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The Best Weight-Loss Tips in the World

From Brazil to Thailand to Germany, we share ways to whittle our waists from all over the globe. Here are the 9 best weight-loss tips from all over the world. 

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The best weight-loss tip from Thailand? Spice it Up!

The best weight-loss tip from Thailand? Spice it Up!

Thai food is among the spiciest in the world. Hot peppers raise your metabolism, but the real benefit of food with a little zing is that it slows your eating, says James Hill, past president of the American Society for Nutrition. When a person eat too fast, he says. “by the time your body signals that it’s full, you’ve overeaten.” Eating slower is a good weight-loss strategy, and making food spicier is an easy way to do it, making it one of the best weight-loss tip. 

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The best weight-loss secret from Brazil: Serve a Side of Rice and Beans

The best weight-loss secret from Brazil: Serve a Side of Rice and Beans

All that shaking at Carnival isn’t the only body-friendly habit in Rio. Brazilians stay slim by enjoying this traditional dish with just about every meal. A study in the journal of Obesity Research found that a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by about 14 percent, compared with typical Western fare. That’s because it’s lower in fat and higher in fiber, which is thought to stabilize blood sugar levels, making it a great weight-loss strategy.

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The best weight-Loss Strategy from Indonesia? Fasting

The best weight-Loss Strategy from Indonesia? Fasting

Islam, this country’s leading religion, encourages periodic fasting–no food or drink from dawn to dusk. Others in Indonesia practice mutih, which allows only water and white rice. Although experts don’t recommend fasting for weight control, fasting in moderation can break patterns of mindless eating, says James Hill. Many people never get hungry, he points out. “We’ve eaten the next meal before we’ve entirely digested the last one.” No need for strict abstinence to get these psychological benefits- if you want to try out what is considered best weight-loss tip, try just cutting your calories in half for a day.

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Poland: Eat at Home More Often to lose weightPhoto: Thinkstock

Poland: Eat at Home More Often to lose weight

Poles typically spend only 5 percent of their family budget on eating out. “People who don’t cook at home tend to eat less healthy food and be heavier than people who do,” says journalist and activist Michael Pollan. “In fact, the collapse of cooking in a society tracks very closely its rise in obesity.” To save money and pounds, start tracking how often you eat out and how much you spend each month, and gradually cut back.

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Germany: Eating Your Breakfast is one of the best weight-loss strategy

Germany: Eating Your Breakfast is one of the best weight-loss strategy

An impressive 75 percent of Germans eat breakfast daily. Nutritionists have been advising people not to skip breakfast for years, but recent studies give a better picture of its importance. In one, British researchers discovered that if you haven’t eaten breakfast, your brain’s reward center will light up more vividly when you see a high-calorie food, making you more likely to indulge.

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Netherlands: Swap the Gas Pedal For the Bike Pedal and shed the pounds

Netherlands: Swap the Gas Pedal For the Bike Pedal and shed the pounds

Bikes (18 million) outnumber people (16.5 million) in the Netherlands. Dutch bike owners use them for daily activities, such as shopping and traveling to work. The average Dutchman pedals 541 miles per year. Traffic lights in parts of Amsterdam are even synchronized to bike speed. Try using your bike to commute or for errands close to home. If you’re of average size and pedaling at a moderate pace, you can burn around 550 calories per hour.

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The best weight-loss tip from Switzerland: Try a Bowl of Muesli

The best weight-loss tip from Switzerland: Try a Bowl of Muesli

Muesli is a porridge or cereal made from oats, fruit, and nuts, each of which has been linked to better health and weight control. It was developed by a Swiss physician more than a hundred years ago to nourish hospital patients, but the Swiss eat it for breakfast or as a light evening dish. Muesli’s fiber makes it slow to digest, keeping you feeling full longer. Read the label carefully, though: Sugar content can vary from 2 to 14 grams per serving.

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Malaysia: Turn Up the Turmeric to lose weightPhoto: Thinkstock

Malaysia: Turn Up the Turmeric to lose weight

This spice, a key ingredient in curries, grows wild in Malaysian jungles. One of its chief components is a substance called curcumin, which may turn out to be a potent fat fighter. A recent Tufts University (Massachusetts) study found that mice fed a high-fat diet with small amounts of curcumin gained less weight than did other mice given similar but curcumin-free meals. Researchers think the ingredient suppresses the growth of fat tissue and increases fat-burning, making it one of the best weight-loss secret. Try some in your next stir-fry.

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South Africa: Sip Some Rooibos Tea to lose weight

South Africa: Sip Some Rooibos Tea to lose weight

Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and because it’s naturally sweet, it needs no sugar. “Tea-drinking cultures generally have lower rates of obesity,” says Dr. Fred Pescatore, president of the International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists. “That may be from special compounds, such as catechins, that certain teas contain, or it may simply be that we often think we’re hungry when we’re really dehydrated.”