SIMPLE RULES TO A MED DIET

HERE’S HOW TO MED-IFY YOUR FITNESS DIET BY INCORPORATING THE KEY CARBS, PROTEIN AND FATS THAT MAKE UP THIS MOUTHWATERING AND NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD STRATEGY.

CARBS: EAT YOUR VEGGIES

The Mediterranean diet’s carbohydrates are primarily derived from vegetables and fruits — anywhere from seven to 10 servings per day — with some of each consumed at every meal. Round out your carb intake with whole grains, which can account for about five servings per day, or more if your workouts are longer or more cardio focused.

Veggies: To stay light on the scale, go heavy on the vegetables. Fresh veggies will pack their most powerful nutritional punch when lightly sauteed, steamed or grilled. Med diet favorites include tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, carrots, asparagus, parsnips, celery, endive, spinach, peas, potatoes, squash and turnips. Onions, garlic and leeks add a flavorful zing to many Mediterranean dishes. Enhance your meals with oven-roasted medleys of vegetables, fragrant vegetable soups and stews, and vegetable-topped pizzas.

Fruits: When it comes to dessert, reach for fresh fruit and push away the sweets, which you should eat only once or twice a week (and in small portions) as a treat. Healthy fruit options include apples, bananas, grapes,  a pricots, oranges, fresh figs, pomegranates and cherries - but really, all fruits are good.

Whole grains: Grains in their whole, minimally processed form will give you the energy you need to fuel your workouts. Prime grain choices in the Med diet include whole wheat, oats, rice, rye, barley and corn. Start your day with a fiber-rich breakfast such  as oatmeal or granola and fruit. For lunch or dinner, cook up some whole-wheat pasta tossed with scallops, mushrooms, spinach and olive oil. Notch up your grain portions if you need extra fuel for tough or long workouts.

PROTEIN: POWER UP

Animal protein: Fish and shellfish get top biling in the Med diet's distinctive lineup of protein choices, and they should be eaten at least three times a week. Eggs are routinely used in place of meat, while meat itself should only be consumed in small amounts, mainly in the form of poultry. Keep red meat  to one serving per week, or even once a month.

Plant protein: Plant sources of protein abound on the Med diet in the form  of beans and legumes (which are also a great source of nutrient-rich carbohydrates). Lentils, chickpeas and butter beans pack the perfect daily protein punch. For a snack, whip up some homemade hummus using chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice. Also consider going vegetarian for the day once or twice a week, building meals around whole grains, beans and vegetables.

Dairy: You can include two daily servings of low-fat dairy in your meal plan.  Stick to protein-rich and intestine-friendly Greek yogurt or lower-fat cheeses such as feta and ricotta.

Nuts and seeds: Round out your plant proteins with a good variety of nuts and seeds, which also will provide additional healthy fats. Aim for a ¼ cup of nuts and seeds daily. Walnuts or pine nuts add a tasty topping to salads, while almonds offer crunch and flavor to fruits for dessert.


FATS: MAKE IT EXTRA VIRGIN

Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is, of course, a staple of the Med diet. Besides being rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, it is chock-full of anti- oxidants. Fat servings come down to energy needs, but aim for at least 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily: Drizzle it on salads and use it for sauteed dishes.

Other fats: Other healthy fats include avocado and whole olives.

FIT FOOD FACE-OFF: SKIM MILK VS MILK WITH FAT

Many adult women don’t drink a lot of milk, but others take in plenty. Women trying to get lean and ripped may drink milk alone or add it to protein shakes. But here’s the skinny on what type of milk you should consume while trying to shed body fat.

You may be trying to reduce calories by cutting back on the dietary fats in your milk. But this may not work in your dietary favor. Milk fat helps slow insulin release, reducing the amount of carbs that are driven to fat storage. If you mix milk with your preworkout or postworkout shake, then you want to spike insulin release to drive muscle repair. At other times of day, though, skim (aka nonfat — a bit of a misnomer), may encourage unwanted insulin release.

Yet you may not want all the calories that come with whole milk.

Winner ► IT’S A TIE: CHOOSE 1%- OR 2%-FAT MILKBUT GO WITH SKIM BEFORE OR AFTER WORKOUTS, AND AVOID THIS TYPE AT OTHER TIMES OF DAY. (IF YOU WANT TO  GET THE INSULIN-SPIKING BENEFITS OF MILK AROUND WORKOUTS BUT AVOID IT OTHER TIMES, THEN BUY SKIM AND 2 PERCENT MILK. YOU CAN MIX THEM TOGETHER IN A 1:1 RATIO TO CREATE THE EQUIVALENT OF 1 PERCENT MILK.)

