Slimmers should start snacking on blueberries, as they slash the number of fat cells in the body by up to three-quarters, say scientists.

Researchers found the fruit can break down existing fat cells and prevent new ones from forming, making them a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against rising obesity.

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As a registered dietitian in private practice, it’s something I often hear when I meet clients for the first time. “Why can’t I lose weight? I eat healthfully, don’t touch desserts and exercise regularly but the scale won’t budge. I think I’m doing everything right.”

People often wonder if their inability to lose weight is the result of a sluggish metabolism, an underactive thyroid or simply bad genes. Almost always the answer is no.

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Not that we’re envious (actually, yes, we are), but guys seem to have a much easier time getting fit than women. Sure, their bodies are different, but what if there’s more to it? After looking at men’s traditional workout habits versus women’s, we found that they have a few tricks up their sleeves. For one thing, strength training burns way more calories than cardio alone, and post-workout protein shakes are more than just an excuse to drink a smoothie. But that’s not all! Read on to find out how you can improve your own fitness routine by taking a few tips from the boys.

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The question

Is a vegan diet actually healthy? How can a vegan get all the nutrients they need without taking pills?

The answer

Yes, a vegan diet – one that excludes all animal products including meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs – can be very healthy if properly planned. Many studies suggest that vegetarians are less likely to be overweight and have a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

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Apples could help us to improve cholesterol levels and lose weight, say researchers.

They found that women who ate 75g of dried apple a day for six months saw levels of LDL cholesterol – the harmful form blamed for clogging arteries – fall by almost a quarter.

Levels of other compounds linked to heart disease and strokes also dropped, and amounts of HDL cholesterol, the ‘good’ kind which wards off the hardening of blood vessels, rose by about 4 per cent.

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Earlier today, we mentioned on The Hot Button that sleep deprivation, while euphoria-inducing, can hamper your judgment. But not getting enough shut-eye can hurt your waistline too.

People who don’t get adequate sleep consume around 300 extra calories a day compared with when they’re well-rested, USA Today reports.

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Looks like Mom was right. Broccoli and cauliflower are good for you. According to a recent review, they’re key ingredients in an eating plan – called the epigenetics diet – designed to fend off cancer.

The epigenetics diet also includes soybeans, red grapes and green tea, foods with active ingredients that influence genes involved in the cancer process.

While genetics is the study of inherited genes, epigenetics looks at changes in the activity of genes. Epigenetics investigates how environmental agents – including the foods you eat – influence which genes are turned on or off.

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It’s cold outside. And as the temperature dips, many New Yorkers head indoors to work out, trading the soupy city streets for a treadmill or stationary bike. And that’s where many of us encounter a puzzling (and often dated-looking) diagram pointing out the so-called “fat-burning zone.”

The reason it’s plastered all over the gym? Proponents of the zone argue that it represents a kind of exercise sweet spot-typically between 60 and 70 percent of our maximum heart rate-in which our bodies burn the most fat.

So should we buy into the idea?

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Coffee with fatty diet pushes blood sugar levels up 65 per cent

Drinking coffee after a high-fat meal can raise your blood sugar to potentially harmful levels, a study has found.

Not only are blood sugar levels increased after a fatty meal, but the rise doubles if the meal is followed by caffeinated coffee, researchers discovered.

The study used a specially prepared drink containing molecules of fat, known as lipids, enabling researchers to mimic what happens to the body when fat is ingested.

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You burn additional calories after a workout session without even trying — which is sort of like a buy one, get one free deal at the supermarket. This concept of continuing to burn extra calories long after you’ve left the gym is called “afterburn.” The amount of calories you burn depends on how long and how hard you work out in the first place.

You’re likely to get the greatest afterburn from a long, hard weight-training workout. In one study, fit men who completed a super-high intensity, 90-minute strength workout, performing 60 sets with little rest in between, experienced an 11 percent metabolism increase for about two hours after the workout. The next morning, 15 hours after the workout, their metabolism was still elevated by a substantial 9 percent, which translated into about 150 extra calories burned. While these numbers are impressive, the workouts were far longer and more strenuous than most people can handle or tolerate on a regular basis without injury or burnout. During a more typical workout — say, three sets of ten exercises — researchers say a generous guesstimate for afterburn add up to no more than 50 to 75 calories total.

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