Healthy Eating For Fat Loss and Muscle Building

10 Rules Of Nutrion And How The Female Fat Loss Expert Sets Her Daily Diet Plan

I consider my nutrition journey a work in process. I can't say that I always make the best choices, but since I've been on this journey for many years, over time I make some pretty good choices over all.

As a rule, if I follow the 80-20 rule in terms of nutrition I can stay close to my fitness and fat loss goals. By this I mean that if 80% of the time I follow my plan and fall short 20% of the time, I'll be fine. I must say that as I age, the ratio has changed from 80-20 to 90-10. I like to stay closer to my plan 90% of the time to feel and look my best.

Honestly, this turns out to be less of a sacrifice than you'd think. I don't feel well when I deviate from clean eating. It's sort of become self correcting in that when I eat poorly, I don't feel well and so I don't have an appetite for foods that will upset my stomach or make me feel lethargic.

In any case, I thought I'd share the actual foods that I eat and when I eat them as a guide for you, but first, here are my top ten nutrition rules I live by:

I eat 5-6 times a day.
I always eat protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar
I don't eat any processed/refined foods (or as little as possible)
I try to include a fruit or vegetable in every snack or meal.
I never drink my calories and try to have a constant supply of water.
I limit starchy carbs after noon and focus on veggies as my evening carbs.
I limit cereals and grains to whole grains and try to eat them earlier in the day when insulin resistance is lower.
I never starve myself and try to eat slowly so that I feel satiated before I overeat.
I allow myself a treat every now and then, and I try to keep in mind that good food (or my cheat foods) are always available so there's no need to stuff myself.
I'll break down what a typical day in the life of my nutrition looks like

4:45 am

Typically I get up at 4:25 am and get ready to rock out boot camp. I start with Squirrelly bread toast with natural peanut butter and 8 oz of skim milk (and my supplements). On this day I had no fresh fruit to top my toast, but I usually add some blueberries, banana, strawberries, grapes, apple, what ever is handy.

8:00 am

This is my fav meal of the day: steel cut oats, walnuts, berries (or whatever fruit I have) with a scoop of protein powder. I have this right after my second boot camp when I come home to get my kids off to school, walk and feed my dog before heading back to boot camp.

I start drinking water in earnest in my third boot camp of the day. I know I should start right away, but honestly, it doesn't happen until later in the day. I try to finish my water bottle before I get my big treat.

Continue Reading At ===>The Female Fat Loss Experts 10 Rules Of Nutrition

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Let this be a simple reminder to make the right choice.

Your own mind is your greatest ally. You can have all the information, know exactly what to eat and how to train but without motivation and a firm committment to changing your bad habits you will not achieve your fat loss goals.

To develop the body you want and to achieve  health and wellness takes determination in breaking old habits.

" Today's Action Becomes Tomorrows Habit"

With the right information (Training and Nutrition) we then need to learn how to put it all together. Start with a basic knowledge of nutrition then we will show you how to put it together and give you some Muscle Building and Fat Loss Recipes.

 Carbohydrates come in two forms: Simple  and complex.

Complex carbs are present in most grain products, vegetables and potatoes. Complex carbs are digested at a much slower rate. Which enables your body to have a longer supply of energy. 

Simple carbs such as table sugar or that baby ruth bar you love enter the blood stream quickly which is where you get the sugar high from. The problem is that high leaves as fast as it came leaving your body craving more. Simple carbs should be kept to a bare minimum.

 You should always try to eat the bulk of your carbs early in the day. This will keep your energy levels up throughout your day and keep you feeling full (less snacking). Also take in some carbs after your workouts.

1 gram of Carbs=4 calories

Depending on your activity level your nutrition should be 45-60% carbs

The truth is, not all carbohydrate foods are created equally. Your body reacts differently from carb to carb.

Carbohydrates: Not All Carbs Are Created Equally

The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect
on our blood glucose levels.

Here is the the glycemic index range:

Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more

You may have heard of insulin. However, there is another important hormone called Glucagon that you
may not have heard of.

When you eat high sugary foods (High GI), your blood sugar rises. Insulin is released in your blood stream
to store glucose to glycogen but at the same time surpresses the production of Glucagon.

Glucagon is a hormone responsible for releasing fat from.............

Please Go To Fit Favorites to continue reading

Although the body uses both the sugars and starches for energy, a high-performance diet emphasizes complex carbohydrates. Foods high in complex carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, rice, beans, pasta, and vegetables also supply other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Some sweet foods that are high in sugar (e.g. candy bars, cookies, and donuts) supply carbohydrates but also contain a high amount of fat and only insignificant amounts of vitamins and minerals. Fruit contains the sweetest of all simple sugars - fructose. Since fruit is mostly water, its sugar and calorie content are relatively low. Like starchy foods, most fruits are rich in nutrients and virtually fat-free.

