There are so many diet books out there these days, it's enough to cross your eyes and make your head spin. Some call for a low-fat high-carbohydrate regimen. Others claim that a high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate plan is the way to go. And to enhance the confusion, each claims to be THE magic bullet you've been waiting for! What on earth should a person do, especially if you've practically gone broke buying dozens of these tomes, only to find yourself paralyzed and without a clue?

Well, I am not going to offer up yet another magic bullet, because I don't believe there is such a thing. But I would like to provide a service. I am reading through many of these best-sellers, and doing some research. I will be backing this up, over time, with input and feedback from the Nutrition Department of the Harvard School of Public Health (where I am a member of the Nutrition Roundtable), and I will be recommending what I believe to be the best, most lucid/enlightening/helpful information available. From this, we can piece together an overview, based on sound medical reality, and proven theory–and weed out the hype and the fads. Ready for the first installment?

I think one of the best books on the subject of diet and health is "The Schwartzbein Principle", by Diana Schwartzbein, M.D. In this study, Dr. Schwartzbein show us how understanding the relationship between what we eat and our insulin levels is imperative if we wish to adopt a healthier eating plan.

This is not just one more fad diet. She does not suggest that you stop eating–or even drastically reduce–carbohydrates. This is a balanced nutritional program in which you eat the quantity of real (not man-made) carbohydrates that match your activity level, current health, and metabolism. BALANCE IS THE KEY WORD HERE!

We need to eat from the three nutrient groups at each meal–and if possible, at each snack as well: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (ideally in the form or whole nonstarchy vegetables, whole grains, or legumes). PROTEINS AND FATS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT: THEY ARE NECESSARY FOR THE FORMATION OF ALL THE CHEMICALS NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL, SUCH AS HORMONES, ENZYMES, AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS. Nonstarchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber (and numerous phytochemicals recently discovered).

Dr. Schwartzebein shows us how everything we ingest affects our insulin level in some way. When our insulin levels are kept high for too long, we end up with a physiology that promotes blood clots, heartburn, irritable bowel, allergies, asthma and inflammation, osteoarthritis, different types of cancer, cholesterol abnormalities, coronary artery disease, reduced lean body mass with excess body fat, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stroke, type II diabetes, and earlier death.

When insulin levels are kept low for too long (through over exercising and not eating enough food) we waste away and suffer from low serotonin (symptoms: depression, insomnia, fatigue) and osteoporosis.

To quote Dr. Schwartzbein:

"When you step away from nature and eat man-made products, ingest chemicals, an deprive your body of proteins and fats, two of the most essential nutrient groups, you enter into an accelerated aging process that leads to chronic degenerative diseases.

"My clinical experience with over 3000 patients has demonstrated that degenerative diseases of aging are not genetic, but acquired by poor eating and lifestyle habits. Since the systems of the human body are interconnected, what you do to imbalance one system creates another imbalance which leads to accelerated aging and earlier death. My work has also shown that these imbalances can be corrected at any point in your life and that it is never too late.

All hormone balances are linked, and one hormone imbalance creates anotherŠBecause this is true, we focus on achieving insulin balance as a way to achieve total hormonal balance." The Recommendation:

• Restore healthy fats and protein to your diet
• Decrease reliance on carbohydrates
• Greatly reduce or eliminate processed carbohydrates, sugars, unhealthy oils, and other processed foods
• Greatly reduce or eliminate stimulants, drugs, alcohol, over-the-counter remedies
• Reduce stress
• Get enough exercise

To this I would add, eat a lot of low-starch vegetables (especially dark leafy greens, broccoli, garlic) and low-sugar, high-antioxidant fruits (cantaloupe, blueberries, oranges, pink grapefruit, organic strawberries).

I will continue on this topic next month, with an article called "FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT." Stay tuned!