A few tips on healthy eating

If you enjoy eating, but want to get in shape and improve your overall vitality, then, as most people know, you need to start a thoughtfully prepared well-balanced meal plan. In a perfect world, this needs to contain 5 standard portions of grains, fruit and vegetables daily and embrace the right proportion of food types.

Some reduced carbohydrate diet guidlines:
* Dietary fiber is essential Lowering the carbohydrates in your diet often leads to reduction in fiber as well. Look for reduced carbohydrate recipes that are rich in fiber to redress this.

* Eat regular meals Most reduced carb recipes are, you won't be surpised to learn, low in carbohydrates. Your body requires energy, and carbs are a very efficient energy source. A reduced carb diet needs more care in managing your energy intake, as any energy contributed by fat or protein is much slower acting.

Lycopene super foods
(includes watermelon, red bell peppers & sweet gourd)

The nutrient lypcopene is a non-synthetic compound and part of the same family of phytochemicals as carotene. It is the reason for the vivid red color of a good number of foods.

Intrestingly, unlike many other nutrients, lycopene is not damaged if it is cooked, but is observably increased in efficacy by being cooked.

. Its key theraputic value is that it acts as an antioxidant and seems to be of use in the battle to lower the probabilty of developing cancer.

This useful phytochemical is the most effective quencher of singlet oxygen, which is connected with skin aging. It is also believed to slow down the growth of diseases affecting arterial blood vessels.