Beachcamp Rule #5: Get your fats rights

Whilst I do genuinely think that sugar is more to blame for weight gain than fat, there is no ignoring that eating alot of a fat is a sure way to take on alot of spare calories that in all likelihood will end up stored as fat. However, when it comes to weight loss all fats are not created equal - there are the good cops and the bad cops of the fat world.

The good cops are the essential fats found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, olives and avocados, which are not only great for your skin and hair condition but also can help increase your metabolism and fat burning. These should be eaten regularly and I'm already having them daily as per Beachcamp Rule #2.

The bad cops are saturated fats which are pretty much any fats from an animal source other than oily fish, so the fats in eggs, meat and dairy products. These fats are not only bad for your heart but they also stop your body properly utilizing the good fats which means they can actively inhibit fat burning. In addition these fats can interfere with hormone balance, both in men and women, which can also lead to weight gain, particularly around the middle - leading to the dreaded muffin top. In addition our modern farming methods mean that these foods may contain hormones, antibiotics and other substances that you're body would be better off without and which can lead to hormone imbalances and fluid retention. So if you suffer from cellulite this rule is particularly important as the appearance of cellulite is a combination of fatty deposits and fluid retention and anecdotally I have found cutting out animal products can make a big improvement.

So if you want to lose your love handles and reduce your cellulite make sure you follow Beachcamp Rule #5: avoid all meat, eggs and dairy products.

This isn't forever - just for the three weeks of Beachcamp - and this rule comes with the disclaimer that some people with low iron, low thyroid status, or impaired adrenal function may not do well on a totally meat/egg free diet - I'm personally a fan of everyone avoiding dairy foods and at the same time think eggs can be a healthy addition to a diet. I will be supplementing extra B vitamins, vitamin D and iron to compensate for cutting these foods out of my diet for the duration of Beachcamp.