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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.

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