7 tips for weight loss and fat burning

Combine these seven tips with 30 minutes of aerobic activity five or six days a week, within just a week you should start feeling healthier and your clothes will be looser. By week two, you will be dropping pounds.

1. Drink lemon juice with warm water every morning. Starting the day with the juice of a lemon in a glass of warm water will stimulate your digestive system. Water is also crucial to weight loss. Water aids healthy digestion and the elimination of waste, so make sure you drink six to eight glasses a day. Alcohol should be limited to one small glass of wine a day, and keep coffee and tea to a minimum. Avoid fizzy drinks and sweetened fruit juices.

2. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. All vegetables and most fruits are low-calorie nutritional powerhouses, rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and nutrients that can boost immunity, balance hormones, calm the nervous system, aid digestion and help weight loss.

3. Balance your blood sugar levels. Irritability, poor concentration, fatigue and headaches are all symptoms of fluctuating blood sugar levels, which can make you crave sweet and fattening foods. When blood sugar levels swing too high, so does insulin. This hormone helps shuttle blood sugar (glucose) into your cells to be used as energy. In other words, it promotes fat storage.

Sprinkling lemon juice over your meal can be enough to lower the blood sugar impact by as much as 30 per cent - use it in all your cooking. Using peel in cooking helps ensure the sugar is released steadily into your bloodstream. Add peel to soups and salads, and sprinkle on fish and chicken. Lemons are also a fantastic source of fiber.

4. Cut down on sugar-rich foods. This give you a brief high followed by a big slump, and leave you feeling edgy and tired. Refined foods - such as white bread, white rice, instant potatoes and cornflakes - can act like sugar in your system, and end up being stored as fat. Instead, stick to whole grain, fruit, vegetables and protein.

Natural sugars in fruit can hit your bloodstream fast; so don't eat a piece of fruit without a handful of nuts or seeds to slow the impact. Beware of artificial sweeteners as they can increase sugar cravings.

5. Forgot low fat - your body needs some fat to lose weight. Unsaturated fats can help with weight loss by delaying the passage of carbohydrates into your bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels stable and insulin down.

Avoid saturated fats - found in red meat, cakes and pastries - and trans-fatty acids in processed foods. These are low in nutrients and can increase your risk of heart disease and obesity. Increase your consumption of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oily fish, and unsaturated fat found in extra virgin olive oil.

6. Eat lots of fresh whole foods. Switch from processed to whole foods to boost your intake of the nutrients your body needs for weight loss. Whole foods such as beans, pulses and lentils also contain fiber, which stimulates the digestive system and can slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose.

Best of all, whole foods are free of hidden sugar and chemicals that overload your liver, making it hard for your body to digest food and burn fat. Choose brown pasta, wholegrain bread and cereals, vegetables, fruit, fresh soups, smoothies and fresh juices, and eat a salad with every meal.

7. Slow things down. Eat slowly and chew properly. Chewing relaxes the lower stomach muscle and triggers nerve messages that activate the digestive process. If food is not properly chewed, nutrients remain locked in and undigested. Keep portions moderate, and eat at regular times. If you find you are still hungry, wait 20 minutes for your brain to catch up with your stomach and recognize that you are full.

Your stomach and intestines are sensitive to stress. When you feel anxious, digestion will shut down, leaving food partially digested. So finding ways to manage stress is not only important for your emotional health, but your digestive health, too.