If being celebrity-slim is top of your wish-list for 2009, get ready for the latest diet craze that’s sweeping Hollywood. Promising to have you in incredible shape without the usual deprivation, the no-diet diet, devised by US nutritionist Esther Blum, ditches drastic detoxes for smart tactics which let you eat foods that are usually off the menu for slimmers.

Setting new dieting standards with her revolutionary philosophy, which advocates filling up on fatty foods to aid weight loss, her new book Eat, Drink And Be Gorgeous is already a hit with Sarah Jessica Parker, Teri Hatcher and Sharon Stone. Sound too good to be true? Star Style investigates...

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Don’t deprive yourself of the odd tipple. Simply avoid sugary cocktails, skip the mixers, order soda between drinks, and finish drinking early enough for your body to metabolise as much alcohol as possible before going to bed.

Enjoy the great outdoors. Don’t exercise for the sake of it, but do something you enjoy. Whether its walking, gardening or belly dancing in the garden to help burn off extra calories.

Eat plenty of detoxifying beetroot and carrots, and munch on wild Alaskan salmon three times a week to keep yourself looking youthful.

And finally… Develop a mantra for yourself and repeat it whenever you feel anxious. It can be as simple as, “I am stronger than I think,” says Esther. “Your mind and body will start to believe all the loving, kind and gentle words you are feeding it.” Mellow, man!

Ditch fat-free foods
Fat-free foods can make us fat! According to Esther, fat-free foods register in the body as carbohydrates, making us pile on extra weight in the long run. She claims we need the cholesterol found in fatty foods in order to make the hormones that regulate our moods. Starving our bodies prevents hormones from working properly – making us susceptible to depression. Take your cue from Teri Hatcher, who shuns fat-free foods for a diet rich in saturated oils.

Boost your mood
Allow yourself a sweet treat every day. Chocolate is packed with mood-boosting chemicals which increase circulation and help to fight the blues. According to Esther, to get the full effects, you should eat 28 grams of dark chocolate every day. You are also allowed small amounts of chocolate cake, biscuits and sorbets, as long as you don’t let it affect your fruit and veg intake. Could this diet get any better?

Choose quality over quantity
It’s not the quantity of fat in your diet that can lead to health problems, but the quality. Heart-friendly saturated fats found in butter and many types of cheese prevent osteoporosis, detoxify the liver, boost the immune system, and absorb omega-3s. Sharon Stone is said to include butter and egg yolks in her diet which, eaten in moderation, help to slow down the absorption of foods in your stomach, making you feel fuller for longer, while SJP munches on an omelette and strawberries for brekkie.

Never miss a meal
Is your muffin top the bane of your life? Skipping meals raises the stress-creating hormone cortisol, which makes you more prone to storing your calories around your mid-section. To curb cravings in between meals and maintain overall wellbeing, supplements including magnesium, evening primrose oil, milk thistle, and borage oil are recommended.