I have put on nearly 7lbs over Christmas and New Year and I would like to lose the weight as quickly. How can I do this without going on a crash diet? - E.L

Crash dieting after the type of binge eating and drinking that we all experience over the holidays will only add further stress to your body and usually results in a return of any weight loss very quickly. Losing more than 2lbs a week is unrealistic unless you are very overweight to begin with.

Part of your weight gain is bloating caused by the massive doses of sugar that you have ingested over the last few weeks in the form of extra alcohol, mince pies, Christmas cake and pudding and more chocolate than usual.

I recommend a gentle detox at this time of the year, which entails eating six times a day and including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and fluids. By eliminating all alcohol and processed foods for four to six weeks you will find that your body will lose the additional weight safely and you will be left feeling full of energy. You can download my January Emagazine free on my website which gives you all the ingredients you need for a safe detox.

When you have lost the excess weight then it is time to also review your normal diet and make sure that it contains all the essential ingredients for your health. You cannot spend the next year without some of the foods that you enjoy from time to time but it is easy to slip into the habit of eating high sugar and fat foods everyday without really counting the cost.

One of the tables that I prepared for my clients a long time ago was the fat accumulation table. On this I list the most common culprits that cause weight gain and the accumulative affect of eating them daily or weekly over a year. For example eating two shortbread biscuits every morning with your coffee results in 30lbs of body fat in a year. Eating a 6oz Danish Pastry every day would result in a whopping 68lbs in body fat.

I use a very useful rule for losing weight for myself and the people that I work with.

It is called the “Power of one”.

If you are in the habit of eating two biscuits with your coffee in the morning and two with your tea in the afternoon then half this and only have one. This will save you between 18lbs and 30lbs a year in body fat and you still get to enjoy your favourite treat.

This applies to many of the snacks that we eat between meals or in the evening. Having just one glass of wine instead of a half share of the bottle will save you 20lbs per year.

Combine this with a diet low in processed food and sugars but rich in fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish and chicken and wholegrains and you will lose weight safely and healthily over the next twelve months.

Muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat and it is a good idea to combine some gentle weight training in combination with several brisk walks per week.

My “superfood” for helping control sugar cravings is the Onion which is rich in chromium.

You will find lots of free information about healthy eating, nutrients and superfoods on my website www.justfoodforhealth.com and you can download the January 2007 Emagazine free which contains all the details about the Gentle Detox. If you have any questions you would like answered in coming issues of FOH then please email me on sally@moyhill.com