NUTRITION MANUALeverything you need to know to kick start

your weight loss program

The system in this manual:

• Will help you shift those pounds quickly and painlessly

• Allows you to eat as much as you like• Focuses on nutrition rather than calories• Gives you healthy habits for life• Containsover30recipes

Alex Seckham and Karen Casadeiwww.pursuitofhealthiness.co.uk

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”

Table of ContentsPart One

IntroductIon

Welcome

Part twO

QuIck Start GuIde

excuSeS

QuIck Start nutrItIon

recommendatIonS

Part three

don’t eat theSe!

Part FOur

eat more of theSe

Part Five

SucceSS

So, What next?

Get Your Plan toGether

QuIck food GuIdeS

The Information in this program is for education purpose only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your doctor before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications.

You are soon going to embark on a revolutionary fitness program that will change the

way you look and the way you feel about yourself

1Along the way you’re going to lose weight and change how you eat and feel about

food.

Once you’ve got to grips with this simple program you are going find it easy to incorporate it into your day to day life and you will genuinely wonder how you ever survived feeling so tired and frankly sick the whole time.

This plan is designed to help people just like you to:

• Finally get rid of that extra weight

• Melt away that fat that slows you down and makes you feel miserable about yourself

• Help you reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol

• Have people comment on how healthy you’re looking and look at a younger face in the mirror

• Have more energy to enjoy the people you love and just get more out of life

So without any further delay... let’s get started!!!

Introduction

WelcomeHello and welcome to your Pursuit Of Healthiness Nutrition Manual. After working with

clients like you and as a qualified nutritional consultant we have put together this simple easy to follow programme.

We want to help you reach your goals and give you some insight into the system that we have developed for you that WILL definitely:

• Get you slimmer and leaner

• Get you feeling fit and energetic

• Work with your unique exercise programme to get you FAST results

What do we mean by results?

We’re not talking about small amounts of results - or results that only the scales can tell you about. We’re talking look in the mirror and yelp in delight results, or try on your old jeans and wonder if you’ve got younger kind of results.

In short we believe that if you follow this nutrition plan and attend your bootcamp sessions then you will be overjoyed with the changes you see.

Everybody deserves to be happy and to feel GREAT about themselves and our aim is to help the people we work with achieve that.

So what is this manual all about?

In the Pursuit Of Healthiness Nutrition Manual we will break down the key elements about weight loss and fat and give you the straight up facts about how to achieve permanent and life long weight loss - in short how to reach your ideal weight and maintain it.

Now if you are looking for a magic trick that will somehow burn all your fat while you are asleep (or wearing an electrode belt!) then sorry but this book is not what you are looking for.

The Pursuit Of Healthiness Nutrition Manual is not a diet - it is a sustainable and enjoyable healthy eating plan that debunks all the myths and rumours about fat loss and just delivers exactly what your body needs to lose fat and detox and get you into great shape.

I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is fourteen days.”

There are two important factors to your programme and your success. Firstly you’ve got to give your body a fighting chance by reading and following this manual to the letter and secondly you’ve got to turn up to the sessions with the right attitude.

Due to the way you’re going to be exercising you’re going to be burning additional energy for days and once you add in the fat burning potential of this healthy eating plan then you’ve got everything you need to send your fat packing.

But will this work for me?

If you stick to the programme then this WILL work for you.

Everything you’re reading in this manual is the result of years of working with personal training clients and studying nutrition. We’ve seen the results that others get and what causes fat loss so we know this is the best way to lose weight.

This programme has helped DOZENS of people lose more than 10lbs in only 4 weeks. And this does not involve crash dieting, diet pills, burn out or anything that would be regarded as bad for you.

The choice is yours. Follow this programme 100 percent and get results or you can eat however you want and go back to the way things were before. Think back to a year ago and think of the difference to now - not much or worse? Just imagine how you will feel next year and you know you won’t look back.

So let’s get started!!

Alex & Karen

www.pursuitofhealthiness.co.uk

Fitness is a journey not a destination. Don’t struggle with the

outcome, commit to the process

2In this section you will learn exactly the steps you need to take to get started on your

journey. Before we get started and look at how we can improve nutrition quickly and simply we’ve got to get a couple of things straight.

1. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet

2. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet

3. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet

Most people will fail at getting fit. Most people think that going to a gym or exercise class is enough or watching what they eat is enough. We’ll come to why that is wrong shortly but this point is so key to your success:

70% of your success is eating the right things and avoiding the wrong things

It’s not possible to just exercise away bad nutrition because your body is disrupted and will hold onto fat for dear life. Our modern diet confuses the body and our natural hormone levels. In short you haven’t got a chance!!

70% of your success is the most important part and the part you MUST get right. So please remember that even if you turn up to all the sessions and work yourself into the ground you can’t get the benefits from one without the other.

You must dedicate yourself to the programme and you will get the results you want.

Quick Start Guide

ExcusesExcuses are the most dangerous friend you can have.

Why do we say your friend?

Excuses are a comfort blanket that you wrap yourself in.

“I had a really bad nights sleep” “Work has been really busy”

“There was nothing healthy to eat” “I didn’t have time to go shopping”

Believe us, we’ve heard all the excuses in the fitness world!

You are just days away from looking in the mirror and loving what you see. Before you can get there you’ve got to change your mindset and be determined to succeed.

Success is about the choices you make

The changes in your body that you want can be achieved by simply making a few choices differently than you are used to. If you keep making those choices then you will continue to lose weight and feel great about yourself. If you stop you will put the weight back on and your health will sink back to where it is today.

It’s within reach

We’ve got so much respect for your decision to start this process and we are incredibly excited to show you the results you can get.

Your choice to sign up and get started will give you something back for every day for the rest of your life. You’re going to enjoy feeling more energetic, fitting into smaller clothes, feeling more confident and most importantly being healthier and enjoying your life.

Just remember that if you make the choice to follow this nutrition programme and turn up to the sessions then you are going to:

Lose fat and look thinner

Tone your body and fit into smaller clothes

Have more energy

Fail to prepare yourself and prepare to fail!”

Create a new lifestyle around these changes so it becomes a new good habit.

So let’s look at nutrition!

Quick start nutritionIf you are expecting some highly complicated diet process then you are going to be quite surprised by your new healthy nutrition programme.

The basic rules of the Bootcamp Nutrition System:

YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKEOn one condition - you don’t eat any of the things on the ‘don’t eat these’ list. Sounds simple? It is - but you’ll be surprised (and revolted) about how much stuff is hidden in food.

YOU DON’T NEED TO BE HUNGRYIn fact you should try to eat little and often - around five meals a day is perfect. You don’t want to starve yourself as this sends the wrong message to your body.

YOU MUST DRINK PLENTY OF WATER EVERY DAYPlenty means at least a pint per 25lb of body weight. So for a 100lb per-son then it’s four pints (or 2 litres) per day. Remember, your body con-fuses thirst and hunger - so drink!

YOU CAN HAVE CHEAT MEALS OR CHEAT DAYSWe all need to let our hair down so if you want to have a dessert with your birthday meal you can... but not more than once per week and NOT IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS!

As long as you follow these basic rules then you are going to smash through your goals and never look back.

Section 3 tells you about the things you cannot eat on this programme, Section 4 highlights some things you should have as much of as possible.

If you make the choice to follow these simple food rules you are on your way to success.

Quick start recommendationsHere are some tips to make your first 30 days a breeze:

1 Turn up to every session determined to get the most out of it

get there early and put maximum effort in

2 Drink lots of water aim for 3 litres of the best water you can access

the best is filtered the worst is tap with bottled inbetween

3 Go to bed at the same time each day getting at least 8 hours sleep

and get up at the same time

4 Eat dinner early and make breakfast the biggest meal of the day

dinner by 6pm is perfect

5 Eat loads of raw veg as much as you can at every meal

and follow this manual to the letter for the whole 30 days

A note about calories

Now, it isn’t necessary at any stage of this program to count calories, it is not even necessary to have a basic understanding of the calorific values of food. Calories really don’t matter when it comes to losing weight.

Now we’ve probably committed nutritional expertise suicide by saying this but here is the rationale behind this concept.

Ultimately our body, given the right foods will self regulate the intake of different foods. It is simply not possible to consume “too much” broccoli! However the same could not be said for chocolate chip cookies.

