Whether you need to lose weight or simply want to improve your health, the answer lies in what you eat.

Follow Gillian’s simple seven-day plan and discover a slimmer, more energised, all-round healthier you

Day 1
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 liquorice tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
8:15am	1 pear
30 minutes later	Peach, apricot and banana smoothie (see Recipes)
10:15am	A handful of almonds
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk.
12:30pm	Chickpea and mint soup with avocado salad (see Recipes). Make enough soup for tomorrow
Mid afternoon	Vegetable crudités with hummous
6pm	Dance for 20 minutes to loud music
6:30pm	Quinoa with roast tempeh or tofu with vegetables and tamari-ginger gravy (see Recipes)
8:30pm	Meditation Soak some chickpeas for sprouting
9pm	A small handful of hazelnuts – chew them well.
Day 2
7am	Breathing exercises
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 rosehip tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk. Soak some red split lentils for later
8:15am	2 slices of honeydew melon
30 minutes later	Quinoa porridge – re-heat last night’s quinoa in extra water or rice milk
10:30am	Vegetables and houmous from yesterday
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
12:30pm	Chickpea soup from yesterday with Carrot slaw salad (see Recipes)
Mid afternoon	1 punnet of blueberries
6pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk and do 10 minutes stretching
6:30pm	Lentil vegetable dhal with brown rice (see Recipes). Make enough dhal for tomorrow
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	1⁄2 an avocado
Day 3
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 nettle tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
8:15am	1 punnet of strawberries
30 minutes later	Rice porridge – re-heat last night’s rice with extra water or rice milk until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring as you go. Serve and stir in some natural soya yoghur
10:15am	Mixed seeds – pumpkin, sunflower and hemp
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
12:30pm	Lentil vegetable dhal from yesterday with watercress salad
Mid afternoon	Sprouted chickpeas
6pm	Do 15 minutes skipping or rebounding and 10 minutes stretching
6:30pm	Trout with almonds and steamed vegetables (see Recipes)
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	A small pot of natural soya yoghurt
Day 3
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 nettle tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
8:15am	1 punnet of strawberries
30 minutes later	Rice porridge – re-heat last night’s rice with extra water or rice milk until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring as you go. Serve and stir in some natural soya yoghur
10:15am	Mixed seeds – pumpkin, sunflower and hemp
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
12:30pm	Lentil vegetable dhal from yesterday with watercress salad
Mid afternoon	Sprouted chickpeas
6pm	Do 15 minutes skipping or rebounding and 10 minutes stretching
6:30pm	Trout with almonds and steamed vegetables (see Recipes)
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	A small pot of natural soya yoghurt
Day 4
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 fennel tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
8:15am	Big smoothie
30 minutes later	Porridge
10:15am	A handful of goji berries
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
12:30pm	Fennel and hazelnut soup with red cabbage and celery salad (see Recipes). Make enough soup for tomorrow as well
Mid afternoon	1 Dr Gillian McKeith cacao bar
6pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk with arms swinging
6:30pm	Mung bean casserole with brown rice (see Recipes). Make enough of the casserole for tomorrow
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	A handful of pumpkin seeds or almonds – if you soak almonds in water, they taste nice and chewy
Day 5
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 dandelion tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
8am	A pear
30 minutes later	Berry Delight (see Recipes)
10:15am	Vegetable crudités with butterbean dip (see Recipes). Make enough for tomorrow
12pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk
12:30pm	Mung bean casserole from yesterday with grated vegetable salad
Mid afternoon	A bowl of fennel and hazelnut soup from yesterday
6pm	Walk for 20 minutes; stretch for 10 minutes
6:30pm	Adzuki bean bake (see Recipes). Make enough for tomorrow
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	An apple
Day 6
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 mint tea
7:30am	Go for a brisk 45 minute walk
8:15am	A bowl of plums
30 minutes later	Buckwheat porridge (see Recipes)
10:30am	Carrot, beetroot and celery juice
12pm	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
12:30pm	Adzuki bean bake with green salad
Mid afternoon	Seed balls (see Recipes). Make enough for tomorrow
6pm	Go for a brisk 20 minute walk or dance for 20 minutes
6:30pm	Grilled sea bass with steamed vegetables (see Recipes)
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	2 Seed balls
Day 7
7am	Meditation
7:15am	1 glass warm water with lemon juice 1 dandelion root coffee
7:30am	Go for a brisk 30 minute walk
8am	Make a fruit salad with any leftover fruit you have
30 minutes later	Porridge made with water
10:15am	Make a vegetable juice using any leftover vegetables you have. Add some root ginger for a spicy kick
12pm	Go for a good 30 minute walk; get the whole family or some of your friends to go along
12:30pm	Stuffed vine leaves with turnip and leek soup (see Recipes)
Mid afternoon	Seed balls from yesterday
6pm	Skip or rebound for 20 minutes and then do 10 minutes stretching
6:30pm	Haricot bean loaf with green salad (see Recipes)
8:30pm	Meditation
9pm	Stuffed vine leaves

