To expand your mind and contract your gut, all you need is a
little entry-level brain science. There's a neurotransmitter called serotonin
that relays positive vibes around your body. It's responsible for the high you
get after sex or exercise, but it also lifts your mood as you slim down. We're
not saying weight loss is a mind-expanding experience, but with these foods and
activities you'll increase the happy hormones buzzing around your brain,
preventing low moods from dragging down your motivation. The only thing that'll
be downbeat is your fat stores.
Your new go-to veggie side course: broad beans. They contain
a compound called levodopa, which increasesthe 'pleasure hormone' dopamine,
found Vanderbilt University. Plus, multiple studies show the dietary fibre you
get from beans encourages you to eat less. Alternatively, peas are good.
They're high in tyrosine, a precursor to levodopa.
LIGHTEN YOUR MOOD
Go for three 40-minute sunlit runs a week. Regular light
therapy helps you shed 2% more body fat, according to research by Canadian
scientists. And the exposure to natural blue sky and green space leads to an
instant uplift in your mood. It's the most blatant reminder of the lighter,
brighter side of shedding those excess kilos.
CALORIES CUT I 400
MOOD LIFT I 14%
FEELlN' ALL WHITE
Your nightcap of choice should be a glass of milk. Research
published in the Journal of Nutrition found it lowers levels of the stress
hormone cortisol - linked to excess belly fat - and helps you cut calories by
filling you up so you find it easier to avoid an oversized breakfast in the
morning. The study authors say you need 711ml daily for the full effects.
CALORIES CUT I 200
MOOD LIFT I 7%
GO INTO A TRANCE
Shred fat simply by sitting still and letting this tip wash
over you: the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience found that meditation
sends you into a state oftota I relaxation. Practise breathing techniques half
an hour before a meal and you'll also strengthen your resolve not to go crazy
at the all-you can- eat curry house. Karma over korma every time.
CALORIES CUT I 170
MOOD LIFT 116%
WEED IT OUT
Snack yourself slim by making your own seaweed crisps. Buy a
pack of nori - a sea vegetable - from your supermarket and bake it at 200°C for
15 minutes. Seaweed is one of the best natural sources of tyrosine, a nutrient
your body needs to make dopamine. If that's not reason enough, in a study in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, dieters lost 41b extra when taking
seaweed supps.
CALORIES CUT I 130
MOOD LI FT I 6%
GET A BIT TRYP-Y
Dose up on venison at least once a week. A standard 120g
steak contains 112% of your RDA of tryptophan, an amino acid that's crucial for
the production of the mood-improving chemical serotonin. Compared to beef,
you'll also save 12g of fat and 5g of sat fat per serving. If the deer is too
dear, you'll also find an uplifting amount of tryptophan in tuna, cod, chicken,
turkey and prawns.
CALORIES CUT I 115
MOOD LIFT I 7%
TASTE THE TROPICS
Wake up to a 200ml glass of pineapple juice. You'll save
calories over OJ and fill up on the hormone melatonin, which adds an average 25
minutes to your sleep, according to Northumbria University. It's good for your
mood because your serotonin levels fall when you're not getting enough
shut-eye. When you sleep well, you're also less likely to snack in the day and
several studies have shown that vitamin C - also present in the tropical fruit
- helps to oxidise fat, putting your love handles on a downer.
CALORIES CUT 120
MOOD LI FT I 8%
