If you’re looking to add a bit of punch to your diet  or just want to add a little extra vitamins and minerals then why not have a look at adding some of these health drinks below:

Beetroot juice

Not a taste for everyone but it is exceptionally good for you, recent studies have suggested beetroot can help lower the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure, beetroot juice is also very good for a hangover and if you can’t stomach it on its own try mixing it with other fruit juices.

Berry drinks

Smoothies are an ideal way to get topped up with berries such as strawberry’s, which contain vitamin C and both blueberries and raspberries both of which contain lutein for healthy vision. It’s thought that darker berries are good for your skin because they contain antioxidants and anthocyanidins which strengthen the bond between the collagen fibres which strengthen our skin.

Coconut water

This is the drink many slim celebrities swear by but it has had a bit of bad press about its qualities recently however there are some facts which can’t be disputed. Coconut water contains more potassium, less sodium, and less sugar than most energy drinks plus and contains fibre which is good for energy boosts.

Pomegranate juice

There are quite a few health benefits in pomegranates; these include reducing stress levels; people who drank pomegranate juice regularly had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone in their saliva and they are also good for your heart.

Aloe Vera juice

It may not be the best tasting but it is one of the most effective juice drinks out there, aloe vera is rich in a range of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other trace elements. It is also good at reducing inflammation as well as good for your skin, dental health and immune system.

Thermogenic foods are foods use more calories to digest than they contain and this process aids weight loss and can help you to shift those pounds quicker than if you didn’t include Thermogenic foods into your diet and it’s also a great way to maintain a healthy weight.

Digesting food requires burning calories, some food need more calories to be digested than others, and some foods need more calories to burn than they actually contain. The increase in metabolic rate is referred to as the diet-induced thermogenesis where energy is used to break down food.

The following foods will help speed up your metabolism and are known as Thermogenic foods:

Oily fish – Omega 3 fatty acids, found in tuna, salmon, mackerel, and other fatty fish
Protein – Lean meats and fish help you feel full for longer
Celery – Great for snaking on
Chilli – Capsaicin in chilli stimulates your body’s ability to burn fat
Garlic – Helps break down fat deposits in the body
Grapefruit – Contains naringin which also accelerates the fat burning process
Orange – Rich in vitamin C
Green tea – Inhibits the action of amylase, a primary digestive enzyme of carbohydrates
Ice water – Drinking ice cold water burns more calories
Caffeine – Drink and eat caffeine rich products like coffee, dark chocolate and cola

Bananas mainly consist of sugars and fibre, which makes them brilliant for an instant, in addition to a slightly pro-longed, energy source. Bananas are frequently over looked as a fruit when it comes down to providing nutritional value and should be incorporated into the diet more, whether it be sliced up and combined with cereal, blended in a smoothie, or even consumed whole as a quick snack! It is recommended that the banana ought to be eaten as part of a nutritious diet at least 4 times a week…

Some of the health advantages of bananas include:

-Decreasing Depression: Bananas contain a specific amino acid that the body converts into serotonin, resulting in an improved mood.
-Bananas are also high in iron, helping the body’s haemoglobin functions work.
-Due to their content of fibre, bananas help to maintain a constant, usual bowel function.
-Bananas contain substances which help our body absorbs more calcium, meaning stronger bones (green bananas are better for this!)
-It has been proven that Bananas act in a significantly protective way towards the kidney.
-Bananas are high in Potassium and extremely low in Sodium… providing the perfect balance for maintaining a constant blood pressure.
-Help minimise heartburn
-Bananas can help those trying to quit smoking as they are high in B6 and B12 vitamins which help the body recover from nicotine withdrawal!
-Good for stress relief!
-Can help reduce the risks of strokes.
-It is well known that 3 portions of fruit a day can help better your eyesight!

When it comes to losing weight there are many options, from simple diets to increased exercise as well as taking weight loss drug Xenical or major surgery like having a gastric band fitted. The latter two options do have side effects unfortunately in the news recently there has been a story about horrific complications from having a gastric band fitted.

