The Celebrity Shopping Trolley - Liz McClarnon

THE AMAZING LIZ McCLARNON AND HER SHOPPING TROLLEY

I don't know about "Woman In Love", but I am certainly a man in love with the amazing Liz McClarnon. Modern girl groups are not exactly my cup of tea when it comes to music, but after peeking into Liz's shopping trolley I thought I should learn a bit more about her, so went to face book, watched the video and I am hooked.

Her new release, Denied, is good too, but it doesn't quite work for me. Judge for yourself at www.myspace.com/lizmcclarnon

This young woman has it all – looks, talent, brains, style and a great voice. I know she has had some problems with food, weight and body image in the past, but she's really got it right now. Just look at the fabulous photo and then join me with her trolley. No food hang-ups, and a well mixed diet without counting calories or taking any notice of the latest bogus food guru promoting the newest money making diet scam.

Liz actually eats breakfast, and that is the most important meal of the day. Your blood sugar is at its lowest and you need to stoke up the energy fires to avoid the sugar binges later on. She says, " It really depends where I am or what mood I'm in, I always have a lovely cuppa when I get up in the morning and at home some pineapple chunks or just grilled bacon. I try to not have bread unless I'm super busy but if I have to go out really early in the morning for TV or a photo shoot I'll have a bacon roll with brown sauce (naughty but yummy). Never offer me a Danish in the morning! YUK!"
Some morning carbs are important and both porridge and muesli are both oat based, so a great alternative if wheat is a problem. Oats provide very slow release energy and help keep your blood sugar on an even keel for the whole morning.
The old proverb says "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper" but that's not Liz's style – "To be honest I'm not big on lunch. I try to keep it light as I love a big dinner of an evening...so its Parma ham, cherry tomatoes and salad. Not because I'm healthy but I love salad dressings and have lots ... any of them! OR my other naughty obsession is Heinz tomato soup!!!"

Stick to olive or walnut oil and cider vinegar with chopped onion, garlic, with a little mustard and black pepper and skip the mayo or blue cheese. Enjoy the tomato soup, it is full of the cancer protective antioxidant Lycopene.

What a healthy attitude to dinner.

"I will genuinely eat anything and I like to keep it different everyday so for instance yesterday beef Wellington! Yum! And tonight I'm making French onion soup (really filling as it has cheese and bread) I like food with a lot of flavour! Don't ever offer me lentils and couscous! BLUH!"

A bit unfair as they can both be wonderful – Indian lentil dishes and North African couscous are both full of flavour if prepared in the traditional ways.

Liz loves to snack on pineapple or tiny cherry tomatoes, both full of nutrients. Water is her favourite non alcoholic drink and she says that's the truth!

"I love white wine....it's sooo fattening but boy does it taste good...I'll have a few glasses a week."

Don't worry Liz, 100g – half a large glass - is only 66 calories, (100g of Mars Bar is 441), it is good for the heart and soul, just don't drink more than two bottles a week.

Her only intolerance is bread as it bloats her a lot and wheat doesn't seem to like her much, so that cancels out a few things.

What does Liz think of her eating habits?

"I would say I eat healthily because most people really don't understand how junk food affects our bodies! If I have too many carbs I am really low and can't think very fast!"

Which 5 food items does she always stock up on at the supermarket?

"Parma ham, cherry tomatoes, goats milk (our bodies can digest goats milk faster than cows milk so it doesn't block up your system), litres and litres of water and chicken breasts (you can do loads with chicken and it can taste so different each time)"

There are many good things about goats' milk and some people with allergies to cow's milk can use it as an alternative. However, cows' milk does not 'block up your system.'

Liz thinks that she has the following food vices:
"White bread....it's not my friend but if I have a cold I crave it. I'll have it once every two weeks maybe.
Cups of tea... I have about 3 or 4 a day and have one sugar in each! Bad!
Ice cream...I love it! If I try to do Atkins that's the one thing that pulls me down!
Cheeses....if I could have cheese on everything I would!"

Dear oh dear oh dear . . .

People worry about the silliest things. There is nothing wrong with good and preferably organic, white bread. It is not eating the whole meal or multi grain breads that does the damage. As long as you get your fibre from whole cereals the other nutrients in white bread are good, especially if you eat it with real butter and good honey.

Four cups of tea a day is fine, but try half a spoon of sugar for a month, a quarter for the next four weeks, then give it up.

Real ice cream contains lots of calcium, but also lots of calories and fat. In spite of this, it is better than cheap, junk food ice cream that is mostly pig fat and chemicals. Go easy, save it for a treat and skip the Atkins diet, it is not healthy and no one needs it.

Why does every woman in the world think that cheese is a sin? Of course it contains fat and calories, but it is also a fantastic source of calcium the you need to build strong bones (see May 09 Health News) From childhood, a matchbook sized portion of cheese should be a daily routine to help prevent the horrors of osteoporosis in later life.

Well done Liz, you have got it right; you eat well, enjoy your food and a glass of wine and manage to fit it all in with your frantic working life. Most importantly, unlike most of the popular female singers, you are a great role model for the young girls.

Congratulations, gold star and top of the class from your newest fan.