How to Follow the Diet
Fresh Start is a healthy combination of fresh vegetables, in the form of a soup. If we do not say a quantity, you may eat as much as you wish of the particular food. If you want to detox while following the diet, (and we recommend this) do not drink any black tea, coffee, alcohol or fizzy drinks of any kinds, but you may drink herbal teas and green tea. If you do not want to detox, you may drink tea and coffee, but remember to use only skimmed milk. Make sure that you drink at least 6 glasses of water per day, preferably bottled or filtered
Principles of the Diet
Most of us eat too much junk food. Over time this can lead to nutritional deficiencies and waste deposits accumulating in the tissues. These can take the form of fat deposits or liquid deposits. Many people describe this feeling as being ‘bloated’. If your body is burdened with waste deposits, it may spend much of its available energy in trying to rid itself of these toxins. This will result in you feeling tired and experiencing a loss of energy. This diet cuts out all the junk food to allow your body to repair itself and to help cleanse the liver and kidneys. The weight you will lose will be excess water and fat. You may lose a lot at first, then the weight loss will slow down but remain steady. This is normal.
It won’t be easy. Your body may initially respond in what seems like a negative way. You may feel tired, experience cravings for sugary foods and have headaches. But these will disappear after the first 3 days, when you will start to feel energised and alert. Hang in there, and you will probably find that your desires for junk, starchy and sugary foods will begin to wane. Don’t worry if you stray a little from the diet, no-one is perfect! Just get right back on the wagon again. Try not to weigh yourself daily. It is natural for your weight to fluctuate each day, and there will inevitably be some days that you will not lose weight. Weigh yourself at the end of the first week, and then the end of the second weight. Then congratulate yourself!
Vegetarians can substitute tofu, cottage cheese or quorn for the meat on any of the days.
After you have finished the 2 week Plan, introduce other foods carefully. Hopefully you will have changed your eating habits for the long term and will now be used to eating tasty fruit and vegetable dishes. But, if you want to go back to eating a wider range of foods including sugary ones, do so in limited quantities. You may find your body reacts to too much sugar. Make sure that you leave at least 24 hours before consuming any alcohol. And finally, check with your doctor before beginning this or any other diet.
Hints and Tips for sticking to the Diet
- Give up the guilt
Neither this or any other diet is about willpower or guilt. You may have found it hard to stick to diets in the past but that will be due to chemical imbalances and emotional issues. This diet will help you get rid of those chemical imbalances and as you feel better, you will find it easier to deal with any emotional issues you may have. But, if you stray, do not beat yourself up. Nothing is wasted and you can get right back on track the next day.
- Renew your commitment each day
Spend a quiet 5 minutes each day telling yourself what a fantastic thing you are doing for your body and how much better you are and will be feeling. Think of the benefits of the diet:
Loss of weight
Loss of the feeling of being bloated
Better skin, nails and hair
Better emotional balance
Greater levels of energy
A fresh, positive outlook on life
Relief from cravings
Put time aside each day for yourself. This may be a leisurely bath, reading a book, doing crafts, whatever takes your fancy. You may even find a sense of peace beginning to return to you.
- Drink lots of water
Drink at least 6 glasses of room temperature water per day. This will help you break the junk food habit as your body can mistake the need for liquid as the need for sugary food. Don’t worry if this results in many more trips to the toilet! You will also be eating more foods with a high liquid content and your body will be flushing lots of toxins out.
- Be aware of your behaviour
If you feel any cravings in the first few days, take note of them. They may be an indicator of allergies or intolerances to certain foods. Once you have finished the 2 week plan, you may want to re-introduce these foods and monitor your response. See if you get any headaches, bloatedness or tiredness. If you do, it may be better to avoid these foods in the future.
- Have soup, fruit and vegetables available and keep moving
Everyone experiences hunger at times. Make sure that you have a range of fruits and vegetables available. And make sure you have the vegetable soup available at all times! It is hot and filling and will feel like another meal. Make sure that the cupboard is not full of high fat, sugary junk food. If the food is not available, it will be so much easier to keep your resolve going. Avoid helpful ‘friends’ who try to get you back into bad habits. They only do it to make themselves feel better. Try to keep busy and do some exercise. It will help clear the toxins and keep your mind off food! Why not try some of the free exercise programmes on www.feelingok.co.uk
How to Make the soup
It couldn't be easier. Use a variety of vegetables all peeled and chopped. You can have celery, carrots, cabbage, onion, leek, turnip, swede—pretty much any vegetable other than potato and parsnip. Add vegetables to pan and add stock, salt and pepper to taste. Add water to fill pan. Bring to boil and simmer for around 1 hours until all vegetables are soft. Put the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. There you go!
