GETTY^ (
2 )Busy actress Courteney
Cox has found a genius way
to speed weight loss: She
sips celer y juice. Minerals
in fresh celery juice have
been shown to optimize
digestion and help the
body absorb slimming nutri-
ents, effects that can boost
metabolism and turbo-
charge fat burning. Plus, its
rich stores of electrolytes
help flush bloat.Congrats on your weight loss! It
can be tough to stick to a plan when
treats seem to ca l l your na me. But
new research from the University
of South Florida offers a wacky but
effective solution: The next time you
are hungry and want a cookie, sniff
one for at least two minutes. (If this
sounds too challenging, you could
also sniff a cookie-scented candle.)
In the study, participants who
sniffed an unhealthy treat, like a
cookie or a slice of pizza, for at least
two minutes were more likely to
choose to eat a healthy snack, like a
piece of fruit, t hat didn’t trap t hem
in a cycle of cravings. Why? Scent
is just as connected to the reward
center in the brain as taste is, so
smel ling is enough to sate t he crav-
ing. One caveat: Those who sniffed
a cookie for under 30 seconds only
increased their desire to eat the
treat, so it’s key to inhale for a full
two minutes to sidestep the craving.Courteney’s
slimming sip
A
Please help me sleep
through the night!
Q:At my physical last week, my
doc tor said my blood pressure is
getting high and I need to take care
to manage my s tress levels. That ’s
easier said than done! Can a diet
trick control my blood pressure?A: We suggest enjoying a handful of
shelled walnuts daily. In a new Penn
State study published in the Journal of
the American Heart Association, study
participants who ate walnuts daily
had 89% lower blood pressure than
the groups that didn’t eat the nuts.
The reason: Walnuts contain alpha-^
linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3
fatty acid that’s been shown to reduce
the oxidative stress associated with
aging and improve blood-vessel
health. What’s more, the polyphenols
and bioactive compounds in walnuts
work synergistically with the fatty
acids to increase the health benefits.
To get the perks, enjoy^1 ⁄ 2 to 1 cup
of walnuts daily. You can snack on
them by themselves, stir them into
oatmeal, sprinkle them on salads or
blend them into a smoothie.Q:With the s teamy summer tem-
peratures and extra daylight, I’ve
been having trouble falling—and
staying—asleep. What can help?A:We hear you. Summer heat ma kes
it difficult to get restorative sleep
because the body is unable to cool
dow n enough to slip into t he deeper
phases of sleep. Plus, a later sunset can
mean later suppers, which can cause
post-bedtime blood-sugar spikes that
conv ince your body t hat it’s t he morn-
ing long before it’s time to wa ke up.
Fortunately, we have the fix: raw
coconut oil. The healthy fats in coconut
oil work in three ways to help improve
sleep: (1) They give the body sustained
energy for all the restorative processes
it needs to complete while you’re sleep-
ing, so you don’t wake up hungry dur-
ing the night. (2) They help regulate
the production of sleep and stress
hormones like melatonin and cortisol,
preventing 2 am wake-ups. (3) The fats
blunt middle-of-the-night blood-sugar
spikes. In fact, the medium-chain fatty
acids in coconut oil have been shown
to reduce blood-sugar f luctuations by
58%. To get the benefits, take a spoon-
ful before you go to bed or stir it into a
cup of tea without any sweeteners.Is there a food fix for
high blood pressure?
24 First for women 8/26/19
nutrition
Nutrition experts
Mira Calton, CN, and
Jayson Calton, Ph.D.,
are leading authorities
on micronutrient
deficiencies and bestselling authors of The
Micronutrient Miracle: The 28-Day Plan to
Lose Weight, Increase Your Energy, and
Reverse Disease (available at Amazon.com).
To ask them a question, send an email to
[email protected].Put FIRST to
work for you!worries solved
Your top nutrition
questions answeredI’m down 28
pounds on a
low-sugar diet,
but I crave
cookies all the
time. Help!Q