Recipes

Peach, apricot & banana smoothie

2 ripe peaches, halved & stoned
4 apricots
1 banana
100ml water

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Chickpea & mint soup

11⁄2 cups of dry chickpeas (or 2 tins of unsalted chickpeas) – soaked
1tsp black mustard seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp miso paste
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1tbsp Gold of Pleasure oil
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Cook the chickpeas until soft (not necessary if using tinned). Dry fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they start to pop. Grind them with a pestle and mortar. Sauté the onions in the oil with the bay leaves until soft. Once nearly cooked, add the freshly chopped garlic, ground mustard seeds, cumin seeds and miso paste and cook for a few more minutes.

Drain the chickpeas and blend with the onion and spice mixture, after removing the bay leaves and miso paste, adding enough water to create the desired consistency. Add some fresh chopped mint to the soup and serve immediately.

Avocado salad

Peel and slice an avocado and combine with mixed green leaves and sliced radishes.

Make a lemon and oil dressing and pour on with some freshly chopped herbs.

Quinoa with roast tempeh or tofu with vegetables

A selection of vegetables for roasting e.g beetroot, carrots, courgettes, red and yellow peppers
Tempeh or tofu (75-100g per person)
Olive oil
A piece of root ginger – finely chopped
Tamari
Quinoa – (make enough for tomorrow)

Chop the vegetables and tempeh or tofu into cubes and put in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, chopped ginger and tamari. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 2000C/gas mark 6. Put the quinoa on to cook; 1 part quinoa to 2-3 parts water. Simmer gently until all the water is absorbed. Once the quinoa, vegetables and tempeh or tofu are cooked, serve onto plates and spoon on the tamari-ginger gravy.

Tamari-ginger gravy

1⁄2 pint of vegetable stock
Tamari
1-2tsp grated ginger
1tbsp arrowroot or kudzu

Put the vegetable stock into a pot and heat gently. Add tamari and ginger (taste to check for quantities). Dissolve the arrowroot in 1tbsp of cold water and add to the stock. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens and becomes clear.

Carrot slaw salad

1⁄4 of a white cabbage, finely shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
Finely chopped parsley
Sunflower seeds
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp tamari

Combine the shredded cabbage, grated carrots, finely chopped parsley and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Mix up the apple cider vinegar, olive oil and tamari in a jar and shake well. Pour the dressing onto the salad, mix well and serve.

Watercress salad
Combine a large bunch of watercress with 6 small, finely sliced radishes, 3 sticks of finely sliced celery and some freshly chopped walnuts (preferably newly shelled). Pour on a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard, and serve.

