By Sara Altshul

Last winter, after being in denial for years, a battery of standard tests revealed that I had type 2 diabetes, sky-high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. What’s more, I had a heart murmur, my coronary arteries were starting to narrow, and my heart was showing early warning signs of disease. I mentioned some of this in my blog about meditation last year, but I confess I didn’t come clean about just how serious things had become.

But I stuck with the weight loss and exercise program I started back then, and four months later, I’d lost nearly 30 pounds. By last summer, I was trimmer, stronger, and more energetic than ever, even though I had another 15 pounds or so to go.

Then, like Oprah, I fell off the wagon. My doctor wasn’t helpful. I simply lost the jones to exercise (deadline pressures, I told myself, had to trump gym time), and I couldn’t control my diabetes, even though I was eating less food more mindfully and taking my prescribed meds, and I hadn’t gained back any weight. Stupidly, though, I was back in denial again; I even stopped monitoring my blood sugar and blood pressure. When I finally used my glucose meter and blood pressure monitor a couple of weeks ago, I was in for a nasty surprise: My numbers were back in the red zone.

Mapping my brain chemicals
That’s when I heard about Eric R. Braverman, MD, a professor of neurological surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, in New York City, and the author of the new best seller, Younger (Thinner) You Diet. Dr. Braverman told me that everything I knew about weight loss was wrong. He assured me that I fell off the wagon not because I was undisciplined or lazy, as I’d firmly believed. My fall was most likely due to a deficiency in my brain chemicals, he said.

To prove his point, he had my brain chemicals measured via a series of tests known as BEAM (Brain Electrical Activity Map). He said the tests will assess my brain’s ability to produce the primary neurotransmitters serotonin, GABA, dopamine, and acetylcholine.

In addition to the brain tests, I also underwent an exhaustive series of noninvasive ultrasound scans, blood tests, and other exams to determine my general state of health, via Dr. Braverman’s special Executive Health Program, a sort of one-stop, head-to-toe diagnostic assessment. Though those results aren’t in yet, here’s what I’ve learned about my brain chemicals:

• I have significant dopamine and serotonin deficiencies and a mild GABA deficiency. Combined, these could explain the vague symptoms and behaviors that block my path to health. Dopamine deficiencies are linked to addictions, including food addictions, among other unhealthy problems. According to Dr. Braverman, people who have low dopamine levels have low energy levels and may rely on stimulants, like caffeine.

• Serotonin deficiencies are linked to depression and a host of diet-busting behaviors. GABA deficiencies heighten anxiety, stress, and insomnia—which might explain those sleepless nights I continue to have.

What’s the solution?
In his book, Dr. Braverman outlines the foods you should eat—and those you should avoid—to balance your brain chemicals. He also includes handy quizzes so you can assess your status without springing for the Star Trek-ian brain tests I took. What really resonates with me is that many of Dr. Braverman’s solutions, in addition to dietary tweaks, are herbal or other natural supplements that have been proven over time. He advises people to use certain herbs and spices—like cinnamon or marjoram—liberally, because of their antioxidant potential. Add herbs near the end of cooking time to retain the most benefits.

(Getty Images)

Dr. Braverman also advises patients to drink tea—particularly rooibos, which is packed with vitamin C and 50% more antioxidants than green tea—at every meal. I’ll be sharing more about how herbs and spices can help in the coming weeks. Theory is, once you rebalance your brain chemicals, you’ll have the energy—and motivation—you need to stay on track.

Will it work for me? We’ll see. I’ll be reporting on the results—honestly this time!—of my tests, and will follow the program Dr. Braverman and his staff outline for me next week. I’ll keep you posted by blogging about my progress every week or so. Hopefully, in a few months, I’ll have my sugar and blood pressure under control and be on my way to losing those last pounds. My heart will thank me for it. Wish me luck!

Read more about Dr. Braverman’s program

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