The age-defying diet

Firm up your body, smooth out your cellulite and give your skin a younger, fresher look with the latest doctor diet from the US

It's a diet but not as you know it. This isn't just about weight loss – although you will lose pounds. It's a new way of reclaiming a firmer, smoother and less dimpled frame. Your body but younger!
All the recipes for this brilliant diet are here and your 7-day meal planner is here
Created by Dr Howard Murad – one of our favourite dermatologists – it's billed as a cellulite-smoothing diet, which it most certainly is, but it does so much more. You'll see skin and body improvements in just two weeks, but in eight the results could be spectacular. Testers are getting excited about smoother, firmer skin, a lessening of cellulite dimples and, in some cases, fading spider veins, lower blood pressure and an improved feeling of wellbeing. Beat that!
Try the W&H Diet club to help you stick to your eating plan
The science bit: why it works
Dr Murad loves to turn skincare folklore on its head and his three-step programme of diet, supplements and topical care might have a familiar ring, but all the elements have a new spin. “Cellulite is not a fat problem, it's a skin cellular problem,” he says. “You can have total liposuction and get rid of every bit of your regular fat and still have cellulite – you can exercise until the cows come home, it isn't going to help.
The actual cause of cellulite is water damage and weakening of the skin cells and connective tissue. By adding skin-hydrating, cell-fortifying nutrients such as glucosamine, essential fatty acids, amino acids, lecithin and antioxidants to your diet, you can repair, rehydrate and revitalise your skin, forcing stubborn fat cells back invisibly below the surface and keeping them there.”
Fantastic news if your body is ageing faster than you'd like, but will it help us lose weight and youth up our complexions too? “Yes! And it's the supplements that do it,” insists Dr Murad. “The supplements encourage healthy cells full of water. When cells are healthy, they function at their highest level and in turn the rate at which calories are burned increases. If you burn more calories, then you are likely to lose weight. Also, as you feed the body nutrients, the skin definitely becomes smoother and firmer. This happens from head-to-toe as the supplements don't know how to target just the face, neck or thigh area – they circulate throughout the entire body.”
What to eat
Dr Murad has reworked the food pyramid, so out go unhealthy fats, red meat and refined flour and sugar. In come good fats, whole foods and supplements. He's not saying you can never eat chocolate or cheese again. But where you can, substitute alternatives.

Supplements
Often our diets lack what our body needs for smooth skin. We took Dr M's list of must-takes and asked the experts at The Nutricentre to come up with easy-to-find buys. Testers found that even if they slipped up on the diet, the supplements kept their skin smooth and firm.
o A multivitamin and mineral supplement – iron-free if you're post-menopausal. Biocare Adult Multivitamins and Minerals, £15.75 for 60 capsules. One a day.
o An antioxidant supplement formula Solgar Advanced Antioxidant Formula, £18.25 for 60 capsules. Two a day.
o High potency B-complex with all eight
B vitamins. Solgar Megasorb B-Complex, £11.39 for 50 tablets. One a day.
o Essential fatty acid supplement providing omega-3 fatty acids. Lamberts Fish Oil High Potency, £9.95 for 60 capsules. Two a day.
o Glucosamine to help build connective tissue. Lamberts Glucosamine Sulphate, £10.95 for 120 tablets. Two a day.
o Calcium supplement for bone health. Solgar Calcium Citrate with vitamin D, £22.75 for 240 tablets. Two a day.
Plus, use soya lecithin granules sprinkled on or added to food. Lanes Lecigran Lecithin granules, £4.09 for 250g. Three tsp a day.
o Make it easy by buying Dr Murad's Firm and Tone Supplement Pack – one month's supply wrapped in daily packets, £99.50.
All the recipes for this brilliant diet are here and your 7-day meal planner is here
Foods to avoid
Protein:
High-fat red meat.
Processed and smoked meat (including bacon, sausages and ham).
Farmed salmon and trout.
Most cheeses.
Whole-fat milk.
Full-fat yogurt.
Carbs:
White sugar.Chocolate and sweets. Fizzy drinks
(including diet drinks). Sweetened frozen and canned fruit. Jam made with sugar. Canned veg (except tomato products). White bread, rice, flour
and pasta.
Fats:
Hydrogenated vegetable oils and foods containing them. Margarine, butter and lard. Pastries, cakes and pies. Crisps, fried food, fast food
and take-aways. Bottled dressings with sugar and artificial ingredients.



