Kiss Deprivation Goodbye
1. Quit starving yourself. Eating
regularly should be non-negotiable. Fasting leads to plummeting blood
sugar levels, which will make your mood—and your resolve to eat
well—drop quicker than ever.
2. Rev up your fat ratio. Omega-3s, found in salmon,
mackerel, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts, offer a one-two punch to
drop pounds. They keep you feeling satisfied while also working hard to
fight inflammation and fat deposits in your arteries. On the other hand,
omega-6 fats, like sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils, can
cause inflammation. A neat trick: Your body will boost your omega-3
uptake if you lower your omega-6 intake.
3. Go nuts. The kings of crunch halt hunger and
contain fat that keeps you feeling fuller longer. Just don’t overdo
portions: 62 pistachios, 29 almonds, 22 peanuts, 10 pecans or 8 walnuts
will set you back a healthy 200 calories.
Slimming Strategies
4. Fill your salt shaker with spices. Although
salt is calorie-free, it acts like a magnet to water, leaving you
swollen and bloated. Salty foods also increase thirst, which may lead
you to consume sugary beverages. To add zest to your meals, try a range
of flavorful herbs and spices, including curry, turmeric, smoked paprika
and black pepper.
5. Pick the write snacks. Note to self: Start food
journaling. Extra calories add up, but you’ll never notice unless you
keep track. Begin a detailed food diary, noting the time of day and
amount you eat, and you can save thousands of calories.
6. Rethink your drink. Nearly half of Americans down
at least one glass of soda a day—which can make a major dent in their
calorie budget. A typical 12-ounce soda contains around 140 calories.
Instead, sip more water. Skipping one can of soda per day can help you
lose 14.6 pounds in a year.
Win the Battle of the Bulge
7. Get hot.
Capsaicin, the powerful compound in chile peppers, can rev up your
metabolism and increase your body’s fat-burning ability. It also lowers
cholesterol, fights free radicals and boosts your immune system. So
shake a little sriracha sauce or chili oil over your favorite dishes.
8. Speed things up. A puffy belly is not necessarily
a sign of belly fat; high-fiber foods like whole-grain breads and
crackers can cause abdominal swelling, since fiber is an indigestible
carbohydrate. Drinking water is the solution: It accelerates the
movement of food through your GI tract.
9. Slow things down. Eating too fast can cause air
to get trapped in your stomach, making you bloated and uncomfortable.
Take the time to thoroughly enjoy the taste, texture and temperature of
your food. You could even drop a few pounds, since mindful eating may
help you consume less by savoring your food more.
Whittle Your Middle
10. Go with your gut.
The trillions of organisms that live within your digestive tract not
only help battle infection but also beat bloat. Prod them into
flourishing by eating fermented foods, also known as natural probiotics,
such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh and pickled items. Just keep
an eye on product labels for sodium content.
11. Choose sweets wisely. Swapping sugarless chewing
gum for sweet snacks can cut calories, but the sugar alcohols it
contains may come with a side of gas and bloat. Avoid foods with
ingredients that end in “ol,” such as xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol.
Instead, consider indulging in non-sugar-free sweets—just in smaller
portions.
Body Smarts
12. Cozy up to calcium.
The more of this mineral there is in a fat cell, the more fat the cell
will burn—and that means greater weight loss. What’s more, when you get
your calcium from yogurt or kefir, the probiotics they contain may help
beat belly bloat too. If you’re between the ages of 19 and 50, shoot for
at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day.
13. Pay attention to your sensitive side. If you
feel bloated or get a stomachache any time you eat soy or indulge in too
much cheese, for example, connect the dots and give that food a rest.
You may have a food intolerance, which, unlike a food allergy, is not
life-threatening but still can be disruptive. Either way, check with
your health care provider to figure it out.
One Bite at a Time
14. Join the resistance. Meet
the latest foods to be granted a health halo: resistant starches. When
cooked, then cooled, both white and sweet potatoes contain resistant
starch, as do cooled brown rice and lentils as well as under-ripe
bananas (smoothie, anyone?). What makes these carbs good for you is that
they not only boost your metabolism but also regulate blood sugar.
15. Put out some fires. Chronic inflammation has
been slammed for everything from cancer to depression—and now we’re
adding extra pounds to that list. Not only can it affect insulin
resistance (causing fat to be deposited more readily), but it could also
throw off your body’s ability to regulate appetite and metabolism. One
sure way to prevent a flare-up is by eating healthy doses of
anti-inflammatory foods (such as tomatoes, green leafy vegetables and
salmon) and spices (including garlic, ginger and turmeric). Drinking
green tea helps too.