To back up this even further you just need to look at the study performed many years ago comparing the weight loss of subjects on a strict 1000 calories a day diet. The only difference between the three groups was the percentage of each type of macro-nutrients (fats, proteins or carbohydrates)

Fat group consumed 90% of the 1000 calories as Fat

Protein group consumed 90% of the 1000 calories as Protein

Carbs group consumed 90% of the 1000 calories as Carbs

The results are quite shocking:

The Fat group LOST on average 408g weight a day

The Protein group LOST on average 272g weight a day

The Carbs groups GAINED on average 108g weight a day

Two important takeaways from this are:

1. Even on ONLY 1000 calories a day it is possible to GAIN weight.

2. A calorie is NOT a calorie, with this kind of different weight loss from different macro nutrients there is NO point in counting calories, it is a meaningless measure.

What’s sold as food but really isn’t at all? Anything in a packet, anything that can’t rot,

anything that has ingredients that you can’t understand - Michael Pollan

3This section is all about the things you are going to get out of your diet.

Some of these will be easy. Some you won’t be eating anyway. Some you will find very difficult.

The difficult ones are probably the most beneficial to your health.

In the first few days of getting these things out of your diet you might experience nausea, tiredness or maybe even a headache.

Stick with it!

If you’re struggling, just drink loads of water which will help a lot with the symptoms.

This is your body re-adjusting to your new healthier lifestyle. Once you start exercising this will speed up the process.

A short list of things that you are not going to eat

It’s short but a lot of the things crop up A LOT in our every day food. Just remember, it’s okay to cheat every now and again but NOT IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS.

Let’s look at our list:

Don’t Eat These!

ADDED SUGARYoufinditineverythingand

cutting it out pretty much means

cutting out any processed food.

Which is also on our list so that’s

not such a bad thing.

LIMIT DAIRYWe recommend you cut down

the amount of dairy in your diet.

There are many reasons why

which we go into later in this

chapter.

ALCOHOLThat’s right we’re afraid. No alco-

hol allowed. It’s a toxin, messes

with your hormones, makes you

tired, makes you fat and costs

loads of money. Your round?

WHEATAmazingly tough to get rid of

but the key here is to get gluten

out of your system. It’s either

causing you major problems or

willsoit’sadefiniteno.

PROCESSED FOODWhen we make food devoid of

anynutritionandfillitwithemp-

ty calories that trick our normal

systems what do we expect?

Make your food yourself.

CAFFEINECaffeine causes stress to the

body by over stimulation of your

adrenal glands. Add into that an

increase in appetite and you’re

losing momentum on fat loss.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERSLong term health risks are al-

most guaranteed and these

should be avoided at all costs.

Messes with the brain.

ADDITIVESMSG is the worst culprit here

but anything that you don’t un-

derstand the name of is unlikely

to be any good for you. See later

in the chapter for a list to avoid.

Added Sugar

Why remove?

It tastes so good but it’s really really bad for you. Sugar tricks our bodies by exploiting our natural desire for sweet foods - designed to make us love fruit. Unfortunately it offers no nutritional benefits.

Just a few of the health problems you’re going to find with sugar - remember health problems equal strain on the body and strain on the body means... MORE FAT!

• Sugar messes with your immune system which messes with your general wellness and ability to overcome illnesses

• Sugar makes you age faster by causing inflammation

• It slows your progress from your workouts

• Makes you fat by raising your blood sugar level. This causes an insulin response from your body which both switches on fat storage AND makes you hungry.

The list of benefits goes on and on!

What to replace it with

The easiest way to replace those sweet cravings (by the way once you’ve stuck to the diet for 30 days then you’ll see them pretty much disappear) is to have fruit. Ever tried dried pineapple or mango? Delicious, natural, packed with vitamins and a very nice chewy texture. By the way make sure you buy sulphur dioxide free dried fruit - the colour isn’t as good but then it doesn’t contain preservative!!

Watch out for

Pretty much any pre-packed food will contain sugar (pre-packed or processed food is out on the diet anyway!). First 30 days - NO SUGAR. Brown sugar and molasses ARE better because they actually contain some nutrients - but nothing for the first 30 days.

Alcohol

Why remove?

Basically when you drink alcohol (of any sort) it turns into sugar in your system so a lot of the same problems apply as with added sugar.

With one major difference - your body has no need for alcohol, it does no good at all. The body does not recognise it so it doesn’t get digested which is why is then leaks into your blood stream.

Ignoring the long term problems what we’re really interested in right now is balancing your system so that the body relaxes and starts to lose weight the way we want.

What to replace it with

It’s very difficult sometimes to avoid situations when alcohol might be drunk. It’s con-traversial but sometimes it is better to make excuses as to why you can’t drink rather than try to argue with people as to why you are choosing not to. People just do not understand or want to understand your reasons! There are very limited choices in bars and pubs for people not drinking. Stick to water or avoid going at all for the first 30 days and you’ll be doing great.

Watch out for

A lot of fruit juices are loaded with sugar so are not an option. Water is your safest bet.

Dairy

Why limit?

Okay this one is often really contraversial but it’s really important to get a good grasp of this. Dairy is to be limited in your diet apart from the few allowed items (see back of manual). Why? Here’s a few reasons:

• It’s actually not great for your bones because it causes acidity in your system - meaning your body breaks down your bones to neutralise!

• Vitamin D is far more important than calcium - because we get enough calcium in our diets and we need vitamin D to process

• More and more people are becoming lactose intolerant

• A lot of dairy is high in saturated fats. Limiting intake will also help reduce that bad fat intake.

You are going to find limiting dairy difficult but it’s essential to achieving your fat loss goals. Give it 30 days and you’ll see what we mean.

What to replace it with

Coconut, rice, almond or oat milk are great (because of soya and its eostrogen boosting effect you should try not to have much soy in your diet). Coconut milk is the one in the carton made by Kara (the brand).

The best dairy product to eat is organic live unsweetened yoghurt.

Watch out for

Dairy is in a LOT of foods that we don’t realise. It’s often used as a flavouring so make sure you read labels. Most of these foods are processed anyway so are to be avoided for at least your first 30 days.

Wheat

Why remove?

What we’re mainly aiming at here is GLUTEN. You’ll know celiac disease which is basically gluten allergy but you may not realise the other problems it might be causing you.

• Eliminate all gluten from your diet in the first 30 days (at least)

• Gluten containing foods include wheat, bread, salad dressings, processed food, pasta - and a lot more

• In the UK gluten has to be listed under ‘allergy advice’ so you can check if food contains it

You’ll have more energy without gluten and you’ll like what you see in the mirror without eating bread and processed carbs.

Huge numbers of people actually have some level of intolerance to wheat which means they experience disruption to their digestive system and gut - this can cause weight gain, IBS, leaky gut syndrome, intolerance symptoms and celiac disease - not to mention general disruption of your hormonal system.

Doesn’t sound familiar? It may be happening to you without you realising. After all, like dairy, wheat is in almost all our food in some form so we may not be aware that it is part of the reason we feel so tired all the time (for example).

When we eat white flour our body does not know the difference from just eating a load of white sugar.

The lowdown: Worse than eating sugar. White flour has been stripped of all the whole grain and therefore actually robs your body of nutrients because of something called phytic acid. When you eat the whole grain, the bran (the outer husk) counterbalances this effect. This is true for most grains which is why we eat the whole grain.

White flour also contains gluten which is a pretty nasty substance for our bodies.

It is essential to remove all wheat and white flour from your diet for success. Stop eating it and after a few weeks you will see the difference.

What to replace it with

You can get gluten free pasta (usually made from corn and rice) and you can get gluten

free bread. Gluten intolerance is quite common so there are lots of good alternatives.

Just remember - we’re going to try and eat whole and unprocessed foods for the duration of the programme so don’t worry too much about it - you should naturally be making the right choices.

Watch out for

Gluten on the label of foods you might not even expect!! It’s in a lot of foods!

Processed Food

Any food that has been processed has been cooked until the nutrients have been destroyed or has had things added to keep it looking good on the supermarket shelf.

All of these foods have been packed with all kinds of additives, preservatives, colourings, sweeteners, flavourings, e-numbers, sugars and emulsifiers to extend their shelf life and standardise their manufacture. All of these chemicals have been shown time and time again to provide terrible damage to different parts of the body. They overload the body with toxins which have nowhere to go apart from to be stored in fat. This is also a reason why you may get withdrawal symptons when you start losing weight - you’ll have an awful lot of rubbish stored in your system which needs to be released.

Please note - if you are getting a lot of cravings then it’s probably a good sign that you need more nutrients NOT that you need more junk food! Increase intake of the foods you should eat from this book and the cravings will stop.

ArtificialSweetenersArtificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes are way way worse than the real thing. They trick the body into thinking that it’s about to digest sugar and then instead provide a cocktail of chemicals that ranges from damaging to organs to damaging to your brain.

So no diet drinks, sweeteners or anything that promises sweetness without calories!!

CaffeineIf you want to lose weight you have to make sure your body is not stressed. The problem with caffeine is it really stimulates the adrenal functions of the body. Every time you

have that cup of coffee you get a boost to your system which excites those glands - this leads to those glands getting worn out.

If you know the feeling in the morning you get before you’ve had your coffee you know that your system is exhausted and you’re now relying on yet more stimulants to get you going. And that’s one of the reasons it is so addictive.

If you want to lose weight then you need your body to be functioning properly or it will not drop fat. The stimulation caffeine provides stands in the way of your new body!

Lose the: coffee, tea (apart from the occasional green tea), colas, red bulls, energy drinks and energy bars... and chocolate... sorry!

AdditivesThe main one to watch out for here is MSG. A lot of the others are often not even labelled due to exclusions in regulations so you’ll just have to avoid pre-packed food to be sure.

Watch out for MSG in: crisps, stock, processed food, chinese takeaways, soy sauce... almost anything can contain it and it can be hidden on the label as things like hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable protein, natural flavorings and spices.

Soy.Themostgeneticallymodifiedcropintheworld.We used to recommend Soy milk and Soy products but recent research has shown that Soy might not be the health food we once thought.

Soy is the most genetically modified crop in the world. As no tests have been done to determine the risks of consuming GMO’s we just don’t know how this will affect us.

We do know however that soy can:•inhibittheenzymesnecessarytohelpdigestprotein,•causeredbloodcellstoclumptogether,•depressthyroidfunction,•preventabsorptionofminerals,•increaseexposuretopesticidesandheavymetals(especiallyaluminium)

It’s this lack of nutritional quality that causes a lot of problems for us today & is another essential withdrawal from a healthy lifestyle.

Foods high in bad fats, sugar and chemicals are directly linked to many negative

emotions, whereas whole, natural foods rich in nutrients - foods such as fruits, vegetables,

grains and legumes - contribute to greater energy and positive emotions. - Marilu Henner

4You’ve got an exciting 30 days coming up! The foods that you can eat on this programme are going to get your taste buds going.

All the foods you should eat for at least 30 days should be whole and unprocessed that are as close to their natural state as possible. Avoid anything ready made - this of course excludes delicious ready to eat snacks!

All the foods that you should eat should be fresh and you should avoid anything that comes in jars, plastic, tins, cardboard etc etc. The kinds of foods we’re talking about are vegetables, pulses, seeds, fruits, legumes, nuts, meat, fish, poultry and eggs.

Follow the week fresh rule - any food you buy shouldn’t last more than a week in your fridge (excluding dried foods).

Remember - natural state means you can still identify it as the original materials and it can go rotten. Anything modified beyond that will contain the bad stuff that you don’t want.

Also... buy the best food you can. It may seem a cliche but every meal is your chance to get the best stuff into your body and help you lose weight. You should be excited about your next meal and an opportunity to pack more goodness in!

Eat More of These!

BROCCOLIThe wonder vegetable with

amazing health properties. Plus

any cruciferous vegetables - as

many as you can eat - there truly

are no limits!

WHOLE GRAINSPacked with all kinds of im-

portant vitamins and minerals,

whole grains are great food.

However, they MUST be whole

(i.e. be intact). And not wheat!!

VEGETABLESThe more vegetables you eat

and the less cooked they are,

the healthier you will be. It really

is as simple as that. Eat as many

colours and as much as you can!

PULSES & LENTILSContain perfect balance of car-

bohydrate and protein. Soak

and cook freshly yourself for

less of that well known effect.

Lentils can be eaten liberally.

SPICESSpices are your friend. They will

flavour your food and they are

packed with all kinds of good

things. Makes it easy to eat less

salt and avoid other no-nos.

ORGANIC EGGSAlmost on the don’t eat this list

because most eggs are basical-

ly just not good enough. Eat a

maximum of three eggs a week

of the best organic quality only.

ORGANIC MEAT & FISHStick to lean white meats.

Lean cuts of chicken and tur-

keybreastandfishareagreat

source of protein. Buy organic

and eat only the best quality.

WATERWe talk a bit more about quality

of water later in this chapter but

basically the more you can get

the better. Quality will make all

thedifferencesogetlearning!

BroccoliSo you may be wondering why Broccoli gets a special mention? What if we told you that someone had invented a drug that was cheap, distributed without prescription, could be grown in your back garden, tasted GREAT and:

• Just a handful provides more than your RDA of Vitamin C and K

• Also provides a decent amount of other essential things like Folic Acid, Vitamin A (as beta-caretone), Manganese, Fibre (50% insoluble), Tryptophan, Potassium, Vitamin B1 B2 B3 B5 B6, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Selenium and more!

• Has been found to rebalance estrogen levels in the body due to indole-3-carbinol, good news for everyone with our polluted water and rising breast and prostate cancer rates

• Contains sulforaphane which boosts our bodys ability to destroy cancer causing agents.

The list of benefits goes on and on!

How to prepare

If you want to preserve the best qualities of broccoli then eat it raw or lightly steam it. It’s an easy addition to a salad - just slice thinly and it will be crunchy and spicy.

Lightly steaming actually boosts the cholesterol fighting benefits of broccoli so this is a great way to cook it.

What you definitely want to avoid is cooking till it’s mushy - the flavour will be long gone and the health benefits with it!

What to choose

Any broccoli is great for you but especially the dark purple varieties you see sometimes - they contain even more of the good stuff.

Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous vegetables family which all offer similar benefits (broccoli just tastes great and is really easy to cook.

Some other choices and how to prepare:

Radishes - these spicy little pink balls are an excellent snack or sliced in a salad

Green or spring cabbage - lightly steamed with some slices of apple this is a great side dish for any meal.

Red cabbage - a classic salad vegetable sliced with some lemon juice sprinkled to keep the colour. Also delicious steamed or slowly cooked.

Watercress or Rocket - chuck a few leaves in with any salad and it will add flavour and nutrients

Brussel sprouts - the winter favourite is incredibly healthy as well so stop moaning and get enjoying!

Kale - last but far far from least - kale could have it’s own chapter! Steamed kale is easily as good as broccoli. Kale also contains different cancer fighting properties and also supports the body in detoxification. And much more - make sure you get some kale into your diet.

What to avoid

Definitely avoid overcooking your broccoli and don’t smother it in butter!

VegetablesMoving on from your plateful of broccoli, it is definitely worth exapanding on the rest of your other secret health and weight loss boosting weapon - vegetables.

• All vegetables give you something good, many are packed with goodness

• If you ate nothing but vegetables you could eat unlimited quantites without getting fat. Our bodies also understand vegetables better meaning we feel full at the right time and will naturally stop eating

• They contain very little fat and only good fats

• Vegetables are a very cheap way of eating healthily. Buy in season and you’ll get the maximum budgetary benefits

• Cancer fighting, heart benefits - you won’t even realise the long term health benefits you’ll get from your plate of veg!

With the wide range of variety and ways you can prepare them, vegetables really offer something for everyone.

How to prepare

Generally if you can eat it raw, then eat it raw! Beyond that lightly steaming is a delicate flavour and nutrient preserving method of cooking. As long as you’re getting a good

amount of raw vegetables in to your diet then having some slow cooked is not going to be a problem.

What to choose

There are so many vegetables to choose from that it’s hard to pick winners. We’ve selected a few for you that are easy to prepare and easy to get hold of.

Sweet Potatoes - a plateful of sweet potato fries tastes so good that we would rather have it than any dessert you could offer us. Also great mashed or baked whole in the oven. Once you’ve discovered sweet potato you will want to eat it every day. Did we mention that it’s packed with vitamin C, potassium, manganese, fiber and B6?

Spinach - Spinach is absolutely packed with good stuff for you. Very high in vitamin C, K, A B2, manganese, folic acid, magnesium, iron and calcium. Has been shown to be extremely effective against cancer, especially due to three cancer fighting compounds. Just buy a bag and have a handful raw every day and you’ll notice the benefits.

Carrots - If you want a healthy heart then eating more raw carrots will help you greatly. They contain a range of vitamins and nutrients and taste great raw or steamed. Try having a raw carrot instead of your normal snack.

