Copyright

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

Text Copyright © Annie Deadman 2018

Annie Deadman asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Paperback ISBN 978-0-00-825925-9

eBook ISBN: 978-0-00-825926-6

Photography: Andrew Burton

Food styling: Emily Jonzen

Prop styling: Olivia Wardle

Design & Art Direction: Hart Studio

Editorial Director: Rachel Kenny

Project Editor: Sarah Hammond

Creative Director: Louise McGrory

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

I’d like to dedicate this book to all the brilliant

people around the world who have Blast-ed

their way to a better understanding of nutrition,

a fervent love of squats and a body they’re proud of

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Hello

Introduction

How to Get the Most Out of This Book

PART 1

FOOD & OUR BODIES:

The background to Blast fat loss

Chapter 1: A Closer Look at Food Groups

Chapter 2: Using Food to Help Us Lose Fat

Chapter 3: Threats to Gut Harmony . . . and therefore to successful fat loss

Chapter 4: The Part Hormones Play in Fat Loss

PART 2

THE BLAST EATING PLAN & RECIPES:

The food, the rules, the tools

Chapter 5: The Blast Plan Food Guidelines (or . . . what to eat and when)

Chapter 6: Facing Change & Monitoring Your Progress

Chapter 7: Strategies for Success

Chapter 8: The Blast Recipes

Breakfasts & Brunches

Grain-Free Granola

Broccoli and Salmon Frittata

Cauliflower Hash Browns

Tofu Mushroom Scramble

The Blast Smoothie

Mexican Bean Breakfast Bowl

Nut and Berry Breakfast Jar

Smoked Haddock Omelette

Breakfast One-Liners

Sweet Potato Rosti

Buckwheat-Berry Breakfast Muffins

Kedgeree

Buckwheat Galettes

Courgette Bread

Mini Sweet Potato and Bacon Frittatas

Overnight Oats 4 Scrumptious Variations

Power Granola

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Breakfast One-Liners

Light Meals, Soups & Salads

Hummus and Rocket Wrap

ASian Beef Salad

Black Bean Blast Burgers with Avocado Mash

Broccoli, Hazelnut and Kale Soup

Creamy Coronation Chicken Salad

Broccoli Falafel with Celeriac Coleslaw

Cod Loin with Lentil and Caper Tapenade

Lemon and Olive Chicken Traybake

Thai Prawn Cakes

Pesto Courgetti with Baked Chicken

Light Meal, Soup & Salad One-Liners

Bean and Lentil Chilli

Turkey and Chorizo Hash with New Potatoes

Leek and Potato Soup

Roasted Roots with Lentils

Warm Tuna and New Potato Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Salmon, Lemon and Pea Penne

Spiced Sweet Potato and Cashew Stuffed Mushrooms

Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry

Light Meal, Soup & Salad One-Liners

Hearty Meals

Pork Steaks with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Thai Tofu Curry

Beef and Chorizo Burger Stack

Gill’s Almond-Crusted Fish with Lime and Coriander

Sausage Goulash with Cauliflower Rice

Salmon Tandoori with Cucumber Raita

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Minted Smashed Peas

Turkey Burgers with Peanut Dip

Turmeric Chicken with Spiced Cabbage and Leeks

Garlic Tofu with Nutty Greens

Hearty Meal One-Liners

Chicken and Tarragon Crumble

Annie’s Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Lamb Biryani

Cottage Pie with Potato and Parsnip Rosti Topping

Mediterranean Fish Bake

Roast Cauliflower, Potato and Butter Bean Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Sausage and Potato Traybake

Spiced Green Bean and Butternut Stew

Peppered Fillet Steak with Turmeric Sweet Potato Wedges

Hearty Meal One-Liners

Sides, Dips & Relishes

Pea, Leek and Kale Mess

Carrot and Celeriac Mash

Pepperonata

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Olives

Roasted Carrots – Two Ways

Warm Beetroot, Leek and Walnut Salad

Cauliflower Rice

Broccoli Rice

Carrot and Caraway Dip

Creamy Herb Dip (or Dressing)

Red Lentil and Coriander Relish

Spinach with Caramelised Onion and Sumac

Mackerel and Dill Dip

Watercress and Avocado Dip

Snacks

Savoury Pancakes

Courgette and Pea Fritters

Fish Goujons

Curried Bean Patties

Blast Beetroot Smoothie

Snack and Gap-Filler One-Liners

Sweet Potato and Walnut Cake

Easy Peanut Butter and Banana Clusters

Apple, Cardamom and Ginger Muffins

Snack and Gap Filler One-Liners

PART 3

THE WORKOUTS:

Getting fit, firm & strong . . . and maybe a bit sweaty

Chapter 9: An Understanding of Exercise

The Warm-ups

The Cool-downs

The Exercises – How To Do Them

The Workout Charts

PART 4

FILLING IN THE GAPS:

Knowledge is power

Chapter 10: Frequently Asked Questions

Chapter 11: Day-by-Day Motivation

Chapter 12: Adapting Blast to Everyday Life

Acknowledgements

List of Searchable Terms

About the Publisher

HELLO

My name is Annie Deadman and I’m the extremely proud creator of The 21 Day Blast plan, a three-week healthy-eating and fitness programme that, in a nutshell, kicks your sweet tooth into touch, calms your gut and leaves you with less fat and firmer muscles.

Just so you know, I’m not some fake who went ‘on a diet’ once, found it worked and decided to flog it the masses. I have for the last fifteen years or so been running Annie Deadman Training, which provides fitness-training sessions, personal training and Pilates courses to the local community in southwest London.

I am in my fifties, have two gorgeous daughters in their twenties, a team of bossy instructors and a studio where people come and go all day long, for personal training sessions.

As a child, I was chubby. As a teenager, chubby turned into overweight with a dash of geeky and shy – the future in terms of mixing with the opposite sex wasn’t looking bright. So I ditched the short skirts, flexed what little muscle I had and threw myself into schoolwork. PE, it turned out, wasn’t one of my favourites and I, like most of the other self-conscious girls, skived off as often as I could.

At university, everyone around me seemed to be on a diet of fags . . . or just on a diet. Inevitably I joined in. I turned to starvation as a means of losing weight and life became all bran flakes and cottage cheese. I was hungry all the time and I never once thought about my health or, heaven forbid, about exercise. I emerged from university, found a job in London and yo-yo dieted my way through the next five years.

It was only when I got married and had my first child at the age of thirty-two that things changed again. High interest rates, two recessions and a colossal mortgage meant my husband and I worked long and different hours and hardly ever ate together. As if the whole full-time working-mother thing wasn’t enough, I was also facing something very like single parenthood and it started to leave its mark on my body. What had been an average OK-ish figure was now punctuated by wodges of unbecoming fat. My self-esteem plummeted at the same rate as my waistline expanded. I was in my early thirties but I felt dumpy and frumpy. Something had to be done.

After a particularly sticky weight-related conversation with my GP one day, I gave myself a talking-to and decided that I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to do some exercise. As an exercise virgin, the obvious first step was running. So off I went . . . not very far. Or very fast! But it was hideous. I got hot and it hurt and I felt uncomfortable. My second bite of the exercise cherry was more successful when I joined a local conditioning class and I started to use my muscles in a controlled way. It was actually rather pleasant, which meant I stuck to it, and very soon I started to see results. I firmed up and gained strength, and in the process, doubled my energy levels. Getting into shape didn’t mean running endless miles. I was so happy to find that out.

This investment of effort also meant I started to be much more interested in eating good, nutritious meals. Less picking, more planning. Less beige, more green. Less emphasis on the pick-me-up chocolate and wine, more focus on cooking quick but healthy meals. I felt different, better.

My interest in health and body nourishment gathered pace and I enrolled on a part-time nutrition course at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. I devoured books on gut health and weight loss and started to realise that this was more than just a mild interest: I wanted desperately to share it with others.

