Whether you are new to fitness or a gym fanatic, injuries or aching muscles can really hamper your efforts. This diet plan, devised by nutritional therapist Christine Bailey (advancenutrition.co.uk), includes a range of anti-inflammatory foods to speed up your body's repair processes while helping you lose weight steadily. It also avoids foods known to aggravate the body's immune response.
Monday
Breakfast: 200g low-fat plain yoghurt with 4tbsp mixed seeds and 2 handfuls of blueberries.
Snack: Large wedge of fresh pineapple. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Salmon salad – flake a 100g cooked salmon fillet and add to a large handful of baby spinach leaves, cooked sweetcorn, ½ a chopped red onion, 1 chopped tomato and ½ a sliced red pepper. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. 2 oatcakes.
Snack: Handful of almonds and raisins. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Chicken stir-fry – sauté 1 sliced chicken breast with ½ a chopped red onion, ginger and garlic in olive oil. Add a bag of stir-fry vegetables, soy sauce and water and steam-fry. Serve with 70g (dry weight) quinoa.
Snack: Bowl of cherries. 2 oatcakes.
Tuesday
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with 1 chopped tomato and 1 slice of wholemeal toast.
Snack: Bunch of red grapes. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Curried lentil soup – sauté ½ a chopped red onion with 1tsp turmeric and fresh ginger. Add 40g red lentils, 150g grated carrots and 250-300ml chicken stock. Simmer until tender then purée with a little milk. Wholemeal pitta.
Snack: 4tbsp fromage frais with almonds and raisins. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Crunchy fish fillets – place 125g haddock fillet in an oiled dish. Squeeze over lemon juice and season. Grind together 3tbsp mixed seeds with chopped fresh coriander leaves and press over the top of the fillet. Cover and bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Serve with steamed broccoli, sweetcorn and carrots.
Snack: 1 apple. 2 oatcakes.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Protein shake: blend 1 scoop vanilla protein powder with 1 banana, a fresh mango and 250ml water. Slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter.
Snack: ½ a papaya and 3tbsp cottage cheese.
Lunch: Chinese chicken salad – mix 50g cooked noodles with 1 sliced cooked chicken breast, ½ a sliced red pepper, 2 chopped spring onions and mixed salad leaves. Dress with 1tbsp soy sauce, 2tbsp orange juice, grated ginger and 1tsp oil.
Snack: Handful of mixed seeds. Bunch of red grapes. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Chickpea curry – sauté a chopped red onion with 1tsp each fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic and curry paste in olive oil. Add 200g canned chickpeas with 1 chopped sweet potato, ½ a chopped red pepper, 100g green beans, sweetcorn and 200ml coconut milk. Simmer until tender. Serve with 70g (dry weight) quinoa and chopped coriander.
Snack: Bowl of pitted cherries with 3tbsp plain fromage frais.
Thursday
Breakfast: Mix 2tbsp porridge oats with 4tbsp mixed seeds and soak in milk overnight. Stir in 1 grated apple and handful of almonds and raisins.
Snack: Handful of blueberries and 3tbsp plain yoghurt. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Spicy eggs – scramble 2 eggs with ½tsp turmeric and 4 chopped mushrooms. Serve with 1 slice of wholemeal toast and a mixed salad.
Snack: 2 oatcakes spread with peanut butter. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Baked salmon with tomato and asparagus – blanch 100g asparagus spears and place in a baking dish with 2 quartered tomatoes. Drizzle over olive oil and balsamic vinegar and place a fillet of salmon on top. Bake for 15 minutes until tender. Serve with large green salad, steamed carrots and 1 wholemeal pitta bread.
Snack: Banana. Handful of walnuts.
Friday
Breakfast: Berry compote – add 200g frozen mixed berries to a pan and simmer gently for a few minutes. Top with 1tbsp each chopped walnuts and almonds and 3tbsp plain fromage frais.
Snack: ½ a mango. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Baked sweet potato filled with canned sardines in tomato sauce and 30g sweetcorn. Serve with sliced cucumber and mixed salad. ½ a papaya.
Snack: Toasted wholemeal pitta with ½ an avocado, mashed. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Thai chicken and noodles – place 300ml chicken stock in a pan and stir in 1tsp Thai curry paste, some grated fresh ginger and crushed garlic to taste, a bag of stir-fry vegetables and 2 chopped spring onions. Simmer for 5 minutes then add 100g shredded cooked chicken and 60g cooked noodles. 1 banana.
Snack: 2 oatcakes with cottage cheese. Cup of green tea.
Saturday
Breakfast: Blueberry porridge – cook 3tbsp porridge oats in water. Just before it's done add 100g blueberries. Serve with milk and 2tbsp mixed seeds.
Snack: 2 oatcakes and peanut butter. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Avocado and feta cheese salad – cook 60g quinoa in chicken stock with 1tsp turmeric. Mix in ½ chopped avocado, ½ sliced red pepper, sliced cucumber, handful of spinach leaves, 30g feta cheese and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.
Snack: 150g fresh pineapple. Cup of green tea.
Dinner: Spiced tuna – mix 1tbsp Thai curry paste with fresh lemon juice and spread over fresh tuna. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with mixed green salad and 100g steamed broccoli and carrots.
Snack: 150g plain yoghurt with 2tbsp almonds and handful of blueberries.
Sunday
Breakfast: 2-egg omelette with handful of baby spinach leaves and 4 chopped mushrooms.
Snack: 2 oatcakes with mashed canned sardines in tomato sauce. Cup of green tea.
Lunch: Wholemeal pitta stuffed with 2tbsp low-fat cottage cheese, raisins, lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber and sliced tomato.
Snack: Fruit smoothie Blend 1 banana, ½ a fresh pineapple and 250ml semi-skimmed milk.
Dinner: Roasted vegetables with chickpeas and feta. Place 2 quarters of a red onion in a baking dish with 1 red pepper and 1 courgette cut into chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Add 200g canned chickpeas and 60g green beans. Cook for further 10 minutes. Top with 30g feta cheese and serve with 1 small baked sweet potato.
Snack: Handful of cherries and mixed seeds.
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