The Five-Day Plan

Your very best intentions to Eat Yourself Healthy and improve your lifestyle can go astray. And after a long, sedentary winter, or a period of more stress than usual, or when you've gone out and indulged once too often, your body and state of mind will be in need of revitalisation.

How can you rid yourself of the blahs and the fatigue that you haven't been able to shake, lose a few pounds, and see your skin glow again? And how can you do all of these quickly?

In order to explain how you can bring about this amazing transformation of your inner well-being and your outer appearance, we'll talk about the basics of the Five-Day Plan.

The plan provides your system with the unique ability to be its own "detox" unit. During these five days, you can rid yourself of all the toxins that have accumulated over a number of months. The bad effects of all the no-nos - coffee, alcohol, nicotine and tar, fats, and refined sugar and salt - will be eliminated by your system.

Your body's only task will be to process raw vegetables and fruits that contain loads of vitamins and minerals. These, together with all the fibre, liquid, and enzymes that also occur in these foods, will promote the detoxification process while helping to burn off excess pounds as well. The crudités that you'll eat will provide your body with vitamins and minerals that you might have been missing; they will also restore the chemical balance of your skin making you radiant again.

For years, a diet of raw vegetables and fruit has been the basis of the most effective revitalisation and purification methods practised worldwide. As anyone who has ever done this "detox" program can tell you, there's no doubt about the beauty and health potential of these foods.

Raw vegetables and fruit accelerate our metabolism, which means that our digestion is reved up and toxins are eliminated rapidly. The oxygen supply to all the cells is improved and that alone gives you more energy and makes you able to do more. Since you won't be taking in any toxins - coffee, alcohol, fats, or the other health no-nos - during these five days, there'll be nothing to prevent you from having the full purifying and revitalising benefits of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fibre.

Details

We'll tell you what the plan involves on a day-by-day basis for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course, you can switch lunch and dinner. In between you can eat as many crudités as you like (but no avocados because of their high fat content). You can have carrots, cucumbers, celery sticks, cabbage and lettuce leaves, radishes, and tomatoes whenever you like, either in the form of "rabbit food" or liquefied into juice.

You can eat one apple a day, whenever you like. And you can have as much mineral water and herb tea as you like, with lemon or with a daily total of two ounces of skim milk. It's best not to have honey during the five days, but you can use small quantities of artificial sweetener. Coffee, strong tea, and alcohol are definitely out, but you might try a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

More Details

Exercise is terribly important on the Five-Day Plan. Try to exercise for thirty minutes daily during the five days. As a supplement to proper nutrition, exercise is the best route to a vital and youthful body and peace of mind. Regular physical exercise, which gives you an aerobic workout for at least twenty minutes and raises your pulse rate the proper amount for your age and fitness level, has countless beneficial health and beauty effects.

First, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is increased, and second, blood flows through our bodies faster. These two factors greatly improve the oxygen supply to every organ in our bodies.

And then there's the stepped-up metabolism. Exercise makes us produce more energy, which is burned up faster. That makes for increased vitality and performance in our day-to-day life. Regular exercise gives you the energy and stamina to counter everyday stress.

Your rewed up metabolism also accelerates the digestive process and the efficient elimination of toxins. So if you eat fairly well, trying to avoid most toxins, and exercise regularly several times a week, your body will be able to eliminate all the undesirable materials quickly. The resulting improved circulation will supply every part of your body with lots of oxygen, which in turn produces faster cell regeneration, and all of which will be reflected in youthful and glowing skin.

The symptoms of our modern society, such as overweight, constipation, circulatory disturbances, and heart problems, are caused for the most part by poor nutrition and too little exercise. In other words, these are symptoms your body is taking in lots of toxins and is unable to shed them because of a lack of high-fibre nutrition and regular exercise which stimulates the metabolism. Therefore, the toxins remain in our tissues and organs and slow down our circulation and metabolism, which hampers our cellular regeneration. Continuing these bad habits makes our bodies age prematurely. Our lungs lose their capacity to take in large quantities of oxygen. Our muscles lose their tone and, without enough oxygen, they atrophy. And because our skin loses its efficient blood supply, it becomes thin and full of wrinkles and looks old.

