MONICA GRENFELL CRASH DIET Lose 7lbs in 7 days xx MONICA GRENFELL’S CRASH DIET It’s a reassuring thought that even effortlessly pretty,elegant women have figure problems. A beautiful figure is the basis of great fashion and for most of us, long-term, intelligent eating is the ideal solution to a love of food and hectic social life.When the problem is a small one, however, and you want to lose a few ‘vanity’ pounds, a crash diet is a joy. Crash dieting is a civilised approach to a nice compromise – between the pleasures of the moment and the pleasures of the future. Crash diets are ideal for quick pound loss, especially before some special occasion, and are harmless to a healthy person. It does not mean you will never put a spoon in a dessert again: It simply means compensating at the next meal and using common-sense. CRASH DIET is three of Monica’s most popular and asked-about diets.The Egg and Grapefruit Diet, The Fruit and Nut Diet and The Banana and Milk diet. Each has a seven day diet plan, a maintenance plan and recipes.You have the choice in how to lose those pounds discreetly and quickly, so people will be saying ‘I wish I had a figure like yours!’ Monica Grenfell has been a nutritionist for twenty years and is the author of 8 best-selling diet books. She has been Britain’s most-read and most popular national Sunday newspaper diet columnist since 1996. CRASH DIET BY MONICA GRENFELL Montgomery Books 9 7 8 0 9 5 2 6 0 0 4 2 8 ... looking good is not a piece of cake
Transcript
MONICAGRENFELL
CRASHDIET
Lose 7lbsin 7 daysxx
MONICA GRENFELL’SCRASH DIET
It’s a reassuring thought that even effortlesslypretty, elegant women have figure problems.
A beautiful figure is the basis of great fashion andfor most of us, long-term, intelligent eating is theideal solution to a love of food and hectic sociallife.When the problem is a small one, however,
and you want to lose a few ‘vanity’ pounds,a crash diet is a joy.
Crash dieting is a civilised approach to a nicecompromise – between the pleasures of the
moment and the pleasures of the future.Crash diets are ideal for quick pound loss, especially before some
special occasion, and are harmless to a healthy person. It doesnot mean you will never put a spoon in a dessert again:It simply means compensating at the next meal and using
common-sense.
CRASH DIET is three of Monica’s most popular andasked-about diets.The Egg and Grapefruit Diet,
The Fruit and Nut Diet and The Banana and Milkdiet. Each has a seven day diet plan, a maintenance
plan and recipes.You have the choice in how to losethose pounds discreetly and quickly, so people will be
saying ‘I wish I had a figure like yours!’
Monica Grenfell has been a nutritionist for twenty yearsand is the author of 8 best-selling diet books. She hasbeen Britain’s most-read and most popular national
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Acknowledgements
To CharlotteHoping you will never need a crash diet
I would like to thank all the people who have madethis diet book a reality, especially Sonia Faustino at FBA Group,
Abby Knight and Christina Panayi who are just wonderful friends,and all the test dieters who made it all seem such fun.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 3
ForewordWithout being rich, young or naturally beautiful, you can still look stunning.No matter how your look is achieved, it has to start from discipline, froma sense of your own uniqueness, knowing your bad points and accentuatingyour good ones. Only you can know if you like your size, but the way youlook and present yourself to the world reveals your attitude to life. It’s areassuring thought that even apparently flawlessly, effortlessly pretty womenhave figure problems.At least I have never met anyone, not even a model,who did not have something she wanted to put right.A small bulge here,or a few rogue pounds there are a cross most of us have to bear. Carelesslyletting the pounds creep on, allowing your waist to billow and hips tospread, means you have let go of one of life’s great pleasures: the satisfactionof feeling and looking your best.
Major lifestyle changes towards a better diet might be the best answer,but when the problem is small, a crash diet is a joy. It would be wonderfulto believe that our shape and size are of no consequence and the onlyconsideration is health, but we don’t do things that are only good for us– we need other motivations. It is incredible to think that twenty or thirtyyears of happiness and satisfaction with your shape can be bypassed for thelack of a little willpower, and many women spend years in the misery of aweight problem they can’t or won’t address.
Pounds have a tendency to creep on.When those pounds reach doublefigures, getting rid of them becomes a chore. Sad to say, it is often a matterof carelessness, rather than the diet itself. Then of course, the problem ofshifting them is daunting. It’s far better, I think. to tackle the pounds as soonas they appear.
A crash diet is a helpful part of every woman’s regime and women shouldnever wear their diets on their sleeves, announcing to the world (dare I sayboring the world?) that they have a problem. Far better to keep some mid-point in your weight so that a few pounds either way is not noticed and theenduring effect is “she’s so lucky; she never puts on a pound.” Only youknow the truth of that statement!
In this weight-conscious world probably the first thing we think when wesay ‘diet’ is deprivation and sacrifice. But there are diets for many purposes:diets for long-term everyday eating, diets for sports endurance, diets fordiabetes or pregnancy. For most of us, the best diet is lifelong, intelligenteating: keeping meals low-calorie, getting out of the habit of sugar in coffeeor mindless snacks. It does not mean never putting a spoon into a pudding.It simply means compensating at the next meal and using common-sense.
Crash diets might have had a bad press but they are practical and let’s behonest, none of us is so famished that a week of restriction willcause harm. Crash dieting is merely civilised, a nicecompromise between the pleasures of the moment andthe pleasures of the future.You know you need to takesteps by little signals; feeling uneasy in your clothes andbored with your look.You suddenly see the picture youpresent to the world and it doesn’t fit with your ideaof yourself.The effect of reaching this crossroads andtaking the first step with diet comes from others, asthey exclaim,“I wish I had a figure like yours!”
The mistake some people make is to start adiet as if it is the end of all the good timesand the beginnings of a hard time. Yet ifyou are overweight you are alreadydepriving yourself: not being ableto wear what you want to wearor feel confident. So instead ofthinking of what is denied toyou, translate that thoughtto a positive one of
Crash diets are brilliant for anyone with poor willpower. For these people,a slow and steady approach is useless. It might be desirable to lose weightgradually, but who wants to do that? It is like digging a hole with a spoon.But a couple of pounds weight loss is barely discernable when you have fiftypounds to lose. Dieting feels like torture. It is important to embrace the factthat slimming means you miss out on some things but you gain in otherways. Crash dieting gives good psychological weight loss and requiresenough discipline to make the slimmer feel she is doing something positive– and this makes her keen to continue and not lose the benefits she has justworked for.
In the final analysis, our figures are the basis of great fashion.We all want tolook good in our clothes. As a nutritionist, I know that weight gained quicklyis usually lost quickly, given the right frame of mind and a reasonableattention span.This is how Crash Diet was born, to bring back the fun andthe élan into dieting that says “yes, it’s not ideal to diet and in many ways it’sboring – but I would rather be bored than fat!”
Tried and testedIn the past eleven years I have been the health columnist for the country’stwo leading Sunday newspapers, the Sunday Mirror and the News of theWorld Sunday magazine. I have written a total of 563 columns of diet andexercise. I have written for numerous magazines both here and in Americaand have produced eight diet books.The diets in this book are the threemost popular and asked-for diets from all those years. I still get letters aboutthem. Of course, people kept asking “have you a book with this diet in it?”
The diets are intentionally niche.They rely on one or two key foods whichcompliment one another nutritionally, so if you do not like one diet the nextmight suit you perfectly.You can pass the book on to your friends to samplethe other diets.
These are the diets and I am sure you will have great success on one– or all of them!
