The 21 Day Blast Plan: Lose weight, lose inches, gain strength and reboot your body. Annie Deadman

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      THE MICRONUTRIENTS

      In short, these are what are known as vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are the bees’ knees for our normal growth, for our health and for bodily functions. We can’t make them in the body, so we have to get them from our food, but we only need very small amounts.

      ‘Is that it? Nothing else?’

      Oh, yes. One more thing. Your health could degenerate if you don’t get enough of these vits and mins. You’ll never know if you’re not getting enough (unless you cough up lots of money to go and see a specialist), but the best way to ensure you are giving yourself and your body the best possible chance is to eat a varied diet with heaps of vegetables of all different colours.

      Oh, go on then, twist me arm . . . here’s another of our lists.

      I’ve selected the most important vitamins and minerals. These are the ones you should aim to be consuming every day. You probably will be, without realising it. Please don’t become paranoid – this is intended as a simple guide. But do try and develop a love of broccoli . . . just saying . . .

      VITAMIN A

      What it does: Helps growth and repair of bones, skin, teeth and eyes as well as supporting our immune system.

      Good food sources: Eggs, oily fish, liver, yoghurt, butternut squash, yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and yellow fruits, like mango, papaya, apricots.

      VITAMIN B6

      What it does: Helps the nervous and immune systems function well, assists in the production of some hormones and helps the body gain energy from food.

      Good food sources: Fish, pork, chicken, turkey, starchy vegetables, oats, chickpeas, rice, tofu, spinach and other leafy greens.

      VITAMIN B12

      What it does: Helps in the making of red blood cells, in the releasing of energy from food and in our use of folic acid, preventing anaemia.

      Good food sources: Meat, salmon, milk, cod, eggs. Vegans should take fortified soya milk, use nutritional yeast in their cooking or take a supplement to ensure their levels are topped up. Spirulina is an alga that comes in powder form and is regularly hailed as a superfood (we’re talking high in protein as well as many vitamins and minerals). Add it to your shakes or mix it with water, hold your nose and neck it back like a shot. Its worthiness may help you forget its not especially lovely taste.

      VITAMIN C

      What it does: An antioxidant that will protect skin, blood vessels, bones and help with wound healing, as well as protect against infections.

      Good food sources: Broccoli, red and green peppers, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, blackcurrants and potatoes.

      CALCIUM

      What it does: Essential for bone health, regulates muscle contractions and aids normal blood clotting.

      Good food sources: Broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale, sesame seeds, dairy products, tofu, soya beans and sardines (as long as you eat the bones too).

      VITAMIN D

      What it does: Enhances calcium absorption to keep bones and teeth strong. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and has been linked to certain cancers, as well as to multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

      Good food sources: Oily fish, red meat, eggs, soya milk, tofu and mushrooms. The body also produces its own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (20 minutes without sunscreen three times a week minimum).

      VITAMIN E

      What it does: Helps maintain healthy skin and eyes and upholds our immune system.

      Good food sources: Almonds, avocados, vegetable oil (such as safflower and sunflower), sunflower seeds, spinach.

      IRON

      What it does: Iron is important in the manufacture of red blood cells, which transport oxygen round the body.

      Good food sources: Red meat, dark green veg (oh, that must mean broccoli), beans, nuts, seeds and whole-grains, such as brown rice.

      IODINE

      What it does: Helps the thyroid gland produce thyroxine to stimulate and regulate metabolism.

      Good food sources: Seafood, all seaweed, such as nori, wakame and kelp, potatoes, bananas, cranberries and strawberries.

      VITAMIN K

      What it does: Helps maintain healthy blood clotting and promotes bone density and strength by helping vitamin D do its job.

      Good food sources: Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and vegetable oils, such as olive and soybean.