In a live video chat yesterday, Shape magazine’s senior associate health editor Bahar Takhtehchian shared her best tips for beating the bulge during this holiday season. The chat was sponsored Fiber One, which is launching a new line of high-fiber brownies. Aside from all the tempting holiday foods, Takhtehchian says it’s easy to gain weight this time of year because “a lot of people associate eating with relaxation.”
Takhtehchian says that by planning to make smart meal choices, you can avoid unwanted weight gain despite the many temptations of the holiday season. Her first big tip is always eat a filling breakfast, even if you know you’ll be eating something rich later in the day. Starting the day with a meal that has plenty of protein and whole grain, which can keep you fuller throughout the day and less tempted to eat something you shouldn’t. In the afternoon, Takhtehchian recommends eating a lighter lunch and a snack. “Snacking will rev up your metabolism,” she explains, as long as you pick foods with plenty of fiber, like a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit. For those with a sweet tooth, she also suggested the Fiber One brownie. “One of the benefits of fiber is that it does keep you full,” she says.
The health editor also offered tips for navigating holiday parties. Takhtehchian advises against ever going to a party feeling hungry. “When you show up starving, you know what happens,” she says. “You eat everything in sight.” Instead, eat a filling meal before arriving. Cocktails are another healthy diet downfall, not only because they’re loaded with calories but also because one drink too many will lower your guard against unhealthy foods. Pick cocktails that are low in sugar, and swap soda water for tonic. “Vodka soda is one of my favorites,” she says, adding that you can give this drink a kick with a wedge of lemon or lime. Another good strategy to avoid extra calories is to drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
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In this week’s Health Buzz, learn how to stay fit while you beat the heat and enjoy what’s left of this blazing hot summer.
With stories from Shape, SheKnows, MomGenerations, and our team, you’ll learn how to actually enjoy a swimming workout, how to finally fit yourself on the to-do list, make plans for your first 5K this fall, and get to the bottom of this whole raw food vs. cooked food argument (spoiler alert: it’s a bit of a tie!).
Plus, sip into one of the best recipes we’ve stumbled upon all summer – watermelon mojitos. In a popsicle. We’re loving Sugar And Charm for this one!
It’s all in this week’s Health Buzz! Click to watch it now.
See more Health Buzz episodes.
Marisa Miller is appearing on her eighth cover of Shape this February. She’s also a Victoria’s Secret model and has appeared in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. So how does Marisa stay looking swimsuit-season-ready? She’s a lifelong athlete who’s passionate about a sport that keeps her moving.
Marisa played many sports in high school, and today, she enjoys stand up paddle surfing. Also known as SUP or Hoe he’e nalu in Hawaiian. It is an ancient form of surfing that’s recently gained international popularity. For Marisa, paddle surfing can be therapeutic. “I think it’s important when you exercise that you have something that’s fun to do.” Marisa is partnering with Surftech create a line of paddle boards that are specifically for women. “Even if you don’t surf, it’s a great way to be out in the ocean,” says Miller in and interview with Shape. Marisa has been stand up paddle surfing with for the past couple of years. The sport is a total body workout, with particular emphasis on the core body muscles.
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photo: celebrity-pictures.ca
Have you ever wondered how a middle-aged model like Christie Brinkley has been able to stay so beautiful? Me neither, but after seeing recent photos of her, it hit me how amazing she still looks at the age of 56.
While I don’t keep up with such things, plastic surgery may have a role, but it doesn’t change the fact that her entire body still looks great after all these years.
What’s her secret? In an interview with Shape magazine, she reveals her creative ways of staying fit- the first of which conjures a pretty ridiculous image:
“I think of drying my hair as really boring. I thought, ‘OK, I’m going to multitask.’ I’ll dry my hair as though I’m sitting on a chair, even though there’s no chair there. Then I’ll do some squats.”
Then there’s this:
“When I’m brushing my teeth, I’m bending my leg behind me, or I’m lifting my leg up and holding it in that position so I’m squeezing my butt in. I can do that while I’m washing or slicing vegetables, too. Or I go up and down on my toes, working my calves a little bit.”
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Image via Shape.com
From drugs to food, Kelly Osbourne has played out some very serious health battles in the limelight of the paparazzi and gossip magazines. She once made the very true, yet unfortunate statement that her battle with her weight made more headlines than her near-death battle with drugs.
So it should come as no surprise that as the former contestant of Dancing with the Stars, graces the cover of this month’s Shape magazine in her size-2 bikini-clad body, gossip websites and celebrity blogs are on fire with just how amazing this pint-sized young starlet looks.
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