Interview

In your twenties, you discovered you had coeliac disease; a life long intolerance to gluten. What were the symptoms of the illness and how did this discovery influence your devising of The Food Doctor diets?

The symptoms of coeliac disease are wide ranging as it is a condition that reduces absorption of nutrients, so the symptoms are often that of deficiency. Before I was diagnosed, I had terrible bloating, discomfort and periods of weight loss followed by weight gain for no reason. When I was finally diagnosed, I was at a loss of what to eat. I soon adapted to a gluten free diet but was worried if I had a potential condition that reduced absorption of nutrients, then I should make an effort to eat as well as possible. I became increasingly aware of food and its properties, without losing sight of the joy of eating and delicious foods. I had been working in an investment company, and as I was ready for a change of career, it seemed obvious to study nutrition, finally graduating in 1999. My interest in weight loss came about as it seemed to be the question I was asked by the majority of clients. After a number of years devising and perfecting my own plan, I wrote The Food Doctor Diet, followed a year later by The Food Doctor Everyday Diet. My own experience taught me that choosing food simply in terms of whether it might make you fat or thin, can easily lead one to make poor food decisions. I was keen for my plan to incorporate great food, delicious recipes and most importantly, a plan that you can stick too that provides first rate nutrition without excess denial. As I have to avoid gluten, I know all too well how difficult diets can be that make you avoid food groups, or deny yourself a good variety of foods, so The Food Doctor Diet has been devised for people who want to manage their weight whilst still eating and enjoying what they eat.

The Food Doctor Everyday Diet recommends avoiding starchy complex carbohydrates after 7pm. Many people find that evenings are when they crave that big bowl of pasta, especially in the winter months! What advice do you have for those who suffer from such cravings?

As my plan relies on eating in a way that creates energy which you subsequently use, and avoiding excess which can be stored as fat, I do think its best to avoid the starchy carbohydrates in the evening. This is because they can create glucose that is surplus to requirements and so it has to be stored rather than utilised. Traditional or old fashioned diets lead to cravings which can be hard to live with, so if you give in to them, then there is a sense of having failed, and then the diet becomes something too rigid and unpleasant. I believe that if you adopt my 10 principles, especially fuelling up frequently and combining the food groups in the ideal ratio I prefer, then cravings are minimised. So rather than start with the feeling that you may feel denied, in fact you simply won't have cravings to the degree that you have had on other diets. If you do have them, then by all means have a small amount of rice or potato with dinner, but no more than 10 % of the meal, and know that you will still be successful in achieving your goals, albeit slowly.

We all lead increasingly busy lives, and many of us find that preparing our meals from scratch can be impossible at times. Even when we get the time to go to the supermarket, the range of choices can be overwhelming - from organic produce to low-fat or 'lite' products. What advice do you have for those who are keen to make 'good' shopping choices?

Food shopping can be time consuming and tiring, especially if you aren't sure what you are buying. My two best shopping tips are simple but effective, Firstly, take a little time to think about the coming few days and what you are likely to need, perhaps looking at the easy recipes in either of the two books for some guidance as to ingredients. If you plan ahead, then you will be able to use the 10 Principles to your best advantage - don't think that planning ahead will be hard work as it will become second nature before long. My second tip is to make a little time to shop, looking at food labels of familiar foods so that you know which is a protein and a complex carbohydrate, and which foods are hiding sugars and saturated fats.

What advice would you offer vegetarians who want to follow The Food Doctor diet, but find the importance of protein (especially at the evening meal) somewhat problematic?

I know that vegetarians and vegans can easily find that their protein intake may on the low side so extra effort has to be made to include protein at every meal and snack. Ideal choices are nuts, beans, eggs, seeds and tofu - there is useful list on page 51 of The Food Doctor Diet. Whilst my recipes and suggestions are not always vegetarian, my plan is versatile so that in fact, you can eat any protein you want, however untraditional that might be. As long as you do eat protein, and that can be any protein, then this plan will work just as well.

Ian Marber introduces The Everyday Diet - watch the video

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