LEAN ON BEEF: THIS MUSCLE FOOD HELPS YOU STAY TRIM

When your goal is to reduce body fat, you know you have to cut calorie intake. But you may not realize that you also need to increase your intake of protein and maintain a reasonable level of dietary fat consumption so you don’t lose lean muscle tissue instead of body fat.

Here are Oxygen’s tips for adding beef to a fat-loss program.

► Get cut by choosing beef. Almost all forms of beef are low or devoid of carb calories, and that’s important for reducing body fat. Beef helps keep insulin release in check, and this hormone drives calories (particularly carbs) toward body-fat storage. Virtually all forms of beef are without carbs unless they’ve been infused through processing — so avoid processed forms of beef, choosing whole cuts or ground beef with no extras added.

► Go grass-fed and organic. While all forms of quality beef cuts contain virtually only fats and protein, it’s well-established that grass-fed beef contains much higher amounts of omega-3 fats than beef raised on feedlots. Omega-3s are healthy fats that are otherwise low in American diets, making grass-fed beef important for the quality of fats, in addition to other benefits. Organic foods are grown without synthetic methods, so they are much lower in chemical content from pesticides and non-organic fertilizers.

► Beef up your diet.  The key to choosing a cut of beef depends on many factors, including price. These are among the leanest cuts that are available. Of particular, note that filet mignon (tenderloin) has fewer calories in both the grain- and grass-fed forms. The grass-fed is higher in calories because it contains more protein  and omega-3s for the same amount of fat. Also, hamburger is not a bad diet choice when you choose lean or extra-lean versions.

STRONG BODY, STRONG MIND

FROM WARDING OFF DEMENTIA TO RELIEVING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, EXERCISE IS THE HEALTHIEST KIND OF BRAIN MEDICINE.

The beneficial efects of exercise on your brain are physiological and psychological. But let’s start with the basics: blood flow. “There is recent evidence that people who get more physical activity get more blood flow to the brain,”. That’s important because in older adults, reduced blood flow to the brain may be a risk factor for cognitive decline.

You may work out regularly because it makes you look good, but the benefits are greater than that. “I had a mentor who used to say that if we had a pill that did what exercise did, it would be the  most prescribed medicine in the world”

Use It or Lose It

“When you exercise, it challenges the brain,”. Brain cells respond to the challenge by enhancing their ability to cope with stress. “There is good evidence in animals, and some in humans, that exercise actually improves cognition,”. This is because when you exercise, it stimulates your brain to produce a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

BDNF has been the focus of a flurry of recent research activity. “We know that  BDNF can enhance cognition,”. “In animals, if we disrupt the ability to produce BDNF, it causes learning and memory problems.” It’s unclear how quickly it’s produced — for example, if just one bout of exercise produces it.  That question continues to be studied.

One of Mattson’s colleagues, Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., recently discovered that exercise can stimulate the  production of new nerve cells from stem cells in the brain. When the stem cells  get the right signal — like exercise — some start forming more neurons, and these new neurons can connect with  existing neurons. The more neurons you have and the more connections you have among them, the stronger you’ll be in learning and memory.

Exercise and Anxiety

Anecdotally, we know that exercise makes us feel better, lightens our mood and reduces anxiety. Mattson coached his kids in cross-country, he says, and it was always obvious their moods were  better during the season than ofseason. But it’s more than that because it turns out that BDNF is also involved  in mood regulation. In fact, the most  commonly described antidepressants all increase BDNF levels in the brain. So  there is a connection between exercise, BDNF and improved mood.

It turns out that exercise also may be an efective form of treating anxiety. Preliminary evidence suggests that the physiological symptoms you experience when you exercise  can act as a form of “exposure” to the  symptoms people with panic disorder experience (such as a heart-rate increase). “When you expose someone to the symptoms, you teach them how to have better control,” he says.

There’s a lot more to learn, but it’s already clear that exercise forges a  mind/body connection unlike anything else at our disposal.

THE PH DIET

"Alkaline" may be be Hollywood's latest diet buzzword, but can the acid levels of the food eat really affect your health and weight?

