The programme

My programme for controlling heart disease comes in two phases. Phase One requires some serious changes in your diet. It's a temporary cleansing of your body.

You won't be fasting - you'll be eating foods that you can enjoy and take pleasure from - but you'll lose weight quickly. Your blood will become healthy, your immune system will be stronger - and so will your heart. You'll have more energy and look years younger.

Studies have shown that within just a few weeks, a fruit and vegetable-based diet such as the one I've devised has a very positive effect on your blood chemicals and the risk of heart attack drops. In just seven days, your cholesterol level falls, inflammation starts to cool and the plaques in the artery are less likely to rupture and cause a heart attack.

Once you've cleansed your body for seven days, you move on to Phase Two of the programme which shows you how to incorporate these foods into a diet for life.

Seven days to a healthy heart

Before you start this diet, you should see a doctor to determine your ideal weight. This is based on a weight-height ratio. Phase One is exceedingly low in calories, so you will lose any excess weight rapidly and safely.

You can eat as many of the foods listed below - which are low in calories but rich in water and fibre - as you like. The food pyramid illustrates the number of servings of fruits and vegetables that you should eat each day. Serving sizes are not hard and fast.

A single apple is one serving of fruit. A small serving of broccoli and carrots counts as two servings of vegetables. A medley of asparagus, mushrooms and chickpeas counts as three servings of vegetables. I encourage you to eat small meals of fruits and vegetables between your main meals.

Phase One - Foods

Vegetables: Green and leafy vegetables (at least eight servings a day)

Includes asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, celery, kale, leeks, lettuce, spinach and watercress. These are goldmines of nutrition and disease-fighting antioxidants and also highly anti-inflammatory.

Yellow, orange and red vegetables (at least eight servings a day

Includes beetroot, all forms of squash, sweet potatoes, yams and carrots. Eat them to create feelings of fullness and satisfaction. These vegetables are highly anti-inflammatory and strengthen the immune system.

White vegetables (at least one serving a day)

Includes cauliflower, garlic, onions and turnips. These foods are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. Highly antiinflammatory, delicious and satisfying.

Potatoes (at least one serving a day)

Satisfying and filling.

Root vegetables (at least one serving a day)

Includes carrots, swedes and parsnips. Make stews and other satisfying dishes.

Legumes (dried beans, and peas and bean products) (four to seven servings a day)

Includes lentils, chickpeas, black, kidney and pinto beans and bean products such as tofu, tempeh, miso and various types of soy sauces. They provide powerful anti-heart disease and anti-cancer factors.

Fruit(eat 13 servings a day)

Includes everything from apples to pears, cantaloupe to kiwis and grapes to grapefruit.

You'll lose weight, experience more energy and lightness, and your skin will appear more youthful.

A bowl of fruit salad with four different fruits in it counts as four servings. A slice of melon is one serving, as is a small bunch of grapes.

Seeds - Flaxseeds (one tsp a day)

Eat roasted and ground flaxseeds as a condiment on vegetables daily. Flaxseeds are rich in bioflavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants, and are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and other phytochemicals that are highly anti-inflammatory.

Pumpkin seeds (three tsp a week)

Also as a condiment on vegetables. Pumpkin seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and reduce inflammation.

Daily supplement

In addition to the recommended foods, Phase One also includes a daily multivitamin supplement. The supplement should include the following nutrients in dosages that are at, or near, the recommended amounts.

Folic acid: 5 mg; Vitamin C: 500 to 1,000 mg; Vitamin E: 400 to 800 international units (IU); Vitamin B6: up to 100 mg; Vitamin B12: 5 mcg; Selenium: 50 to 100 mcg.

Beverages

In phase One, you may drink the following: pure, clean, still spring water. Drink eight large glasses a day. Avoid coffee. But if you like, drink one to two cups of black or green tea per day. Tea is rich in bioflavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants.

There are a number of foods you should try to avoid such as animal foods (red meat, chicken, eggs).

Also be careful with oils (corn, olive, sunflower and peanut). Oil will promote weight gain and inflammation. Another area to steer clear of is processed foods and flour products (muffins, rolls and pastries) which are very high in calories. Many baked products contain trans-fatty acids, or hydrogenated oils, which are highly inflammatory. Dairy foods (milk, cheese and butter) also promote inflammation, and sugar as well as pasta should also be avoided.

Hand in hand with a healthy approach to food is a similar tack on physical exercise. The only form recommended during Phase One is walking, and that at a leisurely pace. Tell your doctor you would like to begin walking daily and ask if there are any restrictions on how much you should walk, or how far. Follow your doctor's recommendations. Start by walking for 30min a day at a comfortable pace.