ENJOY THE 5-S DIET

What is the perfect diet?

It's a way of eating that is science based, delicious, nutritious, and time tested — a way of eating that you love because it makes you feel great mentally and physically. And, of course, it's a diet that will last.

The eating plan for you is the one you will do — and stick to. We want to transform you from reader to doer. Or to put it another way, T5 is not a diet, it's a do-it. That's exactly what Erin and I wanted when we needed to transform our minds and bodies following life-threatening medical crises, and we did extensive research to discover what that diet would be. Our 5-S way of eating is based on foods that:

• Taste good,

• Are filling and feel good in your gut,

• Are nutrient dense — the most nutrition per calorie,

• Balance your immune system — the best definition of "health food" — and

• Are proven by science to have the greatest health benefits.

After our transformations, people would ask us, "What diet are you on?" Our answer: "The real-food diet," which simply means all the good stuff is left in and no bad stuff is added.

So if someone says to you, "You look so good! What diet are you on?" that's your answer: "The real-food diet." You'll love the look of surprise on their face. This simple, delicious, and nutritious diet is the one I personally eat and have been recommending in my medical practice for over a decade. It is not a low-fat, low-carb, or high-fad diet. It is science-based, real-food eating that will transform your life.

Remember, the best diet for you is one you will consistently do. Customize this diet to one you will enjoy the most, working in your favorite treats, such as the 90/10 approach: 90 percent the 5-S diet and 10 percent your personal favorites and treats, so you'll never feel deprived.

Why do we call it the 5-S diet? These will be your new five food groups, all beginning with the letter S:

THE 5-S DIET

1. Smoothies. Enjoy one every day.

2. Salads and spices. Go green with organic arugula, kale, and spinach. Go red with tomatoes and peppers. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to increase the synergy and intestinal absorption of these nutrients. Enjoy turmeric, black pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary, chilies, and cinnamon.

3. Seafood. Our top T5 pick is wild salmon, 12 ounces a week.

4. Smart snacks, especially seeds and nuts.

5. Supplements that are science based. Fill in your nutritional gaps with supplements like concentrates of fruits, berries, and vegetables; omega-3s; and probiotics.

COACH ERIN'S KITCHEN MAKEOVER

Start your new 5-S diet by making over your kitchen and you're sure to stick with it. Throw out the really bad stuff, the chemical foods (see page 81) such as those containing high-fructose com syrup, hydrogenated oils, any # color symbol (such as red #40), and flavor enhancers such as MSG. Refill your fridge and pantry with healthier choices. (See our Shopping Guide at DrSears Wellness.org/T5/Shopping-Guide.)

Next — be honest with yourself. Can you have ice cream in the house without overdoing it? I can't! Think about what your trigger foods are, and get rid of any temptation you can t resist. Out of sight, out of mind, out of tummy. (See our "instead of' chart, page 74.)

5-S isn't about what you can't eat. It's about all the wonderful, nutritional food we get to eat. Replacing those trigger foods with healthier options is key!

COACH ERIN'S 5-S BEGINNER SHOPPING LIST:

• A journal

• A blender (doesn't need to be expensive, just powerful enough to blend leafy greens)

• An insulated bottle to shake up your smoothie when you are on the run

• Pint and quart Mason jars for making salad in a jar (see page 328)

• A cooler or insulated lunch bag, if you need to pack your food for the day

• A fitness tracker (optional; see "Share with Tech-Savvy Transformers," page 176)

• Medium-weight resistance band

• Light (5–10 pound) and medium (12–20 pound) weights

• Yoga mat

• A comfortable workout outfit (optional, but fun)

SMOOTHIES: ENJOY ONE A DAY

This is the quickest, easiest way to reshape your tastes, reset your eating habits, and start feeling better inside. Whether you call your blended bounty a "smoothie" or a "shake" is up to you. We use both interchangeably. Many transformers say they feel the effects within a week of making this one simple change — a smoothie a day. We call it the sipping solution.

• Your head feels better — clearer thinking.

• Your body feels better — more energy.

• Your gut feels better.

The sipping solution is a "supergrazing" way of eating. It's the quickest way to put your body into balance. (See "Why Grazing Is Good for You," page 56, for more information on grazing.) During my health crisis in 1997, my body was out of biochemical balance. I needed to see and feel results fast. I came up with the sipping solution and have been doing it for twenty years. As a happy, healthy, leaner doctor, I have prescribed this delicious, nutritious way of eating to hundreds of transformers in my medical practice. I have promoted it on many television and radio programs to audiences all over the world, and it was the subject of a feature article, "The Supergrazer Solution," in Prevention magazine's September 2010 issue.

My sipping solution was literally a lifesaver. After surgery for colon cancer, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, my gut wasn't ready for me to eat — at a time when I needed the best nutrition to help my body heal. Solution: First, choose the best healing foods are the most gut friendly. Second, blend them into a smoothie and sip on it all day long. That one simple change helped me heal, as it has hundreds of my patients with various ailments. The sipping solution became my top transformation...