Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.
The Happy Eater was created by Carola van Bemmelen and can be described as an anti-diet. The concept is mainly aimed at people who have a hard time creating a good relationship with food and people who suffer from the yo-yo effect.
On the homepage you can compare this (anti-)diet with other diets.
The book 'The Happy Eater' is a sequel to the Sugar challenge and the 100% Sugar free books. Carola says that 'The Happy Eater' is a logical continuation in the journey to a good relationship with food and contains the missing link in the story: how your brain makes you eat things you don't want to eat. The Sugar Challenge has stopped after the launch of 'The Happy Eater'.
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In addition to the 100% sugar free books, 'The Happy Eater' takes a closer look at the role your brain plays in your eating behaviour and the effects that certain foods have on your brain, indirectly influencing your eating behaviour.
The Happy Eater includes the basic aspects of 100% sugar-free. Eating and drinking much less sugar plays an important role in becoming a happy eater. The book includes a sugar substitution table to help you eat less sugar. Additionally, it contains various alternatives to sugary and carbohydrate-rich products.
In the book, Carola makes a distinction between 'the primal brain' and 'the human brain'. Carola states that 99% of your decisions about food are made by the 'primal brain' and 1% by the 'human brain'. The primal brain makes the automatic (and often unhealthy) decisions and the human brain the conscious (and often healthier) decisions.
Carola states that this division is the cause of making unhealthy eating choices even though you know you should make healthy ones. The method therefore focuses on how to influence the primal brain and how to give the human brain more influence, to improve your food choices.
The book describes three different types of brains: the slightly addiction sensitive brain, the moderately addiction sensitive brain and the highly addiction sensitive brain. According to Carola, it is important to know what type of brain you have in order to become a happy eater.
Through this link you can do a test to find out what type of brain you have. Note: this is a Dutch website.
If you have a slightly addiction sensitive brain, you usually have no issues with trying to stop eating. You may even forget to eat sometimes and your relationship with food is probably functional and not problematic. The Happy Eater concept does not address this brain type.
People with this type of brain can easily overeat and make bad food choices, but they but can just as well be strong and say no when needed.
The danger with this type of brain is that you let yourself go more often than you say no. This might cause (unnoticed) weight gain. People with this type of brain need to (further) structure their eating behaviour.
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According to Carola, a person with a highly addiction sensitive brain always has a craving for (unhealthy) food. They often eat everything in one go (think of a roll of biscuits that is completely finished in one go).
The general advice for this group is to eat sugar-free. When these people really want to eat something they enjoy, they should consciously choose the thing they love most. However, it is best to never to do so again. Especially fast carbohydrates/sugars should be avoided.
The aim of this concept is to establish a good relationship with food by better managing your brain. The book mentions that it is important to stop dieting and to better understand how your brain sabotages your eating behaviour. This should help you to start eating according to the structure your brain needs.
According to the book, a happy eater is someone who knows how his/her brain works and are able to do what they set out to do.
Besides the right eating structure and eating environment, the role of a healthy blood sugar level is also emphasised. An unhealthy blood sugar level ensures, according to Carola, that the primal brain can take over more easily. If this is the case, you have no control over the eating and drinking choices you make.
In addition to reading the book, it is possible to become a member of the Food Happiness University. This is an online platform with the aim of teaching you how your brain is sabotaging yourself and how to stop relapsing into your old behaviours.
As member of the Food Happiness, you follow the Food Happiness method and can attend monthly master classes and webinars on topics such as brain management, sugar-free lifestyle and self-coaching.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet.
To read more about this diet, you can read these two books. Important to note here is that both books are only available in Dutch.
An example of another anti diet is the Fuck-it diet. A list of diets (or methods) also aimed at reducing carbohydrates/sugars can be found here.
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As you see fit
With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.
Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.
If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.