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Do not eat between meals

This sounds incredibly simple but how life has changed in the last 40 years. When I grew up my mother used to tell me that it was bad manners to be seen eating in the street. Now people are mindlessly munching wherever you look and they have no idea of how much they really have eaten. If you add up all the snacks you eat during the day, you would probably be astonished at the number of calories you have consumed.

On my plan you will eat three good meals a day and nothing in between apart from a snack which you may have if your meal is to be delayed. By doing this you will train your body to be naturally hungry and at the prescribed mealtime.

Never eat standing up

This is a follow on from the previous rule but is vitally important. Make yourself sit down and enjoy each and every mouthful of your food. By keeping to this rule you will cut out high-calorie snacks, quick nibbles and leftovers of the children’s food – and the constant tasting of food as you prepare it. All these little snacks really can add up to a whole meal!

Eat slowly

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. As well as helping your digestion, this also aids the function of your appetite controlling mechanism. If you eat too quickly, you can often feel unsatisfied by your meal and look to dessert to fill you up. If you eat slowly, you will eat less because you will put your knife and fork down before you have finished your meal. Always try to be the last to finish when dining with friends.

‘Only half fill your stomach with food, leave a quarter for water and a quarter for digestion.’

This wonderful ancient yoga saying is so important today. Basically, eat slowly and leave the table when you are satisfied but never full. This will leave you feeling light and energized after a meal but not full and bloated.

Foods to enjoy

Vegetables and salad ingredients

All vegetables are allowed except potatoes, chips, crisps, sweet corn and baked beans, and all salad ingredients except pasta and croutons. Try to have as wide a variety as possible to achieve a balance of wonderful nutrients. Search out some lovely new salad ingredients and enjoy them, including:

asparagus	courgette	peas
aubergine	cucumber	pumpkin
bean sprouts	escarole	radicchio
beans (French)	fennel	radish
beetroot	globe artichoke	rocket
beetroot greens	kale	spinach
bok choi	kohlrabi	spring greens
broccoli	lambs lettuce	spring onion
Brussels sprouts	leek	squash
cabbage	lettuce (all types)	swede
carrot	mangetout peas	tomato
cauliflower	marrow	turnip
celeriac	mushroom	watercress
celery	onions
chicory	parsnip

Have as much as you like of the salad ingredients – but only 1 tbsp of home-made salad dressing.

Mixed Sprouts

Mixed sprouts are a wonderful addition to salads. These are easy to grow, delicious and highly nutritious, providing, weight for weight, more nutrients than virtually any other food. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, C and the B complex, fibre and protein. And they are so cheap – 1 packet, costing £1.99, keeps me in sprouts for a week! They are easily available at garden centres and health-food stores. I tend to buy mixed sprouts in packets which contain a lovely variety of delicious seeds. Some common sprouts are: alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, clover, broccoli, mung, and chick pea – but many more are available.

Caution: If you have lupus do not use alfalfa sprouts as they may trigger a reaction.

How to Grow Sprouts

You need a jam jar, an elastic band and either a muslin cloth, a Jay cloth or similar. Put 1 tbsp of seeds into the jam jar and place the cloth over the top, fastening it into place. Half fill the jar with warm (not hot) water, gently shake the jar and then pour the water out without removing the cover. Place the jar on its side in a warm dark place. Repeat the process every day; on day 3 place the jar in the light. The sprouts will be ready to eat after about 4–5 days.

Fruit

All fruits are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus. The best fruits for weight control are ogen and cantaloupe melons, raspberries and strawberries. Buy your fruits and vegetables in season and as fresh as possible. If possible, buy organic as they are free from chemical sprays and are grown in soils fertilised naturally.

apple	grape	pear
apricot	kiwi fruit	pineapple
banana	lemon	plum
bilberry	lime	raspberry
blackberry	mango	strawberry
blueberry	melons	tangerine
cherry	orange	watermelon
gooseberry	papaya
grapefruit	peach

Meat, fish and poultry

All fish, meat and poultry are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.

bacon	ham	partridge
beef	kidney	pheasant
chicken	lamb	pork
duck	liver	turkey

Dairy produce and eggs

All cheese, butter, yoghurts and eggs are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus. You are allowed ¹⁄₂ pint semi-skimmed milk or soya milk per day. If you do not like milk, then you can substitute an extra 4 oz pot of natural yoghurt.

