So simple, so effective!
Rebooting the internal clocks that regulate hormone production, fat burning and detoxification makes slimming effortless—plus delivers an array of benefits like sunnier moods and supercharged energy. And all it takes, says Vincent Pedre, M.D., author of Happy Gut, is adjusting your diet so you eat all your meals during an 8-hour window at least three days each week. “A 16-hour fasting window will do wonders for your waistline,” Dr. Pedre asserts. “You might close up the kitchen at 7 pm and resume eating at 11 am or so the next morning.”
Most women FIRST spoke to agree that Dr. Pedre’s suggestion to concentrate their eating hours in the middle of the day works best, starting with a morning coffee to ward off hunger, then eating two meals and enjoying dessert. But some women found success with restricting their meals to late afternoon and evening. “It worked best for me to consume my meals between 2 pm and 10 pm,” shares
Jamie DelliPizzi, a construction-site manager who lost 187 pounds following this strategy (see her story at right). “I’m on my feet all day, so eating later allowed me to focus on my work and turn my attention to food when I have more time.”
While the optimal “eating window” may be different for everyone, once you find a schedule that works for you, stick with it. “If you want to keep your body clocks synced, one of the best things you can do is maintain regular meal times,” advises David Earnest, Ph.D., a circadian-clock expert at Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan. That’s because studies published in the journal Cell Metabolism show that keeping meal times consistent from day to day increases the population of the beneficial bacteria that keep our body clocks synced. And for your speediest slimdown ever, incorporate the following success strategies.
Go for these proteins.
University of Chicago researchers report that a meat-rich diet almost immediately allows bad bacteria to crowd out the good bacteria from the gut, pulling the body clocks out of sync. “Research shows that just one meat-heavy meal can throw off the microbiome,” asserts Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D., author of The Probiotic Promise. “It has an immediate and profound effect.” Instead of beef, pork and lamb, Cook suggests favoring eggs, beans, tofu and fish because they are less likely to disrupt your good bacteria. Even better: Studies at Texas A&M show that DHA-rich seafood (like anchovies, oysters, sardines, salmon and trout) prevent 80 percent of circadian-clock disruption. To get the benefits, aim to enjoy seafood at least twice a week.
Swap out sugar. The University of Chicago studies also showed that eating sugar dramatically increases the levels of clock-disrupting bacteria in the gut. Cook says enjoying lowsugar fruit like berries and melon is fine in moderation, but suggests skipping foods with added sugars. Instead, sweeten with sugar-free alternatives, like Stevia in the Raw (supermarkets).
Fill up on fiber. Just like us, the microbes in our gut need fuel to function optimally. To keep beneficial clock-setting bugs happy and healthy, aim to eat three daily servings of foods that are rich in slimming fibers, like barley, brown rice, lentils, asparagus, onions, mushrooms and jícama. “I recommend eating plenty of these prebiotic-rich plant-based foods,” says Dr. Pedre. “They allow the beneficial bacteria to flourish in the gut.” The proof: In a study at the University of Calgary in Canada, subjects who adopted a diet rich in prebiotic fibers lost 101 percent more belly fat than those who didn’t get their fill of the fiber.
Up your water intake. “Drinking plenty of water ensures our microbes have an optimal environment so they can work the way they’re supposed to,” explains Cook. “In fact, almost every process in your body depends on proper hydration to function smoothly.” Studies show that women need eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day for optimal hydration and weight loss. Indeed, researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom report that women who drank 16 oz. of water 30 minutes before each meal lost 550 percent more weight over three months than those who didn’t drink water before meals.