Tuesday, 26 September 2006

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Liz's Hurley's one meal a day secret

The way she keeps her slender curves

She's famous for her figure and now Liz Hurley has revealed just how she stays in such great shape. But Liz's secret isn't a fashionable low carb diet, or her old favourite, the cabbage soup diet. Her slimming regime, she says, is simple, disciplined, low-calorie eating.

Liz, 41, has a slender, yet hourglass, shape that most women even half her age would die for. What's more, after the birth of her son Damien, she not only shed her post-baby bulge in a matter of weeks, but ended up looking even trimmer than before she became pregnant.

Snack on bananas and raisins

Our shot shows Liz at the launch of her own range of stylish beachwear, and it's obvious that she has never been in better shape. She did this by eating just one hearty meal a day and simple snacks at other meal times.

The svelte model, 5ft 8in, who points out that: 'being able to squeeze myself into tiny clothes is how I earn my living,' shed almost 4st in the two years after giving birth to Damian, getting down to around 8st. Liz says: 'The only meal I have is dinner.' When she snacks it is on light foods, such as bananas and raisins.

Fuel your body's needs

As with any diet you need to balance the amount of food you take in with the amount of energy you are expending, says leading nutritionist, Fiona Hunter, who put together our Liz diet. 'Most mums don't have nannies to help with the kids or chauffeurs to drive them around, so they may be using up more energy than Liz,' she says. 'If this is you – or if you're exercising – you will have to take this into account and up your calorie intake to fuel your body's needs.'

This diet provides around 1000 calories per day. While it's fine for short-term use – up to 4 weeks – after this time you should increase your calorie intake to 1200-1500kcals (depending on how much exercise you're doing).

Take supplements

'Spread calories throughout the day which will help to keep blood sugar stable and prevent hunger pangs,' says Fiona. 'Aim for 150 calories for breakfast, 300 calories for lunch, 450 calories for dinner plus two 50 calorie (or one 100 calorie) snacks.

'I'd also recommend taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement. When you're following a diet it's important to make sure that the foods you choose are rich in essential nutrients and packed with vitamins, minerals and good fats – you can't afford to waste any calories. Focus on lean protein – chicken, fish, low fat dairy, lots of fruit and vegetables (pile your plate high with veggies so the plate looks full) and get your good fats from nuts, avocados and oil rich fish,' she says.

If you have any health concerns, particularly if you are breast-feeding or pregnant, then consult your doctor before embarking on a calorie-controlled diet.

Here's our very own one-meal-a-day Liz diet

Day 1

Breakfast
• Fresh fruit salad with 200ml pot low fat yoghurt
Lunch
• 2 oatcakes spread with low fat soft cheese, 2 tbsp of raisins, a dozen almonds
• Apple or orange
Supper
• 150g grilled salmon steak or fillet with 1 tbsp of fresh pesto
• Asparagus or green beans and baby sweetcorn
• 4 baby new potatoes
• Baked banana with 200g tub 0 per cent fat Greek yoghurt

Day 2

Breakfast
• Mango smoothie (place 1 ripe mango, 300mls of orange juice in blender and puree until smooth)
Lunch
• 3 oatcakes each spread with low fat soft cheese
• Carrot sticks, red pepper and cauliflower dipped in 200ml pot low fat yoghurt
Supper
• Grilled monkfish wrapped in Parma ham – or any white fish such as cod or haddock
• 1 medium sized baked sweet potato
• 4tbsp ratatouille
• Steamed broccoli
• Mango and melon fruit salad

Day 3

Breakfast
• Mashed banana with 2 tbsp of raisins
• 1 large slice melon
Lunch
• Bowl of watercress soup
• 2 oatcakes spread with low fat soft cheese
• Fresh fruit salad
Supper
• 150g lean steak (grilled)
• Grilled tomatoes
• Green beans
• Small portion (about 100g) of brown rice
• Caramelised pineapple, (heat 2 tsp of butter in a pan, add 1 thick slice of pineapple and sprinkle with 1 tsp of brown sugar), 2tbsp of virtually fat free fromage frais

Day 4

Breakfast
• 2tbsp of sugar muesli stirred into 200mls low fat yoghurt
• 1 kiwi fruit
Lunch
• 3 tbsp mixed beans – 1 tbsp of fat free dressing with carrot sticks and red pepper
• 2 passion fruit

Supper
• Small bowl of pasta (about 100g) with 6 king prawns and a spicy tomato sauce
• Large rocket salad with 2tsp of olive oil mixed with 1tsp of balsamic vinegar, a few shavings of fresh Parmesan
• Fresh fruit kebabs

Day 5

Breakfast
• Banana smoothie (place 1 ripe banana, 150ml pot of low bio-yogurt and 200mls of skimmed milk in a blender and puree until smooth)
Lunch
• 2 rye crackers each spread with 1tbsp of hummus
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• A banana
Supper
• Roast chicken breast with avocado and black bean salsa (dice 1 small avocado and mix with 3tbsp of black eyed beans and half a finely chopped red chilli)
• Sugar snap peas
• 4 small new potatoes
• 5 dried apricots

Snacks that can be eaten during the day

1 4 Brazil nuts
2 5 ready to eat dried apricots
3 1 rice cake topped with mashed banana
4 150ml pot low fat yoghurt
5 2tbsp pumpkin seeds mixed with 2 tbsp of raisins

Ali Agnew