Diet Plans

7 Day Must Have Superfoods Diet
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7 Day Must Have Superfoods Diet

Well it’s finally here folks 😀 …

This diet uses all of our must have superfoods plus many more.  It’s a 7 day diet designed to detox, cleanse and boost the immune system, break food addictions, especially starches and sugars and pave the way for a healthier new diet for life.

There should be no substitutions other than those listed and no additional food.

Sorry … no alcohol for a week but hey, it’s only 7 days and you can expect to lose up 10 lbs, possibly even more.

Your last meal of the day should be no later than 7pm and preferably before 6pm.  Between your last meal and bedtime, drink 4 mugs of green tea.

On Rising drink a half litre of water (can be warm, cold, still or sparkling) with the juice of half a lemon or PLJ

30 minutes later for Breakfast

1 pink grapefruit plus either 1 boiled egg or a handful of walnuts

Mid Morning

A mug of fennel tea

Lunch

A huge salad using as many as possible of the following ingredients:

Super Food Salad

  • rocket
  • watercress
  • baby leaf spinach
  • other seasonal leafy salad greens
  • dandelion leaves
  • cherry tomatoes
  • radish
  • cucumber
  • onion
  • celery
  • grated carrot
  • grated beetroot

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and salt to taste and toss well.

Now choose just 1 of the following sources of protein … try to vary this daily:

  • 2 rough chopped hard boiled eggs
  • 150g full fat cottage cheese
  • 160g tin of tuna drained of water and flaked
  • 1 sliced avocado pear
  • 160g tin of salmon drained of water and flaked
  • 125g of either chicken, turkey, ham finely chopped

Miracle Super Foods Diet Preotein

Add your chosen protein to the salad, along with 1 tablespoon of seeds and toss again … now simply enjoy.

As an alternative to adding one of the above proteins to the salad you can choose 100g of any meat fried in a teaspoon of butter and have the salad on the side … if there are any juices left in the pan, drizzle them over the salad for extra taste!

Mid Afternoon

Mug of fennel tea

Dinner

As much Super Food Soup as you want (no bread or anything with it) followed by desert which is:

150 – 200g pot of full fat plain live yoghurt mixed with 1 teaspoon of real honey and 1/2 to one teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 small banana served in one of the following ways:

  • mash the banana, cinnamon and honey together and stir through the yoghurt
  • stir the cinnamon and honey into the yoghurt and add chopped banana
  • stir the cinnamon and honey into the yoghurt and eat the banana separately
  • slice the banana in half lengthways and place flat side down in an ovenproof dish sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.  Grill until golden and warm and serve the yoghurt on the side.

Miracle SuperFood Diet Desert Full Fal Plan Yoghurt Banana Cinnamon Honey

Follow with the first of your 4 mugs of green tea before bedtime 🙂

Try to allow at least 4 hours between each meal … finish each meal in one go and no snacking in between.

If you want to you can use a dollop of your yoghurt to add to your soup.

I will talk more to you later about using this diet for longer and about alternative recipies but for now … just enjoy week one and please do let us know how you get on. 🙂 x

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7 Day The Grapefruit Came Before The Chicken and Egg Diet

This diet is based on the numerous Grapefruit and Egg Diets which are out there on the net.  I tailored it to make it as easy as possible to follow and added a few tweaks of my own.  It is repetitive but for me that worked as it stops me thinking about tomorrows menu before I’ve even eaten todays.

Expect to lose 7-10 lbs

Throughout the day you can drink unlimited quantities of herbal teas, tea and coffee with no milk or sugar and water.

On Waking drink a half litre of water, either boiled, chilled, still or sparkling with either half a lemon squeezed into it or PLJ.

Breakfast 30 minutes later

Preferably a grapefruit (but if you really cannot stand grapefruit then 2 apples and an orange) plus a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Lunch

Grilled Chicken (either hot or cold) with a green salad, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt and pepper to taste (optional).

150 – 200 gram pot of full fat plain natural yoghurt.  (Try saving  half the tub to add substance to your evening omelette).

Dinner No later than 7pm but preferably before 6pm

In a small frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of butter and gently fry a sliced tomato, a small clove of of crushed garlic (optional but really good for you) and sweat down some spinach.  Mix well and reserve on a plate.

In a bowl, beat 2 eggs with the remainder of your yoghurt, a dash of mustard and salt and pepper to taste.  Fold in the tomatoes garlic and spinach and return to the pan.  Cook on the hob until golden underneath and then place under a hot grill until golden on top.

Serve with another green salad, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt and pepper to taste (optional).

Between now and bedtime drink 4 mugs of green tea.

This is probably the simplest 7 day Miracle Diet I’ve tried and I did lose the 10 lbs.

