Jorge Cruise Shares the Secret to Diet Success
Jorge Cruise is an expert on food and dieting, having authored over 30 bestselling books in 16 languages. As a celebrity diet advisor, he’s worked with many famous folks, as well as everyday people like you and me.
Jorge first appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in the 90s and has since contributed to The Steve Harvey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors TV, Extra TV, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Huffington Post, First for Women Magazine, Women's World Magazine, and the Costco Connection. He hosts the popular ZERO HUNGER GUY podcast.
Today we talk to Jorge about how he got his start, what drives him, and his secrets for losing weight and getting fit, including It’s Skinny Pasta!
WELCOME! SO, LET’S START OUT WITH THE DEEP QUESTION: WHO IS JORGE CRUISE? WHAT DO YOU DO, AND WHAT DRIVES YOU?
Jorge Cruise is a guy who figured out how to keep the weight off. I was an overweight young man, growing up in a family where sugar addiction was my way to numb myself to trauma and stress. When I got old enough to figure out that I didn’t want to be overweight, I became obsessed with figuring out the simplest way to do it.
My first book, called 8 Minutes in the Morning, struck a nerve—a couple of million people bought it. It was featured in Oprah Magazine and then in her book club, and my career expanded from there.
I went on to write more books people enjoyed; 12 million books were published. With that came a following of many folks who struggled with weight. We met, connected, and it brought me to what I do today: helping people do intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has become my secret sauce to help people improve both their weight loss and, more importantly, their longevity.
No one has time; we all want shortcuts. So, I’ve made it my quest to give people the tools to take advantage of intermittent fasting and a low-carb lifestyle in the most accessible way possible--so they aren’t hungry.
It's Skinny became a go-to tool in our arsenal. You can eat the whole package! People love pasta, rice, and carbs. With It's Skinny, you can have your "carbs," keep the weight off, and even fast. It's like magic.
TELL US THE MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH. WHEN DID YOU START SEEING RESULTS THAT MOTIVATED YOU TO COMMIT TO MAKING LIFESTYLE CHANGES?
My mother passed away the year before I was on the Oprah show. She was in her early-60s, so super young—younger than Oprah and Steve Harvey now. It was tough because I lost her so early due to health misinformation. She would take Ibuprofen and Tylenol like candy. She had a bad hip, and she took them for pain, not knowing that if you don't drink enough fluids, they can harm your kidneys. She lost renal function. It was tough to see her pass away so young.
I wanted to help people—women like my mom who struggle with health information. I wanted to give them a way to understand wellness easily.
At the same time, I was also conquering my own weight issues, and my motivation skyrocketed. I took the lemon of my mom’s passing and made lemonade, and I’ve dedicated my entire career to my mom, Gloria. She never saw me go on the Oprah Winfrey Show, but she was the one who got me there.
LIKE YOUR MOM, MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO SEPARATE THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA NOISE. WHAT ABOUT YOUR HEALTH MESSAGE RESONATES WITH PEOPLE?
Oprah once told me, "I've struggled with weight my entire life. Make it easy. Don't expect people to go through ten steps. Even three is too much. Keep it short and simple." So, for me, that became the big question: how can I make fitness simple?
I’ve made sure that whatever I'm talking about will be understandable and accessible. All 37 books I’ve written have the theme of simplicity, from 8 Minutes in the Morning to The Belly Fat Cure (carb swapping) to Cruise Control (intermittent fasting) to my new book called Zero Hunger, which will feature It’s Skinny.
Zero Hunger is the culmination of my entire shortcut system. One of my first clients was Tony Robbins. He underscored the concept of communicating complex concepts in a simple way.
My book will give people a new perspective on hunger control that doesn’t involve drugs and all the crazy things celebrities use. Many diet drugs are similar to methamphetamines. They accelerate your metabolism, but you can’t sleep at night, you’re anxious, and it’s not good for you. It might work for your class reunion or vacation—you’ll slim down and drop 20 pounds, but it comes right back.
High-fiber diets work, but most people don't enjoy them. People don't want to live off Metamucil. But you get food that’s high-fiber and delicious, like It's Skinny, and it's something people want. It’s pasta that’s part of the lifestyle.
WHAT DO PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT NUTRITION AND FITNESS?
The biggest misconception about weight loss is that people try to out-train a poor diet. Even I’ve been guilty of it. My first book was about an exercise plan to bolster your metabolism. Not that you can't elevate your metabolism to some degree, but it's hard to outrun a poor diet.
I’d rather people use fitness to build strength. Strong bones are even more important than muscle strength. You stand up straight, not hunched over; you're not in pain. You can pick up a box and not hurt your back.
