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'28-year-old Richard Smart
has a successful career|as a hairdresser
and a marriage to a loving partner.
But behind this picture of domestic|bliss lies a dark secret.
Richard is addicted to meat.'
I just love meat, really.
Either on its own|or with a white roll.
For my lunch, have it for dinner,|have it all the time.
That's so nice.
'Since the age of three|he's eaten little else.
Fruit and veg|are strictly off limits.'
The thought of it|just makes me want to gag.
I just want to throw up,|spit it out.
Horrible, really horrible.
'But Richard's meaty diet is starting|to take its toll on his health.'
There is great evidence to show|that diet increases the risk
of colorectal cancer.
'Helping him to beat his addictions
will be the job of our experts.
Nutritionist Charlotte Watts
will encourage Richard|to get beyond gristle...'
There's a lot of strong|flavours here.
(COUGHS)
'..while psychologist|Felix Economakis
gives Richard's food phobias|the chop.'
When you put your mind to something|you will achieve it.
'In just four weeks
can they reverse a lifetime|of dangerous eating habits?'
Are you OK?|No.
I just don't want to be here.
I just need to do|something about it.
'Richard Smart lives in Norfolk,
and has found lifelong love|and marriage with 25-year-old Matt
who works in IT.
They've been together for five years|and live with Richard's parents
while they build their ideal home.
Next door.
But their dream life|could soon be shattered
by Richard's all-consuming|love affair.'
I love pork, I love crackling|with it.
Love burgers.
Steak's always good.|One of my favourites. I love steak.
Lamb is probably my very, very|favourite thing.
Yum. (LAUGHS)
'Richard porks out on|a pound and a half of meat every day,
and doesn't eat much else.'
I just love meat.
I have it all the time,|for my lunch, dinner.
I love the flavour of that,|the way it feels in my mouth.
It's just fantastic.
I could just eat nothing but that|all day long.
As long as it's on its own.
I wouldn't have it if there was|any...stuff with it,
likes herbs or spices or things.
'Richard's meaty diet|is made worse by the fact
that he can hardly bear to even touch|fruit or veg.
I just kind of don't like them|at all.
It just makes me feel really tense|and a bit worried.
Eugh, no.
It just feels really horrible.
Look, I'm wiping my hand now.|(LAUGHS)
I don't, no, I don't like|that at all.
When he gets near foods that he|doesn't like sometimes,
you can see the panic in his face.
It's really,|it's just so irrational.
It's almost like it's going to|attack him somehow.
No.
Oh!
'The only other thing Richard's|prepared to swallow is chocolate,
a staggering 25 bars of the stuff|every week.
It's a diet that's taking its toll.'
I've been getting migraines,|I've never got any energy.
If I haven't a full night's sleep,
I wake up the next morning
and I could probably go back to|sleep an hour later.
I'm sure that's cos of my diet.
'But when he does find the energy|to go out,
socialising with friends|is near impossible
because of Richard's obsessive|food issues.'
Hello.
We get instances where I'll invite|Matt and Richard for a meal,
and Matt will turn up and say|Richard's not very well.
And I know full well that Richard's|not coming out
because he won't be able|to eat anything.
Did you want to come through to|the kitchen? I've got some burgers.
What could possibly be wrong|with those?
Black pepper, mace,
oregano, cumin, garlic,
bay, rosemary, thyme.
Sorry.
So no, really,|is what you're saying.
I'm sorry. I do feel quite bad now.
'Conquering 25 years of freaky eating|is not going to be easy.'
I have great hopes that Richard|will succeed with this,
but...I really can't|imagine it happening.
The habits are so ingrained|into him.
Much as he wants to,
I think he's going to find it very|hard to overcome it.
He's definitely got worse over|the time that I've known him.
He's got moodier, um, bigger.
Just everything about him|has got worse, really.
If this doesn't work, I don't know|what the future is, really.
Probably not a very long one.
It's affecting every bit of my life.
It's affecting how I feel|in terms of my health,
it affects my relationship|with Matt.
There's no part of my life that it|doesn't cause problems with.
I just really, really want|to change.
'It's day one of Richard's|dietary makeover,
and he's been summoned to London|for his first meeting
with nutritionist Charlotte|and psychologist Felix.
He's desperate to begin the long road|away from meat
and towards healthier living.
Hey!|Hi there.
Hello! I'm Charlotte.|I'm Richard.
Hi, Richard, I'm Felix.|Lovely to meet you.
We've got a lot of work to do|with you.
Firstly we're gonna|show you something.
So if you want to come with us?|Yep, okey-doke.
'Before they can begin, Charlotte and|Felix have a surprise for Richard
which they hope will inspire him.'
OK, now the next couple of weeks|are going to be a challenge for you,
so we need you to have something to|motivate you,
something to remember when times|are getting a little bit tough.
So we're gonna leave you|to watch something,
and then we'll come back|and have a chat with you.
Okey-doke.|OK?
Good luck, Richard.|Thank you.
Hi, Richard, it's Dad.
Just thought I'd like to wish you|the best of luck
to get your eating somewhere|back to normal.
I think if you don't do that,
you're going to have problems|almost forever,
because your diet|is just so unbalanced.
Hello, Richard, it's Stephen.
