Supercharge your diet!

5 foods for endurance

1. Watercress
Rich in iron — essential for transporting oxygen in the body — watercress is also packed with vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption. Add it to sandwiches and salads for a midday crunch.

2. Baked potato with baked beans
Yes, potatoes are high GI — but the beans bring the GI down to medium. The result is a high-fibre, filling lunch that’ll fuel you up for
a long, long time.

3. Wholemeal chicken sandwich
“If you’re looking for fuel, you want food that’s rich in vitamin B (such as wholegrain bread), but combine it with lean protein because your digestive system breaks this down slowly and you release the energy gradually,” says nutrition consultant Ian Marber. “Combine this with the faster-acting wholegrains and you’ve got short- and medium-term energy.”

4. Seedy snacks
“All seeds are a great idea,” says Angela Dowden. “They are packed with essential fats and so will give you a lift, but they have a lower GI than many snacks.” Try mixed packs or seed bars.

5. Sardines
Never underestimate the power of a sardine. These oily fish contain lots of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that keep your blood flowing freely and boost your mood, and which are necessary for the efficient functioning of your brain and body at cellular level. Sardines are also rich in iron, essential for keeping your energy levels up. Make them a store-cupboard staple.

5 energy foods

1. Coconut
While coconut oil is obviously high in fat — and 90 per cent of it is the saturated variety — there’s some evidence that coconut oil raises your metabolic rate because, unusually, it contains a lot of medium-chain fatty acids, which are very quickly metabolised, giving a speedy energy hit. You can use virgin coconut oil in cooking or even as a spread.

2. Cornflakes
“Cornflakes give you a burst of energy because they have a high glycaemic index,” says nutritionist Angela Dowden, but make it an afternoon boost rather than a breakfast one, because in the mornings you need slow-burning foods that’ll sustain your energy. Later on, though, a bowl should give you the va-va-voom needed to see you through an hour or two.

3. Miso soup
High in the amino acid tyrosine, this broth helps you make the feel-good chemical dopamine. Your energy levels will soar because you’ll have the enthusiasm for making the most of what you’ve got.

4. Pineapple
Pineapple is not only high in the amino acid tryptophan, which boosts levels of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, but also manganese, and antioxidants such as betacarotene, and vitamin C, that protect against damaging free radicals. For the highest antioxidant content, choose a pineapple that’s fully ripened.

5. Raisins
You may have banned all sweet snacks from your diet, but don’t rule out the benefits of a handful of raisins for a power boost. They’re packed with complex carbohydrates and high in iron, too.

5 foods for weight gain

1. Dressed salad
“People who can’t put on weight often just have smaller appetites,” says Angela Dowden. So, to add calories sneakily, be more generous with dressing — it’ll add calories (86 in two teaspoons of olive oil) without making you feel full.

2. Ground almonds
When absolutely nothing will do except a piece of cake, try the luxurious gluten-free options that are made with ground almonds — another sneaky way to get fat, protein and calcium into your diet.

3. Mezze
A spread of exciting tastes can encourage you to pack away a surprising amount of food. Make variety your friend at every meal.

4. Avocados
Not all high-fat foods are bad for you. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat (associated with lower levels of heart disease). Go for the guacamole!

5. Lamb
The fat content in lamb is fine for you, as half of it is unsaturated fat. Plus it’s iron rich, with an average portion providing 12 per cent of the recommended daily intake for women (and 20 per cent for men), in a form that is easily absorbed by the body. Lamb meat also contains essential B vitamins and minerals like zinc and manganese. So, pop a roast in the oven or order a takeout meal of lamb chops.

5 ways to drop calories

1. Downsize your glasses
Those lovely balloon-shaped glasses can hold up to a third of a bottle of juice. Search out some 125ml ones, and one glass of orange juice will easily shrink from over 110 calories (a 240ml glass) to about 57.

2. Go to work on an egg
It’s not an urban myth — if you eat a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast you’re likely to consume fewer calories at the following meal than if you’d had a more carb-based start to the day. Just go easy on the buttery toast!

3. Spice up with cinnamon
Swap a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar (30 calories) — for a sprinkling of ground cinnamon on your morning porridge; or add cinnamon to apples cooked in a little bit of fruit juice for a sweet and indulgent pudding.

4. Choose yoghurt
Don’t ditch all dairy on the basis that it’s packed with fat. “Low-fat dairy products can be very useful if you’re trying to drop the pounds,” says Angela Dowden. One theory is that the calcium in dairy decreases the amount of fat your body absorbs. The fat and protein will also keep you satisfied longer, helping you avoid the starve/binge syndrome.

5. Brush and spray
Instead of sloshing oil into your frying pan, dip a basting brush into a teaspoonful of oil and carefully paint it on; or use a spray for an even greater saving on oil usage while cooking. There are ten calories in ten sprays of a spray oil, and there are more than 120 in one tablespoon of cooking oil. You do the maths!