Diet Myth

"Low Carb diets are the fastest way to lose weight"

The Truth:

Low Carb diets never work long term and they make you feel miserable in the process. You suffer from headaches, muscle aches and horrible constipation. Worst of all, as soon as you put anything that even resembles a carb back into your body, you blow up like a balloon.

"Not only did I lose weight on the Diet Solution Program, I gained an incredible amount of energy. I love the changes I see in my body and, of course, love the reactions I get from my friends and family when they see me. No other weight loss plan has given my body more definition and curves, losing weight from all the right places. These meal plans were so realistic for me and easy for me to follow. Thank you Isabel for giving me the tools to feel so great!"

Diet Solution Program

Carbohydrates should never be shunned. There is a lot of confusion about carbohydrates.

Besides protein, carbohydrates play an important part in the best diet for building muscle. Carbohydrates are where you get your energy from, and where you can sustain your stamina when working out. If you lose your energy quickly and grow fatigued, you will never be able to break through during your workouts.

Protein

Protein is the main component of muscles, organs, and glands. Every living cell and all body fluids, except bile and urine, contain protein. The cells of muscles, tendons, and ligaments are maintained with protein. Children and adolescents require protein for growth and development.

Proteins are described as essential and nonessential proteins or amino acids. The human body requires approximately 20 amino acids for the synthesis of its proteins.

The body can make only 13 of the amino acids -- these are known as the nonessential amino acids. They are called non-essential because the body can make them and does not need to get them from the diet. There are 9 essential amino acids that are obtained only from food, and not made in the body.

If the protein in a food supplies enough of the essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. If the protein of a food does not supply all the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.

All meat and other animal products are sources of complete proteins. These include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, and milk products.

Protein in foods (such as grains, fruits, and vegetables) are either low, incomplete protein or lack one of the essential amino acids. These food sources are considered incomplete proteins.

Plant proteins can be combined to include all of the essential amino acids and form a complete protein. Examples of combined, complete plant proteins are rice and beans, milk and wheat cereal, and corn and beans.Your a aaproximate protein intake (for the physically active person should be in the one and a half to 2 grams per pound of body weight.

The idea here is to get the protein over five to six smaller meals per day. Take your body weight and divide it by five or six. This will give the number of grams of protein to take in for each meal.

1 gram of Protein=4 Calories

You must choose wisely lean cuts of beef, non fat milk easy on the pork and cheese.

Protein is the building block of muscle. And even if you don't want to build more muscle, you definitely want to preserve the muscle you have for as long as you can. This helps to keep your metabolism revving, improve your fat loss profile, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. And that's why I encourage you to eat a lean, complete protein source with each gourmet meal.

There are some fat burning foods that fight and burn fat and calories.

Fat burning foods are foods that burn more calories than the calorie content of the food itself, thereby fighting stored fat. The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kinds of foods until you are full and satisfied. If you skip meals and food, it will slow your metabolism and your health will deteriorate. There are certain foods which actually burn more fat than the calorie content of the food itself. These fat burning foods are natural plant foods. If you eat these fat burning foods and do some exercise, it will boost your metabolism and burn more calories (fat) at a faster rate for several hours even after exercise.

List of Foods that burn fat: Fat Fighers

Fruits rich in vitamin C - Citrus Fruits: like limes, lemons, oranges, guava, grapefruit, papaya, sweet lime, tangerines and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre and have fat burning properties so they may be called as FAT BURNING FOODS or FAT BURNERS or FIGHTERS.
Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the carnitine amino acid which speeds up the body?s fat-burning capacity.
Vitamin C dilutes the fat and makes it less effective and helps in releasing the fat from the body.

Apples: Pectin in apple restricts the cells to absorb the fat; and also encourages water absorption from the food which helps in releasing the fat deposits from the body. The antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an apple body shape.

Calcium Rich Dairy Products

Calcium in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt act as fat burner that can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. According to Professor Michael Zemel at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, (Obesity Research, April 2004; vol 12; pp 582-590.) a dairy-rich diet with same calorie restriction can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss. His research has shown that eating 3-4 servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone. Dairy products may therefore be termed as fat burning foods or fat burners.

The researchers found:
Overweight people who consumed 3 servings a day of calcium-rich dairy lost more belly fat than those who followed a similar diet minus two or more of the dairy servings. The calcium supplements didn't work as well as milk.

Nuts help feel full while also increasing the body's ability to burn fat, says author Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain.