If you follow the five-day revitalisation plan several times a year, your body can rid itself of its accumulated toxins and undergo a regenerative process. Raw vegetables purify your digestive system and restore your chemical balance (which is upset by the hyperacidity of a "civilised diet" that includes the no-nos). That rebalancing will give you all the good metabolic and circulatory effects that we've been talking about.

Your program of good nutrition and regular exercise (in the form of brisk walking, swimming, tennis, jogging or gymnastics, aerobic dancing, or whatever you enjoy most) needs two more supplements - relaxation and adequate sleep.

During the next five days, try and be in bed by 10 P.M. so that you'll get enough sleep. In addition, try to lie down and relax for at least thirty minutes each day. This shouldn't keep you from spending the rest of your time in a very active way. You're just providing your body with the rest it needs for full revitalisation. A tired and stressed organism just can't relax properly. When you've slept enough, you have 15 percent more stamina than when you have too little sleep. In connection with good nutrition and enough exercise, adequate sleep - when your body is sufficiently relaxed to regenerate its forces - really can "keep you young." Your skin will be youthful, your eyes will glow, and your entire body will feel vital and energetic. That's why it's called "beauty sleep."

The best evidence of the amazing effects of the Five-Day Plan comes when you've completed it. You won't need any further persuasion.

But before you do start, check with your doctor; that's an absolute must. While the plan does nothing but good for most people, it's definitely not intended as a substitute for needed medical treatment. If you're already on a special diet, that shouldn't be tampered with either. So, again, NO FIVE-DAY PLAN WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S OKAY.

Try to start the plan on a Thursday if you can. That way you can really take advantage of Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday for your health program. The plan will continue through Monday; you can resume your usual health foods on Tuesday. In order to reaccustom your body gradually to its usual diet, try to eat mostly raw vegetables for the next four days, but add wholegrain bread; brown rice; wholegrain cereals; a little meat; and of course lots of cooked vegetables, fruit, and fruit juices.

This will enable your body to make full use of the revitalising action of the Five-Day Plan.

The Evening Before

On the evening before you start the plan (Wednesday), eat very little meat and few carbohydrates, but have a large mixed salad. Don't drink any alcohol. This prepares your system for the purifying effect of the first day.

Thursday (First Day)

Right after you get up, slowly sip a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into it. This wakes up your system in the most natural way.

BREAKFAST

Two tablespoons of wheat bran mixed with two tablespoons of low-fat yoghurt. With this, eat an apple' pear, or grapefruit.

Forty percent of wheat bran is fibre, which is eliminated by your body in unchanged form. But because of the volume and expanding capacity of the fibre, it activates your digestive system. So your "detox" program starts off with breakfast. It's very important to drink a lot so that the bran can expand properly; try to have two to three cups of liquid. Because of the fibre and liquid it contains, fruit also helps to activate your digestive system. Besides that it gives you vitamin C (especially if you've decided to eat grapefruit), vitamin A, and that important beauty mineral, potassium. Have lots of herb tea with lemon or coffee substitute with some of your daily milk ration for breakfast. No sugar, please! A little artificial sweetener is okay. And you can have as much mineral or tap water as you like. Breakfast is the same all five days; just have a different fruit. Between breakfast and lunch, you can nibble on crudités (except for avocados); there's really no limit on these. And you can eat your daily apple, but nothing more than that for now.

LUNCH

For lunch, there's a crisp and appetising tossed salad consisting of cucumbers, watercress, tomatoes, onions, leaf lettuce, and two chopped walnuts. The salad contains beauty vitamins A, C, E, F, and the B complex, and beauty minerals calcium, copper, chromium, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sulphur, and zinc. Just the walnuts by themselves contain the vitamin B complex and vitamin F, as well as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.) The beauty effects of this salad are concentrated on your skin and hair. Vitamin F and iodine will make it lustrous and strong. Have the salad with the Citrus dressing and a thin slice of wholegrain bread.

