UltraMind Solution, authored by a medical doctor, basically calls for solution for diseases of the mind like depression and lack of concentration. At a glance, the book is somehow unique in the sense that it advocates healing without the need of going through the traditional way of taking medicines. It somehow presents a bunch of food nutrition fads and fallacies based on his experience in his own field. The bottom line is that one should take preventive measures against mind illnesses by having a well-balanced diet.
The good thing about the book is that it outlined information on how food affects the human body and the mind. The author bravely exposed that drugs are not the solution to mind illness. He said it is not true that a person in reality knows literally what is wrong in his body. Well, that is the reason why doctors are around.
As expected with any health and nutrition book, the author calls for a healthy living by knowing how food affects you and then throw away bad habits. Here are the doctrines of the book:
1. Our greatest defense against disease is food. Food should serve as our medicine.
2. Get away from mood-altering drugs: nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and sugar. These would greatly help you prevent anxiety and depression including dementia.
3. Begin a healthy lifestyle by optimizing nutrition.
4. We need food to boost our energy metabolism. He explained that food along with oxygen is our body’s fuel.
5. It is important for us to have a healthy digestive system. The author said it is here where most illnesses begin.
6. Be mindful of detoxification. Anything excessive is harmful to the body.
Specifically, Hyman recommends the following:
1. Avoid dairy and gluten. Discourage yourself from eating packaged food. Getting away from dairy and gluten however is impractical for active people. Remember that dairy and gluten are energy sources. Your tendency is to consume more animal products instead. Hyman advocates a plant-based diet and this will definitely not work with most people.
2. Take biologically active methylation supplements (B12, B6 and Folic Acid). The problem with this is that methylation is linked to the body’s response to stress. There are also studies that associate this to cancer.
3. Eat seaweeds. It takes just a common sense to know that seaweeds are high in iodine and thus is not good for those who suffer from hypothyroidism. The author should have at least warned the concerned individuals.
In summary, the book could have been more reliable if the author backed up his claims with scientific studies.