We worry that, given another five|or ten years,
your health is gonna suffer|big-time,
and I mean big-time.
You've got to think about what it's|doing to you and Matt as a couple.
Just imagine all the invites,|the parties, the meals.
And you can't go to them.
You pretend you're ill|or a bit off-colour.
The truth is you just can't sit down|and eat an ordinary meal.
Hi, Richard.|Thank you for doing this.
There's lots of reasons why|we'd all like you to do this.
It's not just your problem,
it's my problem as well.
I'm just worried that|in a few years' time
you're gonna have a heart attack,|and I'm not gonna have you anymore.
If you could sort this out
we'd be able to go|on holidays together.
I just want you to get sorted out,|really.
Gosh, Richard, that was very|emotional for us to watch as well.
I don't know what you|must be experiencing.
Yeah, it's horrible.
Whose comments spoke to you|the most?
Matt.
It's definitely Matt.
Is that something you've heard from|him before?
Um, not put that way.|Right, not that directly.
I know he's worried, but I didn't|know he was that worried. Yeah.
It's just not something we've really|talked about, like,
in that much detail.
It's quite new information for you.
Yeah, yeah.
Does that inspire you?
Yeah, a lot. I don't want to put him|through that. Yeah.
We want to use that, then,
to start moving on|to the next phase, as it were.
Let's go.
'Charlotte and Felix begin their work|with a nutritional wake-up call
to shock Richard into action.
Richard consumes more than 3.5 times|his body weight in meat every year.'
Oh, God.
OK, Richard, look at all this
What do you think all this|represents?
I-I don't know.
We took a look at your food diary...
Right.|..and we were quite shocked.
We worked out that this is|the amount of meat
you're eating in a year.
I...|230 kilos of meat.
(LAUGHS) That's a lot of meat|to be eating in a year, isn't it?
That is quite bad.
I would like to see someone eating|80% less than this.
Right.
'And it's not just meat that|Richard's chomping down every day.'
This is nearly 40 kilos|of animal fat.
About half of that is pure|saturated fat.
So that's the fat that will be a big|heart disease risk.
It looks vile,|it looks absolutely vile.
I can't even see why I'd want to eat|it, to be honest with you.
'And Richard's chocolate snacks|only add to the woe.'
Is that the amount of sugar|I have in a year?
Pretty much.
Actually that's more shocking than|the meat.
I think so, actually.
That's, actually,|I can't even believe that.
That's just insane.|I'm really glad you said that.
Because I find this truly shocking.
That is really bad.
I'm really horrified by that.
Health-wise, this is terrifying|to me.
This sugar combined with that|saturated fat,
that combination is specifically|very, very dangerous heart-wise,
health-wise.
Definitely need to change.
It's important that you're not in|denial about what's actually|going in your body.
We want to give you a reality check.
So we've got a lot of work to do|in the next four weeks.
What is it you want to achieve|after the four weeks?
I just want to be able to|eat more normally,
and better things.
It sounds bizarre - I'd really like|to be able to eat a pizza.
It sounds ridiculous,
cos it's just everything,
like you've got cheese, herbs|and spices, vegetables.
Cos I couldn't even attempt to eat|something like that at the moment.
The really worrying thing|about Richard's diet
is that combination of saturated fat|that we saw, and the sugar.
That combination is very, very|worrying for me indeed.
I know I have to do something|about it,
but I just don't know how I'm gonna|do anything.
Cos I've not even tried|anything yet.
It's gonna be really, really hard.
'Back home in Norfolk,
Richard's still overwhelmed by|the day's events.'
What did happen?
I just spoke to everyone,|I saw the film.
It really upset me, seeing you.
What you said.|Oh, bless you.
Sorry.
The amount of meat I eat, she said|I should be eating 20% of that.
So what are you eating tonight?
Tonight? I think a beef roll.|(BOTH LAUGH)
'Richard is an only child.
His freaky eating started early.'
Richard's been a picky eater|since he was about three.
I can't think of any reason why
Richard changed his mind|at the age of three at all.
He just suddenly|wouldn't have anything.
And he would almost be sick|if I gave it to him.
And there's no obvious reason|I can think of.
I don't think we've ever really|tried to push Richard too hard.
Because I must admit|he is very stubborn.
And I think if we pushed him|too hard,
it's just going to make,|makes him, you know, worse.
He's worried about his health.
He has stomach problems.
He tends to end up going to the loo|probably rather more than, um,
you know, I'd expect.
Whilst he would like very much to|change his eating habits,
it's going to be very, very|difficult to turn him round,|I think.
I think it'll be hard work. I do.
'Today Richard has his first session|with psychologist Felix.
His parents may not know what caused|his freaky eating,
but with a little digging,
Felix hopes he can uncover the root|of Richard's meat addiction.'
This started for you somewhere|around age three. Yeah.
Right, and has anyone told you,
did your mother tell you what was|happening at age three?
I can't think of anything. Um...
What needs to happen
in order that you trust|certain foods?
I really don't know.
I just, um, I know, it's kind of...|I mean, texture,
I always worry about the texture of|things more than anything else.
And certain foods, if you touch them|you'd have to wash your hands.
Yeah.|Which foods are those?
Um, generally things that|I don't like, basically.