You can have as much salad as you like, but try not to eat so much that you feel uncomfortably full. Between lunch and dinner, have more crudités if you want them, and unlimited amounts of herb tea, coffee substitute, mineral water, and fruit juices, but nothing other than that.

DINNER

In the evening, there's tomato salad with onions and watercress, and vinaigrette dressing containing only one tablespoon of olive oil. With this you can eat two slices of wholegrain flat bread or a thin slice of wholegrain bread.

The tomato salad contains vitamins B', B2, C, and E, and the minerals calcium, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, potassium, selenium, and sulphur. It's especially good for unlined, supple skin. In addition to fibre, wholegrain bread contains lots of the vitamin B complex and vitamin E, and calcium, copper, iron, manganese, potassium, and zinc. The B vitamins are especially important for beautiful skin and glistening hair.

For dessert, you can have some grapes (about eight ounces) or any other fruit except bananas. Remember that you can have herb tea, coffee substitute, and vegetable juice whenever you want them.

Try to go to sleep early so that your body can take full advantage of the good things you're doing for it.

Friday (Second Day)

The first good thing you can do for your body is to wake up slowly and gently. Take lots of time to stretch, take a few deep breaths in front of an open window, and sip your lemon potion.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is the same as Thursday: two tablespoons of wheat bran with two tablespoons of low-fat yoghurt; one piece of fruit (apple, pear, or grapefruit); and herb tea, coffee substitute, or mineral water.

Between breakfast and lunch, you may have lots of the permitted beverages and crudités.

LUNCH

Second-day lunch is the Flowering Orange, which consists of cabbage, an orange, almonds, leeks, and lamb's lettuce. With it, have a yoghurt dressing made of two tablespoons low-fat yoghurt, two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of fresh orange juice, and herbal seasoning and pepper to taste.

The Flowering Orange gives you vitamins A, C, E, and some of the vitamin B complex. It's really great for clear, smooth skin that looks youthful and resists blemishes.

Accompany the Flowering Orange with a slice of wholegrain flat bread and lots of mineral water.

Your between-meal snack will be your choice of raw vegetables. You might try to take a nap right after lunch and follow that with an exercise period, thirty minutes to an hour, depending on what you're doing.

DINNER

For this evening, Healthy Greens made up of radicchio, Bibb lettuce, watercress, and half an avocado, with any one of the beauty dressings. Accompany it with a thin slice of wholegrain bread.

Beauty Greens provide you with vitamins A, C, E, and K and B1 and B2 members of the vitamin B complex. These are essential for glowing skin and they also prevent blemishes.

If you're not hungry, you can have a smaller salad and skip the bread. You can eat as little or as much as you'd like, and you can even eat only one or two meals. But you should never go hungry!

Saturday (Third Day)

Saturday is fruit day!

BREAKFAST

Your breakfast is the same as on the two previous days. Between meals please stick to crudités and only limited fruit.

LUNCH & DINNER

For lunch and dinner, there's a mixed fruit salad with any combination of fruit that you find appealing (except bananas). You can have as much fruit salad as you want but try not to overeat.

Fresh fruit contains vitamin A and large quantities of vitamin C (especially citrus fruits and blueberries), as well as chromium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and lots of fibre and enzymes. These will rev up your metabolism and accelerate elimination of toxins.

Go to bed early again this evening, but don't worry if you're not really tired and don't fall asleep immediately. What's happening is that your system is beginning to recover after three days of beauty foods.

Sunday (Fourth Day)

Sunday is a very pleasant, low-key day. You can sleep as late as you like, and then just relax all day long, read all those sections of the newspaper you never have time for, putter (if you enjoy it), anything that seems like fun. You can play some favourite sport and take a few mild exercise breaks (breathing exercises, easy floor exercises, yoga, etc.).