1 The Egg and Grapefruit diet2 The Fruit and Nut diet3 The Banana and Milk diet
What is a crash diet?A crash diet is a diet that restricts calories while not compromising nutrients.It achieves results by reducing energy so your body needs to dig into yourexisting fat stores and thus you lose weight. Fifty years ago, crash diets wereall the rage. It is a fallacy to believe that women were more voluptuous andcurvaceous, and diet obsession is a new fad: indeed, the fuller figures of the1950’s were a result of the gradual return to normality after wartime rations.With the restoration of food supplies, the propaganda machine went intoaction. It was a brave new world. A world of plenty. People were encouragedto enjoy food they could have only dreamed of during the six years of war.Milk, butter, cheese and cream were promoted for their ‘natural’ qualities andthe same went for meat, bacon and eggs. Bananas, unseen for many yearssuddenly came on the scene again.Women’s figures blossomed and thefamous curves we all associate with the era were, in fact, an aberration.Women began to gain weight and they certainly did not celebrate the fact.Suddenly young women were cinching themselves into full-body girdles andlong-line bras. Magazines of the era were jam-packed with special slimmingbreads, artificial sweeteners and biscuits and weird diets like the Gelatinediet.
I have a 1959 copy ofVOGUE’s NEW BOOK OF BEAUTY – SLIMMINGAND HEALTH magazine, which was published four times a year fordecades. In a feature entitled New Ways to a Waist Line it says
“Just now, with fashion at waist level, a lot of women will be interested in losingan inch or so quickly before they level out to an everyday plan that will maintaintheir leaner waist. Crash or fad diets are harmless for quick results, especially forquick pound loss in three to five days before some gala occasion.We knowseveral models and actresses who swear by them.When carried out for a fewdays a crash diet is harmless to a healthy person – though it may be boring.”
I could not have put it better myself. Fifty years ago, you could not goshopping for another outfit the minute something didn’t fit; money was inshort supply and clothes bigger than a size 14 were unheard of for youngwomen. On the whole it made economic sense to look after your weightand it was also not the done thing to ‘ lose your waist to a custard tart’,as my mother used to say.This was the generation that invented extremedieting.Three to five days of discipline is all it takes and I hope you will findmy diets work for you as well as they worked back then.
ProteinsYou would not die if you did not eat carbohydrates, but you would diewithout protein. Proteins are essential because they build cells and repairour bodies.All these crash diets contain plentiful protein so whichever dietyou choose you will have the right amount your body needs for health,maintenance and repair.
Very low calorie diets - the effective way to lose weightOur bodies are feeding machines. Some people claim that the best dietsare low-fat or glycaemic index or high protein, and I have read endless,ill-informed articles proclaiming that the only way to burn fat and boostmetabolism is to cut carbohydrates.This is not true.The only way to loseweight through diet is to cut calories to fewer than your body needs. Somepeople lose weight the exercise method, eating a reasonable daily amountand burning several hundred calories a day in exercise.There is somethingto be said for this, but too much exercise has other downsides, like wearand tear on joints and muscles and stressing the body so the brain thinksyou are running from danger. It is never a good idea to exercise for hourson end simply to use calories. Far better to do a half-and-half method,where you do moderate cardio every other day then tone and stretchfor shape and firmness and eat a few hundred calories less than you need.As long as your body is fed and nourished, as it will be in your Crash Diet,you have no need of more calories.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 9
Nutrition – the cornerstone of a good dietYour body only requires nutrients in certain amounts. It does not recognisewhere those nutrients come from. Remember that people in othercountries eat food very different from our own, food that will never passour lips, and yet they still manage to thrive and lose weight. People get veryhung up on the idea that they cannot lose weight because they hate fish orfruit or cottage cheese.This is nonsense. All that matters is that the bodygets enough proteins, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, fromwhatever sources, along with fibre and fluids for inner cleanliness.Whetheryou get your starch from a cassava plant or a potato is neither here northere. So on these diets you have a balance of foods that provide whatyou need, and if there is a deficiency I recommend a supplement.
Here are the basic nutrients we all need for a good diet. I have includedall these nutrients in your Crash Diets, so your health will not suffer eventhough calories are reduced.
CarbohydratesThe body relies on carbohydrates for quick energy. I must emphasise thatcarbohydrates aren’t essential to the functioning of the body, they aresimply very good at providing quick, efficient energy mostly because of theeconomic way they use oxygen for their metabolism. Excess carbohydratesare converted to fats to be distributed round the body as storage for leanertimes!
The crash diets contain carbohydrates in the form of fruit, milk, yoghurt andvegetables.
FatsFats provide two and a half times the energy of carbohydrates buttheir energy can’t be metabolised quickly. Fats are essential to the body,but because of their high calorie content, they must be eaten sparingly.As always, too many calories will turn to fat and unlike muscle, fat is deadweight.These diets contain fats in their main ingredients nuts, eggs and milk.
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CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 11
What can I snack on if I get very hungry?Hunger is only a sign that your stomach is empty. It does not mean yourenergy supplies are empty, as energy is stored in the liver and muscles andremains there for some considerable time; long after your stomach is empty.
I always recommend trying not to snack as this is a bad habit. Mealtimesshould be enjoyable and an occasion.You should be aware of your food,conscious that you are feeding your body and enjoying the feeling of doingthe right thing. Make meals colourful and enticing: a salad is one of the mostattractive meals there is.
I sometimes get dizzy and light-headed when I go too long withouta snack – this really worries me.This is a natural reaction, cause by the release of adrenaline when yourblood sugars get low. Blood sugars go up and down all the time.Whenwe get very low, however, when we are hungry, your brain sends a signalto release fat cells into the bloodstream to provide emergency energy.Briefly, you might feel light-headed but many people feel quite normal.Don't imagine your 4pm slump or feeling tired all the time is necessarilyhelped by eating extra food. Sometimes this is true, but mostly, it's not.Energy from food does not necessarily make you energetic; it simplygives you the potential for being energetic. It is like filling your car tank withpetrol and then leaving the car parked outside.The car has the potential fortravel, but the crucial factor is the driver. Feeling energetic, I would suggest,is a state of mind and if you are feeling dull, depressed, anxious or bored,no amount of ‘energy food’ or calories will make a jot of difference.
As long as you are in good health, this should not be a problem. Of course,if you are worried you must see your GP straight away. I feel sure the light-headedness will wear off very quickly. If not, try a glass of skimmed milk orjust a cup of tea or coffee with milk.
Tell me, Monica; do you diet?Yes of course I do - I have a diet and its purpose is to keep me slim andhealthy. There are not many women who would spend money on niceclothes and run the risk of not fitting into them.To feel the buttons strainingand everything showing would be a feeling I dislike intensely. I’m not
Your questions answeredHow much weight will I lose?My test slimmers lost an average 7lbs in a week and 4-5lbs in the firstthree days. If the weight is of the stubborn-bulge variety, and has beenplaguing you for some years, it might go from where on the body it chooses– usually the places that don’t get disturbed, such as the hips and abdomen.Exercise always helps, but I am confident that you will love your weight lossand will feel and look far healthier and lighter than you have done for a longtime. Fluid is held within fat and if you have been constipated, you will losefluids as your system clears and feel magically lighter. Please don’t listen toany of that nonsense about dehydrating and starving: if you have fat to loseyou certainly won’t starve.
I am worried about feeling hungry all the timeIf you have been used to a bad diet with lots of stodge, you are boundto notice the change in food intake. But this is like anything: a change ofpace in a new job, a change of air on holiday; a change in time zones ortemperature… you can’t ignore change and you will feel it. But doremember what I said about looking at the positive side: instead of thinkingof what you can’t do and what you are missing, remember that you havebeen missing out on a lot of things while you have been overweight.Youhave been deprived of confidence, self-assurance and pride in your figure.Instead of being worried about being hungry, try to feel bright aboutmoving nearer to the day when you can zip up the dress again and feelit thrillingly loose around your waist. After a few days on your crash dietyou will acclimatise to your new way of eating and trust me, your body willthank you for it and you will wonder how you ever managed to eat all thatstodge before.
What if I don’t like something on the diet?If it is one of the main elements, like bananas in the Banana and Milk diet,or nuts in Fruit and Nut, this is the wrong diet for you. Slimming is notmeant to be torture and you should enjoy it as much as possible.
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Your personal statistics.Week 1Date
Weight
Bust ins/ cms
Under armpits ins/ cms
Waist ins/ cms
Hips ins/ cms
Navel ins/ cms
Top of R thigh ins/ cms
Top of L thigh ins/ cms
Week 2Date
Weight
Week 3Date
Weight
Bust ins/ cms
Under armpits ins/ cms
Waist ins/ cms
Hips ins/ cms
Navel ins/ cms
Top of R thigh ins/ cms
Top of L thigh ins/ cms
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 13
fanatical, but the right amount of effort to keep everything slim, firm andtoned is worth it and no woman who considers herself organised andsuccessful should find her diet a mystery or a chore.
