Maybe because it’s both fast and natural….

High School Reunion Diet is becoming the go-to plan for New York’s top actors and models, many of whom endorsed the book.  If you haven’t read it yet, and still don’t realize how very much even small adjustments in diet can improve your looks and rejuvenate your skin… waste no time ordering it at Simonandschuster.com or amazon.com.  If you’d like to know a bit more before you buy, here is an expert evaluation from Web.MD….

The High School Reunion Diet

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

WebMD Expert Column

The High School Reunion Diet: What It Is

Want to look your best at your high school reunion? The High School Reunion Diet promises to help you look slimmer, healthier, and younger in 30 days — just in time for that reunion or other special event.

The No. 1 secret to glowing, younger-looking skin, according to author David Colbert, MD, a New York dermatologist, is a diet of healthy, unprocessed foods. Such a diet, he says, is “better than Botox,” Colbert says.

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“I noticed my great-looking clients [who include actresses Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz] were also the ones who ate whole, fresh foods from their gardens, and so I began researching how a healthy diet could help you lose weight and turn back the hands of time,” he says.

Processed foods, sugary beverages, and other forms of sugars are the reason Americans are fat, Colbert says. He also believes that, like the sun, sugar ages the skin and body. “It can spike blood sugar to dangerously high levels and cause inflammation, which makes you look old,” he says.

In his eating plan, these foods are replaced with natural, nutrient-rich and, preferably, organic foods from your local farmers market.

“Eliminating most processed foods (including sugary food and drinks) is the single most important thing you can do to improve your appearance, weight, and health,” he says.

The High School Reunion Diet: What You Can Eat

During the first, “detox” phase of The High School Reunion Diet, you focus on eating only “true” foods, including:

Brightly colored vegetables, especially green ones

Some whole fruits (only berries and the occasional apple, orange or grapefruit)

Nuts

Lean meat

Healthy fats

Omega 3 rich fish

Eggs

Herbs and spices

Dieters are encouraged to drink lots of water — six to eight glasses or more. Tea and coffee are OK, too.

Here’s a sample menu for Level 1:

Breakfast: Egg white omelet and coffee

Snack: Half a cup of plain yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon agave, and 1/2 cup blueberries

Lunch: Salad with goat cheese, walnuts, cherry tomatoes, and vinaigrette

Snack: Two celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter or cottage cheese

Dinner: Salmon, roasted broccoli, green salad with veggies, sparkling water

After losing 5-10 pounds during the first two weeks, dieters advance to the second phase for two weeks or longer. This phase includes more fruits, plus whole grains and wine with dinner, and is similar to the recommendations of the U.S. government’s Food Pyramid.

What’s not on the menu during either phase are foods labeled processed: Sodas (diet or regular), fruit juices, sugary beverages, sports drinks, beer, liquor, trans fats, instant and fast foods, and anything containing sugar in all its forms (such as high-fructose corn syrup).

But the author says some minimally processed foods can be healthy, like steel-cut oats, tuna packed in water, and (rinsed) canned beans.

The book suggests that you supplement the diet with a multivitamin with minerals, a fish oil capsule, vitamin E and vitamin C to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need, plus an extra dose of antioxidants and omega-3s. The bottom line, Colbert says, is that foods that don’t come wrapped in a package are more likely to contain healthy nutrients, fats, fiber, and antioxidants.

“All the additives, preservatives, sugars, salt, and food colorings in our food supply are not natural and the culprits to our unhealthy nation of overweight and obese people,” Colbert says.

The first phase of The High School Reunion Diet is designed to help you get over your “addiction” to poor-quality food, Colbert says. In phase two, you’ll whittle your waistline and work toward youth recovery.

There’s no counting calories or carbs in The High School Reunion Diet. And although it encourages exercise, there’s no fitness plan outlined in the book. Indeed, The High School Reunion Diet makes clear that it’s not a “diet” per se, but a road map for eating for beauty and health.

Still, if you replace processed junk foods in your diet with the healthier, more natural ones touted in The High School Reunion Diet, you’ll cut calories and lose weight as a result.

Which is one of the worst looks for your complexion. Not to mention, it’s horrible for your brain! Even mild dehydration can effect our short term memory and cognitive functions.

So even if you follow the High School Reunion Diet to the letter, you’ll need to stay up on your water intake as well. Great diet alone won’t knock 20 years away.

One of my favorite ways to remember to drink enough is this: carry a reusable water bottle around in your purse or briefcase. I make sure to keep it filled throughout the day, topping it off at the sink after every bathroom break or run to the copy machine. When my bottle is in front of me and full I find the task of drinking isn’t so daunting.

During both hot and cold seasons students learn how to grow a variety of crops including spinach, kale, radishes, eggplant, tomatoes and more. Even more importantly, the students harvest and eat the fruits and veggies after every season. Teachers  are already noticing the students’ change in attitude towards fresh foods. They are eating more salads and opting for real foods rather than processed.

Rather than just targeting school lunches, they’re teaching students about taste so those kids will learn smart choices in the future.

The best part of the recipe below is it only takes about 15 minutes to cook, a little less if you’re a pro in the kitchen. Plus, the pecans add a dash of nutty flavor and the cranberries are packed with powerful antioxidants. Try mixing it up with different types of nuts for variety.

What you need:

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
• 3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces coarsely chopped dried cranberries

Directions:

Slice the Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disk of a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you may slice thinly with a knife or a mandoline.

Set a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook, stirring continually, until the pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma, approximately 2 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender, approximately 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cranberries, toss and serve.

However, when the article about the study draws to a close there is a laundry list of nutrition advice for all shapes and sizes.  Things that will counteract that nasty DNA no matter what the problem.

Surprise, surprise. According to the article, everyone benefits from whole grains and whole fruit.  No matter what your genes, those hips will never disappear if you continue drinking mass amounts of soda and milkshakes. The only way to get the body and the skin you desire is to pay attention to your food.

Which is exactly what we’ve been saying all along.

Look at the ingredients on your favorite items and toss out the ultra-processed products. Convert the grams of sugar to tablespoons and think about how much you’re really consuming. Opt for brown, hearty breads instead of gummy, white slices with no nutritional value.

Stick to the lessons we’ve mentioned over and over again and it won’t matter much if your genes tend towards a puffy mid section or not.

Did you know laughing can relax muscles for up to 45 minutes after a good, hearty chuckle? Or that endorphins are released during a giggle-fest and can actually increase your tolerance for pain?

But more than anything else, a regular dose of laughter can launch you into a much better mood and put stress in perspective. After all, stress is a common cause for overeating.

We’ve mentioned portioning before in High School Reunion Diet but it’s important to keep coming back to the subject. Larger portions than necessary are one of the largest problems with diet in America. By simply cutting back on the amount we eat, we can cut back on the amount of weight our bodies hold on to (for some quick references as to portion sizes check out WebMD).

So giggle a little bit more this month and let the stress slip away. Then, you won’t be so tempted to pile on the extra servings!

On a side note, does anyone have a good joke in honor of April?