Why, hello there, bikini, nice to see you
again. Thank you – yes, I am rocking you this summer.
We’re so not about one size fitting all and
saying no to a biscuit isn’t even worth considering.
But there are times when you want to look
your personal best and we get that, too. Like when you hit the beach; or a
wedding; or, let’s be honest, that party where your ex will be bringing his new
girlfriend…
We’re
so not about one size fitting all and saying no to a biscuit isn’t even worth
considering
So we’re here for you, and we say: forget
the clichés. This isn’t about getting ‘your best body ever’ by wrapping
takeaways and cocktails for Mung beans and alfalfa sprouts. It’s about easy,
fit-into-your-life, genius tips from the experts that are a shortcut to you
feeling and looking healthier and more amazing than ever.
The food rules for fast results
Don’t slash your intake: Whatever you do, don’t resort to that tired dieting cliché of
skipping meal. “You could unwittingly be making your body more efficient at
storing fat,” warns dietician Azmina Govindji. When your body’s normal intake
of food is dramatically reduced for some time, your metabolism can slow,
because it thinks it needs to conserve fuel supplies. “Plus, if you cut meals,
your blood-sugar level will drop, so you’re more likely to crave sugary or
fatty foods,” she adds.
Eat more protein: “Low-fat protein keeps you satisfied for longer and helps you build
muscles, which speeds metabolism,” says lan Mellis, sports scientist and
founder of Results Fast fitness training. “Have chicken, turkey, fish, eggs or
pulses at every meal.” A study by the University of Wisconsin, US, found people
whose meals were 30% protein ate 440 fewer calories a day.
“Low-fat
protein keeps you satisfied for longer and helps you build muscles, which
speeds metabolism,”
You can drop a dress size fast: While a sensible rate of weight loss is often cited as 1-2lb a week,
it is possible to lose more and stay healthy. “If you have as short-term goal,
like a holiday, that extra motivation is good,” says Govindji. “You’re more
likely to stick to your healthy eating plan, so dropping around 3lb a week for
two to three weeks is perfectly feasible.”
Turn up the heat: “The effects are small, but chillies and green tea are Thermogenic,
meaning they slightly raise your body temperature and speed up your metabolism,
so you burn calories faster,” says Mellis. Time to get spicy.
Our 10 favourite flat tummy foods
“There keep you feeling fuller for longer,
calm cravings and won’t bloat you,” says Kate Adams, author of The Flat Tummy
Club Diet.
Berries: A low-GI, low-calorie,
nutrient-packed easy snack for the sweet-toothed.
Oats: Slow-release energy that’s easy to
digest and packed with soluble fibre.
Cucumber: A diuretic that helps flush out
water retention, and gets skin glowing, too.
Natural yoghurt: For weight loss promoting
calcium, filling protein and lots of gut-friendly probiotics to banish
bloating.
Quinoa: A great alternative to potatoes,
rice and pasta, with all the essential amino acids.
Melon: Rich in skin friendly vitamin C,
hydrating, plus potassium reduces bloating.
Oily fish: For your omega-3 essential fatty
acids, which are linked to fat-burning.
Dark-green leafy veg: A nutrient and fibre packed
way to fill your plate. Try spinach, kale and watercress.
Monounsaturated fatty acids: Found in
olives, avocados, nuts and seeds, they’re satisfying, great for skin and some studies
suggest they may help break down tummy fat.
Pineapple: Contains the enzyme bromelain,
which eases digestion.
Ease water retention
You’re in great shape, but the waistband on
your jeans sometime feels two inches smaller. What gives? Your hormones, says
women’s nutritional health specialist Dr. Marilyn Glenville, author of Fat
around the Middle. “Many women experience fluid retention during the second
half of their cycle, giving that swollen, puffy feeling. It’s down to
fluctuations in blood-sugar levels and the hormone aldosterone, which conserves
water.”
The solution? Drink more. “It may be
counter intuitive, but you need to take in plenty of fluids so your body
doesn’t think it’s dehydrated and hold on to even more,” she says. “Watch your
salt intake and try dandelion tea it’s a diuretic that won’t make you lose
nutrients.”(Try Clipper Organic Dandelion Tea $ 2.1 Holland & Barrett)