A downsize house move meant I could swap to part-time work and so I started to study in my spare time to become a personal trainer. I turned the dilapidated old garage into a studio and bribed the children to help me deliver leaflets door to door. This heralded the start of Annie Deadman Training. I wanted to encourage and motivate. My passion to help others find their groove and my ‘tell it how it is’ approach meant that word got out and soon my days were filled with clients. I was helping men and women to feel better (inside and out), to get stronger and to embrace their lives with refreshed confidence. A steady expansion in the next few years meant I took on a small team of trainers and I was able to offer a whole range of group fitness-training sessions to the local community

I learnt so much (and continue to) from all my clients about their day-to-day issues, their food intolerances, their lack of time. There was a pattern emerging: men and women struggling to keep in shape (as well as hold on to some modicum of self-esteem) while managing a family and work, dishing up healthy meals and trying occasionally to come up for air. Bad habits had become entrenched and they just couldn’t shake them off.

Personal training is, in the grand scheme of things, expensive and I wanted to find a way of helping people get into shape without having to join a gym or feeling constrained financially. I wanted to give them access to something that could help them break habits but not the bank. A short-term plan for fat loss and fitness with long-term results that was sustainable alongside the responsibilities of work and family.

I wanted to educate, motivate and entertain.

So the 21 Day Blast was born, an online fat-loss plan available to everyone around the world, offering an eating plan, recipes and workouts. Very soon after, Blast received some fantastic coverage in the national press and – bang! – overnight a wonderful Blast community was created.

Now I’m bringing the Blast plan to you within the covers of this book, so that you too can benefit from all that Blast offers, for 21 days and beyond. You’re in for such a fun time. Let’s get stuck in.

INTRODUCTION

The 21 Day Blast plan is a fat-loss and fitness plan. It’s a programme of short workouts, which can easily be squeezed into anyone’s week (at a time best for you), and a way of eating that means the body isn’t wasting its effort dealing with digestive problems or storing fat. It is going to use the fat as fuel! And you are going to get fitter and stronger in the process.

‘What? In 21 days? . . . Oh come on’

Yes, not long, is it? But during that time you will experience a way of eating and a way of exercising that you can (and will want to) continue on your own. You will learn which systems in the body work with you and which work against you and just how brimming with energy you can be.

In short, this is a self-help manual of empowerment, full of deadly serious facts with more than a sprinkling of humour.

‘I’ve only just about enough energy to sort my family out, let alone dabble with empowerment . . .’

Hear me out.

You might be coming towards the end of your thirties and are juggling work, commutes, sleepless children and parents’ evenings. You feel ongoing pressure to prepare nutritious, tasty home-cooked fodder (big on kale, low on pizza). You strive to be outstanding at work, the pinnacle of parenthood and manage a sparkling social life, despite a nagging desire to run amok with a bottle of Pinot Grigio and let it all descend into chaos.

Or you’re trying desperately to withstand the test of time as your body heads for middle age or even the menopause, while being the best possible mother, friend, wife and lover, all with one eye on a waistline that has slid into your hips and another on the clock wondering if your teenage children are home yet.

As our years advance (fingers in ears . . . la-la-la-la), we can tuck all kinds of experience (and back fat) under our arms. Marriage, children, divorce, debilitating illnesses, the loss of parents . . . stuff that life throws at us. Big stuff that we have to deal with and emerge from looking sensible and grown-up. Consequently our health and our own efforts at staying in shape fall to the bottom of the list.

I’ve been through it all and more and I know the 21 Day Blast plan will help you get a tighter hold on everything.

‘Annie Deadman, I am so done with diets; nothing works’

The 21 Day Blast plan is not a diet. It’s a programme of better eating and exercise, during which you will deal with sugar and carbohydrate cravings. You will be eating in a way that’s going to soothe your gut, boost your energy levels and subsequently your mood. You will be using food to help you burn fat and create a body that is harmonious, inside as well as out. Twenty-one days is enough time to break well-entrenched habits. We’re talking that wind-down wine at the end of every day and the TV chocolate.

Yes, we all love those things. And no, it doesn’t mean you won’t ever have them again. It just means that over these 21 days you will find out what highs and lows certain foods bring to your mood, your sleep and most of all the bits on your body that are surplus to requirements.

‘So you’re going to help me take control? Lose fat and get into shape?’

Dead right I am. And that’s just in 21 days.

This book is a super-easy read. There are some food guidelines and principles to follow and some workouts to do during each of the three weeks. If you eat like this and do the workouts you will lose fat.

‘Tell me I don’t have to spend hours in the gym when I should be waving the homework stick and force-feeding my children broccoli’

No, you don’t. The workouts are between twenty and thirty minutes long and you need no equipment. And as for the food, it’s all normal – it’s just a matter of swapping a few things around.

This book is going to show you how to get serious with yourself and take charge. You’ll become slimmer and fitter. You’ll discover new routines and you’ll be motivated enough to sustain them. This is a bold statement, but I’d really like this to be the last book about losing fat that you ever, ever pick up.

So, if you fancy a good shot at losing a few inches, taking control, kicking your sweet tooth into touch, feeling downright gorgeous and having a bit of a giggle along the way, then let’s get on with it.

Remember one thing: I’m on your side.

‘Six months ago I was bursting out of my clothes and needed to buy a size 16. This was the turning point for me. I had never been “big” and here I was, FAT! Three Blast programmes later and I am a size 12. I focus on size and the tape measure and overall I have lost a total of 17 inches. SEVENTEEN!!! Needless to say I am delighted. Thank you so much.’

J.P., London

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK

Here, I’ve laid out a plan of all the chapters in this book so you can see at a glance what’s in store.

But before we go any further, I just want to say something. No one ever lost fat (and sustained it), increased their energy levels and had a happy body and mind by chewing lettuce and sitting still. Very low-calorie diet plans make us miserable because they leave us thinking incessantly about food. There is NOTHING more destructive to one’s weight-loss plans than being constantly hungry.

So we’re going to be doing plenty of eating . . . and some exercising. Both of those things. Any successful fat-loss plan involves focus on both the nutrition side of things as well as exercise. It’s actually getting going and making that first move that is the hard part, but we’re in this together, so let’s crack on and let me tell you how this Blast manual is going to help you not only lose fat and inches but also get fitter and stronger – inside as well as out.

Firstly, this is how the book is structured.

PART 1: FOOD & OUR BODIES

The background to Blast fat loss

‘How come that woman on Instagram can stuff her face with tacos and soured cream but her thighs are the same size as my arms and I’m sitting here with a crispbread and cottage cheese?’

Galling, isn’t it?

In these chapters we grasp the concepts of why and how we put on fat and we look at the part our hormones play and how their groove can upset our groove. We’ll also take a good, close look at the food groups and see how they can both help and hinder our fat-loss efforts.

It’s four glorious chapters of entertainment but deadly serious facts. Let’s call it preparation.

PART 2: THE BLAST EATING PLAN & RECIPES

The food, the rules, the tools

‘They devoured the meals with relish and never even noticed I was following a fitness programmme. And my husband lost weight too . . . he wasn’t hungry once! Thank you so much, Annie, this has really changed our lives.’

V.W., Derby

This is the nub of the book and the section that equips you for success. It tells you exactly how you’re going to be eating for 21 days, how you will focus less on sugary foods that soothe your emotions and more on the right food to fuel your body, soothe your gut and bring power to your muscles.

It’s packed with really delicious, inspirational cooking ideas, not just to fuel you through the day but to satisfy your heart and your head too. You don’t have to be a gourmet chef (if only . . .) and you’ll have most ingredients already in your store cupboard. There are full-blown recipes as well as simple meal suggestions, which involve more assembling than creating, for busier days.

The Blast guidelines adapt perfectly to everyday family eating, so you won’t find yourself confronted by a plate of diet-y food, while the rest of the family tucks in to something different. Yes, there will be changes to make and change means effort, newness, unfamiliarity. But it also means swap around, improve, revamp, convert. That’s all we’re doing.

The third part of this section is given over to positive strategy advice as well as practical tips on how to gauge your fat-loss progress – seeing your results will become your motivation.