Fish and shellfish (All fish are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.)

bream	lobster	sea bass
calamari	mackerel	shrimp
clams	mussels	snapper
cockle	oyster	swordfish
cod	prawn	trout
crab	salmon	tuna
haddock	sardine	whelk
halibut	scallop

Other foods

The following are allowed in the amounts shown in the daily menus.

 bread – only wholegrain

 mayonnaise – only home-made (see recipes) and strictly in the amount shown.

 nuts – all sorts in the amounts shown

 olive oil

 pasta – only wholegrain and only once a week maximum

 rice – only wholegrain and only once a week maximum

 salad dressings – only home-made (see recipes); no bought dressings are allowed

 walnut oil

 wine – one glass per day if desired

Not allowed

 beers and spirits

 biscuits, cakes, sweets, pies, pastries

 bread – except pure wholegrain bread

 canned, dried or frozen fruits and vegetables – the only exception to this rule is tomato puree and organic tomato sauce and ketchup

 chocolate

 diet products – they may contain additives and preservatives

 fruit squashes and fizzy drinks

 hamburgers

 ‘heat and serve’ meals

 ice cream

 jams, jellies and preserves

 jelly and blancmange

 noodles

 packaged cereals apart from organic wholegrain ones

 pasta – except wholegrain

 pizza

 potatoes

 rice – except wholegrain

 sausages and made-up meat products

 sweet corn

Whatever you buy, think fresh, fresh, fresh.

How much to eat

This is incredibly important. Food portions have grown tremendously in the last 20 years or so and with this has grown our ability to eat larger amounts than the body can cope with. So now you know the type of food to eat, it is vital to eat the correct quantities too.

I am sorry to say, I do not believe you can eat as much as you like of anything except for green salad leaves and then you must make do with just 1 tbsp of dressing.

Fruits

1 portion =

 1⁄2 of any of the following large fruits – grapefruit, papaya, mango, large banana, cantaloupe or ogen melon.

 1 small slice watermelon or 1 large slice honeydew melon.

 1 of the following – orange, apple, pear or peach.

 3 of the following – dates, figs, plums, mandarins, kiwi fruit, apricots, slices of pineapple.

 10 of the following – grapes, cherries.

 1 small dish raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries.

Vegetables

1 portion = 2 tbsp vegetables

Salads

Have as much as you like, with the exception of avocados. Avocados are high in nutrients but are also high in calories, so I do not advise them in unlimited quantities. If you do choose to include half an avocado, then cut your meat, fish, eggs or cheese portion in half – instead of 4 oz prawns you would have 2 oz prawns and half an avocado with salad.

Fish and meat

Try to have oily fish at least 3 times a week and restrict beef, lamb and pork to 3–4 times a week.

Liquids

Water

Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Water is essential for our health as it hydrates our bodies and helps flush out the toxins. Most people do not drink nearly enough water, frequently confusing the body into thinking that it is hungry instead of thirsty. A glass of water will really revive you if you are feeling tired, so try to get used to drinking about 8 glasses per day. On a typical day your body loses water through exhalation, perspiration, elimination and urination, and if this is not replaced you can easily feel tired and dehydrated. In order to have 8 glasses per day, I keep a small bottle in my car and drink this on my way to and from work (when I am stationary!). I drink another small bottle while I teach my yoga classes. I drink a glass with my lunch, when I am writing I keep a large bottle of water on my desk to sip through the day and then I have another 2 glasses at dinner.

Do try and do this. I promise you that not only will you feel much better, your skin will look much better as well. Think how a plant looks when it needs watering, it droops and its leaves look limp and wilted. Water it and see how it perks up – the same will happen to you!

Tea

No more than 5 cups per day with ¹⁄₂ pint of skimmed milk from your allowance – decaffinated if possible. Have as much herbal tea as you like. An excellent tea can be made from 1 tsp fresh grated ginger in a mug of hot water.

Tea is an integral part of many of our lives so on your plan you are allowed 5 cups of tea. Tea, especially green tea, does have a lot of health benefits due to the antioxidants known as catechins. Tea drinkers appear to have less atherosclerosis than non-tea drinkers and tea acts as an artery protector, an anti-coagulant and antiviral agent. Tea can make you feel slightly jittery so don’t have it before bed or switch to a decaffeinated variety instead. I drink decaffeinated tea with organic soya milk.

Coffee

Coffee can be great for people who wake up with morning lethargy. If you love coffee, remember no more than 2 cups per day – and no tea. I would make at least 1 of the cups decaffeinated. If you don’t have tea or coffee with milk, then you may use your milk allowance either as a lovely warm drink before bed, or on your cereal. If you don’t like milk have an extra natural yoghurt.

Alcohol

Personally, I do not drink alcohol – it simply doesn’t suit me – but I have allowed you one glass of either red or white wine per day. It can benefit your cardiovascular system. Red wine in particular can help ward off heart disease as grape skins are used in its preparation and these contain blood thinning agents, so enjoy – but no more than 1 glass per day. No beer or spirits. If you don’t like wine, you may substitute a 4 oz glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice instead.

Supplements

If you are eating a good nutritious diet you should not need any supplements. However, our soils are not so rich in minerals as they used to be and we rarely know how long our food has been in storage. For this reason, I recommend that you take 1 good multivitamin and mineral tablet daily.

Finally: on a recent visit to a Brazilian eco-centre, our breakfast table held a sign which gives food for thought:

Please do not feed the animals – an unnatural diet can make them fat, ill and aggressive.

* Syndrome X, or insulin resistance syndrome, is a name given to a host of diseases related to diet and insulin resistance – including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, and a risk of cancer, depression and eyesight problems.