Samantha Haworth, 25, had a gastric band fitted to lose weight but was left fighting for her life when the procedure caused her stomach to ‘explode’.  Weighing 28 stone at age 25 the young woman was putting her life at risk, so she took the decision to have the band fitted and for two years it seemed to be a success after she lost fourteen stone.  However after a rare complication where her band slipped and turned septic, Samantha was left in pain which at first she mistook for heartburn. She was rushed to hospital when her stomach ruptured and was minutes from death, surgeons faced a race against time to save the young lady and salvage what they could of her stomach. Samantha spent nearly a month in hospital and is still recovering at home now.

This incident does highlight some of the dangers involved in having major surgery to lose weight, however it must be mentioned that cases like this are rare.

Taking weight loss drugs can also have adverse effects on your health medications like Xenical have mild side effects as well as more serious ones:

Mild

-Headache.
-Oily spotting from the rectum.
-Abdominal pain or discomfort.
-Flatulence (wind), sometimes with discharge.
-Oily or fatty stools.
-Urgent or increased need to open the bowels.
-Diarrhoea.
-Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) in people with type 2 diabetes.
-Pain or discomfort in the rectum.
-Abdominal bloating in people with type 2 diabetes.
-Faecal incontinence.
-Tooth or gum disorders.
-Chest infections.
-Urinary tract infections.
-Fatigue.
-Irregular menstrual cycle.
-Anxiety.

Serious

-Rectal bleeding.
-Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
-Diverticulitis.
-Gallstones.
-Raised liver enzymes.
-Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
-Kidney stones in people with chronic kidney disease.
-Skin blistering.

Over the past year or so, the popularity of coconut water has increased, for decades it was known for its health benefits however until recently, (thanks to a spate of celebs seen drinking/promoting it) it has become hugely popular. Which is not surprising really as it has numerous health benefits, such as being rich in minerals; sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, potassium, proteins C and B and glucose. Coconut water also contains no fat and even though it tastes sweet it doesn’t have any sugar in it either.

Although it can be expensive to buy here in the UK (probably because we can’t produce coconuts) it is worth while adding it to your diet. Drinking it on a regular basis provides you with numerous health benefits:

-boost your immune system
-fight viruses
-boost poor circulation
-aids digestion by removing toxins
-boost thyroid health
-keep body at proper temperature
-carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
-help break up kidney stones
-great for liver problems such as hepatitis
-reduce urinary problems
-helps eliminate swelling in hands and feet
-good for burns
-good for hangovers

It’s no surprise reading the health benefits of coconuts that for centuries those who live in tropical clime have been drinking the coconut water to boost their immune systems and gain vitality.

Dieting can be quite hard for many people, it takes a lot of dedication and willpower, however there are certain foods that can give you a helping hand when it comes to loosing lbs! Basically to lose weight you need to restrict calories you eat and increase calories you lose through exercise.

Eating oats – Having oats for breakfast is a great way to start your day, they are rich in fibre which helps increase your metabolism and they also break down slowly releasing energy slowly, so you don’t crash after eating.

Adding more eggs – Contrary to popular belief, eggs are actual very good for you and have a range of health benefits, they are easily digested, a great source of protein, making you feel fuller for longer which means you reduce your calorie intake. Great for breakfasts and if you want to cut out as much fat as you can opt for using just the egg white, if you can.

Detox with lemons – Lemon is great at eliminating toxins in your body, which cause you to store more fat and hold more water, leading to water retention. Adding lemon to hot water, dressings, food and other dinks will help reverse the problems above.

Spice up with chillies – Hot, hot, hot chillies might not feel that great on your tongue but they are good for you, they help increase your metabolism as well as being calorie free, bonus! Try adding a chilli to your diet every day, from salads to stir fries, even to your egg white omelette on a morning.