Previously the province of hard-core naturopaths and holistic health experts, dietary pH (aka the acidity levels of foods) has recently sprung into the mainstream nutrition conversation. One reason for its rise: a slew of A-li st celebs (think Victoria Beckham. Gwyneth Paltrovi/, and Kirsten Dunst) who credit their trim physiques and bright complexions to having banished acid-producing foods from their plates. Now "acid residue"—low-pH remnants left over after foods like meat, dairy products, and alcohol have been ingested—has joined the ranks of sugar, gluten, and trans fat as one of the diet world's most reviled bogeymen.

What are the scientific claims, exactly? Google "alkaline diet" and you'll find lots of chatter on the subject-not to mention websites hawking alkaline waters, special supplements, cold- pressed juices, and acid-busting cookbooks-but no single doctor or dietitian is at the center of this nutritional theory. Unlike plans created by individuals, like the Dukan Diet or the Zone, eating alkaline is something of a leaderless movement. Essentially, it's a constellation of beliefs about the destructive impact of acid-producing foods on health and well-being.

An alkaline overview

Here's the idea: pH is measu red on a scale ranging from 0 to 14, with 0 as the acid end. 14 as the alkali ne (or base) end. and 7 being neutral. Our bodies maintain a slightly basic blood pH, always in the 7.35 to 7.45 range. Alkaline diet proponents believe that eating foods that leave behind an acid residue wreaks havoc on the body's chemistry as it fights to maintain the proper blood pH. In that struggle, they claim, toxic acids prompt the creation of fat reserves for storage and leach out through the skin's pores, causing breakouts. Meanwhile,alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium migrate from the muscles and bones to the blood in order to "buffer" pH levels, leaving us weak. The diet's most devout proponents theorize that everythingfrom cancer to mood disorders to diabetes is attributable to having an overabundance of acid sloshing around in our bodies, slowly poisoning us.

"There's really just one disease, and that's the over-acidification of our bodies," says D r. Robert O. Young. Ph. D., whose boo k The pH Miracle is a bestseller. "Everything else is just a symptom of this problem."

Dr. Nish Joshi. a London-based holistic wellness guru who counts Cate Blanchett and Juliette Binoche among his many famous patients, takes a slightly less hard-line view of acid's dangers, but he does believe that acid-producingfoods tax our systems, overwhelming the liver and kidneys. "Ifyouareconstantly creating an acid residue within the body, you have to reshuffle minerals to neutralize those acids," he explains. "If you're eating more alkaline foods, it allows the body to put its energy toward detoxing. We want to encourage the body to focus on improving health."

To that end, Joshi prescribes a diet that includes high-pH foods Like fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. along with plenty ofwaterto flush acid from the system. Within two to three weeks, he says, as acid residue clears from his patients' bodies, they experience everything from weight loss to Improved mental clarity to glossy hair and nails.

Diet fact or diet Action?

Before you leap on the alkaline bandwago n and swear off the likes of yogurt, eggs, and fish (all "high-acid" foods; see "alkaline vs. acid" below for a more complete list) in pursuit of wellness and weight loss, consider that these pH-related claims are still widely disputed by top doctors and nutritionists. These experts maintain that the diet's proponents grossly misunderstand the physical mechanism for buffering pH.

"The body is builtto manage pH regulation. That's what the kidneys and lungs do." says Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.N.,adietitianatthe Mayo Clinic. Zeratsky explains that it'snearlyimpossible toalteryour body's pH through diet, thanks to the kidneys' ability to buffer acid and the lungs' effectiveness in expelling carbon dioxide, which is mildly acidic.

"This is one of those diets that sounds scientific, so it's tempting to believe it." says Sharon R. Akabas, Ph.D., director of Columbia University Medical Center's Institute of Human Nutrition. "But for anyone with healthy lungs and kidneys, processing acid-producingfoods does not cause any kind of strain."

Although it's far from proven that acid is a diet-and-disease culprit, what nearly everyone can agree on is that alkaline-focused eating guidelines are basically healthy ones: Drinking plenty of water, limiting alcohol, and trading in fried and processed foods for fruits, vegetables, and nuts is almost guaranteed to help you look and feel healthier. If you do decide to dabble with a veggie-intensive diet plan, the key for women is to get enough protein and iron, says Zeratsky. For women avoiding all animal products, she recommends taking
a B12 supplement and eating plenty of beans, lentils, and soy products for protein. Iron-wise, pair leafy greens with red bell peppers or citrus fruits-they contain vitamin C, which aids iron absorption.

