The lower your levels of satiety hormone leptin, the
higher your risk of obesity. Fortunately, scientists
have devised an opulent approach to overturning
this particular problem. Crustaceans such as
langoustine and lobster are rich in the mineral
zinc – with roughly a third of your RDA
per serving – which the journalLife Sciences
says ramps up production of the hormone.
With or without the lashings of garlic butter.15
Play The
System
That a packet of chips looks
more tempting after bad
meetings is down to science- our ‘stress genes’ impel us
to scavenge for high-fat
foods when under pressure.
Outwit them: a three-minute
gaming session reduces
both anxiety and cravings.
23
Amp Up Your
Fibre Power
Leaner men have healthier
gut bacteria than their pudgy
peers. But while this is partly
inherited, you can flip the
switch. A UK study found the
fibre inulin is better for your
gut than probiotic drinks.
Roast Jerusalem
artichoke with
garlic and add
to soups
and salads.19
Empty The
Tank
Evolution has hardwired our
bodiestostorefat.Buta
tactical food delay could
hack your weightloss hard
drive. A Uni of Bath study
found training on an empty
stomach triggers the ‘PDK4
gene’: a sign your body fat is
burning off. An hour is
enough, so schedule in your
Sunday run before your roast.14
Save Your
Best For Last
Your lunchbreak workouts
may offer respite from office
drudgery, but for maximum
fat-burn from your weight
training, save the heavy stuff
for the evening. According to
journal Chronobiology, our
in-built body clocks mean
we’re strongest at 6pm. Use
this time for full-body
deadlifts over curls or
presses to recruit maximum
muscle mass. You’ll shift
more weight – and can drop
them sooner, too.18
The Zen Is
Mightier
Eleven-hour working days
add as much to your fat
stores as they steal from your
downtime, as chronic stress
disrupts the hormones linked
to weight control. Fortunately,
Coventry University found
on-trend mindfulness
suppresses this response at
a genetic level. Not the
meditative type?
Playing pool is
proven to have
a similarly
soothing
mental effect.
Pot your belly.17
Chew
Through Fat
If you’re really keen to
supercharge your kilojoule
burn, the muscle you need
to be working is your jaw.
Chewing thoroughly
increases ‘diet-induced
thermogenesis’ – that’s
‘joule burning, to you and
us – while improving blood
sugar control, according to
Clinical Nutrition. Aim for
40 reps per mouthful.24
Green Energy
Your fat stores have
met their matcha. As well as
lending your latte hipster
kudos, the green tea powder
has been shown to boost
levels of the ‘marathon
enzyme’ AMPK, which
McMaster University found
helps you train harder for
longer – and enjoy it more,
too. Vitamin C makes the
nutrients easier to absorb, so
blend a teaspoon of powder
with fresh berries as part of
your morning shake.21
Snooze
Control
After a well enjoyed evening
of overindulgence, sleeping
through the next morning’s
meal may seem sensible.
Well, here’s your wake-up
call: a study by Ohio State
University found that
a pattern of gorging and
meal-skipping activates
genes that lead to fat gain.
Spread your meals
throughout a 12-hour
window – which means
making time for bacon
and sleeping it off on the
sofa later.20
Dark Magic
Upgrade your oats
by skipping the usual fruit
topping and opting for dark
chocolate shavings; its
polyphenols suppress genes
linked to fat storage, says
Nutrition journal. Better still, a
2500-kJ cocoa-based
breakfast is proven to reduce
afternoon bingeing.16
Diet By
Halves
Still sticking to your rigid New
Year eating plan? Quit it. The
University of Tasmania found
a ‘two weeks on, two weeks
off’ protocol prevents the
drop in your metabolism- part of your body’s famine
response – that occurs
during a strict diet regimen.
You’ll stand to lose an
additional 8kg by summer.
22
Get The Best
Of The Rest
Consumed by cravings
after a late night? A study
in Sleep journal found that
scraping by on less than
five hours’ rest raises
endocannabinoids in the
blood, which are linked to
impulse and reduced
willpower. If fatigue is
leaving you hungry, hit the
office stairwell – just
10 mins of H I I T jolts your
brain in the same way
as caffeine.“ Morning light boosts
hormones linked to
fast metabolism”
WEIGHT LOSS