So fruit and vegetables.
You know, at the very least
I have to kind of like|sort of wipe my hands.
This is the kind of behaviour you do|if you touch something dangerous
which could give you a disease|or germs, right? Yeah.
It's just being|inappropriately applied
to something that's not|actually dangerous.
Here's a question|just completely randomly.
What's your deepest fear?
Pain.
Pain?|Yeah.
What kind of pain?
Agonising pain.
The sort of pain I've experienced|most of my life, yeah.
I had scans when I was a child
and they said I had IBS,|irritable bowel syndrome.
That's a physical pain.
You can't think of anything else|when you've got it.
Um, you know, it's better now|than it used to be.
And when was the first time|you were aware of that pain?
I don't ever remember not having it.
What interesting for that is,
if you're having this pain|in the stomach area,
your unconscious mind may be|associating that pain
perhaps with food.
So already you may have set up|a sensitivity of,
"Hey, watch what I'm eating here
cos something might be causing me|some kind of pain.
I've got to really monitor|what goes in my mouth."
That was a really useful session|with Richard.
If he was in that much pain|as a child,
it's no wonder he restricted|what he put in his mouth.
And now that he hopefully|understands the origins|of his fears
I can begin to help him move on.
I suppose I never really|thought of it that way,
but it actually makes|a lot of sense.
Um, cos I suppose
if, kind of like trying,|restricting what I ate
could kind of be my way of trying to|control, control the pain.
Unsuccessfully, but I suppose|that was the idea, really.
'The following morning Richard|has a meeting with Charlotte
to begin the process|of weaning him off meat.
They've only got four weeks|to do it.'
This morning I've got a lot of foods|for Richard to try
that he hasn't actually tried|in about 25 years.
The object of the exercise today
is really for me|to test Richard's limits,
so that I know how we need|to act with him
to actually get him having|a healthy diet.
Now we're here today
to follow on from looking at the|food you have been eating.
So we've looked at what we want to|move out of your diet.
Clearly we need to put things|back in.
This is going to involve
eating foods look like this|in front of you.
Right. How do you feel just looking|at all this stuff here?
Have you got a sick bag anywhere?
(LAUGHS) We have provisions.
And look at the floor. It's lovely.|(LAUGHS)
Easy clean.
What you wanted to achieve|at the end of this four weeks
is eating a pizza.
So this is going to involve|eating some cheese.
I've never...
..ever remember ever having cheese
or even wanting to try it.
Can you take a piece?
It just looks really revolting.
Can I spit it out somewhere?|Yeah, course you can.
There you go.
Oh.
So what was the reflex|that made you spit it out?
Probably cos I started thinking|too much about it.
What I want you to do is try to just|move past where you've been before.
This is completely new.
Just try and clear your head.|Right.
OK, let's try those mushrooms.
Oh, they just look vile.
It's like a slug or something.
I really don't want to touch it|with my hands.
'It takes a painfully long 20 minutes|of coaching to get a mere mushroom
anywhere near his mouth.'
OK, let's go for it.
Oh, that tastes revolting.
That's really horrible.
'Another 45 minutes of struggle|yields limited success.
A small piece of broccoli.
A morsel of tomato.
And eventually a raspberry.'
How do you feel after doing that?
(LAUGHS) Can't quite believe|I actually did it.
'Before Richard heads home,
Charlotte has one parting gift.'
You've done really well today.|Thank you.
But you clearly have a phobia|around certain foods.
So I've put together a hamper|for you. Right.
That I want you to take home,|open when you get home.
Right.
This has got tasks that will help|move you forward. OK.
I think it's really important|to remember here
that although he's done|amazingly today,
Richard still has|a really long way to go.
In the grand scheme of things,
taking that long to eat something|like a mushroom
is still quite a long way away|from eating a normal diet every day.
'Charlotte can't wean Richard|off meat
until he's eating other things.
But with a strong fear of most foods,|this won't be easy.
Her first step is to get him used to|simply being around veg
without the pressure of eating it.'
"Each day for the next week|you're to carry with you
a fruit or vegetable|from the hamper.
You must also hold it for at least|five minutes a day."
Eugh.
Oh, there's something wrong|about cauliflower.
Oh, there's something really wrong.
Why would anybody want to|eat anything
that smells like somebody's|just broken wind?
'Richard takes his cauliflower|to work
so they can spend|some quality time together.'
It's been in my trouser pocket|all day.
Piece of cauliflower producing|a really lovely little bulge there
which looks very attractive.
I just think it's hilarious.|(LAUGHS)
Got broccoli today.
I had to carry broccoli|around with me today
and hold it for five minutes.
But I actually completely forgot|that it was in my hand,
and actually it was quite bizarre.
It felt quite nice.
That's a bit wrong, isn't it?|Um... (LAUGHS)
I actually forgot I had it there,
and ended up holding it for about|quarter of an hour
while I had a chat.
ALARM CLOCK RINGS
'It's 7:00am the next day,
and Richard has arranged|to meet Charlotte
for a doctor's appointment in London.
But as usual,|he's having trouble waking up.'
MATT: Come on, my boy.
Richard.
I've given you another ten minutes.|Are you gonna get up?
Mm. Yeah.
