She’s credited with helping Prince Harry get in shape for his wedding, and now royal nutritionist Gabriela Peacock joins us with her advice on how you can ‘reset your health’ in just two weeks.

PHIL: So, why is September a better time to reset than January?

GABRIELA: September often gets forgotten, people travel and the summer holidays are quite long and it can be very stressful for the body as our diets don’t tend to be as good.

I very much believe life is about balance and you should have fun! You will have good weeks and bad weeks, but it’s really important that after you enjoy Christmas time or after the summer holidays with the family, to come back and look after your health and make sure you’re nutritionally balanced to make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs to be resilient and healthy.

So everything in life is very much about balance!

HOLLY: So, you're suggesting that September is a good time to get back into balance and maybe shift a few pounds, if that's what you're worried about - and to do intermittent fasting. So tell us how that works...

GABRIELA: I love intermittent fasting, and I do want to say that I hate the word ‘fasting’! Intermittent fasting simply means restrictive calorie intake, 3 non-consecutive days per week so it’s really not about starving yourself and feeling horrible, it’s about restricting your calories to create some positive changes within your body.

In my book, I recommend a couple of different fasting plans. I believe that we’re all individuals and it’s important to find a plan that works with your lifestyle because if it’s too drastic, you’ll struggle to follow it, and it won’t be effective, so it’s really important to find what works for you.

PHIL: So it does look doable...

GABRIELA: This is why I don’t really like the word ‘fasting’ because you don’t really fast, you’re restricting yourself and by this restriction you make your body more resilient and we know intermittent fasting is incredibly healthy, it has numer-ous health benefits and it’s very sustainable. What I find works very well for my clients is the mindset that you’re restricting yourself one day but the day after you can eat what you want (mindful day) so it’s not 2 weeks of misery!

HOLLY: It's 2 weeks, but then after 2 weeks, what happens then? Do you go back to normal life or is this something you can do long term?

GABRIELA: You can definitely do it for longer, it depends on what your goals are. Whether it’s weight loss or restarting your energy levels or for sleep etc, you can definite-ly continue the plan until you reach your goals.

Phil asks about restricting meat as people often lean towards vegetarian/vegan diet when trying to get healthy.

GABRIELA: Again, it really is all about balance! I have nothing against meat if it’s eaten in moderation, it’s a very good source of protein. We know that vegetables are very good for us and are very alkalising. They contain lots of fibre, which keeps us feeling fuller for longer so there are so many benefits, but there are benefits to all good dietary plans.

HOLLY: When you're doing one of your 500 calorie days, what about exercise? Should you be not exercising on those days?

GABRIELA: I’d always say listen to your body. I would definitely not recommend doing a HIIT class on your first day of fasting. Take things slower and see what works for you. You might want to do a gentler form of exercise, Pilates or Yoga may-be, and if by day 5 you feel you want to go for a run, go for one, but listen to your body and don’t go crazy.

Really concentrate on having a good protein source with each meal because that’s going to hold your blood sugar levels nice and balanced, which is going to help with cravings and energy dips.

PHIL: Alcohol is a tricky one, it's been a long summer and most of us are wearing out summer around our middle, which is mostly wine...

GABRIELA: I don’t really restrict alcohol much, but reduction of alcohol will definitely be beneficial. Alcohol is empty calories and empty sugars, so if you can reduce it completely or limit it to 1-2 days per week you will feel an increase in your energy levels and sleep as well as other benefits.

HOLLY: And sleep is important, getting a good night's sleep...

GABRIELA: Absolutely, we know that by not sleeping enough you are increasing your stress hormones and increasing your stress hormones can prevent you from losing weight and make you gain weight, as well as make you feel stressed and horri-ble, so sleep is incredibly important.