A Vote for Cookies

Today on the home page of WebMD there's a link to The Good Mood Diet. It's from Prevention magazine, which I don't find a very reliable, trustworthy source. Still, I liked what Thomas Cook, the author, had to say. Who wouldn't?

Here's how it starts:
My grandfather was a wonderful man who loved cookies. When I visited his lovely, old house surrounded by trees, flowers, vegetable gardens, and lawns, we shared all sorts of cookies, always paired with a large glass of cold milk. Over the years, they became so closely associated with visiting Granddad that now, whenever I have one, I feel buoyed by a swell of happy memories.

And here's the advice:

That brings us to Granddad's cookies, which can brighten your spirits when eaten judiciously. (Incidentally, carb snacking may be more effective for women because they produce substantially less serotonin than men do.) Now, you won't want to try this regimen if you have diabetes or are prediabetic. But if you qualify, try raising your mood-lifting serotonin levels a couple of times a day by doing the following:

• Include protein in each of your three meals. This will raise blood levels of tryptophan, a chemical that eventually turns into serotonin. The best sources of tryptophan are poultry, seafood, and lean meat.
• Have a small carbohydrate snack about 3 or 4 hours after each meal and about 1 hour before your next one. Make sure that your stomach is empty and that you eat no protein between meals. The carbohydrates should be easily digestible--such as one or two oatmeal cookies, a third of a bagel, a slice of whole wheat bread. This will cause tryptophan in your blood to enter the brain, where it is metabolized into serotonin. Elevated serotonin will improve your mood within 20 to 30 minutes.

I'm thinking Newman's Organic Fig Newtons. . . I had some in CA recently and they were yummy. Fat Free and Wheat-Free/Dairy free both have 2 PTs. for 2 cookies. The low-fat are closer to 3. But wouldn't that be a nice occasional pick-me-up?