The Kensington Way

Known as the man who helped Princess Diana get into shape, Twigg, a popular British holistic health practitioner, makes available his innovative diet plan. Long burdened by health problems of his own, Twigg decided that his ailments were diet related--not simply the foods he ate, but the combinations in which he ate them. His plan groups foods into four major categories--fruits, proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables. In Twigg's schema, fruits mix poorly with many other foods; proteins and carbohydrates shouldn't be eaten together, for the system digests them poorly, causing increased toxicity in the body; vegetables mix with almost everything. Twigg's plan calls for a change in not only diet but in how people think about eating and how it affects their self-esteem. Realizing certain foods trigger specific emotions (i.e., starchy and sweet foods raise the brain's serotonin level, producing short-lived feelings of optimism), Twigg suggests simple affirmations (""Each new day I experience more and more peace in my life"") to help followers of his plan change their attitudes toward food and break bad habits. A chart to monitor health ailments (allergies, headaches, etc.) and 14 daily menu plans are included. Although he contends that his plan is simple to follow, readers may feel frustrated with the many charts and dietary restrictions (milk and cereal is no longer a viable breakfast option, for example). However, Twigg offers a healthy alternative to the way most people eat. Author tour. (Feb.)