The diet 

During the diet, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine are banned and dieters are encourage to exercise and drink eight to ten glasses of water a day. But this is the easy bit for Toyah, who already follows these rules in her daily regime. At 45, she's a health enthusiast with an image far removed from her days as a rebellious punk singer. 'I'm very diet conscious,' she says. 'I don't drink alcohol, tea or coffee. And I don't eat dairy or wheat.' 

Although she says she has to watch her weight, Toyah - at 5ft 1in and weighing 8st 2lb - is tiny but athletic. She keeps in good shape with a daily two-hour aerobic workout. 

Her busy schedule tested the diet's promise to boost energy levels. 'Like any woman of my age I will, of course, be delighted if the diet can reduce the effects of ageing on my skin,' she says. 'And I always look forward to having more energy. That's something you can't get enough of. But I worry I'll struggle to stick to the diet, simply because looking at the menu there's so much food! I usually eat smaller meals that consist mainly of fruit and vegetables around five times a day.' 

The verdict 

After three days the diet certainly seems to have worked, but Toyah has some reservations. 'The breakfast alone is more than I would eat in a main meal. And some days you just don't fancy eating salmon steak first thing in the morning. This feels to me like overeating and, if the diet lasted longer than three days, I'm sure I'd out on weight.' 

And her skin? 'Yes, I can notice a difference. My face does feel smoother. As I've got older I've noticed that my skin's drainage and replenishing systems have become less efficient. All that fish has put the oil back in my skin. 

'It's been a good time to follow the three-day plan because my schedule has been so hectic and full-on. It gave me a lot of energy, so that was good. 

'My beauty therapist has a lot of celebrity clients and she always says that as we age our faces sag and look thinner,' says Toyah. 'Women in showbiz are always trying to find ways to combat that. My face does feel plumped up. And the fine lines have improved. 

Over the three days Toyah spent around £40 on the food she prepared, making it an expensive diet. 'But it does work,' she says. 'It would be brilliant or someone who drinks and smokes. I'm looking forward to going back to my normal eating habits, but after trying this diet I'll definitely eat more salmon - every now and then when I feel I need a quick face fix'.

Now magazine
October 2003