14 MAGIC FOODS; New diet that guarantees a longer, healthier life.

Byline: JANE RIDLEY Additional reporting: ANITA ROSE

OH, no, here we go again! After Atkins, Slimfast, South Beach and The Zone comes another "miracle" diet - and this one may just work.

Apparently, the secret of successful weight-loss is to stick to 14 simple, everyday foods.

The latest US dieting craze involves eating ingredients such as spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, oats and yoghurt.

Devised by Californian plastic surgeon Dr Steven Pratt, the regime has no complicated recipes or formulas, yet the Superfoods programme is said to guarantee rapid weight-loss, increased energy levels, improved health and radiant skin.

The other items allowed on the regime are beans, blueberries, broccoli, oranges, soy, salmon, walnuts and pumpkin.

"The right foods can change the course of your biochemistry," says Dr Pratt. "They can help stop the cellular damage that can develop into disease.

"And they have the delightful side-effect of making you feel better, look better and have more energy."

The 14 items are all rich in nutrients, unprocessed and low in calories. Luckily, they are also fairly cheap and available.

According to Dr Pratt, they could prevent, and even reverse, problems such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, dementia and certain types of cancer.

His claims have led to his book, Superfoods: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, becoming a US best-seller.

Dr Pratt, who wrote the guide with Kathy Matthew, is also scathing about the Atkins diet. "If you eat a healthy diet, you'll feel full long before you get fat."

The 58-year-old medic, based at Scripps Memorial Hospital, in La Jolla, certainly practises what he preaches. He sticks rigidly to his healthy eating programme, rises at 5.30am and exercises regularly.

He began probing the link between diet and disease in the mid-80s and now believes his superfoods give the best combination of life-enhancing ingredients, such as vitamin C, folic acid, selenium, vitamin E, lycopene, lutein, alpha carotebe, beta-carotenem beta-cryptoaxanthine, glutathione, resveratrol, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenois.

AND his findings are backed by the British Dietetic Association. "The reasoning sounds good," says spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge. "These are healthy, wholefoods we should all be eating."

But health expert and Mirror columnist Dr Miriam Stoppard isn't convinced. "First of all, you shouldn't exclude all other foods apart from these 14, which, by themselves, have absolutely no chance of helping you to lose weight. They're not fat burners."

But she does agree with Dr Pratt about one thing - the need for regular exercise.

"It's essential. I exercise for half an hour a day - it gives me a fix of oxygen to keep me both young and active, it releases hormones which help with cell repair, and it controls the appetite."

But perhaps some of us will now be getting that much-needed exercise by walking the supermarket aisles and collecting the magic 14 ingredients...

BLUEBERRIES lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, and help maintain healthy skin and reduce the sags and bags.

CALORIES: 56 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1 to 2 handfuls a day

WALNUTS

THESE help to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

CALORIES: 618 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1oz portion five times a week

TEA

BLACK tea boosts the immune system, helps prevent cancer and osteoporosis, lowers the risk of stroke, promotes heart health.

CALORIES: 2 per cup

TRY TO DRINK: 1+ cups a day

KIDNEY beans lower cholesterol, combat heart disease and cancer, stabilise blood sugar and relieve hypertension.

CALORIES: 76 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 4 handfuls a week

YOGHURT

PROMOTES strong bones and a healthy heart, is another health promoting protein source, and a great source of calcium. CALORIES: 140 per 8oz

TRY TO EAT: 2 cups a day

OATS lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and Type II diabetes, high in fibre and protein.

CALORIES: 37 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 5-7 servings a day

PUMPKIN helps lower the risk of various cancers (lung, colon, bladder, breast) and supplies nutrients necessary for healthy, youthful skin.

CALORIES: 34 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1/2 handful a day

TOMATOES lower the risk of cancer, raise the skin's sun protection factor, and help to prevent cataracts and age-related eyesight disorders.

CALORIES: 27 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1 serving a day

ORANGES promote heart health, and prevent cancer, stroke, diabetes and other chronic ailments.

CALORIES: 37 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1 serving a day

SOY (milk) helps prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and helps relieve menopausal and menstrual symptoms.

CALORIES: 338 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: At least 15g a day

TURKEY is a perfect example of a 'healthy' protein source, is extremely low in fat, and provides multiple nutrients which help build a strong immune system.

CALORIES: 196 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 3 x 4oz servings a week

BROCCOLI boosts the immune system, lowers the incidence of cataracts, supports heart health, builds bones and fights birth defects.

CALORIES: 18 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1/2-1 handful a day

WILD salmon lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. Farmed Atlantic salmon contains antibiotics, so buy organic.

CALORIES: 184 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 2-4 times a week

SPINACH, as Popeye would testify, spinach cures many ills. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, age-related eyesight disorders and cataracts.

CALORIES: 23 per 100g

TRY TO EAT: 1 handful steamed or 2 handfuls raw every day.