Hi, I lent my book to a friend who is not over weight but is pre-diabetic and sort of interested – but can’t imagine life without bread – she is lactose intolerant and a lot of my ‘go to’ feel full foods are dairy related. Any tips I can pass on?

Hi Avila,

I don’t eat dairy (or meat) but have found that my ‘feel full’ foods are all protein-heavy and carb-light, of which I have found fish to be the best source. Particularly smoked salmon – for some reason that really satisfies my stomach (not my bank balance though!). I try to follow a 95% vegan diet normally but since starting the BSD it is more like 75% vegan and 25% fish. Unfortunately vegan sources of protein – lentils, tofu etc – just don’t seem to be hitting the satiety spot the way that fish does. (I wish it was different as I wanted to cut down on my fish consumption but it’s not.) I also make vegan ‘cheese’ out of nuts and that’s pretty good too, and much easier than you’d think. (Lots of recipes available online.)

As for not imagining life with bread, I get it. For me that would be bread, pasta and potatoes. Mmm. The only thing I can say is that while it is difficult in the beginning, it does get easier after a while. Not only that, my stomach shrinks visibly after 48 hours off wheat, and my energy levels are SO much higher. So while I miss the taste of these foods, I (albeit reluctantly) admit I feel miles better off without them. I hope to be able to go back to eating them in the future but in smaller amounts. MUCH smaller amounts!