Take a spoonful of vinegar before reaching for the cupcake
Even after I've had the most satiating meal -- when I'm sure I can't take another bite -- I somehow always manage to find room for dessert. Even if all I crave is just one little bite, my sweet tooth wins (and I always end up taking more than just one bite).
If you can relate, Aim True yoga instructor, Kathryn Budig has an effective (if a little off-putting) solution: Take a spoonful of raw apple cider vinegar as your post-dinner cocktail. (And trust me, you're going to want to pound this stuff like it's a Jagermeister shot.) Raw apple cider vinegar helps stabilize blood sugar levels, says Budig, which curbs your craving for sweets. You can also take a shot of the vinegar in the morning, which will rev up your metabolism and digestive system for the day, she says.
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Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon into your coffee
Here's a little insight into my typical morning:
7 a.m.: Fill up my to-go mug with coffee and sip on my drive to work.
9 a.m.: Hit the office coffee maker for a re-fill (and a frozen burrito, or a bagel, or a leftover pastry from the morning board meeting).
11 a.m.: Walk to the local coffee shop with some co-workers for a double-shot latte (and, on most days, some sort of sweet treat).
You're probably starting to get the picture. I'm hungry almost all day, every day. But to keep my appetite in check -- and help me avoid noshing on some sugar-filled treat every time I need a caffeine fix -- James M. Andry, MD, co-founder of MDWeightWorx in Bloomington, Ind., tells me to add some cinnamon to my diet. And sprinkling a little bit into my morning java is a great way to start.
Not only does cinnamon help curb appetite, research also shows that this sweet spice also helps control the insulin spike that often comes after meals. Cinnamon causes your body to absorb carbohydrates much more slowly, and lowers your blood sugar levels -- both which contribute to a lower insulin level, says Andry. And remember, insulin is a hormone that converts excess sugar into fat, which ultimately contributes to weight gain.
Andry says even as little as 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day can improve your blood sugar content by 24 percent and cholesterol levels by 18 percent. To get the benefits, start sprinkling the sweet spice into your coffee, oatmeal, or cereal.
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Believe in bacteria
Bacteria gets a bad rap. It's the stuff that makes us sick, the stuff we're supposed to avoid at all costs. But there is such a thing as good bacteria, and when it comes to our digestion, this good bacteria is crucial.
"Beneficial bacteria [known as probiotics] keeps your gut healthy," says Stella Metsovas, a nutrition and diet expert in Los Angeles. "Having healthy, functioning intestines allows you to better digest and assimilate nutrients -- a key factor to optimal health!"
While Metsovas takes a bite of kimchi or sauerkraut every morning, any foods with live, active cultures (like miso, tempeh, and kefir) fit the bill.
If I read another article telling me to drop the Twinkie and replace it with a carrot stick, I'm going to hurl my cream-filled cakes at the computer screen.
I know I should pick hummus over doughnuts and pita chips over potato chips. But as anyone who's ever tried to watch their diet knows, it's not always so easy. While staying healthy and trimming some fat is a noble goal, who wants to subscribe to a strict veggie-chomping and gym-rat lifestyle?
Of course, I know the secret to six-pack abs isn't in a pill or "30-second" workout (although that would be amazing). But there's got to be a happy medium between the quick fixes and the no-sugar, no-carbs, no-fun plan.
That's why I asked dietitians, fitness gurus, and wellness experts for their advice on the small changes that add up to big results. They told me that adding these 7 healthy ingredients into my diet will get me the maximum health payoff for the minimum effort. Now we're talking.
