The best diet I've ever found is to meet a really charming guy, fall in love with him, have him break your heart, and stop eating for a few weeks. But much more healthy – and fun is the Hamptons Diet. Move over South Beach – the newly released Hamptons Diet Cookbook by Dr. Fred Pescatore and Chef Jeff Harter gives you over 200 recipes and entertaining tips of the rich, famous, and thin. And you don't need a private chef to prepare these meals.

Before starting his own practice of nutritional medicine, Dr. Pescatore, a Manhattan and East Hampton resident, was the Medical Director at the Atkins Center. His food philosophy for losing weight is "to be healthy – no fads, no gimmicks, just good old-fashioned ideas that have stood the test of time." One of the healthiest diets he believes is the Mediterranean, not the American notion of pasta and pizza, but that of fresh, indigenous food with lower carb and sugar count.

Southampton Crab Cakes. Ham Roll-Ups with Poached Egg and Mornay Sauce.

Dr. Pescatore found a perfect collaborator in Chef Jeff Harter who spent ten years cooking in Spain. He caught the attention of Dr. Pescatore at the launch party for the original Hamptons Diet book at Alison's Restaurant in Bridgehampton where he was the chef, and the two put their heads together along with other contributors to create the recipes found in the newest edition which range from complex for the experienced culinary whiz to simplicity itself for the novice.

Chef Jeff, as he is affectionately known, subscribes to seasonal eating, "What grows together, goes together," and takes advantage of the local Hamptons produce to create his tasty but low-cal dishes. From this cookbook he recommends the simple Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Garlic and Lemon Chicken as well as the more intricate Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli, and Chilled Almond Soup with Oven-Roasted Figs and Coconut Mascarpone.

Harter credits his time spent in Spain at the three-star Michelin restaurant El Bulli with world famous chef Ferran Adria for learning both the basics and a sense of adventure. Dishes would include carrot foam, apple caviar, and a porcini risotto dish would be accompanied by a spray of pine mist. Different textures and flavors, rather than caloric ingredients, excited the taste buds.

Instead than shying away from carbs, Dr. Pescatore comes to their defense, recommending "slow carbs" such as whole grains and cautions users to look at ingredient lists, not just the product title to make sure there's truth in advertising. He also urges consumers to leave the normal grocery store aisles in search of spelt, amaranth, quinoa, kamut, and teff which are generally tastier and contain far more nutrients than their counterparts. Using a pyramid structure he categorizes proteins, vegetables, grains, fruits, and fats and oils into the top which you should eat the least and the bottom which you should eat the most, depending on your weight loss goal.

Buckwheat Crepes with Mascarpone and Strawberries. Tangy Cucumber and Tuna Wrap.

The key defining ingredient of the Hamptons Diet is macadamia nut oil. Even the beloved olive oil, Pescatore says, should only be used cold. "It has a low smoke point so it cannot be heated without the formation of unhealthy free radicals." Harter, with his background of cooking in Spain, uses many different types of high quality olive oil as drizzles after the meal has been cooked. Another choice which may surprise you is the favoring of butter and heavy cream over margarine or milk. Although they should be kept to a minimum they contain certain medium-chain triglycerides that have some health benefits, according to Dr. Pescatore.

Something which our mothers always knew is the importance of breakfast, and the Hamptons Diet Cookbook has plenty of recipes from Buckwheat Crepes with Mascarpone and Strawberries to a Four-Onion Frittata with Sage and Asiago. But then again our mothers also warned us away from that fast talking guy who would break our heart and we didn't listen to her on that either.

Coming full circle, Chef Jeff Harter will be heading out from the Hamptons for private work in Jackson Hole Wyoming while he puts together investors for his own restaurant back in Majorca Spain. Mediterranean with a Hamptons flare – sounds sexy.