[.ca] Crazy Makers (ISBN 1585426261)

From Amazon.com:
We already worry that our food makes us fat, dull, disease-prone, and sleepy. Now we have to worry that it also makes us crazy. According to certified clinical nutritionist Carol Simontacchi, the food industries that give us packaged, processed, artificially flavored, chemical-ridden, artificially colored, nutrient-stripped pseudo foods such as sodas, processed soups, sugared cereals, and fiberless bread "wantonly destroy our bodies and our brains, all in the name of profit." We Americans (adults and children) eat 200 pounds of sugar and artificial sweeteners each year. Our children's test scores and grades drop. We become violent, illogical, moody, depressed, drug-addicted, and crazy. The reason, according to the author, who is pursuing a doctorate in brain nutrition, is that we're starving our brains with lack of nutrition. This isn't a process that begins when teenagers start snacking on sodas, chips, and ice cream. Rather, this nutrition deprivation starts in the womb: mom doesn't get the right nutrition (essential fatty acids, high-quality protein, unrefined carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water), so baby is born already brain-nutrient deficient, says the author. Infant formulas, processed baby food, and sugared cereals exacerbate the problem through the stages of childhood, with kids not getting the nutrition their growing brains need. Simontacchi also skewers prepared foods, additives, over-processed grains, school vending machines, and fast-food chains. This book isn't only about children. Starbucks and its ilk get a "Crazy Maker Award" for "encouraging us to self-medicate with stimulating beverages that mask the symptoms of nervous system and adrenal exhaustion." We adults are genuinely fatigued, but instead of getting the sleep and rest we need, we succumb to the "marketing hype of sophisticated companies that convinces us that self-medicating with an addictive substance is the answer to our energy crisis." You may not accept all Simontacchi's views, but once you've read this book, you won't reach for a café latte or feed your kids sugar-frosted cereal with the same complacency. --Joan Price

eating ourselves crazy:
Simontacchi spells out in detail what is wrong with the modern American diet and what it is doing to the health of our brains. If only half of what she says is true, this country is headed for a mental health train wreck of massive proportions. Though she occasionally makes a statement that is unsupported by evidence and her views on soy are somewhat contradictory, I'm still giving this book five stars, because what she has to say is vitally important. Essential reading.

Looking forward to reading the book:
Haven't read the book and am not looking for doctorate on brain nutrition. However, I've already understood the information in this book for a long time. It's gonna be a must read for anyone who's "medicating" and wondering why they're not well as yet - or wondering why they've exhibiting symptoms of different illnesses... Am glad this encyclopedia of nutrition is available Will finish this review when I've read the "one stop source for nutritional information" - and has confirmed my suspicions that doc's already know food creates their profits... Well done for letting the "cat out of the bag"...

Inspirational!:
This book will inspire you to eat better. It will make you shudder to think of spooning boxed foods and other Typical American Fare into your child's mouth. It's what you're looking for when you say "I know I should eat better...but just once won't hurt." or "Well, its not the best...but its not THAT bad." It may also help you to understand and ultimately overcome health or emotional problems linked to nutritional deficiencies. But, it only gets you started. You will still need to figure out how to maintain a processed food free lifestyle. It gives some basic pointers, such as starting the morning with a protein drink, and adding salads to your diet. But this is just a starting point...it will give you the extra support you need to turn your back on bad habits but not the tools to replace them. If you want the answers to *why* its that bad, or need something to convince you to eat better...read this book. If you want to know why your kids are driving you crazy...read this book. But then, get some good books on healthy cooking and follow through with a lifestyle change. I'm hoping Carol Simontacchi writes a second book...for those convinced but not sure where to go from there.

Drive thru windows won't save you now!:
After reading this book, I feel ever so sorry for the people I see everywhere with a soda can in their hands, or firmly affixed in line at the local Fast Food Poison outlet, or even the ones with carts loaded down at the local Sam's Club. It's no WONDER the Generations X, Y, Z, and thereafter are requiring us to dumb down America! They couldn't understand a blessed thing otherwise. Some STILL can't! I'll close before I give way to a rant about over-consumption in general, and nutrition specifically. I wish to thank the author for putting it all out in black and white. I just hope the ones who need to see it most are able to read and comprehend it (while in a soda haze hopped up on a bucket of KFC).

Changed the way I look at food!:
This author very clearly and concisely lays down the argument for why so many people and children are developing diseases and ailments at a record rate. It all can be traced back to what we put in our mouth. How many of us actually sit and read every label of what we eat? How many of us know what all those additives and "natural flavorings" are made of? Ms. Simontacchi made me think twice about what I eat, what I feed my child and the way I approach food shopping in general. This book changed my life, I will never feed any of my future children formula or baby food!