To adapt the diet of Pioppi, which UNESCO has protected as the home of the Mediterranean diet, into that which suits the average western urban-dweller, cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra and former athlete Donal O’Neill have created the below seven-day meal plan.
As well as consuming lots of olive oil for its heart-health benefits, the diet also involves starting each day with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, which is thought to aid acid reflux, lower blood pressure and boost weight loss.
The diet also includes eggs most days, which are a good source of protein for keeping hunger pangs at bay. It also recommends intermittent fasting by limiting your 'eating window' to just eight-to-nine hours a day. Red wine is permitted providing it is good quality.
In a piece for Get The Gloss, Dr Aseem and Donal feature an extract from their book 'The Pioppi Diet: A 21-day Lifestyle Plan' that explains how to incorporate the life-extending plan into your everyday life.
Monday
No breakfast: Only coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Two or three-egg mushroom omelette. Coffee with coconut cream
Afternoon snack: Tinned oysters; full-fat Greek yoghurt with berries; a handful of nuts and cinnamon
Dinner: Picanha steak (a superb Brazilian cut) served with creamed spinach and avocado side salad; two squares of dark chocolate (95 per cent cocoa solids); a cup of Earl Grey tea
Tuesday
No breakfast: Only coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Halloumi and fried tomato; vegetable soup made using chicken bone broth; a small portion of oily fish (anchovies, sardines, pilchards); coffee with coconut cream
Dinner: Grilled salmon fillet with vegetables and sauerkraut; two squares of dark chocolate (95 per cent cocoa solids), a cup of Earl Grey tea
Wednesday
No breakfast: Only coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Full-fat Greek yoghurt mixed with coconut cream and berries with a handful of nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a pinch of turmeric; coffee with coconut cream
Afternoon snack: Bacon nut-butter sliders – crispy, grilled bacon strips, topped generously with almond butter and a sprinkle of raw cacao
Dinner: Grilled lamb chops with lots of mixed vegetables and a side salad; two squares of dark chocolate (95 per cent cocoa solids), a cup of Earl Grey tea
Thursday
Breakfast: Two or three eggs any style, with smoked salmon and avocado; coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Smoothie with kefir and/or coconut milk, berries, a handful of nuts, some avocado; a tablespoon of coconut oil, a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, turmeric and fresh mint
Dinner: Chicken bone broth to start, with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste, followed by fresh pan-fried hake and vegetables; cacaonut bombs (raw cacao, cinnamon, coconut oil, cream and nuts heated, blended and frozen into bite-size pieces); a cup of Earl Grey tea
Friday
Breakfast: Bacon and two or three eggs, any style, with avocado (optional); coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Fish soup (made using chicken broth)
Dinner: Low-carb pizza; cacaonut bombs; a cup of Earl Grey tea
Saturday
Breakfast: Nut-butter omelette; berries and full-fat Greek yoghurt; coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Greek-style salad
Dinner: Roast chicken with sweet potato and mixed vegetables; coconut bombs, a cup of Earl Grey tea
Sunday
Breakfast: Smoked salmon with three scrambled eggs on very high-quality sourdough (the only bread I eat, thanks to the fermentation process and taste), avocado and crème fraiche; coffee with coconut cream
Brunch: Smoothie, as before
Dinner: Baked trout with mixed vegetables; berries, nuts and cream
The original article was published in the Daily mail.
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