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6 July 2005
Last Modified: 25 March 2010

GUARDIAN
Brain Chemistry Type Diet
The Brain Chemistry Plan

This is a synopsis of the Diet, Daily Supplements, and Interventions in times of trouble for the Guardian Brain Chemistry Type, as detailed in The Brain Chemistry Plan: The personalized nutritional prescription for balancing mood, relieving stress, and conquering depression, by Michael Lesser, M.D.

Information in the following tables has been extracted for personal use from Lesser's work (NY: Perigee; 2003: 121-3; 129; 134; passim). All material presented here has been checked and rechecked to ensure consistency with the book. Given the complexity of this schema, however, it is strongly recommended that the reader obtain and study the full text of The Brain Chemistry Plan, which contains a great deal of additional information required to make an informed decision regarding diet; lifestyle choices; vitamin, mineral, amino acid, and related supplementation.

The Guardian diet:

5-7 small meals a day
5-7 3-ounce servings of lean animal protein (meat, dairy, eggs) at separate meals. Make at least one or two of them fish (but not shellfish), and not more than one of them red meat... Most 3-ounce pieces of meat would cover about three-quarters of the surface of your palm, though this depends upon thickness. A 3-ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards.
7-11 [½ c] servings of vegetables
2-3 servings of fruit
1 serving whole grains
1 serving nuts, seeds, and legumes
(This is optional. If you don't have a serving of these, include a serving - but no more - of grain bran or germ, tomato, potato, bananas, or raisins in the appropriate category above.)

If a food is not mentioned [in the table below], it is basically neutral, and fine to include on the diet. For example, just about all vegetables are fine [but] the [foods] listed have particular benefits, and you should be sure to include at least some of them frequently and regularly. (p.121)

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Food	Best Choices	Good Choices	Avoid
The Guardian Diet
Animal Protein 5-7 3-ounce servings	fish herring salmon halibut poultry (chicken or dark meat turkey) beef milk cottage cheese	pork eggs dairy products (including cheese) tuna (canned) salami canned or frozen meat	shellfish organ meats raw meat
Vegetables 7-11 servings	green vegetables (especially dark leafy vegetables, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage) avocado carrots eggplant	cauliflower alfalfa sprouts corn iceberg lettuce	canned or frozen vegetables with EDTA, preservatives, or added sugar
Fruit 2-3 servings	pineapple plums	blueberries oranges peaches cherries apples	canned or frozen fruit packed in sugar or syrup
Grains 1 serving	brown rice whole oats (including cooked oatmeal)	shredded wheat whole-grain bread and cereal (fortified) whole grains	white flour white rice hydrogenated oils
Legumes, Nuts, Seeds 1 serving, optional	soybeans (and soy-protein products like tofu) lentils lima beans pinto beans walnuts peanuts pecans pistachios almonds sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds sesame seeds	navy beans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) cashews	canned beans, peas in sugar syrups, and sugar-coated nuts
Sweeteners	maple syrup honey sugar cane juice		white sugar chocolate cocoa
Beverages	chamomile tea ginseng tea		caffeinated drinks (including coffee, sodas, and diet sodas)
Condiments and Seasonings	brewer's yeast
Source: Michael Lesser MD, The Brain Chemistry Plan. Berkley Trade (2003:122-123) Chapters \| Barnes and Noble \| Amazon.com \| Amazon.ca

CAUTION:
The following material regarding vitamin, mineral, amino acid and other dietary supplements is presented for purposes of information only, and is in no way intended to supersede advice from a qualified health care professional. Unless you have in-depth knowledge of these supplements and know what you are doing, it is strongly recommended that you consult your pharmacist or physician before attempting to medicate yourself. The Brain Chemistry Plan describes each supplement, its actions, uses, and contraindications — all of which are beyond the scope of this synopsis.

Responses to vitamin and mineral supplements can be highly idiosyncratic. In elevated dosage, for example, niacin (nicotinic acid) causes histamine release, resulting in cutaneous vasodilatation and increased blood flow, with symptoms of flushing, itching and tingling sensations, an increase in skin temperature, and increased motility of the stomach. These effects are transient, usually occurring a few minutes after ingestion and lasting up to an hour. Adverse reactions may include severe generalized flushing, decreased glucose tolerance, activation of peptic ulcers, abnormalities of hepatic function tests, jaundice, gastrointestinal disorders, dry skin, keratosis nigricans, pruritis, hyperuricemia, toxic amblyopia, hypotension and transient headache. When properly used, however, in conjunction with an optimal diet, niacin is extremely effective.

If I had to choose only one vitamin [in] my repertoire for improving mood or guarding against the blues,
[niacin] is the one I'd probably pick. Michael Lesser, MD (2003:71)

Thiamine (vitamin B1): 50-100 mg*
Niacin (vitamin B3): 1-3 g*
Pyridoxine (vitamin B6): 100 mg
Balanced B complex: 50 or 100 mg of each B vitamin
Magnesium (chelated): 400 mg
Zinc: 0-30 mg

*Start on the lower end of that range if you are pretty well in balance, and gradually increase as necessary until you find the dose that is effective and that you tolerate well. If you are in trouble, you might want to start with a higher dose. (p.129)

Animal protein
(p.120)

Stimulants like caffeine and sugar; refined carbohydrates (though natural sugars, as in fruit, are desirable). idem

Intervention	Daily Dose
Amino Acids
Tryptophan	1,000-9,000 mg (1-9 g)
5-HTP (an alternative to tryptophan)	100 mg 3 times a day
Glutamine	500 mg 4 times a day
Accessory Nutrients
GTF - glucose tolerance factor, the active form of the mineral chromium combined with niacin and glutamic acid	200-400 mcg
Herbs
Kava	100-300 mg
Valerian	150-450 mg
Chamomile	1 cup tea 3-4 times a day
Passionflower	300-450 mg
St. John's Wort	300 mg 3 times a day
Ginseng	2-4 cups a day as tea; or 100-1,250 mg in capsules; or 300 mg/ml in liquid form

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GUARDIANBrain Chemistry Type Diet The Brain Chemistry Plan

The Guardian Diet

GUARDIAN
Brain Chemistry Type Diet
The Brain Chemistry Plan