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Spanx can solve a lot of life’s problems, but they can’t make you look better in your birthday suit. Nor can they tame PMS, perk you up after one too many cocktails, or keep you revved in bed. But the right foods can.

Don’t let the dreaded D-word throw you off. These daylong diets aren’t about deprivation or even losing weight; they’re about noshing on the right nutrients so that you’ll look better and feel better—fast.

“We Leave for a Romantic Getaway Tomorrow” Diet

Your sexual vitality depends on eating foods that are rich in the amino acid L-arginine, says Robert Fried, Ph.D., senior professor of biopsychology at Hunter College and coauthor of Great Food, Great Sex. Found in nuts, poultry, and seafood, this sexual secret weapon promotes healthy blood flow to the sex organs so you can experience maximum pleasure.

Also, devouring heavy foods before the big lovefest can weigh you down and divert blood flow away from your sexual regions. Reach for lighter fare that balances carbs (for energy), protein (for stamina), and healthy fats (which your body uses to produce testosterone and estrogen, the two hormones that keep your libido running nicely).

What to Eat
Breakfast Oatmeal + walnuts + dried cranberries

Snack Celery + peanut butter

Lunch Garden salad + chicken + olive oil dressing

Dinner Whole-wheat pasta and shrimp tossed in olive oil + fresh-berry dessert

“I’m in PMS Hell” Diet

Premenstrual mood swings and crazy cravings come down to a shortage of the brain chemical serotonin, says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., coauthor of The Serotonin Power Diet. “The only thing that helps—and it helps instantly—is to eat carbs, because that’s the only way the brain makes new serotonin,” says Wurtman, who adds that the serotonin boosters need to be eaten straight with no fat or protein (think sweet potatoes or a whole-wheat English muffin without butter). No, this isn’t a license to go all-day carb crazy—just when your PMS tends to be at its worst, which is usually late afternoon and evening. “The rest of the day, fill up on fruits, vegetables, and protein, which can help curb your cravings and keep you satiated,” says registered nutritionist Joey Shulman, author of Healthy Sin Foods: Decadence Without the Guilt. Also, forgo salt and get more of the nutrients that have been linked with lessening those heinous that-time-of-the-month symptoms: magnesium (grains, nuts, greens), and calcium and vitamin D (dairy, fortified OJ).

What to Eat
Breakfast Cottage cheese + berries + fortified OJ

Lunch Spinach salad + salmon + low-fat milk

Snack Air-popped popcorn (no butter) drizzled with fat-free chocolate sauce

Dinner Whole-wheat pasta with garlic, mushrooms, and onions in a tomato sauce

“I Want to Look Fab on My Date Tonight” Diet

It’s one thing to look good in your little black dress, but it’s even more important to look good if it comes off. Certain food combos (protein plus carbs) can make the tummy tent up, says Esther Blum, R.D., author of Secrets of Gorgeous. So she recommends pairing protein with vegetables and fat, or carbs with veggies and fat. Banish bloat inducers such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners, and fill up on high-water foods instead (cucumber, watermelon, pureed soup). “These will hydrate the system and help flatten the stomach,” Shulman says. Bromelain, a digestive enzyme in pineapple, also works wonders by breaking down protein and amping up digestion. Got water-retention woes? Skip salt-laden foods (that includes all takeout) for potassium powerhouses like avocados and bananas, which will help get rid of the extra fluid. If constipation is the culprit, insoluble fiber found in fruit and wholegrain products can relieve you. Psst: Peppermint tea can decrease bloating gas and speed up digestion.

What to Eat
Breakfast Fruit smoothie (peaches, strawberries, banana, pineapple, yogurt)

Lunch Chicken Caesar salad with avocado

Snack Peppermint tea + cucumber sticks

Dinner Low-sodium soup + steamed salmon or chicken

“I Need to Be on Top of My Game for Work” Diet

Before a morning powwow, make sure you have some protein. “Otherwise you’re going to be brain dead,” Wurtman says. The amino acid tyrosine in protein makes you mentally alert. A latte lift and pastry pickme-up may seem like the answer, but “too much caffeine can make you jittery and could increase stress,” says Melina Jampolis, M.D., diet and fitness expert for CNN. Limit the caffeine and avoid clarity-clouding white stuff (white flour, white sugar, white pasta) in favor of complex carbs like bran muffins and whole-wheat bread. “They metabolize more slowly to keep your blood sugar and energy on an even keel,” says Cheryl Forberg, R.D., nutritionist for NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Studies also show that vitamin C may act as a chill pill and help you bounce back faster from high-pressure situations. Also, “iron deficiency can make you feel sluggish by decreasing your ability to carry energy-essential oxygen,” Jampolis says, so opt for iron-rich foods such as beans and lean beef.

What to Eat
Breakfast Scrambled egg whites + whole-wheat cereal + orange

Lunch Taco salad (salad greens + kidney beans + lean ground beef)

Snack Low-fat bran muffin + water

Dinner Turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread + apple

“I Shouldn’t Have Had That Third Martini” Diet

After a big night out, you may feel more like praying to the porcelain god than eating, but the right food can pep you up and sideline those sangria-induced symptoms. Gay Riley, R.D., founder of NetNutritionist .com, suggests starting the day with a high-protein, low-carb breakfast paired with fresh vegetable juice to replenish energy. Korean researchers also give a hangover-nixing nod to asparagus, which boosts key enzymes that break down alcohol. Add more detox bang to your breakfast with turmeric-topped egg whites, suggests nutritionist Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads. Curcumin, a bioflavonoid in turmeric, coupled with cysteine, an amino acid in eggs, helps mop up hangover-causing toxins such as acetaldehyde. Other morning-after picks include vitamins B6 and B12 (found in cereal and salmon) and headache-helping magnesium and potassium (in peanut butter and bananas). And despite what you may have heard, a Bloody Mary won’t help; the alcohol will only further tax your liver. But straight-up tomato juice is full of potassium, as well as alcohol-burning fructose. Also drink water or nausea-relieving ginger tea.

