Thin for Life, Easy Tips

You’ve trained hard; filled your fridge, freezer, and pantry with healthy fare; and you have been diligent about getting your H20. But despite all that, a little bit of flab lingers. Don’t give up—or turn to a crash diet in desperation! These 10 diet tweaks are designed to help you banish bloat and rev up your metabolism without the sluggishness, hunger, irritability, and other side effects of crazy “miracle” plans. Work them into your diet and don’t give up. The key to permanent weight loss is sticking to the plan. Even if you fall off the wagon sometimes, just get right back on and keep moving forward. A thinner you requires a life time commitment.

1. Flatten your belly with fiber

Excess body fat isn’t the only thing that leads to tummy bulge: About 80 percent of us struggle with constipation at some point. While brief periods of irregularity are normal, they can make the scale creep up. The easy solution: Up your intake of soluble fiber, found in apples, citrus fruits, seeds, and beans. “This sticky fiber soaks up water to form a gel-like substance that stimulates the muscles of your digestive system so they contract and push waste through faster,” says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., a spokes-woman for the American Dietetic Association. A simple way to boost your intake: Sprinkle chia seeds (found at health food stores) or ground flaxseed into yogurt or a smoothie. Keep hydrated. Most of us don’t drink nearly enough fluids. Add green tea to your hydration plan. Good green tea from whole leaf. If you drink prepared drinks or processed tea bags you are not getting the nutrients you need. The best green tea to drink is Matcha. A green tea powder that has 10 times the antioxidants and nutrients of normal whole leaf green tea. Matcha can also be added to protein smoothies, yogurt, milk, just about any food.

2. Add healthy bacteria

Yogurt and kefir contain probiotics, such as acidophilus, which may be a hidden factor in weight control. Everyone has bacteria in their digestive system, but if you’re overweight, it may be the blend of those bugs is causing you to absorb more calories from the food you eat. “Getting more pro-biotics in your diet can change the balance of bacteria,” says Steven Pratt, M.D., author of SuperHealth. That may lead to weight loss. Puerh teas, can help balance your digestion and promote proper fat metabolism in your body. Puerh tea is fermented. The fermentation process produces statins that help your liver clear fat, lowering cholesterol and clearing the circulatory system. Fermentation also produces pro-biotics.

3. “C” yourself slimmer

A study in Nutrition & Metabolism found that exercisers who skimp on the vitamin burn 25 percent less fat during workouts. “Vitamin C helps produce carnitine, an amino acid that helps you use fat for energy. If there is too little carnitine in your tissues, your body will use carbohydrates or protein for fuel,” says lead study author Carol S. Johnston, Ph.D., R.D., a professor and the director of the nutrition program at Arizona State University, who published the study. “Not only does this reduce the amount of fat you burn, but you’re also more likely to feel fatigued when exercising.” Johnston advises aiming for at least 500 milligrams daily, about the amount in 10 large strawberries, one small red pepper, one large orange, or 1 cup of Guayusa or Yerba Mate Tea. These teas have a long history of providing vitamins, enzymes and amino acids your body needs to support proper metabolism. Healthy fat doesn’t make you fat. Try adding Coconut oil to your morning coffee. It stimulates your body to burn fat, helps you to feel satisfied. Good fats from whole foods also have vitamins and minerals.

4. Swap carbs for spinach

A cup of this leafy green packs just 41 calories—five times less than a cup of cooked brown rice or whole-wheat pasta—making it a better side dish option in these crucial last weeks. This superfood may be light on calories and carbs, but it’s rich in more than a dozen stress-fighting antioxidants. Try it sautéed in 1 teaspoon olive oil with chopped red bell pepper, minced garlic, and a dash of chili oil. Or serve it in a salad topped with strawberries, minced red onion, and a few pecans. Eating greens with every meal adds fiber and helps you to feel full longer. Remember that to stay thin you must control your calorie intake. So stay hydrated by drinking tea to help you feel less hungry. Tea, white, green or black does not contain calories, so you can drink as much as you want as long as you don’t add sugar or milk. Drinking whole leaf tea instead of other high calorie drinks can significantly lower your calorie intake. Remember all tea is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and enzymes your body needs.

5. Crank up the fat burn

Capsaicin, the natural substance in peppers that gives them their heat, helps you use more calories, even at rest—and every little bit helps. “Studies show that eating the amount of capsaicin found in one small chili pepper at meals may boost metabolism by 23 percent in the short term,” says Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., co-author of Energy to Burn. In other research, people who got about a gram of red pepper in capsule form or stirred into tomato juice before they sat down to eat cut their calorie intake by 16 percent over the course of the day, but didn’t feel deprived. Try using fresh chilies or peppery Thai, Indian, or Latin seasonings to spice up your meals. To help increase your metabolism you must decrease stress. Stress produces cortisol the main culprit in keeping you fat. Lower your stress and you will lower the amount of circulating cortisol. Acupuncture can help you manage stress, improve your digestion, elimination and decrease your cravings. So consider adding acupuncture to your weight loss program.

6. Have fruit for dessert

The enzymes bromelain (in fresh pineapple) and papain (in fresh papaya) ease digestion by breaking down proteins in meat, tofu, dairy, and beans, so food moves through your system faster, which can decrease bloating. Tea can also help your digestion with no added calories. Oolong teas have been used for thousands of years to help digestion. That is why Oolong tea is usually served in Chinese restaurants.

7. Slice up an avocado

This fruit is rich in potassium, a mineral that helps you lose the pooch by flushing out excess sodium and reducing water retention. Per ounce, avocados pack 60 percent more potassium than bananas, and their healthy fats blunt hunger by keeping you fuller longer. Try serving avocado-mango salsa over chicken, fish, or tofu: Chop a quarter of an avocado and toss it with 1/4 cup fresh mango, 1 tablespoon lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño. Or, for a double hit of potassium, try avocado-corn salsa: Chop a quarter of an avocado and half a cup of corn and combine with 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

8. Ban the bottle

Giving up alcohol forever may not be realistic, but taking a break can help you see how it affects your health, including your appetite, weight loss (alcohol contains empty calories), and sleep schedule. Try drinking a detox tea, after alcohol consumption, to clear the liver.

Not getting enough zzz’s has been linked to weight gain in studies. Many people struggle with getting enough sleep. Your body needs to sleep for many reasons. Try using a whole leaf tea blend to help you sleep. Remember acupuncture can help you get more sleep. Many people have benefited from using acupuncture to reset their body to get the sleep they needed.

9. Add Tea to Your Daily Routine.

Coffee and tea can actually help you drop pounds. When you drink caffeine about 30 minutes before a workout, it helps you push yourself harder and longer. Caffeine also stimulates your digestive tract, so it eases bloating. Try a coffee tea combination. Using a French Press you can add whole leaf energy teas to your coffee. You can also add superfoods (goji berries) to help you stay focused and less hungry. The combination of teas like Guayusa and Yerba Mate with coffee provides a long lasting energy without jitters or crash. The enzymes and compounds in tea help the body utilize caffeine and stay balanced.

10. Put a cap on sugar

Foods that contain natural sugar, like fruit and milk, come bundled with fiber, antioxidants, and protein. But refined sugar can stoke hunger and cause bloating. Read nutrition labels and cut back on processed foods high in sugar and fructose syrup.

The key to getting thin and staying thin is consistency. Don’t make it about a diet. Make it about a life style change. If you can achieve that, you will be happy, healthy and thin for the rest of your life.

Call us at 401-397-6333. We can help you achieve the changes you need to provide you with a life time solution to weight management.

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All the Best,

Opus Total Health