Here are some things you can try when working on changing your body composition. Most have to do with insulin control which is directly related to negative body composition. If you do choose to follow some of these, don't follow blindly. Take special note of everything to see what works and doesn't work for you.
1. Try 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice before eating. May or may not lower blood sugar by up to 10%.
2. Try 1.5 teaspoons of Cassia cinnamon (grind yourself if you can) poured over coffee, or any food to help significantly increase insulin sensitivity.
3. Make mealtime longer. Shoot for at least 30 minutes. Taking your time has been shown to cause weight loss without changes in food selection. It helps control spikes in blood sugar therefore controlling insulin release.
4. If you tend to be a big eater, try appetizing with fat such as macadamia, etc before the main course. This will make you feel full faster and controls glycemic response.
5. Try grapefruit. It contains a special flavoniod, naringin along with other nutrients that have been shown to kick start fat burning. It's worth a try.
6. Try an ice pack directly on the upper back/trap area for 20-30 minutes. This may or may not help with fat loss due to shivering. The body releases fatty acids to help try and warm the body up.
7. Drink 500mL of ice cold water on an empty stomach immediately upon waking. This may show minimal effects in the short term but long term may be worth it. Plus if it doesn't, you've been fasting for 4-8 hours (depending on how long you've been sleeping) and are plenty dehydrated.
8. Do a small circuit every morning upon waking and before (a few minutes) and after (about 1.5 hours) large meals where you know you won't remain Paleo (wink, wink). Three rounds of 15 Air Squats, 10 Push ups, 10 upper body pulls of some kind (db rows, band pull-aparts, etc). Don't time it, it's not supposed to be super fast, for you CrossFitters out there.
7. Take 5-10 minute cold showers before breakfast and/or before bed. Start with the circuit above and then jump into ice cold water. If you miss the workout, start with a few minutes of hot water before then turning yourself into a snowman.
