Weight loss hints and tips

In planning a meal plan, the most important step is to make efforts to lower your intake of fat, salt and refined carbohydrates.

Some low carbohydrate diet guidlines:
* Know what is in your food Be sceptical of sales blurb that claims 'low carb' - check the actual nutritional information on the reverse of the can or package. Many are only a little lower and in some cases still greater than a competitors standard brand. Also, beware of 'low sugar' and 'low fat' labels - 'low sugar' does not always mean 'low carb' - usually the carbs are just the same.

* Make reduced carb breadcrumbs for breaded foods. Although you may be able to buy reduced carb bread crumbs, you may also make them by simply using reduced carbohydrate bread. All you have to do is toast the reduced carbohydrate bread in a gas or electric oven on a cookie sheet. Once it is quite hard and crispy, process it in your food mill. Store in an airtight container.

Superfoods containing lycopene
(includes guava, papaya & tomato sauce)

The nutrient lypcopene is a natural coloring agent and part of the same group of phytochemicals as carotene. This chemical is responsible for the dark red color of some fruit and vegetables.

Fortunately, unlike many other nutritional compounds, lycopene is not damaged if it is cooked, instead it is in actuality improved by going through the cooking process.

. Its most important theraputic value is that it acts as an antioxidant and seems to be an asset in the battle to reduce the probabilty of cancer.

Lycopene is the most efficacious quencher of singlet oxygen, which is associated with skin aging. It's also thought to block the progression of atherosclerosis.