19 Life-Changing Secrets

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19 Life-Changing Secrets

By A.J. Hanley

Eat sweets to curb a sugar craving? Overcome exercise inertia by

writing a letter? Who knew? Insiders, that's who! We combed through

the research and schmoozed with top doctors, trainers, nutritionists

(and even a few Fitness editors) to uncover the single most

important thing you need to know about everything -- from whittling

your middle to picking a weight-loss plan that you'll actually stick

to. Go ahead and pass these tips along. After all, some secrets are

just too juicy to keep to yourself.

1. The Secret to... Picking the Right Diet for You

Look for your favorite foods. " An obvious but often overlooked point

is that the best diet is one you'll stick to -- not a hyped-to-the-

hilt plan or the strategy that helped your sister drop 10 pounds. If

you adore fruit or pasta, for example, a high-protein regimen is a

recipe for failure. Remember that a diet is a way of life rather

than a quick fix -- and it's hard to live with a plan that keeps you

away from the things you love. "

-- , MD, an assistant professor at Yale School of

Medicine and author of The Perfect Fit Diet: How to Lose Weight,

Keep It Off, and Still Have the Foods You Love (St. 's Press,

2006)

2. The Secret to... Curbing a Sugar Craving

Don't beat it -- eat it! " Your urge may be biological or

psychological, but either way, deprivation only feeds it. Give

yourself permission to eat the particular sweet you crave and it

will lose some of its power over you. Fight the temptation to

overeat by buying only single-serving packages (Oreos, for example),

or take a reasonably sized portion out of the bag or box and give

away the rest immediately. "

-- McQuillan, RD, author of Breaking the Bonds of Food

Addiction (Penguin, 2004)

Your Best Body

3. The Secret to... Your Flattest Abs Ever

Keep the contraction constant while doing crunches. " When you lower

your back and head to the floor between each move, you rely on your

hip flexors or upper back, rather than your abs, to bring your body

back up. Making the movement small and tight keeps abdominal muscles

active, which maximizes the burn -- and your results. "

-- Kirsch, founder of the Madison Square Club in New York City

and author of The Ultimate New York Body Plan (McGraw-Hill, 2004)

4. The Secret to... Strong Legs and a Toned Butt

Get a leg up. " Lift one foot an inch or two off the floor as you do

your deadlifts, dumbbell shoulder presses, or biceps curls; switch

legs before you begin the next set. This helps train and strengthen

the leg's smaller, deeper stabilizing muscles, which will make legs

look more sculpted. You'll also burn more calories than you would

working both legs simultaneously. "

--Uy, fitness manager at The Sports Club/LA in New York City

5. The Secret to... Firming Up Really Fast

Be unrealistic. " Pretend to be a celebrity with a big event coming

up in three weeks. Commit to an intensive program that combines six

days a week of cardio and/or strength training with healthy eating.

A 21-day period is doable, and it's enough time to see an increase

in definition and endurance and for muscle memory to set in. So even

though you've officially 'completed' your program, you'll be

inspired to keep going. "

--Kacy Duke, celebrity trainer based in New York City

6. The Secret to... Preventing Workout Injuries

Train the way you need your body to move in life. " Constantly doing

basic exercises the same way -- lunges and squats, for instance --

creates muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. To counter this,

it's crucial to engage muscles you use on an everyday basis in your

fitness routine -- even if it's just during your warm-up. As you

rise from a squat, lift a ball over your head and then lower it

slightly with arms straight, as you might if you were putting a case

of soda on a high shelf. When you do lateral side lunges, pick up an

exercise ball from the outside of one foot and lower it to the

ground on the other. "

--Alden Mills, former U.S. Navy SEAL officer and creator of BodyRev,

a functional fitness weight system

A Healthy Outlook

7. The Secret to... Solving a Problem

Lie down. Psychologist Darren M. Lipnicki found that people come up

with solutions to puzzles faster when supine. Your body may produce

less noradrenaline, a hormone that can raise anxiety and interfere

with creative thinking.

--Study from the Australian National University

8. The Secret to... Having Amazing Sex

Love your " private parts. " " In a study of 2,500 women, we found that

the more women felt positive about how they looked and smelled, the

more sexually satisfied they were. Want to boost your below-the-belt

confidence? Get to know how you look and feel down there. Genitals

come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Don't assume that

yours should have the airbrushed look of a Playboy spread. "

-- Berman, PhD, director of the Berman Center, a women's sexual

health and research facility in Chicago and author of The Passion

Prescription: 10 Weeks to Your Best Sex Ever (Hyperion, 2006)

9. The Secret to... Feeling " Yoga Calm " All Day

Breathe slowly! " Quick breathing sends a signal to your body to

speed things up, which can contribute to anxiety. Every so often

throughout the day, zero in on your breath just as you would do in

yoga class, lengthening each inhale and exhale and concentrating on

the path of air as it travels through your body. You'll feel more

focused and less flustered in seconds. "

