7-day diet: lose your paunch

W Tomato, onion andblack-olive salad — anysupermarket version ofthis is fine

W Large green apple

W 170g pan-fried squid withred onion, cherry tomatoes,red bell pepper and cumin(can be served as avegetarian option by usingblack beans instead ofsquid)

WMixed vegetable stir-frywith garlic and ginger, withoptional giant prawns (or200g butter beans forvegetarians)

WMug white tea

W 3 grilled lamb chops (fatremoved)— rubbed withgarlic and spread with ahandful of parsley, oregano,rosemary and thyme finelychopped and combinedwith a tablespoon of oliveoil and seasoned to taste —served with French beans,peas and mangetout (2large handfuls). Vegetarianscould use mixed bellpeppers, red cabbage andleeks, with caraway seedsand serve with lentils.

W Large apple

WMug white tea

W Grilled sea bass withlemon, olives and capers,stir-fried kale andcourgettes or bakedpumpkin stuffed withvegetables of your choiceand topped with seeds

W Small (palm-sized) packetof almonds

W Large bottle spring waterto hydrate throughout theafternoon

W Large minestrone soup

W Bottle spring water tohydrate throughout theafternoon

W Handful mixed nuts

W 2 litres spring water

W Plain beef burger orveggie burger without bun,wrapped in iceberg lettuce,sandwiched with slicedtomato and pickle. Add redor green pesto for flavour,with mixed green salad

WMug green tea

W 115g sliced beef or 1 duckbreast with largemixed-bean salad pot(omit the meat and add fetacheese and sprouted beansand seeds if vegetarian),or superfood salad boxwith hoummos

W 115g sliced beef, withlarge portion of mixedvegetables or superfoodsalad with hoummos

W 1 apple

W 2 large baked apples(baked previous night —make 4, so you have somefor later in the week) withstar anise, cinnamon andnutmeg, berries and 4 tbspGreek-style plain yoghurt

WMug green tea or smallespresso

W 2 poached eggs servedover 2 large handfuls wiltedspinach, with groundnutmeg and allspice

W 1 apple

WMug green tea

W Grilled Portobellomushroom (can be roastedthe night before) with garlicand chives, filled withchopped tomato and thymeand a poached egg on top(optional).

W 1 apple

WMug whitetea

W One roast poussin withsavoy cabbage, leek andgarlic or mixed-vegetablestir-fry, with garlic, gingerand lentils

W4 grilled kipper or heatedmackerel fillets (2), withlemon juice. Handful rocketleaves for side salad orgreen juice(see recipepage 4)

WMuggreen teaW 1 apple

W Pot of edamame beans(Japanese orsupermarkettakeaway)

W Large bowl of quinoaporridge with cinnamonand berries

WMug yerba maté tea

W 115g (4oz) smoked salmonslices with watercress andjuice of one lime

WMug green tea orespresso coffee (if youcurrently drink more than3 cups per day)

W 115g sliced ham hock orgammon with mixed savoycabbage, leek and garlic(2 large handfuls in total)steamed orstir-fried in alittle olive oiland garlicwith gratednutmeg.Vegetarianscould replacethe ham withtofu

W Grilled 225g (8oz) steakor soy-marinated tofu,stir-fried with ginger andgarlic with large portionof stir-fried mixed greenvegetables (asparagusspears, broccoli and beans)

W Large sashimi box(Pret or other) orsuperfood salad withhoummos

W Large apple

1Say no to breadAnd to sandwiches, cereal, pizzaand pasta. Take these foods out of

your daily diet and see how muchmore energy you have without them.