I certainly crash diet now and again. I love the freedom it gives me. Far fromfeeling obsessed, crash and restricted dieting releases you from that endlessporing over recipes, wondering what on earth you can eat tonight. As longas the diet is nutritious, you really have nothing to lose.
Should I weigh myself each week?Yes, you should. How else will you know if you have gained weight? It is notalways possible to know until you have seven or ten pounds on your frame,and then it is easy to get depressed and give up.Weigh yourself once aweek, write it down and if you are a little heavy for more than two weeks,do your Crash Diet for a couple of days.
Always keep tabs on your weight. It is no more obsessive than checkingyour hair daily, looking for spots or tweezing your eyebrows.
It also means you can take steps when you have a tiny problem, rather thana big one. I suggest you record your statistics on the next page, as we allforget what we weighed and you can keep tabs, not just on this diet but theweeks and months ahead.
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Golden rules1 Never eat thoughtlessly.
2 Never eat walking along the street, in the car or at your workplace (Desk).
3 Eat at designated mealtimes.
4 Eat at a table, using proper cups, glasses, plates etc.
5 When you have finished your meal, however small it was, clean yourteeth, wash your hands and signal that your meal break is now over.You should not be tempted to eat outside these times (at any time,not just on your Crash Diet).
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 15
A word about motivationMotivation has been hard in recent years because of the barrage of anti-dietpress and praise of bigger, fatter, more curvaceous figures. Now however,your motivation will get a helping hand I hope, because recent research intothe causes of cancer have revealed overwhelming evidence that being slightlythin, with low bodyfat, will protect us from at least six forms of cancer.Anddespite the media’s endless insistence that there is pressure to be size zero(UK size 4) how many people do you know who are very underweight?I have been a nutritionist for a long time and have personally met aboutthree women who are a size 4.There is a saying that goes “those that can,do, and those who can’t, criticise.” Many critics of slim figures and crash dietsare overweight themselves and resent the success of others. So please,refuse to allow yourself to be sidetracked. It is now official: it is healthier tobe on the thin side.
Never be ashamed of being overweight however: whatever you weigh today,you will never be this weight again.Tomorrow and the day after and the nextday, will all contribute to losing a few more ounces and they all add up. Soonthose ounces become pounds.
Starting a diet and staying with a diet are different things, however, and this iswhere determination and discipline come in.
Many people will tell you that you look fine as you are, even though youknow that you’re unhappy with your size. But just because they sympathise,doesn’t mean they understand.This constant fighting with your true feelingsis stressful and upsetting. My advice is to listen to your inner voice. In the finalanalysis, an adult woman’s bodyfat should not be higher than about 28% andalthough you feel healthy, if you are higher than this, we now know that thisis not healthy. Unfortunately, no amount of bravado is going to change this.
Crash dieting is important for the body and the mind. Losing a few pounds isthrilling and tells you it’s possible. Most of the testers wanted to stay on theircrash diet either for a few weeks or for three days every week.They enjoyedthe freedom from decision-making and enjoyed feeling disciplined.Wheneveryou want to give in, remember how you feel when you do. I have never metanyone who ate a massive dinner, three times what they really needed, andfelt better the next day. I have never met anyone who waved away thepudding and woke up next day sorry.
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How to manage your Crash DietDo not rush out and buy half the supermarket. Obsession with food is abad thing, and it is possibly what brought you to this place. Instead, the firstthought should be ‘I’m free from all that expense and all that shopping!’
Try and put the whole idea out of your head. Relax into your diet.You normally reach without a care for the cereal packet, so reach forthe grapefruit or the omelette pan instead.This is only for a few days.
Try to be rigorous. Don’t start adding a little extra dressing here or an extratablespoon of something there, just because a few days have elapsed andyour waistband is feeling loose.You need to be firm and focussed.
Substituting one food for anotherMost people will have some problems.You might not care for shellfish, forexample, or be able to eat it.Tomatoes might disagree with you.You mightfind chicken unpalatable or white fish bland.What I would say is, never giveup or change anything simply because you find it dull or tasteless: you canadd seasoning and let’s face it, exciting, tasty food might be what got you tothis place. I do see the problem, however, when you cannot eat something,for example being allergic to prawns.
If this is the case, I would ask you to exercise sensible caution and lookfor a dinner you can eat.The menus in all three diets are strictly caloriecontrolled, so you will still lose weight. Just make sure to keep the basicelements in place, which usually means eating the correct breakfast andlunch for your chosen diet.
Swapping between dietsI do not recommend swapping between diets because it becomes chaotic.Stick to one plan for three days and if you want to change, this is the pointto do it.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 17
the DIETS
SupplementsThe diets are sound. However, as food intake is generally greatly reducedfrom what you may be used to, I recommend you have the followingevery day:
• 1 multivitamin tablet with iron or a good iron tonic(ask at the pharmacy)
• Omega 3 and 6 fish oil tablets
ExerciseExercise is a vital component of any woman’s life, and you will use morecalories if you do exercise. I do not want you burning energy as if therewere no tomorrow, so you should concentrate on figure-firming andstreamlining moves. I will talk a little about this later in the book.
Now on to the diets;
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the EGG andGRAPEFRUIT
DIET
GrapefruitGrapefruit are the perfect complement to eggs. Grapefruit are acarbohydrate, almost totally fat-free (0.1mg per fruit) and protein free,but the most marvellous thing is that grapefruit juice helps you absorb theiron from your eggs (or from meat etc: you should always drink grapefruitjuice with an iron-rich food.) which will stop you feeling maintain youralertness and energy levels.
The science behind the grapefruit dietResearch carried out by scientists at the Nutrition and Medical ResearchCentre at Scripps Clinic in San Diego,America, has found that addinggrapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet really helps weight loss.
The study included 100 obese people who were divided into three groups.The first group ate half a grapefruit before each meal three times a day.The second group drank grapefruit juice before each meal.The third groupreceived no grapefruit. No other changes were made to their diets.
After 12 weeks, those who ate grapefruit with each meal lost, on average3.6lb. Meanwhile, those who drank grapefruit juice three times a day lost3.3lb in the 12 weeks. By comparison, the grapefruit-free participants lost,on average, only 0.5lb.
But weight loss wasn't the only health benefit.The research also found thegrapefruit-consuming participants had lower levels of insulin, a hormonethat regulates blood sugar levels and fat metabolism.
Suggestions for success1 Start each meal with a glass of ruby grapefruit juice or half a grapefruit
- it's virtually fat free and contains just 35 calories.
2 Make a Florida cocktail and serve as a starter - peel and segment half agrapefruit and one orange and mix with a little unsweetened grapefruitjuice.
3 Add grapefruit to salads - it goes well with crab, prawns, chicken, avocado,red onion, celery, radicchio and spinach.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 21
The beauty of the Eggand Grapefruit DietEggs and grapefruit are a good nutritional combination. Eggs are animportant part of the diet and iron is better-absorbed in the presence ofvitamin C – which is why grapefruit and oranges, whether as whole fruitsor fruit juice, should always be taken when eating eggs.
They are also good for a diet because eggs are filling and high in protein.All fruit provides a healthy dose of sugars for energy, giving you the rightamount of sweetness to offset any cravings for sugar. Do not worry thatyou will be eating eggs and grapefruit to the exclusion of everything else.The first three days are firm, but thereafter I will introduce more interestso you have something to do in the kitchen if you want to, and you will beable to join others in your diet without necessarily making them aware thatyou are on a different regime.
EggsEggs are one of the best foods in the nutritional and diet larder.Theycontain the full complement of eight essential amino acid protein buildingblocks.These are important for growth and development and, especiallyin the interests of this diet, they are packed full of vitamin B12, B6, folate,selenium, vitamin E and iron.
