Diet tips

At the start of a diet, people most certainly look at food store and big brand food items labelled 'low in fat'. To do this is far too often a miscalculation, in that an item could be significantly reduced in fats, but nevertheless elavated in calories and carbs.

Some lower carbohydrate diet pointers:
* Use reduced carbohydrate chocolate bars for chocolate muffins. If you have taken the time to convert your most popular chocolate chip cookie or chocolate muffins recipe using soya flour, you really shouldn't add in those high carbohydrate chocolate chips. Break up a reduced carbohydrate chocolate bar into tiny pieces and use that in its place.

* Make low carb bread crumbs for breaded foods. Whilst you can buy reduced carbohydrate breadcrumbs, you can make them at home by simply using low carb bread. All you have to do is simply toast the reduced carbohydrate bread in the oven on a cookie sheet. Once it is quite hard and crispy, grind it up in your food processor or blender. Keep in an airtight jar or container.

Lycopene superfoods
(includes watermelon, red bell peppers and rosehip)

The chemical lypcopene is a non-synthetic coloring agent and part of the same family of phytochemicals as carotene. This chemical is the reason for the deep red color of many fruit, vegetables and pulses.

Intrestingly, unlike many other healthy agents, lycopene is not damaged during the cooking process, but is actually strengthened by going through the cooking process.

. Lycoprene's key value is that it is an antioxidant and is believed to help to lower the probabilty of cancer.

This useful phytochemical is the most effective quencher of singlet oxygen, which is correlated with aging of the skin. It is also thought by nutritionalists to slow down the development of atherosclerosis.