LUNCH

For lunch, it's Protein Plus, which is made up of Bibb lettuce, radicchio, Boston lettuce, lamb's lettuce, watercress, leeks, and a hard- boiled egg. Have your Protein Plus with vinaigrette dressing (containing only one tablespoon of olive oil) and a slice of wholegrain toast. Drink lots of mineral water from your prettiest glass.

Protein Plus provides you with beauty vitamins A, B1 and B2, D, E, and K as well as the minerals calcium, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, potassium, selenium, sulphur, and zinc. It has everything you need for strong, healthy hair and nails and beautiful skin.

DINNER

For supper, have Pink Blush, which contains beets, apples, onions, and dill. The dressing for Pink Blush consists of low-fat yoghurt, vinegar, orange juice, herbal seasoning, and pepper. Omit bread with this one.

Pink Blush contains vitamins A, B1 and B2, C, E, F, and K as well as calcium and potassium. This is very effective in the prevention or management of dry skin and dull, brittle hair. It's also great for your teeth.

Have some herbal tea with lemon and a little artificial sweetener as a pre-bedtime drink.

Monday (Fifth Day)

All good things must come to an end, and that goes for the Five- Day Man as well. You'll feel and look better and your attitude will be relaxed and refreshed.

Now that you're ready to make use of all that renewed energy and get back to your normal schedule, here's the menu for the last day.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is still the same, consisting of two tablespoons of wheat bran mixed with two tablespoons of low-fat yoghurt and an apple, a pear, or a grapefruit. Drink herb tea, coffee substitute, or mineral water.

These beverages together with lots of raw vegetable snacks are for between meals.

LUNCH

For lunch, a variation of the Sunny Salad. This time it's made of an apple, carrots, cabbage, and one-quarter cup of goat cheese and garnished with one level tablespoon of chopped nuts (no raisins). Mix the salad with Citrus dressing, and have it with a thin slice of wholegrain bread and lots of mineral water.

Sunny Salad provides you with vitamin A, the vitamin B complex, and vitamins C, D, E, F, and K (all the ones you need to Eat Yourself Beautiful). You'll also have a number of minerals -  calcium, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulphur, and zinc as well as lots of fibre (especially in the carrots and cabbage). Your skin, hair, eyes, and nails will have all the vitamins and minerals they need to look their best.

DINNER

To finish the Five-Day Plan, your evening meal is a small portion of Hairglow (because you shouldn't eat too much before going to bed). This is made with Chinese cabbage, pear, one chopped walnut, watercress, and one level tablespoon of cottage cheese. Enjoy your Hairglow with low-fat vinaigrette and one slice of wholegrain flatbread.

Hairglow contains lots of vitamin A, as well as the B vitamins and C, D, E, F, and K. There's also calcium, manganese, phosphorus, sulphur, and zinc, everything you need to make your hair gleam and your nails strong.

Go to bed early and the next morning you'll see a beautiful and revitalised you.

As I said in the introduction to the Five-Day Man, your revitalisation program will be all the more effective if you still eat lots of raw vegetables for the next four or five days and avoid alcohol, tobacco, and very fatty and sweet foods.

You can certainly eat wholegrain products, brown rice, fish, poultry, and fruit, as well as fruit juices, low-fat milk, and low-fat yoghurt.

By allowing your body to return to its normal eating pattern gradually, you'll have gotten the maximum beauty and health benefits from the Five-Day Plan.

The Five-Day Plan When You're Away from Home

If you eat out while you're on the plan, you don't have to follow the suggested menus to the letter. Just order a mixed salad or erudite plate and ask for fat-free vinaigrette dressing. You can eat a slice of wholegrain bread, and drink mineral water and you'll still be adhering to the plan.

Lunch at the office is easy too. Just take a little time in the morning to pack your salad with separate dressing. Add a plastic container of raw vegetables for snack time, take along a few herbal tea bags, and you're set.