Monday January 13 2014
The 7- day diet for men
How to lose your paunch
and 5lb in a week
Tomorrow
The
ultimate
detox
GETTY IMAGES
Vicki Edgson
nutritionist
First the bad news. That roll of fat
above your waistband, the one that
has been increasing over the past
couple of weeks, is not just unsightly,
it’s dangerous. Research suggests that
middle-aged men who carry excess
weight around their middle are at a
higher risk of an unexpected heart
attack and type 2 diabetes. Are you
at risk? In my experience, if your
waist measurement is more than
four inches larger than your hip
measurement you need to make
some changes — fast.
Lifestyle doesn’t help. Sitting at a
desk for hours; lunchtime “meal
deals” in every supermarket and
fast-food chain that are packed with
sugars and salt; drinking too much
alcohol; and, of course, being
stressed. Cortisol is the hormone
that is released in response to stress.
Elevated levels of the hormone
affects the production of insulin in
the body, and insufficient insulin
leads to the laying down of fat
around the waistline.
Now for the good news. Over the
next seven days — if you follow this
plan — you will lose 5-7lb, and from
two-to-four inches from around
your stomach. Your energy levels
will soar and your concentration
and focus will improve because you
will have cut out the alcohol, sugars
and additive-packed breads, snacks
and other quick-fix foods that too
often block the absorption of
nutrient-dense food. Instead you will
have replaced them with foods that
deliver exactly what your brain
requires for fuel.
I have devised this programme
because it has worked with so many
of my male clients. Men store and
lay down fat in a different way to
women — around the centre of their
bodies, as opposed to most women,
who put fat on around their hips
and upper thighs. They respond
best to a dietary approach with
more animal protein, as they use
that to build muscle while they are
burning fat.
It’s also important to change the
ratio of HDL/LDL cholesterol in
your body through your diet. HDL
cholesterol is the beneficial
cholesterol, the one that the body
uses for nerve transmission,
cognitive and heart function
(it’s also anti-inflammatory and
protects your heart). It’s found in
fish, nuts and seeds and their oils.
LDL cholesterol, the harmful
cholesterol, is found in sausages,
bacon, other fat meats, and also
forms in your body from fried and
processed foods, and excess alcohol.
I always tell my male clients to
eat Clean, Green and Lean to
increase their HDL and help lower
their LDL.
This programme is straightforward
— cutting out processed
carbohydrates, including bread,
refined cereals, white rice and pasta,
while increasing your primary
proteins (animal and also
vegetable-based for vegetarians)
and vegetables, is the basis. If it
flies, swims or runs, you can eat it;
but if it needs to be “grown and
ground” to produce the end product,
you can’t.
Give your body what it needs and
it will respond positively. You need
good-quality protein that helps to
stabilise your blood-sugar levels,
providing you with steady physical
and mental energy throughout the
day. With this programme you have
the perfect plan to kick-start your
weight loss.
7-Day Diet 3
2 7-Day Diet
3
Eat every four hours
Ensure you don’t get hungry by
eating on a regular basis; for
example, not less than every 3-4
hours. Choose slow-release snacks
such as a palmful of mixed nuts, seed
bars or small pots of pulses,
frequently seen in supermarket salad
bars. These foods all contain plenty of
minerals such as magnesium that
help to replenish those minerals that
are used up quickly in the body when
it is stressed.
4
Eat “natural” dairy
Dairy produce is allowed, but
only in its natural form and not
sweetened (for example, you can
have a natural yoghurt but not a
strawberry-flavoured one); and only
small amounts of cheese (it must be
whole cheese and not the processed,
sliced varieties in packs). No ice
cream because of the amount of
sugar that it contains.
5
Eat fish — but shellfish only
twice a week
All types of fish are allowed, daily
if you enjoy it, but only two portions
of shellfish per week (it’s higher in the
damaging LDL cholesterol).
