Author of 'The Maker's Diet' Bound For Brooksville

BROOKSVILLE - Bruce Cameron will soon meet the man who he says is a big part of the reason why he's still around.

In August, Cameron weighed 265 pounds. The disabled veteran's waistline had ballooned to 45 inches and medication could barely keep his blood pressure in check.

Then the Brooksville resident started following the advice of Jordan Rubin, author of the best-selling book, "The Maker's Diet."

By January, Cameron had lost 85 pounds. His waistline measures 32 inches.

"I'm one of those skeptical people, but you can't lose unless you try," Cameron said. "[Rubin's advice] is very plain, very simple. He doesn't seem to claim anything that doesn't work. I think he saved my life, to tell you the truth."

Rubin will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Brooksville Natural Foods, 1254 S. Broad St. in Brooksville. It's a stop on his tour promoting his latest book, "Perfect Weight America." Everyone who attends will get a free copy.

The plan sheds the usually unattainable goal of "looking like the fashion model on TV," Rubin said in a phone interview Thursday during a stop in Georgia.

"We're not telling them what they should weigh, were' just helping them get there," Rubin said.

The book emphasizes organic, high-quality food, cleansing and fasting and an exercise program. The program provides a personal health coach through a free interactive Web site that customizes programs based on weight goals, age, gender and even seasons.

Rubin said he was inspired to write this latest one because of the growing number of Americans facing declines in health, obesity and diabetes. The statistics on children were particularly disturbing.

"If this doesn't turn around, our nation will implode," he said.

The program is based on another important premise, Rubin says: What's good for the earth is good for you, so environmental stewardship and optimal health go hand in hand by doing away with products containing harsh chemicals.

"What you use to clean your clothes, clean your house, what you put on your hair, skin and nails, all that can make you more healthy," he said.

Rubin's own story of recovery inspired many such as Cameron who faced a life-and-death need for health transformation. As a student at Florida State University, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel condition which felt, he said, "like I was having surgery on my gut while I was still awake."

He lost 80 pounds, had to use a wheelchair and nearly died. He headed off surgery by changing his diet to whole foods consumed in Biblical times: raw, organically grown whole grains, fruits, vegetables and fermented dairy, grass fed beef and poultry.

He has since written 19 books and founded Garden of Life, a health and wellness company specializing in whole food supplements and educational resources. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Nicki, and their three children.

Though Rubin has made no secret about his own religious beliefs, this latest book isn't faith-based, Rubin said. Well, not exactly.

"If you don't have faith that something's going to work," he said, "then it's not."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Appearance by Jordan Rubin, author of The Maker's Diet and Perfect Weight America.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday. Food will be served at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brooksville Natural Foods, 1254 S. Broad St. in Brooksville.

ADMISSION: Free.