Right, as promised, here we go with the first of Philip Kavanagh’s diet sheets as part of Niamh Greene’s weight-loss program.
We are really grateful to Philip, who is part of the Westpark Fitness training team in Tallaght and a qualified physiotherapist, for providing his expertise absolutely free of charge.
When we asked Philip if he was prepared to help, he didn’t need to be asked twice, so a really big thank you to him. It is very much appreciated by everybody.
Okay, so let’s get started.
Today, we will provide you with the first of the two five-day diet sheets Philip has devised for us.
Part two will follow tomorrow (Saturday, 26 June).
Day One:
Breakfast: Bowl of porridge with half a banana; Snack: Smoothie; Lunch: One large baked potato with small tin of beans; Snack: Small portion of mixed berries; Dinner: Two home-made mince burgers with mix veg and small portion of potatoes; Snack: One small packet of popcorn. Philip’s tip of the day: Enjoy your food; food should be one of life’s pleasures to be enjoyed; don’t add stress to your life by worrying about food; enjoy food and be adventurous in trying new foods and new ways of cooking.
Day Two:
Breakfast: Fruit salad with low-fat yoghurt; Snack: Small tin of tuna/one piece of wholemeal bread; Lunch: Chicken fillet sandwich on wholemeal bread; Snack: Low-fat yoghurt; Dinner: Grilled fish with loads of mix veg; Snack: Two jaffa cakes. Philip’s tip of the day: Salt affects the balance of fluid in the body and raises blood pressure – it draws water out of the body cells, drying out the skin. Limit your intake of sodium by not adding salt to foods.
Day Three:
Breakfast: Half a grapefruit with low-fat yoghurt; Snack: One wholemeal scone with jam; Lunch: Bowl of soup with one brown roll; Snack: Handful of mixed nuts; Dinner: Grilled steak with mixed veg and a small portion of potatoes; Snack: One large apple; Philip’s tip of the day: Body weight is the result of the balance between the energy intakes usually measured in calories; those who consume more calories than they use gain weight. Physical activity – even 20 minutes of flower arranging a day – will result in less calories taken in. A healthy balance of food and exercise is therefore the best plan.
Day four:
Breakfast: Scrambled egg with two slices of toast; Snack: Low-fat yoghurt; Lunch: Potato salad and one small pita bread; Snack: Smoothie; Dinner: Grilled fish with brown rice and mixed veg; Snack: Small bowl of fruit salad; Philip’s tip of the day: Fruit and veg are protective foods, they contain vitamins and minerals which help to keep us healthy; aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day.
Day Five:
Breakfast: Bowl of wholegrain cereal/one piece of fruit; Snack: Handful of mixed nuts; Lunch: Medium baked potato with small tin of tuna and a sprinkling of cheese; Snack: Two digestive biscuits; Dinner: Large with a filling of your choice and a side salad – but don’t go crazy with your filling; Snack: One large orange; Philip’s tip of the day: If you don’t get home till late, get natural foods which cook quickly, or don’t need to be cooked at all.
That’s it for now – a big thank you again to Philip and to Niamh Greene (pictured right).