6
Choose vegetables that
grow above ground, not
under the ground
Eating vegetables that grow above
the ground have a lower GI
(glucose-releasing quotient) than
those growing underground, so they
release their energy over a longer
period, with no weight gain. For this
reason, I have not included carrots,
turnips, swede, parsnips and beetroot
in this programme.
Think lean and green for the
majority of your vegetables
(asparagus, artichokes, spinach,
chard, kale, broccoli, beans of any
type, courgettes, celery, and all salad
leaves). Eat them raw or cooked.
7
Eat sprouts and seeds
All sprouted beans and seeds
may be added to soups, salads,
etc. Sprouted mung beans, lentils and
chickpeas are rich in vegetarian
proteins, which is important for those
not eating animal proteins.
Quinoa is actually a seed and not a
grain, so all grab-and-go salads
and dishes that include this
grain are allowed.
8
Watch your salad
Freshly prepared
supermarket salads
are allowed but should be
accompanied by a source
of protein that is three times
their weight. While they are
low calorie, a bag of mixed-salad
leaves generate little energy, leaving
you hungry and more likely to crave
carbs. Fill up on red or white meats,
fish or poultry; nuts and seeds,
quinoa, and cheeses for vegetarians
and vegans.
9
Eat apples, not bananas
Fruits are limited because
of the way they deliver their
sugars. Choose crunchy apples and
pears, which are rich in pectin,
slowing down the release of sugars
from the flesh of the fruit, and won’t
send your blood-sugar levels soaring.
Mixed berries (fresh or frozen) are
also good. Bananas have a high
glycemic index (GI), making them
one of the forbidden foods on a
weight-loss programme despite their
rich source of potassium, which helps
to lower blood pressure. We are
concentrating on foods that help to
shed pounds.
10
Avoid Asian takeaways
Asian takeaways, including
Indian, Thai and
Vietnamese, contain high levels of
added sugars, additives and
thickeners. White rice has a very high
GI, which will prevent you from
dropping that weight and may even
cause weight gain.
11
Drink water and vegetable
(not fruit) juice
You should drink two litres of
water per day minimum, preferably
still. It’s better to drink water between
meals, especially throughout the
afternoon when fatigue is more likely
to hit when you are dehydrated.
People often mistake thirst for
hunger. You may add natural energy
powders, such as Revive Active or
Myprotein multivitamin powder, to
boost your levels of nutrients through
your day.
No carton juices. They are high in
sugars and sweeteners. Freshly juiced
vegetables only are a great way to
obtain nutrient density and hydration
at the same time.
Do you think a breakfast of black
coffee and nothing else can help
you lose weight? You should
be aware that coffee drunk first thing
in the morning on an empty stomach,
as it often is, interferes with your
blood-sugar levels and the
production of insulin, raising the
likelihood of fat storage, rather than
fat-burning, if you are spending the
rest of the day sitting at a desk.
Green tea, white tea and yerba
maté are the best herbal teas
for men as they have some caffeine,
but not as much as coffee and black
tea. Drinking them with your meals
can help to stimulate your
metabolism. Indeed, green tea is
often referred to as the “slimmer’s
tea”. No sugars or sweeteners are
allowed and fruit teas are not
recommended as they can make you
crave sugar.
12
13
14
Don’t choose low-fat
Do NOT choose low-fat
versions of any foods — they
often contain higher levels of sugar,
sweeteners and/or salt.
Be careful how you cook
Cooking methods can
include stir-fried, grilled,
baked, poached, steamed and
pan fried, but not deep fried.
No alcohol
For the duration of this
seven-day programme you
need to cut out all alcohol. This will
give your digestion, including your
liver, a true break. More than 80 per
cent of your immune system
resides in the gastro-intestinal tract
(from your mouth to the intestines),
and nothing compromises immunity
as much as alcohol; to say nothing
of the sugar and calories that
alcohol contains.