Forget the health scares about cholesterol – cholesterol in foods does nothave a significant effect on cholesterol in your blood.
Egg whiteTry to eat mostly egg whites with the addition of one whole egg toomelettes and scrambled eggs.This keeps the calorie content very low,even with the addition of a little oil for cooking as an egg white has only10 caloriesThe white of an egg contains more than half the egg's totalprotein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium andsulphur.
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The dietPhase 1This phase is the most successful for your body.After an overload of food and drink,the first three days of the diet will cleanse your system and reduce the fat load.
Day 1BREAKFAST• Half a ruby grapefruit or small dish ruby grapefruit segments (in juice)• 1 boiled egg• Tea or coffee, black or with skimmed milk, no sugar
(but you may use artificial sweetener)
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice• Mixed, colourful salad including peppers, one carrot, grated, tsp
sweetcorn. Spinach and watercress. Other vegetables to suit• Creamy salad dressing*
DINNER• Half a ruby grapefruit• Omelette made with 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites*• Mixed colourful salad or mixed vegetables
OR
• Seared scallops or king prawns with grapefruit served ondark greenleaved dressed salad (use 6 scallops or prawns,sear in a pan with a little butter or oil to the consistency you prefer,take off the heat, thrown in a handful of grapefruit,with the juice, andwarm through, turn immediately onto your salad, garnish with parsleyand serve)
To drink:Water. Coffee or tea, skimmed milk, no sugar
SUPPERMug of skimmed milk, hot or cold, 1 tsp honey
DAY 1
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To drink• You may drink a glass of fresh, unsweetened grapefruit juice (200ml) any
time you feel hungry, but do remember that it contains calories so mustnot be drunk with abandon!
• 6 glasses of plain water with lemon or orange slices should be drunkeach day.
• A little alcohol may be drunk on days 4-7 but it is not compulsory andif you do have a glass, remember that you had just drunk 100 calories.
DAY 3DAY 2
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 25
Day 2BREAKFAST• Half a grapefruit or tinned grapefruit segments in fruit juice• 1 boiled egg• Tea or coffee, black or with skimmed milk, no sugar
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice• Prawn and grapefruit salad
(Make as you would a prawn cocktail, shredding iceberg lettuce andwatercress leaves, mix 100g prawns with broken ruby grapefruitsegments and add tbs creamy dressing, a sprinkle of parsley and paprika)
OR
• Mixed colourful salad, which should include a grated carrot,tbs sweetcorn and peas with 6 broken walnuts and grapefruit segmentsscattered over
DINNER• Half a ruby grapefruit or glass of grapefruit juice• 4-egg omelette as day 1• Mixed salad with creamy salad dressing
OR
• Roasted or stir-fried mixed vegetables (e.g. courgette, carrot, onion,baby corn etc). Use 1 dsp oil to cook, or use a spray of oil.Herbs and spices to taste, a little sea salt and black pepper are fine
SUPPER• Mug of skimmed milk, hot or cold,
tsp honey
24 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
Day 3BREAKFAST• Glass of grapefruit juice or grapefruit segments• 1 boiled egg• Tea or coffee, black or with skimmed milk, no sugar
(but you may use artificial sweetener)
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice• Large mixed, colourful salad, including French beans, peppers, peas,
sweetcorn and plenty of dark green salad leaves• Add 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced• Creamy salad dressing
OR
• Crabmeat and grapefruit salad. Use either 84g (3ozs) fresh whitecrabmeat or tinned is fine too. Mix with a few grapefruit segmentsand serve with mixed salad
DINNER
• Half a ruby grapefruit• 160g (6ozs) cod fillet, (baked in skimmed milk)• 1 carrot and a few florets of cauliflower, steamed, tbs peas
OR
• 4-egg omelette (1 whole egg and 3 whites)• Filled with dsp cottage cheese• Green salad with creamy dressing
DAY 5BREAKFAST• Dsp each grapefruit segments and 6 prunes topped with tbs low-fat
plain bio yoghurt
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice or half a grapefruit• Small portion of soft cheese (30g) such as Brie or Camembert, served
with crudités (carrot, celery, courgettes) and a dsp unsalted nuts
OR
• Mixed colourful salad with either 2 slices (100g) cold meat, ham orchicken or one hard-boiled egg, sliced
DINNER• Glass of grapefruit juice• Oven-Baked cod* (baked in milk) with mixed
roasted or steamed vegetables, no sauces.Salad. Seasoning to taste
OR
• Mixed vegetable stir-fry with pine nuts
DESSERT• Spiced, poached pear and apple
with honey*
To drink:Water. Glass of champagneor dry white wine (optional)
SUPPER• Mug of warm or cold skimmed milk
with honey
Phase 2This phase is slightly more relaxed.You do not need to go into this phase,but it is not advisable to repeat days 1-3. If you would like to continue crashdieting, continue for the next 4 days of the diet.
DAY 4BREAKFAST• 1 glass of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice• 1 poached egg and 2 rashers bacon
OR
• Dish of Grapefruit and orange segments mixed• Two eggs, any style• Tea or coffee, black or with skimmed milk,
DINNER• Steamed or poached fillet of cod, served on a bed of steamed spinach
with 3 baby carrots
OR
• Spinach soufflé* served with small mixed salad and dsp peas
DESSERT• Grapefruit jelly*
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional).Tea or coffee
SUPPER• Mug of skimmed milk with honey
DAY 7BREAKFAST• Half a Ruby grapefruit• 2 rashers bacon• 1 poached egg• 1 Multigrain crispbread spread with
unsalted butter
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice or half a grapefruit• 100g prawns mixed with tbs ruby grapefruit
segments, piled onto salad base as before
OR
• 2 Multigrain crispbreads topped with cottagecheese or 30g grated Edam cheese and 2 slicedtomatoes
• Apple
DINNER• Half a ruby grapefruit• 1 pork or lamb chop, grilled served with steamed vegetables
(no potatoes) and very small amount of thin gravy
OR
• 2 poached eggs on 1 slice of wholemeal toast, no spread or butterbut you may use a small amount of tomato ketchup or brown sauce
DESSERT• Grilled grapefruit with crème fraîche or portion of grapefruit sorbet
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional).Tea or coffee,little skimmed milk if desired
SUPPER• Mug of warm or cold skimmed milk with honey
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 29
DAY 6BREAKFAST• Half a grapefruit• Omelette made with 1 whole egg and 2 whites• Tea or coffee
LUNCH• Glass of grapefruit juice or half a grapefruit• Waldorf salad*
OR
• Scallop or prawn salad with grapefruit, as before• Tea or coffee
DINNER• Glass of grapefruit juice• Grilled small fillet steak• Grilled tomatoes and mushrooms• Salad
OR
• 4 egg omelette, as before* filled with 30g grated cheddar, mixed saladand creamy dressing or steamed spinach
DESSERT• Grapefruit jelly with dsp half-fat crème fraîche
To drink:Water. Glass of champagneor dry white wine (optional).Tea or coffee
SUPPER• Mug of warm or cold skimmed
milk with honey
DAY 6
28 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
DAY 7
Grapefruit sorbetSorbet is very easy to make.The additional sugar adds calories of course,but if you keep portions small, it is still a lovely low-calorie dessert for yourCrash Diet.
55 Calories per scoopINGREDIENTS:• 1 pint (550ml)Water• 6 oz (175g) Sugar• a large tin of ruby grapefruit segments
METHOD:Put theWater, Sugar and grated rind from one Grapefruit in a saucepan andgently dissolve the Sugar. Rapidly boil for about 5 minutes.Allow to cool.In the meantime, put the ruby grapefruit segments in a food processorand process for a few seconds until you have a pulp.Add the pulp to theSugar &Water mixture when cool. Pour into a shallow (preferably plastic)container and put in the freezer. Stir occasionally so that lumps of ice do notform. Serve the sorbet in grapefruit halves or simply use a scoop.A servingis one scoop.
Spinach souffléThis is much easier to make than it sounds, and quite impressive!Needs to be eaten straight from the oven.