I'm really worried about his health|in general,
because it's just not,
I don't think|it's healthy to eat the way he is.
And I think he looks pale. He|doesn't really look well to me.
He's put on loads of weight|recently.
And it worries him, I know.
So it can't be doing him|any good at all.
'The only thing|that gets Richard up every morning
is a high energy drink for breakfast,
followed by his daily dose|of IBS medication.'
I tend to have one of those,
which kind of lasts sort of|for the morning,
and then I kind of like stop.
But if it gets that bad I just|have another one later on.
'Charlotte wants to move Richard on,|but he's still at stage one,
holding vegetables.
She thinks a visit to the doctor's
may be just the medical shock|he needs.
Dr Pixie McKenna is a GP
with a special interest|in eating problems.
Charlotte's brought Richard|to her clinic
to find out just what damage|an addiction to meat
could be doing to his health.'
What's striking from|your blood test results
is that you've got a very high level|of bad cholesterol.
in your bloodstream.
Of course, it's not really|surprising, then,
looking at all the animal fat|that you take in that it's high.
You've also got a diet|that's full of salt.
You've got a family history|of high blood pressure.
You've got a diet|that's full of sugar,
you've got a family history|of diabetes.
And all of these things together
combined with the lack of fibre
are flagging up, for me,
some seriously worrying|medical problems
that you probably aren't suffering|from right now,
but you are definitely|gonna suffer from in the future.
You've already got symptoms with|regard to that, haven't you?
Yeah, I've got|irritable bowel syndrome.
So I get quite a lot of|stomach pain.
When I look at your food diary,
and you know, you're very good|and you take your medication.
But of course you might as well be|throwing that out the window,
because of the meat content|in your diet.
'Irritable bowel syndrome|is a chronic disorder
that affects the digestive system.
A combination of stress, hormones|and chemicals
called neurotransmitters|create muscle spasms
which in turn cause abdominal|cramping and pain.
A red-meat-heavy diet|lacking in fibre is hard to digest,
will irritate the gut|and make IBS symptoms worse.
Dr Pixie wants Richard to see|just what damage
a lack of fibre is doing to|his health.
So she's produced a model|of his bowels.'
Here we've got the combination|of meat and fibre.
And fibre actually makes this meat|pass more easily
through your gut.
So this is all flowing nicely|through your gut.
And that's all designed for you|to go at the right pace
for you to absorb all the nutrients|that you should be having.
The other is your diet.|Right.
Which involves meat...|Let's see.
Meat and meat.|There isn't any fibre in here.
Now the problem with that...|You can see the saturated fat.
Sluggish, isn't it? Yeah.
Sticking.
Now the problem with that
is to pass that through your gut,
you've got to use loads of pressure|in your abdomen.
That's gonna cause problems|long term
with your abdominal wall.
And you get little bulges|called diverticulae.
Food gets stuck in there,
and it becomes inflamed|and you get tummy pain, bleeding,
mucous, bloating.
I can guarantee you,|on your diet at the moment,
you will get that.
Of course these are things|that are not as serious
as the most serious problem|which you are facing.
Because there is great evidence|to show
that lack of fibre in the diet
increases the risk|of colorectal cancer.
There's no mincing of words here.|He really needs to change his diet.
This is scary stuff, and that wasn't|being melodramatic in there.
That much meat really is|a massive disease risk.
'Back home in Norwich,
Richard reflects on|what he's been told.'
I'm really pleased|I'm doing all this.
It's just kind of like, you know,|there's gonna be highs and lows.
And to be honest with you,|tonight I'm feeling a bit low.
But I've got to do,|I want to do this,
and I will do it.
'It's a week into Richard's|dietary makeover,
but he's still not trying new foods.
Felix has a plan to move him on.'
If Richard's going to have any hope|of overcoming his fears,
he really needs to learn to control|the panic
he experiences around new foods.
And I've got an exercise in mind
that will really show him|it's a case of mind over matter.
Today, Richard, we're gonna show you|a very practical way
to start to control your fears|and your phobias around things.
And we're going to use it in a|demonstration with something else.
It's about channelling your mind,|your discipline, your focus
in a way that's gonna help you|get the goals you want. OK.
The change room|is just through there.
Meet you back here in a moment.
I'd like to teach you a technique|to collect your energy in one area,
and then to apply it in a way
to overcome any obstacle|in front of you.
Right, OK.
I want you to do a sort of slow|breathing and a slow inhale,
like so.
Up here I'd like you to imagine|a red-hot sun.
Then you do a very short,|sharp breath as you bring this in,
and you imagine bringing down|the sun to your energy level.
Right.|Yeah?
(INHALES)
Grab the sun, and ready?|BOTH: Chhh!
Bit faster.|Chhh!
Bit faster.
Chhh!
Now imagine the stored energy|you've got here,
you cup it in your hand, this fiery|ball of red-hot energy.
And the trick is to apply that|energy to something useful.
Which we're gonna do.
'He's going to need a very large ball|of energy for this.'
Ugh! Ugh!
Cha!
Do you think you can do that?
Probably not. I'll give it a try.
Well done, Richard,|that's all we want you to do.
But we're gonna make it|a bit easier for you.
I hope so. (LAUGHS)
We'll just do it with one board.|OK.
