THIS is a new monthly column by personal trainer Paul Sawyer, who will be giving Bucks Free Press readers top tips to stay fit and healthy.

Here, the former pro-cricketer for England who has trained an array of celebrity clients, explains the importance of eating a nutritious diet to get in shape.

If you would like to ask Paul a question, email him at info@fitness6.co.uk. For more information about his work see his website fitness6.co.uk

I have spent over ten years in the health and fitness industry and there are so many articles, reports and studies going round it’s easy to get confused. So after many years of studying, you’ll find in this article everything you need to know about nutrition.

Basically we are all animals! We have survived for thousands of years living of the land and this is the best way to control your weight, look and feel younger and feel full of energy.

Would you dream of feeding your pet fast food, fizzy drinks, alcohol, processed ready meals, takeaway, chocolate, crisps, other sugary snacks, stodgy bread and pasta and then not bothering to walk or exercise your pet at all? This is what 95 per cent of the population do to themselves!

Follow these steps to sort out your nutrition and you will look and feel great and will be able to control your weight.

Forget sugar!

Sugar suppresses the immune system, promotes inflammation, suppresses the release of human growth hormone (makes you look older!), raises insulin levels, makes your body very acidic which encourages illness and disease and is very high in calories and will encourage weight gain. You can use honey to sweeten things up a little but don’t use too much!

Forget wheat and flour!

Wheat contains a protein called gluten that promotes inflammation and causes the gut to become ‘leaky’. Bread and pasta are man-made ‘foods’ that the body can’t absorb well and see as a foreign object and tries to get rid of. In doing so it causes inflammation (who’s had a bloated stomach after a big sandwich or bowl of pasta?)

What to drink?

All our bodies are designed to drink is water. It’s vital in your weight loss programme and important to help you look and feel your best! We probably all drink too much coffee, tea and soft drinks but try to drink two litres of water a day.

Forget cereals for breakfast!

Could you imagine a caveman or woman sitting down to breakfast with cereals covered in milk and sugar? Many are covered in salt and sugar and have no nutritional benefits what so ever.

Instead try a fruit smoothie. Think of any fruit and throw it in there, the more the merrier!

Organic porridge with raisins, a little organic honey and flax seeds.

The truth about alcohol

Some people have said that glass of wine a day is good for you but the real truth is that alcohol has no nutritional benefit.

Limiting your alcohol will dramatically help your weight loss programme and will help your look and feel a whole lot better.

I have clients who have stopped drinking during the week, and save it to the weekend and have lost a lot of weight.

Just by not having that glass of wine or beer every night, you are saving 36000 calories a year - and a few quid too.

Sort out your body’s pH

Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline, between 7.35 and 7.45. An acidic pH can occur from eating an acidic-forming diet which 95 per cent of the population eat.

An acidic balance will decrease energy production in the cells, decrease its ability to repair cells, make the body susceptible to fatigue and produces a perfect platform for disease and illness to thrive.

The typical English diet is far too high in acid forming foods like flour, sugar, coffee, soft drinks, fast foods, alcohol, too much meat, dairy and eggs and far too low in alkaline producing foods like fresh fruit and vegetables.

You are probably thinking this is going against what your doctor says. However this is my field of expertise and doctors have to cover a massive broad area of topics. I live by these principles. If you still don’t believe me, invite me to visit your doctor with you. Me and your doctor will both strip down to our underwear, then you can see who looks in better shape and make up your mind from that.

In summary, eat:

Vegetables.

Meat. Chicken and turkey are the best. Fish. Salmon, fresh tuna are the best.

Nuts. Almonds, chestnuts, cashews and brazil nuts are good, and make a great snack.

Fruit.

Drink. Water. It is basically all our body is designed to drink. Two litres a day.

Avoid eating and drinking:

The obvious: Crisps, chocolate, sugary snacks, eating out too much, takeaways, fizzy drinks, fruit juices.

Bread

Pasta

Too much alcohol

Beef

Bacon

Corned beef

Butter

Cheese

Rice

All oils apart from olive oil

Too much coffee / tea