BRITISH GROWN berries, blackcurrants, peaches, apricots and cherries are all juicy and full of flavour at the moment. Increasing your intake of summer fruits can help you get swimsuit ready, too, as they’re low in calories and fat but contain plenty of fibre. As well as helping to fill us up, fibre keeps our digestive system working properly to prevent constipation – a major cause of belly bloat! These fruits are also packed with pectin, a soluble fibre that helps to lower cholesterol.
Their natural sweetness makes them perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth without the extra calories, fat and saturates that come with sugary foods such as chocolate, biscuits and cake. The natural sugars in fruit aren’t the ‘free’ or ‘added’ type that count towards your daily maximum of 30g. And they’re packaged with many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which mop up excess, cell-damaging free radicals to slow ageing and reduce the risk of conditions such as cancer and heart disease.