What to avoid

When buying vegetables watch out for any blemishes - mishapen is fine but no rotten bits or signs of damage in transport. In general organic is better and if you have a local veg box scheme then this can be a great way to make sure you are getting a good load of healthy veg every week. Oh and muddy is great - it seals in nutrients and keeps your veg fresh (although it is a pain to wash off!).

Whole grainsGenerally you should eat very little grains for success. The best time to eat them is just after a workout. A good guide is no more than a handful a day. Remember that vegetables are a better source of carbs for you. During the first 28 days then we recommend just keeping them off your shopping list as much as possible.

What to choose

The best wholegrain to go for is organic brown rice. You can also look at Quinoa, Millet (must be soaked see below) and Amaranth.

How to prepare

Soak you’re grains overnight before eating if you can. This helps neutralise phytic acid and softens so cooking time is reduced.

What to avoid

Watch out for one of the biggest rip offs around - the labelling of foods as whole grain or ‘enriched with whole grain’ (or high fibre for that matter). This commonly means that sugar has been added or some other nasty. Basically making the product worse. The labelling of ‘contains whole grain’ is completely unregulated so just learn to trust what you read on the ingredients list, not what claims are made.

Pulses and LentilsPulses and Lentils are a great way to get protein and you really can’t eat too many of them. It’s a great alternative to meat or fish to base a meal around.

What to choose

There are so many different pulses, legumes and lentils to choose from we recommend you experiement.

That said dark green lentils are delicious and hold their texture really well (also known as puy lentils).

A note about riceWe generally recommend you avoid any kind of rice during the first 28 days of the program. While white rice is heavily processed, the main reason for avoiding other types of rice is similar to why we avoid potatoes. The quantity of rice consumed is often high, and if your goal is weight loss you’ll see better results if you cut it out. If you do eat wholegrains like brown rice, then make sure you stick to a handful only.

All offer similar but slightly different properties so just grab a few bags of dried ones and get creative.

How to prepare

ALL dried beans and legumes MUST be soaked for at least 24 hours. Lentils can also be soaked.

You also MUST boil all of them (beans, legumes and lentils) HARD for 20 minutes - then turn down and simmer till they’re soft. They contain a chemical which can make you sick unless you destroy it by boiling (kidney beans especially).

In a wierd twist of nature if you sprout your beans or legumes you don’t actually need to boil them hard - nature takes care of that for you!

To sprout all you need to do is soak them for 24 hours then keep them damp for a few days in a confined space (rinse daily to keep them wet).

The amazing thing is that when they sprout they are no longer beans, legumes or lentils - they’re vegetables!!

What to avoid

Canned beans often have high levels salt and can have aluminium in them from the can. Obviously anything with a pre-made sauce is out!

SpicesSpices are packed with antioxidants and we don’t even really understand their full potential yet.

Even better they make your food taste great totally naturally! This is definitely the best way to flavour your food without all the additives.

Some spices and the benefits you can get from them:

Rosemary - stops gene mutations that lead to cancer!

Turmeric - contains circumin which is a powerful antioxidant

Paprika - contains capsaicin another powerful antioxidant

Ginger - an anti-inflammatory and great for nausea

Cinammon - lowers blood sugar and cholesterol

Amazingly, some spices actually contain more antioxidants than fruits or vegetables!

Organic Meat & FishGet in the mindset of buy less, buy better. Organic food has generally been fed better quality food and been allowed to graze naturally. Plus the amount of hormones and antibiotics that can be used is tightly controlled.

For fish go for wild caught if you can find it - farmed fish is usually much dirtier due to the way they are kept together.

Organic EggsMake sure you go for organic - they contain more nutrients and none of the additives of their cheaper (and crueller) relations.

I’ve heard that eating too many eggs can raise your cholesterol - how many can I eat?

“For most people there is currently no limit on the number of eggs that you can eat in a week.

However, because the recommendation has changed over the years, it’s often a common source of confusion.

In the past a restriction on eggs was recommended because we thought that foods high in cholesterol (including liver, kidneys and shellfish, as well as eggs) could have an impact on cholesterol levels in the body.

However, as research in this area has developed, so has our understanding of how foods that contain cholesterol affect people’s heart health.

For most people, the amount of saturated fat they eat has much more of an impact on their cholesterol than eating foods that contain cholesterol, like eggs and shellfish. So unless you have been advised otherwise by your doctor or dietician, if you like eggs, they can be included as part of a balanced and varied diet.”

British Heart Foundation

WaterGo for the best water you can get access to. Water is the main thing in your body and you deserve the best! All the important things in your body depend on water. It will help flush out toxins, clean your vital organs and keep nutrients flowing.

Tap water contains a lot of stuff we don’t want to be consuming. From chlorine and flouride to run off from farming.

It’s important... no.... vital to drink a lot of water everyday! So what are your best choices?

What to drink in order of importance

Reverse Osmosis Filtered / Specialist Filtered - If you’ve got lots of money you can buy a home filtering machine

Bottled Water - Spring water is the cleanest. Others are just tap water which MIGHT have been filtered.

Home Filtered - Get your jug handy! Removes all chlorine but doesn’t take out much else. New all in one bottles available which are quite handy. Great because your water is usually nice and cold from the fridge.

Tap Water - Chlorine, heavy metals and flouride are just a few of the reasons why!

Rain Water - Okay you probably weren’t going for that! And we don’t recommend it!

We can reverse years of damage to our bodies by deciding to raise our standards for

ourselves, then living differently. Old wounds heal, injuries repair. - Motivational Quote

5Success

Simple rules for successSo now you know what to eat you need a few simple rules to pull it all together.

1. Never starve yourself - you need food to keep your body going and keep your blood sugar levels at a consistent rate in order to drop fat

2. Never get really full - remember 5 small meals are going to get you results faster than 3 large meals. If you feel too full then you’ve eaten too much.

3. Drink plenty of fresh water - down a pint of water before a meal and you’ll satisfy yourself much quicker meaning you’ll control your portion sizes better

If you don’t drink enough water then you’ll mistake thirst for hunger a lot leading to overeating - the receptors that tell you that you’re hungry are the same as the ones that tell that you’re thirsty.

So:

Don’t let yourself get hungry

Don’t let yourself get too full

Eat 5 meals rather than 3 and...

Drink lots of water!

So, what next?

It’s day 30, you’ve made it! First of all a big congratulations!We bet you are already looking forward to the pizza you have been thinking about with extra cheese tomorrow night, right? Not to mention the beer to go with it, and the ice cream for desert.

Well, before you get too excited, the post-detox phase requires some planning too, especially with regard to suspected food intolerances.

While you have hopefully lost weight and inches during the first 30 days, and are feeling great, the true power of this program is what comes next.

You see, you’ve cut out a lot of ‘suspect’ food this last month - dairy, wheat, sugar and alcohol. Now is the time to learn even more about your body. If you learn how your body reacts to certain foods, you will be able to make better decisions about what you eat going forward.

Staying off all the above, all of the time, IS possible. But it’s not a lot of fun!

So by spending a little more time investigating how foods affect you, you’ll learn what you can get away with.

You will also be able to develop your own personal ‘back to basics plan’ that you can always fall back on when you’re feeling a bit heavier/bigger than you would like. For instance, just before a holiday, or a special occasion, you’ll know exactly what to do to fit back in you’re favourite summer dress, without necessarily having to follow the 30 day detox phase.

For example, we have found that most of the time we’re OK eating dairy, but that too much bread is the quick root to feeling bloated and sluggish. So when we want to feel our best, we just cut out all wheat for a while, and don’t worry too much about the diary.

Finding how you react to certain foods will empower you to make choices based on experience, rather than just on what you want. So, what do you do next?

Food Reintroduction PhaseSo, the foods that need careful reintroduction are wheat and dairy.

Say you go ahead and eat that huge meat pizza, and 2 hours later you are bloated and have terrible indigestion, and the next day you break out in spots all over your chin? How will you know what caused the reaction? Was it wheat, dairy or both?

You need to reintroduce these foods gradually, in a controlled manner.

So, if you’ve been desperate for cheese, on day 31 have one small piece of cheese in addition to your normal Pursuit Of Healthiness meals.

Monitor your body carefully for any reaction. If you don’t notice any adverse effects, the next day have two pieces of cheese, and once again monitor any changes in your body. Increase the amount of cheese again on the third day, and if you are still symptom free you can assume that you are not intolerant to cheese.

