michael s
(Michael S)
#1
valuable kind of fiber, water-soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol
and ushers it out of the body like a nightclub bouncer.
You're not going to find fiber at the mall food court unless it's in
your broccoli, hiding under a sea of Cheez Whiz. Your best strategy for
loading up involves stocking your kitchen with high-fiber foods. Don't
try to count fiber grams in meals. That'll drive you batty. Rather, simply
try to get about 12 servings of a variety of foods, including fruits and
vegetables with their skins, beans, lentils and other legumes, nuts and
seeds, brown rice, and wholegrain pastas, cereals, and breads. Even
snacks can help you get closer to your fiber quota. For example, choose
a package of light popcorn instead of a bag of potato chips and you'll get
8 grams of fiber. Wash it down with a low-sodium V8 and you'll gain 2
more.
AVOID EMPTY CALORIES
New Abs Diet Principle #8: Know What to Drink When
I like to drink beer. I like to drink wine and other things, like gin and
tonics on hot summer days. But I don't keep six-packs chilling in my
refrigerator or open bottles of pinot on the counter for a reason. They
are too tempting, too easy to reach for, too full of empty calories.
Are margaritas your cocktail of choice? There are 450 empty
calories in that sugar-spiked neon concoction! Alcohol encourages more
eating, and it actually causes your body to store fat. When Swiss
researchers gave eight healthy men the equivalent in alcohol of about
five beers, they found that the alcohol impaired the men's ability to burn
fat by 36 percent. Keep your stash of beer and wine somewhere that's a
hassle to reach. The basement? A closet? This way, you'll be more likely
to limit yourself, as the New Abs Diet advises, to two or three alcoholic
beverages a week.
Soft drinks are even a bigger hazard to someone trying to lose
weight and belly fat. Sodas and other sugary drinks are the leading
