By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer

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In their obsession to become thin, many Americans subject themselves to deprivation diets, so-called miracle drugs and excessive amounts of exercise. If you are ready to lose weight the healthy way, it is time to get with the program.

In her newest book, The Schwarzbein Principle The Program, best-selling author Dr. Diana Schwarzbein presents a simple, 5-step approach that will help you balance your metabolism, achieve an ideal body composition, look and feel younger and delay the degenerative diseases of aging.

"For the longest time, people have been associating weight issues with health issues," Dr. Schwarzbein tells eDiets. "You need to be healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to be healthy."

One of the nation�s leading endocrinologists, Dr. Schwarzbein has been prominently featured in Womans� World and Time magazine. Also, anyone who has read Suzanne Somer�s health books knows that Dr. Schwarzbein has been one of her greatest influences. In fact, Somer�s latest book, The Sexy Years, contains an interview with Dr. Schwarzbein.

"Suzanne came to see me as a patient a few years back, and my ideas made a lot of sense to her," Dr. Schwarzbein says.

For Dr. Schwarzbein, helping people live longer and healthier lives has become a matter of principle: the Schwarzbein Principle. Dr. Schwarzbein based this principle on her knowledge of physiology combined with more than 13 years of clinical practice. According to the Schwarzbein Principle: "Because the systems of the human body are interconnected and because one imbalance creates another imbalance, poor eating and lifestyle habits, not genetics, are the cause of degenerative disease."

Thousands of people have already used the Schwarzbein Principle to slow down or completely reverse the effects of obesity, depression and many other chronic conditions and diseases. And, the physician has used it to heal herself! Dr. Schwarzbein�s quest for knowledge began after she became sick at the age of 17 due to poor eating habits.

"I was a sugar addict," Dr. Schwarzbein says. "I was always nervous and jittery. I had to heal myself from my past habits, and I only succeeded after I got rid of the false notions that it didn�t matter what I ate as long as I was thin."

For this reason, Dr. Schwarzbein does not market a weight loss approach but a total program for better health. If you follow this program correctly, you will not only achieve the ideal weight for your body, but you can also postpone or reverse the degenerative effects of aging.

"You have a certain amount of resources that you were born with," says Dr. Schwarzbein. "What you don�t want to do is speed the process up. Whenever you use up more than you rebuild, you are aging faster than normal."

The five steps to the Schwarzbein Principle Program are: healthy nutrition, stress management, tapering off toxins, smart exercise and undergoing hormone therapy if required.

1. Healthy Nutrition:
You need to eat well to build well. Instead of following the food pyramid, Dr. Schwarzbein advises her patients to eat square meals. The Schwarzbein Square includes: quality proteins, healthy fats, nonstarchy vegetables and real carbohydrates. By consuming balanced meals from these food groups and taking supplements as needed, you provide your body with all the nutrients necessary to rebuild your metabolism on a daily basis.

2. Stress Management:
While a certain amount of stress is unavoidable, it can throw every hormone system in your body out of balance. You will not be able to live a healthy lifestyle until you learn to manage your stress effectively. Dr. Schwarzbein recommends getting at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. She also feels that it is imperative to allow yourself enough down time during the day to let your mind rest.

3. Tapering Off Toxins:
According to Dr. Schwarzbein, chemicals such as tobacco, alcohol, refined sugars, caffeine and many over-the-counter and prescription drugs have no place in the human body. Her program is designed to help people taper off or avoid these kinds of toxic chemicals.

4. Smart Exercise:
While exercise is an essential ingredient for a healthy lifestyle, too much exercise can actually be counterproductive. Whether you have been spending too much time on the couch or the treadmill, Dr. Schwarzbein recommends an effective cross-training regimen that includes: flexibility exercises, resistance training and moderate amounts of cardiovascular activity.

5. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Though she doesn�t recommend hormone replacement for everyone, Dr. Schwarzbein thinks it is necessary for some people when their body doesn�t produce enough of a particular hormone. When using hormone replacement therapy, Dr. Schwarzbein recommends using a bioidentical hormone taken to mimic your body�s normal production and secretion of the hormone being replaced.

Putting the Schwarzbein Principle to work has never been easier. The latest book is easy to follow and contains all the step-by-step instructions you need, including: personal assessments, exercises and sample menus. Reading this book just might restore your health. To get your copy of The Schwarzbein Principle The Program, click here

Taking care of yourself is serious business -- it�s a job that we don�t take lightly. eDiets can help you get strong and fit the safe, healthy way. We have caring experts and over 100 support boards to accompany you every step of the journey to good health. CLICK HERE to choose your plan.