Breakfast
Say yes to protein
All animal protein is allowed
because it contains the eight
essential amino acids required for the
rebuilding and repair of every cell in
the body. The amino acids are the
breakdown products of protein, and
they are known as essential as they
have to be derived from our diet, not
from 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 of
B vitamins and packed
with Vitamin D.
Heart and liver are
rich in CoQ10, which is
good for energy
production in every cell
in the body. If you don’t
love liver, try kidneys and
heart. They can all be
casseroled and do taste
delicious. However, the best sources
come from grass-fed animals, so do
your sourcing wisely.
Green vegetables are so beneficial
because they are rich in magnesium,
which helps to absorb calcium into
bone and not into the arteries. (It is
important to ensure that calcium in
the diet does not end up in the
arteries, contributing to arterial
“plaque”, which is a major cause of
high blood pressure.)
15
All sugar is out
The recommended intake
of “added sugars” (such as
honey, fruit juice, jam, soft drinks
and those in processed food, as
well as the sugar you add to food)
is 10 per cent of your total daily
calorie intake. For this programme,
it’s all out.
Sugar is sugar (as glucose, fructose,
sucrose or any other ’ose), whether
it’s in the form of honey, agave, brown
rice malt syrup or maple syrup, jams,
marmalade, carton juices (especially
where all the fibre has been extracted,
and you are left with a clear juice),
and all will cause your blood-sugar
levels to rocket.
Choose instead any of the following
as natural sweeteners
6 Cinnamon powder (also
antihistamine, antibacterial,
anti-inflammatory)
6 Grated nutmeg (spicy as well as
sweet)
6 Star anise (one of the most potent
antibacterials)
6 Vanilla pods (can be added to
your drinking water for those that
are used to fizzy drinks throughout
the day)
6 Apple pectin powder (includes all
the benefits found in apples, such as
reducing cholesterol, cleansing the
digestive tract and reducing
constipation)
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
W 3 small or 2 large eggs,
scrambled, with 2 handfuls
of spinach mixed in while
cooking — add ground
pepper and rock salt
W 115g (4oz) smoked salmon
slices with watercress and
juice of one lime
W Large bowl of quinoa
porridge with cinnamon
and berries
W Mug green tea or
ou
espresso coffee (if you
currently drink more than
3 cups per day)
W Mug yerba maté tea
W4 grilled kipper or heated
mackerel fillets (2), with
lemon juice. Handful rocket
leaves for side salad or
green juice
(see recipe
page 4)
W 2 large baked apples
(baked previous night —
make 4, so you have some
for later in the week) with
star anise, cinnamon and
nutmeg, berries and 4 tbsp
Greek-style plain yoghurt
W 2 poached eggs served
over 2 large handfuls wilted
spinach, with ground
nutmeg and allspice
W Grilled Portobello
mushroom (can be roasted
the night before) with garlic
and chives, filled with
chopped tomato and thyme
and a poached egg on top
(optional).
W Mug
green tea
W 1 apple
W Mug green tea or small
espresso
W Butternut squash soup
(450-500g ready-prepared
supermarket fresh
variety or equivalent of
home-made), with 2tsp
seeds (look out for brands
such as The Food Doctor or
Crunchy Seeds) — take in
Thermos to work
W 115g sliced beef, with
large portion of mixed
vegetables or superfood
salad with hoummos
W Large green apple
W Mug yerba maté or
green tea
W Large sashimi box
(Pret or other) or
superfood salad with
hoummos
Dinner
1
2
Say no to bread
And to sandwiches, cereal, pizza
and pasta. Take these foods out of
your daily diet and see how much
more energy you have without them.
