once a day in the morning. You can still take a warm shower in the evening. If you are still unable to fall asleep until wee hours of the morning, then take adapted cold showers every other morning, instead of every morning. If your need for sleep becomes negligible (you can skip a night’s sleep), this is a sign that you have a predisposition to bipolar disorder, and full-blown mania may follow. Many bipolar patients cannot notice the transition from hypomania to mania, and mania can entail delusions, hallucinations, and temporary disability. Therefore, a bipolar patient needs to take preventive measures as soon as he or she becomes hypomanic. Even if you do not have a history of bipolar disorder, my advice is to abort the creativity regimen whenever your amount of sleep drops below 5 hours per night. You also need to abort this regimen if your sleep becomes disorganized (uncoupled from the changes of day and night).

You can adjust the antidepressant diet depending on the state of mood. Once mood becomes elevated, you can add small amounts of cooked meat and 10-15 grams (half an ounce) of nuts per day. The amount of meat should be about one-tenth of the amount of dairy that you are consuming (by weight). For example, if you are drinking two liters (two quarts) of pasteurized milk per day, then you can add 200 grams (7 ounces) of boiled meat to your diet per day. After that, if your mood stays elevated for one or two days, you can add small amounts of any other food. If your mood starts to decline, you need to remove meat, nuts, and other “disallowed” food from the antidepressant diet. It is likely that you will get tired of the constant feeling of excitement after a few days. To abort the creativity regimen, you can stop all cold showers and switch to a diet recommended by official food pyramids or to your usual diet. If this does not help, you may consider using the depressant diet alone or in combination with a hot environment (Chapter Two) for a few days. Several studies show that heat lowers mood [
352
,
651
]; however, hot showers and hot baths do not help to lower mood, based on my experience.

Aside from the possible improvements in creativity, this regimen may be useful as a treatment for depression. This approach should be more effective than either the antidepressant diet or adapted cold showers alone. In all likelihood this method will be safe to use in combination with other treatments, such as psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Another possible application is the treatment of addiction to stimulants. The above regimen works as a strong stimulant and may serve as a “drug-replacement therapy,” so to speak. The addict may lose the need for drugs if he or she can get high using a less harmful approach. Finally, the creativity regimen may also be useful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This disease involves a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons that project to (send signals to) the striatum (a region at the center of the brain). Both cooling and raw high-protein diets can increase the synthesis of dopamine in the striatum. Cooling can also increase physical mobility. Further research is needed to test these ideas. The theoretical evidence
^Y
and preliminary results are promising.