Serves 2-3, Calories per serving: about 140You will need:• 30g strong cheese• 2 large eggs• cornflour• bag of spinach or frozen spinach• skimmed milk
1 Set the oven to HIGH – 220C, gas mark 7.
RecipesCreamy yoghurt dressingRemarkably tangy, this dressing contains about 20 calories per tablespoon.1 In a small bowl, add 5 tbs of low-fat bio yoghurt.
2 Add tsp grain mustard.
3 Measure 2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or wine vinegar is fine if you wouldprefer the dressing not to look brown in colour).
4 Grate over this the rind of a lemon and then squeeze the juice ofthe whole lemon into the mix.Alternatively, for a sweeter dressing,use grapefruit juice instead of lemon.
5 Combine everything well, put into a jar with a screw top and refrigerate.
You can adjust the ingredients to taste. For example, you might like a littlemore or less lemon, mustard or vinegar. Experiment!
Grapefruit jellyThis jelly is easy to make, and a nice sweet end to a savoury meal.
Makes 2 servings, 35 calories a serving1 Put 500ml fresh ruby grapefruit juice into a clean bowl.
2 In a small dish, pour a packet of gelatine and add 2 tbs cold water.
3 Place the small dish in another dish or a pan, containing boiled water.The gelatine should start to dissolve, but keep stirring until the liquidbecomes clear and there are no crystals.
4 Add the gelatine to the grapefruit juice. Stir well, then refrigerate.It should take anything from an hour to 4 hours to set. For the first hour,stir every ten minutes.
5 For variety, try adding some grapefruit segments or red grapes to the jellyas it is setting, say when half set.This will prevent the fruit from sinking tothe bottom.
Serve with a small dollop of half-fat crème fraîche or yoghurt.
2 Place the slices in a small ovenproof dish and squeeze the orangejuice over.
3 Squeeze or spoon over a dsp runny honey until the pear slices arecoated. It might help to warm the honey first and pour over the pearslices, turning so everything is coated.
4 Add 2 tbs water and cover the dish tightly with tinfoil and put in amedium to high oven.
5 Bake until soft when tested, serve with crème fraîche or yoghurt.
Spiced, poached pear in red wine55 calories a serving: 75 calories with a dsp half-fat crème fraîche
1 Peel the whole pear, leaving the stalk in and slice off a little of the bottom.
2 Place in a small ovenproof dish which covers the pear completely.
3 Pour a glass of red wine over the pear, and add tbs water. Put a coupleof cloves into the dish and sprinkle over a dsp brown sugar.
4 Cover the dish tightly with tinfoil and put in a medium to high oven.Bake for about 30 minutes, but check that the pear is soft when a forkis inserted.
5 Discard the cloves. Serve with crème fraîche or yoghurt.
Florida salad110 calories a serving
Make a colourful mixed salad with plenty of dark green leaves,and add grapefruit and orange segments. Before serving, sprinkleover a handful of toasted pine nuts.
Waldorf salad195 calories a portion (with dressing)
You need:• 6 walnut halves, broken• 1 stick of celery, chopped into 2cm pieces• one small red apple, cubed
2 Put a bag of young spinach leaves into a saucepan with a tiny amount ofwater to stop the bottom of the pan burning. Put the lid on tightly andon a high heat, steam through for a minute or so until the spinach ‘falls’and becomes a mush.
3 Alternatively, you might wish to buy frozen spinach.If so, use 3 tablespoons.
4 In another pan, put 1 tablespoon of cornflour with a little skimmed milk.Stir to a thin paste. Put on a medium heat and add 150ml skimmed milk.Keep stirring with a wooden spoon and the sauce should begin tothicken.
5 Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the cheese,grated and the spinach. Combine well. Allow to cool a little.
6 Separate 2 eggs.Add the yolks to the cooled sauce and beat well.Set aside.
7 In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry.
8 Add the sauce to the egg whites, NOTTHE OTHERWAY ROUND.Fold in gently – do not beat, as this will knock the air out of the mixtureand the soufflé will fall flat.
9 Grease a soufflé dish or any ovenproof dish.
10 Pour the sauce into the soufflé dish and place in a roasting tin, into whichyou have out an inch of water. Place in the oven.
The soufflé should be ready in 10-20 minutes.
Honey-coated pearYou can use either whole pear, peeled or slice the pearfirst, leaving the skin intact.
80 calories a serving:100 calories with crème fraîche or yoghurt
You need one pear per person, a jar of runny honey andone whole orange.
1 Put the lettuce and watercress into a clean salad bowl.
2 In another bowl, combine the chopped celery, cubed apple, walnuts andgrapes, using the creamy dressing (amount to taste).
3 Pile onto the lettuce, decorate with chopped parsley and serve.
Grilled Grapefruit50 calories per half
Cut a grapefruit in half and loosen the segments with a grapefruit knife.
Sprinkle with a teaspoon of brown sugar and pop under a hot grill untilbubbling. Serve with a dollop of half fat crème fraîche or yoghurt, or onits own.
34 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
the FRUIT andNUT DIET
4 Bursting with vitamins – A, C and E5 Fruit digests in 30 mins; meat takes 6-8 hours6 Almost zero fat
Diet rulesIt is easy to grab a piece of fruit and munch into it hungrily, and whichperfect person has never done this? It is important, however, to respectyour food.When there is a smaller amount of food than you are used to,now is the time to shine in your artistic skills and learn to present each mealas if it were being served in a Michelin-starred restaurant.After all, suchestablishments never serve massive quantities of food, but they have theknack of presenting meals so they look substantial.
1 Never eat until you are full.This is a bad habit. If you feel full, you mightbe eating too quickly, not chewing properly or swallowing a lot of air.Stop immediately.
2 Eat all your fruit on a place or in a bowl, cut or sliced up and presentednicely.
3 Sit down to eat.
4 The exception is when eating your nuts.You have to eat those with yourfingers but again, eat each nut separately. Never just bring a palmful ofnuts to your mouth and tip your head back! Make the most of eachmorsel.
5 Try to eat at the same times each day.
6 Drink orange-flavoured water with each meal and between meals. Simplyfill a jug with tap water, add a whole orange, sliced, and leave to ‘marinate’until needed. Drink chilled or at room temperature.
Some people feel a little flatulent on this diet.This is because certain fruits,apricots and apples in particular, contain the natural sugar sorbitol, which isslightly laxative. Don’t let the initial bloating put you off: this will disappearwhen your system has been cleared of any old waste products, and yourbody gets used this amount of fruit.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 37
The Fruit and Nut DietI devised this diet when writing about the Stone Age. It’s a tricky area,because the truly Stone Age diet had no dairy food, cultivated vegetables orgrains, and relied on seeds, nuts, fruit, some roots, meat and fish. However itis a very healthy regime and without a lot of starch, it will certainly kick-startyour weight loss.This was one of the most recommended diets of 2007.
* I have added dairy food here, but only in small amounts.
Fruit nutritionAll fruit is good for you, with fluids and fibre and a wide range ofmicronutrients. Fruit is good in a diet, but always be aware that fruit is highin natural sugars and therefore contains more calories per portion thanvegetables.
