Perhaps you’ve heard of this diet that’s popular in vegetarian and vegan circles, but certainly not limited to it. The raw food diet requires you at least 75 percent of your dietary intake to be raw fruits and vegetables, and in some non-vegetarian cases, raw meat and fish as well! Other acceptable products incude dehydrated foods like dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and fresh fruit or vegetable juices. You are not allowed to eat beans, salt, potatoes (considered inedible when raw), or drink alcohol or coffee.

If you read up on dieting trends, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of the Dukan diet. Some celebrities have used this four-stage diet with great success, but unfortunately many of us mere mortals have reported more lackluster results. So what is the diet and its history? Let’s give you a rundown of the basics and what people have reported.

In recent weeks we’ve looked at why you should add coconut oil, dark chocolate, and wholemeal bread to your diet for optimal weight loss. Here’s another power food to put in your arsenal: low fat yogurt.

Eating yogurt daily helps you burn fat, strengthen your bones, and keep your stomach flat, numerous studies have concluded in recent years.
In the April 2005 edition of International Journal of Obesity, obese adults reduced their caloric instake by 500 calories a day and ate three servings of low fat yogurt. Fat was shed at all parts of the body but particularly at the waist, and lean muscle was maintained. This group lost 22% more weight, 61% more body fat, and 81% more fat on the belly than the group who ate one serving of low fat yogurt each day.

New Australian research has suggested that just four weeks of consuming a diet high in fat can modify a person's palate, so that you are less able to taste fat properly- which means you may not be able to recognize when you are full and satisfied.

Response to fat helps the body to recognize fullness and satiety. Basically, the more fat you consume on a regular basis, the more likely you are to overeat at meals and feel urges to eat in between. The good news is, eating a diet low in fat can over time actually make you feel more full on fewer calories.

Muesli can be a great healthy choice for breakfast- but be careful which brand you choose. Make sure you check the nutritional panel before you pick out your muesli, as some varieties may contain as much sugar so Coco Pops, or even more fat than a McDonalds Double Quarter Pounder.

Recent research by consumer organization Choice has revealed that many popular muesli products may actually be doing more harm to your healthy eating plan than good. After testing 159 different brands of muesli, Choice has released a report that warns consumers to take the fat and sugar content of products into consideration. (The full report is available here www.choice.com.au/muesli.)

There’s no magic weight loss food- but there are foods you can add to your diet plan that will help give your metabolism a boost, allowing you to burn more fat, more quickly. Give some of these a try!

Berries

Fibre is an essential diet weapon- it keeps you feeling full and satisfied, helping you to eat less throughout the day without compromising on your energy levels. There are plenty of ways to get more fibre in your diet- but one of the best (and the most delicious!) are berries. One cup of raspberries gives you 8 grams of fibre; a cup of blackberries has 7.4 grams and blueberries have 3.5 grams. Whether you buy them fresh or frozen, add some berries into your diet plan and enjoy the sweet, delicious taste, while you beat hunger pangs.

Beat off colds and flus this winter by keeping your immune system strong. Over the colder months, it’s easy to start feeling run down and lethargic, but if you keep your body supported with all the right vitamins and nutrients, you can keep your energy levels up and fight off illness. Here are some top tips for staying healthy in winter… 

Drink lots of water

Stay hydrated in winter by making an effort to get your two litres each day. A glass of water might be the last thing you feel like on an icy winter day, but it’s actually one of the best things for you! Even though you’re not sweating like in summer, your body needs plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated. And when you have a cold or flu, increase your water intake to around 10 glasses a day to help make up for lost fluids, speeding up your recovery. 

Spoil your appetite with a small, healthy, low-calorie snack before your meal- research has shown that it can help you to lose more weight, without feeling hungry and deprived.