‘Sugar belly’ disappears!

Amy Shah, M.D., shares tiny tweaks that balance blood sugar & melt fat. Tamara lost 145 lbs + reversed diabetes

- BY LISA MAXBAUER

We've all seen some wacky diet trends on social media (chugging vinegar shots, wearing castor oil wraps...) but it turns out some of these hacks actually work! Just ask triple-Ivy League-educated and double board-certified physician Amy Shah, M.D., who shares her deep knowledge with millions of people on social media. She put some hacks to the test and told us which ones to trust. Here, the super-easy, delightfully unexpected habits that can help you drop belly-plumping blood-sugar levels by up to 50% and melt off pounds!

There's a reason tips to balance blood sugar spread like wildfire online. When we learn to control our blood sugar, we harness the power to boost metabolism, prevent or reverse diabetes and shed our sugar belly. But these hacks actually work, says Dr. Shah...

1. Try 10 squats

Got 10 seconds? Doing 10 body-weight squats (just squat like you're sitting in a chair, then stand) for every hour of sitting is more effective at managing blood sugar in overweight adults than taking a 30-minute walk.

“I do this all the time,” says Dr. Shah, author of I’m So Effing Hungry. “You can literally do it anywhere: at your desk, while brushing your teeth, while traveling.”

A 2024 study shows this trick lowers postmeal blood-sugar spikes by 22%. Scientists say flexing large muscles in the butt and thighs helps use up circulating blood sugar. (They call it “the squat effect.”) In contrast, when blood sugar gets too high and isn’t utilized, insulin helps store it as body fat, fueling weight gain in the belly.

2. Make 'magic' carbs

Freezing bread overnight before eating it or reaching for leftover rice and potatoes in the fridge can reduce the blood-sugar impact of the meal by 30 to 50%, says Dr. Shah.