Sorry but no substitutions other than those listed and no snacking or extras … Remember it’s only 7 days 🙂

Grapefruit, Chicken and Egg Diet

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Calorie Counting Makes You Fat

This post was previously written for another blog but now sits perfectly within this one.

While chatting to people on internet forums I find myself repeatedly banging on about two particular books, so I figured I’d write an explanation as to why I have this particular OCD and put a link to it from my signature.  Please note that I gain nothing from promoting these books other than the hope that I will have passed on something invaluable to as many people as possible.

Actually, I say invaluable … the first book, Why Do You Overeat When All You Want Is To Be Slim by Zoe Harcombe cost me over two hundred pounds! …

I was exhibiting at a trade show in London and needed some painkillers.  I wandered into what was a very strange pharmacy by northern standards … it appeared to sell just about everything from handbags to postcards and terribly tacky tourist gifts to fruit and vegetables! … it did however have a fairly substantial alternative health and vitamin section which had some really unusual products most of which I’d never heard of.

The Pharmacist spotted my interest and duly accosted me.  She appeared to be somewhat of an expert and diagnosed me with all manner of weird and wonderful ailments I had no idea even existed, let alone ailed me  … things like “an overgrowth of yeast”, which was apparently making my stomach bloated.  Anyway, she started prescribing all these supplements, vitamins, teas and tinctures.  Well I thought, it had to be worth a try as a lot of what she had said made some kind of sense.  I nearly dropped dead when she handed me the small carrier bag in exchange for well over £200! … luckily it was pre credit-crunch and I could put it on one of several pieces of plastic in my wallet.

As part of the deal she GAVE me a copy of the book by Zoe Harcombe.  It appeared that this mega saleswoman rip off merchant was also a cheeky sod to boot! … I mean I was only a size 12 at the time!

Whilst I didn’t know it at the time, it was probably the best £200 I’ve ever invested in my life and it really was an investment in my life.  You of course can get second hand copies of the book for two or three pounds which surely means it has to be worth a punt just to see why I won’t stop banging on about it 😀

Zoe’s website strapline simply says it all …

Zoe Harcombe – Because everything you think you know about obesity is wrong

The book can be previewed here and with a contents list that includes such headings as:

  • Pure, White and Deadly – Sugar, the more accessible heroin
  • Eating Fat Doesn’t Make You Fat – Fat is NOT the enemy
  • Calorie Counting Makes You Fat
  • Fat Bank Accounts Slim Progress – Why has obesity got worse as we have developed as nations
  • I’m Pat and I’m An Alcoholic – How Candida, Food Intolerance and Hypoglycaemia explain Alcoholism

It really opens your eyes as to how our bodies function and how by eating processed and refined foods we are actively destroying our bodies simply in order to line the pockets of those involved in the convenience food and slimming monopolies.

In fact type Zoe Harcombe into your search engine of choice and find out just how hard this one woman has lobbied to dispel the myths and lies we are fed on a daily basis.

So thanks to Zoe (and a strange London pharmacist of course) I am now totally aware and educated about what I choose to put into my body.  Of course whilst I can control what I put into my body and thereby control some of my bodies own chemicals, I am unable by diet alone to control another set of chemicals …  the stress chemicals.  This brings me onto the second of my two must  have books …

Finding Serenity In The Age of Anxiety by Robert Gerzon

The following text is taken from his website as above:

It’s everything from that irritating hum in the background of our existence to total panic. We often call it “stress” or “fear.” According to author and psychotherapist Robert Gerzon, it’s really anxiety.

Anxiety is America’s number one mental health problem. This anxiety epidemic, spawned by the relentless pace and mounting strains of modern life, has gone largely unrecognized, undiagnosed and untreated. Now Robert Gerzon’s groundbreaking book Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety, defies the cultural taboo against acknowledging anxiety and exposes the tragic toll it takes on our health, our relationships, our lives and on society as a whole.

Reaching beyond psychology, Gerzon draws upon science, myth, spirituality and mindbody medicine to bring much-needed clarity to the classic human dilemma of anxiety. Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety dispels the myth that all anxiety is bad and reveals its long-hidden secret: There are actually three distinct, yet related, types of anxiety. As he skillfully unravels anxiety’s tangled knot, Gerzon reveals the three different strands — Toxic, Natural and Sacred Anxiety:

  • Toxic Anxiety, the dreaded and destructive overreaction, may result in worry, unrealistic fear, self-sabotage, relationship problems, addiction, illness, depression, panic and other symptoms. It can be transformed into emotional healing and personal growth.
  • Natural Anxiety, the healthy arousal that warns us of real dangers and alerts us to new opportunities, provides energy that can be harnessed to attain our goals and achieve peak performance. This anxiety can actually feel positive and enlivening as we convert it into excitement and passion.
  • Sacred Anxiety, the spiritual and existential aspect, represents our soul’s deepest yearning for love and meaning, our dread of death and our sense of awe and wonder at the miracle of life. When embraced, it leads us to discover our life purpose and to experience unshakable serenity amidst life’s ever-changing circumstances.