What we're learning here|is to focus this energy
to overcome your obstacles,
and then you can apply this to food.
The things you thought|you could never do,
the barriers, the obstacles,
if you apply your mind, that energy|will cut through them in|the same way.
(INHALES)
Chhh!
And one...|Chhh!
OK, cup that sound,|that powerful energy,
stand to the side of it,
hold that, feel it vibrate|in your hand,
and shout at the top of your lungs.
Ready - one, two, three!
Ugh!
OK, I think we need|to gather some more energy.
BOTH: Chhh!
Gathering, get that sun.|Chhh!
Huh!|Yay!
Whoa-ho! Richard, Richard,|you've just broken a board.
How do you feel?
Pretty good, actually.
Before you came here you didn't|believe you could break this.
No.
If someone said|you're going to break a board
in about ten minutes,|20 minutes of training,
you would have said, "No way."
It just shows you what you can do|when you apply your mind. Yeah.
Now the question is,|what would it be like
if you applied this same intention,|this same power and energy
to breaking your fears of food?
Yeah.|That's the plan.
Realistically and rationally
it should be a lot harder
to whack your hand through a couple|of bits of wood
than it is to kind of eat something,|you know?
So I just need to go the same way.
Although hopefully not in the middle|of a restaurant doing all the...
..all the thing, cos people might|think I'm a bit mad.
'Back home, Richard can't wait|to tell Matt
all about his big balls of energy.'
What's all that junk?
Just something I've been|doing today.
Really? What is it?
Well, it was a martial arts thing.
And at the end, with my hands,|or one hand,
I did that to a piece of wood.|Really?
Seriously, it didn't even hurt.|That's gonna worry me a little bit.
That could be my head at some point,|if you get in a row with me.
'Charlotte has set Richard|his second homework task,
something to give his bowels|more to work on.'
I'm making a smoothie|at the moment.
It feels a bit bizarre actually.
It's kind of like it's still quite|unusual and bit odd,
but it's not scaring me anymore,|touching them,
which it did before.
Good move in the right direction,|anyway.
It just feels a bit revolting,|actually.
Fear of what's it gonna do,|I suppose.
Right.
It smells really minging, actually,|its horr... It smells...
Actually...
To me it smells almost dirty.
It's not too bad.
There we go. (BURPS)
Ooh! (LAUGHS)
Burping now.
There we go. Pint of smoothie,|that's not too bad.
'With his newfound confidence,
Richard is inspired to carry on|trying new things.'
That's nicer than white bread.
I'm really annoyed now that I've not|been having brown bread for longer.
(LAUGHS)
I'm feeling quite brave,
so I was in the shop today
and I thought these|looked quite nice.
Blackberries.
Here goes.
I can't say I like the flavour yet.
But I've done it, so that's good.
And it's something I've not had|before, so I'm pleased now.
'Richard's tried more new foods|in the last two weeks
than in the previous 25 years.
Matt, however, has mixed emotions|about his progress.'
It does make me feel a bit,|I don't know, useless, in a way,
that over five years
we haven't been able to get him|to eat anything extra.
And then in two weeks he's suddenly|trying all these different things
and actually willing to try them.
So different to...
Before he just would have|flatly refused.
But I think probably for the last|three and a bit years
we've just, or I've just given up
trying to get him to try|new things, really.
OK.
Well, Richard's been coming along|really, really well.
He's been working hard with Felix
and has really come to terms|with his food phobias.
Now we need to move on a bit more
and start finding some replacements
for his huge saturated fat|meat diet.
What's your first impression here?|It's the smell.
Of?|It's the smell of fish.
I'm really not happy at the moment|at all.
Really not happy.|How are you feeling?
It's much worse than the fruit|and vegetables, much worse.
I'm really not sure about this one|at all.
How are you feeling about being|in this proximity to it?
It's not good at all.
I just want to run out|at the moment, to be honest.
Can I just get a bit of fresh air|quickly? I'll be back in a sec.
'It seems Richard isn't as far along|as he originally thought.'
Fine.
I'm going back in.
Felix taught me a technique
for kind of focusing all|the negative stuff away.
And that helped a bit.|I needed to be outside to do it.
'But now Richard|will have to show some real guts,
not all of them his.'
This is salmon, very good source|of omega-3 oils.
This is something we really need you|to move towards in terms of health.
This is really crucial in terms of|all of those heart health,
diabetes issues|that we talked about before.
You OK?|No.
How are you feeling?|Not good.
I just don't want to be here.|At all.
Previously to this
you've been quite removed from|the food that you're eating.
This is not an exercise to just|shock and upset you.
Mm-hm.
But it's about looking at where|your barriers are
and seeing where we have to go|in terms of moving you forward.
Right.
Let's go outside, yeah?|Yeah.
Shall we go?|Yeah.
Well done.
Go that way.
Richard's reaction in there|was really strong,
which in a way is surprising,
because he's been doing so well|with other foods.
And he was actually surprised|at his reaction.
And we really need him to move
outside those really restrictive|barriers that he has.
I'm not very happy at the moment|at all.
It was horrible.
I just felt really good last week|cos I was achieving so many things
and breaking barriers and...
..things like that,
and now I just feel a bit useless|at the moment,
and like I'm a bit stuck.
