By Deirdre Reynolds
Wednesday May 5 2010

Stick-thin singer Cheryl Cole has finally admitted the diet secret behind the famously svelte star that's turned her into a fashion icon.

And step away from the celery sticks, girls -- the X Factor babe sticks to a strict blood type diet to fit into those flesh-flashing outfits.

Since bursting on to the music scene in Girls Aloud, the 26-year-old singer is a shadow of her former curvier self.

But stepping out after supporting the Black Eyed Peas in Dublin last week, she admitted it's not just her gruelling on-stage workouts which has helped her to fight the flab.

After making girls across the globe sick by insisting she doesn't especially watch her weight, now the scrawny singer has done a u-turn by confessing she's on the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet.

In celeb terms, the diet is surprisingly sensible -- including tips on how much meat, vegetables and dairy products you should eat.

"Recently my mother told me about Eat Right 4 Your Type, in which you're told what to eat and what to avoid depending on your blood type," she told Hello! magazine.

"It has made such a difference -- not so much to my shape, but to how I feel and my energy levels. Before I was like 'energy schmenergy' and didn't believe it. But now I believe it 100pc."

The tiny singleton added: "I watch what I eat, not to stay slim but to feel good."

The news is likely to turn the blood-type diet into an overnight sensation.

Stars including Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, Martine McCutcheon and Sir Cliff Richard have admitted to following the plan. In Eat Right For Your Type, founder Dr D'Admao matches the blood type to dietary recommendations -- depending on her blood type, Cheryl could have to cut out entire food groups.

For instance, those with the most common O type blood should stick to eating meat, cut out wheat and take aerobic exercise. People with type A are best to go veggie, eating a high carb/ low fat diet and engage in exercise like yoga. Lucky B types can enjoy the most varied diet -- including meat and dairy -- and burn it off while walking.

According to Dr D'Admao those who ignore the diet and eat incorrectly risk everything from ulcers to inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and cancer.

But Cheryl's not the first celeb to take drastic steps to slim down.

From the good, the bad to the hungry -- we look at the most famous food fascists.and Dr Cliodhna Foley Nolan, Safefood Director of Human Health and Nutrition, rates and slates their diets du jour.

Lily allen Hypno-dieting

Brit brat Lily Allen plummeted from a size 12 to size 8 without breaking a sweat. The Cockney crooner (25) hired celeb hypnotist Susan Hepburn to reprogramme her attitude to food and going to the gym. And the power of positive thinking transformed Chanel spokes-model Lily from frump to fab.

Other stars to think themselves thin with €500-an-hour mind guru Hepburn include Geri Halliwell, Sarah Ferguson and Sophie Dahl.

Our expert says: "If you expect someone else to get you into the frame of mind of dieting, you could be setting yourself up for failure. It's like smoking -- you have to want to make that change yourself rather than relying on some divine intervention. Major lifestyle changes take determination."

Beyonce The Maple Syrup Diet

Bootylicious Beyonce shaved inches off her fierce physique by drinking a mixture of water, cayenne, pepper and maple syrup for a fortnight ahead of her role in musical Dreamgirls.

Also known as the Master Cleanse, the 'eat nothing' technique, is more famine than diet -- and also involves drinking a laxative tea every night.

Still, it had the desired effect as she shed a staggering 22lbs in two weeks. But she warned it's not for the faint-hearted: "It was tough. Everyone was eating and I was dying. I was just shrinking and shrinking."

Our expert says: "No matter what label you put on it, cutting out food is a quick fix -- and a fast track to yo-yo dieting. A diet should be safe. Such restrictive diets can actually do more harm than good."

Reese witherspoon Baby Food

It's not the most appetising, but Reese swears by the jars of brownish goo usually served to tots. Designer Heidi Slimane started the craze to keep models looking like clothes hangers.

And Hollywood hottie Reese is just one of the yummy mummies who've resorted to pinching their child's dinner to stay in shape. As the latest celeb to convert to this fad, Lady Gaga is living up to her name.

Our expert says: "The nutritional requirements for a baby and an adult are very different. Baby food is not going to have as much fibre as an adult needs. It won't do any harm in the long run, but you'd be better off eating a real apple, carrot or potato than the goo version."

mariah carey The Purple Food Diet

It's a case of purple reign whenever Mariah is gearing up to hammer her curves into one of her ensembles. She prepares for the red carpet by eating only purple foods three days a week.

Mauve-coloured food like blueberries, grapes, beetroot and plums are believed to boost the immune system and fight the signs of ageing.

Our expert says: "Restricting your diet to certain coloured foods is not healthy and not sustainable in the long run. The key word in any diet is 'balance' -- you also need the red foods and the green ones!"

madonna Flax seed Diet

The Queen of Pop has lived on an organic diet of fruit, veg, wholegrains and sushi for the past decade. But ever the trendsetter, Madge's latest fad is flax seed oil. Studies show it is high in Omega 3, believed to have slimming properties.

But be warned -- like nuts, it's crammed with calories. So you may need to adopt fitness freak Madonna's punishing exercise regime too.

Our expert says: "As a grain, flax seed is going to provide plenty of Vitamin D and fibre. Grain and nuts are satisfying, so you tend not to eat as much. As part of a varied diet, it's a good idea but it's not going to work miracles on it's own."

liz hurley The Kids' Cutlery Diet

Most women blame their kids for wrecking their figure, but it seems Liz Hurley has son Damian to thank for her fab frame.

She shifted from the regular size to kids' sized plates and cutlery after his birth. And she says the mini settings fool her body into thinking it's eating more.

Our expert says: "Using kids' cutlery could be a good idea for portion control -- but only if what you're eating is still healthy. It's probably one of the more sensible approaches." demi moore The Zone

She may be the wrong side of 45, but cougar Demi has a body the envy of her teen daughters. Her secret? The Zone Diet, devised by nutritionist Barry Sears. It works on a 40:30:30 approach (40pc of calories from carbs, 30pc from protein and 30pc from fat), regular meals, fixed meal times, 'good' fat and lean protein.

It may not help you to land a toy boy like Demi, but the diet -- also favoured by Jennifer Aniston -- can help stop the body storing fat. Does anybody else think this buzz diet sounds suspiciously like 'healthy eating'?

Our expert says: "Balancing your intake of different food groups is logical in theory, but people might feel that they need to take a calculator out to dinner. The difficulty with a diet like this is translating the percentages into what's on your plate."

- Deirdre Reynolds

Irish Independent

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