Men’s Health Australia — September 2017

Useful

Stuff

Tons of tips, tricks

and strategies for life

09/

Early-morning cardio sessions are

all well and good at the height

of summer. But as the window for

getting your body into seasonal

shape narrows, the idea of

blasting through a few fat-

burning laps of the park before

work begins to look less than

bright. Shake up your pre-run

nutrition, however, and rising

CONVERT YOUR

BODY INTO A

BELLY-FAT BLENDER

Team the green

stuff with

delicious fats

to boost your

staying power.

and grinding on frosty mornings

for a leaner physique should go

a lot more smoothly.

Lutein – a carotenoid

abundantly found in green giants

such as kale, spinach and

broccoli – has been shown to

trigger a huge increase in levels

of AMPK, dubbed the ‘marathon

enzyme’ for its ability to switch

your cells’ mitochondria from

burning food to tapping your fat

stores for energy.

A nine-week study published in

the journal PLoS One found this

not only improves your rate of

fat loss, but also enhances

stamina during the hard slog

of endurance exercise.

There is, however, a caveat –

but one we believe you’ll enjoy.

In their research, the scientists

discovered that adding fats to

lutein-containing foods spikes

uptake of the nutrient by three

times, so add almond milk, a

banana and a spoonful of nut

butter to your greens before

blitzing. That it will make your

shake a whole lot more palatable

is, of course, a bonus.

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