'Richard's got less than two weeks|until his final challenge.
With his confidence|now at an all-time low,
Charlotte and Felix meet up to|discuss where to go from here.'
I wanted to let you know what|happened with Richard|at the fish market,
because it was quite|an important event.
He was presented with|all this raw fish, new smells,
and really lost it.
Right.
I thought it was positive
because he used his visualisation|techniques that you gave him,
and he used them really well.
So he faced a fear really well,
but he now needs his confidence|bringing up again.
Once he has another experience|of success he'll be back on track.
He's very determined,
and with that kind of willpower|I think you can do anything.
One of the reasons that I|particularly need this one to work
is that I need to find|an alternative to red meat for him,
so he's just not on that heavy,|saturated, dense...
Yeah.|..protein the whole time,
and find an alternative for that.
So it's not just about moving|through this particular fear,
it is about practically finding|something for him to eat.
'As Charlotte's keen to keep|Richard on course,
she gives him his next|homework task -
banning all processed sugar|from his diet.'
I suppose that means the first thing|I'm gonna have to do
is get rid of all my chocolate.
Which I'd rather not do, but, um...
..I need to do it, so, er,|here we go.
All I can think about is wanting to|eat something like chocolate
or ice-cream or a cake.
(LAUGHS)
And it's just all I can think about.
And...
Ahhh!
'Richard's body rebels
as he denies it the sugar|it's become so dependent on.'
Just took so ibuprofen
because my head is really, really|bad at the moment.
I've had a constant bad headache now|for the last almost two days.
'By day three, Richard's hit a wall.'
I don't know.
I know I've got to do it|and I want to do it,
but it's really driving me insane|at the moment.
I just want some sugar, really.
I just want some chocolate|or something like that.
It better be worth it.
I'll be all right.|Will you?
He has been a bit moody.
Because of lack of sugar.
It's been hard work for me.
Yeah, you have to watch|what you say.
I think there's probably worse|to come as time goes on.
'With Richard's morale now hitting|rock bottom,
Matt catches up with Charlotte|for some tea and sympathy.'
It's certainly not been easy.
He was very moody, very tired.
And with Richard, when he gets tired|he gets moody anyway.
So the two sort of smash together.
Heady combination.
When you're giving up sugar
it's quite easy to feel despondent|and demotivated.
Because you're...
You're not having those|instantaneous quick fixes of sugar
that you were used to.
He needs to see that he's|achieving something, I think.
If he... I think any setback|will be a major setback for him.
And he will take it to heart if a|single day doesn't go quite right.
Yeah.
I think in his head it will just be|a waste of a day really.
He needs to see that he's achieved|at least something each day.
Was it the same|when you first met him? Yeah.
Yeah. If anything he's got worse,|I'd say.
It's certainly not been easy,
because everything just has to sort|of revolve around food, really.
But I've just got used to it,|I think. Oh, dear.
Which is, yeah, complacency sets in|and then -
I wouldn't say I was ever|happy with it,
but it's just one of those things,|really, that's just a part of him.
Not really a part I like,|but hopefully we can get it sorted.
'Charlotte thinks Richard's partner|Matt and his best friend Stephen
might be more understanding
of what Richard's been going through|all these years
if they experience his diet|first hand.
It's left to Richard to break the bad|news to them.'
Basically Felix, the psychologist,|and Charlotte, the nutritionist,
want both of you to experience|what my diet's like for three days.
Three days?
So they want you to both basically|eat what I eat,
just literally meat, mainly,|no herbs and spices added.
I can have a steak?|Yeah, you can have steak. Well done.
Not red or pink.
I've got indigestion|just thinking about it.
I really have.
I'm gonna so miss my vegetables.
What am I gonna eat|while I'm at work?
Chocolate?|Chocolate.
That actually sounded a bit better.
'After only a day,
Matt's discovering how unpleasant|Richard's diet is.'
Good. It's gonna be an exciting|lamb burger sandwich.
Chewing it's bad enough,|but when you've got to swallow it...
He was eating it,
and I said, "What would it be like|if you had to eat like that|for longer,"
and he just said he couldn't.
But the thing is,|ultimately he had...
I do now, but I didn't,|have the option,
which he does have the option
to eat different things|and try different things.
And I just had this phobia,|this block, whatever it is,
stopping me.
Maybe they'll realise how horrible|it is for me.
And why I'm so desperate|to change it.'
'Stephen, a local radio DJ,
is realising all too quickly.'
I've been actually force-fed|chocolate biscuits,
and lardy things for the past|sort of three days,
and I don't feel very healthy.
I feel like I need pulling through|with a Christmas tree.
'And no-one's the least bit upset|to wave the diet goodbye.'
Ooh, that's nice.
After three days of eating
what could only be described|as various flavours of lard,
I feel actually very, very sickly,
and I couldn't wait to get|some vitamin C into me.
I can't believe that Richard's|put up with this sort of diet now
for 25 years.
Just all the wonderful food and|flavours that he's been missing.
It's just such a terrible diet.
Can't explain it, really,|what it's like,
until someone's tried it.
Perfect.
'Richard may now be eating|a few new foods,
but he has a long way to go until his|final challenge of eating a pizza
in just one week's time.
