Diet tips

In planning a meal plan, the important thing is to try to cut down your ingestion of fat, salt and refined carbohydrates.

Some lower carb diet tips:
* Know what is in your food Be sceptical of food packaging that boasts 'low carb' - check the real nutritional information on the rear of the tin or package. Many are only a little less and in some cases still greater than a competitors standard brand. Also, beware of 'low sugar' and 'low fat' labels - 'low sugar' doesn't always mean 'low carb' - often the carbs are just the same.

* Fiber is crucial Lowering the carbohydrates in your diet usually results in fiber reduction as well. Look at reduced carb recipes that are fiber-rich to redress this.

Lycopene super foods
(includes apricot, papaya & baby jackfruit)

The phytochemical lycopene is a non-synthetic compound used to color foods and member of the same group of phytochemicals as carotene. This chemical is accountable for the deep red colour of quite a few natural foods.

Fortunately, unlike numerous nutrients, it does not become less effective if cooked but is genuinely improved by the cooking process.

. Its most valuable health contribution is that it works as an antioxidant and appears to help lower the risks of cancer.

Lycopene is the most powerful carotenoid quencher of singlet oxygen, which is correlated with aging of the skin. It's also believed to curtail the development of diseases affecting arterial blood vessels.