Yellow fruits like mango, apricots
• One of the richest sources of alpha and beta carotene which helpfight cancers, wrinkles and ageing
• High fibre
NutsWhy they’re good for you• High protein, but peanuts are the highest• Very high in beauty minerals selenium and vitamin E• High fibre• Walnuts have linoleic acid which lowers cholesterol• Cashew nuts have highest iron and zinc content• Almonds are high in calcium
Six reasons to eat fruit1 It is the most natural food2 High in fibre so naturally detoxes the body3 High in carbohydrate, so gives instant energy
36 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
Phase 2DAY 1BREAKFAST• Make a nice dinner-plate of sliced fruit, beautifully arranged• Include half a banana, sliced• Top with a dsp of slivered almonds• Black coffee or tea, no sugar. OR water or herbal or fruit teas
LUNCH• Half a melon• Make a salad of 1/2 sliced banana, 1oz mixed, broken nuts and 2 strips
mango, cubed
DINNER• Start each dinner with half a melon• Fruit salad of pineapple, mango, half an apple, sliced, a few blueberries and• 1oz chopped nuts as before.Top with a large tbs natural low-fat yoghurt
OR
• CrunchyWinter Salad with fruit and nuts*
BEFORE BED• Glass of hot or cold skimmed milk with tsp honey
DAY 2DAY 1
DAY 2BREAKFAST• Fruit platter with half a banana.Top with a sprinkling of toasted
hazelnuts and water, tea or coffee as day 1
LUNCH• Half a melon filled with raspberries or• Half an avocado, sliced, mixed with dsp toasted pine nuts and piled onto
a green salad• Tea, coffee, water etc
DINNER• Half a melon• Fruit salad of pineapple, mango, half an apple, sliced, a few blueberries and• 1oz chopped nuts as before.Top with a large tbs natural low-fat yoghurt
Phase 2DAY 4BREAKFAST• 150ml fresh pineapple juice• Smoothie made with 150ml milk, 10 strawberries,
6 almonds, tbs plain yoghurt and 2 tsp honey
OR
• 6 prunes and 6 figs, topped with tbs natural low-fat yoghurt• Coffee and tea, as before, black or with skimmed milk, no sugar
LUNCH• Orange filled with cottage cheese• Take the top off an orange and scoop out the flesh. Fill with cottage
cheese. Surround the orange with a sliced banana
OR
• Mixed melon chunks mixed with 100g fresh prawns
DINNER• 200ml glass of tomato juice• Chicken escalope, pan-fried, served on spinach with carrot purée
(Flatten a small chicken breast. Fry in a little oil for a couple of minuteseach side, testing the middle to make sure all pinkness has gone and themeat is white. Make a bed of spinach and carrot purée and serve thechicken on top.)
OR
• Quorn fillet in black pepper and lemon (bought variety)Sliced and served with a mixed colourful salad and creamy dressing.
• Baked apple* with yoghurt
To drink:water glass of champagne, dry white wine.Tea or coffee, little skimmed milk if desired
BEFORE BED• Glass of hot or cold skimmed milk with tsp honey
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 41
DAY 3BREAKFAST• Half a melon, filled with fresh fruit eg strawberries, grapes etc• Coffee or tea as before
LUNCH• Half a melon filled with prawns and a little creamy dressing
OR
• Half a melon, followed by half an avocado filled with dsp tuna fish• Mixed salad
DINNER• Half a Melon• Baked cod or haddock fillet• Green vegetables
OR
• CrunchyWinter Salad with fruit and nuts
DDEESSSSEERRTT• Fresh fruit salad with yoghurt
BEFORE BED• Mug of skimmed milk, hot or cold, with honey
DAY 4DAY 3
40 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
DAY 6BREAKFAST• 200ml fresh orange juice• Bircher Muesli - Put 30g oats into a bowl and add100ml skimmed milk
and 1 tbs plain yoghurt, leave overnight or for at least an hour (it istherefore best to make this in advance). Grate one apple and crush 85g(1/2 oz) hazelnuts. Mix into the oats mixture so the whole is a thick,slightly crunchy paste. Put into serving bowl and top 1 tsp runny honey
• Coffee and tea, as before
LUNCH• 30g slice of hard cheese, 1 apple and palmful of peanuts
OR
• Mango, pineapple and grape salad with yoghurt• Orange water, coffee or tea
DINNER• Small, (185g/6oz) fillet steak cut into strips and sautéed. Add tbs crème
fraîche to make Beef Stroganoff. Serve on a bed of mashed sweet potatoand add broccoli and peas
DDEESSSSEERRTT
• Stewed, spiced apple* fromage frais
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional). Tea or coffee, little skimmed milk if desired
BEFORE BED• Mug of skimmed milk,
hot or cold, with honey
DAY 5BREAKFAST• Fresh fruit platter• 1 slice of Multigrain Crispbread spread thinly with peanut or almond butter
LUNCH• Half a melon filled with raspberries
OR
• Crunchy Winter Salad with fruit and nuts*
DINNER• HHaallff aa mmeelloonn oorr 220000mmll ttoommaattoo jjuuiiccee• Tuna fish salad with hard-boiled egg*
OR
• Slice of Nut roast* served with mixed roasted vegetables
DDEESSSSEERRTT• Roasted pineapple* with fromage frais
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional). Tea or coffee, little skimmed milk if desired
BEFORE BED• Glass of hot or cold skimmed milk with tsp honey
RecipesCrunchy Winter Salad with fruit and nutsAbout 270 calories a servingYou will need:• white cabbage• red cabbage• grated carrot• dsp sultanas• 6 broken walnuts• 1 grated apple• 1 stick of celery, chopped finely• creamy dressing• finely chopped onions (optional)
This is a lovely crunchy salad which, when you are relaxing from your crashdiet, you can eat with a nice jacket potato.
1 Simply grate some red and white cabbage into a bowl – the amount does not matter, but don’t be too generous.
2 Grate a small carrot and add.
3 Throw in the broken walnuts and sultanas.
4 Grate a small red apple into the mix.
5 Add the celery and any onions.
6 Mix thoroughly.
Add 2 tbs creamy salad dressing and mix together well. Serve immediately.
Roasted pineapple with fromage frais 70 calories a slice
Roast pineapple is very easy. Take either a whole pineapple, if you areserving a number or people, or one ring cut from a fresh pineapple. Brushwith a little melted butter sprinkle a tsp of brown sugar over and place in anovenproof dish. Pour over 1 tbs fresh pineapple juice.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 45
DAY 7BREAKFAST• Half a banana, a cup of skimmed milk, 6 almonds and
6 prunes as a smoothie
OR
• Melon, grape and mango platter
LUNCH• Half an avocado filled with crab meat, tuna or prawns. Salad
OR
• Cottage cheese and fruit platter – place scoop of cottage cheese on a plate and surround with half a banana, 10 grapes, blueberries, raspberriesand sliced strawberries
DINNER• Omelette made with 1 whole egg and 3 whites. Cook in dsp oil.
Season to taste and serve with a mixed salad including 1 tbs each sweetcorn and peas
OR
• Vegetable and cashew nut stir fryServe with soy sauce
DDEESSSSEERRTT
• Poached pear in red wine served with fromage frais or a baked apple with sultanas
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional). Tea or coffee
BEFORE BED• Mug of skimmed milk, hot or cold,
with honey
DAY 7
44 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
the BANANA and MILK DIET
Cover tightly with foil. Bake in hot oven for 20 minutes, remove foil andcook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve with fromage frais or yoghurt.
Spiced, Baked apple with yoghurt110 calories each
Cut the top off a large baking apple and remove the core with a sharp knifeor s special apple corer. Gently score a line right round the apple, not toodeeply, just to open the skin to stop it splitting during cooking.
Fill the space with raisins or sultanas. Add half tsp butter, a little brown sugarmixed with cinnamon.
Cover with foil and bake in a medium oven for 30 minutes, open the foil forthe last ten minutes.
Serve with yoghurt.
Stewed, spiced apple 35 calories a tbs
This is very easy. Simply stew a few baking apples and add artificialsweetener after cooking. Add a tbs sultanas and half a tsp cinnamon.
The banana and milk dietOnce known simply as the Banana diet, this is an old favourite which I have jazzed up a little to make it palatable for modern tastes. For example,the original Banana diet had quite a lot of liver in it during the second half ofthe week. It also had much less milk, and fluids generally, which we wouldnot think desirable today.
I first published this diet in 1995, to great enthusiasm from readers. The Banana and Milk diet supplies all the nutrients you need over 7 days.
Methods of cooking:
Your bananas and milk can be taken as I suggest, made into smoothies or baked.
Dinner menu; Fish must be poached in the oven or steamed, with allvegetables either eaten raw or steamed without any butter.
Salads must not have standard dressing, but the creamy Yoghurt Dressingrecipe will be found on page 30.
DIET BONUS POINTS� 45g protein (first 2 days, then 60g)� 20g fat� 700mg calcium, your entire day’s recommended amount
Supplements* One iron tablet or general tonic such as EFFICO
MilkStar Nutrition pointsMilk helps the constant renewal of cells in the skin and therefore helps aglowing complexion. Magnesium, plentiful in milk, helps regenerate skinnerve endings and every 7ozs of milk gives you 6ozs of water, therebytopping up your fluid levels.
