YOUR HEALTH

Sweet Smell Of Weight-Loss Success

(NAPSI)-A doctor widely recognized for his research into the ways smell and taste affect human behavior has discovered that these senses can be a potent ally in the struggle to lose weight.

In his new book, "Sensa Weight-Loss Program," Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., F.A.C.P., explains his Sensa Tastant System and shows how enhancing the pleasure of food can naturally encourage weight loss.

For example, did you know that having a bowl of buttered popcorn or ripe strawberries nearby can improve the intensity of a workout?

Besides his insights on the effect of scent, the book shares proven strategies and tactics for safely increasing weight loss, including choosing more-satisfying, filling foods and making small changes in everyday activities. Here are a few of his tips:

• Fill up on wholesome carbohydrates. To avoid feeling ravenous hours before lunchtime, make breakfast a bowl of old-fashioned (rolled) oatmeal. Quick and easy to cook up in the microwave, this hot cereal is higher in satiety than bacon and eggs.

• Slow down while eating. The longer it takes you to finish a meal, the less you will eat overall. The less you eat, the more weight you lose.

• Eat foods that require more of an effort to consume. For example, stews that need to cool off between bites are better choices than cold salads. Spaghetti, which requires twirling, takes longer to eat than tortellini. Shrimp in their shells are a better choice than those that are already peeled.

• Sit up straight in chairs. Sitting up straight expends more calories. When sitting for a period of time, shift in your seat, stretch, squeeze your hands together and contract your abs.

• Bring in one bag of groceries at a time. You will make more trips.

• Get up to change the TV manually. Start by trying it a few times a week.

• Use Sensa Tastants, which blend scents and flavors to maximize the pleasure of eating and reduce the amount required to feel full or satiated when sprinkled on every meal or snack. There are sweet and salty varieties.

"Sensa Weight-Loss Program" is available at Amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com or wherever books are sold.