Shedding pounds

This starchy, white rice is the magic behind risotto. Grown in Italy's Po valley, it's the sponge of the rice world. It soaks up whatever liquid you cook it in. And in the process, it releases all those starches, making for a rich, creamy texture. Beyond risotto, you can use arborio in a pinch to make paella, the saffron-scented Spanish dish, or to satisfy your sweet tooth in a rice pudding.

So it turns out most of the metabolic miracles touted in the past burned more hot air than calories. But that doesn’t mean sustained weight management is impossible—just that it requires a different approach. The problem with your weight-gain woes has nothing to do with how many lattes you slam in a day—and has a lot more to do with how active you are each day, and how many calories you eat and drink.