Cow’s milk is one of the most complete of all foods. It contains nearly allthe constituents of nutritional important to humans. Unlike most foodsfrom animals, milk contain a significant amount of carbohydrate, whichmakes it useful on a weight-loss diet as it provides energy and a sense offullness from the protein content.
Typical amounts of the major nutrients in a pint of whole and semi skimmedmilk are given in the table below. Milk from Jersey and Guernsey cows haverather more fat as well as more betacarotene and calcium (due to thepasture they graze on).
Recommended daily intakes: (adult women 19-50+)Protein 45gFat: 71g (no more than 21g Saturated)Calcium 700mg
NOTEMilk left on the doorstep, exposed directly to sunlight for more than anhour lose a great amount of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C.
BananasBananas are very nutritious. They provide fibre (to aid digestion and cleansingof the insides) carbohydrate for energy, vitamins (especially vitamin B6)potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and folic acid.
DAY 7BREAKFAST• Put 1 dsp oats into a blender and add 200ml skimmed milk. Leave for
20 minutes if possible • Add one banana, 1 dsp yoghurt, 6 almonds and 2 tsp honey.
Blend and drink
OR
• 2 Multigrain Ryvitas spread with mashed banana and topped with dsp half fat crème fraîche
• Tea or coffee and orange flavoured water
LUNCH• 2 slices ham• Serve with a large mixed colourful salad with
walnuts, sultanas and creamy dressing and mustard if desired
OR
(Sunday lunch)• 2 slices any roast meat or 1 chop, steamed vegetables,
no potatoes• Fresh fruit salad including half a banana. Dsp yoghurt
DINNER• Glass of tomato juice • Escalope of chicken or veal, pan-fried, served with 3 tbs mixed ratatouille• *Courgettes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, in a garlic tomato sauce
DESSERT• Baked banana*
To drink: Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional). Tea or coffee, little skimmed milk if desired
Day 6BREAKFAST• Sliced banana in yoghurt with handful of raspberries and blueberries.
Add a tbs toasted wheatgerm (from supermarkets)
LUNCH• Cottage cheese and banana salad with grapes
OR
• Tuna fish salad• Tea, coffee or orange flavoured water
DINNER• Glass of tomato juice • Chicken breast, pan-fried, add tbs half-fat crème fraîche and a few pinches
of fresh or dried tarragon before servings• Serve on a bed of mashed sweet potato and a side serving of
French beans
OR
(Light tea)• Grilled banana on 1 slice granary toast• Mash a whole banana and spread it on the untoasted side of a
slice of bread which has been toasted one side. Sprinkle with 1 tspbrown sugar and add tsp cinnamon. Toast until bubbling. Serve with a littlefromage frais
DDEESSSSEERRTT
• Small portion spiced rice pudding or ground rice* served with stewed apple
To drink:Water. Glass of champagne or dry white wine (optional). Tea or coffee, little skimmed milk if desired
• 2 tbsp dried thyme • 4 large eggs, lightly whisked • 4 tbsp olive oil • a little oil for pouring on roast
Method1 Place the bulgar wheat in a mixing bowl and pour on the boiling water
and soy sauce. Cover and let swell for 25 minutes.
2 Grind nuts and seeds to a medium fine consistency. Mix together with the wheat. Stir in the parsley, thyme, onions, eggs and oil. Mix well and allow to stand.
3 Oil a large baking sheet and line with greaseproof paper.
4 Form a loaf shape with the nut mixture, about 10cm/4in wide, press firmly together and prick the top with a fork.
5 Pour on a little oil and sprinkle with some extra nuts (optional) and cap loosely with a foil hood.
6 Bake in oven 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 40 minutes.
7 Take off hood, baste with oil on baking sheet and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes.
8 Place in a large serving dish, then cool, easing off the paper as you do so.
RecipesRice pudding
About 100 calories a serving• 4 tbs brown pudding rice• 2 pints semi-skimmed milk• Honey or artificial sweetener
Method1 This is so simple! Set the oven to 180C. Grease a pudding bowl.
2 In a pan, warm the milk until nearly boiling. Pour into the bowl.
3 Add the rice and stir well. Put into the oven and bake for 2-3 hours or until the rice is soft when tested. Stir a few times during cooking toprevent the rice sticking.
4 Remove and leave to cool a little. Add artificial sweetener to your owntaste, stirring well. Or you can add a little honey and mix in. When on amaintenance diet add a few sultanas. Eat this with stewed fruit or take towork as a nice lunch.
Not every woman is a beautyBut you can delight everyone who sees you with your figure, poise and self-assurance. Confidence in your diet will help to give you these attributes;you will feel good about yourself, well-nourished and healthy. Crash dietingnow and again will keep your figure slim the easy way, without the anguishand depression that inevitably results from not keeping a check on youreating habits and letting others decide how you should look.
Forget the reasons you could not lose weight in the past; they are gone.Crash diets are a simple answer to a few vanity pounds, but I have severalother diets you can follow for longer-term weight loss. I recommendRevenge Diet if you would like to lose weight a little more slowly, withslightly more substantial meal plans.
My book 5 days to a Flatter Stomach specialises in beating the bloat andhelping you lose inches off your abdomen in time for a special occasion. But right now you will want to manage your figure and ensure you don’t go too far up the scales while enjoying your full and enjoyable life.
I have to be truthful with you: I know of no models or actresses orsocialites, to whom a good figure in designer clothes is a part of daily life,who suddenly splurge when their few pounds are lost. They might allow afew drinks here and there; the odd canapé or chocolate. But be assured(and I know this because many of them divulge their secrets and anxietiesto me) that they are always aware of the calorie values of everything thatpasses their lips, and compensations are made elsewhere. They know thatlooking good takes effort, and you get out of a good figure what you put in.
Is this obsessive and unnatural? Not in my view. Effort is required in all areasof life. To make progress at work you have to take exams, pass assessmentsand be competent. You cannot hope to become a doctor but say youwould prefer to study for four years instead of seven. Standards existwherever you look. If you make your living by looking good, watching yourfigure is not so much obsessive as necessary. it is more a case of vigilanceand care than constant effort. I must admit that I live my life this way too: as a diet writer I cannot get fat. I need to look as if I take my own adviceand show you that it works. I watch my diet, but I am not taken over by it.And of course, food is just as delicious whether you eat from a 6” plate or10” plate.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 61
What now?
6 Make others respect you. Being made to ‘work through a lunch hour’ is unacceptable and meal times are easily incorporated into a working life.I stop for lunch every day and it has never harmed my career.
7 Make the best of things. If you are on a journey and you simply can’t get out of buying a sandwich at a service station, don’t worry about it. Findan apple somewhere, or a banana. Buy a pint of milk, perhaps. With a bitof common-sense, imagination and determination, you can manage yourdiet and not become the victim of someone else’s idea of what youshould eat.
CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL 63
We are all human and it is natural to have a good appetite and enjoy yourfood. Food is one of life’s great pleasures. Luckily, some of the most deliciousthings to eat are also good for you, and natural beautifiers. Good eating is agood idea! I don’t think it is ever too late – or too soon – to get a properdiet in place. Here are my suggestions:
1 Losing weight is about calories. If you eat fewer calories than your body needs, you will lose weight.
HOWEVER …Never choose low-calorie cereal bars, cakes or snacks, just because youlooked at the packet and it said “only 94 calories” If the item is not freshand natural, it has no place inside your body. The calories you eat must befrom fresh food only.
2 Eat bite-sized portions of food. Think of finger-buffet portions.
3 A meal should be no more than ten mouthfuls. Count them. Hungerpasses with the first mouthful. Nourishment is satisfied after about tenmouthfuls. If you have counted twenty mouthfuls and are still only halfwaythrough your food, you are eating too much.
