Are you a diet pro? Tried grapefruits, cabbages, and lemonade? Think you’ve tried every diet under the sun? We took a trip around the world to bring you the best diets tips from other cultures – and a few you might want to add to your weight-loss resume.

China

In China, there are two main aspects to weight loss – increasing the metabolism and balancing the body.

Accelerating the metabolism is something we all want to do – burn more calories and you’ll lose more weight. The diet aisle in US stores are loaded with pills that claim to do just that – and if you look at the ingredients, most have at least one ingredient in common: Chinese green tea. Studies have shown that drinking two cups can improve heart health and help you get and stay slim. The polyphenols in green tea also increase your body’s ability to quickly and effectively metabolize fat when consumed with meals.

Balancing the body is also important – and one of the most popular methods in China is acupuncture. Acupuncture works by pinpointing pressure points to release tension and built-up toxins. Research now shows that the stress-reduction and appetite suppression effects of acupuncture have a direct correlation to improved diet and lower body fat. Don’t expect to reap the rewards of acupuncture after just one visit though – most practitioners say it can take 5-10 sessions before patients start seeing a difference in their bodies. The difference in overall wellbeing is noticeable right from the start.

The Mediterranean

The term “Mediterranean Diet” has been throw around a lot in recent years, but what does it actually mean?

The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet focuses on eating healthy fats found in olive oil, lots of fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, red wine, and very little, if any, red meat.  Common sense tells us that it’s healthy, but does it work for weight loss?

Absolutely. Increasing your intake of veggies and fruits ups your fiber intake. Fiber helps you feel full sooner and stay that way longer. Fiber also helps flush toxins from the body. Diets rich in olive oil have also been shown to speed weight loss – it may seem counter-intuitive, but an increase in monounsaturated fat increases the body’s ability to break down stored fat. Red wine also contains metabolism-boosting properties; flavonoid polyphenols, the chemicals in wine responsible for the deep red color, can offset the negative effects of a high-calorie diet – and help you lose weight on a healthy diet.

Another key component of living the long, healthy life promised by Mediterranean Diet proponents is walking. Walking burns calories and promotes weight loss, but also has other benefits. Walking after a meal aids in digestion and boosts metabolism, helping you increase the number of calories your body uses even when at rest. People who spend an hour walking every day have report an increased sense of peace, a reduction in stress, and an improved ability to focus on the important things in life – a trick that can keep you from reaching for junk food when life gets tough.

South America

Why do people experience dramatic weight loss on the ever-popular lemonade diet? Not eating is part of it – as are the unpleasant salt-water cleanses. But there’s one element of the lemonade diet that can help your weight-loss efforts while you stick to a sensible eating plan – the secret is in the cayenne pepper, native to South America.

Chili peppers have some amazing properties – their heat increases your metabolism, curbs your appetite for sweet and fatty foods, and makes it easier for you to stick to your diet by adding flavor without sugar or fat. Chili peppers also make you feel good – scientists say that they can actually be addictive because they trigger the release of opiate-like chemicals in the brain to counteract the “pain” caused by the heat of the peppers. A general sense of well-being is one of the most powerful diet aids out there – and unlike the tube of cookie dough that you think might make you happy, peppers actually will!

India

India has its own magic weight loss food – turmeric. Turmeric is a spice found in most Indian curries. It has long been used to heal wounds, fight inflammation, relieve pain, and ward off the ravages of diabetes on the body by balancing sugar and insulin levels in the bloodstream. Recent studies have also shown that curcumin, the active antioxidant found in Tumeric, is associated with a significant reduction in body fat.

India’s other weight loss secret is a secret no more – so many Hollywood celebrities talk about the benefits of yoga that it’s easy to forget that the practice originated halfway across the globe. The word “yoga” has many translations, but the most common is “uniting.” Yoga is a physical and mental practice that is designed to unite the body and mind through movement, breathing, and meditation. Yoga can be modified for any fitness-level, and regular practice will reshape your body – creating long, lean muscles, building a stronger core, and increasing flexibility – while improving mental health.
Spain

Finally, just in case you were worried that Americans were alone in their passion for strange fad diets, we uncovered a new one in Spain, a country whose women are known for long, lean, curvy bodies. It’s the sandwich diet! Spanish women who’ve tried the diet claim you can lose up to thirteen pounds just by substituting a sandwich for one meal a day. You get exactly two pieces of multi-grain bread and whatever you want in between them, but absolutely no side dishes – no chips, no pickles, no french fries.

Will it work for you? That depends on your current eating habits. If you usually eat a sandwich for lunch (much more common in the United States), then replacing your sandwich with a sandwich probably isn’t going to help. But replacing your usual evening meal may yield surprising results – you’re less likely to overeat when you have to fit your whole meal between two slices of bread.

About The Author:

Jatin Dhillon is a freelance writer, web publisher and a fitness enthusiast. Don’t forget to read his reviews on <a href=”http://www.the-idiotproofdiet.com”>fat loss 4 idiots diet</a> and it’s advanced version the <a href=   “http://www.beyondcalorie.com”>beyond calories diet </a>– one of the most popular diets to hit the internet.