Does Yoga Make You Slim?
By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Want to be less tempted by the Twinkies and naturally prefer the carrots? Try yoga. Sounds simple, but recent research revealed that people who practice yoga often eat more mindfully -- and tend to be thinner.
Eating mindfully means eating because you're hungry, not because the person who sits next to you at the office keeps having meltdowns from the workload or because someone brought in chocolate cake today. It's about recognizing, but not responding to, the gooey pizza ad; about noticing the flavors of your food; and about being able to identify when you're not hungry or you're full.
What does that have to do with yoga? It's possible that the mindfulness skills taught in some yoga practices -- including the focus on breath and meditation -- carry over and help you detach from the tempting ads, the emotions or the smell of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies, and tune in to your body.
Focusing on mindfulness is different from how people usually diet (with a focus on weighing and measuring), and it's worth a try. Even if your waist is fine the way it is, mindfulness training is smart; it helps you learn to manage stress and many other aspects of your life (including your friends, spouse, kids, co-workers, heart attack risk and even your likelihood of having better sex). Now are you ready for yoga?
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The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: The Owner's Manual." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com. (c) 2009 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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