Drop 25 belly inches by Memorial Day

News: A mineral imbalance in 98% of women over 45 is causing hunger and cravings. But a simple addition to your water is all it takes to turn off hunger and release trapped fat

Lose 2 pounds a day with a water add-in that ends hunger and releases trapped fat

Over the years, we’ve tried enough diets to know there’s one common barrier to success on any plan: hunger! It’s a problem nutrition expert and celebrity trainer Jorge Cruise has observed for decades. Recently, while speaking with doctors and weight-loss pros for his podcast, The Jorge Cruise Show, he heard the same thing again and again: “Turns out, 90% of the time when we think we’re hungry, it’s really ‘false hunger.’” Driving that hunger, experts agree, isn’t a lack of calories but an imbalance in the electrolytes sodium, potassium and magnesium.

“Saying that salt is bad for blood pressure overstates the case,” says George Bakris, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago. “Our body needs sodium. If you totally cut out salt, you will run into trouble. Either extreme can cause problems.” Indeed, one study found that adults with high blood pressure who had the highest sodium intake and those with high blood pressure who had the lowest sodium intake had an increased risk of heart disease. That said, women with healthy blood pressure can safely sip Zero Hunger Water (see recipe on page 31) daily; those with high blood pressure should consult their doctor before moving forward.

BUT… DOESN’T SALT CAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

When electrolyte minerals are out of balance, the body thinks it’s starving. “Sodium is the key regulator for magnesium, and magnesium controls potassium levels,” explains pharmacist James DiNicolantonio, a research scientist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Missouri and author of The Salt Fix. “The body needs electrolytes to function optimally, so you have to get all three in balance.” When the minerals are imbalanced, the body dials up hunger and cravings in an attempt to get the nutrients it needs. In addition to intense cravings, an imbalance also triggers fatigue and headaches—all of which make it difficult to stick to a weight-loss regimen.

This hunger-inducing electrolyte imbalance affects up to 98% of women, according to Michael Greger, M.D., NYT bestselling author of How Not to Diet. One of the main factors driving an imbalance is the consumption of processed foods, which break down into acidic by-products during digestion. The body uses potassium and magnesium stores to neutralize those acids and protect cells from damage, pulling electrolytes out of balance.

But even women who avoid processed foods in favor of whole foods experience an imbalance. That’s because a healthy diet naturally lowers insulin, which causes the body to release sodium, says DiNicolantonio. “This can lead to a sodium deficiency, which makes weight loss extremely difficult.” Indeed, one study found that after just seven days on a low-salt diet, women gained 15% more weight than those on a moderate-salt diet. The reason? A low-salt diet increases stress hormone levels, which instruct the body to store fat, especially around the belly.

Fortunately, Cruise has uncovered a genius way to correct an electrolyte imbalance, eliminate hunger and release excess weight, and it’s as easy as drinking 32 oz. of what he calls

Zero Hunger Water—a DIY sip rich in salt, magnesium and potassium— throughout the day. “You make it for pennies, you drink it, and you forget to eat,” he cheers. “It’s like magic.”

Just ask Barbara Rastello, 72, who always struggled with cravings. But after incorporating Jorge’s “magic water” into her routine, she felt full and energized— plus lost 21 pounds in 19 days. “I must have had an electrolyte imbalance and just didn’t know it,” Rastello says. “What I do know is I feel satiated drinking the water.”

Even better, belly fat goes first. That’s because correcting an electrolyte imbalance lowers stress hormone levels, “and stress hormones are connected to belly fat,” explains Cruise. “The water helps regulate these hormones, so fat comes off the belly first.” When subjects in a study at the University of California, Irvine, added electrolytes to a weightloss regimen, they lost an average of 56 pounds over just six weeks.

Freedom from hunger and excess weight is just the beginning. “When you correct an electrolyte imbalance, you sleep better and your kidneys function more efficiently,” says DiNicolantonio. Meanwhile, women FIRST spoke to credit this shift with helping to lower cholesterol, banish chronic pain and even reverse prediabetes. Ready to get started? Read on.

“You drink it and you forget to eat. It’s effortless, almost like magic!”

—Jorge Cruise