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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One Pot Rustic Chicken in Red Wine

INGREDIENTS
8 slices prosciutto ham
8 large boned and skinned chicken thighs
1tbsp olive oil
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
About 12 shallots or button onions, halved
225g (8oz) shiitake mushrooms
1tbsp plain flour
300ml (½ pint) each red wine and hot chicken stock
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf

METHOD
1 Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each chicken thigh. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken pieces for 8–10min until golden all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2 Add the garlic and shallots and fry over a gentle heat for 5min or until the shallots are beginning to soften and turn golden. Stir in the mushrooms and flour and cook over a gentle heat for 1–2min.

3 Return the chicken to the pan and add the wine, hot chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and the bay leaf. Season lightly, bring to the boil for 5min, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 45min or until the chicken is tender. Serve with crusty bread.

rustic chicken in red wine

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Gwyneth Paltro’s Fab Grilled Tuna Rolls

Now I have to say that I would make a few substitutions here to make it even more part of a  healthy diet and I have noted them with an asterisk and the alternative in brackets … sorry Gwyneth 😉 x

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons sweet white miso paste
1 tablespoon vegetable, sunflower, or rice bran oil * (Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Pinch of fine salt
Two ½-inch-thick tuna steaks or 1 large tuna steak, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 hot dog buns * ( choice of the following healthy bread )
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated * (rocket, watercress and spinache salad)
¼ cup Shallot & Cilantro Vinaigrette, for serving
for serving 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the grill or grill pan over high heat. Whisk together the miso, oil, agave, water, and rice wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Rub the tuna steaks all over with the mixture and place on the grill. Evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds on the fish. Grill on the first side for 3 minutes, flip, and sprinkle the cooked sides with the remaining sesame seeds. Grill for an additional 3 minutes and then remove to a plate. I like the tuna to be just cooked through, but feel free to grill for less time if you prefer it medium or even rare.

To serve, grill or toast the buns. Lay a few lettuce leaves on the bottom half of each bun. Cut the tuna into ½-inch slices across the grain and evenly distribute on the lettuce. Drizzle each sandwich with a tablespoon of the vinaigrette, being sure to get plenty of sliced shallots in each spoonful, and sprinkle with the cilantro leaves. Close each sandwich with the top halves of the buns and serve with lots of napkins.

gwyneth paltrow tuna rolls

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Halibut Fish Tacos

Another healthy and nutricious meal which includes many of our Must Have Super Foods.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch cilantro
5 lime, juiced
⅔ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp olive oil, for cooking
1 small white onion, coarsley chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper
½ Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp paprika
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 lb halibut
½ cup white wine
corn tortilla, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Put the cilantro, lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeño, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
Blend until smooth. Put the purée in a bowl and set aside.
Chop the halibut into small pieces. Dry well with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the halibut and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Add the cilantro mixture and cook for another minute to heat through.
Heat the corn tortillas in a hot dry pan. Add the fish mixture to the tortilla. Garnish with cilantro, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

Recipie courtesy of The Daily Meal

halibut fish taco

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Charcoal Grilled Swordfish Steak

CHARCOAL GRILLED SWORDFISH STEAK
The sauce is a mix of avocado, onion, peppers, vinegar, olive oil, cilantro, and sambal oelek, a ready-made chile sauce that adds a little tang as well as heat. It comes together in minutes, while the fish is cooking on the grill.

INGREDIENTS
1 eight ounce, ¾-inch-thick swordfish steak, skin and bloodline removed
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 Tbsp very finely diced red onion
1 tsp very finely diced serrano pepper
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
4 oz fresh shelled crabmeat

DIRECTIONS
Build a charcoal fire under a grill and let the flames die out.
Season the swordfish with salt and pepper, to taste, and brush lightly on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Grill the swordfish for 4 minutes on each side for medium to medium-rare.
In a bowl, combine the avocado, onion, peppers, vinegar, lime juice, sambal, cilantro, and remaining olive oil. Season with salt, to taste. Place the swordfish in the center of a plate. Top with the avocado mixture and place the fresh crab on top of the avocado mixture. Serve immediately.

This healthy and nutricious meal recipe and image is courtesy of Kitchen Daily. This recipe includes many of our Must Have Super Foods.

 

 

charcoal frilled swordfish steak

 

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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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The Most Beneficial Types of Bread

Of course we all love sandwiches and toast … and bread is a staple part of most of our diet.  What we do want to do, as with all of the fuel we put into our bodies is aim for those with the best nutritional values.  Bread is a complex carbohydrate and should be eaten in moderation (4 slices per day on average).

