How to Become Smarter (59 page)

Authors: Charles Spender

Tags: #Self-Help, #General

BOOK: How to Become Smarter

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Stewed liver and eggs.
Ingredients:
300 grams (0.7 lb.) of boiled liver (see the section “
Boiled meat
” above), 300 grams of cabbage, 4-5 average-sized eggs.
Instructions:
Pass the liver through a meat-grinder. Pour about 1.5 cm (half an inch) of water into an average sized non-stick frying pan and turn on the stove. Shred the cabbage, when the water starts boiling, put the cabbage in and close the lid. Let it stew for about 15 minutes, then reduce the flame, stir the cabbage and add water if necessary. Put a more or less uniform layer of the liver unto the cabbage without mixing, break the eggs on top of the liver and close the lid. Let the dish stew for 4-7 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked.

APPENDIX II: A summary of the effects of various diets

Most of the data in Table 5 below are based on the personal experience of this author only (previously unpublished). All diets, except the first three, exclude foods not mentioned in the description as well as all food additives (salt, sugar, starch, gelatin, monosodium glutamate, corn syrup, nitrites, other preservatives, and so on), pungent vegetables, spices, salad dressings, and other seasonings, unless specified otherwise. Dairy products were pasteurized and free of calcium or vitamin supplements. Other animal products were cooked by steaming or boiling and meat contained at least 15% fat. Nuts were ground by means of a meat-grinder (electric or manual). Fruits and vegetables were raw or cooked by boiling or steaming. “Clean” juices are commercially available fruit or vegetable juices that are free of all food additives. Amounts of food, when listed, are applicable to a person whose energy needs are approximately 3000 calories per day [
337
]. It is assumed that there are three meals per day, although I sometimes have only two meals per day.

Table 5.
Effects of various diets. Readers can find a detailed description of possible side effects in the text of relevant chapters.

---------------------------------

Sustained food restriction

Description
:
includes all known types of food, nothing is excluded; features special chewing techniques (
Chapter One
)

Possible beneficial effects
:
maintenance of weight loss, increased ease of social interactions (especially if the breakfast is skipped), reduced apathy and fatigue, improved mental clarity

Possible adverse effects
:
low ability to concentrate on reading and writing tasks

Protein supplementation

Description
:
includes all known types of food, nothing is excluded; 150-250 grams (5-8 oz.) of beef, chicken or fish are added to each meal, plus 10-15 grams (~0.5 oz.) of nuts

Possible beneficial effects
:
improved attention control and ability to concentrate on reading and writing tasks

Possible adverse effects
:
apathy, lowered mood, fatigue or sleepiness; may reduce processing speed

Modified protein supplementation

Description
:
includes all known types of food, nothing is excluded; 150-250 grams (5-8 oz.) of beef or chicken are added to each meal, plus 10-15 grams (~0.5 oz.) of nuts; some meals (every other or every third meal) consist of low-fat milk, kefir or buttermilk mixed with unsalted unprocessed cheese; some people may need to take dietary fiber supplements with each high-protein meal

Possible beneficial effects
:
improved attention control and ability to concentrate on reading and writing tasks

Possible adverse effects
:
slightly increased physical fatigue or sleepiness

Balanced high-protein diet

Description
:
consists of fruits, vegetables, “clean” juices; 150-250 grams (5-8 oz.) of beef, chicken or fish are present in each meal, plus 10-15 grams (~0.5 oz.) of nuts

Possible beneficial effects
:
improved attention control and ability to concentrate on reading tasks; improved mental clarity; can reduce procrastination and impulsivity

Possible adverse effects
:
apathy, fatigue, lowered mood or a feeling of being stressed; may reduce processing speed; long use may cause constipation, nightmares, and depressed mood

Modified high-protein diet

Description
:
beef and poultry (35%), low-fat milk, kefir, buttermilk, and unsalted unprocessed cheese (10%-35%), wheat extract (0-23%), and nuts (2-5%); fruits and vegetables (10-20%); some people may have to take dietary fiber supplements with each high-protein meal

Possible beneficial effects
:
improved attention control and ability to concentrate on reading tasks, improved mental clarity and increased ease of social interactions; can reduce procrastination and impulsivity

