The Next Big Thing: Beyonce's Maple Syrup Diet?
We've all read about Beyonce's maple syrup fast which helped her lose 20 lbs in preparation for a film role, but is it really the next big celebrity diet? Her weight loss strategy has been critiqued lately by nutritionists but people are still fascinated with the idea of dropping so much weight in so little time, and the "magic diet" that will get them there. Let's talk about reality here for a second. Fasts of maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice have long been used by people looking to "detox" their bodies and digestive tracts. Yes, it helps you lose weight but the weight you are losing is not fat. It's waste. It's the 5-10 lbs of partially-digested food that is sitting in your intestines waiting to be expelled. Some theories claim that removing this waste aids the weight loss process by allowing more effective digestion once you return to solid foods, which may have some validity, but let me just say: folks, don't try this at home. It's not worth it.
Beyonce knows how to lose weight [The Superficial]
UPDATE: Beyonce tells other would-be maple syrup dieters: don't try this at home! [Sky News]
In the future, could we all get a shot to prevent us from gaining weight? Research on mice has targeted the hormone ghrelin, believed to regulate appetite, metabolism and weight, in the development of a weight-gain vaccine. Tests have shown that the vaccine does not cause weight loss but rather prevents weight gain by decreasing ghrelin activity. Mice given the shot who ate the same diet as those without the vaccine gained less fat than their counterparts. I can see Nicole, Victoria, Kate, heck, all of Hollywood, lining up for their shots now.
Yoga poses and light dumbbells, an idea whose time has come? Yoga has been popular for years as a low impact way to increase strength and flexibility and to decrease stress. Celebrity devotees include Madonna, Christy Turlington, Sting and just about everyone else in Hollywood. While it does increase static strength, it doesn't necessarily build muscle because it relies on body weight exercises only. Is incorporating weights a way to make it a more effective strength workout? Possibly, but from the excerpt at the link below which describes poses while holding light dumbbells combined with your standard isolation moves, I'm not so sure. Sounds like your average cardio bunny's trip to the gym to me.
Is this the next magic pill? Fish oil appears to increase fat metabolism and lower insulin levels, both of which can contribute to weight loss. It has also been shown to have numerous other benefits on mood, memory, attention, cholesterol, cardiac health, arthritis, asthma, you name it. How long before it's on the cover of Time magazine and everyone in Hollywood is popping it?