PART 3: THE WORKOUT SECTION

Getting fit, firm & strong . . . and maybe a bit sweaty

‘What a fantastic plan. I loved (and hated) the workouts. By week 3, I was getting an endorphin rush after the exercise and finding it a great de-stress after a hard day at work.’

K.H., London

I can hear you inwardly groan. It won’t go away. Yes, you could tear the pages out and pretend they weren’t there but you’d be chucking out half the fat-loss equation. These workouts are the vital factor in accelerating and sustaining your results.

I’ll say that word again . . . sustaining. Not for a week, not for Christmas, not for 21 days. For always.

Check out the different levels, decide which is yours and then follow those workouts, using the pictures and instructions to help you.

Towards the end of the section there’s advice for those who want to go above and beyond the Blast call of duty and do extra workouts, plus helpful motivation in maintaining a workout habit after the 21 days are finished.

PART 4: FILLING IN THE GAPS

Knowledge is power!

‘I have totally changed the way I eat now . . . I can still have treats, but they’re no longer a daily crutch. Thank you so much.’

G.P., Shropshire

This section is devoted to helping you make informed decisions about what’s worth listening to and what isn’t. I talk about intermittent fasting and its benefits and how you can incorporate it into the 21 Day Blast plan, if you choose. Well-known myths are given the once-over and I tackle common fat-loss questions.

There’s also a special section towards the end. This is a great place to come for a ‘tell it how it is’ dose of motivation. Days 1 to 21 are little paragraphs of fun for you to read as you work your way through the 21 Day Blast plan. They’re similar to the daily email I write to all who take part in the online version of the Blast plan. They will help to keep you on track and fired up.

The section ends with a chapter about life after Blast. During the Blast plan you are going to experience some new eating habits. This chapter offers helpful guidance on how to continue to lose fat while adapting those habits to your daily life for ever.

‘So, Annie Deadman, what do I get for investing in this book and handing my body and soul over to you?’

Oh, goody. I was hoping you’d ask that. Gives me the chance for one of my lists. Here are the benefits of Blast, in all their glory.

• You will lose fat and therefore inches

• You will have stronger, firmer muscles and better tone

• Your sweet tooth won’t know what to do with itself

• Your gut will be calm – less gurgling, wind and bloating

• Symptoms of eczema, hay fever and mucus congestion will lessen

• Your fitness will increase, which means your heart can push more blood around the body with fewer pumps . . . win, win!

• We are at the mercy of our hormones and Blast helps regulate them and their more negative effects

• Your sleep will be deeper and your skin will shine

• Habits you thought you would never crack will become old crutches of the past

• You will be firing on all cylinders – you will have boundless energy

• You will be giving your body the greatest chance of staying in the best possible shape and health

So, lovely people, shall we find out what Blast is all about?

1

FOOD & OUR BODIES

THE BACKGROUND TO BLAST FAT LOSS

Chapter 1

A CLOSER LOOK AT FOOD GROUPS

(or . . . if we want to be posh . . . the macronutrients and micronutrients)

Recently, I met up with an old friend who had some outpouring to do. We hadn’t seen each other for a while and we were chewing the fat (pun intended) over a bottle of Chardonnay. By the second glass the floodgates had opened and we were on the sticky subject of her weight gain.

‘Look at me, Annie, what’s happened? I hate myself. Years ago I could at least run for the train and not pass out. I knew the importance of green veg and I slid into a size 14 like a dream. I wore lipstick every day and I strutted my stuff up and down the office. I knew how to fight my corner and I enjoyed life. Now I’m a size 18 . . . on a good day . . . and I wobble when I walk, let alone run. My trousers dig in, my thighs chafe, my feet are always swollen and I’m hot with a damp top lip all day. I buy outsize clothes and I eat outsize meals but I haven’t been hungry since 2004. Bar amputation I have no idea how to get this weight off.’

She and I, we go way back, so I allowed myself to hoot with laughter. But deep down, I knew my lovely friend was begging to peel back the years and the layers to find her old self again.

Before any of us can do that, we need to understand how important food is when trying to lose fat. No, not necessarily eating less, just eating better.

‘I can feel a double biology lesson coming on . . .’

Yes, but much more fun. Stick with me.

Stand in front of the mirror. Starkers. Go on. Now, when no one’s looking, grab hold of a handful of the spare flesh that lies in places you don’t like.

We’re going to take a brief look at how that got there, how it’s affecting your health, your personal harmony, wellbeing and happiness, and how we can get rid of it. By and large, it gets there through the stuff you put into your mouth, and how your body reacts to it. You may even discover that you have a slight intolerance to the foods you’ve been eating all these years and maybe that has held you back from achieving what you want. The 21 Day Blast plan will give you the tools to make discoveries about not only your own fat-losing potential but also other minor health issues. One woman who took part in a 21 Day Blast plan in early spring was shocked to find that her hay-fever symptoms totally disappeared during the 21-day period.

So, this next bit is the background knowledge you’ll need. It will cement your understanding of why Blast is going to help you lose fat.

In order to stay alive and function properly, our bodies need nutrients. If we’re being pernickety, the true meaning of nutrient is ‘a substance that provides nourishment essential for the maintenance of life and for growth’.

Macronutrients make up the bulk of our food. We need big quantities of these and they can be divided up into carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Alcohol is also classed as a macronutrient but doesn’t actually provide any life-giving nutrition. I know . . . shame.

Micronutrients come in the shape of vitamins and minerals and we only need small amounts of these. They will be present in a whole range of natural foods. They are not present in processed foods and they are vital for completing the healthy picture. They are the icing on our cake . . . or rather the broccoli on our steak and chips. Let’s take a closer look at both these groups.

THE MACRONUTRIENTS

CARBOHYDRATE

Everyone flinches when you mention carbohydrates.

They’re not bad for you. They’re the petrol in your tank and they give us energy to move and think. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Good natural carbohydrate-rich foods are absolutely vital for our muscles, for energy and for our brain function. They are also essential for our digestive systems. They have received bad press because if we eat too much carb-rich food but don’t actually move that much, then the body stores the surplus as fat.

Carbohydrate covers a whole range of foods: fruit, vegetables, oats, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar. And then there’s processed sugary foods such as cakes, biscuits, buns, chocolate – which I sometimes refer to as drug food – impossible to stop at one!

They are ALL carbohydrates and so they tend to be tarred with the same brush because they are the first food group to be modified in any fat-loss plan. Which is why their reputation in the media has gone from bad to worse.

We at Blast HQ like carbohydrates. A lot. But we like them at the right time. And we like them to be the right sort. The more natural the food, the more vitamins and minerals they will contain, and the better they are for our health, our wellbeing and our body shape.

‘Yawn. Heard it all before. Got to do the whole green, wholefood, wholegrain thing . . . How come those lovely little chocolate biscuit thingies I enjoy each evening don’t do the same job? They’re carbs, too, aren’t they?’

They are. Read on.

Complex carbohydrates from natural sources (oats, potatoes, brown rice) will be converted much more slowly into usable energy (glucose) than simple carbohydrates (sugary products, some fruits, your chocolate thingies). The more processed and sugary the food is, the quicker it will be converted into glucose.

So there you are on the sofa nibbling your family bag of chocolate things creating lots of glucose. But you have no intention of using up that glucose (you’re still on the sofa), so the body has to do something with it.

Yes.

It drives that glucose into the fat cells and locks it up. And what’s worse, it takes a lot of effort for those fat cells to give it up, unless we make some small changes to the way we eat. I talk much more in the next chapter about what happens to that glucose in those fat cells, but for now, let’s have a look at another food group: protein.

PROTEIN

Protein is pretty top dog, in terms of the food on our plate. Every cell in the human body contains protein, so that gives you some idea of how important it is. We need protein not only to build and repair these cells but also (I can feel a list coming on, stay awake) . . .