Possible adverse effects
:
slightly increased physical fatigue or a feeling of heaviness in the body;
rare
side effects: insomnia or symptoms of hypomania

Fruit-and-vegetable diet

Description
:
consists of fruits, vegetables (raw and cooked), and “clean” juices; excludes nuts, grains, and legumes; you can also exclude starchy fruits and vegetables

Possible beneficial effects
:
high information processing speed, active imagination; sharp wit, unusual talkativeness and an ability to entertain people; reduced fatigue; in theory, may be beneficial as a neuroleptic treatment

Possible adverse effects
:
loss of work capacity, reduced stress-resistance; low satiety level; muscle cramps; increased sweating; distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity; when used for 4 days or longer: loss of interest in many activities

Depressant diet

Description
:
boiled whole grains (25-35%), meat, at least one half of it red meat (40-50%), nuts (2-5%), raw fruits and vegetables (20-23%)

Possible beneficial effects
:
excellent self-control: can reduce both procrastination and impulsivity (more effectively than other diets above); can reduce symptoms of hypomania; can improve writing performance and sleep; this diet does not impair judgment

Possible adverse effects
:
apathy, lowered mood, pessimism, mild anxiety, or a feeling of being stressed; slowing, fatigue, feeling of boredom; can cause a small weight gain;
rare
side effects: headache

Anger management diet

Description
:
beef and poultry (25-35%), low-fat milk, kefir or buttermilk (25-35%), boiled whole grains (20-23%), raw fruits and vegetables (10%); excludes nuts and all pungent vegetables and spices (both raw and cooked)

Possible beneficial effects
:
can be useful for anger management; 1-2 days of the diet are sufficient in order to calm down; can improve writing

Possible adverse effects
:
slowing; drowsiness or physical fatigue; can cause a small weight gain if used for an extended period of time;
rare
side effects: symptoms of hypomania

Antidepressant diet

Description
:
consists of: 25-75%: low-fat milk, kefir or buttermilk and unsalted unprocessed cheese; 0-40%: raw water extract of grains; 10-25%: fruits and vegetables and “clean” juices (boiled potatoes are allowed too); does not allow nuts, cooked grains and legumes; some people may have to take dietary fiber supplements with each high-protein meal

Possible beneficial effects
:
rapid antidepressant and antianxiety effects, good work capacity, good attention control, improved mental clarity and ease of social interactions; facilitates social isolation

Possible adverse effects
:
upset stomach if the diet is used incorrectly; slightly increased physical fatigue; low motivation for work, academic procrastination; may increase sweating;
rare
side effects: symptoms of hypomania

Bread-and-sugar diet

Description
:
consists of water solution of sucrose (2.5 g/kg b.w./day) and whole-grain bread

Possible beneficial effects
:
an example of a “dumb diet;” may be used to study certain psychotic symptoms (derealization) if used for 4 days or longer

Possible adverse effects
:
slowing and taciturnity; sleep disturbances; deterioration of mental abilities: clumsiness, impaired judgment; an increased amount of errors in school- or job-related tasks; difficult social interactions

Grains-only diet

Description
:
boiled or steamed whole grains; can include small amounts of fruit juice, if necessary

Possible beneficial effects
:
mild sedative effect; can improve sleep; in theory, may be beneficial as a neuroleptic treatment

Possible adverse effects
:
low ability to concentrate on reading and writing tasks; slowing, taciturnity, feelings of boredom; sugar cravings

APPENDIX III: A summary of the effects of various types of food

The author obtained most of the information in Table 6 below by selecting a food in question and using a diet consisting only of this type of food (monodiet) for 3 days or longer. The author performed these experiments as a single participant on several occasions in the past 19 years (unpublished data). Three pluses mean a strong effect and a single plus means a weak effect. “Impairs cognition” means “causes mild disorganization of thinking,” which can manifest itself as clumsiness, difficulty with learning or with solving day-to-day problems, or an increased amount of errors in school- or job-related tasks. “Euphoriant effect” is the ability to elevate normal mood; “antidepressant effect” is the ability to relieve mental suffering and improve depressed mood.

Legend: * - there is a small risk of infectious disease and safety of a product in question should be verified with the manufacturer. ** - cannot be used as a monodiet due to serious adverse effects.

Table 6.
Effects of various types of food.

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Boiled or steamed whole grains