Felix has one more trick|up his sleeve
that might just tackle|his remaining food fears.'
We really need to nail this phobic|reaction down today.
So what I've got planned for him
is to make him confront|his very worst fears,
and teach him there's nothing|he can't do
with the right mental attitude.
On a scale of one to ten -|ten is maximum, one is minimum -
let's call it your fear rating,
what would you rate your fear rating|right now?
Somewhere either ten or above.
Ten or above,|so we've maxed that already.
So it can only get lower.|Yeah.
We'd like to apply
some of the principles you learnt|in the wood-breaking session,
the martial arts session,|to your fears here today.
So first thing is just to get back|in that powerful state.
What I'd like you to do
is I'd like you to put all your|fingers together like this,
and transfer all your fear|and frustration
onto the tips of your fingers.
OK. How are you feeling inside|at the moment?
Calm. Quite calm, yeah.
'But it's not so easy to be calm|when something's bugging you.'
This is a millipede.|Oh!
So, scale of one to ten.
Um, right at the top again.|Right at the top again.
So if you want to just go into your|own zone for a moment,
connect back that sense of power.
And how does it feel|to have this on your hand?
Feels really bizarre.
Is this something you ever thought|you could do?
I never, ever, ever thought I'd be|able to do...
Ever.|Right.
I mean, this is quite surreal,|actually.
It's quite surreal.
Normally if anything like that was|near me, I'd actually run,
literally run away.
He's really cute, actually.|He's really cute.
'If he can handle a bug with|a thousand legs
then surely eight legs|should be no problem for Richard.'
Ooh, (BLEEP). Sorry.
What's going through your mind|right now?
Um, that's really not good.
'Except that spiders are a phobia|second only to fruit and veg.'
Just do your technique.
Take your time.
Exactly what you've done|so successfully before.
Right.
It's all right. I got it.
It's going that way.|It's OK.
What do you think of it, Richard?
It's fine.|So here you are holding a tarantula.
I can't believe it.
So you've conquered a range of|fear barriers today
by applying simple techniques,
focusing your intention, your will,|and you see what happens.
Yeah.|Suddenly it becomes easy.
Just like that.
You're gonna see food that initially|you'd think, "Oh, no, 11 out of ten.
No way, this is not my thing."
Apply your techniques|and stay through it
and then see what happens.
You'll even enjoy the experience.|Well done. Thank you.
Fantastic, fantastic work.
I'm very proud of myself|at the moment.
That's kind of a life-changing|thing for me.
I'm terrified of so many things|and I won't do so many things,
and I think I actually|am gonna be able to.
It's just gonna make my life|so much better.
I can't even begin to describe it.
'Now Richard's confidence|is back on track,
it's up to Charlotte|to push him further.'
Richard's last session|at the fish market
wasn't the success|I would have liked.
I really need him to start|eating fish
as an alternative|to all that red meat.
We haven't got much time,|so we need to get cracking on this.
What I've chosen for you today
is I think the best way for you|to start tasting.
If we just try the fish,|very simply cooked.
And maybe with some vegetables that|you've started to enjoy already.
How are feeling at the moment,|being here -
I'm honestly not sure|if I'll be able to do it.
I want to try, obviously,
but I'm not sure how I'm gonna do.
'First up, salmon fish cake.'
Ah!
How are you feeling about the eating|of the fish cake?
Quite nervous.|(LAUGHS)
Um, yeah.
Rightio.
You're in control here.
Do you know what that is?|I think it's a spinach leaf.
Spinach?|Yeah.
I'll try that because I need to get|myself in the right frame of mind.
Good.
That's been round some sort of|herbs or spices.
No, that is actually quite nice,|whatever dressing it is.
Oh, it's really garlicky.|Is that garlic?
Yeah.|Oh, my God!
That's really garlicky.|That's quite nice.
'Ironically, Richard hasn't let|his partner Matt
have garlic in five years,|because he hates the smell so much.'
Really garlicky.
You just did garlic.
Oh, well.|Went for fish, got garlic instead.
(BOTH LAUGH)|That's really good, that, actually.
'It's a great start, but will Felix's|coping techniques
enable Richard|to eat the fish cake?'
That's really nice.
(LAUGHS) You crack me up.
All that was really nice.
'But how will he deal with something|that actually looks like fish?'
So what's this one?|This is halibut.
Actually that's really, really nice.
I really like that.
I've found out that I actually|don't mind fish.
Kind of like the flavour of garlic.
I just spent all these years|avoiding anything like this.
And actually it's quite nice.
It's probably the most nutritious|meal you've ever had.
(LAUGHS)
We need you to keep|this progress going.
So what I'd like you to do this week
is really start taking out some of|the red meat from your diet
and replacing it with healthy|sources of protein,
then we'll be making real progress
towards changing you|and increasing your health.
OK.|OK?
I started off with a salmon|fish cake,
and the salad it was served with had|quite a bit of garlic in it,|apparently,
which I quite enjoyed.
So...
That's good. He likes the garlic.|Yes. A lot.
Then I had some halibut,|which I had with mint peas,
and that was really quite...
In fact I ate quite a bit of that.|I really enjoyed it.
So you like garlic?|He's not worried about the fish.
