Health Expert/Author Shares Diet Downfalls & Tips

If you're looking to get in shape before summer, you may want to follow the advice of health expert and New York Time's bestselling author Jordan Rubin. In his latest book, Perfect Weight America: Change Your Diet, Change Your Life, Change Your World, he shares the three diet pitfalls to look out for and simple ways to stay on the right track.

The biggest diet sabotager, according to Rubin, is that most people don't have a plan.

"We're constantly bombarded with new, trendy diets--but most of us get confused by all the mixed messages and don't really follow just one plan," he says. Instead, Rubin suggests that the best weight loss plan is one that is based on common sense and one that you know you can follow through on.

Another downfall to avoid is eating the same boring foods over and over again. With a huge selection at the grocery store, Rubin suggests expanding your palate by adding five new, healthy, whole foods (think fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts--not processed foods from a box) in your shopping cart each week.

Also, don't spike your sugar levels by eating only fruit or whole grains. This can raise insulin levels too much, resulting in the suppression of leptin, a hormone that tells us when we have had enough to eat. Rubin says that it's best to mix complex carbohydrates with healthy fats or fiber.

"Adding peanut butter to a banana or munching on nuts with your carrot juice slows the release of sugar, which in turn slows the release of insulin," says Rubin.

Source: Natural Solutions (May 2008)

Related Article: Normal Weight Doesn't Always Mean Healthy