Doctor-Approved Crash Diets

The Taster's Choice

Her Menu

Christine Lydon, MD, wears many hats: pin-up, ripped hottie/doctor/writer. But her diet is simpler than her resume. If she wanted to lose a little around the middle, Dr. Lydon would eat primarily protein and vegetables. Try this saucy recipe from her upcoming book:

Indian Chicken

Makes 8 servings

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

• 8-10 skinless chicken hindquarters (thighs and legs)
• 6 cups canned chickpeas, mashed
• 2 cups baby-cut carrots

For the sauce

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup low-fat or nonfat sour cream
• 3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 5.5 ounces tomato paste
• 1 cup nonfat, sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay chicken pieces flat over bottom of a 9-x-12-inch casserole dish. Evenly spread mashed chickpeas and baby carrots between and over chicken quarters.

In a large saucepan, saute onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until onions are translucent. Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir over low heat until mixture is well blended. Pour sauce over chicken, baby carrots, and mashed chickpeas. Place on the middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.

Nutrition facts per serving: 570 calories, 42g protein, 5g carbohydrate, 23g fat (4g saturated), 13g fiber.

Her Moves

"You burn the most calories when you spike up your heart rate at least four or five times over a 20-minute period," Dr. Lydon says. Her favorite way to get that cardiac fluctuation is by playing sports, such as ice hockey and skiing in the winter and mountain biking during the warmer months. When she's not shredding dirt or snow, Dr. Lydon pumps iron with two pairs of weights, 5 and 10 pounds. "Multijoint movement, such as doing a squat and a shoulder press at the same time, will give you the best results," she says, and it saves time.

Her Motivation Tip

Drink about 60 ounces of water a day. Says Dr. Lydon, "Physiologically speaking, you burn fat most efficiently and are able to retain more muscle when you're adequately hydrated."

-- Christine Lydon, MD, author of Ten Years Thinner, out in January