• For the making of enzymes and chemical reactions in the body (stuff that happens without us noticing)

• In muscle contraction (you’re going to need to do a bit of that)

• In the manufacture of hormones, which send messages around the body

• To make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body

• The repair and strengthening of bones, hair and nails

Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids, of which there are twenty different types. Twelve of them can be made in the body but the other eight must come from our food. Meat, fish and eggs are known as ‘complete proteins’ because they provide all twenty of the amino acids.

Nodded off yet?

The eight amino acids that we must get from our food are known as ‘essential amino acids’. It’s an odd term since they are no less important than the other twelve. They are – brace yourself – leucine, lysine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine and valine.

The best sources of these eight essential amino acids are animal products. However, if you’re a vegetarian who eats eggs and dairy, then you will manage to obtain all of them. If you’re vegan and opting for a more plant-based way of eating, then you should focus on foods that contain high levels of lysine. That’s because foods that contain even very small amounts of lysine will also contain substantial amounts of the other essential amino acids, so you will be sure to get enough of the whole package. Examples of lysine-rich foods are tofu and tempeh (also a soya product but more flavourful than tofu). Pistachio nuts, black beans, quinoa, soya milk and pumpkin seeds are also good sources.

Protein repairs our muscle tissue. During the 21 Day Blast plan you will be doing some exercise, and during that exercise your muscles will be challenged and placed under stress, but in a good way. Ensuring that you have enough protein in your meals will help the muscles repair, recover and keep them strong and firm. This also means that the body’s systems are more likely to use your body fat for fuel rather than to start breaking down this muscle. Holding on to our muscle is vital for successful fat loss and I will be droning on about this in Chapter 9. To aid protein awareness, so to speak, I’ve added the grams of protein per portion to each recipe in Chapter 8.

Now, on to fat. That’s dietary fat, not the stuff round our middle.

FAT

Fat is absolutely essential in your diet. Don’t let any book, newspaper, magazine, bloke down the pub fob you off with some story about fat being fattening. Yes, it’s high in calories (9 calories per gram, compared to protein and carbohydrates, which are both 4 calories) and that’s probably where the reputation has come from. So you only need a little dose to give your health and weight-loss processes a massive leg-up.

So why is fat important?

• It is vital in the production of those hormones

• It provides you with energy

• Fat makes your food taste delicious

• Every cell in the body has a layer of fat, so fat is essential to keep these cells healthy

• Fat cushions and protects your organs and nerves

• It is a powerful aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K . . . that’s eyesight, bones, skin, immune system and heart-disease prevention, in a nutshell)

This next bit is worth learning off by heart – and reciting to anyone who will listen . . .

Back in the day, fat was hailed as a major contributor towards heart disease, strokes and a challenge to good health. We were sucked in and we believed it. This led to a whopping rise . . . and rise . . . of the ‘LOW FAT’ label.

The fat was taken out of food products and sugar was added in its place. This meant it was cheap and its shelf life was long.

‘Yesssss . . .’ thought the food manufacturers, thumping the boardroom table. ‘Result!’

Alas, it was us, the consumer, who lost out. The added sugar made them moreish. Too moreish. Addictive even. If you dump this book and read no further, make a promise to yourself that you’ll scrutinise a few labels on your next food-shopping trip. You’ll see what I mean.

Nearly done with fat. We just need to gen up on the different types. Couple of matchsticks for your eyelids for this next bit.

• Saturated fats (meat, eggs, dairy, coconut oil): Saturated fat’s previous bad reputation for being a main player in the causes of heart disease, strokes and other inflammatory conditions has eased. It’s a natural product and has a rightful place in our diet.

• Unsaturated fats: These can be categorised into monounsaturated (avocados, nuts, seeds, some oils, like rapeseed, groundnut and olive oil) and polyunsaturated (vegetable oils and oily fish), which comes in two forms, omega-6 and omega-3. Omega-3 can’t be made by the body, so that means we need to make sure we eat it. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are great sources, but if they turn your stomach then a variety of nuts and seeds will make sure you are filling that fat gap.

• Transfats: Sometimes known as hydrogenated fats, or trans-fatty acids, these fats started out life as polyunsaturated liquid fats and have been chemically processed with the addition of hydrogen. Shall I repeat those words?

Chemically processed.

This makes them into hydrogenated fats and their molecules change shape. They have morphed into something unrecognisable.

Despite this, food manufacturers love them and they make regular appearances in processed fast foods, such as biscuits, cakes, pies and pizza.

Transfats have no known nutritional benefits and research shows that they increase blood cholesterol levels (the bad stuff) and the risk of heart disease.

On Blast we don’t cut out food groups. But for this little mini sub-group, we do. Transfats are not on the Blast menu.

‘Oh Lord. You’re going to say the words “clean eating” aren’t you?’

No, as it happens I’m not. But I AM going to say this. I promised I would show you how to lose body fat and a way of eating that will soothe your insides and highlight any intolerances that may have been preventing you from losing fat in the past. This means the food you will be eating will cause the minimum of disruption to your digestive system. I’m not an advocate of the ‘if you can’t pick it or kill then don’t eat it’ rule, but I absolutely am all for fuelling our bodies with good, delicious unprocessed fare that is easy to cook, delicious to eat and will put a spring in your step.

The 21 Day Blast plan will trim and shape. It will empower the faint-hearted, firm the slack, reignite the flagging and make you strut your stuff like a goddess.

I am NOT, repeat NOT, going to make you become a slave to kale.

ALCOHOL

Yes, it’s a food group. And, yes, we feel warm, fluffy and invincible when we’ve filled our boots with fizz. Sadly, it does nothing to help us in our weight loss. Head over to Chapter 3 where I give it the full treatment.

Moving on . . .

‘Being over 50, I’ve seen improvements in the last 10 days that no expensive creams or even Botox could achieve.’

C.F., Surrey

THE MICRONUTRIENTS

In short, these are what are known as vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are the bees’ knees for our normal growth, for our health and for bodily functions. We can’t make them in the body, so we have to get them from our food, but we only need very small amounts.

‘Is that it? Nothing else?’

Oh, yes. One more thing. Your health could degenerate if you don’t get enough of these vits and mins. You’ll never know if you’re not getting enough (unless you cough up lots of money to go and see a specialist), but the best way to ensure you are giving yourself and your body the best possible chance is to eat a varied diet with heaps of vegetables of all different colours.

Oh, go on then, twist me arm . . . here’s another of our lists.

I’ve selected the most important vitamins and minerals. These are the ones you should aim to be consuming every day. You probably will be, without realising it. Please don’t become paranoid – this is intended as a simple guide. But do try and develop a love of broccoli . . . just saying . . .

VITAMIN A

What it does: Helps growth and repair of bones, skin, teeth and eyes as well as supporting our immune system.

Good food sources: Eggs, oily fish, liver, yoghurt, butternut squash, yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and yellow fruits, like mango, papaya, apricots.

VITAMIN B6

What it does: Helps the nervous and immune systems function well, assists in the production of some hormones and helps the body gain energy from food.

Good food sources: Fish, pork, chicken, turkey, starchy vegetables, oats, chickpeas, rice, tofu, spinach and other leafy greens.

VITAMIN B12

What it does: Helps in the making of red blood cells, in the releasing of energy from food and in our use of folic acid, preventing anaemia.

Good food sources: Meat, salmon, milk, cod, eggs. Vegans should take fortified soya milk, use nutritional yeast in their cooking or take a supplement to ensure their levels are topped up. Spirulina is an alga that comes in powder form and is regularly hailed as a superfood (we’re talking high in protein as well as many vitamins and minerals). Add it to your shakes or mix it with water, hold your nose and neck it back like a shot. Its worthiness may help you forget its not especially lovely taste.

VITAMIN C

What it does: An antioxidant that will protect skin, blood vessels, bones and help with wound healing, as well as protect against infections.

Good food sources: Broccoli, red and green peppers, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, blackcurrants and potatoes.

CALCIUM

What it does: Essential for bone health, regulates muscle contractions and aids normal blood clotting.

Good food sources: Broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale, sesame seeds, dairy products, tofu, soya beans and sardines (as long as you eat the bones too).