Would you like to try|some garlic bread?
Maybe at some point.
Yes!
Tell him about the fish|and he's amazed about the garlic.
And the pizza|is what's gonna come next.
That's all he's fussed about.
'Following Richard's recent|fish success,
Charlotte sent him off with|a meat-free lunch alternative -
a tuna sandwich.'
I couldn't say I liked it.
This is ridiculous.|It's a bit of fish in bread.
I really wanted to enjoy this.
'A frustrated Richard gives up.'
It's my final challenge tomorrow,|eating pizza.
Um, I'm quite worried, to be honest,
because I just had|a tuna sandwich today,
and it was awful.
It smelt like cat food.|It was just hideous.
And it took me about half an hour|to eat half of it.
And, um, that's not good.
If I don't do it I don't know|what I'm gonna do, to be honest.
'Today's the big final challenge|for Richard,
his dream of eating a pizza,|and he's got mixed emotions.'
I am really looking forward to it.
I'm quite excited,|but on the other hand,
there's this kind of little thing|at the back of my mind,
and I'm kind of thinking,|what if I don't like it?
I suppose in a way
this pizza sort of marks the start|of a new life in a way,
that this is where|we can sort of go off
and eat where we both want to eat
and go on the holidays|that we both want to do
and go round people's houses,|and it doesn't just have to|be his decision.
So yeah, it's quite a big...
Sort of quite symbolic, really,|that pizza.
Richard's friends know him too well|to be confident of his success.'
I'm not quite so sure that he'll be|able to do it,
because the pressure's on.
Here we are in a busy restaurant,
got the atmosphere going, he's got|all his friends around him.
I've had a look at the menu and|there's loads of stuff on there
that I don't think he's going to|actually like.
If he starts freaking out|looking at this menu
then we're in trouble,|or he's in trouble.
Hello!
Hi there. How are you? Hello.
How are you feeling about today?|Are you feeling confident?
I don't know.|I've got my fingers crossed.
We'll see what happens.|I want to like it.
So hopefully I will.
Ready to order?|Um, yes.
I want two.|Half and half?
Is that all right? Padana.|The Padana.
And the Il...Il Padrino.|And the Il Padrino.
'Richard bravely orders two pizzas|to try -
chicken and veg and goat's cheese|with spinach and red onion.'
I think to everyone else it'd more|about, "Oh, he's eating a pizza,"
but I think to me it's more about,|you know, that I've moved on,
got somewhere else,
and that I've achieved something|I never thought I'd be able to.
There's the half Il Padrino|and the Padana.
What do we do now? All sit here|and look at you while you're eating?
No, just eat your food. Just eat.
How do you eat...|Do you eat it with a knife and fork?
You can eat it with knife|and fork, or your hands. (LAUGHS)
MEN CHATTER
Do you like it?
That's really nice, actually.|That is really nice.
I'm liking the chicken.
How are you finding the cheese?|Are you enjoying the cheese?
Yeah, the cheese is nice, actually.|Works really well.
Try a bit of mine if you want.
I'll try a little bit.
'But an anchovy pizza|is unchartered territory.'
That could be anything, that face.
He'll do that|before he loves something
or doesn't like it at all.|It's really nice, this one.
Compared to what it was like|four weeks ago it's good to see.
It's amazing to watch.
There we go.|That was quite nice, actually.
I quite enjoyed that. Ladies and|gentlemen, Richard eating a pizza.
I'm incredibly proud of him because|he's managed to change the whole way
in which he approaches food.
And he's been cured of spiders.
How this happened|as a side effect, I do not know.
He's clearly enjoying it,|cos he hasn't stopped eating yet.
This is it. The start of a new life,|I think, really.
MEN LAUGH
I just ate a pizza,|and it was really nice.
And bizarrely, my most favourite one|was the one that didn't have meat.
To see how far he's come|in four weeks
is just amazing, really.
To think when I started my goal was|to eat one vegetable. (LAUGHS)
And now I'm like, "Yeah, whatever,|that's old news."
The trouble is now|I'm gonna be really poor,
cos I'm gonna have to go to every|restaurant in Norwich
to try all the different food.|(LAUGHS)
'One month on and Richard's dietary|revolution is still in place.'
Oh, my God, that is gorgeous.
I love it.|It's just really, really nice.
Going through this process|with Charlotte and Felix
has just completely, it's just|completely changed my life.
I'm not afraid of things anymore,
and it's just opened up|the world to me.
I can do anything.
It's definitely changed|our relationship,
that he's tried all these|different things,
he's clearly healthier,
so hopefully he'll be|sticking round for a bit longer.
'And his new healthy diet
has had an unexpected side effect|as well.'
Bye-bye. (LAUGHS)|I won't be missing those.
I've been taking IBS medicine|for years.
There's no point anymore,|cos I don't need them.
I've had problems,|no stomach cramps, nothing.
I feel completely different.
I just don't feel like|the same person anymore.
I've, you know, I've lost weight
and my head's clearer
and I'm not scared of things.
It's like someone's kidnapped me|and replaced me with an impostor.
(LAUGHS)
But it's a better impostor,|I think, so I'll stick with it.
Forget the old one.|Leave him alone.
(LAUGHS)
Closed Captions by CSI