For best results, go back to the full detox phase for a couple of days, then can you move onto the next food item in question.

We’d recommend you repeat this reintroduction process for cheese, milk, bread and pasta.

It sounds a bit tedious, we know, but this is where you learn the most about your body, and developing your own ‘back to basics’ plan will mean you never need to follow another desperate diet again, as you will know exactly what works for you.

Back to ‘normal’ eating?As we said, you could follow the detox phase of Pursuit Of Healthiness nutrition system all of the time, but it wouldn’t be much fun.

What would dinner parties, nights out with friends, trips to the cinema be like if we could never have a ‘treat’?

And what happens when we deny ourselves something? We want it more.

So, here’s a plan that works well for us.

The Cheat DayOn one pre-planned day every week you can eat ANYTHING you want.

But the other 6 days you go back to full 100% detox, or at the very least your personal ‘Back To Basics’ plan.

And to get you through those 6 days each week avoiding temptation, every time you want something ‘naughty’ write it down, and compile a list of things you’ll have on your next cheat day.

The first couple of times you do this you will likely eat so much you want to burst, feel quite sick, and be desperate to get back onto your normal plan the next day.

After a couple of weeks you’ll find your cheat days may just end up being ‘cheat meals’ instead of whole days.

Again, experiment and find what works best for you.

80/20If one day a week off for you doesn’t work logistically, you could also try the 80/20 rule. If you have 5 ‘meals’ a day (counting snacks) that’s 35 meals a week. If you stick to the nutrition

manual 80% of the time, that means you have 7 meals each week where you could eat what you want.

So that chocolate croissant for a mid morning snack counts as one of those 7 opportunities, and so on.

It’s your body. Learn what works best for you and take back control!

But what if you don’t make it to 30 days?What if you succumb to pepperoni pizza after only five days?

Or ice cream after only ten days?

Or a glass of wine on your first weekend?

You have not failed!

While the principles are easy, fitting the nutrition manual into your lives can be challenging. It’s not the time it takes, as simple food takes often less time to prepare.

It’s the cultural and social aspects of our lives that can sometimes appear to be in direct competition with the program.

The best results will come from following the principles to the letter. By doing this you will come to understand your body and the effects of the food that you eat.

The most important piece of advice we can give you is to stick with it!

If you suddenly realize you ate a chocolate that came with your herbal tea, don’t panic! Learn to listen to your body, and try to determine if you really wanted the chocolate or not. Would you eat it again if you could turn back the clock?

As you progress through the days and weeks you will find you quickly look at food in a new light. It’s not that you see foods as bad, it’s more a case of seeing other foods as better!

Persevere, and the benefits will soon outweigh the common initial perception that you will be missing out on certain foods.

Good Luck, and enjoy your Nutritional Responsibility journey!

Get your plan together

The simplest way to keep yourself on plan is to plan your meals for the week ahead. That way you’ll always have the right food on hand.

Here are some tips for keeping to your plan:

• Keep enough food and healthy snacks in the house at all times

• Refuse to have foods that you’re not allowed in the house - yes, throw them away!

• Always think ahead for when you are next hungry - we all suffer from temptation when we’re hungry - it’s totally natural!

• Shop online -you’re able to edit the bad stuff out of the shopping basket afterwards - and avoid the mini temptation of walking past bad stuff

• Sit down and work out how much you’re saving on your normal expenses - i.e. coffees, sandwiches, sweets, cakes, chocolates, soda, alcohol, takeaways

• Then spend that money on organic food - the best you can buy!

MealsMake sure you go for organic - they contain more nutrients and none of the additives of their cheaper (and crueller) relations. You don’t want to overdo the eggs so aim for around three a week - making organic very affordable for everyone.

BreakfastBreakfast is the one meal of the day you must get perfect. If you do you will find that all the others are easier to stick to and you will feel energised for the whole day.

It’s also important to get a substantial amount of calories in you so you have energy for the day.

LunchLunch can be a tricky one if you are not able to be at home.

What’s the key to winning?

Answer - preparation.

Left over dinners, pre-prepared salads and lots of variety are your friend.

DinnerThe mistake that most people make is that they rush breakfast (don’t get the right stuff, don’t get enough), compromise on lunch (sandwiches are convenient but you’ll end up looking like the people who eat them). What does that leave? Dinner. Suddenly dinner is the chance to grab all your nutrition for the day. Unfortunately loading with carbs late in the evening as well as eating late (another modern habit) really mess with your body and its ability to process food.

Have you ever eaten a meal late at night and then felt starving in the morning? That’s the effect of giving your body a carb rollercoaster late at night - it seems to delay the insulin effect.

Your ideal dinner is going to be vegetable based, with some protein. Adding a small portion of brown rice is also fine.

Obviously the key to succeeding means you’ll need a lot of variety as well to keep you interested so mix it up, but stick to the rules!

How to eat on this planOn the next few pages you’ll see a sample weeks eating plan - followed by some example recipes that will help you get started.

There are loads of recipes out there that are perfect for this plan - the idea is you can eat liberally and enjoy food as long as you miss the dangers.

It’s not only possible to eat this way - it’s exciting and delicious. Remember, most of the things that you are getting rid of out of your diet are used to make food production costs cheaper - so you’re just getting more of the good stuff than other people!

Example of a 7 day meal planHere is a full weeks meal plan to get you started. Recipes can be swapped out or re-moved completely - it’s up to you.

1 Week Eating PlanMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Breakfast Berry Smoothie

Spiced Veg-etables with Coconut

Cocoa and Date Oat-meal

Berry Smoothie

Cocoa and Date Oatmeal

Berry Smoothie

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Vegetables

Snack Handful of nuts + seeds

Apple Handful of berries

Apple Handful of nuts + seeds

Apple Handful of berries

Lunch Salad with grated veg-etables

Leftover Salmon Salad

Left Over 3 Bean Chili

Salad with grated veg-etables

Left over lentil bolognese salad

Salad with beans and handful of pine nuts

Leftover slow cooked roast pork

Snack Apple Handful of nuts + seeds

Apple Handful of nuts + seeds

Apple Handful of nuts + seeds

Apple

Dinner Salmon, veg-etables and brown rice

3 Bean Chili with brown rice

Baked quiche with raw veg-etables

Lentil bolog-nese with gluten free pasta

Vegetable stir fry

Slow cooked roast pork with sweet potato fries and veg-etables

Vegetable stir fry

RecipesIn this section you’ll find all the recipes for your one week meal plan. All are designed to serve 1. If you need to cook for more then just cook 1 quantity of each recipe per person.

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and VegetablesIngredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 large organic free range eggs

2 large organic free range egg whites

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

¼ Cup of red & green peppers, chopped

¼ Cup of fresh spinach, chopped

2 spring onions, green tops only, thinly sliced

30g smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine eggs, egg whites and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir briskly with a fork until well blended. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add peppers, onions and spinach, cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the salmon and cook for a further 3-5 min-utes.

Spiced Vegetables with CoconutIngredients

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 Piece of fresh root ginger, grated

2 Organic carrots, sliced

4 Asparagus spears, stemed and chopped

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 Fresh red chilli, chopped

2 Onions

400ml Coconut milk

1 Tablespoon fresh coriander

½ Teaspoon Sea salt

Directions

Heat oil. Add the grated ginger and garlic Stir on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the chilli, carrots, asparagus and onion and stir for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring back to the boil. Cook until the coconut milk reduces slightly and the vetetables are tender. Add sea salt to taste.

Berry SmoothieIngredients

½ cup of strawberries

½ cup of blueberries

8 oz. of Greek yogurt

½ cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Directions

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until it becomes smooth.

Cocoa and Date OatmealIngredients

60g chopped pitted dates

240g organic rolled oats

2 tbsp raw organic cocoa

500ml coconut milk

Directions

Combine dates, oats and raw organic cocoa in a saucepan, slowly stir in the coconut milk. Heat on a medium heat, stirring continuously. Continue cooking and stirring until the cereal is

creamy.

Salad with Grated Vegetables (and Beans)This is a great way to pull together all that lovely raw food you’ve been buying. Don’t get too

hung up on quantities, just use what looks, smells and tastes great.

Ingredients

Chopped Tomatoes

Torn Lettuce / Spinach Leaves / Herbs

Sliced Cucumber

Grated Carrot / Beetroot / Sweet Potato

Can of beans or leftover beans (optional)

Handful of Pine Nuts / Pumpkin Seeds

Splash of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Prepare all the vegetables. Sprinkle over the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds and splash oil. Toss and serve.