VITAMIN D

What it does: Enhances calcium absorption to keep bones and teeth strong. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and has been linked to certain cancers, as well as to multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Good food sources: Oily fish, red meat, eggs, soya milk, tofu and mushrooms. The body also produces its own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (20 minutes without sunscreen three times a week minimum).

VITAMIN E

What it does: Helps maintain healthy skin and eyes and upholds our immune system.

Good food sources: Almonds, avocados, vegetable oil (such as safflower and sunflower), sunflower seeds, spinach.

IRON

What it does: Iron is important in the manufacture of red blood cells, which transport oxygen round the body.

Good food sources: Red meat, dark green veg (oh, that must mean broccoli), beans, nuts, seeds and whole-grains, such as brown rice.

IODINE

What it does: Helps the thyroid gland produce thyroxine to stimulate and regulate metabolism.

Good food sources: Seafood, all seaweed, such as nori, wakame and kelp, potatoes, bananas, cranberries and strawberries.

VITAMIN K

What it does: Helps maintain healthy blood clotting and promotes bone density and strength by helping vitamin D do its job.

Good food sources: Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and vegetable oils, such as olive and soybean.

FLUIDS

We’ve covered the food groups and those vital vitamins and minerals. Let’s look at hydration next. (No, not gin.)

Your blood runs through your veins, right? You want it to course freely, not dribble and stumble. The more hydrated you are, the more your blood will flow, possibly even gush, around your body delivering all those essentials goodies we’ve been talking about to the cells for nourishment. On the 21 Day Blast plan I am asking you to drink 2.5–3 litres of water per day. Every day. That means all the processes of your body will be running nicely. Not chugging or spluttering. More purring.

‘What?! 3 litres?! Every day? I’ll never get off the loo!’

Yes, you may wee like you never have before but you’ll get a weird satisfaction from the glorious pale colour. Sort of newly mown hay, rather than sun-kissed straw. Add fresh lime or lemon chunks to your 3 litres to soften the blow; cucumber slices and mint also work well.

Make it a habit. Don’t fight against it, just get on with it. You’ll notice the difference in your skin, in your poo, your energy levels and in the puffiness of your fingers. If you don’t drink enough, your body will hold on for grim death to what it’s got and never let go. It will collect in unsightly pools around your ankles.

There’s more about fluid and fluid retention in Chapter 5. I know . . . you can’t wait.

Right, now let’s find out how all these food facts can actually HELP us lose fat. On to Chapter 2.

Weight lost – 8lb

Inches lost – 9½ (bloody hell!)

Dress size reached – 12

Skin – glowing

Bladder – never seen so much action

Happiness – 10 out of 10

C.W., Bournemouth

Chapter 2

USING FOOD TO HELP US LOSE FAT

‘My eating has improved so much. My plate is now full and I don’t pick between meals. I used to think two rice cakes and some cottage cheese was a good lunch. I think I’d cry now if someone offered me that.’

A.N., Reading

HOW OUR BODIES GET FAT IN THE FIRST PLACE

In order to get into shape on the outside, it’s what we do on the inside that counts. We’ve talked about food groups – here we’re going to look at how those food groups; work together to give us great handfuls of fat where we don’t want them – if we’re not careful. And how we can manipulate our food to ensure they disappear.

The food we eat is broken down for easy transport in the bloodstream to the places that need it. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, carbohydrate into glucose and fats into fatty acids. Too much of any of these can make us fat.

‘So it’s not just the fat we eat that makes those handfuls of fat?’

No. Protein and carbohydrate play their part.

However, balance can be achieved. Read on.

Where we hold our fat depends very much on which sex hormones we have – that is, testosterone and oestrogen. By and large, men tend to hold fat in the abdominal area and women on their hips, thighs and back. All of it is made up of swollen fat cells. (Their posh name is triglycerides). When we talk about losing fat, we are essentially trying to release the fat from those bulging fat cells and set it free into the bloodstream. It then becomes known as free fatty acids and this is the fuel we should be using for all activity if we want a healthy body. So, emptying those fat cells means smaller handfuls of fat.

‘Oooh, goody.’

But there’s a hitch.

PERSUADING THE BODY TO GIVE UP THAT FAT

So if you remember, when you eat carbohydrate it gets converted to glucose and the hormone insulin carries it off to the cells that need it.

The body would much rather use that glucose for its energy than tap into your fat stores, mainly because it requires less effort to transport the glucose than it does to ‘persuade’ the fat from the fat cells.

The trouble comes if your diet is big on carbohydrate (the potatoes, oats, pasta, sugary goodies, cakes, chocolate . . . shall I go on?), then there will be an excess of glucose. Once insulin has finished delivering the glucose to the right places, it turns its attention to this excess. It sweeps it up, and stuffs it into the fat cells where it joins those triglycerides.

So, bigger fat cells again . . . and tighter trousers.

Not only that. Remember the free fatty acids . . . they’re the usable form of our fat wodges floating around in the bloodstream begging to be used up. But oh no. When insulin scoops up the surplus glucose it also takes with it those free fatty acids and they’re returned to the fat cells to become triglycerides again.

Our love handles.

So, broadly speaking, that’s the story. Carbohydrate gets converted into glucose and is transported to the cells that need it. If we eat too much of it (think sofa, telly, large bag of sweets) and don’t use it up, then insulin scoops up the excess, along with the free fatty acids and stuffs it all back into the fat cells. In places we don’t want it.

Result: Your fat cells swell. Your jeans get tight. You feel lethargic and downright cross.

‘So how can food help me release the fat from my fat cells . . . and use it up? Are you saying I should give up carbs?’

Definitely not. Imagine life without it. Your brain would be starved, you’d be drowsy and actually quite miserable. No, instead we’re going to be eating the right kind and the right amount of carbohydrate, and at the right time.

Remember there are different sorts of carbohydrate. As we saw in Chapter 1, the ones that create a quick response from insulin are simple carbs – that’s sugary foods, some fruit and processed foods. They are converted to glucose very quickly and prompt a surge of insulin. The other type are more complex (vegetables, whole-grains, brown rice, oats, potatoes), which take longer to be digested and won’t trigger such a flood of insulin into your bloodstream.

Our plan is this: To stick to eating a lovely mix of protein and fats plus enough complex carbohydrate at the right time. When you exercise, your muscles need glucose and so afterwards your supplies are pretty low. Eating carbohydrate after exercise will ensure that those supplies are refilled. This will also help the muscles recover. And that’s what we’re going to do on Blast. Cue very important statement . . .

You will eat a portion of starchy carbs ONLY in the meal that follows your workout. The glucose produced from that meal will then be enough to top up your newly emptied stores. The rest of the time, the body will depend on those free fatty acids to fuel it through the rest of the day. This means a) no excess glucose being handcuffed to your fat cells and making them bigger, and b) the free fatty acids can roam freely in your bloodstream waiting to be used up.

Result: Smaller fat cells. Smaller trousers.

DIGGING A BIT DEEPER . . .

In our quest for external loveliness, we need to ensure internal harmony. Which means taking care of our gut. The gut basically goes from the bottom of the stomach to the anus and has two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. This part of our bodies is not just responsible for breaking down our food into manageable particles and then expelling the waste (with some gurgling noises and nasty smells). No, the gut has been hailed as our ‘second brain’ and it seems that, through the billions of good healthy bacteria, the part it plays in the balance and stability of our emotions – and the impact it has on our personalities – is huge. It is not merely a place for digestion.

Essentially, a happy gut is central to our wellbeing.

If we are going to commit to eating food that will help us lose weight, then it is important our gut responds well to that food. If, every day we experience bloating, gas and gurgling plus a host of other unexplained symptoms (such as fungal issues, abdominal pain, lethargy) then our fat-loss progress will be hindered. This will also affect our mood and emotions. We are aiming for a digestive system that is calm and stable. And our mood will follow suit. If some foods create adverse reactions in the body, then we’re looking at turbulent and rocky.

Before we get stuck into the 21 Day Blast plan rules, foods and workouts, let’s just take a look at those foods that can jeopardise our gut harmony and therefore inhibit our fat loss.

