The Hot Latin Diet:  A FirstLook Feature

Dr. Manny Alvarez, a Fox News senior medical correspondent and author of The Checklist will be releasing a new book next week--The Hot Latin Diet: The Fast-Track Plan To a Bombshell Body.  In the hot looking book he cites the Top Reasons Why Diets Don't Work:

1. The search for a quick fix instead of long-term changes

2. Eating mindlessly

3. I'm stressed: Let's eat

4. Heading for fries instead of an apple

5. Caving in to others' needs instead of your own

6. The ol' "I'll start my diet tomorrow"

7. Hitting the bottle

8. Taking a drastic all-or-nothing approach

9. Thinking "I can't"

"Fad diets," Dr. Manny writes, "are fleeting."  Pointing out the pros and cons of The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Zone, The Sugar Busters Diet, Weight Watchers, The 3-Hour Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet and the Lemonade Master Cleanse, his major points are:  restrictive diets (1-2 foods) are nutritionally unsound; supplementation diets means spending big bucks; fad dieting is short-lived because weight gain returns; you must exercise daily, not just follow an eating program.

Dr. Manny recommends we all follow the Latin diet because it contains 7 superfoods, the backbone of Latin nutrition, which promote a healthier lifestyle and weight loss, incorporated with exercise.  

Tomatillos: Glycemic Index - 30; has more nutrients than its relative the tomato; rich in antioxidants, vitamins C, A, folic acid and potassium

Garbanzo Beans: Glycemic Index - 36; full of fiber; low in natural sugar; a complex carb and protein source

Avocado: Glycemic Index - 12; a fruit with good for your monounsaturated fat; will help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol; oils the intestines for better elimination

Garlic: Boosts the immune system; contains antimicrobial elements; lowers bad cholesterol; improves libido and blood circulation; eat it every day

Cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon daily lowers sugar levels as an aid in diabetes prevention; high in antioxidants and flavor

Chiles: Glycemic Index - 10; high in minerals and antioxidants; cools the body

Cilantro: Improves excretion of toxic metals from the body

Other beneficial foods Dr. Manny recognizes:

Beans: garbanzos (chickpeas), lentils, black beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans

Fruits: mangoes, papayas, pineapples, cherimoyas, passion fruit, guava, limes, and the acai

Vegetables and Chiles: tomatoes, plantains, avocados, jicama, nopales, calabaza, jalapeno, chipotle, etc..

Grains, Tubers, and Nuts: quinoa, amaranth, yuca, yautia, corn, rice, pine nuts, peanuts, and pecans

Seafoods: shrimp, clams, snapper, congrio, trout, sea bass

Poultry: free-range organic chicken, turkey, quail, eggs

Meat: principally organic beef, lamb, and pork

Related: What Does Dr. Manny Say About the Acai Berry?

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