The best bread you can have is home made.  You can research all of the ingredients yourself and using a breadmaker very easily make the bread that best suits you.

The following are breads that are widely available and for various reasons (which can be researched online) are the best value for health.

 

Healthy Bread

The most beneficial breads are:

  • Wholemeal
  • Seeded
  • Rye, Spelt and Wheat

Followed by:

  • Granary
  • Soda
  • Wholemeal Pitta

Of Course there are so many other breads that are widely available now but do your research before you switch from one of the above.

As an aside, the only spread you should use is butter.

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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.

 

 

Must Have Super Food Soup

Super Food Miracle Diet Soup

For optimum health this delicious spicey soup should be an integral part of everones diet.

These measurements are only approximate to allow you to use pre-packed freshly prepared vegetables for convenience so don’t worry about adding a bit more or less of each.  This recipe makes nearly 5 litres of soup which will last 3 days in the fridge but can also be frozen.

Let’s start with Our Superfoods:

  • 400 grms of spring greens
  • 400 grms of kale
  • 300 grms of spinach
  • 2 large onions
  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 3 green peppers
  • 250 mls apple cider vinegar
  • Cayenne Pepper *
  • Crushed Dried Hot Chilli Peppers*

Now we also need to add the following absolutely beneficial and tasty ingredients:

  • 300 grms carrots
  • 400 grms celery
  • 400 grms (1 tin) tinned chopped tomatoes (with or without garlic, basil, other herbs)
  • 4 stock cubes of your choice
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation and Cooking

  • Prepare and roughly chop all the vegetables that aren’t already chopped
  • Peel the garlic but leave to cloves whole
  • Pour the olive oil into a 5 ltr pan and add the onions and garlic, saute over a low heat for 5 minutes while stirring
  • Next add the green peppers, celery and carrots, stirring as you go until they are all mixed together and lightly coated with the olive oil.
  • Now add the basil, oregano and black pepper and crumble in the stock cubes.  Keep stirring and don’t let anything stick or start to burn … if necessary remove from the heat until everything is well stirred and coated.
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, the apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon each of the Cayenne Pepper and Crushed Chillies … return to the heat and stir through.
  • Add a half litre of water and return to the heat, stirring until you start to get steam.  Reduce the heat so that the you are literally just producing steam but not boiling anything.  Add a tad more water if you need too.
  • Add the chopped cabbage and put the lid on until the cabbage steams down … stir and add the kale until that also steams down … stir and add the spinach until that steams down.
  • Now fill the pan to at least an inch from the top with water and give everything a good stir.  Return to the heat and stir regularly until the soup starts to simmer.
  • Put the lid back on and simmer gently for around 20 minutes then stir and taste.  I find dipping a small piece of bread in is the easiest way to taste.

*Here comes the fun part 😀

We need to add as much additional *Cayenne Pepper and *Crushed Chillies as we can handle.  Add 1 teaspoon of each at a time, stir well, return to the heat for 5 mins before stirring and re-tasting and repeat as necessary … you may also need to add more water to keep the soup an inch from the top.  When you’re all done you can also add salt to taste if you need to.

Now get yourself a nice ladle full of vegetables into a dish and cover with the liquid … while you’re enjoying that leave the pan of soup to cool.

Once the soup is fully cooled it can be blended.  As you fill the blender each time, try to get a good variety of veg and make sure it’s covered by the liquid.  As you blend each jug full empty the soup into a container suitable for either the fridge or the freezer.

I re-use empty spring water bottles, using a funnel.

If you really want to you can rinse out the pan and tip everything back in and give it a good stir to ensure equal ingredients in each bowl full and then re-fill the containers … I personally don’t bother.

Re-heat on the hob until warmed through but not boiling.  If you have frozen any of the soup, defrost it overnight in the fridge and then give it a good shake before use.

Try to fit at least one bowl or  mug of this soup into your diet every day to get the fantastic benefits of all of the Must Have Superfoods we used.

Serving Suggestions

  • Make croutons using rustic bread, rubbed with garlic and olive oil or butter and sprinkled with a melting cheese such as cheddar.  Toast on one side first before adding the ingredients to the other side and toasting.  Float one or two on top of each bowl of soup.
  • Put a dollop of plain live yoghurt into the centre of the hot soup and use a knife to gently swirl a spiral into the soup.
  • For a quick tasty meal, fry minced meat of your choice until browned and then cover with soup and simmer until mince is cooked and soup is thickened.  Serve with rice, tossed through pasta, in jacket potatoes or with hand torn rustic bread and butter.

Have you created your own version of this soup or created any other recipes using it? … Drop us a comment and let us know.