Examining her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Emma Bardwell felt utterly defeated – and barely recognized the unhappy woman staring back at her. Then 48, the leading nutritionist was in the throes of perimenopause and battling debilitating fatigue and insomnia.
There were palpitations and anxiety, and her skin, once clear and healthy, was now mottled with acne and eczema. Every day felt like ‘a slog’, she says, and was so flattened by it all that she had ‘become almost a hermit’, barely leaving the house.
She was drinking too much, not exercising, eating poorly and had gained weight – much of it around her midsection.
And if it sounds surprising that a health professional who advises others on nutrition would have found herself in such a state, Emma is the first to admit that even experts can be knocked off course by life.
In a stark admission that will strike a chord with many, the married mother of two says: ‘It felt like I’d lost all sense of who I was.
‘I had none of the poster symptoms of menopause – the hot flashes, the night sweats – but I had all the psychological ones, like a total loss of joy in anything.
‘I became quite isolated and barely left the house for about a year. I shunned my friends and my social life. I couldn’t really articulate what was happening to me, and it seemed that no one else was going through it.’
Today, however, six years on, Emma is a new woman. Her skin is glowing, she has renewed energy and joie de vivre – and, as these exclusive Daily Mail photos show, an enviably trim figure. So what brought about this remarkable transformation?
Six years on, Emma is a new woman. Her skin is glowing, she has renewed energy and joie de vivre – and, as these exclusive Daily Mail photos show, an enviably trim figure
At 48, the leading nutritionist was in the throes of perimenopause. She was drinking too much, not exercising, eating poorly and had piled on weight – much of it around her midriff. To top it all off, her skin, once clear and healthy, was mottled with acne and eczema
While HRT eased her insomnia, she insists that it was tapping into her training as a nutritionist and overhauling her diet that made the most significant difference to her symptoms.
That involved ‘going back to basics’, she says – ultimately, eating regular meals based on protein, fiber and a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. She stopped skipping breakfast, reduced her alcohol intake and cut back on snacks.
Within weeks, she was sleeping better, feeling less sluggish and more energized, and her acne and eczema started to clear.
As a ‘happy accident’, some of the weight she had gained started to come off.
‘I felt more in control,’ she says. ‘I was feeling satisfied and less inclined to graze or snack.
‘The weight didn’t fall off – the losses were small but steady – but that wasn’t the main purpose of doing it. The most important thing was that I wasn’t feeling so exhausted. I wasn’t having these peaks and troughs of energy, and because of that I wasn’t craving high-carb, high-sugar, high-fat fixes.
‘I felt like myself again. I used to hide this weight around my middle and everything had felt very sluggish, but upping my fiber and eating consistently in a regular way, rather than trying to skip meals and over-eating later in the day, just got rid of that bloat. It really worked.’
Hi, I’m Emma Bardwell, a nutritionist with more than 15 years’ experience helping people improve their health and lose weight.
I’ve been there. I was overweight, unhappy with my skin and stuck in a rut. Then I changed the way I eat. You can now do the same with my tried-and-tested healthy eating plan. And for DailyMail+ subscribers, it’s completely free.
Click here to sign up and start your journey
And it’s not just Emma who has benefited. Over the past few years, she has refined her approach into an easy-to-follow regime that has proved hugely successful for thousands of others.
Called The 30g Plan, it’s based on a scientific approach to boosting health and maintaining a healthy weight.
There are no banned foods, no punishing restrictions, and no obsession with calories. Instead, the focus is on consuming 30g of protein in every meal, 30g of fiber a day, and 30 different types of plant across an average week.
The idea is deceptively simple: fill up on foods that will keep you feeling satisfied and you’ll naturally consume fewer calories overall without feeling like you’re denying yourself anything.
So could it work for you? Today, the Daily Mail is launching a brand new newsletter series that gives readers the opportunity to transform their lives in just six weeks by following Emma’s simple but life-altering habits.
While her plan is ultimately about boosting overall health – turbo-charging the immune system, improving digestion, banishing low mood and increasing energy levels – by the end of those six weeks, you could expect to lose up to 15lbs and get your summer body.
If you’re heavier to begin with, it could be even more.
Each week, those signing up to the newsletter will receive exclusive access to Emma’s evidence-based insights, tips and advice, alongside mouthwatering, filling recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner from her new book, The 30g Plan Cookbook. There are even recipes for cakes.
To give you a taste of what’s in store, we’ve included two meals below, too.
The 30g Plan is based on a scientific approach to maintaining a healthy weight. There are no banned foods, no punishing restrictions and no obsession with calories
Week one on the meal plan tells you everything you need to know about getting started, including a guide to what 30g of fiber and 30g of protein actually looks like on a plate, a ready-made shopping list, and which pantry staples can play an essential role in overhauling your diet.
The second newsletter arrives a week later, revealing the unsung diet hero foods that will stop you snacking for good.