4 Successful weight loss and body maintenance depends on nutrition. Your body needs certain nutrients and vitamins and minerals in smallamounts, and it does not know where they came from. Feed yourself –forget the notion of eating. Eating is the process of putting food into yourmouth and chewing it. Feeding is how you maintain your body in perfecthealth, by giving it what it needs for growth, maintenance and repair.
5 Choose only natural food. Every minute you are reading these words, your hair is growing, cells are dying and new ones made, your heart beatsand so on. It cannot do these vital tasks on a packet of crisps and bag ofsweets. Never get hung up on the food you choose, but make sure it issomething that feeds you and is natural. For example, we know what afish, an apple, a piece of meat, a slice of toast is. We do not know whatwent into a bag of fizzy fish sweets or microwaveable curry. If you do not know what is in it and it was cooked before you bought it, DO NOT EAT IT.
62 CRASH DIET MONICA GRENFELL
Some suggested menus to manage in futureALL DIETS
The daily calorie counts still allow for the odd glass of wine and half a pintof milk daily in tea and coffee.
Breakfasts – 200 - 300 caloriesStart every breakfast with half a grapefruit, juice or grapefruit segments.
• 2 Eggs or bacon and eggs, with tomatoes and mushrooms
• Porridge made with water – make sure you get 30g or buy sachets of Easy-Oats which are small portions. Add skimmed milk and a little honey
• Scrambled eggs (2) on 1 slice wholegrain toast with butter
• Omelette made with 1 egg and 2-3 whites
• 1 banana, cup skimmed milk, tbs yoghurt, tsp honey and 6 almonds, blended as a smoothie
• Mixed fruit platter and 1 slice wholegrain toast with butter
• Melon filled with raspberries. 1 slice wholegrain toast with butter
• 2 fried eggs and mixed fruit salad
• Bircher muesli: 2 tbs oats soaked in skimmed milk, raspberries, hazelnuts and grated apple, mixed together and topped with yoghurt
• 30g Special K or All Bran, skimmed milk, topped with half an apple, grated
No between-meals snacks
Lunches: 400 – 500 caloriesAlways start lunch with either a glass of grapefruit or tomato juice, or a green salad. If eating out, ask for a salad.
Always have a mixed, colourful salad with lunch with either:
• Half an avocado
• 2 slices cold meat or ham
• A hard-boiled egg
• Very small tin of tuna fish
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Maintenance Diets
Weekends:Allow 3 glasses alcohol and no more. You may have a slice of cake or somebiscuits or ice cream/ sorbet etc, but not all of these. Be discriminating: you know that each high fat, high starch item like cake adds a good 350-500calories.
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• A small wholegrain roll with butter
• Omelette and salad
• Wholegrain sandwich with tuna and watercress and tsp mayonnaise
• Cup of fresh lentil, vegetable or spinach soup with slice of wholegrain bread
• Eating out - ask for plain grilled fish and vegetables
• Pizza establishments - DO NOT CHOOSE THE PIZZA. Most have a pasta menu, so opt for pasta with vegetables. Follow the 10-mouthful rule. Then stop
Finish with fruit or a banana
Dinners 500-700 caloriesWhen maintaining weight, always have your starch meal here. Keep highprotein portions low or non-existent; for example, do not eat meat fordinner as it takes 6-8 hours to be fully digested. I suggest:
Start each dinner with half a grapefruit or grapefruit juice. This takes theedge off your appetite.
• Jacket potato with tbs filling and salad
• Fish pie with fresh vegetables and potato topping
• Seafood paella with rice
• Pasta with vegetable sauce
• Small portion (size of a playing card) vegetable lasagne. Make up the plate with a salad, peas and carrots or spinach
• Baked or roasted salmon fillet with vegetables
• If you must accept chips, remember the 10 Rule and extend this to chips – no more than five. Reserve your first five mouthfuls for the main ingredients
• If eating out, never accept tuna and sweetcorn filling which has been made up in advance – that mushy appearance owes much to salad dressing and oily mayonnaise. If you must accept this filling, go back to the 10 Rule and eat your vegetables or salad first
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Your good looks start at the beginning– with your body, how you use it, keep it, carry it and use it for what it is:the basis of great fashion. Both men and women agree about a beautifulfigure. It is not your weight they notice (and who would tell them?), but thegeneral impression you make.
Modern living is death to a good figure. We sit too much, drive too much,walk and run too little. Many of the muscles in our body are never used.Our circulation slows, muscles and fibres grow slack. However rigid you areabout diet, lack of exercise causes severe figure defects. It follows, thereforethat some exercise will correct these defects.
Whether your figure is a fraction out of proportion or seriously astray,there’s no excuse for apathy. Don’t console yourself with the thought thatyour face or your hair are your fortune and people won’t notice your body.They do. Don’t excuse yourself on the grounds that you can’t improve yourfigure anyway.You can. Perhaps you’ve had no results from occasional dietingor exercises done for a few weeks a year. Spasmodic attacks on your figureget you nowhere and no wonder: it takes steady, systematic work to makeand keep your body beautiful.
The media often describe exercise in misleading terms. Celebrities who stay trim and gorgeous are said to ‘endure’ hours of exercise or to be putthrough a ‘gruelling’ routine with a trainer. Who says it is either endured or gruelling? Maybe these women enjoy it and find it fulfilling and easy, not gruelling. I exercise a huge amount, naturally, by cycling or walking asmuch as possible, often going for day-long hikes or several days’ mountainclimbing. This is neither gruelling, punishing or in any way detrimental toeither my mind or body: quite the opposite. Millions of women who mightbe contemplating adding a fitness plan into their lives could be put off,imagining that a good figure automatically entails torture. I hope you are not one of those people, and will know the difference between exercisingthrough guilt and exercising for pleasure.
My message to you is get trim, lose the fat with diet and maintain yourfigure with careful attention to muscle tone, flexibility and strength, to keepeverything firm and bulge-free.
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Exercisethe finishing touch
a good circulation. My advice is to get out and walk a fast mile everymorning the minute you are out of bed, and at any spare opportunity, as often as possible, throughout your week.
To conclude Exercise, as I can’t say often enough, gives you your shape. No one todaywho believes in beauty can deny the importance of exercise, so try to make it part of your life rather than something you tack on like a chore.Treat yourself properly, and your figure and self-confidence will pay youback richly in terms of compliments.
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The truth about fat-burning Never, ever use exercise for weight control. Cardiovascular exercise isessential for health and our hearts, lungs and entire blood-pumpingmechanism should be put through its paces a few times a week, for about45 minutes to be effective. Our insides are a series of working parts, and I like to think of it as giving the car a run or taking the dog for a walk. Bodies should be kept in good condition, and testing our hearts and lungs is a priority whether you are fat or thin.
ToneYou can change the shape of your body through toning. This goes in degrees, from general movement to weighttraining, which increases muscle size. I weight train myshoulders twice a week for ten minutes, because they havealways been on the narrow side. Some women weight traintheir thighs or calves to increase the size of the muscle andproduce a pleasing shape. Never weight train to lose weightor size however: to lose size, you must diet. To maintain a lean,supple and slender appearance, you should also do yoga,Pilates, toning classes and pay attention to posture.
You will find animated exercises for all muscle groups on mywebsite www.monicagrenfell.co.uk
Weight aside, the good figure is not just firm but articulate. To be beautiful and noticeable, behave like a beauty. Give yourbody the care and attention it deserves. Have a long bath twice aweek. Massage yourself with oils. Have a long stretch session. Sitwell. Remember that when you slump in a chair or twist yourselfthis way or that, even the slimmest of figures will look lumpy.
Fresh airTry to take most of your exercise outdoors. This is what those movie starslike Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn used to do. There were no gymsin those days and they loved the fresh air and took long walks as often aspossible. Fresh air makes you feel fresh, with the clear skin that comes from
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Finally...You only have one life, and it is a shame to spend half of it in tears and depressions about your weight. Lose weight now and carry in losing it.Get to a healthy weight and wear those wonderful clothes you long to seeyourself in. Good luck and please let me know how you are getting on.
Email [email protected] and tell me.Write to Montgomery Books, PO Box 64, OXON, OX12 9GAVisit www.monicagrenfell.co.uk
