Portfolio Diet: key points to follow

- Get weekly balance. To get rid of extra weight and trim down, the Portofolio diet states that you shouldn't deprive yourself every day but to adopt an overall healthier eating pattern. For example, eating meat is OK (preferably white meat) as long as you don't have it more than 3 times a week. To optimise your diet, include a bit more fruit, veg, fish and vegetable protein (soya, legumes and cereals) every day.

- Limit your sugar intake. Refined sugar and foods that contain it interfere with blood sugar levels and encourage the body to store the sugar as fat. You need to get out of the habit of reaching for sugary foods gradually, by eating natural foods instead of refined sweet products (simple, natural drinks and dairy produce, for example.). Swap refined sugars for more natural sugars like honey, maple syrup or fruit, for example.

- Get swapping. Swap refined cereals for wholegrain ones; white bread for wholemeal or wholegrain bread; processed food for plain food; and animal fat (butter and cream) for vegetable fat (oils and soya cream).

- Get moving. 30 minutes of walking per day is the minimum. Try and work up to a session of an hour (or more, even) within a few weeks.