Over six weeks, Emma’s emails will keep you on track to shed those pounds with motivational advice and easy meal fixes to help you stack up your protein, fiber and plant goals – all with exclusive recipes that won’t make you give up the foods you love.
As Emma says, this is not about perfection or obsessing over scales and calories, but about small tweaks that will keep you full and stop bad habits. And, once the six weeks are over, this will be the diet you stick to for life.
She explains: ‘It isn’t super restrictive and full of what people would call ‘rabbit food’. People tell me they’ve never eaten so much on a diet. But the idea is that this isn’t really a diet at all – it’s a way of life which they can just continue.
‘I don’t want people to feel like they’re white-knuckling it – I want this to feel like a new way of eating which isn’t just a temporary fix.’
There is good, solid science behind Emma’s approach.
Protein is often known as ‘nature’s Ozempic’ because it triggers the release of satiety hormones such as GLP-1, PYY and CCK in the gut – telling the brain we are full – and reduces the amount of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Weight-loss jabs, in contrast, mimic GLP-1 to have the same effect.
Emma Bardwell’s 30g Plan is built upon four simple – but effective – pillars
Alongside weight loss and better appetite control, eating enough protein also better regulates blood sugar levels, boosts energy, and can improve bone and skin health in the long term.
Research suggests that 25g to 30g of protein, which can come from fish, meat, eggs, tofu, nuts or beans and lentils, at every meal is optimal – because the body can’t store the nutrient, it needs to be topped up throughout the day.
The 30g Plan Cookbook by Emma Bardwell. Photography by Kate Whitaker
Fiber is ‘just as powerful,’ Emma says. US dietary guidelines suggest around 25g to 38g a day. Yet most Americans fall short – getting just 16g to 18g on average.
Evidence suggests that even modest increases in fiber – as little as a handful of raspberries – can lower the risk of disease; another 8g is enough to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality. Fiber also slows down digestion, stabilizes blood sugar and feeds the colony of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which in turn releases chemicals that reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.
In addition, eating a broad range of plants – from vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds to spices and herbs – has been linked to better metabolic and immune system health. The American Gut Project found that those consuming more than 30 different types a week relied less on ultra-processed foods and consumed more vitamins and minerals overall.
‘Ultimately, following the 30g Plan is about being healthier overall, with the added bonus that you end up consuming fewer calories so you lose weight steadily,’ Emma says. ‘You’ll feel fuller for longer, you’ll have more energy, and it doesn’t come along with a side portion of misery because you’re denying yourself the foods you love.
‘These rules aren’t the law – they’re guidelines – and small changes really can add up to big effects. A drop in cholesterol and blood pressure can happen fairly quickly, your mood will improve and long term, your risk of chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes and even certain cancers, will reduce.
‘It’s a way of eating that changed my life for the better – and I know it can do the same for you.’
Baked feta pasta
Popular with all the family, this one-pot dish is high in protein and big on flavor. SERVES 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
200g (7 oz) feta cheese
250g (9 oz) butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
2 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
200g (7 oz) legume-based pasta (such as chickpea or lentil pasta)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
4 generous handfuls mixed salad greens
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the feta, butternut squash, bell peppers, and garlic in a baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with black pepper and oregano. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Transfer the roasted feta and vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add the reserved pasta water and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour over the sauce and toss until well coated.
Top with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and serve with the mixed salad greens on the side.
Tip: Legume-based pasta is a great way to add extra protein and fiber. For the best texture, cook it slightly al dente by reducing the recommended cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
PER PORTION:
PROTEIN 42G FIBER 15g PLANTS 6+ CALORIES 500
Chickpea and halloumi 15-plant salad
Chickpeas, roasted sweet potato and spiced halloumi cubes tossed with herbs, seeds and a rainbow of chopped vegetables. A vegetable chopper makes light work of the prep here if you happen to have one to hand.
INGREDIENTS
For the salad
200g (7 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed well and cut into small cubes (leave the skin on)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tsp garlic powder
225g (8 oz) halloumi cheese, cut into small cubes
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cucumber, seeded and diced
4 radishes, finely diced
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
80g (½ cup) pomegranate seeds
1 large handful fresh herbs (such as parsley, cilantro, mint, or a combination), finely chopped
2 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc.)
For the dressing
Juice of 1 small lemon (about 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels. Spread the chickpeas and sweet potato cubes on a large sheet pan (or two smaller pans) in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat.
Roast for 30–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the sweet potato is tender and the chickpeas are golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the halloumi cubes, honey, and red pepper flakes. Cook, turning frequently, until the halloumi is golden brown on all sides and lightly glazed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumber, radishes, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, pomegranate seeds, and chopped herbs.
Add the roasted chickpeas, sweet potato, and warm halloumi. Pour over the dressing and toss gently to combine.
Sprinkle with the mixed seeds and serve.
Tip: For extra-crispy chickpeas, dry them thoroughly before roasting and avoid overcrowding the pan.
PER PORTION
PROTEIN 22g FIBER 10.5g PLANTS 15+ CALORIES 521