--Betsy s, certified yoga instructor and senior fitness

editor, Fitness

Looking Gorgeous

10. The Secret to... Looking Great on Too Little Sleep

Focus on your eye makeup. " Your whole face will instantly look

fresher and brighter. To make your peepers pop, highlight the inner

corner of your eyelids with a shimmery white shadow, and sweep a

flesh-toned shadow from the lash line to the crease. Then simply

curl your lashes and swipe on one or two coats of black or navy

mascara, and no one will know that you've skimped on sleep. "

--Gwen Flamberg, beauty director, Fitness

11. The Secret to... Looking Fab in Photos

Don't just pose -- do something! " Movement adds energy to the photo

and can help you look less stiff and feel more comfortable. Tell the

photographer to put on some music you love before shooting so that

you can begin camping it up like a supermodel. Look over your

shoulder, twirl your skirt, lift your child high in the air. "

--Tara Canova, deputy photo editor, Fitness

A Healthy You

12. The Secret to... Reaching Any Health Goal

Write a letter to a loved one. " List every excuse you can think of

for not taking care of yourself. Then explain why these unhealthy

habits may mean you won't be around for this person in the future.

Rather than sending the note, keep it nearby to read when your

motivation wanes. In addition to making you accountable for your

actions, it will remind you that the changes you're making will

prolong your life and the amount of time you'll be able to spend

with friends and family. "

-- , Los Angeles-based trainer and author of Body

Express Makeover (Simon and Schuster, 2005)

13. The Secret to... Heading Off a Hangover

Set your alarm for an hour before you need to get up. " Then take 800

milligrams of ibuprofen and go back to bed. Though twice the over-

the-counter dose, it's a safe amount to take occasionally (provided

you don't have kidney disease or ulcers). The drug targets

inflammation, which can cause hangover symptoms like head and body

aches. Spending that hour in bed -- even if you don't fall back

asleep -- gives the drug time to work and allows you to start your

day refreshed instead of flagging. "

-- J. Clayton, MD, coauthor of The Healthy Guide to Unhealthy

Living (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

14. The Secret to... Recovering from a Health Crisis

Focus on the positive. " Whether you're on the mend from a broken leg

or in remission from cancer, it's actually physiologically helpful

to consider what you've gained from the experience. Did you discover

a strength you didn't know you had? Find out which of your friends

could be counted on in a crunch -- and which ones aren't as reliable

as you thought? While an optimistic outlook isn't a cure-all,

studies show that people with one have greater resistance to

disease, recover more quickly from illness, and live longer. If you

have trouble seeing the upside now, surround yourself with people

who do. Then try this exercise: On a piece of paper, draw two

columns. Write down all your pessimistic thoughts on your health on

the left and balance each with a positive statement on the right.

Tear away the negative column and hang the optimistic list on your

fridge to glance at throughout the day. "

--Larry Dossey, MD, author of The Extraordinary Healing Power of

Ordinary Things (Harmony Books, 2006)

15. The Secret to... a Healthy Pregnancy

Give your gums the star treatment. It could benefit your entire

body. A recent study found that young people, especially those in

their 20s, are likely to get periodontal disease in their back

teeth, which can be associated with pregnancy-related problems as

well as heart disease. Brush and floss your back teeth carefully and

have them regularly cleaned and checked by a dentist. You also may

want to soak up a little sun (safely, of course). New research found

that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D may be less likely

to develop gum disease.

--Research from the School of Dentistry at the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University's Goldman School of

Dental Medicine

16. The Secret to... Not Fainting When Having a Blood Test

Tense your muscles. " Simultaneously contracting the muscles in your

arms, legs, torso, and neck can apply enough external pressure to

blood-vessel walls to prevent the drop in blood pressure that causes

fainting. Do this exercise in sets of five, five times a day (hold

each contraction for 10 seconds), so you can become familiar enough

with the technique to apply it at the doctor's office. "

--Mark Watling, MD, coauthor of Overcoming Medical Phobias (New

Harbinger Publications, 2006)

17. The Secret to... Curing Sinus Trouble

Toss your pillow. Your bedding may be harboring millions of fungi.

Aspergillus fumigatus, the species found most commonly in pillows,

can worsen asthma, particularly in adults who've had it for many

years, and cause allergic sinusitis in those with allergic

tendencies. When you buy a new pillow, consider one with feathers,

as more fungi were found in the synthetic variety.

--Study from the University of Manchester in England

Difficult Challenges

18. The Secret to... Writing a Condolence Note

Share a special memory you have of the person. " Be very specific,

e.g., 'Your mom was always so warm and welcoming. And what a cook! I

was always thrilled when she asked me to stay for dinner --

especially when her famous lasagna was on the menu.' If you didn't

know the person well, write about a memory the grieving person had

previously shared with you -- 'I know how much your mother meant to

you and I know how very much you meant to your mother.' "

--Letitia Baldrige, author of Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New

Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette (Scribner, 2003)

19. The Secret to... Getting a Solid Answer from a Hard-to-Pin-Down

Person

Ask a solid question. " Many times, we're afraid to hear the word no,

so we make wishy-washy queries. Pose your question so there's no

room for anything but a yes or no response, e.g., 'Am I in the

running for that job?' 'Can you fix my computer today?' While

unpleasant to hear, a no will at least enable you to move on with

your life. "

--Misha Henckel, Los Angeles-based life coach