Losing weight

In deciding on a meal plan, it is important to attempt to moderate your consumption of fats, refined carbohydrate and salt.

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.

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.