Monday, June 14, 2010

Get Thin at Last

Why wish for a pricey tummy tuck or liposuction to get rid of bothersome bulges when there are now healthier, easier ways to trim down? The latest research reveals you can transform into a sleeker, fitter you just by…

1. Outsmarting hunger hormones with the new sweetner. Oligo-fructose—a sugar alternative made from chicory root—is the latest and most delicious slim down trick. In a recent study, overweight men and women who consumed about 4 tsp. Of the sugary tasting sweetener daily for 12 weeks lost 2.2 pounds. That’s more than a 4- pound loss in six months.

Why it works: lowers levels of the appetite boosting hormone and raises level of the hunger suppressant hormone peptide YY.

2. Erase cellulite with a study-proven cream. Frustrated by those dimples on your thighs, buttocks, and hips that just won’t disappear? You’re not alone. Nearly 90% of women have cellulite for a simple reason: Estrogen traps fat in these areas. Try rubbing your thighs with a topical cream made with a fat-blasting trio of plant compounds.

Why it works. Ingredients override estrogen’s effect on cells, telling them to stop storing fat and to break down the fat they already contain.

3. Banishing belly bulges with blueberries. Not only do these succulent summer berries sharpen your memory and preserve your vision, researches now know they also help you shed pounds effortlessly. In a University of Michigan study, animals fed a diet supplemented with blueberries lost more weight around their midsections than animals that ate the exact same diet minus the berries.

4. Maximizing your workout with a Chinese herb Shisandra (also spelled schizandra) a woody vine with red berries that’s native to northern China, has long been used as an energy tonic in Eastern medicine. New studies show it also stimulate the nervous system, giving you quicker and stronger reflexes.

Why it works; The herb improves breathing, lowers blood pressure and improves circulation by dilating blood vessels—which, in turn, boosts your endurance so it’s easy to exercise longer and burn more calories. Options include Nature’s Way Schizandra Fruit or Paradise Herbs Schisandra at PhysiciansFormulas.com

5. Revving fat burn with sweet red peppers. An astounding 34% of adults are likely to develop metabolic syndrome—a condition that raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes and more. Luckily, researchers have pinpointed an easy way to dodge it—eat more sweet red peppers, tomatoes or watermelon. All are loaded with lycopene, and antioxidant-rich plant pigment that makes women half as likely to have belly fat of metabolic disorder

Why it works—Lycopene destroys toxic free radicals that can slow down your metabolism. Try enjoying three to five servings of lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables daily.

6. Curb snack attacks by sleeping. No this doesn’t mean to take a nap every time you are tempted to hit the fridge, though I’ve tried that tactic myself a time or two. What it really means is to get a solid seven to eight hours of shuteye won’t just boost your energy, strengthen your immunity and clear your head. New research from Walter Reed Army Medical Center reveals it will help you shed weight more easily, too. Indeed women in the study who slept at least seven hours every night weighted an average of 20 to 30 pounds less than those who slept fewer hours.

Why it works: Skimping on zzz’s lowers production of leptin, a hormone that makes you feel full. Without enough, you crave extra food to feel satisfied.