Eat your greens – A lot of people keep away from green, put off from childhood, no doubt, however adding plenty of greens to your diet is a great way of filling up without adding lots of lbs. Greens such as spinach, kale, watercress and rocket are packed full of nutrients and enzymes which are very, very good for you, so try to eat as much as you can on a daily basis.

In the US consumer watchdog Public Citizen issued a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration calling for a ban on the class of drugs called orlistat, which are known as Xenical and Alli. Both are they only FDA approved weight loss drugs in the US; however it’s believed that they can cause liver damage, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

Speaking about the weight loss drugs, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group said: “These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meagre benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients.”

Recent studies suggest that taking Xenical or Alli would only help people lose 4 to 6 pounds more than they would with only diet and exercise. According to Wolf “The benefit was never that great, but many people thought they’d take their chances.”

Worldwide it’s estimated that around 40 million people have taken either Xenical or Alli in the last decade, however GlaxoSmithKline who make the drug are finding a decrease in sales. According to a report released by Public Citizen Alli sales dropped from $145 million in 2007 to $84 million by mid-2010.

The weight loss drug Xenical was sold on prescription in 1997 and was touted as a breakthrough weight loss drug and in 2007 Alli became an over the counter approved weight loss drug. In the past the FDA have banned two previous market leading weight loss drugs, Fen-phen and ephedra, because of potentially fatal side effects. So it may only be a matter of time before they do the same again.

As we have mentioned before a lot of people find it hard keeping on track with their diet and ultimately struggle to lose the pounds they want to or keep the weight off.

Simple slips in your diet that you may not always notice can be one of the main problems when it comes to losing the weight, if you’re following a strict calorie controlled diet with your meals you need to make sure you don’t fall victim to stealth calories. These stealth calories come from the small, unhealthy snacking choices that you can consume throughout the day but conveniently choose to forget when totalling up our daily calorie intake. After a time the calories build up and without recording them correctly you end up, possibly inadvertently messing up your diet.

Another pitfall of many dieters, is skipping a meal, the worst meal you can skip is breakfast, for years we have been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is important for a reason,  if you skip breakfast you are essentially starving your body of the energy it needs to sustain you throughout the day. Where do you expect to get you energy from if you haven’t eaten for over 12 hours? So for those that think skipping breakfast is a quick way to lose weight you are wrong, all that happens is that you fool your body into thinking there is a food shortage, putting it into fat storage mode, so when you next eat more fat will be taken and stored.  This goes for missing any meal and not eating when your body tells you, you need it, i.e. when you’re hungry.

If you’re looking to keep fit but find it hard to keep yourself motivated to regularly go to the gym then fear not as there is something else you can do to keep you fit and trim, the only thing is it works best when there are two of you. Its sex, not only is it a pleasure but it is also a great work out as long as you put in the energy and imagination.

For every 30 minutes of sexual activity you can burn around 150 calories, which is better than a yoga class and around the same as a brisk thirty minute walk. Not only that if you indulge in plenty of kissing you can also work of 60-90 calories, depending on your style, looking into other sexual activities you can also burn nearly 120 calories with oral sex, so if you go the whole hog with a marathon sex session you will be burning off plenty or calories.

There are many health benefits that come from eating fruit, especially berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and goji berries, the later the latest superfood favourite. Now you can add the tiny aronia berry, to the list, a little know berry, until now. A handful of these berries a day is thought to have a positive effect on your gut, protecting you from stomach problems and illnesses of the digestive system, such as colon cancer. These super little berries also have a high antioxidant count and they also reduce the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular illness.

The Barbados cherry or acerola is one of the best sources of vitamin C you can get. This tropical fruit which is mainly grown in South and Central America contains more than 30 times the amount of vitamin C found in orange juice which boosts your immune system.

Finally, Chinese Oolong tea is a great cuppa which is known to speed up metabolism and therefore help you to lose weight. It is also a rich source of multi-vitamins including A, B, D, E and K, as well as nutrients potassium, zinc and calcium.