Essence_USA__February_2018

LOVE & LIFE : WEIGHT LOSS
you’ve worked so hard for. Commit to being mindful of
everything that hits your plate.
EMBRACE THE POWER OF PROTEIN
An important part of a balanced diet, protein has a
number of benefits you can’t get anywhere else.
Protein helps produce important hormones, boosts our
metabolism to aid in melting off that belly fat and, most
important, assists in building and repairing almost
every tissue in the body. Also, protein doesn’t cause
insulin to spike, so you feel satiated longer. Every meal
should include a protein—lean meats, fish and beans are
some great picks—and be sure to eat it before carbohydrates
and fats.
CLEANSE YOUR BODY
Consider incorporating JJ’s Belly Fat Detox drink into
your daily routine. Besides being insanely inexpensive to
make, the vitamin and nutrient–filled concoction keeps
your skin glowing, can aid in digestion and detoxification
and can help you lose unwanted belly fat. Start with about
four to six ounces of water—but you can use up to eight
ounces to dilute it for a better taste. Then put in the
most important ingredient: two tablespoons of Bragg
Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar With the
Mother. Make sure you buy the “with the mother”
Green leafy veggies
Onions
version—its beneficial bacteria and acids remain in the
vinegar and create that murky, cloudy look. Warning:
Don’t use white vinegar as a substitute. Unfortunately
white vinegar does not have the same detoxifying
qualities, so stick to the brown stuff.
One of my biggest hacks to lose weight quickly is adding
about two dashes of cayenne pepper to the mix. This red
spice can have many positive effects on your digestive
system, from preventing blood clots to relieving joint and
nerve pain to speeding up your metabolism. Top things off
with a dash of lemon. Some believe fresh lemon is very
good at cleansing and detoxifying the body—it provides
vitamin C and can clean out your entire digestive tract very
nicely. Blend all these ingredients
together and you’ve got yourself a
quick, easy detox cocktail.
Some of my clients drink this
beverage two to three times a day
before a meal to reduce inflammation,
increase energy and reduce
bloating, fatigue and hormonal
imbalance. In my best-selling book,
The 10-Day Green Smoothie
Cleanse, I guide you through a full
detox program, which is made up
of leafy veggies, fruit and water. »
FOODS TO
DETOXIFY YOUR BODY
Citrus fruits
Beans
Broccoli sprouts
Green tea
Seeds and nuts
In her books, Smith
shares her secrets.
Garlic
Omega-3 oils
MEET THE MAJOR ORGAN IMPACTING WEIGHT: YOUR LIVER
The key to losing weight and keeping it off is maintaining a liver that operates at its peak. The liver, which
weighs around three pounds, breaks down, eliminates and neutralizes toxins. If poisons or excess fats clog
the liver, it can’t burn fat.
SMITH, COURTESY OF SUBJECT. FOOD, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JOFF LEE/GETTY IMAGES; SUMNERSGRAPHICINC/GETTY IMAGES;
HANDMADEPICTURES/GETTY IMAGES; FCAFOTODIGITAL/GETTY IMAGES; SALLY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES; DAVIES AND STARR/
GETTY IMAGES; SPENCER JONES/GETTY IMAGES; STEVE GORTON/GETTY IMAGES; PICTUREPARTNERS/GETTY IMAGES; JAMIEB/GETTY IMAGES.
106 ESSENCE.COM FEBRUARY 2018