Lunch
These 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
The seven-day diet pl
plan
Afternoon
Lose your paunch the rules
W Large apple
W Grilled chicken breast
east
(large), sliced over stir-fried
-fried
mixed vegetables and bean
sprouts (eaten raw or
cooked) — dressed with
olive oil and lemon juice
juic or
mixed bean salad pot from
fr
any supermarket
W Tomato, onion and
black-olive salad — any
supermarket version of
this is fine
W Large green apple
W 1 pear
W 1 apple
W 1 apple
W Mug green tea
W 1 apple
W Mug white
tea
W 115g sliced beef or 1 duck
breast with large
mixed-bean salad pot
(omit the meat and add feta
cheese and sprouted beans
and seeds if vegetarian),
or superfood salad box
with hoummos
W Plain beef burger or
veggie burger without bun,
wrapped in iceberg lettuce,
sandwiched with sliced
tomato and pickle. Add red
or green pesto for flavour,
with mixed green salad
W Large minestrone soup
W Handful mixed nuts
W Bottle spring water to
hydrate throughout the
afternoon
W 2 litres spring water
W 3 grilled lamb chops (fat
removed)— rubbed with
garlic and spread with a
handful of parsley, oregano,
rosemary and thyme finely
chopped and combined
with a tablespoon of olive
oil and seasoned to taste —
served with French beans,
peas and mangetout (2
large handfuls). Vegetarians
could use mixed bell
peppers, red cabbage and
leeks, with caraway seeds
and serve with lentils.
W Mixed vegetable stir-fry
with garlic and ginger, with
optional giant prawns (or
200g butter beans for
vegetarians)
W Mug green tea
W Small handful mixed nuts
— no dried fruit
W Small pack of savour
oury
popcorn
W Large bottle spring water
to hydrate throughout the
afternoon or 2 mugs
green/white tea
W Large bottle spring water
w
to hydrate throughout
oughout the
afternoon
W Grilled 225g (8oz) steak
or soy-marinated tofu,
stir-fried with ginger and
garlic with large portion
of stir-fried mixed green
vegetables (asparagus
spears, broccoli and beans)
W 115g sliced ham hock or
gammon with mixed savoy
sa
cabbage, leek and garlic
(2 large handfuls in total)
steamed or
stir-fried in a
little olive oil
and garlic
with grated
nutmeg.
Vegetarians
could replace
the ham with
tofu
W Pot of edamame beans
(Japanese or
supermarket
takeaway)
W High-protein snack bar,
such as Bounce Energy
Balls, available from
Waitrose and Holland &
Barrett
W Large bottle spring water
to hydrate through the
afternoon
W 170g pan-fried squid with
red onion, cherry tomatoes,
red bell pepper and cumin
(can be served as a
vegetarian option by using
black beans instead of
squid)
W One roast poussin with
savoy cabbage, leek and
garlic or mixed-vegetable
stir-fry, with garlic, ginger
and lentils
W Small (palm-sized) packet
of almonds
W Large bottle spring water
to hydrate throughout the
afternoon
W Grilled sea bass with
lemon, olives and capers,
stir-fried kale and
courgettes or baked
pumpkin stuffed with
vegetables of your choice
and topped with seeds
W Large apple
W Mug white tea
Portobello mushroom (day 7)
W Mug green tea
Pan-fried squid (day 3)
Grilled steak (day 1)
Grilled lamb chops (day 6)
W Mug white tea
4 7-Day Diet
How to keep the paunch off
the maintenance rules
Recipes
For the complete
Improve your
life series
go to
thetimes.co.uk/
improveyourlife
If you’ve successfully completed the week — congratulations!
It’s time to take stock of what has improved. Think about:
Breakfast
green juice
Ingredients
Serves 1 (all juices should be drunk as
soon as juiced for optimal nutrient
values)
2 apples
Large handful kale or chard
½ cucumber
1 handful of watercress or spinach
1 tsp coconut butter
6-8 almonds
Almond milk
Method
Juice the first four ingredients and
then place juice in blender with
coconut butter and almonds to add
protein (preferably soaked, or
blanched). Blend until smooth.
