The good food list

• Milk: some people are fine with milk, while others have seen real improvements in their health (and overcome their weight-loss plateaus) after they eliminate dairy (or wheat, or both) from their diets. However, we only suggest eliminating these foods if your GP recommends this for medical reasons, as they do contain important nutrients. Milk is an important source of calcium, protein and B vitamins, so it's fine if you have it. Just choose a reduced-fat option.
• Other dairy: some people tolerate dairy products better than others. For those people, cottage cheese and other soft cheeses such as feta can be treated as A-list foods. Even hard cheeses, particularly Swiss, are fine on occasion, and they are a better source of calcium than milk. If you, like some women, suffer from chronic yeast infections, avoid the fermented kinds of cheeses such as bleu and Roquefort.

Eating guidelines

• You are what you eat. If you eat lots of sugar, greasy fried foods and drink too much alcohol (which is packed with sugar) you'll soon see and feel the negative results. Eat healthy, nutritious foods made up of proteins, complex carbohydrates and good unsaturated fats, and you'll feel and look your best.
• Hunger is a natural reaction and food is not your enemy. It's healthy to have a good appetite, and by eating five or six small meals a day and drinking lots of water, you will keep your metabolic rate, or the number of daily calories you burn, and your energy levels high. Make sure your meals include a mix of carbohydrate and protein to keep insulin levels steady, and to ensure hunger pangs don't hit you.