Alkaline Diet
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HAVE FUN GETTING FIT DRO lOLB THIS MON HowtoTone& Tighten All Over Smooth Skin, . Glossy Hair Overmght TrendyNew DietTricks What Will Work, What Really Won't $4.soUS $5. SOC AN 05> Easy Steps to Cut .Your Risk MAY2013 (f) UJ ';;: U o (f) (f) « o z « (f) UJ ';;: In Do Trendy ~ oCl: LL --' A EVERYWHEREYOUTURN,SOMEONE'SDOING --' Diets Work? => In • somethingshe swearswill change herbody. Z Cl: => Maybe the co-workerwhose green-juice bottles ~ Americans spend about Cl: clutterthe office fridge claims she lost 3 pounds in ~ $30billion a year onweight-loss programs (f) ::J three days. Perhapsyour pal says her clothes are « > andproducts. Learnwhat's worth looser afterhotyoga. Inan iEverythingworld, In Clz trying-andwhatto avoid. where instantgratification rules, it's easyto think ::J > there's a magical wayto drop pounds fast. Before ~ By COURTNEY RUBIN (f) o0.. you guzzle, sweatyourselfsillyor do anything Cl: 0.. extreme, knowwhatthe experts have to say. PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRAVIS RATHBONE MAY 2013 HEALTH.COM 41 BEST SHAPE ISlimScoop HOTYOGA HOW IT WORKS The original is Bikram yoga, a 90-minute series of 26 poses done twice in a 105-degree studio. You'll find other hot yoga classes-either Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga, given in 90-degree-plus rooms. Proponents claim the high temps help boost metabolism. SO DOES IT WORK (AND IS IT SAFE)? JUICE CLEANSES "You're going to sweat a ton, then you're going to drink HOW THEY WORK You ordervegetable andfruit beverages from one ofthe ubiquitous like mad and put-back on all juice-cleanse companies like BluePrintCleanse or OrganicAvenue. Then, as you've the water weight you lost." likely heard from the friend who won't shut up about iton Facebook, for three says Dr. Peeke. As for claims you'll burn fat faster? "Your to five days you drink onlythese beverages. (Ifyou must eat, some companies say metaboiism improves, at certainfoods, mostly rawveggies, are OK.) least temporarily, with pretty SO DO THEY WORK (AND ARE THEY SAFE)? You might shed, but it'llbe mostlywaterweight. much any exercise." And the heat may make you move "Nobody should do ajuice fast for more than three days," cautions Pamela Peeke, less vigorously, notes B. Don MD, assistant professor at the UniversityofMaryland and author ofThe Hunger Franks, PhD, a fellow of the Fix. No matter how manyvitamins thejuices have, the lackoffat means some of American College of Sports themwon't be properlyabsorbed. Ifyou do repeated cleanses, continues Dr. Peeke, Medicine: "The more work' you do, the more calories you the periods ofcalorie deprivation could cause a temporarymetabolism slowdown. burn." Avoid hot yoga if you Steer clear ifyou're pregnantor have diabetes. And knowthatyou could even gain have hypertension or heart weight ifyou overdo itwithfruitjuices, adds Frank Lipman, MD, an integrative disease since it can spike blood pressure. medicine specialist in New York City. Even the healthiest fruitjuice packs sugar. IF YOU WANT TO TRY IT... Stick with Case in point: Organic Avenue's Gracious grapefruitjuice has 37 grams. power yoga or aerobics for IF YOU WANT TO TRY ONE ••• Athree-dayjuicefast before a big event shouldbe fine, allows more effective fat-burning. Dr. Peeke, but checkinwithyour doctorfirst. Andbe aware thatthese diets can But if you test out hot yoga, drink up: Bikram masters cleanyou out in moreways than one: They cost up to $75 a day. recommend an extra 64 to 80 ounces of water per day. £'!!!te!!J!R'!a~!!~!!~n~f,e~Pist to keep them focused on smarter eating choices. You can find one at societiesofhypnosis.com (sessions run $75 to $200). Or try these simple phrases practitioners recommend to patients. Say out loud, repeat often, believe! ~ "Formy body, ~ "Too much food is ~ "I'm attracted ~ "Doughnuts might overeatingis damaging. lowe my to healthy foods." taste good, but a poison." body respect and thenewme isn't protection." interested!" 5SignsIt~ 1 2 3 4 5 Testimonials A banon entire Lure ofa quick A requirement Unrealistic withno proof: If food groups fix: "Anything tobuylots of claims: "It a ShamDiet youcan'tgoogle (fats, carbs): thathappens products: No works without Run (do not walk) academic Balanced fast will get pills or bars the gym" or if a plan has any of studies, ithasn't nutritionis undone fast," canchase "eatwhatyou these features. ~ been tested. simply a must. says Dr. Peeke. calories away. want." As if. A vital part of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is intended to correct imbalances in the body. DIET TREND #4 ALKALINE DIET HOW IT WORKS According to the alkaline theory, if you get your protein mostly from certain nuts, seeds and forms of soy, and eat lots of produce while avoiding "acid-promoting" high-fat animal products, sugar, caffeine and alcohol, you will promote a neutral blood pH that can