Eat in moderation
Protein:
Lean red meat.
Low-fat cheese.
Whole eggs.
Semi-skimmed milk. Low-fat yogurt.
Carbs:
Wild honey. 100 per cent natural maple syrup. Unrefined sugar. 100 per cent natural fruit juice. Dried fruit (all the calories without all the nutrients of whole fruit). 100
per cent natural vegetable juice.
Fats:
Natural peanut and nut butters, sesame tahini. Nuts. Flaxseed (ground), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds. Olive, rapeseed and avocado oils. Olives.
Foods to enjoy
Protein:
Beans, peas, lentils. Soya foods: soya beans, tofu, low-fat soya veggie burgers etc. Chicken and turkey (without skin). Fish (baked or grilled).
Egg whites. Soya milk. Skimmed milk. Plain fat-free or soya yogurt.
Carbs:
Splenda sugar substitute. All fruit (fresh, unsweetened and frozen). All vegetables (fresh, unsweetened, frozen, raw or lightly cooked).
Wholegrains: wholegrain bread, pasta, cold cereal, oatmeal and other
hot cooked grains, brown rice, crackers (low-fat varieties).
Fats:
Flaxseed oil (added to food).
Soya lecithin (as granules or liquid added to food).

All the recipes for this brilliant diet are here and your 7-day meal planner is here

What about water?
It's essential, but it can come from several sources. Decaffeinated herbal tea, vegetable broth and fruit juice count towards your daily water intake. Dr Murad reckons the best sources of water are fruit and vegetables. The best clue that your body needs more hydration? Dry lips.

And how much?
Give us a free hand – no weighing, measuring or counting – and frankly, we'll not only take an inch but the whole nine yards! For success, measure at first then start using your eyes as a judge.

Fruit and vegetables
Eat three or more servings a day of fruit and four or more of vegetables. Eat raw if you can, otherwise steam or lightly boil. Don't microwave – it removes too many of the nutrients.
What's a serving?
50g chopped raw veg
50g cooked veg
120ml vegetable juice
100g whole raw veg (broccoli)
50g leafy veg (salad, spinach, cabbage etc)
1 cucumber, pepper or tomato
Half a medium jacket potato
1 medium fruit (apple, orange or banana)
100g berries
75g fresh fruit (melon, grapes etc)
120ml unsweetened fruit juice
40g dried fruit
2tbsp raisins or dried goji berries*

Wholegrains
Choose brown rice, wholewheat pasta and bread. Eat four to eight servings of wholegrains a day.
What's a serving?
1 slice wholegrain bread
1 small wholegrain roll
1 wholewheat tortilla
Half a wholegrain muffin, bagel or pitta bread
2 wholegrain rye crispbread
50g cooked porridge
50g dry cereal
70g cooked wholegrain pasta or bulgar wheat
45g cooked brown rice
1 Shredded Wheat
150g air-popped popcorn
3tbsp wheatgerm
Protein
Omega-3-rich fish, chicken breasts, eggs, soya, low-fat dairy foods and beans help build collagen and elastin. Eat four to six servings a day.
What's a serving?
100g cooked beans, peas, lentils
60g tofu
235ml skimmed milk or soya milk
85g fish, poultry (skinless breast meat)
85g soya meat substitute
1 medium egg (two a week)
120g low-fat cottage cheese
30g low-fat cheese or soya cheese

All the recipes for this brilliant diet are here and your 7-day meal planner is here


Fats
Everyone needs fat, but just not as much and not the kind that most people eat. Limit yourself to three to four servings a day. Healthy fats are omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, found in flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, rapeseed oil, natural nut butters and nuts. They keep the body hydrated, supple and healthy.
What's a serving?
1tsp extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil
1tsp flaxseed oil (use on salads or potatoes, not for cooking)
1tbsp ground flaxseed (in recipes and sprinkled on food)
6 almonds, cashews or mixed nuts (not salted)
10 peanuts All the recipes for this brilliant diet are here and your 7-day meal planner is here
4 halves of walnuts or pecans
4 macadamia nuts
1½tsp nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew)
1tbsp sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds


This diet worked for me! w&h's Food Editor Jane Curran agreed to be our tester for the diet. Find out how she got on with it here


Find more inspiration! Our diet is from The Cellulite Solution by Dr Howard Murad (Piatkus Books, £7.99). To order your copy at the special price of £6.99, including free p&p in the UK, call 01476-541001.

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