About 18 years ago, I started competing in fitness figure competitions and needed to lower my body fat. I had about 22 per cent body fat and needed to reach 16 per cent.

My trainer told me to cut out grains and starches, including bread, pasta and rice, as well as refined sugars. My eating plan consisted of fish, chicken and other meat, eggs, salad, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. This was my first experience of the Palaeolithic or ''caveman'' diet, which is based on the premise ''if the cavemen didn't eat it, you shouldn't, either''.

After overdosing on protein at first, I focused on a plant-based fresh-vegetable diet that included 65 grams of animal-based protein a day. I felt strong and full of energy, and never hungry. I leaned up ready for my competition and placed second. Since then, I've based the way I eat (and cook) on the paleo lifestyle.

The diet contains ''primal'' foods such as meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, without newcomers such as refined sugar, preservatives and grain-based foods.

It's also automatically a gluten-free diet, which is great for coeliacs or those who are sensitive to grains.

A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that after only 10 days on a paleo diet, subjects had physiological and metabolic benefits that included reduced blood pressure, lower levels of total cholesterol and lower insulin secretion after ingestion of glucose. If continued it would reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In another three-month study, the paleo diet improved glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with type 2 diabetes, compared with a conventional diabetes diet. The diet also has anti-inflammatory benefits thanks to high levels of mono-unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.

If you're thinking about giving this a go, approach it as a lifestyle makeover. Eat vegetables, meat, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep your food intake at a level that supports plenty of exercise.