The Hot Body Plan by Azmina Govindji and Nina Puddefoot

Reviewed by Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

"The plan is incredibly flexible"

What’s the theory?

Written by a registered dietitian and life coach, this diet is based around the concept of the Glycaemic Index (GI).

A quick reminder: foods with a high GI cause blood sugar surges followed by a sugar crash – and this crash leaves us feeling tired, irritable, hungry and craving something to eat, usually something sweet and processed. In contrast, low GI foods keep blood sugar levels steady so that we feel less hungry and have fewer cravings.

Typically this means choosing carbs like wholewheat pasta, seeded wholegrain breads, basmati rice, oatcakes, most fruits and veg, nuts, seeds, pulses, porridge and unprocessed muesli.

But to lose weight we still need to reduce our calorie intake. As a result, this diet has created a Points system (called GIPs) that incorporates the GI, portion size and calories in a food.

What does the diet involve?

You don’t need to count GIPs. Instead, there’s a daily checklist of what you should eat and then guidance on the portion sizes you should aim for.

Each day, you should eat one of the recommended breakfasts and then create your own lunch, dinner and two snacks. Lunch, dinner and snacks should incorporate four servings of veg and two servings each of fruit, protein-rich and carb-rich foods. Plus you should have 200ml reduced-fat milk and two servings of low-fat dairy products. Finish it off with 6-8 glasses of water.

How much weight will I lose?

Around 0.5-1kg a week.

What can I eat in a typical day?

There are no specific meal plans given but lots of suggestions for breakfasts.

What else does the book include?

There’s a great visualisation technique to help get you into a positive frame of mind for losing those pounds. Plus, there are two quizzes: a Mind, Body and Spirit one and a How Hot Bodied is Your Life? one to help identify your starting point.

The book is packed with information on the health benefits of losing just five percent of your weight, plus there’s great advice on portion sizes and a section on booze, including how to drink sensibly.

There’s practical advice on how to be more active and great tips for coping with eating at parties and other social occasions, including eating out and holidays.

Finally, you’ll find recipes, Q&As and advice on maintaining your new Hot Body.

Juliette’s verdict

As you would expect with a dietitian as one of the authors, the science behind this diet is solid and based on fact rather than fiction. There’s nothing faddy about this plan and there are stacks of good tips to help get both your mind and body in great shape.

The plan is incredibly flexible, basically leaving the reader up to their own devices in terms of putting meals and snacks together – that’s great for experienced slimmers who know what they’re doing, but perhaps a little daunting if you’re just setting out and want some clearer guidance on exactly what you should eat at each meal.

It’s a useful addition to your bookshelf for the tips and advice to get you in a positive frame of mind for achieving that Hot Body