Lose the festive belly fat (without feeling hungry). Here’s how.

The big question is, what changes are worth making to your diet to have the biggest impact? I’ve spent years researching what works best for both weight loss and improved health. Here’s a reminder of the ‘Holy Grail’ of the five things you should do to succeed this year:

• A low GL Diet a great way to eat both for weight loss and overall health. By following a low GL diet you balance your blood sugar, preventing insulinInsulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. It is responsible for making the body’s cells absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood…. spikes, which both make you hungry and store carbs away as fatThere are many different types of fats; polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, hydrogenated, saturated and trans fat. The body requires good fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) in order to… for a rainy day that rarely comes!
• Alternate day dieting. To burn fat fast I recommend that you apply my low GL diet to alternate day ‘fasting’ by having a diet with 35 GLs on ‘fast’ days and 50 GLs on the ‘feast’ days. I explain exactly how on the burn fat fast page.
• The fibreFibre is an important part of a balanced diet. There are two type of fibre; soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre helps your bowel to pass… factor. One of the main factors that determines whether a carbohydrateCarbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body as they can be broken down into glucose (sugar) more readily than either protein or… food is high or low GL is the amount and kind of fibre it contains. Soluble fibres absorb water and as a consequence make you feel fuller. The king of soluble fibres is glucomannan fibre, found in the Japanese konjac plant and has consistently been shown to help with weight loss.
• Exercise. For both all-round health and fitness and also for weight burning, you need a balance between muscle-building exercise, called ‘resistance’ or strength training and ‘aerobic’ or endurance exercise. That might mean a ‘strength’ session of alternate days and a 30 minute endurance exercise, such as a jog, brisk walk, cycle or swim. There are also clear advantages in short burst high intensity exercise called ‘interval’ training which can either be built into your ‘strength’ training routine or endurance session. I’ve built this into my Burn Fat Fast programme.
• Supplementary benefit. There are a number of dietary supplements that assist weight loss and help to keep insulin levels down. One of my favourites is chromiumWhat it does: Helps balance blood sugar, normalise hunger and reduce cravings, improves lifespan, helps protect cells, essential for heart function. Deficiency Signs: Excessive or…, which in a study showed those who took it ate less, felt less hungry, craved fat less and also lost more weight than those taking the placebos. Other supplements that have been shown to support normal blood sugar and insulin regulation and to assist weight loss are HCA (an extract from tamarind) and 5-HTP (a form of tryptophan).
• Go Hybrid – In March I’ll be launching my new book The Hybrid Diet, which will explain another way to help weight loss and improve health. It explains two effective ways to regain health and lose weight: a high fat, ‘ketogenic’ diet and a slow carb, ‘low GL’ diet. Switching between the two is the best of all. Variation not moderation, is the key to health. The Hybrid Diet mimics the body’s evolutionary design. We are ‘hybrid’ and can run on glucose from carbs and ketones from our body fat. Alternating between the two is the hottest health secret.

While I can’t reveal all yet, you can get an idea of what it’s all about by watching my two minute animated film and find other details on The Hybrid Diet pages. I’ll also be doing a series of seminars to explain all in March/April in the UK and Ireland. Book tickets at www.patrickholford.com/events

In the meantime, If you’re committed to losing weight and transforming your health this year and want to find out more, read my book Burn Fat Fast.

If you would just welcome some more guidance on eating well to avoid weight gain and recipe ideas – there’s always my Low-GL Diet Cookbook.

HOLFORDirect offer a variety of supplements and healthy foods that support sustained energy release and balanced blood sugar levels – the MetabolismMetabolism is a term that is used to describe the chemical reactions that take place within the body’s cells. The body gets the energy it… range. 100% Health Club Members will get 30% off in January – NEWYEARNEWYOU19. Find out more about joining the 100% Health Club.