Calm Energy: How People Regulate Mood with Food and Exercise

May 18th, 2008 Posted in Paperback

Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0195163397
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Average Customer Review: (From 6 total reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description:
Obesity is reaching alarming proportions. In this insightful new approach to understanding why this is happening, acclaimed mood scientist Robert Thayer offers a new appreciation of the real cause–emotional eating. But this is not just emotional eating as previously known; rather it is a new
scientific analysis of exactly how different moods affect eating. He shows how unprecedented stress in society and epidemic levels of depression have led people to food as a poor means of managing mood. In this original approach, Thayer describes how people’s daily energy and tension variations
occur, and how this knowledge helps overcome the urge to eat the wrong food and to achieve the goal of “calm energy.” Also, in this most up-to-date scientific analysis of exercise and mood, he shows how physical activity is essential to psychological and physical health, yet why it is resisted.
Thayer’s work has been discussed in hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, and here he outlines in detail the cutting-edge theories and scientific research findings that have generated this extensive media attention.

Customer Reviews

Sane approach to mood and diet! by G Mason
Great book! It makes so much sense to consult a nutritionist for understanding weight issues! Also, love that the book is available for viewing with the online reader - great feature!

Calm Energy Book by Nancy A. Pollard
Excellent read, very informative. Great for people struggling with moods and their desire to eat based on those moods.

Wonderful book on food and mood ! by Lee Mellott
Ever dived into a chocolate cake after a stressful day at the office? Had your way with a bag of chips after fighting with the kids? Stuffed down more than your share of greasy fried food when you were feeling low?

Many of us are stress overeaters. And there are a number of books on the market that mention how we have emotional roadblocks that keep us from becoming slim. But few of these books discuss this issue in the depth that “Calm Energy” does.
And few give helpful solutions.

The author Robert Thayer Ph.D describes in detail how when we are feeling tense, tired, or depressed we often turn to high fat sugary foods. Citing a number of studies Thayer explains why we do this.

Then Thayer explains simple solutions. According to Thayer, “exercise is the single best way of coping with the tension and fatigue that inevitably result from stress.” He describes simple techniques you can do when your urge to eat, what you don’t need seems to overwhelm your body. A brisk 5 minute walk is one idea.

One paragraph in the book made a huge impact. Thayer recounts how a taxicab driver was very calm despite bad traffic, radio calls etc. The driver used worrybeads to release tension. According to Thayer small systemic movements like moving beads or squeezing soft rubbery objects can help relax your body.
I quickly hijacked my 14 year olds stringed bead bracelet and by manipulating the beads slowly released some stress and managed to avoid a trip to the kitchen to gobble up some goodies I didn’t need! Simple, effective technique that I will use more often.

Overall an excellent look at the mood food connection with super tips on what you can do to destress and become healthier.

Excellent by
While a bit repetitive in the beginning, I loved this book! It provides a framework for thinking about your behavior based on biologically-driven moods. It makes you more aware of your own moods, what causes them, and how they, in turn, influence your behavior (and not only in terms of food and exercise).

The author addresses the perplexing question of why people who know better still eat unhealthfully and do not exercise. I have often wondered myself, if I know exercise or meditation or whatever makes me feel so much better, why don’t I just do it everyday? The concept of Calm-Energy vs. Tense-Tiredness is very convincing and useful. Also, the book puts the idea of “emotional eating” in it’s larger context. Compared to the treatment emotional eating gets in the popular media, this is much more interesting and makes it seem very possible to intervene and change habits.

This is not a standard self-help book and doesn’t give the clearest instructions on how to apply all this information to your everyday life. Rather, it gives you knowledge, understanding, awareness and–with the extensive footnotes and references to research–confidence that this guy really knows what he’s talking about. I’m planning to read his “The Origin of Everyday Moods” next.

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