Lentil vegetable dhal served with brown rice

1 cup of brown rice per person
1 cup of red split lentils per person
1tsp turmeric
1tsp ground ginger
1⁄2tsp ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne (very hot, so beware!)
1⁄2 a cauliflower
1 stalk of broccoli
A handful of spinach
Tamari
1tsp garam masala
Nori flakes

Rinse the rice and put in a pan with twice the amount of water. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Put the lentils in a pan with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that appears. Turn down the heat, add the spices except the garam masala and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the vegetables, tamari and garam masala and cook until soft. Serve the dhal on top of the rice and sprinkle with nori flakes.

Trout with almonds & steamed vegetables

1⁄2 a fennel bulb per person
Olive oil
Trout fillets (1 per person)
Lemon juice
1-2tbsp of almonds per person
Peas
Watercress and rocket leaves

Slice the fennel bulb, removing the fronds. Place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 2000C/gas mark 6. Place each trout fillet on a piece of foil or baking parchment. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle on lemon juice and flaked almonds. Tuck the fronds from the fennel bulb into the fish. Wrap the foil or parchment into parcels (parchment can be secured with paperclips). Bake for 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Steam some peas and arrange the watercress and rocket leaves on plates. Serve the fish and fennel on top of the leaves and the peas on the side.

Fennel & hazelnut soup

1 small onion, peeled & finely sliced
3 fennel bulbs, trimmed, finely sliced & cored
1ltr roasted vegetable stock
1 handful parsley stalks
100g chopped hazelnuts (raw & unsalted)
Soya milk

Place the peeled and sliced onion with 1tbsp of water in a large pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the trimmed, sliced and cored fennel and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, add the parsley stalks, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then blend in a food processor or with a hand-held blender until completely smooth. Add the chopped hazelnuts and process for a further 30 seconds. Return to the pan, adding just enough soya milk to achieve a creamy consistency. Divide between warmed soup bowls and serve immediately.

Red cabbage & celery salad

1⁄4 red cabbage, finely shredded
3 stalks of celery, finely sliced
Freshly chopped parsley
2tbsp of egg free mayonnaise

Combine all the ingredients and serve!

Mung bean casserole

250g mung beans, presoaked for 6 hours in cold water
1 wheat-free vegetable stock cube
1⁄2tsp turmeric powder
1⁄2tsp ground cumin
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 onion, peeled & finely chopped
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled & chopped
2 endive, leaves removed
1 small bunch radishes, trimmed & halved
A few clover sprouts

Drain the presoaked mung beans and rinse well. Bring 750ml water to the boil and add the mung beans, vegetable stock cube, turmeric powder and ground cumin, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the freshly chopped coriander, onions and carrots and simmer for a further few minutes. Arrange the endive around the edge of a deep bowl, spoon in the casserole mixture and garnish with the trimmed radishes and clover sprouts. Serve with brown rice and a hearty salad.

Berry delight

1 small punnet strawberries
2 soft pears
1 banana
100ml water

Blend until smooth.

Butterbean dip

410g can butter beans, drained & rinsed
2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
2tsp olive oil
1 handful fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

Place the butter beans, garlic, olive oil, parsley and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.

Herby salad dressing

8tbsp olive oil
2tbsp cider vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄2 garlic clove, peeled & chopped
1tbsp chopped fresh herbs
1⁄4tsp vegetable bouillon powder

Place the olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, herbs and vegetable bouillon powder together with 2tbsp of cold water, in a small screw-top jar and shake well.