Leftover Salmon / Lentil Bolognese Salad

This is equally good with any leftover dinner i.e. meat, eggs, fish or vege dish.

Ingredients

Same ingredients as Salad with Grated Vegetables

Leftover meal items, salmon or bolognese

Directions

Prepare the salad and add the leftover meal items before the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds. Splash a little oil over to finish and toss and serve.

Salmon, Vegetables and Brown RiceIngredients

200g Salmon

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Vegetables i.e. Broccoli

100g Brown Rice

Directions

Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place salmon in oven proof dish and cover with oil and season-ing. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 mins. You want the fish to ‘just’ be cooked so it is still ten-der. Boil brown rice according to instructions on pack (usually 35 minutes). Steam vegetables lightly just prior to serving.

Three Bean Chilli with Brown RiceUse any beans you want for this dish, canned or dried. If you are soaking and cooking your own beans remember that they need careful handling. Soak overnight then drain and bring to the boil in fresh water. Boil HARD for 20 minutes and then simmer on a lower temperature until they are soft. They are then ready to add to the recipe. This recipe will serve 4 - or 2 plus lunch

the following day.

Ingredients

3 Cans of beans (any type) or equivalent volume of cooked and drained dried beans

2 Onions, sliced

3 Cloves of garlic crushed then mashed to a pulp with a knife

2 Red peppers, sliced

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1 Teaspoon chilli powder

1 Teaspoon cumin seeds (ground)

1 Can Italian plum tomatoes or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

Brown Rice (400g for four people)

Directions

Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil until they start to brown. Add the cumin seeds and red peppers and salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until peppers start to soften. Add tomatoes, chilli powder and paprika. Put lid on and simmer until sauce is rich (around 30 min-utes). In the mean time boil the brown rice according to instructions on the pack. Add beans to sauce stirring around until covered. Cook for a few minutes and then using a potato masher, mash half the sauce and beans. Mix around and then you are ready to serve.

Baked Quiche

Use any veg you like. Spinach works really well but you can experiment and mix and match.

Ingredients

3 eggs

Handful spinach, peppers, grated carrot - anything you like! Experiment!

Small onion chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

Large splash of coconut, rice or almond milk

Quarter teaspoon of baking powder

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Whisk eggs and milk together until well combined. Add eggs and ev-erything else into a small oven proof dish. Bake for about 15-20mins watching carefully. Quiche will rise slightly. Serve with large plate of raw vegetables.

Lentil Bolognese with Gluten Free PastaYou can substitute the gluten free pasta for brown rice or quinoa if you prefer. Serves 4 (2 + 2

for lunch next day).

Ingredients

250g lentils (red or green or mixture)

Veg pot mix - 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 10 peppercorns

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped finely

2 sticks celery

1 can tomatoes or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

400g gluten free pasta

Directions

Wash lentils thoroughly. Cook according to instructions adding the veg pot mix to the pan you are boiling them in (usually for 20 minutes). In the mean time, fry the onion in a large heat proof pan, until brown. Add garlic, chopped carrots and chopped celery. Sweat until softened. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer until rich then add lentils (disposing of veg pot mix). Simmer until combined. Cook gluten free pasta as advised on pack. Serve and enjoy with a splash of olive oil.

Vegetable stir fry

You can use any vegetables you like just chop them up fairly thin so they cook quickly.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed and pulped

Small piece ginger, pulped

1 red chilli if you have one

Mushrooms

Spring Onions

Carrots

Broccoli

Any other veg i.e. mangetpout, green beans, baby sweetcorn

A little soy sauce if you like

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Directions

Heat your wok or pan and oil until smoking. Add onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a couple of seconds then add the rest of your veg. Cook until they just look slightly softened. Quickly serve and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Slow cooked Roast Pork with Sweet Potato Fries

and VegetablesThis is a monster of a dish which is why we recommend it for the weekend relax. Suitable for

several people and lunches afterwards.

Ingredients

1kg Pork Loin or Shoulder

1 Onion, sliced

4 Cloves garlic, sliced

2 Teaspoons chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander

400ml boiling water with organic stock cube dissolved

1 Can Italian plum tomatoes or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes

Bouquet garni

Salt and Pepper

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

500g Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into chips

Veg (steam just prior to serving)

Directions

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Brown the pork in a frying pan heated with the olive oil. Place into a large oven proof casserole dish (find one that has a tighly fitting lid). Now fry the onion, gar-lic and spices in the pan and add a little water once they are brown to deglaze and save the flavour. Now add everything into the casserole dish and seal. Cook for an hour then lower the temperature to 150 degrees and cook for a further 2 - 5 hours (check to see when tender). Oven bake the sweet potato with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper. Steam veg and serve.

Energy –boosting Muesli Preparation Time 5 minutes

Makes 15 servings

Ingredients

500g porridge oats

100g toasted almonds, chopped

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2tbsp sunflower seeds

100g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped

Milk or yoghurt to serve

Directions

Mix the oats with the almonds, seeds and apricots.

Store in a sealable container: it will keep for up to one month

Serve with milk or yoghurt

Apple CompotePreparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 5 minutes Serves 2

Ingredients

250g cooking apples, peeled & chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

ground cinnamon

To Serve : 25g raisins, 25g chopped almonds, 1 tbsp natural yoghurt

Directions

Put the cooking apples into a pan with the lemon juice, caster sugar and 2 tbsp cold water

Cook gently for 5 minutes or until soft then transfer to a bowl

Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon over the top, cool and chill.

This will keep for up to 3 days. Serve with the raisins, chopped almonds & yoghurt

Poached Eggs with Mushrooms Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 medium sized flat or portabella mushrooms

25g butter

8 medium eggs

225g baby spinach leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, gas mark 6

Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer in a small roasting tin and dot with the butter.

Roast for 15 minutes or until golden brown and soft

Meanwhile, bring a wide shallow pan of water to the boil. When the mushrooms are half-cooked and the water is bubbling furiously, break the eggs into the pan, spaced well apart, then take the pan off the heat. The eggs will take about 6 minutes to cook

When the mushrooms are tender, put them on a warmed plate, cover and return to the turned-off oven to keep warm

Put the roasting tin over a medium heat on the hob and add the spinach. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds or until the spinach has just started to wilt

The eggs should be set by now, so divide the mushrooms among four warmed plates and top with a little spinach and a poached eggs

Pepper and Lentil SoupPreparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 45 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 leek, trimmed and chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 red peppers, seeded and diced

225g red lentils

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) hot gluten free vegetable stock

25g pack flat-leafed parsley, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

toast to serve

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, celery, leek and carrot and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft

Add the red peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the red lentils, add the chopped tomatoes and hot stock and season to taste with salt and pepper

Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the vegetables are tender

Stir in the parsley. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve

Hot and Sour SoupPreparation time 20 minutesCooking time 30-35 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 turkey breasts, (about 300g) or the same amount of tofu, cut into strips

5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1-2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

75g long- grain wild rice

1.1 litres (2 pints) hot gluten free vegetable stock or boiling water

200g mangetout, sliced

juice of 1 lime

4 tbsp freshly chopped coriander to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Add the turkey or tofu and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned

Add the ginger and spring onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to warm the spices

Add the rice and stir to coat in the curry paste. Pour the hot stock or boiling water into the pan, stir once and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes

Add the mangetout and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Just before serving squeeze in the lime juice and stir to mix

To serve, ladle into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the coriander

Cannellini Bean and Sunblush Tomato SaladPreparation time 5 minutes, plus marinating Serves 6

Ingredients

½ red onion, very finely sliced

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

a small handful each of freshly chopped mint and flat-leafed parsley

2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 celery sticks, sliced

75g sunblush tomatoes, snipped in half

Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Put the onion into a small bowl, add the vinegar and toss. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes- this stage is important as it takes the astringency out of the onion

Tip the onion and vinegar into a large serving bowl, add the remaining ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper and toss everything together

Easy Roast Chicken SaladPreparation Time 10 minutes

Serves 1

Ingredients

100g shredded roast chicken (without skin)

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

¼ cucumber, chopped

a handful of ripe cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp hummus

¼ lemon to serve

Directions

Put the chicken into a shallow bowl. Add the carrot, celery cucumber and cherry tomatoes

Top with the hummus and serve with lemon for squeezing over the salad

Tuna SaladPreparation Time 10 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