Mental health is critical to wellness. Exercise raises dopamine levels like drugs, alcohol, or sugar. When dopamine and serotonin go up, you feel high and happy without the negatives that come from sugar, alcohol, and drugs. I’d love people to use fitness for good mental health and strength-building.
Accountability is also critical for success. Tony Robbins talks about it--you need to check in with someone at least once a week. The more you check in, the better. It might mean scheduling with a therapist, a coach, a trainer, a nutritionist, or someone honest who will tell you hard truths.
TELL US MORE ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING. IS IT JUST SKIPPING MEALS?
People, unfortunately, think intermittent fasting (or IF) is torture. They believe it’s literally starving yourself, it's unhealthy, and it destroys your metabolism. Shockingly, it's none of those things. Instead, it's an ancient form of time-restricted eating, mimicking our ancestors.
On my podcast, I interview many incredible people, including experts like Dr. Jason Fung, the leading doctor on IF. Under his clinical supervision, people will drop 15-20 pounds in a week. Dr. Fung gave me the confidence to do IF well.
Fasting works best to lose stored fat. Your body is very intelligent and uses stored fat for energy. IF is the most effective way to tap into that belly, thigh, chin, and arm fat. You can fast for 12 hours or go beyond to 16 or even 20 hours. Many of my clients go 20 hours with one meal a day but give themselves four hours to enjoy that meal.
Benjamin Franklin said, “the best of all medicines is resting and fasting." And it’s true—it's almost a cure-all. I'm not a doctor, so you should check with your medical professional before starting any diet. But I've seen people improve arthritis, headaches, chronic fatigue, bad skin, and inflammation. After 16-20 hours of not eating food, your body goes into autophagy—a state of recycling cells into the best version of yourself. As a result, you'll lose weight easily!
The hardest part of IF is turning "off" hunger. My solution is Zero Hunger Water, coming out late fall as a ready-to-drink product. It's an electrolyte drink with the proper ratio of minerals that acts like an appetite suppressant. It improves blood volume. When your blood volume increases, you feel full, and the phantom hunger disappears.
You can even make Zero Hunger Water yourself at home. I have a masterclass on how to make the water, and I give out the recipe for free—it’s ¼ of a teaspoon of salt in 32 ounces of water. Then you can add magnesium and potassium. You can sweeten the water with stevia or monk fruit. You drink that and follow the IF meal plans.
IF success is just two steps. First, you replace two meals with Zero Hunger Water. Then you enjoy a sensible meal each day--that’s where It’s Skinny comes in.
My go-to meal is protein with It's Skinny pasta. I love steak or chicken with a little salt. I look for fattier, darker cuts like ribeye and have it with my It's Skinny Pasta, and my body feels great! It's getting all the nutrients it needs and has almost 24 hours to digest the protein and fiber.
The people who live the longest are lean. The bigger you are, the harder it is to live longer. With IF, you maintain the slim figure you want and enjoy a longer, healthier life. It’s a miracle, in my opinion. And we have many tools for hunger control, including Zero Hunger Water and It's Skinny Pasta.
WHY IS IT'S SKINNY A CRUCIAL PART OF THE ZERO HUNGER PLAN?
When people fast, they want their meals to be delicious and worth it. As much as I encourage them to eat high protein, high-fat foods, people want carbs. It's Skinny satisfies those cravings.
Most of us are busy too. When I talk to celebrities like Tony Robbins, Kelly Ripa, and Cher, they want shortcuts and easy ways to keep in shape.
My number one tip for most people is to eat good protein and find a carb you like. For most, the top carb is pasta. It's Skinny is now part of all of our meal plans. You can have a bowl of pasta with creamy butter, salt, and pepper, and it’s like you didn’t eat a thing. It’s a cheat. I call it a “Zero Hunger cheat.”
You won't even break your fast if you eat It's Skinny without protein or too much fat, because there’s no carbs or sugars. Many of my clients do a three-day fast monthly and use It's Skinny for those days so they don’t break their fast. It’s delicious, satisfying, and filling.
It's Skinny offers endless possibilities for customization. It fixes the issue of carb cravings with a guilt-free plant-based pasta. There are no negative consequences. It's every dieter's dream! I'm hoping people like Oprah, Gail King, Tyra Banks, the Real Housewives—all the women I've worked with—will try it.
If you try It's Skinny, I know you’ll love it too! With It's Skinny, you can follow the Zero Hunger Plan easily. Enjoy the results and get a healthy body that you’ll feel proud of.
