Health in a pill. It's the old miracle cure that so many people wish for. The newest cure-in-a-pill is the tomato pill, which is said to help beat heart disease. More testing and trials are needed to determine the efficacy of this pill, but the main ingredient -- lycopene -- is a naturally-occurring antioxidant with many health benefits.

Lycopene is thought to help reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), and it might also be beneficial for diabetes, osteoporosis, eye health and even male infertility. In addition, lycopene may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Rather than popping a pill, why not include plenty of lycopene-rich foods in your diet? When looking for lycopene, just see red; lycopene is the natural pigment that gives many red fruits and vegetables their color. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, but guava, red bell peppers, watermelon and pink grapefruit are too.

Try these ideas for boosting the lycopene in your diet:

• Add slices of tomato to your morning omelet and enjoy a half of a pink grapefruit.
• Top your salad with slices of guava.
• Make a toasted tomato sandwich on whole wheat for lunch.
• Snack on slices of red bell pepper dipped in hummus.
• Grill skewers of chicken or shrimp with cherry tomatoes, slices of red bell pepper and other veggies.
• Serve watermelon for dessert -- you can also freeze it for a popsicle-like snack.
  
• Stuff a red bell pepper with brown rice, chopped tomato and basil, and then grill.
• Mix diced tomato with diced papaya (also rich in lycopene) and cucumber, then toss with herbs and a little olive oil -- a great salsa to serve on top of fish and poultry.