I doubt any of them will be a surprise to you. They appear on our daily menus, dragging their stigmas and bad reputations behind them, and for good reason.

Chapter 3

THREATS TO GUT HARMONY

. . . and therefore to successful fat loss

Throughout the 21 Day Blast plan, the food you will be eating will help you lose fat, feel energised and be ready for anything. Your sweet cravings will diminish and your mood will stabilise. Your skin will glow, your sleep will be deep and your energy levels will rocket. However, there are some areas of food that do the opposite to all that. Take them away and – after an initial feeling of deprivation – you will then notice a whopping difference to your wellbeing and your mood.

I’m going to take you through those foods now. I promise you this isn’t dull. I might even go as far as to say some of it is riveting.

SUGAR

Sugar is a simple form of carbohydrate and can be found in many foods: fruit juices, dressings, marinades, anything marked low-fat, fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits, breakfast cereals, alcohol . . . the list goes on and on. It is broken down into glucose in the bloodstream. Too much of it, as we’ve seen, will be cemented in place as body fat.

Sugar is a drug and it needs a management programme. Cue the 21 Day Blast plan.

Research studies show that regular consumption of sugary products contributes to heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s; it increases the risk of diabetes, ruins our skin, makes us edgy and sends our hormones into overdrive. So in the wake of persistent bouts of biscuit-eating pleasure, there lies a serious and disastrous state of affairs.

Robert Lustig in his book Fat Chance: The Hidden Truth About Sugar, Obesity and Disease states that the damage done by 150-calories’ worth of sugary fizzy drink far outweighs the damage done by 150 calories’ worth of other food. Food for fat loss is not always about calories. It’s about what those calories are made up of.

To help us understand more, look at it this way. Sugar comes in various forms, one of them is fructose. This is the sugar contained in fruit. When this is concentrated, it will raise glucose levels far beyond what we need.

More disturbing is that fructose is used in the making of sweeteners like agave syrup and maple syrup. These sweeteners, which you thought were natural, so unrefined, so back-to-nature, are added to food items to make them tempting, and seemingly healthy. Take some granolas for example. That very word smacks of crunchy, wholesome country kitchen, doesn’t it?

There’s a point to all this. Keep reading.

Around the 1970s the word on the street was that fat made you fat. This in turn led to a demand for products labelled low-fat. Following high tariffs on foreign sugar, a product called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was developed in the US. It was cheap, easy to make and it was used to replace the fat in many foods, ensuring food kept its taste and appeal to the public. The bonus was that it lengthened its shelf life.

Hence the birth of ‘low-fat’ products, and anything labelled as such became a fast seller: flavoured yoghurt, cereals, low-fat biscuits, cakes, sweets, breads, salad dressings, frozen convenience foods, fizzy drinks.

It was the addition of HFCS that made them edible and addictive. With their new low-fat status, these foods flew off the shelves; the public were jubilant and couldn’t get enough. The more they ate, the more they wanted to eat. And so the gentle (and now stratospheric) rise in human obesity levels began.

This means that it is easy for our taste buds to become wired to enjoy sweetness. We become used to it. We long for it. We can’t stop thinking about it. Eventually we give in.

‘Oh, you’re all good news and merry cheer, aren’t you? Does that mean I can never have anything sugary or processed ever again? Ever?’

God no. It just means finding balance. Occasional ‘Oh sod it’ moments are inevitable in life. Moments when you crack open a bottle of Merlot, chuck a supermarket pizza in the oven and throw caution to the wind . . . they’re wonderful! On Blast we are going to learn how not to allow sugar to run our lives and govern our food choices. We are going to train our taste buds to love real food, cook real food (no gourmet chef-ness required) and leave our sweet tooth dribbling by the wayside. So in the long run, that pizza may not become so regular . . . or so enticing.

ON BLAST: The only sugar you will have is sugar that naturally appears in carbohydrate-rich foods such as oats, potatoes and some fruits. As an example there is 0.8g of sugar in 100g of potato. And there is 6.4g sugar in a Jaffa cake biscuit. (One whole teaspoon of sugar is 5g.)

Just thought I’d put that out there.

On to something else . . .

‘Day 4: I know it’s early days but I am starting to feel so much better. I keep going to tap my tummy and it’s shrinking! Can’t say I haven’t thought about a bar of chocolate but I’m not craving it like my life depended on it and I feel at ease with my life, calm and present. Very weird, but good weird.’

B.S., London

WHEAT

Wheat has long been known as an irritant to the digestive system and it has become very fashionable to give it up. Masses of research has been done and very little of it conclusive. But it does appear that avoiding wheat products can make us feel better. Is this because so many wheat-based products are manufactured with additives and chemicals in order to prolong their shelf life? This would mean the body finds it difficult to process these chemicals, putting a strain on the liver. This results in toxins being stored in fat cells. Or is it due to the gluten present in wheat?

Gluten is a protein present not only in wheat but also in rye, barley and in a small amount in oats. If you have a full-blown allergy to gluten (and here I mean constant stomach pains, diarrhoea, gas, vomiting) then you may be a sufferer of coeliac disease. This is when the gut and the intestinal wall become damaged and inflamed. It is a serious condition and if you think it applies to you, then get yourself to a doctor pretty pronto, as it must be treated by medical professionals.

One can have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat without being gluten intolerant. The results can be difficult to diagnose due to delayed reaction times and the range and severity of symptoms, but these can be anything from sneezing, wheezing, itching and rashes to digestive issues, sore joints and limbs and nausea. More chronic conditions are migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and arthritis. All of these are often alleviated by the replacement of wheat with other forms of carbohydrate.

Milder forms of wheat intolerance can manifest themselves with bloating, headaches and hay fever-like symptoms. Wheat-based products such as spongy bread and pasta can absorb a lot of water and swell in the body, causing a bloated feeling, which is why many feel so much better (and flatter!) on a wheat-free regime. Yeast can also be a culprit, so if you are a big bread eater, it may be this that is causing your discomfort, too.

You may not know whether you have an intolerance or a full-blown allergy or neither until you omit wheat from your daily diet, but you are likely to feel different over the course of the 21 days without it. A high proportion of the bread and cakes we eat these days is quite highly processed and so opting for more natural forms of carbs (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa) will put less strain on the gut and we will ultimately feel better for that.

It’s worth mentioning that supermarkets today have developed whole sections devoted to gluten-free products and you might be tempted to skip down those aisles and fill up your trolley. Be very wary of these. They tend to be expensive, full of unpronounceable ingredients and loaded with sugar. The label gluten-free does not necessarily mean it is good for you. It just means what it says . . . free of gluten.

ON BLAST: For 21 days you are going to go without wheat-based products. So, that’s biscuits, bread, crackers, cakes and pasta. This includes all bread-related items, which you may deem as totally scrumptious, like tortilla wraps, pittas and focaccia. Anything spongy and squidgy, which may make your gut . . . erm . . . spongy and squidgy. If you are a lover of pasta, then there are many non-wheat varieties on the market – these are mentioned in the Blast rules in Part 2 of the book.

DAIRY

There is untold research available about the effects of cow’s milk products on the human digestive system, and as with wheat products, some of it is inconclusive. You may regard all of this as poppycock, and you may be tempted to put down your IBS, aching joints, migraines, arthritis, sinus and mucus issues, flatulence and skin disorders to other factors. (I’m continuing with the merry cheer . . . have you noticed?)

Fat, as we have seen, is broken down into fatty acids for easy transport in the blood. You can tell different fatty acids apart in many different ways without getting into long, dull explanations. One of those is looking at the length of the ‘chains’ within those fatty acids. Take cow’s and goat’s milk. The fat in cow’s milk contains long-chain fatty acids, which us humans can find difficult to digest. Goat’s milk has shorter chains and therefore some find this easier on the system.

