S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim - Book Review

You might remember that I reviewed Cynthia's "Cinch" book last year.  Here's that book with a new name and even MORE recipes, to help you complete this weight loss program with as much support as possible.  Plus, she's added a bunch of success stories.  I don't know about you, but I find success stories extremely motivating and encouraging.  And who won't love a program that "requires" dark chocolate every day? Specific book information directly from the publisher: Cynthia Sass, the creator and co-author of the New York Times Bestselling Flat Belly Diet presents her new break-through, 30-day weight loss program Cinch! targeted to end overeating, leaving dieters feeling full and satisfied while enjoying the best food combinations to burn fat and boost metabolism.  S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim is a 30-day plan in two parts. Part one is a 5-Day Fast Forward option that jump starts your results. It calls for four simple meals a day, made from just five foods: spinach, almonds, raspberries, eggs, and yogurt (or vegan-friendly alternatives). Cynthia selected these foods because each is filling, rich in detoxifying and health-protecting nutrients, and has been scientifically shown to specifically support weight loss. Using these five superior foods in various combinations daily for five days gives your body, mind, and taste buds a fresh start and will help you shed up to eight pounds quickly.  Part two is a 25-day plan (30 days if you forego the Fast Forward option) which also calls for four meals a day, but now draws from a broad but specific array of food choices. And with this part of the plan, you can easily drop a size in just one month. The Core is based on cutting edge research and three key rules that work in synergy to provide real and lasting results: Rule #1: Eat Like Clockwork. Meal timing is important — you must eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and space the remaining meals evenly throughout the day, no sooner than three and no more than five hours apart, in order to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and hunger hormones; reset and rev up metabolism; and keep feeling energized.  Rule #2: Think 5 Pieces 4 Times a Day. Each meal in the S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim plan is constructed as a unique “puzzle” made from five pieces: produce, a whole grain, lean protein, plant-based fat, and specific seasonings — or, as Cynthia refers to them, SASS (more about that below). Following the plan is as easy as knowing what the five pieces of the puzzle are and how much of each one to include at every meal. This becomes second nature within the first week. This simple approach allows you to consistently S.A.S.S. yourself whether you’re at home, at a restaurant, or on vacation. It’s as easy as choosing from Cynthia’s 100 delicious recipes or using the DIY chapter to build your own ‘5 piece puzzle’ meals.  Rule #3: Make Flavor Your Focus. S.A.S.S. — the fifth piece of the puzzle (above) — stands for Slimming and Satiating Seasonings: vinegar, citrus juice or zest, hot peppers, tea, and herbs and spices. These five additions not only add flavor to the meals without excess calories or sodium, they are scientifically proven to maximize your body’s fat-burning furnace and are rich in antioxidants, which have been linked to lower body-fat levels, even without dieting. The book also includes chapters on emotional eating, falling in love with walking, and an entire chapter devoted to the health and weight loss benefits of the daily dark chocolate escape. On this plan you can shed pounds while enjoying satisfying recipes, such as Berry Almond French Toast, a Smoked Gouda and Grilled Onion Salad, Ginger Pear Smoothie, and Shrimp Creole. Vegetarians, vegans, and those following a gluten free diet can also follow this plan to achieve sustainable weight loss success.  S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim teaches you how to get your body back, and refocus your attention and energy where they should be — on living and enjoying your life. A fellow blogger has been following this program with her husband for the past 30 days and they have had wonderful success!  