WEIGHTLOSS NEWSFEED 03/18 PLANT THE SEEDS FOR SEASONAL FAT LOSS SEASON’S EATINGS For year-round health, stock your kitchen with some of nature’s recommendations

A quarterly update of your shopping list is enough to ripen your weightloss potential

If you’ve remained faithful to the eating plan you set yourself on 1 January, we applaud both your intentions and resolve. But before you meal-prep yet another batch of chicken and kale, consider the latest research: swapping your adherence to a strict meal rota for a seasonally attuned approach can give your weightloss a healthy fertilising.

A study that followed nomadic tribes in Tanzania, published in the journal Science, found that a diet based on seasonal availability contributed to a 30% increase in gut microbiome diversity, a quality linked to improved mental health, increased energy levels and, most interestingly, a well-stoked metabolism. In fact, separate studies show lean men have 70% more gut bacteria than their overweight peers.

Researchers believe a cyclical eating plan consisting of updated ingredients encourages the growth of fat-burning microbial cultures that are not found in the heavily processed diets of most Westerners. But you needn’t regress to hunter-gatherer tactics just yet. Ditching supermarket shopping, where ingredients are often imported, for your local grocer’s offerings will make you more aware of changing seasons and ingredients. Which, in turn, will stop you becoming reliant upon your tedious, repetitive shopping list.

Cast your net (or reusable shopping bag) closer to home. It’s the smartest way to flick your gut’s evolutionary fat-loss switch. Without a one-way ticket to East Africa, that is.

WINTER

• Mussels Sweet potatoes • Apples Best for: Vit C for a boosted immune system

•

03 SET SOLID

As the weight reaches your shoulder height, sink into a half squat. Get comfortable in this athletic stance and mentally fire up your muscles for the final push.

SPORTS MODEL

You’re looking for an athlete. The tastier meat comes from strong chickens that are in good shape. Check for firm meat and long legs.