Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

Still going for that sexy summer body?  Well, while it may be too late, you can get skinny just in time for the holiday season. 

Undress and stand in front of the mirror--if you dare.  Are you happy with what you see?  Well, health experts say this is step-one to making your dream body a reality.

Turn to the side and check out your profile—this is a great way to determine your problem spots.  Of course, I’m not promoting going on a psycho weight-loss kick; rather, a fab way to get rid of flab.

Yep, if you didn’t quite land that bikini body in time for summer, now is the time to get things in check before the holidays roll around.  That’s why we’re dishing fat loss secrets you may not know about. 

Consider this, according to The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels, fat should only be 15-20% of your diet.  In other words, bid farewell to decadent desserts and hefty carbs.   In addition, you’ll want to stay away from sweetened drinks, especially soda.  That’s because they’re rich with sugar, and sugar equals calories.  Instead, make water your new BFF.

And speaking of water, here’s your H2O breakdown.  Start your day with a big gulp of cool water—this is a good way to rid your digestive juices and lubricate your system.  Then drink some more water before every meal—it’s a good tummy-filler making you feel more full.  Then down some H2O during your meals…little sips help your food settle.

When it comes to food, consider shedding the pounds Japanese style—their diet is simple and healthy.  Stock your fridge with seafood and veggies, particularly horseradish, garlic, snow peas, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.  However, if you’re a carnivore, this isn’t your ideal diet.  The Japanese don’t eat a lot of meat.

And you might want to add this super supplement to your diet:  African Mango Plus.  Some health experts claim this product safely suppresses your appetite and increases your energy levels.  It also helps battle obesity-related health risks.

Obviously over-eating is a big cause of weight gain, so it’s suggested you take into account portion control.  Many dieticians claim you should eat six times a day.  An easy way to intelligently do this is to segregate three meals for the day into six small doses every 2-3 hours--and these meals should be veggie-heavy.  Yep, feel free to go crazy with leafy greens; learn to love salad.  It’s also a good idea to buy organic produce that don’t use pesticides.  (Hormones in commercially grown food can lead to obesity.) And say sayonara to salt and go for lean meat only.  Switching up your weekly menu makes eating healthy more fun.

And we all know exercise is important—real important, but there are some tricks to fitting in physical activity during your work day.  Start with taking the stairs ALL THE TIME; by-passing the elevators is a great way to lose weight fast.  And as weird as this sounds, wriggle your toes and fingers whenever you can.  In addition to being a stress reliever, doing this gives you a chance to work your joints.  Of course, add biking, aerobics, yoga, jogging, and swimming to your weekly mix.

And after your work-out, rest up.  Sleep allows the body to produce Leptin—that’s the natural hormone that controls appetite.  Enough R&R also gives your muscles time to recoup after a long day.

Finally, hail Fido.  Yep, health experts say getting a dog increases your physical activity levels.  You’ll need to walk your 4-legged pal, or even take it for routine runs.  It’s a great way to get outside and get healthy all in good company.

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