You can read their story at Diminishing Doll and Company. There's a one-week meal plan for you to follow at Shape.com. Surprising Tips About Weight Loss as told by Cynthia Sass, author of "S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim" ·         Chocolate is good for your diet – and that’s why S∙A∙S∙S! Yourself Slim includes a little dark chocolate every day: it will control your cravings and benefit your body. 91 percent of American women crave chocolate; it contains natural substances that create a sense of euphoria. We already know that it boosts levels of serotonin and dopamine, which improve your mood and significantly reduce stress hormones; but other beneficial chemicals are also included in chocolate: Phenylethylamine, the substance that your brain releases when you fall in love, and Theobromine, which boosts circulation and is a possible aphrodisiac. Women who ate dark chocolate for seven days saw their “bad” cholesterol drop by 6 percent and their “good” cholesterol rise by 9 percent. ·         Spicy does it. Spicy and strong seasonings send messages to the brain that cause you feel fuller faster. Plus, herbs and spices have even higher antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. Hot peppers are a diet aid because capsaicin has been shown to rev up the metabolism. Black pepper increases calorie burning by stimulating the nervous system as well as the mitochondria in cells. Cinnamon has been found to slow the rate of stomach emptying after meals and reduce the post-meal rise in blood sugar. A recent study found that adding turmeric to your diet can stall weight gain by preventing new blood vessel growth; research also shows that it fights cancer and Alzheimer’s and curbs fat accumulation. Garlic fights viruses, prevents arteries from hardening, and has been linked to reduced risk of at least seven types of cancer. ·         Vinegar can curb calorie intake. One study showed that people who consumed a tablespoon of vinegar before meals lost an average of two pounds over a four-week period without making any other dietary changes. ·         Vitamin C is also important in weight loss.  Its presence in the blood stream is directly related to fat oxidation, the body’s ability to use fat as a fuel source during both exercise and rest. ·         Choose weight loss, not lipo.  According to the FDA, deaths associated with liposuction are higher than fatalities from car crashes, and could be as high as 20 to 100 per 100,000 procedures. A healthy eating plan triggers fat loss and protects health. ·         Organic food is richer in nutrients and antioxidants. If you can only buy some organic foods, prioritize and buy those that you eat most often, like milk and eggs. Plants produce antioxidants to protect themselves from pests like insects and withstand harsh weather; when they are treated with chemicals such as pesticides, they don’t need to produce as much of their own natural defenses. We already know that antioxidants play a vital role in anti-aging and disease prevention, and recently science has begun to show that they also help regulate body weight. ·         Emotional eating is a learned behavior; babies never overeat.  Most people can point to one or more of the primary emotions that trigger overeating: fear, sadness, anger, and joy.  One of the keys to stop emotional eating is to substitute it with another behavior; if you try a willpower approach, you may stumble and go right back to where you started or switch to another unhealthy coping mechanism.  To employ an alternative to emotional eating, you need to catch the emotion before it becomes too intense. S∙A∙S∙S! Yourself Slim includes exercises to show you how. ·         Sadness out eats happiness. A university study showed that those who watched a sad movie ate 36 percent more popcorn than those who watched an upbeat movie. People who feel sad tend to choose more indulgent snacks that give them a feeling of instant gratification. Eating a diet high in processed foods has been linked to an increased risk of depression. ·         Drink tea for health benefits and figure control. Antioxidants in green tea help people who exercise shed additional fat. The catechins in green tea may help people trigger a preference for burning fat instead of carbohydrates. ·         Resistant starch (RS) can also help with weight loss. RS is a filling, fiber-like substance that your body doesn’t digest, and can be found in carb-rich foods including beans, corn, barley, brown rice, and whole grain pasta; they are also great sources of fiber. Beans are a super food: a recent 19-year-long study found that people who ate beans four times a week had a 21 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to once-a-week eaters. ·         Avoid artificial sweeteners. They don’t add nutritional value to your food, and they may have unwanted side effects for both you and the environment. European research has found that artificial sweeteners don’t get removed in waste-water treatment. ·         For long term weight loss, you have to move. 90 percent of successful “losers” – people who have lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for years – exercise on a daily basis. Brisk walking is probably the best choice. I was given a copy of this book to facilitate my review as a member of the One2One Network, but any opinions expressed are my own.  And the chocolate almonds they included were delicious!!