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 pointers:
* It is possible to make wonderful smoothies using low carb yogurt. Ok, well, it is not really cooking, but if you must have smoothies you can make perfectly acceptable alternatives by using low carbohydrate yogurt and your favorite fruit. Clearly, you should make sure you only make use of fruit that is low in carbs and the whole fruit as the fiber is beneficial.

* Know what is in your food Be sceptical of the food label that claims 'low carb' - check the nutritional information on the reverse of the product. Many are only a little lower 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 exactly the same.

Lycopene rich foods
(includes apricots, red bell peppers & tomato puree)

The phytochemical lycopene is a simple compound used to color foods and part of the carotenid family. This chemical is accountable for the dark red color of a good number of fruit, vegetables and pulses.

Fortunately, unlike numerous healthy agents, this useful phytochemical does not become less effective if heated during cooking, but is noticeably enhanced by being cooked.

. Its most interesting nutritional contribution is that it behaves as an antioxidant and appears to help lower the risk of cancer.

Lycopene is the most potent fighter of singlet oxygen, which is correlated with skin aging. It is also thought to prevent the progression of atherosclerosis.