Adzuki bean bake

1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small squash, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stick, trimmed and sliced
500ml just-boiled water
1tsp organic vegetable bouillon powder
1 medium leek, trimmed & sliced
165g cooked adzuki beans
2tsp cornflour or arrowroot blended with 1tbsp water to make a smooth paste
1 large sweet potato, cut into 5mm slices
Savoy cabbage, green beans, broccoli or raw mange tout, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tiny bit of water. Gently water sauté the chopped onion and garlic for around 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, (a healthy alternative to regular frying). Add the peeled and diced squash, carrot and celery. Cook with the onion and crushed garlic for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour the just-boiled water over the chopped vegetables and stir in the organic vegetable bouillon powder. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 2000C/gas mark 6. Carefully stir the sliced leek and adzuki beans into the vegetable mixture. Return to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornflour or arrowroot mixture and cook for about 1 minute until the sauce starts to thicken, continuously stirring. Remove from the heat and transfer carefully into a 900ml ovenproof dish. Arrange slices of the sweet potato on top of the bean and vegetable mixture. Brush with a little of the olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes until the sweet potato is soft. Serve with freshly steamed or lightly boiled savoy cabbage, green beans or broccoli and tender, raw mange tout.

Seed balls

50g pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g sesame seeds
2 sticks of celery, finely diced
1tsp mixed dried herbs
4tsp lemon juice or water
1tsp miso paste
Freshly chopped parsley or coriander

Grind the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds thoroughly in a food processor or specialist nut mill. Some juicers also have specific attachments for grinding up nuts and seeds. Add the finely diced celery, mixed dried herbs, water or lemon juice and miso paste. Blend until the mixture holds together. Roll the mixture into balls and generously sprinkle on the freshly chopped parsley or coriander leaves.

Grilled sea bass with steamed vegetables

Freshly chopped herbs e.g. marjoram, parsley, fennel and dill
Sea bass fillets (1 per person)
Broad beans
Broccoli
Spinach or chard
2tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp olive oil

Mix together the chopped herbs. Slash the sea bass on both sides and push the chopped herbs into the cavities. Grill the fillets skin side down for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. Meanwhile, steam the chopped vegetables. Mix together the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the grilled sea bass just after serving.

Stuffed vine leaves

50g soaked almonds
10g dulse (dark red seaweed), rinsed
1tbsp lemon juice
2 carrots, finely grated
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1tsp dried oregano
1 garlic clove, crushed
2tbsp tahini
Vine leaves

Blend the almonds, dulse, lemon juice, carrots, celery, oregano, garlic and tahini in the food processor. Rinse the vine leaves and remove the stalk if necessary. Put a heaped dessertspoon of the mixture onto the centre of each one. Fold the base and left side of the leaf over the filling then fold in the right side and roll the leaf away from you to make a small package.

Turnip & leek soup

1 turnip, trimmed, peeled & diced
1 wheat-free vegetable stock cube
1tbsp wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder
6 celery stalks, trimmed & roughly chopped
6 leeks, washed trimmed & chopped
3 small onions, peeled & chopped
4tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

Place 750ml water in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and add the turnip, stock and bouillon powder. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the celery, leeks and onions and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tarragon, then blend to your desired consistency. Reheat, pour into soup bowls and serve.

Haricot bean loaf

2tsp olive oil
1 leek, washed, trimmed & sliced
2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled & grated
1tsp cumin
1⁄2tsp ground coriander
1 onion, peeled & quartered
3 carrots, trimmed, peeled & grated
1 garlic clove, peeled & chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh parsley
50g sunflower seeds
24g oat bran
1tbsp wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder
410g can haricot beans, drained & rinsed
410g can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

Preheat the oven to 1900C/gas mark 6. Lightly oil a 900g loaf tin and line the base with greaseproof paper. Put the remaining oil and the leek in a saucepan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cumin and coriander and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat. Blend the onion, carrots, garlic, parsley, sunflower seeds, oat bran, bouillon powder and one of the cans of beans (either will do) until semi-smooth. Transfer into a large bowl and stir in the second can of beans and the leek mixture. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown in colour. Turn out of the tin on to a serving plate. Serve either hot or cold with salad.

Buckwheat porridge
Cook 1⁄2 cup of buckwheat per person in twice the amount of water. Stir in some miso paste and a little grated ginger towards the end of the cooking time.

Photos iStockphoto/Freshfoodimages.com