(Adapted from Honestly Healthy —
Eat with your Body in Mind)
Quinoa porridge
with cinnamon
and berries
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 cup white or red quinoa
1½ cups water
1 cup almond or rice milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen berries,
defrosted overnight
Method
Combine water and quinoa, then add
cinnamon to pot. Cover with lid and
bring to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 min
until almost all water is absorbed, and
“tails” of quinoa are beginning to
sprout. Add almond or rice milk, stir,
cover pot, then leave to stand for
5-6 min, until porridge is ready.
Serve in bowls and top with berries.
Vicki Edgson is a nutritionist and co-author of Honestly Healthy (£20). vickiedgson.com
6How much weight have
you lost?
6How many inches have you
lost from your waistline?
6How good do you feel?
6Has your sleep improved in
either quality or length of
sleeping hours?
6How much more energy do
you have?
6How bright are your eyes?
6How clear is your skin?
6How much cleaner is your
tongue?
All of these questions relate to
a cleaner, more efficient
digestive system, which means
that your metabolism has
woken up and you should carry
on losing weight, provided you
don’t just slip back into old
habits. The following are my
tips to avoid doing so:
Sugar
If you managed to go without
adding sugar to your porridge,
regular tea and coffee (which
you won’t have been drinking
anyway) for seven days, you
have cracked the sugar habit.
There is no need to go back. If
you have been a chocoholic, in
the past, make a change now.
Buy only dark chocolate, which
doesn’t require the milk solids
that are so high in sugars to
preserve them. Valrhona and
Cluizel from South America will
tickle the palate and yet are
rich enough for a few small
squares to be enough.
Social functions and going
out for meals can be
challenging. As far as puddings
are concerned, if you must
have one, share it.
Alcohol
If you feel you have really
missed alcohol, aim to have at
least four days a week when
you don’t drink (probably from
Sunday to Thursday, when you
are working and need that clear
head). When you drink, aim to
do so when you are eating a
meal. Drinking instead of eating
will only pile on the pounds
again — and look at what
you have managed to
lose in just one week.
Drinking red wine is
preferable to white
as it is packed with
antioxidants.
If you choose to
drink spirits, whisky or
clean vodka on the rocks
are the best options — it
is the mixers that
contain the sugars and
sweeteners.
Caffeine
For those who enjoy their daily
coffee first thing in the
morning, put it to good use —
remember that one shot of
espresso coffee followed by
morning exercise (and this can
include your morning walk to
work) helps to raise the
metabolic rate for six
hours or more, helping
you to burn more stored
fat. If you must have a
coffee in the middle
of the day, have it
after your lunch,
when you already
have food in your
system and it won’t
upset your bloodsugar levels. Choose
espresso. Don’t fill up on
milky lattes — you have
done without for the
week and look how
much it has contributed to your
leaner waist.
Dairy produce
For those cheese lovers who
have really missed cheese,
make a decision to eat it only
once a week, and choose feta,
hard goat’s cheese or buffalo
mozzarella (which are lower in
saturated fat than Edam or
Cheddar).
Grains
You can eat grains, but not
more than once a day. So bread
at breakfast with your eggs or
rice at lunch or dinner. When in
a restaurant, ask for olives and
nuts, rather than the traditional
basket of bread.
Working lunches
Avoid sandwiches, meal deals
from all supermarkets,
fast-track burgers and chicken
meals with chips. Instead, opt
for wraps rather than
sandwiches (preferably corn
tortilla wraps rather than
wheat-based ones), quinoabased high-protein salads from
supermarkets, lean protein
meals such as chicken, egg,
duck, beef and fish, combined
with grilled vegetables, and
bean and pulse-based soups
with vegetables.
The ultimate goal
Now that you have achieved
this much, why not continue for
another week, or two or three?
In one month, your bodywill be
almost unrecognisable. It is far
easier to continue what you
have started than to go back
to old habits and have to
start all over again.