THE 14-DAY PLAN BASICS
Over the next few pages, you’ll learn about the structure of the diet plan and how to use it. This is followed by each day of the plan clearly laid out with details of what to eat and when. You’ll also find suggested “activity zones” in which to fit your walking or home exercises. You don’t have to exercise at these times but it certainly helps to have some idea of when you’re going to, rather than just leaving it to chance.
DAILY MUST-HAVES
Each day consists of breakfast, lunch and dinner; an energy-boosting “spruce juice”; a pre-dinner nutrient-packed “satisfying” soup, which you should aim to eat at least half an hour before you sit down for your main meal; and a snack.
The plan also includes the following “must-haves,” which you should make sure you get each day:
The plan has been developed to provide a balanced intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The breakfast for each day is listed in the plan, while you will find the lunch options and the selection of Starch Curfew dinners. There are lunch and dinner options for vegetarians, fish and meat eaters – try to include as much variety as possible rather than sticking with the same thing every day. If you aren’t vegetarian, try to consume three portions of oily fish each week.
SPRUCE JUICES
Your mid-morning spruce juice is specifically designed to boost energy levels, stabilize blood sugar until lunch, and pack a powerful nutrient punch for your body. The specific combination of vegetables and fruits has been selected to help cleanse your body and eliminate excess fluid and toxins from your body. Each juice is enough for two servings. You can either drink half in the morning and save the remaining half for your afternoon snack, or you can just make half of the recipe – whatever fits in with your day. If you don’t have a juicer or blender, you can opt for store-bought juices or go to a juice bar and have one made up for you.
Celery, Beetroot, and Ginger Juice
You will need a juicer for this recipe.
½ bunch celery
¼ raw beetroot
1 cherry-sized piece fresh root ginger, peeled
Juice half the celery. Add the beetroot and ginger. Follow with the remaining celery.
Tomato, Parsley, and Pepper Juice
You can use a blender to make this juice.
14-oz can chopped tomatoes
large handful coarsely chopped parsley with stems
1 pepper, seeded and stem removed
Place the ingredients in a blender. Blend and enjoy.
Carrot, Apple, and Ginger Juice
You will need a juicer for this recipe.
4 carrots
2 apples
½-inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled
Combine the ingredients in a juicer.
Peach and Grape Nectar
Use a blender for this recipe.
1 large peach, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 good handfuls seedless green grapes
Blend and enjoy.
Summer Fruit Smoothie
Make this smoothie in a blender.
1 small banana, broken into chunks
1 peach, pitted and coarsely chopped
4 strawberries, washed and hulled, or use frozen strawberries
6 ice cubes
4¼-oz bottle raspberry drinking yogurt
¼ cup frozen low-fat vanilla yogurt
Blend the fruit in a blender with the ice cubes until smooth. Pour in the drinking yogurt and blend well. Pour into long glasses and add a scoop of vanilla yogurt to each glass.
Shop-bought alternatives:
SNACKS
When it comes to your mid-afternoon snack, we’ve left it up to you to choose from the list below, depending on how hungry you are and what you fancy. Each snack is approximately 100 calories.