2Say yes to proteinAll animal protein is allowedbecause it contains the eight

essential amino acids required for therebuilding and repair of every cell inthe body. The amino acids are thebreakdown products of protein, andthey are known as essential as theyhave to be derived from our diet, notfrom being manufactured in the body.Eggs, too, are allowed, including

hen, duck, caviar and other roe.Animal organs are allowed,

as they are a rich source ofB vitamins and packedwith Vitamin D.Heart and liver are

rich in CoQ10, which isgood for energyproduction in every cellin the body. If you don’tlove liver, try kidneys andheart. They can all becasseroled and do tastedelicious. However, the best sourcescome from grass-fed animals, so doyour sourcing wisely.

3Eat every four hoursEnsure you don’t get hungry byeating on a regular basis; for

example, not less than every 3-4hours. Choose slow-release snackssuch as a palmful of mixed nuts, seedbars or small pots of pulses,frequently seen in supermarket saladbars. These foods all contain plenty ofminerals such as magnesium thathelp to replenish those minerals thatare used up quickly in the body whenit is stressed.

4Eat “natural” dairyDairy produce is allowed, butonly in its natural form and not

sweetened (for example, you canhave a natural yoghurt but not astrawberry-flavoured one); and onlysmall amounts of cheese (it must bewhole cheese and not the processed,sliced varieties in packs). No icecream because of the amount ofsugar that it contains.

5Eat fish — but shellfish onlytwice a weekAll types of fish are allowed, daily

if you enjoy it, but only two portionsof shellfish per week (it’s higher in thedamaging LDL cholesterol).

6Choose vegetables thatgrow above ground, notunder the ground

Eating vegetables that grow abovethe ground have a lower GI(glucose-releasing quotient) thanthose growing underground, so theyrelease their energy over a longerperiod, with no weight gain. For thisreason, I have not included carrots,turnips, swede, parsnips and beetrootin this programme.Think lean and green for the

majority of your vegetables(asparagus, artichokes, spinach,chard, kale, broccoli, beans of anytype, courgettes, celery, and all saladleaves). Eat them raw or cooked.

Green vegetables are so beneficialbecause they are rich in magnesium,which helps to absorb calcium intobone and not into the arteries. (It isimportant to ensure that calcium inthe diet does not end up in thearteries, contributing to arterial“plaque”, which is a major cause ofhigh blood pressure.)

7Eat sprouts and seedsAll sprouted beans and seedsmay be added to soups, salads,

etc. Sprouted mung beans, lentils andchickpeas are rich in vegetarianproteins, which is important for thosenot eating animal proteins.Quinoa is actually a seed and not a

grain, so all grab-and-go saladsand dishes that include thisgrain are allowed.

8Watch your saladFreshly preparedsupermarket salads

are allowed but should beaccompanied by a source

of protein that is three timestheir weight. While they are

low calorie, a bag of mixed-saladleaves generate little energy, leavingyou hungry and more likely to cravecarbs. Fill up on red or white meats,fish or poultry; nuts and seeds,quinoa, and cheeses for vegetariansand vegans.

9Eat apples, not bananasFruits are limited becauseof the way they deliver their

sugars. Choose crunchy apples andpears, which are rich in pectin,slowing down the release of sugarsfrom the flesh of the fruit, and won’tsend your blood-sugar levels soaring.Mixed berries (fresh or frozen) arealso good. Bananas have a highglycemic index (GI), making themone of the forbidden foods on aweight-loss programme despite theirrich source of potassium, which helpsto lower blood pressure. We areconcentrating on foods that help toshed pounds.

10Avoid Asian takeawaysAsian takeaways, includingIndian, Thai and

Vietnamese, contain high levels ofadded sugars, additives andthickeners. White rice has a very highGI, which will prevent you fromdropping that weight and may evencause weight gain.