10 TIPS PROVEN TO BUILD SERIOUS STAMINA

1. Start the day early

People who throw off the covers by 7 a.m. experience up to 25 percent higher levels of alertness throughout the  day, compared to those who don’t usually wake up until 10  a.m., according to a study published in the journal Emotion.  (Bonus: The early birds also felt happier and healthier.) That’s  probably because morning larks’ internal clocks are more in  sync with society’s 9-to-5 schedule, says Timothy H. Monk,  Ph.D., director of the Human Chronobiology Research  Program at the University of Pittsburgh. “Early risers tend to  sleep more restfully throughout the night than stay-up-late  types,” headds, “so they start the day feeling refreshed.” If you’re not naturally a morning person, employing a few  tricks can make it easier to rise and shine. For instance, place  your alarm clock where you have to physically get up to turn it off, and flip on the lights, suggests Michael Breus, Ph.D., a  Scottsdale, Arizona–based clinical psychologist. “When your  body senses light, it thinks it’s time to wake up.” Drinking a  glass of water, jumping in the shower, or heading out for a run  or a brisk walk can also help snap you out of an overnight fog.

2 Get frisky first thing

They don’t call it an afterglow for nothing! Sex speeds up your metabolism, brings oxygen-rich blood to your cells, and helps release built-up tension, all of which make you feel revitalized. Do the deed in the morning and  it’ll pack a longer-lasting energy punch as well: Physical contact, even if you don’t climax, stimulates production of the stress hormone cortisol, which primes the body for  action and provides a boost of alertness, explains Beverly Hills–based endocrinologist Eva Cwynar, M.D., author  of The Fatigue Solution. “In well-rested people, cortisol  is natural ly highest when they wake; that’s what helps  them bounce out of bed feeling great.” People who wake  up groggy, however, may need a little extra help (of the  between-the-sheets variety) raising those levels to where  they should be, she adds. Sex also increases production  of endorphins, so you’ll head to work feel ing exuberant— and that positive energy can stick with you all day.

3. Break for H2O, not joe

A tall mug of coffee can sharpen your focus, but too much throughout the day could have the opposite  effect: For every coffee-fueled energy spike you enjoy, you might also experience a crash three or four hours later. Instead of relying on multiple Starbucks runs, try to make  cold water your energy-boosting beverage of choice,  suggests Today show health expert Joy Bauer, R.D., a  nutritionist and the author of Food Cures. “Invest in a cute  water bottle that will put you in a good mood, and aim to  refill it three to four times throughout the day,” she advises.

Still need that cup of coffee to get you going? Unless you’re an a.m. exerciser (studies show caffeine helps  you work out longer and harder), skip your just-out-of-bed serving and save the java jolt for between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., says Steve Miller, a neuroscience researcher  at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. That’s when cortisol levels are starting  to drop, and the stimulant wi l l have the most effect.

4. Eat an extra meal

“Our bodies aren’t meant to go for more than four hours without refueling on a substantial number of calories,”  says Nancy Clark, R.D.N., a Boston-based nutrit ionist and the  author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. “Going  from breakfast to lunch or lunch to dinner on just one small  snack can leave your blood sugar low, which makes you feel  unfocused and tired.” To operate consistently on all cylinders,  Clark suggests replacing morning and afternoon snacks  with another ful l meal , for a total of four a day. Space them out   roughly every four hours (for example, eat breakfast at 7, lunch  at 11, another meal at 3, and dinner by 7) and plan for each meal to provide 400 to 600 calories, depending on how active you are.

Whenever you eat, always combine lean protein with complex carbohydrates and a bit of healthy fat: whole-grain toast with peanut butter and a sliced banana for breakfast,  or a salad with grilled chicken and an olive oil–based  dressing for lunch. “Carbs are your body’s preferred source  of fuel, while protein fills you up and helps build and repair  muscle,” says Clark. “Fat adds flavor and satiety, so you feel  fuller longer and are less likely to experience cravings.”

5. Down a healthy dose of D
Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to chronic fatigue, muscle and bone weakness, and cognitive  impairment, but many of us still don’t get the 600 IUs our bodies need every day, says Bauer. In fact, the most recent statistics estimate that women’s average daily intake is just  144 to 276 IUs. Deficiencies are most common in the winter,   says Bauer, because the body synthesizes D from exposure  to the sun’s UVB light. Shorter days and weaker rays (plus,  you’re indoors much more) mean you’re less likely to get  enough—and more likely to feel run-down as a result.

You can get some vitamin D from food sources, like fatty fish and fortified nonfat milk or orange juice, but  you may also need a daily supplement, especially during cold-weather months. Have your D levels tested at your annual physical (and separately in the winter if you’re  feeling particularly worn-out), and ask your doctor  whether you should consider popping a pill. If you’re deficient, she may recommend daily doses of at least 1,000 IUs taken with a large meal to bring your levels up to par.

6. Commit to exercise

A good workout is often just what you need to re-charge your batteries, but it can be hard to  convince yoursel f of that when just getting to the gym feels like a Herculean effort. One way to push yourself?  Reminding yourself of the instant payoffs—like how revived you’ll feel afterward—is a strong motivator.

To reduce fatigue during your sweat sessions, plan them for the same time every day; in one study, a consistent workout schedule improved performance and increased the  time it took for cyclists to reach exhaustion. The best workout  is one that fits into your regular routine, says Jordan Metzl,  M.D., a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special  Surgery in New York City and author of The Exercise Cure— but research does suggest that morning exercise may provide  the longest and most effective energy boost afterward.

7. Refresh your routine

Whether you try a new workout or take a different route to work, exposing yourself to novelty puts  your brain on high alert and increases its production of the feel-good hormone dopamine—which, in turn,  causes energy levels to spike, explains Cincinnati-based psychologist David Niven, Ph.D., author of The 100  Simple Secrets of Happy People. “You don’t have to make a dramatic change,” he says. “Aim for a departure from your usual routine that opens you to new experiences.”

Even just changing your point of view—literally—can put a spring back in your step, he adds. Looking up while  you walk rather than down at the ground, taking a laptop into a conference room instead of working at your desk, or  uncluttering your home so you have more open space can  all help you feel more creative, driven, and invigorated.

8. Move more

What do your car, couch, and chair al l have in common? Turns out, they’re energy thieves. “Sitting  for hours at a time prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching your organs, so you feel mentally and physically  tired,” says Metzl. Spending too much time on your butt doesn’t just zap your zip, it seriously increases your risk for chronic illnesses—even if you exercise daily, reports  a recent study from the University of Western Sydney.

A few ways to escape the desk-jockey doldrums: For every 30 minutes you sit, spend five minutes doing something that elevates your heart rate and gets your blood pumping. “In my  office, we do group burpees every hour,” says Metzl. “I’m  sure it looks funny, but it makes us feel alive again.” Or, try  a standing desk. Besides helping you stay alert, it may even  aid in weight loss: British researchers recently discovered  that workers who stand for long periods torch about 50  more calories an hour than those who sit most of the day.

9. Take some sound advice

Up-tempo tunes can inspire more than your  athletic endeavors; they can fuel your day- to-day performance too. “Music influences the pace of our movement,” says Niven. “We’re hardwired  to subconsciously adjust our own rhythm to match what we hear.” When you catch yoursel f yawning on the way to work or nodding off at your desk, pop on your headphones and select a song that gets your head bobbing and feet tapping, says Niven.

At the gym, choose tunes with around 140 beats per minute (like Lady Gaga’s “Applause,” for example), or use an app like Cruise Control ($5 about RM18; iTunes) that speeds up the songs on your playl ist to match your goal pace. For an added kick, sing or hum along. In one  study, participants who actually made music while lifting  weights (rather than just listening to it) perceived their  workouts as easier.

10. Steer clear of complainers

From the coworker who always has a sob story to the former roommate who constantly wants  relationship advice, some people just suck the life out of  you. “Trying to solve someone else’s problems doesn’t just  take time, it also depletes mental energy,” explains Yvonne  Thomas, Ph.D., an LA-based psychologist. These types  of “energy vampires” tend to be chronic complainers  as well, she adds, which can quickly sour your mood.

While you don’t have to ditch these friends entirely,  you should set boundaries, says Thomas. “When they  launch into a tale of woe, explain that you only have  10 minutes, so they should give you the short version.”  After they state their needs, clarify what you can and can’t do to help them out—and then hold your ground.

10 EASY WAYS TO EAT HEALTHY

Eating well isn't very difficult, but we tend to over complicate things. With a little planning, effort and the following steps, you'll be on your way to feeling fab in no time!

1. Planning is key

To ensure that you eat well daily, a certain amount of planning is necessary. If you fail to plan, once hunger hits you won't worry about the healthier choice and you might end up reaching for that pisang goreng. Take time on a Sunday to think about what the week ahead looks like and jot down when you'll be able to cook something healthy and if you need to eat out, what your healthier choices would be.

