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By eating the right proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats each day you will help your body unleash its own fat-burning hormone - glucagon. So, by using the 40-30-30 nutrition ratio you will burn fat 24 hours a day.

 How the Formula works Your body requires six types of essential nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water - for growth, maintenance and repair of its tissues. These are nutrients that the body cannot make itself and must obtain from an outside source.

To provide a well-balanced diet, the foods you eat must contain all of the essential nutrients in the amounts appropriate for good health. The challenge is to eat a diet that provides these nutrients without overeating.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are classified as macronutrients and must be consumed in large amounts throughout the day. These nutrients supply energy, which we measure in calories. Vitamins and minerals are classified as micronutrients. These essential organic and inorganic nutrients are found in the foods you eat and are vital to life.

Many foods today lack vitamins and minerals, having been grown in depleted soils or because they have been overprocessed. For this reason, we recommend supplementing your diet with a multivitamin and mineral.

Water is, of course, indispensable for life, bringing nourishment to and taking waste from every cell. However, most people don't drink enough water. If you don't get sufficient amounts, you may experience heartburn, stomach cramps, low back pain, headache and fatigue. But if you drink adequate amounts of water, your body runs smoothly; your circulation is improved, your digestion enhanced and your complexion brightened.

What are carbohydrates, proteins and fats?

Many people don't know which foods are classified as carbohydrates, proteins or fats. That obviously makes it difficult to follow the formula diet, which says you should eat 40 per cent of calories from carbohydrates, 30 per cent from protein, and 30per cent from fat. So here is an explanation of each.

Remember that most foods contain a mixture of all three classes of nutrients but we classify foods according to their predominant nutrient.

Carbohydrates supply energy to the body and brain, converting into blood sugar, more properly termed glucose. They are found in virtually all plant foods: fruit, vegetables, grains, beans and starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread. Plus sugary foods such as ice cream, biscuits, cakes, sweets, pies, crisps, pretzels, popcorn, fizzy drinks, sweets. If you eat a meal too high in carbohydrates, large amounts of glucose enter the blood and insulin is released to reduce it.

Elevated insulin levels convert excess carbohydrates into stored fat. But if you don't eat enough carbohydrates, blood sugar levels, thus energy levels, drop too low and the brain suffers, making you feel sluggish.

The best sources of carbohydrates are foods that are high in fibre, low in starch and low in sugar (low glycaemic), such as oatmeal and lentils. These carbohydrates are naturally low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, and they should be your primary source of carbohydrates on the formula diet as they will produce the best and fastest results.

The glycaemic index is a numerical system that rates how fast a carbohydrate food triggers a rise in circulating blood sugar and how quickly the body responds by bringing levels back to normal. The higher the glycaemic index number, the faster the rise in blood sugar; the lower the number, the slower the blood sugar is raised.

The glycaemic rating is based on that food eaten alone. When carbohydrates are eaten along with protein and fat the overall glycaemic effect of that meal will be different. Foods which do not cause big fluctuations in blood sugar levels are better, and the formula diet incorporates the ultimate blend of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to help control blood glucose levels.

Best high-quality carbohydrates: Fruit - apples, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, pears, peaches and plums. Vegetables - broccoli, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, courgettes and spinach. Grains - barley, oatmeal, rye, brown and wild rice and wholemeal pasta. Beans - black beans, white beans, chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils.

Protein foods are primarily foods that come from an animal source, and provide the necessary material to make up, build and repair the human body on a continuous basis. The quality of a protein food is determined by two factors: the amino acid balance it contains and its digestibility. A complete protein contains all of the essential amino acids and can be low in fat.

Protein in a meal also stimulates the release of glucagons, a fat-burning hormone that maintains stable blood glucose levels. It also releases stored fat so it can be burned for energy. If your diet lacks the proper amount of protein, or you are not eating high- quality proteins that your body can digest properly, your body begins to tear down existing body tissue, such as muscle, to supply the amino acids that your food is lacking. By sacrificing muscle, you slow your metabolism, so your body burns fewer calories and less fat and even your immune system suffers.

But too much protein can also cause problems. A high protein diet can set you up for the abnormal metabolic state known as ketosis. Sure, the first week may bring your weight down, but though a pound or two of what you lose will be fat, the rest can be lean muscle, water and mineral loss. And once the dieter goes off the diet, the weight can zoom back up, often to a point higher than before.

Best high-quality proteins: cottage cheese (low-fat and non-fat), chicken and turkey (skinless), eggs and egg whites, fish, lean meats, lowfat tofu and soy products.

Fat is an essential nutrient and we need it every day; you need fat to burn fat, but the right kind of fat. Eating the right kind of fat is essential for good health and proper fat metabolism.

Dietary fat provides an important source of essential fatty acids and slows the digestion of a meal so that it trickles into the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels normal. Fat provides you with energy and supplies the building blocks for proper hormone production.

Fat plays a powerful role in the release of cholecystokinin (CCK), a powerful hormone that signals the brain that you're full. The right kind of fat provides omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. These 'good' fats are unprocessed and occur naturally in foods. Good sources are raw nuts and seeds, olives and avocados, and vegetable oils such as safflower, canola and olive. Although fish is primarily thought of as a protein source, it also provides valuable EPA (eicosapen -taenoic acid) fatty acids. Cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are some of the best sources of fat.

Generally, a healthy diet should contain 30per cent of its total calories from fat: 10per cent saturated fats (primarily in animal proteins); 10per cent unsaturated fats (vegetable oils); and 10per cent monounsaturated (vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocados, canola oil and olives). Bad fats are trans fats, since they contain trans fatty acids, and are found in hydrogenated oils. These oils are found in almost all processed foods and margarine and should be avoided, or kept to a minimum. Best high-quality fats: olives and olive oil; avocados, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts and pecans; all types of raw nuts and seeds; fish and fish oils; vegetable oils.

The Formula, by Gene and Joyce Daoust, is published by Vermilion, part of Random House Group. To buy the book go to http://www.randomhouse.co.uk or www.amazon.com