What to Eat
Breakfast Bacon + egg whites with turmeric + tomato juice

Lunch Fortified breakfast cereal with low-fat milk + ginger tea

Snack Greek yogurt + banana with peanut butter

Dinner Salmon + baked potato

They can be, if you know what to look for. Follow this guide to make your meal count

Probiotics Primer

What they are
Naturally occurring microorganisms that can be good for your health. They’re added to foods, especially yogurt.

What studies show
Certain probiotics can help you fight colds, diarrhea, and more. But those aren’t always the ones in your food.

Source: Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., who studies probiotic microbiology and consults in the industry

Step 1: Know names
See the three circles on the right? They show the three elements of a probiotic’s name. The trouble is, most companies list only the genus and species of a strain. That’s like a restaurant serving “fish” without identifying what kind it is. Not having enough information makes determining any health benefits a difficult task.

Your move: Choose products that include the full names of their probiotics. Chances are, more research is available about the benefits, which is why the food company chose to spotlight the strains it included.

Here’s Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001—the full name of a probiotic in Stonyfield Farm yogurt—dissected.
Genus: Lactobacillus
Strain: HN001
Species: Rhamnosus

Step 2: Ignore the usual suspects
Take these, for example…

L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus
Help turn milk into yogurt

Your move: Don’t be impressed by foods that list only L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. These organisms do help you digest lactose, but they mostly just help create yogurt. To be labeled a probiotic, an organism has to have a health benefit. L. acidophilus is also common. Some companies use studied strains of it as probiotics, but others use it only for flavor.

Step 3: Vet research
Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 is found only in Dannon Activia—because Dannon developed it, studied it, and patented it. (Dannon claims this strain helps regulate your digestive system.) This is common: Many strains are studied primarily by the companies that developed them. Then the companies promote the benefits.

Your move: Watch for definite claims, like “clinically proven” or “scientifically proven”—Dannon had to scrap both of these claims in a 2010 settlement and replace them with less-certain phrases, such as “clinical studies show.”

Step 4: Read the label closely
Questions about probiotics shouldn’t stop you from eating yogurt, a good source of protein and calcium. Hey, if the live cultures have other health benefits, that’s all the better. Probiotic supplements are another story: Many may have no proven benefits. Look for products with labels that list probiotics’ full names, the number of colony-forming units, and the scientifically studied benefits of each strain. Dosage and storage suggestions should also be included.

By Brad Pilon

Flexible intermittent fasting is becoming a very popular way to use your body’s natural ability to burn lots of fat in a short period of time.

Here is a list of the ways that flexible intermittent fasting will turbo charge your fat loss.

1. Increases Fat Burning Hormones
Hormones are usually at the root of most of your metabolic functioning, and fat burning is no different. Growth Hormone is the most important fat burning hormone in your body. Fasting pushes growth hormone production into high gear and this makes your fat burning furnace start to work overtime. Fasting also decrease your insulin levels, which ensures that you burn body fat instead of storing it.

2. Increased Fat Burning Enzymes
Fat burning hormones need the help of fat burning enzymes to get their job done. Fasting will sky rocket the activity of two of the most important fat burning enzymes in your body. Adipose tissue HSL (Hormone Sensitive Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your fat cells to release fat so it can be burned as energy in your muscles.  Muscle tissue LPL (Lipoprotein Lipase) is the enzyme responsible for allowing your muscle cells to take up fat so it can be burnt as a fuel. Fasting increases both of these enzymes to optimize fat burning – A perfect combination.

3. Burn More Calories
Short term fasting (12-72hrs) actually increases your metabolism and adrenaline levels. This causes you to increase calorie burning during the fast period. The more calories you burn the faster you can lose weight. The extra energy you get from the fast might actually help you through a workout or get more work done at work or around the house. When I did my first fast I was shocked at how awake and energetic I was. My fasting days are now my most productive days of the week.

4. Burn Fat Instead of Sugar
Fasting shifts your metabolism from burning blood sugar to burning mostly body fat. When you eat a meal your body likes to burn carbs first, then the fat from your food. Any extra fat that your body can’t burn in the few hours after you eat get stored as body fat. When you fast your body has no choice but to burn stored body fat. By the end of a 24 hour fast your body is burning way more fat than it would during a regular day of eating.

5. You’ll Find Out Why You Eat
The most surprising benefit people report back when they start fasting is a new found awareness of what causes them to eat. When you make a conscious decision to fast for a day your less than flattering eating motivations become painfully obvious. This is the first and most effective step to getting rid of bat habits for good. Knowing what your motivations are for poor eating choices is essential before you can change them and build better habits.

6. Builds Positive Attitudes Towards Yourself and Food
Each short fast is an accomplishment that can build self confidence and gratitude. At the end of a 24 hour fast you can feel good about your accomplishment and start feeling good about your relationship with food again. The positive empowerment from each fast builds on the last until you feel completely in control of your food choices.

7. Eat All The Foods You Love Guilt Free
Short term fasting allows you to lose weight and burn fat without restricting any of the foods you love to eat. With this style of eating you can consume any and all of the foods you like whenever you choose without feeling guilty about it and still lose weight. You will never again have to be sitting in a restaurant picking at a salad while everyone else at the tables indulges in their favorite entrée and dessert.

Eating for fat loss doesn’t need to be complicated and food should never be a source of anxiety or guilt. Mixing in a few 24 hours fasts to your week can liberate you from the dieting prison and allow you to enjoy food again.