help keep your body trim and healthy. SO DOES IT WORK (AND IS IT SAFE?) "The alkaline diet is a marketing ploy, and most of the recommendations > are ones I'd give my clients f f anyway!" says Marjorie Nolan w CJ Cohn, RD, a spokeswoman ' (/) w for the Academy of Nutrition CJ« and Dietetics. One problem ::; ACUPUNCTURE ~ with the diet: overdoing nuts, > HOW IT WORKS This ancient practice has found newlife as partofsome slimming ui seeds and avocados, which f strategies. Apractitioner inserts fine needles along the ear to target "hunger :::J are healthy but calorie-dense. Z ;.: points" that,when stimulated, may impact hormones related to appetite. In any case, blood is naturally f f pH-balanced, unless you have w SO DOES IT WORK (AND IS IT SAFE)? "Onlyin combinationwith diet and exercise, and the ;;::CJ kidney problems. W magnitude ofadded benefit is not clear," says Tieraona Low Dog, MD, fellowship -..J IF YOU WANT TO TRY ILCheck in first ::; o director atthe UniversityofArizona Centerfor Integrative Medicine. She with your doctor, who can steer f- b suggests potential payoffs maybe more likely a result ofweekly interactionwith you toward a simpler eating (lJ z the acupuncturist: "Whensomeone is accountable, theygenerally have better plan to help you lose weight. o ::; Even ifyou still go for the iii success." Ofcourse, checking in with a friend could serve that purpose. alkaline diet (which reportedly W a:: IF YOU WANT TO TRY IT... Go to a reputable provider. Finda list ofpractitioners at the has many star fans, including :::J f Victoria Beckham), resist the o National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's site, Z :::J urge to buy special alkaline lL nccaom.org. Sessions costbetween $50 and $120; mostpeople go once a week. :::J water, which should come with ~ a warning label: total as. MAY 2013 HEALTH.COM 43 BEST SHAPE ISlimScoop TheStarsAre Trying What?! Giuliana Rancic DemiMoore SalmaHayek Laura Prepon has done the has practiced has been doing once told Health, Ultimate Tea Bikramyoga. juicecleanses "I've always Diet, drinking "You're sweating for 15 years (and done crazycrash four cups daily so badly, you helped create her diets....I did plus three light realizevery own line). "IfI've the hCG diet meals: "Myskin quicklythat been indulging... [you're injected startedlooking no one cares a cleanse is a with] a hormone younger, and whatyou wonderful way that's extracted I had more looklike, to hitthereset from the urine energy," she has you're aJljust button," shehas ofpregnant said. You don't tryingto get said. Reality women! But need a special through the check: Your body now I take > .... diet to drinktea 90 minutes," is a self-cleansing bettercare w ~ and eatlight. she has said. machine. ofmybody." (fJ w > ~ w '"o DIET TREND #6 o W N'" Z o MEDITATION S ow HOW IT WORKS Ithas beenpracticedfor centuries, butsome newerversions are focused :2 ;: on mindful eating. You maybe taught10-minute meditations you cando anywhere. .... w SO DOES IT WORK (AND IS IT SAFE)? Meditation canhelp withweight control, suggests ~ w initial research-when done hand in hand with mindful eating. In one sma1l2011 ~ :2 studyconducted at the UniversityofCalifornia at San Francisco, overweight W womenwho received training in both practices maintained theirweight, while i:'" oz the control group gained. Meditation is believed to enhance the function ofyour Il. W brain's prefrontal cortex, known as command central, boostingvigilance and Il.'" <ii determination (maybe even Zenlike calm!), while mindfulness makes you aware w ~ ofevery morsel you putinyour mouth. Says Dr. Low Dog, "Most ofus eatin a ~ > hurry, wolfing down ourfood without much thought to what it tastes like or ifwe .... are satiated." w "w A proven IF YOU WANT TO TRY IT••• '"~ I SLIMMING stress Just do it! Eat slowly, ;: buster, .... meditation savoring each bite and w BODY can help '-' noting the sensations "o reduce (3 WRAPS anxiety « that arise. Ifyou overeat :2 HOW THEY WORK A spa staffer overeating. :2 whenyou're anxious, ...J applies a paste of chocolate, i:i: LJ coffee or green tea, then Dr. Lipman recommends '"o mummifies you in plastic and downloading the o :2 a heated blanket for an hour. free meditation app ;: .... SO DO THEY WORK (AND ARE THEY SAFE)? Headspace (on-the-go) w This technique is similar to ~ available for iPhone or w hot yoga: "You'lI put back on « Android-and carving ":2 any weight you lose once you W start drinking." says Dr. Peeke. out daily time to listen i:'" "But it's perfectly safe unless in. Says Dr. Peeke, who oc5 you have hypertension." Your z skin might appear tighter for tried meditation recently « a couple of days afterward, as afteryears ofdoubting . ;:'" .... the caffeine in many of these she could sit still (she w wraps temporarily constricts "z can), "You teachyourself "o skin, notes Elizabeth Tanzi. (fJ to look atjellybeans the « MD, a dermatologist in :2 w Washington.