GABRIELA’S FIVE WEIGHT-LOSS GOLDEN RULES

1 AVOID DRINKING COFFEE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

‘Enjoy your daily coffee or two, but never on an empty stomach. Caffeine prompts the release of glucose from the liver. This causes a spike in

blood sugar, and cravings follow – even though you didn’t eat anything sugary,’ says Gabriela. Pair that coffee with a high-protein

breakfast or snack, such as greek yogurt.

2 DITCH LOW-FAT

Make sure that yogurt is full-fat – low-fat foods are a false economy. Low-fat versions are not as filling and may have fewer calories, but often replace these with sugar or sweeteners. The original wholefood is

always best, says Gabriela.

3 EAT CHEESE BEFORE DESSERT

Something full of protein – and flavour – will

fill you up in a way something sweet simply can’t, says Gabriela. ‘So eat a piece of cheese before something sweet. The protein promotes satiety and will stem the urge to overeat the sweet stuff. I also love to drink a salty hot broth after my dinner on fast days – it has perhaps 20 calories in it but is

tasty, warming and filling.’

4 CHOOSE THE CHEWIEST FOOD

Eat lots of fibrous vegetables. Fibre fills you up, and is important for digestion and your gut microbiota – the ‘good bacteria’ in your gut, which research shows may be linked to weight. ‘Eat more veg and choose the high-fibre ones – especially cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, which are also good for liver health. And eat whole

fruits over smoothies or juice,’ says Gabriela. Not only is it more satisfying, whole fruit is absorbed more slowly in the gut so you don’t get as high a spike in blood sugar.

5 DON’T SKIP CELEBRATIONS

‘If my patients come to me before Christmas or a big holiday I almost always tell them, “Stop, don’t worry about what you are eating for a couple of weeks, have a nice time with your family. Come back to the plan afterwards, it will still be there,”’ says Gabriela. ‘You can’t be too obsessive. It’s very normal to dip in and out. It’s very normal to gain one or two kilos.

But with these principles I’m giving you the power to rebalance your body again

when you want to.’