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 carb diet pointers:
* Know what is in your food Don't believe the food label that boasts to be 'low carb' - check the nutritional information figures on the back of the product. Some are only a little lowered and in some instances still higher than a competitors standard brand. In addition, beware of 'low sugar' and 'low fat' labels - 'low sugar' does not always mean 'low carb' - usually the carbs are just the same.

* Use reduced carb chocolate bars for cookies and muffins. If you have converted your favorite chocolate chip cookie or chocolate muffins recipe using soy flour, you really don't want to put in those high carbohydrate chocolate chips. Break up a reduced carb choccie bar into tiny chunks and use that as an alternative.

Lycopene foods
(includes melon, red peppers and tomato puree)

The chemical lypcopene is a natural coloring compound and one of the phytochemical group known as 'carotenids'. It is the agent responsible for the vivid red hue of a good number of fruits and vegetables.

Intrestingly, unlike many nutrients, lycopene not only survives being cooked, but is essentially strengthened by cooking.

. Its most important benefit is that it works as an antioxidant and is believed to be of use in the fight to lower the risks of cancer.

This useful phytochemical is the most powerful fighter of singlet oxygen, which is associated with skin aging. It is also believed to prevent the progression of atherosclerosis.