week one

 what to do
 During the first week you should eliminate all dairy and wheat-based products from your diet, reduce your salt intake, avoid meat and animal fat, tea, coffee, white sugar, sweets, alcohol and tobacco. Remember that foods such as pasta, biscuits and bread all contain wheat; use rice, buckwheat or quinoa as a substitute. Soya milk is available from most supermarkets and can be used as a replacement for cow’s milk. In addition, you should:
 - Drink 1–2 litres of mineral water every day; choose water that has a low mineral content (page 138).
 - If you experience a lot of abdominal gas and bloating, take two capsules of activated charcoal three times a day after meals.
 - Eat a handful of fresh or dried blueberries every day.
 - Drink herbal teas made from fennel, ginger or camomile before and after your meals.
 - Use plenty of herbs such as thyme, basil, rosemary, garlic and shallots in your cooking.

 how to succeed
 - Revise your usual shopping list so that it includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, rice, lentils, beans, millet, buckwheat flour, fresh herbs and herbal teas such as ginger, peppermint, camomile and fennel.
 - Follow the recipes in this book and use a cookery book with an emphasis on healthy food (Provençal or Mediterranean cooking are recommended).
 - Start the day with a good protein-based breakfast (mushrooms, avocado and fish are recommended sources of protein) and eat well at lunchtime. This will provide you with enough energy to get through the day. In contrast, your dinner should be very light.
 - Resist the temptation to have the occasional sugary snack, cup of tea or coffee or alcoholic drink.

 possible side effects
 You may experience mild headaches, bursts of energy alternating with fatigue, muscle aches and pains, sudden hunger, irritability, cravings for sweet foods, intestinal gas, abdominal distension, and regurgitation. These are most common during the first 48 hours. Side effects vary from one person to another and you certainly won’t experience all of these.

 the benefits
 Towards the end of week one, you may notice that your energy levels, appetite and sleep quality are improving.