This formula intuitively sounds correct but is woefully incomplete. For the majority of people this approach fails over and over again. If it could work long-term it would have done so long ago. Underfeeding the body can slow metabolism as can over-exercising. Punishment gets you absolutely nowhere. True nourishment and joyous movement of the body will take you where you want to go.

 Myth #2: The reason you eat too much is lack of willpower.

Fortunately, the experts are off the mark on this one too. Your willpower is better than you could have ever imagined. We overeat not because we’re weaklings but because we’re physiologically driven to do so when our meals are deficient in relaxation, time, pleasure, awareness, and high-quality food.

Myth #3: As long as you eat the right foods in the right amounts, you’ll ensure good health and lose weight.

This principle seems scientifically sound but it’s caused way more damage than good. We can eat the healthiest food in the universe and in the perfect amount, but if we consume it in a state of anxious rushing, the physiologic stress-response will cause a dramatic rise in nutrient excretion and a deep decline in calorie burning capacity. What you eat is only half the equation of good nutrition. How you eat is the other half.

Myth #4: The experts are your ultimate source of reliable and scientifically accurate nutrition information.

If only this were true. We experts certainly have our lofty place, but we love to disagree with one another and we constantly change our minds. In actual fact, the most definitive nutrition expertise is literally found inside you. It’s called the enteric nervous system or ENS – the brain in the belly. This is your most faithful and accurate day-to-day dietary guide.

“according to scientists, pomegranates have about three times the antioxidant levels of red wine and green tea, which are both renowned for their health benefits”

Antioxidants are the naturally occuring substances in plants that protect the body from harmful free radicals. Produced by the body when cells use oxygen, free radicals can cause heart disease as well as premature ageing.

So, it’s in our best interest to get as many antioxidants into our bodies as possible especially after training to mop up all the damage.

But, before you crack open that bottle of red wine quoting me as a lame excuse for getting pissed – here’s a list of my top antioxidant foods (and red wine’s not one of ‘em!):

Berries
Broccoli
Pomegrante
Tomatoes
Red grapes
Garlic
Spinach
Green tea

7am Wake up to a cuppa

But make it green. Green tea contains catechins and flavanols, potent antioxidants that can increase your metabolic rate and stimulate the release of stored fat.

7:30am Eat a balanced breakfast

Your metabolic rate slows during sleep and you burn fewer calories per hour as a result. Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and gives you the whole day to burn up those calories. A combination of carbohydrate and protein (such as porridge made with milk) will give you sustained energy

8am Walk to work

Moderate exercise after eating may turn more of the calories you have just eaten into heat and make your body work off more calories. And, after any exercise, your metabolic rate goes on being raised for several hours, depending on the type of exercise.

9am Sprint the stairs

Need to get to the third floor? Sprint each flight, resting for a few moments in between. Repeated short bursts of high intensity activity rev up your metabolism and burn more fat.

11am Sneak a snack

Your metabolism is boosted by about 10% for two to three hours after you eat (it’s called post-prandial thermogenesis). Eating small meals or snacks regularly increases this post-eating burn and is a much better way to to work off calories than one or two big meals a day.

1pm Eat a chicken salad…

It’s high in protein, which raises your post-meal metabolic rate more than carbs or fat. You should aim for three portions of lean protein (poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils) daily.

…and a pot of yoghurt for lunch

Low-fat dairy foods such as yoghurt and milk can speed up your metabolism and help your body burn fat faster.

6pm Hit the gym…

A twice-weekly weights workout increases fat burning while you’re asleep. If you have a limited amount of time to spend at the gym, resistance-training will do a far better job of boosting your metabolic rate than even the most intense cardiovascular workout.

…and do supersets

For time-saving benefits, try supersets – doing two or three different exercises with little or no rest in between.

… or an astanga yoga class

Weight training is the obvious choice for muscle building, but you can get a metabolism-stoking benefit with body weight exericses such as squat thrusts, press-ups, dips and even astanga yoga.

7:30pm Eat after your workout…

Eating within an hour after vigorous exercise encourages food calories to be turned into energy rather than being stored as your metabolic rate is speeded up during this time.

…and cook up a curry

Don’t choose a fatty one, such as korma, and make sure it’s got chilli in it, as chilli can rev up your metabolism by increasing your body’s output of adrenaline, making you burn calories slightly faster for a short while.