Burning fat is a pretty standard way to lose weight. Most of us think that the quickest way to fat loss is burning up the miles on a treadmill or sweating it out in a solid cardio class. However, Liz Vaccariello, editor-in-chief for Reader’s Digest, is promoting the fat-burning capability of the foods we eat. Yes, putting more food in your mouth to meet your weight loss goal is a thing. However, as she explains in her newest book The Digest Diet, it’s about putting the right foods in your mouth to lose fat.
“It’s a breakthrough food plan that shows you how to release fat from your body,” Liz told us in an interview. “[The Digest Diet] is the perfect nexus of healthy weight loss and fast weight loss.”
Fast and healthy? Surely that gets everyone’s attention.
Liz is also the author of two other wildly popular weight loss books, which she wrote in her previous position as editor-in-chief at Prevention Magazine. The Flat Belly Diet and 400-Calorie Fix both promote healthful eating for weight loss, but Liz says her new book has grown out of the newest research.
“This science on fat releasers didn’t exist five years ago,” she told us. “[The Digest Diet] is a more holistic approach that focuses on a broader range of food with more flexibility.”
She’s quick to point out that even red wine is included in the Digest Diet where it wasn’t before.
What exactly is this science that both the book’s cover and Liz boast? Well, she talks about the role of micronutrients in weight loss. They found a study that pointed out that a deficiency in vitamin C and calcium can increase risk factors for a higher fat mass. When people are getting their daily amounts of vitamin C and calcium, they reduce that fat mass and their weight.
Key fat-releasing foods in The Digest Diet include grapes, quinoa, cocoa, honey, and vinegar, or as Liz called them, “digestible super foods.” These foods offer those key vitamins, as well as resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in grapes (and red wine) and cocoa that has been linked with weight loss benefits, but more so anti-aging capabilities.
The Digest Diet starts with a four-day fast of liquid foods. “We flood the body with nutrients with soups and shakes to maximize nutrition,” Liz told us. She said users find success because they’re losing four to eight pounds in those first four days, which she calls “highly motivating.” Their star panelist lost more than eight pounds per week in the first three weeks, but Liz pointed out that most people see a loss of about 10 pounds in those 21 days.
For the second phase, users blend a shake each day, nosh on lean and green meals, and enjoy a glass of red wine each day (or grapes for non drinkers).
The book is full of delicious and savory recipes to guide you on your fat-blasting journey. Some of the meals you may enjoy include the Italian Shrimp and Vegetable Soup, Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado-Radish Relish, Kale Salad with Feta, Grapes and Pumpkin Seeds, and Orange-Chipotle Broccoli Rabe.
A big difference in Liz’s previous work with Flat Belly Diet compared with the new Digest Diet is exercise. Working out was optional in Flat Belly Diet, but a required part of the Digest Diet, which scores big points in our book. Liz explained the importance of HIIT-style workouts (high intensity bursts of exercise in a short period of time). “There’s no more 60 minutes on a treadmill,” she said. “We’ve got a 12-minute fast workout.”
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