None of it can be proved, but it’s worth trying alternatives. I remember my daughter had terrible eczema as a three year old, and switching to goat’s milk for a year completely got rid of it. Good alternatives to animal dairy are (don’t wince) unsweetened almond milk, rice milk, soya milk, coconut milk and hemp milk. These are worth trying for very little expense and your gut may welcome the change. In the recipe section of the book, these milks are sometimes referred to as non-dairy or dairy-free.

One exception to our Blast cow’s dairy rule is good Greek yoghurt. This is because live cultures are added to the cow’s milk in the yoghurt-making process, which not only renders the product miles more digestible but actually benefits the bacteria* that live in our gut and which we need to nurture.

Why Greek? For no particular reason other than that the high-protein, low-sugar (less than 4g per 100g) varieties are usually labelled as Greek yoghurt. The brand TOTAL would be hailed as queen of the bunch, but it is often quite expensive and there are some other very good, cheaper brands available such as SKYR. Search around but have your ‘label detective’ wits about you. They often contain very poor levels of protein and whopping amounts of sugar.

It’s worth singling out one of the non-dairy options here: soya milk. Soy-based products (soya milk, tofu, etc.) are a great source of protein as they contain the whole package of 20 amino acids as well as valuable omega-3 fats, B vitamins and iron. They also contain phytoestrogens, which act in the same way as the female hormone oestrogen but to a much milder degree. For this reason, much has been written about their ability to alleviate symptoms of the menopause, prevent some cancers and boost libido. It is therefore tempting to knock back the soya milk and anything else containing these phyto things (they are present in a range of foods – tempeh, flaxseeds, oats, barley, lentils, liquorice root, sweet potato).

All of this may indeed be valid, but I wouldn’t be doing my job properly as a health and fitness professional if I didn’t say this. Some cancers (such as breast cancer) have been linked to high levels of oestrogen and therefore medical experts recommend that post-menopausal women with a link to oestrogen-dependent breast cancer should be vigilant about their consumption of soya products and other products that contain phytoestrogens and take good medical advice.

My personal advice would be to do your own research. There is much evidence/research (inconsequential and otherwise) about the risks of over-consumption of soya, not only for the menopausal sector but also for those who are trying for babies or who are pregnant.

If all that has made you fearful, then opt for one of the other choices. I personally dance between coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk and goat’s, with the odd splash of soya.

ON BLAST: For 21 days you are recommended to use other non-dairy milks instead of cow’s milk. You can do as much lip-curling and face-pulling as you like, but give it a go. You’ll be surprised.

CAFFEINE

‘Oh, not the coffee . . . no! Not the cappuccino . . . Please don’t take that away . . .’

Years back, I remember meeting a woman at the beginning of her Blast journey, who confessed to drinking fifteen cups of tea a day. Minimum. And possibly more if her day was going pear-shaped. By the end of the 21 days she had completely lost the 21-fags-a-day look, the dark circles had disappeared and her skin was smooth, almost glowing. She had lost ten years. I was stunned by the difference and oh how I wish I’d taken a photo.

One good fresh coffee (or other highly caffeinated drink) per day does this: it kick-starts the system by temporarily raising your heart rate and blood pressure. It also stimulates the release of the hormone dopamine, which reduces fatigue. In short, you’ll feel upbeat, bouncy, possibly even perky. And that will be enough perk to get you through the day.

The flipside of the caffeine coin is when you consistently drink too much of it. Your blood pressure is permanently increased, your heart is thumping and the body senses a stressful situation. A message is then sent to the adrenal glands to produce the hormone cortisol. Cortisol then helps the body deal with the stress by providing the muscles with large amounts of glucose (it does this by tapping into protein stores via a process called gluconeogenesis in the liver). This glucose is supposed to help the body deal with the ‘fight or flight’ mode (i.e. run like hell or stick it out and do battle). But of course, this is only the physiological response and there is no need for fight or flight.

The upshot of the pretend stress caused by the quaffing of caffeine is a continuous wave of glucose. Which isn’t being used up and which is packed off to the fat cells by insulin.

Not only that . . .

‘Oh for heaven’s sake, isn’t that enough?’

. . . we are striving for an even keel in the hormone department and now the blood is flooded with cortisol and insulin. If the body has to produce more than usual amounts of one hormone, then that upsets the activities of the others. More about the dismal effects of hormone imbalances can be read in Chapter 4.

ON BLAST: You are permitted one caffeinated drink a day during the course of the plan. This will set you up and get you going. We want calm. We want happy. Not raging and furious.

ALCOHOL

Our modern-day culture means most of us enjoy a drink to unwind, to socialise and to let rip. It tastes good, our guard drops, our rough edges are softened and we feel nice. Fluffy and at peace with the world. That’s on the outside. On the inside, it’s a different story.

There’s no getting away from it . . . alcohol is a toxin. And a toxin is ‘related to or caused by poison’, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. So when you’ve necked back your first few mojitos, the body sends in the troops. Cortisol is produced to sweep the alcohol from the blood and pack it off to the liver to be metabolised. It’s urgent. It takes priority. It’s a toxin after all.

‘Sounds like good news, no?’

No. The converted alcohol can now be used as fuel for energy, instead of that glucose or those fatty acids wandering about your bloodstream. The body puts the brakes on using up fat and glucose and any other fuel EXCEPT the alcohol.

Oh . . . wait. There’s more. All that sugar in the alcohol means insulin is also being produced, which can only mean one thing. The insulin packs off that sugar and the fatty acids back into the fat cells until the alcohol has been used up.

So, you may be feeling totally relaxed, groovy and chilled, but your liver is under pressure, you’ve just made some more fat, and the fat you had in the first place isn’t being used up either.

It’s not looking good, is it? On top of that, you’ve got a massive headache looming.

So, cutting down on alcohol is a hard nut to crack but the effects will show in your health, your blood pressure and your waistline, not to mention your skin.

ON BLAST: So, we’re not going to imbibe on the 21 Day Blast plan. No, we’re going to be alcohol-free for the entire 21 days so that you can give your body a rest. Your head and conscience will also get some downtime since the ‘shall I, shan’t I?’ conflict won’t be mixed up with the ‘I shouldn’t, should I? . . . it’s only Tuesday’ dilemma. There’s one answer. No, you won’t.

Remember, we are looking for calm and happy with a disciplined mind. Not toxin-dependent with no willpower and your head in a family bag of Doritos. Dull and boring? Possibly . . . at first. Effective and long-lasting? Definitely. The lethal combination of sugar and alcohol results in calamity for one’s self-discipline. Prosecco and beer will never taste as good as smug and saintly feel.

During the Blast plan I am giving your body (and your head) the chance to break some old habits over 21 days. Once the 21 days are over, you’ll have discovered the benefits of change and then you can decide a plan of action to take you forward. You’ll find more about our post-Blast plan later in the book.

For now, let’s head to the next chapter and have a look at hormones. They’re not all bad news. Far from it.

Chapter 4

THE PART HORMONES PLAY IN FAT LOSS

I’m not talking those little friends who raise their heads once a month (maybe more!) and who have the potential to turn us women from sane and normal people operating with dignity and maturity into bonkers and irrational types who fail to master even the smallest of tasks.

To be successful in fat loss we have to understand what we’re up against. You can be in control of your food through the 21 Day Blast plan guidelines (see Chapter 5) but we are less in control of our hormones.

WHAT ARE HORMONES?

Broadly speaking, hormones are chemical substances, secreted by our glands, which are transported in the blood to different organs. These hormones, along with the messages they carry, control most major bodily functions. Hormones work together, so an over-plentiful supply of one may mean that another is out of balance, too. There are about fifty different hormones (some I can’t even pronounce) and it is impossible to find out whether they are all doing their jobs correctly, and to the full advantage of our health, our fat stores and our energy levels.

BUT – and this is where I get on my soapbox – everything you will be doing on the 21 Day Blast plan will go a long way to helping keep the main players working with, rather than fighting against, each other and therefore maintaining the efficiency of the fat-loss process. Let’s look at the main characters.

