A few tips on healthy eating

In planning a diet, the important thing is to also endeavour to restrict your ingestion of refined carbohydrates, salt and fats.

Some lower carb diet pointers:
* Fiber is important: Decreasing the carbs in your diet often results in reduction in fiber also. Look out for reduced carbohydrate recipes that are fiber-rich to restore the balance.

* Use low carb chocolate for cookies and muffins. Once you have converted your favorite chocolate chip cookie or muffins recipe using soya flour, you really shouldn't mix in those high carbohydrate 'real' chocolate. Chop up a low carb chocolate bar into tiny pieces and use that as an alternative.

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.