week one
what to do
During the first week you should eliminate all dairy and
wheat-based products from your diet, reduce your salt intake, avoid
meat and animal fat, tea, coffee, white sugar, sweets, alcohol and
tobacco. Remember that foods such as pasta, biscuits and bread all
contain wheat; use rice, buckwheat or quinoa as a substitute. Soya
milk is available from most supermarkets and can be used as a
replacement for cow’s milk. In addition, you
should:
- Drink 1–2 litres of mineral water every day; choose water that
has a low mineral content (page 138).
- If you experience a lot of abdominal gas and bloating, take two
capsules of activated charcoal three times a day after
meals.
- Eat a handful of fresh or dried blueberries every
day.
- Drink herbal teas made from fennel, ginger or camomile before and
after your meals.
- Use plenty of herbs such as thyme, basil, rosemary, garlic and
shallots in your cooking.
how to succeed
- Revise your usual shopping list so that it includes plenty of
fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, rice, lentils, beans, millet,
buckwheat flour, fresh herbs and herbal teas such as ginger,
peppermint, camomile and fennel.
- Follow the recipes in this book and use a cookery book with an
emphasis on healthy food (Provençal or Mediterranean cooking are
recommended).
- Start the day with a good protein-based breakfast (mushrooms,
avocado and fish are recommended sources of protein) and eat well
at lunchtime. This will provide you with enough energy to get
through the day. In contrast, your dinner should be very
light.
- Resist the temptation to have the occasional sugary snack, cup of
tea or coffee or alcoholic drink.
possible side effects
You may experience mild headaches, bursts of energy alternating
with fatigue, muscle aches and pains, sudden hunger, irritability,
cravings for sweet foods, intestinal gas, abdominal distension, and
regurgitation. These are most common during the first 48 hours.
Side effects vary from one person to another and you certainly
won’t experience all of these.
the benefits
Towards the end of week one, you may notice that your energy
levels, appetite and sleep quality are
improving.