11Drink water and vegetable(not fruit) juiceYou should drink two litres of

water per day minimum, preferablystill. It’s better to drink water betweenmeals, especially throughout theafternoon when fatigue is more likelyto hit when you are dehydrated.People often mistake thirst forhunger. You may add natural energypowders, such as Revive Active orMyprotein multivitamin powder, toboost your levels of nutrients throughyour day.No carton juices. They are high in

sugars and sweeteners. Freshly juicedvegetables only are a great way toobtain nutrient density and hydrationat the same time.Do you think a breakfast of black

coffee and nothing else can helpyou lose weight? You shouldbe aware that coffee drunk first thingin the morning on an empty stomach,as it often is, interferes with yourblood-sugar levels and theproduction of insulin, raising thelikelihood of fat storage, rather thanfat-burning, if you are spending therest of the day sitting at a desk.Green tea, white tea and yerba

maté are the best herbal teasfor men as they have some caffeine,but not as much as coffee and blacktea. Drinking them with your mealscan help to stimulate yourmetabolism. Indeed, green tea isoften referred to as the “slimmer’stea”. No sugars or sweeteners areallowed and fruit teas are notrecommended as they can make youcrave sugar.

12Don’t choose low-fatDo NOT choose low-fatversions of any foods — they

often contain higher levels of sugar,sweeteners and/or salt.

13Be careful how you cookCooking methods caninclude stir-fried, grilled,

baked, poached, steamed andpan fried, but not deep fried.

14No alcoholFor the duration of thisseven-day programme you

need to cut out all alcohol. This willgive your digestion, including yourliver, a true break. More than 80 percent of your immune systemresides in the gastro-intestinal tract(from your mouth to the intestines),and nothing compromises immunityas much as alcohol; to say nothingof the sugar and calories thatalcohol contains.

15All sugar is outThe recommended intakeof “added sugars” (such as

honey, fruit juice, jam, soft drinksand those in processed food, aswell as the sugar you add to food)is 10 per cent of your total dailycalorie intake. For this programme,it’s all out.Sugar is sugar (as glucose, fructose,

sucrose or any other ’ose), whetherit’s in the form of honey, agave, brownrice malt syrup or maple syrup, jams,marmalade, carton juices (especiallywhere all the fibre has been extracted,and you are left with a clear juice),and all will cause your blood-sugarlevels to rocket.Choose instead any of the followingas natural sweeteners6 Cinnamon powder (alsoantihistamine, antibacterial,anti-inflammatory)6 Grated nutmeg (spicy as well assweet)6 Star anise (one of the most potentantibacterials)6 Vanilla pods (can be added toyour drinking water for those thatare used to fizzy drinks throughoutthe day)6 Apple pectin powder (includes allthe benefits found in apples, such asreducing cholesterol, cleansing thedigestive tract and reducingconstipation)

Lose your paunch the rulesThese are the guidelines that you must follow if you want to lose the paunch for good.They will help with the seven-day eating plan and the maintenance plan that follows it

W 3 small or 2 large eggs,scrambled, with 2 handfulsof spinach mixed in whilecooking — add groundpepper and rock salt

W Large green apple

WMug yerba maté orgreen tea

W Small handful mixed nuts— no dried fruit

W Large bottle spring waterto hydrate throughout theafternoon or 2 mugsgreen/white tea

W Grilled chicken breast(large), sliced over stir-friedmixed vegetables and beansprouts (eaten raw orcooked) — dressed witholive oil and lemon juice ormixed bean salad pot fromany supermarket

W 1 pear

W Small pack of savourypopcorn

W Large bottle spring waterto hydrate throughout theafternoon

W Butternut squash soup(450-500g ready-preparedsupermarket freshvariety or equivalent ofhome-made), with 2tspseeds (look out for brandssuch as The Food Doctor orCrunchy Seeds) — take inThermos to work

WMug green tea

W High-protein snack bar,such as Bounce EnergyBalls, available fromWaitrose and Holland &Barrett

W Large bottle spring waterto hydrate through theafternoon

The seven-day diet planDay 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Breakfast

Dinner

Afternoon

Lunch

Portobello mushroom (day 7) Grilled lamb chops (day 6)Pan-fried squid (day 3) Grilled steak (day 1)

2 7-Day Diet 7-Day Diet 3