If you have a party to attend next week or a beach day planned in a couple days, there are easy ways to quickly de-bloat your body. Borden shares what foods to eat and drink and what to avoid with every ounce of your "I need to look hot this weekend" body.
What to eat and drink:
*Take a digestive enzyme with each meal, which will work to help rid the body of bloat and help you digest your food. Borden says that enzymes like Digest Gold by Enzymedica, will help to get rid of any blockages in your digestive system making you feel less full and preventing gas buildup.
*Vegetables like dark leafy greens (broccoli, spinach, kale) and celery.
*Lean proteins like salmon, white fish and chicken, but don't add salt. Also, grill your meat, it's one of the leanest way to cook protein.
*Water, water and more water, drink 100 ounces to be safe. Add lemon to some of those ounces to flush sodium out of your system.
*Watermelon, oranges, grapefruit -- basically any fruit that has a high water content.
What to avoid:
*Anything that comes in a can. Preserved foods tend to either pack a huge salt punch or have added sugars.
*Red meat
*Fruit juices
*ANY carbonated drinks like soda, diet soda and sparkling water
*Dried fruit
*Corn and anything made out of it, like popcorn
*Starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams
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Skip heavy weight lifting (for now)
Borden suggests that if you're going to the beach tomorrow and want your thighs to look as slim as possible, you should actually skip your intense iron pumping session today. Why? Doing a heavy weight lifting session will swell your body temporarily as lactic acid builds up post workout, says Borden. So save hardcore training sessions for during the week, if you have big "I need to look thin" weekend plans.
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Think thin
One of the easiest ways to fake a toned body, says Borden, is through pure and simple power of persuasion. If you carry yourself like you think you look fat by slumping in your shoulders, avoiding eye contact or wearing that turtle-clad sarong to the beach, then that is the way people are going to see you. If you hold your shoulders back, keep your eyes on the horizon and exude confidence in your stride, then you will look and feel like you have a better body, says Borden. "What you project, people will believe," she adds.
Don't worry, we know. We know how hard it is to get to the gym as often as you'd like. We know it's easier to push that elevator button instead of walking up those three flights of stairs at the dentist. We know "Bagel Fridays" at work have you bummin' because you just can't seem to resist the cream-cheesy goodness that calls to you at your desk. And we know that for once you want to wear a bikini to the beach without having to tie a sarong covered in turtles around your butt. Like we said, we know. What you don't know, but are about to find out, is that you can make your body look thinner and more toned with some sneaky and super smart makeup, hairstyle, nutrition and quick fitness tips. Skip to see them now.
Are we suggesting the best way to fight body fat is with foolery? No, of course not. Can we all sympathize with having a hectic agenda that doesn't always allow us to pump iron on a regularly scheduled program? Why yes, of course we can. Should our less-than-perfect time-management skills or love of Pinkberry be punishable by thicker thighs or a belly pouch when swimsuit season is upon us or we have a wedding to attend? Well, that depends on whom you're asking. We happen to think not, so in an effort to comfort you (and admittedly ourselves), we went to the top experts in health and beauty to get the secrets to shedding excess bloat (fast!) and making your body look more toned with beauty tricks.
Here's who we called on: Makeup artist Landy Dean and hairstylist Katie Seguin from the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City, celebrity fitness and lifestyle expert Ashley Borden, and tanning expert to the stars Jimmy Coco, for proven ways to make your face and body appear like you didn't cancel your last two personal training appointments. Don't be confused, this is NOT the lazy girl's guide to getting a better body, meaning, you'll still need to hit the gym and eat sensibly to get into great shape. These tips won't magically turn you into Giselle BUT your body will look more toned after exploring these health and beauty tips to feign a better body -- think of them as smoke and mirrors.
