Beat inflammation the easy way!

Damaged and swollen ('inflamed') cells make weight loss nearly impossible. The good news? Dialing down inflammation can be as easy as lowering levels of advanced glycation end products (AGES). Plus, preventing AGES from building up in your body wards off diabetes, arthritis, asthma and neuropathy and cuts heart disease risk by up to 45%! And doing so is as easy as...

- Melissa Gotthardt

Turning on the slow cooker

The caramelized burn that occurs when protein and fats in meats and poultry are cooked at high temperatures accelerates AGEs formation. Luckily, Mount Sinai research shows the lower temperatures and added moisture of slow-cooking curb AGEs by 81%. Also smart: Use a lemon juice– or vinegar-based marinade before searing meat. The acidity thwarts the chemical reaction that produces AGEs, cutting levels by 63%.

Walking and talking

Strolling around your house while you chat on the phone with a friend provides a boost in circulation that helps clear AGEs from your blood. In fact, Japanese scientists found that women who were active for 90 minutes weekly (about 13 minutes a day) cut their AGEs by 50% in 12 weeks. Other activities that send AGEs plunging: dancing, stair-climbing and calisthenics.

Sipping scarlet juices