“I’m just returning from Sun Peaks, and I’m in a great mood!” is the first thing Susan Kleiner says when she calls me from her car, wrapping up a family ski vacation in Canada.

Easy to say when you’ve just spent several days atop glorious snow-capped mountains. But that’s not the only reason the Island nutritionist is in a good mood. Her latest book, “The Good Mood Diet,” looks like it’s ascending the mountain of diet books out there to reign supreme as one of the first sources penitents will turn to as they tackle their vows to lose weight in 2007.

Kleiner’s program, which spurns the downer effects of deprivation of the foods you love, got its start with a group of Seattle Post Intelligencer staffers who volunteered as guinea pigs. One of them, health columnist Bob Condor, co-authored her book. Ink from Time Magazine, MSN.com and Women’s World followed — even interest from The Today Show.

This week Kleiner kicks off a national book tour from the 92nd St. Y in New York, which hosts one of the finest literary programs around. Each city she visits on her tour will be left with a Good Mood Diet support group to remember her by.

“This is about feeding your brain,” Kleiner says. “If you can’t get out of bed in the morning because you’re depressed, you’re not going to cross the finish line. If you feel good and you need to lose weight, then you will.”

And the more people who lose weight on her program, the better her mood will be.

Susan Kleiner appears at Island Books on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

Spread the love

Is a wedding in your plans for 2007?

Island couples who already have all the blenders, champagne buckets and Egyptian cotton pillowcases they need might want to consider setting up their registry with the I Do Foundation, a charity registry that lets your wedding guests make donations to the causes of your choice in your name.

The I Do Foundation has partnerships with more than 40 different nonprofits and causes, from saving the rain forests to protecting the rights of Asian-Americans or teaching kids algebra. You can even take your honeymoon with partners in the romantic reaches of the globe who will donate a percentage of your spending to charity. For all the facts go to www.idofoundation.org.

Art Camp

Mercer Island High School grad Missy McCutcheon is kicking off the New Year with one of the greatest accomplishments in her career as an artist — she has been accepted to Yaddo, one of the country’s top artist residency programs.

For six weeks beginning in February, the 36-year-old painter will hole up on 40 acres in Saratoga Springs, NY, in an artistsa colony that has nurtured the creative talents of the likes of Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes and Silvia Plath, to name a few. At Yaddo, everything is provided for so that the artists can focus on the pure expression of their craft.

“The life of an artist is hard,” said McCutcheon.. “We struggle, so it’s nice to be recognized for your work.”

Got a tip on Island happenings or people? E-mail Cody.Ellerd@mi-reporter.com with the facts.