An Anxiety Personality Quiz enables you to identify your anxiety reaction style (Worrier, Distracter, Internalizer, Externalizer, Controller and Helper). Gerzon discusses the different ways men and women have been conditioned to respond to anxiety and how awareness of anxiety’s role in relationships can open up greater passion and intimacy. Practical techniques such as positive Inner Talk and the A+ Formula help you change your “inner worrier” into an “inner warrior” that can help you meet the challenges of life. Breathing, body awareness and meditation provide additional mindbody methods of self-calming.

This inspirational and engaging book provides a provocative new way to change anxiety from an annoying pest or terrifying monster into a guiding angel.

I particularly liked the bit where he explains the fight or flight mechanism by using your boss or your bank manager who likes to say no as the bear … it’s the bit where he says something along the lines of “you can neither run away nor punch him in the face” LOL!

I also found the anxiety type quiz fantastically illuminating and could begin to understand more fully, all of the relationships both in my work and my private life … past, present and of course future.  The lessons and knowledge in these two books should be taught as part of the national curriculum.

By the way after I ran out of the 1 month supply of strange supplements I stopped taking them … in all honesty I don’t know whether any of them would have worked or not in the long term but even then I wasn’t about to spend over £200 a month to find out.

I hope these two books prove to be as invaluable to you and yours as they have been to me and mine.

Always With Love … Denise xxx

Banana, Cinnamon and Honey Toastie

Banana Cinnamon and Honey Toastie

 

Mash a well ripened banana in a bowl with a half to one teaspoon of cinnamon to taste and 1 teaspoon of real honey.

This is 3 of our Must Have Superfoods that sould be included in every diet

From your choice of healthy bread take two slices and very lightly butter one side of each.  

Spread the mashed banana, cinnamon and honey mixture on the unbuttered side of one of the slices and top with the other slice of bread, buttered side out.

To cook, either grill, use a toastie maker or use a none stick pan until both sides of the bread are golden brown.

Either serve straight … (most healthy way) or sprinkle lightly with Vanilla Icing Sugar.

Enjoy 😀 x

You could also take this to work as a regular sandwich (with or without butter but on the inside 😀 ), without toasting and there are lots more exciting and yummy variations on this to come.

 

 

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My Own Diet Plan

The first thing I did was look at the foods I absolutely loved and my pattern of eating and drinking.

I always skipped breakfast and if I was busy I found I wasn’t even hungry until mid afternoon.

I’m not proud of this next admission BUT I drank every evening from around 7pm.  I would then have dinner between 9 and 10pm and go to bed shortly afterwards.

The fact that I ate so late was probably the reason I was never hungry until mid day the following afternoon.  The fact that I’d had a few drinks and went to bed on a full tummy meant I could sleep easily and soundly.

If I was to succeed long term, I had to work within that pattern.

I have to say that I am a real foodie … one of my favorite foods after a drink being kebabs (not the donner ones though … yuk).

I will explain why I made some very specific food choices on our “Understanding Food Groups” page.

A health grill was the best investment I ever made.

MY DIET

From waking until I was hungry, usually around 3pm I would drink sparkling water with PLJ (Pure Lemon Juice}

3pm I would have two small slices of Rye, Spelt and Wheat bread topped with peanut butter.  This was an excellent source of protein and fibre and very slow energy release.

I would usually have a piece of fruit, preferably a banana some time later in the afternoon.

7pm I would start to wind down from work with whiskey in a large glass, topped up with sparkling spring water.  In a week I would get through an average of one and a half litres of whiskey (yes I am aware that is way over the recommended average).  I never claimed to be an angel!

9pm I would start to cook dinner which was always:

Any type of well seasoned fresh meat cooked on the grill but with fat intact (Mmmm crispy meat fat) in a small pitta bread, stuffed with either tons of salad or vegetables also cooked on the grill.

Now I know sugar is bad for us but I needed the added spice and so would always add relish to the kebab.  It really was like having a treat every single night as it was food I loved and it was lovely and tasty.

Occasionally instead of the meat I would have cream cheese and occasionally I would also substitute the relish for a dollop of cream cheese.

Now get this … I always finished off with a rounded teaspoonful of Nutella, which I let dissolve slowly in my mouth so I could fully appreciate its awesomeness.

There were some slight variations but essentially that was it and here I am the following summer (18 months after I reached my goal and having not even gained weight over Christmas and New Year! (aged 50 and riding a BMX :D)

My Diet

Actually the bike has a tendency to do stunts all by itself, usually resulting in me on the floor with various cuts and bruises!