2. Re-stock your pantry

A well-stocked cupboard ensures that you have the base ingredients hand to cook with. This will deter you from taking the easy way out and heading to a restaurant. Buy airtight containers and fill them up with grains, pulses, legumes, pastas, and noodles. With these on hand all you'll need are a few fresh ingredients to cook up a complete meal. Stock spices, oils, vinegars and sauces to give a delicious kick to your meals, and nuts and dried fruit are a healthy snack to have on hand.

3. The freezer is your friend

Our freezers are often underutilized, but can be a helpful tool when it comes to eating well. Carve out some time over the weekend and cook up meals you can freeze and easily defrost over the course of the week. Curries, stews, and soups do well in the freezer. Freeze baggies of diced fruit to blend with soy milk and honey for a quick smoothie. In ice cube trays, freeze pesto that can used when you cook up pasta. Add a few fresh loaves of bread to the freezer that can easily be heated up in the oven when ready to eat.

4. Shop on the outer edges of the grocery store

Have you noticed that supermarkets have their own healthy map laid out for you? On the outer edges is where all the fresh produce is stocked and in the inner shelves is where you'll find the processed foods. Try as much as possible to shop on the outer edges where there are fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, and dairy products. As long as you keep away form the shelves of sugary biscuits, savoury chips, and canned goods, you'll find that you're diet will be instantly more nutritious.

5. Prep your ingredients the minute you get home

It can be easy to just throw your store bought ingredients into the fridge and forget about them until it's time to eat. If you take a few additional steps when you reach home, you'll find yourself breaking down another barrier to nutritious eating. Wash your vegetables and fruit and portion them in the fridge. This will make them easier to use. Meat can also be separated into individual serving Ziploc bags and kept in the freezer. This will help prevent overeatinga and wastage.

6. Do away with bad fats

To prepare healthier meals, toss the oils that have low nutritional value. If you're looking to do high heat cooking opt for grape seed or coconut oil that have a high heat point; to eat raw in salads, go for extra virgin olive oil. These oils are a healthy fat to add into your diet an you won't feel so guilty consuming them.

7. Go brown

To add more fibre and nutrition into you diet, go for brown, whole grain bread, rice, noodles and pasta.

8. Bake, grill, steam and boil

When cooking, try to stay away from frying your food. Bake, grill, steam or boil instead. If you must fry, opt for pan-frying with just a touch of oil. Instead of pouring the oil into pan, you can rub some oil onto the meat, this way you don't overdo it.

9. Serve the food on a separate table

When food is within reach, it'll be easier to eat more than necessary. If you serve the meal on a separate table or in the kitchen for example, this will deter your from eating more. You'll think twice each time you have to get up to serve yourself another portion.

10. Eat on a smaller plate

Tick your brain into wanting less by eating your meal on a dessert plate rather than a large dinner plate. The more full your plate. The more full your plate appears, the more satisfied you'll be with your meal.

TRICKS FOR CUTTING FAT AND BUILDING LEAN MUSCLE

Diet Right

► Read labels carefully. "I don't usually eat foods or have drinks made with artificial sweeteners because they make you retain water," says Paul ino. Ditto foods that are high in sodium. "I use sea salt sometimes when I'm cooking, but since

I'm the one who's in control, T know exactlyhowmuchis goingin," she adds.

► Choose carbs wisely. "I go for the slow-burning kind, like oatmeal or sweet potatoes. And I eat lots of greens, like kale and spinach, which have a ton of important nutrients."

► Indulge where you can. "One of my favorite foods is peanut butter. It helps me stay in control, plus it's loaded with protein," she says. Healthy fat sources, like avocado and olive oil, are also important. "To lose fat, you need to incorporate some fat into your diet."

► Load up on protein. Paulino's standard diet typically includes fish, grilled chicken, steak, and egg whites.

Train Smart

Paulino may be a regular at the gym, but she's constantly mixing up her workouts. Her favorite go-to fat blaster? A combo of weights and plyometrics that keeps her heart rate soaring wh ile working all of her major jnuscle groups (see "Amp Up Your Fat Loss," above). For longer cardio, she sticks with intervals using several differentmachines,such as 30 minutes on the stairdimber (one-minute intervalswith a20-second recovery) followed by a similar routine on a Stationary bike or treadmill.

Get a Little Extra Help

When Paulino needs a little more of a boost, she turns to ESN's Isobnrn fat-burning protein powder, made with natural ingredients like green coffee extract and L-carnitine. She adds, "I like to make it into a pudding—I'd rather cat my calories than drink them!"