2 x 400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed

250g flaked tuna

1 cucumber, chopped

1 large red onion, finely sliced

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped

4 celery sticks, chopped

80g baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Put the beans into a bowl and add the tuna, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, celery and spinach

Mix together the oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then toss through the bean mix and serve immediately

Smoked Mackerel Citrus SaladPreparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 5 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients

200g green beans

200g smoked mackerel fillets

125g mixed watercress, spinach & rocket

4 spring onions, sliced

1 avocado, halved, stoned, peeled and sliced

For the dressing 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, grated zest & juice of 1 orange

Directions

Preheat the grill. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes until they are just tender. Drain, rinse under cold running water, drain well, then tip into a bowl

Cook the mackerel under the hot grill for 2 minutes until warmed through. Flake into bite-size pieces, discard the skin and add the fish to the bowl with the salad leaves, spring onions and avocado

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the salad, toss well and serve immediately

Chicken Tarragon BurgersPreparation time 30 minutes, plus chilling Cooking time 12 minutes Serves 2

Ingredients

225g minced chicken

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly chopped tarragon

25g fresh breadcrumbs

1 large egg yolk

vegetable oil ( to oil)

salt and ground black pepper

toasted burger buns, salad leaves , low fat greek yogurt to serve

Directions

Put the chicken into a bowl with the shallots, tarragon, breadcrumbs and egg yolk. Mix well, then beat in about 75ml cold water and season with salt and pepper

Lightly oil a foil-lined baking tray. Divide the chicken mixture into two or four portions (depending on how large you want the burgers) and put on the foil. Using the back of a wet spoon, flatten each portion to a thickness of 2.5cm. Cover and chill for 30 minutes

Preheat the grill, slide the baking tray under the grill. Cook the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through, serve in a toasted burger bun with a dollop of mayonnaise or low fat greek yogurt and a few salad leaves

Italian MeatballsPreparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 50 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

50g fresh breadcrumbs

450g minced lean pork

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

¼ tsp chilli flakes ( or to taste)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leafed parsley

3 tbsp red wine

oil spray

roughly chopped fresh oregano to garnish

gluten free spaghetti to serve

For the tomato sauce :

Oil spray

2 large shallots, finely chopped

3 pitted black olives, shredded

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pinches of chilli flakes

250ml Gluten free vegetable stock (Swiss Marigold)

500g carton passata

2 tbsp each freshly chopped flat-leafed parsley, basil and oregano

salt and ground black pepper

Directions

To make the tomato sauce, spray a pan with the oil spray and add the shallots. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the olives, garlic, chilli flakes and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes

Uncover and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the shallots and garlic are soft and the liquid syrupy. Stir in the passata and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the herbs

Meanwhile, put the breadcrumbs, pork, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, garlic, parsley and wine into a large bowl, season and mix together, using your hands, until thoroughly combined

Preheat the grill. Line a grill pan with foil, shiny side up, and spray with the oil spray. With wet hands roll the mixture into balls. Cook the meatballs under the hot grill or 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with the tomato sauce and spaghetti, garnished with oregano

Spiced Tikka KebabsPreparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp tikka paste

150g low fat natural yogurt

Juice of ½ lime

4 spring onions, chopped

350g skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

Lime wedges and mixed salad to serve

Directions

Preheat the grill. Put the Tikka paste, yogurt, lime juice and spring onions into a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss well. Thread the chicken on to metal skewers

Grill the chicken for 8-10 minutes on each side, turning and basting with the paste, until cooked through. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the kebabs, and mixed salad

Chicken Stir-fry with Gluten Free NoodlesPreparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each sliced into 10 pieces

450g carrots ( about 3) cut into thin strips, about 5cm long

250g pack of gluten free noodles

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

200g mangetout

155g jar sweet chilli and lemongrass sauce

Directions

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the pack instructions

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add the carrot strips and stir-fry for a further 5 minutes

Add the spring onions, mangetout and sauce to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes

Divide the cooked noodles well and add to the wok. Toss everything together and serve

Lean’n’mean Jamaican Pork Cutlets with Rice, Black-Eyed Beans and Roasted SquashPreparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

85g onion ( peeled weight), finely chopped

85g deseeded red pepper, cut into 5mm squares

2 bay leaves

2 blades mace

60g easy-cook long grain rice

350ml chicken stock

85g cooked black-eyed beans

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

275g squash, deseeded but left unpeeled and cut into 1cm wedges

4 x 115g pork loin chops, all visible fat removed

rapeseed or vegetable oil spray

½ lemon, cut into wedges for serving

For the jerk spice rub

1 x 5ml tsp sugar

½ x 5ml tsp dried oregano

½ x 5ml tsp paprika

½ x 5ml tsp ground cinnamon

¼ x 5ml tsp chilli powder

½ x 5ml tsp crushed garlic

¼ x 5ml tsp ground allspice

3 x 5ml tsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / Gas mark 6

Heat a medium, lidded saucepan over a high heat, add the onion and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaves and mace, then stir in the rice, stock, beans and pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the stock and is tender. Remove from the heat and keep warm

Meanwhile, spread the squash out on a non-stick baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown

To make the jerk spice rub, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and rub into the pork.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat and spray lightly with oil. Sear the chops on both sides then cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked through. Be careful not to allow the pan to become too hot as it will burn the spice before the meat is cooked.

Serve the cutlets with the rice and beans and the roasted squash, squeezing the lemon over the meat

Sweet and Sour Sea BassPreparation time 25 minutes plus 30 minutes cooling Cooking time 15 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

60g pak choi, shredded

40g bean sprouts

40g shiitake mushrooms, sliced

40g oyster mushrooms, torn

20g spring onions, finely sliced

1 x 5ml tsp finely grated root ginger

3 x 5ml tsp finely sliced lemon grass

2 x 90g sea bass fillets, skinned and boned

10g sesame seeds, toasted

For the sweet and sour sauce

90ml unsweetened pineapple juice

3 x 5ml tsp sugar

3 x 5ml tsp red wine vinegar

2 star anise, crushed

90ml tomato juice

3 x 5ml tsp cornflour, blended with a little cold water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / Gas mark 6. Cut 2 x 38cm of greaseproof paper and 2 of the same size aluminium foil squares

To make the sauce, heat the pineapple juice, sugar, red wine vinegar, star anise and tomato juice, simmer for 1-2 minutes then thicken with the cornflour and water mixture, whisking continuously, then pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl to cool

In a separate large bowl mix together the pak choi, bean sprouts, mushrooms and spring onions, then add the ginger and lemon grass. Toss all the ingredients together

Put a square of greaseproof paper on top of a square of foil and fold into a triangle. Open up and place half the vegetable mix into the centre, pour half the sweet and sour sauce over the vegetables and place the sea bass on top. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds. Close the triangle over the mixture and, starting at the top fold and crumple the edges together to form an airtight triangular bag. Repeat to make the second bag

Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes until the foil bags puff with steam

To serve, place on individual plates and snip open to serve

Lentil Bolognese (alternative version)Preparation time 25 minutes Cooking time 20-25 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients

1 x 5ml tsp rapeseed or vegetable oil

1 x 5ml tsp crushed garlic

25g onion (peeled weight), finely chopped

25g leek, finely chopped

25g celery, finely chopped

25g deseeded green pepper, finely chopped

25g carrot , finely chopped

25g courgette, finely chopped

85g flat mushrooms, diced

4 x 15ml tbsp red wine

pinch of dried thyme

400g tin of tomatoes, chopped then strained through a colander with the juice and pulp reserved separately

4 x 15ml tbsp dried puy lentils, rinsed and cooked in fresh cold water for 25-30 mins until tender

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 x 5ml tsp lemon juice

1 x 5ml tsp sugar

3 x 15ml tbsp chopped fresh basil

140g gluten free spaghetti ( uncooked weight)

Directions

Heat a saucepan over a low heat, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add all the vegetables, except the mushrooms, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until softened and there is no liquid from the vegetables left in the pan. Add the mushrooms

Increase the heat to high, add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the thyme and juice from the tomatoes and cook until reduced by half

Add the lentils and pepper, stir in the tomatoes and cook for a further 3-4 minutes

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, sugar and basil

Mix the sauce with the cooked spaghetti and serve

Tandoori ChickenPreparation time 10 mins (plus 24 hours before to marinade) Cooking time 45 minutes-55 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

