Reviewed by: Elizabeth Redmond, PhD, MMSc, RD
Clinical Consultant, Metametrix Institute, Clinical Laboratory 

I am so glad this book was written; now what used to be available just to those patients who had the right doctor is available to everyone. The UltraMind Solution is a detailed book on brain health, something you don't often hear doctors talk about. The book provides a whole new functionally based approach rather than conventional medicine 'treatments' of these conditions.

The UltraMind Solution argues that the most effective and scientifically based way to address the epidemic of brain disorders is by evaluating the body as an entire system. The book lays out what medical and research communities have known, but have not been able to practice, that everything is connected. In the current conventional medicine paradigm a different type of "specialist" is used to treat each brain condition, without realizing that a single food allergy, nutrient insufficiency, or toxicant interference could lead to an array of brain problems including, depression, anxiety, insomnia, attention deficit disorder, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and dementia.

I know as a clinician that conventional practitioners may not be familiar with many of these simple approaches to healing, making them suspicious of their validity. I also know that many of the treatments conventional medicine provides are done because that is how they have been done in the past, not because they are effective. This book focuses on functional treatments that are effective, and get people better.

The basis of The UltraMind Solution is that it provides an understanding of the body's basic biological systems or pathways, and how to evaluate and repair imbalances, helping to heal the brain. The UltraMind Solution introduces the translational science of systems biology, revealing the importance of individual pathways at the cellular level and their connection to one's whole health.

The book includes case studies of patients who have recovered from autism, dementia, depression, ADHD and others brain illnesses, though the book is not about these isolated cases. It details the steps Dr. Hyman uses everyday to help patients get better. The UltraMind Solution evaluates the root of illness by looking at specific areas: nutrition, immunity/inflammation, hormones/neurotransmitters, digestion, detoxification, mitochondrial function and mind/body interaction. As a Functional Medicine educator, I know clinicians and patients are looking for ways to implement a whole-systems' approach to dealing with brain illnesses and chronic disease - this book does it in a step-by-step, understandable way.

In addition to the book, Dr. Hyman is doing a special six-part webinar series on clinical applications of functional medicine to brain and mood disorders. Dr. Hyman will go into detail about ADD/ADHD, autism, dementia, and depression, discussing diagnostic and therapeutic options.

To learn more about The UltraMind Solution, please visit:
http://www.ultramindhealth.com/metametrix