Variations to Soup
We know that eating soup over two weeks can get tedious. So we have developed a few recipes to spice up your soup!
Chinese Soup
Make up the base soup as per instructions and blend, then add 2 sliced spring onions, some water chestnuts, some babycorn, some mangetout, a little coriander and simmer for 20 minutes. Just before serving add some beansprouts and cook for another minute. Add soy sauce to taste.
Chilli Soup
Make the base soup as per instructions and blend. Then add 1-2 chopped red chillies, 1 red pepper chopped, 1 yellow pepper chopped, 1 large can of chopped tomatoes and some mixed herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
Italian Soup
Make up the base soup as per instructions and blend. Then add 1 red pepper chopped, some chopped tomatoes, 2 crushed garlic cloves. Simmer for 20 minutes and just before serving add some chopped fresh basil.
Indian Soup
Make up the base soup as per instructions and blend. Then add some sliced mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, some sliced green beans, 1 teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of coriander and curry powder to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with some chopped spring onions.
Chilled Soup
Make up the base soup as per instructions and blend. Then add a tin of tomatoes and some mixed herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes and take off the heat. Add some chopped cucumber and allow to cool. When cool enough, put in the fridge to chill and serve cold.
The Diet
Day One - Soup and Fruit
Eat as much soup as you wish throughout the day. You may also eat as much fruit as you wish, with the exception of bananas and avocados. Fruit may be eaten raw or cooked but remember to cook it without adding any sugar. If you do cook the fruit, you could season it with cinammon, cloves or nutmeg. You may also have dried fruit. Why not try making it into a compote by soaking overnight in water combined with a little honey and then simmering in fruit juice until the fruits are soft.
Day Two - Soup and Vegetables
Eat as much soup as you wish throughout the day. You may also eat as many vegetables as you wish. You could eat them steamed , boiled or raw in a salad. You may have any vegetables you like with the exception of parsnips and potatoes. Add herbs to liven up the taste, or sprinkle on sesame seeds. If you are having salad, you may use a little salad dressing. Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with a little wine vinegar, a little mustard and salt and pepper. In the evening you may have one baked potato with a small serving of butter or margarine. Get creative and make a ratatouille to have with the potato. Just cook a range of vegetables including courgettes, carrots, aubergine, onions, leeks with two tins of tomatoes. Season with fresh or dried basil and salt and pepper, and cook until a thick consistency when the vegetables are tender.
Day Three - Soup, Fruit and Vegetables
Day Three is a combination of the previous two days, so you can eat as much soup as you wish along with as many fruits and vegetables as you like, with the exception of the baked potato. Apply all the different ways of cooking your fruit and vegetables that you learnt in the last two days.
Day Four - Soup and Bananas
Continue to eat as much soup as you like throughout the day. In addition, you may eat up to 4 bananas and 2 pints of skimmed milk. Try making this into a shake by blending the bananas and milk together in a food processor or blender. You could also add a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate) to make it a chocolate and banana shake.
Day Five - Soup, Chicken and Vegetables
Continue to eat as much soup as you like throughout the day. For your evening meal (or lunch if you prefer) grill a chicken breast and serve with some steamed vegetables. Try seasoning the chicken with tomato puree, herbs or garlic before grilling, and you could also try seasoning the vegetables with lemon juice.
Day Six - Soup, beef and tomatoes
Continue to eat as much soup as you like throughout the day. For your evening meal (or lunch if you prefer) you may have a large piece of grilled steak served with some grilled tomatoes. You could also try a beef and tomato casserole. Mix some chunks of beef with a tin of tomatoes and cook on a low heat for a couple of hours. Check the dish and add more water if necessary to stop it boiling dry. Season with herbs and salt and pepper.
Day Seven - Soup, chicken, rice and vegetables
Last day of the week, so well done! Continue to eat as much soup as you like throughout the day. In the evening, have some chicken, vegetables and brown rice. You could grill the chicken and have it with boiled brown rice (try boiling it in stock) and steamed vegetables. Or why not try a chicken risotto. Cook the chicken in a pan with a little olive oil. When cooked add some thin strips of vegetables like carrots, leek, courgettes, cabbage etc. Cook for another few minutes adding a little stock if the pan becomes dry. Then add some cooked brown rice and mix well. Season with a little soy sauce and herbs.
Celebrate!
You have now got through the week, so weigh yourself. You will get a nice surprise! You can now repeat the first week for week two. At the end of week two, weigh yourself again. You will be significantly lighter and should feel great!