INSULIN

We learnt about insulin in Chapter 2. By way of a quick recap, it’s produced in the pancreas in response to eating carbohydrate, which is converted to glucose and which insulin delivers to the cells that need it. Any excess glucose remaining unused is swept up by the insulin and stuffed into our fat cells. Essentially, the more glucose, the more insulin, the bigger our fat cells.

How can we ensure insulin stays at the optimum level?

By eating carbohydrates only after exercise – this is the point when the body most needs them. Simply speaking, this will mean that just enough insulin is produced to send just enough glucose to the brain and to those muscles (which you’ve just worked). The lack of spare insulin and spare glucose means that the body unlocks the fat from our fat cells (previously held under lock and key by all that insulin) and turns it into free fatty acids for use as fuel.

Empty fat cells, here we come.

CORTISOL

This hormone is produced in the adrenal glands and affects many different tasks around the body, simply because most cells in the body are equipped with cortisol receptors. This means it can affect the harmony of other hormones too, so when cortisol production is steady and drama-free, there’s a good chance other hormone levels will also fall into line.

Cortisol is produced in response to stress and this is vital. It provides the body with glucose in order to be able to deal with trauma, illness, fright, infection, bleeding and high blood pressure, among others. Cortisol gets hold of this glucose very quickly (remember, there’s a panic on!) by breaking down protein stores in the liver.

However, our modern-day culture means that we are subject to constant stressful situations, both emotional and physical: work deadlines, traffic, noise, disharmony in relationships, diets that don’t satisfy our body’s needs and too little exercise. This can mean a build-up of cortisol as it strives to produce enough glucose in order to cope with this stress.

High levels of cortisol mean more glucose. Too much glucose means more insulin, which means our fat storing is easier and burning that fat is harder. It’s locked back up in those fat cells!

Being stressed at the same time as eating a high-sugar, high-carb diet is the worst combination for your health, your fat-loss plans and your hormone harmony. Big stress equals big trousers.

How can we ensure cortisol stays at an optimum level?

Wakeful nights put the body under huge stress so try and regulate your cortisol production by getting enough sleep. Take the pressure off your body by feeding it foods that won’t cause a fight. Take regular exercise, possibly with a friend whose company nourishes your very soul. Go easy on the caffeine and alcohol, but large on sleep and vegetables.

All that sounds like the life of someone truly dull, doesn’t it? Shall we rewrite that? Enjoy some lazy lie-ins, swap your coffee for chamomile tea, laugh out loud at every opportunity and do a little dance . . . like you just don’t care. You’ll be doing all that on Blast. Yes, including the little dance. Daily!

TESTOSTERONE

An image of bulging muscles has just entered your head, hasn’t it? Fake tan, oily chest, ripped abs, the works.

All of us need a dose of this little hormone. It’s not only produced in the male testes but also in the adrenal glands and ovaries of the female. As we approach the menopause (up to as much as ten years before) it’s not only oestrogen levels that drop off but testosterone too.

Testosterone helps keeps our muscles firm and taut. It also stimulates our urge for the occasional swing from the chandelier, should the fancy take us. So, come the menopause, we risk not only droopy muscles but a droopy libido.

It’s not looking good.

So how can we keep testosterone at an optimum level?

Use those muscles! That means challenging them and taking them ever so slightly out of their comfort zone. Muscles mean strength. Toned muscles mean well-supported joints and a strong framework. Toned muscles require energy to keep them in that toned state, so we are burning fat even while we’re sitting still.

So, using your muscles keeps testosterone levels up. That means your libido and energy levels are up too, but your fat levels are kept down. I’m making it sound very simple, aren’t I? Do some squats, eat some broccoli, bring on the Friday-night love-in.

(I’m going to say something slightly toe-curling: testosterone is also responsible for the sensitivity of the nipples and clitoris. There. Finished.)

So, the Blast plan will help us keep the levels of these three important hormones stable.

Remember, too, that they work together, so if insulin, cortisol and testosterone are affected positively, then it’s very likely that they will have a knock-on effect in other areas.

GHRELIN & LEPTIN

This double act is definitely worth a mention. They are the big players in terms of regulating appetite . . . which then has a knock-on effect on our body shape

Ghrelin is a hormone produced mainly in the stomach. It’s known as the ‘hunger hormone’ because it stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage. It actually tells us to eat (as if we need telling). For successful fat loss we need ghrelin levels to be low so that we aren’t tempted by hunger pangs.

On very low-calorie diets, ghrelin levels rise and stay raised. Once the diet is abandoned (as they usually are because you find yourself chewing the furniture), wham . . . ghrelin sets to work on your appetite, the pounds pile back on and you’re left with higher fat levels than you started with.

Leptin does the opposite. Leptin is a hormone produced in the fat cells and it controls metabolism, hunger and energy expenditure. It tells us to stop eating. The larger you are (in terms of fat-ness) the more leptin you will produce.

‘Brilliant. I won’t be fat for long because I will soon magically stop eating because of all that leptin.’

However, the danger comes when the brain eventually becomes numb to leptin’s messages. There is no longer anything to tell you to stop eating. This is called leptin resistance. There is no drop in appetite and no ‘I’m full’ signals, so you just keep eating.

So how can we ensure leptin and ghrelin stay at an optimum level? For successful fat loss, we need leptin levels to be high and ghrelin levels to be low. Stay away from low-calorie diets because they are unsustainable. They make us miserable and put the body under stress (cue cortisol) and are a disaster both for health and fat loss. We must focus on eating foods our body was designed to use and not processed goods that have been altered chemically, which our bodies won’t recognise. These foods create a toxic environment in the blood, and, as our years advance, do their hardest to prevent us from living the life we want to lead.

Get me, coming over all serious . . .

We all have our own unique hormone profile but no single hormone can control our fat levels or our appetite. Fuelling your body with the Blast food guidelines will give you the chance to help those hormones work with you.

Committing to a nutrient-rich and balanced diet of protein, fat and carbohydrate at the right time and avoiding those foods that risk causing a rumpus, a scuffle or a full-on brawl in your gut will keep everything swinging along nicely. Enough glucose is produced to feed the cells, the hormones are doing their hormone-thing calmly and no one is hungry.

There. I’ve finished waving the hormone stick for the moment, but I’m sure it’ll make an appearance later on. Let’s crack on with the next chapter and find out exactly what those Blast guidelines are.

2

THE BLAST EATING PLAN & RECIPES

THE FOOD, THE RULES, THE TOOLS

Chapter 5

THE BLAST PLAN FOOD GUIDELINES

(or ... what to eat and when)

‘Day 6: I’ve not had a single mid-afternoon slump since starting. Usually 3pm rolls around and I’m using cocktail sticks to keep my eyes open. I’ve been a bouncing ball of energy and it’s fantastic!’

C.W., London

Two words: nourish and flourish. This is the juicy bit, the bit where you learn the simple Blast eating guidelines and where you will be inspired by the gorgeous recipes and meal ideas, all perfectly suited to everyday family life.

The results of eating the Blast way for 21 days will surprise you. Together with the effects from the workouts, you will soon start to feel different, energetic and, dare I say it, really quite wonderful.

The Blast plan makes losing fat easier because the food you eat will encourage your body to use up its fat stores. Carbohydrate consumption is offset by four short workouts per week, which gives us minimum glucose, stable insulin levels plus a newfound fitness and rock-hard thighs.

You’re going to take your body on a holiday, where it can relax and breathe, away from hassle and turmoil. You’re going to get control back.

Let’s look at the instructions. They’re clear and straightforward. We haven’t got time for complicated.

HOW & WHAT CAN I EAT?

In Chapters 3 and 4 we learnt how some foods can aggravate the gut and risk causing hormonal upheaval. We’re going to take a rest from these. See Section A, overleaf.

Sections B and C tell you about the foods that are permitted in the plan, together with the guidelines surrounding those foods. There are also sample meal day-planners.

I’ve also included a summary (which is code for me making absolutely sure that YOU are absolutely sure).

Section D gives guidance on portion size.

Section E is devoted to fluids.

See . . . no jokes. I’ve gone all sensible and grown-up.

A. FOODS NOT PERMITTED ON BLAST

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