Shape_Singapore_June_2017

TEXT JANET LEE PHOTOS TPGIMAGES.COM
Over a six-year period, people who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily gained 27
per cent more ab fat than non-drinkers, a study in the journal Circulation found. Soft
drinks, sweetened juices, coffee drinks and smoothies are all culprits. If water won’t cut
it, be choosy. Nix soft drinks altogether. Instead of syrups and whipped cream, dress up
your coffee with unsweetened almond or coconut milk, says dietitian Robin Foroutan,
the spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US. “When you grab
a juice, vegetable juice – but not beet or carrot – is better than fruit juice for limiting
sugar.” And don’t forget about tea: “Several studies have shown that a compound in
green tea increases metabolism,” Robin says. Research in The Journal of Nutrition also
found that compounds in green, black and oolong tea led to ab-fat loss in mice.
Having your biggest
meal of the day at
lunch and going
smaller for dinner –
try a broth-based
soup and a big
side of veggies – is
helpful for weight
loss, Robin says. A
study in Diabetic
Medicine found that
type-2 diabetics
who ate a vegetarian
diet (combined with
moderate aerobic
exercise three times
per week) lost
more dangerous
visceral belly fat and
body weight than
those who ate a
conventional lowercarb
diabetic diet.
Also, other research
suggests that shifting
your calories towards
the beginning of the
day instead of the end
helps the body burn
more fat overall.
Unsweeten
your sips
Get in a minimeditation
Stretch
your
middle
Go veggie
for dinner
Power
down
before bed
Too much constant stress causes
your body to release cortisol, a
hormone that fast-tracks fat
deposits deep in the abdomen.
On the flip side, a study in the
International Journal of Behavioral
Medicine found that mindful
people were 25 per cent less
likely to be obese and had a ½kg
less ab fat than their not-so-Zen
counterparts. To zap tension
instantly, try this easy meditation
from personal trainer Kirsten
Beverley-Waters, the owner of
Thryve, an online fitness, yoga
and wellness company: “Close
your eyes, place your hands on
your belly, and focus all your
thoughts on your core as the
foundation of your energy and
strength. Breathe deeply through
your nose for up to five minutes
[more if you have time].”
Spend a few minutes extending your back over
a stability ball or doing spinal twists on the
floor. “Stretching your abs can improve your core
workouts by improving your range of motion,” says
biomechanist Katy Bowman, author of Move Your
DNA. That means more cinching from each rep!
We know that a lack of sleep leads
to weight gain: A six-year study in
the International Journal of Obesity
found that people who got less
than six hours of sleep a night
gained more than double the fat –
some of that ab fat – than those
who went from sleeping too little
to getting seven to eight hours per
night. To snooze faster and better,
turn off visual stimulation an hour
before bed, ban pets from the
mattress, and keep the air at 16 to
20 deg C.
SHAPE JUNE 2017 | SUMMER SHAPE UP | 39