4-8 chicken portions, skinned1 small onion, quartered2 garlic cloves1 x 5ml tsp chopped fresh ginger2 x 5ml tsp ground cumin2 x 5ml tsp coriander1 x 5ml tsp garam masala½ x 5ml tsp salt½ x 5ml tsp cayenne pepper ( optional)2 x 15ml tbsp lemon or lime juice4 x 15ml tbsp low fat natural yogurt

Lime or lemon wedges to garnish

Directions

Using a sharp knife, cut 1cm deep slashes in each piece of chicken and put in a shallow dish

Put all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread the marinade over the chicken pieces, working it into the cuts in the flesh. Cover and marinade in the fridge for 24 hours

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / Gas mark 6

Place the chicken pieces on a rack in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 45-55 minutes until tender, turning the pieces over once during cooking and basting with the juices in the tin

Serve garnished with lemon or lime wedges

Spiced Lentil and Vegetable SoupPreparation Time 5 minutes Cooking Time 50 minutes- 1 Hour Serves 1

1x 5ml sp (1tsp) Olive Oil1x 5ml sp (1tsp) Mild Curry Paste1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped350Ml Gluten Free vegetable stock (Marigold Swiss, you can buy from Tesco)1 medium onion, chopped30g dried red lentils1 medium carrot , peeled and chopped1 small parsnip or sweet potato, peeled and chopped1 medium stalk celery, chopped1x 5Ml tomato puree

1. Heat the oil in a lidded, non stick saucepan, add curry paste and garlic and stir over a low heat for 1 minute2. Add the stock and stir to combine, then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat3. Turn the heat down very low, put the lid on and cook for 40-50 minutes or until the lentils are tender4. Turn heat of and remove from stove, blend with a electric blender to desired consistency

Tip By blending only half the quantity, you get a nice thick soup, which is still chunky.

ChickenandPineNutswithSaffronCouscousandLemonDressingPreparation Time 10 minutes Cooking Time 10 minutes, including soaking time- 1 Hour Serves 1

1-2 strands of saffron50g dry weight couscous2x 5Ml sultanas125ml of boiling Gluten free vegetable stock (Swiss Marigold)

For Dressing

1x5Ml finely chopped coriander leavesJuice of half a lemon1x 5Ml Olive Oil

1x 100g chicken breast fillet, cut into 8 strips25g of sweetcorn kernels1x 5Ml pine nuts10 cherry tomatoes, quartered2 spring onions, trimmed and choppedfresh coriander leaves to garnish

1. Put the saffron, couscous and sultanas in a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot stock. Stir once and allow to stand for 15mins.2. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients3. Brown the chicken strips on all sides in a non stick frying pan over a high heat for about four minutes.4. Reduce the heat to medium , add sweetcorn kernels and pine nuts and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. remove the chicken form the frying pan and set aside.5. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add to the frying pan with the tomatoes, dressing, spring onions. Heat for 1 minute, or until warmed through, stirring gently.6. Spoon on a plate, top with chicken slices and garnish with coriander

Moroccan Vegetable TaginePreparation Time 5minutes Cooking Time 45 minutes Serves 2

1x5Ml Olive Oil1 medium onion, peeled and chopped1 clove of garlic, chopped1x 2.5ml ground aniseed2 green cardamon pods, bruised by lightly rolling with a rolling pin1/2 red chili deseeded and finely chopped300Ml hot gluten free vegetable stock (Swiss Marigold)200g Chopped Can Tomatoes50g peeled weight turnip or parsnip or swede or pumpkin, diced1 medium sweet potato, diced1 small carrot, diced75g drained weight canned chickpeas rinsed1/2 a cinnamon stick1 small courgette, diced30g dates, chopped60g ready to eat apricots

For the couscous50g couscous100Ml hot gluten free vegetable stock (Swiss Marigold)

1. Heat the oil in a large lidded non stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5minutes, or until soft. Reduce the heat, add the spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring

2. Add the hot stock, tomatoes, turnip, potato, carrot, chickpeas, cinnamon and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the courgette, dates and apricots to the saucepan, plus a little water if needed. replace the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the fruit has absorbed the liquid.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to the instructions on the packet using hot stock. Fork through and separate the grains, then transfer to a warm dish and serve with the sauce.

Tip This sauce becomes even tastier if stored n the refrigerator for 1-2 days before eating

Vegetable Korma with Cardamom-Scented RicePreparation Time 10minutes Cooking Time 35-40 minutes Serves 1

1x 5Ml vegetable oil1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed1x 1.5ml sp of ground cumin1x 1.5ml sp of ground coriander1x 1.5ml sp turmeric1x 1.5ml sp garam masalagenerous pinch of ground ginger1 small potato, diced into bite sized pieces and parboiled for 5 minutes1/2 a small aubergine, cut into 1cm slices and quartered25g french beans, topped and tailed and halved150ml-200ml vegetable gluten free vegetable stock (Swiss Marigold)

50g Brown rice150ml water2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1x 5ml ground almonds100ml fat free natural greek yoghurt

1. First prepare the korma. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and stir in the onion on medium heat until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and spices and stir for 1 minute.2. Add the potato, aubergine, beans and half the stock, stir well and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, adding more stock if the mixture looks too dry.3. Meanwhile rinse the rice in clod water and put into a small, lidded saucepan, along with the cardamom pods. Cover with water, bring to the boil and reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.4. Add the ground almonds for the last 2 minutes of cooking the korma.5. When the vegetables are cooked, add the yoghurt and stir well. Heat for 1-2 minutes (but don’t boil). Remove the cardamom pods and serve korma on a bed of rice

Your shopping listA handy 2 page list that you can print and use to help you do your first healthy shop!

VegetablesAlfafa SproutsAsparagusAuberginesBaby Salad LeavesBean SproutsBeetrootBroad BeansBroccoliBrussel SproutsButternut SquashCabbage (all colours)CarrotsCeleriacCeleryChicory

ChilliesCourgettesCucumberFennelFresh PeasGreen BeansJerusalem ArtichokeKaleKohlrabiLeeksLettuce (all types)MangetoutMarrowsMushroomsOkra

OnionsParsnipsPeppers (all colours)Potatoes (not too many)Pumpkin and other squashRadishRocketRunner PeansSpinachSpring OnionsSugar Snap PeasSwedeTomatoesTurnipsYams

GrainsAmaranthBarleyBranBrown Rice

Brown RiceOatsQuinoaRed Rice

Spelt WheatWild Rice

FruitApplesApricotsAvocadosBananasBlackberriesBlackcurrantsBlueberriesCherriesClementinesCoconutCranberriesDatesFigsGooseberriesGrapefruit

GrapesGuava PearKiwiLemonsLimesLoganberriesLycheesManderinesMangoMelonsNectarinesOrangesPapayaPassion FruitPawpaw

PeachesPearsPineapplePlantainsPlumsPomegranatesRaspberriesRedcurrantsRhubarbSatsumasStar FruitStrawberriesWhitecurrants

Herbs and SpicesAllspiceBasilBay LeavesChervilChilli PowderChivesCinammonCitrus LeavesClovesCorianderCoriander SeedsCumin Seeds

Curry LeavesDillGalangalGarlicGingerHorseradishLavenderLemon BalmLemon GrassMargaromMintNutmeg

OreganoPaprikaParsleyPeppermintRosemarySaffronSageSalt (Himalayan Pink Crystal or Atlantic Sea)ThymeTurmericWasabi Paste

Meat and Fish*Seaweed (often bought from fishmongers)CobblerCodCrabCrayfishGrass fed organic beef

HalibutHerringLobsterMackerelOrganic chickenPheasantSalmon

SardineSea BassTroutTunaTurkeyVenison

Dairy and EggsEwe cheeseFeta cheese

Goat cheeseOrganic Chicken Eggs

Organic Duck EggsUnsweetened organic live yo-ghurt

OilsAvocado oilCoconut oilFish oils (not for cooking)

Flax seed oil (not for cooking)Macadamia nut oilOlive oil

Red palm oilSesame oilWalnut oil

Nuts and SeedsAlmondsBrazil NutsCashew NutsChestnutsCobnutsFlax Seeds

HazelnutsHeartnutsMacadamia NutsPecansPine NutsPistachios

Pumpkin SeedsSesame SeedsSunflower SeedsWalnuts

Plus don’t forget your coconut, almond, oat or rice milk!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit-ted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Note: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. This book is intended only as an informative guide for those wishing to know more about health issues. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand, or conflict with the advice given to you by your own doctor or physician. The ultimate decision concerning care should be made between you and your doctor. We strongly recom-mend you follow his or her advice. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees. The authors and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

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