F2 Diet

The F2 diet follows on from the initial F-Plan Diet by Audrey Eyton. In the new-and-improved F2, dieters are encouraged to swap their lifetime of bad eating habits for good, healthy ones. The F2 diet proclaims that its followers will never go hungry, benefit from improved digestive health, lowered cholesterol and stable blood sugar levels, and most of all, F2 dieters can expect to shed fat faster than dieters on any other programme out there.

The original, F-Plan diet focused largely on a high fibre eating plan. The F2 plan concentrates on getting the ‘right type’ of fibre, which is what stimulates the rapid fat reduction and other digestive benefits. The F2 diet’s author has incorporated a great deal of recent research from dieticians and nutritional scientists to enable dieters considering the F2 diet to see the benefits and practice the programme with ease.

Eyton’s F2 Diet book comes with simple recipes, easy to follow menus and a host of practical ideas to make it easy for dieters to adapt to the F2 plan. The F2 diet relies on dieters using the glycemic index, in conjunction with fat and calorie information to establish healthy habits and a varied, balanced diet.

The F2 eating plan recommends a minimum fibre intake and a maximum fat intake each day. F2 dieters are encouraged to consume the ‘right’ kinds of both fat and fibre to get the most from the diet. To achieve those recommendations, there are 10 straight-forward rules for the F2 diet:

1. At breakfast, have half a grapefruit for its GI-lowering impact and vitamin C. Pink grapefruits are sweeter, so they help you resist adding sugar. You may also have a bowl of a high fibre cereal – the higher the wheat fibre in your cereal, the quicker the food will pass through your digestive system. Slice a just ripe greenish banana into your cereal.

2. Have a low-fat probiotic drink or yoghurt each day. The word 'probiotic' means they contain live bacteria capable of surviving the journey through your digestive system to supplement the good bacteria in your gut.

3. Eat one or two servings of an F2 soup or salad each day. Red lentil and tomato soup or carrot, almond and raisin salad are excellent.

4. Eat large quantities of vegetables and pulses. Beans, parsnips, chickpeas, broccoli and spinach are beneficial.

5. In addition to a banana and grapefruit, eat at least two pieces of fruit every day.

6. Eat two slices of fibre rich wholemeal bread each day.

7. Enjoy grain-based foods like whole wheat pasta, brown basmati rice, couscous, noodles, barley and bulgur wheat.

8. Ration the fat containing foods that are making you overweight.

9. Choose fish in preference to meat or follow a vegetarian menu. Limit red or processed meat to no more than two portions a week and select only organic or free range animal products.

10. Drink water, teas and most low calorie drinks freely and coffee in moderation. Avoid alcohol and fruit juices.

Like many other popular diet programmes, the F2 diet sings the praises of organic, free-range, fresh foods as these are easier on the digestive system and typically havea positive impact on a person’s health. The F2 diet also encourages dieters to avoid processed foods, ready meals and refined carbohydrates as these have hidden costs to both digestive and overall health.