Beat mid-life weight gain!
Weight gain can happen to any of us in mid-life for a number of reasons— including genetics, changes in diet, activity level and medications. These tricks can help keep those pounds at bay!
Slimming with full-fat dairy!
Full-fat dairy helps block weight gain after menopause— and doubles weight loss if you’re dieting! Its fats, calcium and amino acids help burn blood sugar for fuel before it can become body fat. Aim for two servings daily (a serving is 8 oz. of milk or yogurt or 1 1/2 oz. hard cheese).
Work your “second heart”!
Surprising research reveals that we each have a specialized calf muscle that plays an extremely important role in helping us stay slim as we age: the soleus calf muscle, which acts as a pump that pushes blood against gravity through the circulatory system and back to the heart. When it begins to weaken, as it often does with age, blood and other fluids tend to pool in tissues of the legs and ankles, causing everything from varicose veins to swollen ankles to leg cramps—and, it turns out, a significant slowdown in metabolism! “The trick to burning as many calories as we can, even while we’re sitting doing nothing, is to make sure to have really good blood flow,” says Ken Mcleod, PH.D., of SUNY Binghamton in New York. “That’s because the more blood you’re pumping, the more oxygen you’re pumping. And the more oxygen you’re pumping, the more metabolic activity is going on in your body.” A regular regimen of squats or tai chi moves will keep your soleus muscles in top shape. Another option is the Sonostics Heartpartner ($595, Sonostics.com/store), a device that prods the soleus muscle to contract while you work at your computer or sit back and watch TV.
Get enough beauty rest!
A study of more than 68,000 women found those who slept five hours or less most nights gained more weight than those who slept seven!
Bathe away calories!
British research shows that folks who relaxed for an hour in bathwater as hot as they could comfortably handle melted as many calories as they would have walking for 30 minutes! Turns out, “passive heating”— raising your core temperature just one degree—prompts your body to torch excess calories.
Exercise smarter!
Just one daily eight-minute output of intense activity (walking briskly, for example) accelerates your calorie burn as much as 30 minutes of moderate exercise, says naturopath Michelle Schoffro Cook, PH.D., D.N.M. “Intense exercise quickly boosts your heart rate, which gets your fat-burning mechanism working at high efficiency!”