The book within

When I was training to be a journalist a few years ago, one of the reporters who taught us, Reg Scott, who went on to become Lord Mayor of Plymouth, memorably said: "Every journalist should write a bloody book."

The thought's always stayed with me, and even though I turned my back on journalism in 1988 for the odious world of PR and advertising, I've no doubt that oneday I'll churn something out.

It won't be Dostoyevsky though or even a Mills & Boon. I'm afraid that my populist tastes mean that my two book ideas at the moment are:
1) The Potato Diet
2) What happened after Extreme Makeover? (This is probably more like a magazine article than a book).

On (1), back in 2004 I lost around 2.5 stones (that's 35 pounds for my US chums), largely thanks to the potato. At that time Atkins had become all the rage, and I did try it for six weeks but never felt comfortable about the lack of fruit and veg and the disgusting amounts of cream and fat. I started having, every day at the work cafeteria, a jacket potato with smoked mackeral and salad. I had a decent breakfast, and didn't need much for dinner. And gradually the weight fell off, plus I felt good. Potatoes are good for you. They still get a bad press. The GI diet for example only allows new potatoes served with protein to minimise their high GI (or is it a low GI?).

But the whole crux of dieting is that you should find one that works for you, and for me, potatoes are filling and comforting so I'm not bothered about all this pseudo nutritional guff about sugar surges and energy drops. All I know is that when I eat a high protein diet, I'm too fatigued to go to the gym.

The other book idea stems from my fascination with the US (and now UK) programme "Extreme Makeover." I would love to find out what happened a year or so after the makeover. I don't see how you can turn Randy from the Blue Ridge Mountains into a handsome stud who goes home to the wife whose looks approximated his when they married, and not expect trouble. Their confidence must soar; they must suddenly want to become sociable after hiding themselves away. Yet we never hear what happened. What do you think folks? Food for thought, or back to the drawing board?!