I’m always struck by the irony of zeroing in on diet advice in a magazine while simultaneously sipping something hot and thinking whether a second doughnut would really be all that bad. Yes, guilty as charged! So when I found a snippet in US magazine First for Women, that said mushrooms can help you lose weight, I was thrilled! “Mushrooms contain two grams of hunger-satiating protein and a bevy of metabolism-boosting phytonutrients – all for just 19 calories (80kJ) per cup. This allows you to feel full on fewer calories while also revving calorie burn,” claims the mag. And apparently, a study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, has found that “dieters who ate one cup of mushrooms in place of meat daily consumed 123 fewer calories (515kJ) per day and lost an average of 7 pounds (3,18kg) and 2,6 inches (6,6cm) from their waist in six months without any other diet changes.” I’m staring right after I lick the icing off my fingers!