Diet hints and tips

In deciding on a diet, it is essential to attempt to lower your consumption of fat, salt and refined carbohydrates.

Some reduced carb diet pointers:
* You can create really great smoothies using low carb yogurt. I know, it is not really cooking, but if you must have smoothies you can make them with low carbohydrate yogurt and fruit. Obviously, you should make sure you use only fruit that is low in carbohydrates and the whole fruit as the fiber is beneficial.

* Understand the food labels Watch out for advertizing that proclaims 'low carb' - check the actual nutritional information on the back of the package. A good number of are only a little reduced and in some cases still higher than a competitors normal brand. Also, beware of 'low sugar' and 'low fat' labels - 'low sugar' doesn't always mean 'low carb' - usually the carbs are identical.

Flavonoid rich foods
(inlcudes citrus fruits, asparagus, garden pea & basil)

The compounds known as flavonoids discovered in these natural foods are thought by nutritionalists to have properties in preventing cancer.
Medical experts investigating the effects of flavonoids think that they may well have most other health giving capabilities, amongst them, anti-dermatitis and antioxidant properties.
Many also have a low calorie count, so should be included in every diet.