Weight Watchers promotional feature: 10 foods your body will thank you for

Simply by joining Weight Watchers and following the Points diet, you have taken a major step forward in improving your health and well-being.

By eating a balanced Points-controlled diet, low in saturated fat and high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, you'll not only reach your Goal but you will be doing your general health and fitness a favour too.

These foods are highly nutritious, taste great and can do you good too.

Flax seeds - also known as linseeds - rich in plant oestrogens called lignans, there is considerable scientific evidence that these crunchy, nutty-tasting little brown seeds that you'll find in the health food shop may protect against colon and breast cancer.

Sweet potatoes - they contain carotene, an anti-oxidant that may protect against cancer and heart disease. Bake them in their jackets like ordinary potatoes or cut them into big chips, brush lightly with oil and roast in a hot oven for 45 minutes.

Fish - oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout contain omega-3. Omega-3 has been proven to help against heart disease. For a classic Mediterranean flavour, rub fish fillets with a mixture of lemon juice, chopped parsley and garlic and grill.

Nuts and seeds - the oils in nuts and seeds especially almonds, walnuts and peanuts may help protect against heart disease and possibly some cancers too. They can be high in Points, but are great when sprinkled on salads or as a crunchy topping for bakes.

Green tea - green tea is believed to protect against heart disease and some cancers. A study showed green tea to contain 100 times the antioxidant strength of Vitamin C and 25 times that of vitamin E.

Garlic - benefit from garlic's anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. For the best (and lowest Point) garlic bread you ever tasted, roast whole heads of garlic in a low oven for 45 minutes until soft, slit open the cloves with a sharp knife and squeeze the delicious garlic puree over sliced French bread.

Berries - the red and blue berries such as raspberries, blueberries and redcurrants contain vitamin C and other anti-oxidants. Pureed, sieved berries (the classic French coulis) make a fabulous, low-Point sauce for desserts such as fruit salad, ice cream and pancakes, and need only a pinch of sugar to bring out their flavour.

Tomatoes - tomatoes are packed with potassium and vitamins and are wonderfully low in Points. Try roasted whole tomatoes sprinkled with thyme for an unusual vegetable dish or scoop out the insides from cherry tomatoes and stuff with a mixture of low-fat cream cheese.

Salad leaves - make your own low-Point pesto sauce for pasta with fresh basil, rocket, garlic and a few finely chopped pine nuts.

Cranberry Juice - not only a highly versatile juice that can be used in everything from cocktails as well as being delicious when drunk alone but a glass a day may help to protect against cystitis.