Losing weight

Drink more water. At times during a hectic day, you guess you are peckish but in truth you might only want a restorative glass of water or cranberry juice. The sensations of needing food and needing a drink are close, but one can result in a fat tummy and the alternative is ok.

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.

Carotenoid foods
(includes parsley, rose hip puree and sweet potatoes)
These orange and green foods are rich in alpha-carotene and beta-carotene thought by doctors to play a role in helping stop cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach and lesophagus. Most are low in calories, so should be included in every weight loss regime.