Norah Vincent asks about protein intake and mood. My experience as a recovering carbohydrate fanatic is that increased protein intake has improve my body’s ability to burn fat for fuel, has increased my alertness and productivity, and has had an effect on my mood (although mood has never been a real issue for me). For me it’s sufficient to eat eggs, cheese and fruit for breakfast, and eschew refined starches and sugars, juice, and other carbohydrate foods with little fiber. I find Atkins to be a little over the top, YMMV. But gee whiz, do I miss good french bread, risotto, polenta … I’ve been on the “protein for breakfast and high-fiber the rest of the day” approach for two years, and as long as the exercise level stays up there, my attention and sleep are good. BTW, I’ve heard that the vivid dreams are a function of vitamin B12, of which you get more in spinach and meats.