Chilies: Foods containing chillies or cayanne pepper are considered to be as foods that burn fat. Chillies contain capsaicin that helps in increasing the metabolism. Capsaicin is a thermogenic food, so it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chilies.

Proteins: Protein rich foods and high fiber foods are the best as foods burning belly fat. Protein needs more energy to digest than fat as so eat low calorie dairy products, beans, whole grains, oatmeal, eggs, etc. as much as possible.
Lentils are high in protein and soluble fiber, two nutrients that stabilize blood sugar levels, therefore lentils are a great tummy flattener," according to Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet.

Some of the other foods that may be included in the list of fat burning foods are asparagus, beet root, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, chillies, beans, soybeans, sweet potatoes, blueberries and watermelon.

Note that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. This can be done by eating fat fighting foods and doing some physical activity. This will help your body burning up the excessive stored fat.

Fats

Fats are necessary for proper digestive tract function, brain function, vitamin and mineral assimilation and for healthy cells, skin and hair.

Artery-clogging fats that increase blood cholesterol include saturated fat and trans fat.
Trans fats must be avoided.
Saturated fat mainly comes from animal sources like meat and dairy products. Trans fat comes from hydrogenated vegetable oils, like margarine and vegetable shortening.

A more heart healthy fat is unsaturated fat, generally found in vegetables. This type of fat includes both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat is found in olive, canola and peanut oils.

This type of fat is considered the healthiest for your heart and body. Avocados and nuts also contain monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is found in soybean, corn, safflower and sunflower oils

1 gram of Fat= 9 Calories

You need to be eating EFA's or essential fatty acids. Omegas 3-6-9.

The best sources of Omega 3s are fish especially salmon and herring,seeds and nuts walnuts and raw almonds are best.

Water -This just may be the most effective fat loss substance anywhere.  The body is comprised of 80% water. Water makes up nearly 85 percent of your brain, about 80 percent of your blood and about 70 percent of your lean muscle.

Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Water can suppress the appetite naturally and increases the body's ability to metabolize stored fat.

Calories

To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories you burn. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn.

A calorie is a unit of energy. We tend to associate calories with food, but they apply to anything containing energy.

An accumulation of 3,500 extra calories is stored by your body as 1 pound of fat -- fat is the body's way of saving energy for a rainy day. If, on the other hand, you burn 3,500 more calories than you eat, whether by exercising more or eating less, your body converts 1 pound of its stored fat into energy to make up for the deficit.

A protein calorie is no different from a fat calorie -- they are simply units of energy. As long as you burn what you eat, you will maintain your weight; and as long as you burn more than you eat, you'll lose weight.

Will Brink is the author of Bodybuilding Revealed and Fat Loss Revealed. In his article Brinks Unified Theory of Nutrition(read below at our article links) Will says: "Total calories dictate how much you lose or gain and macronutrient types (protein, carbs and fats) dictate what you lose or gain"

But if we're talking nutrition, it definitely matters where those calories originate. Carbohydrates and proteins are healthier sources of calories than fats. Although our bodies do need a certain amount of fat to function properly -- an adequate supply of fat allows your body to absorb the vitamins you ingest -- an excess of fat can have serious health consequences.

Beef as we all know tends to be higher in dietary fats.But don't avoid it completely people who are lacking in Iron can benefit from regular helping's of red meat.

Limit beef to 2 to 3 times a week with relatively small portions about 3 ounces. Remember Beef is a great source of Iron as well as vitamins B6, B12, zinc, phosphorus and selenium.

Go with the leanest cuts round, rump and sirloin make sure to trim away as much of the fat as possible. Stay away from ground beef ( go with ground Turkey).

Metabolism

Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life.

 Muscle is a metabolically active tissue.It requires a certain number of calories each day to maintain itself. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you're just sitting around.

    Keeping your metabolism active is the key to losing fat and gaining muscle. This is accomplished by eating 5-6 meals a day and strength training.

One thing about exercise is that it raises your metabolic rate not only while you're huffing and puffing doing your interval or strength training. Your metabolism takes a while to return to its normal pace. It continues to function at a higher level; your body burns an increased number of calories for about two hours after you've stopped exercising.

Supplements

I want to tell you something about supplements I will not reccommend any supplements to anyone I think that should be a decision you make for yourself. I will point you in the direction to get all the info you need but it is up to you to decide.

Everybody wants the magic pill or supplement for faster fat loss and muscle gains. The truth is there isn't one. Supplements do have thier place but they should be the icing on the cake.

Let me ask you a question. With all the latest and greatest secrets, fad diets, the newest supplement you have to take Why then are we as Americans FATTER than ever? Yet we spend billions of dollars a year on supplements and the newest diets and pills?

The answer is that for the most part its money making garbage plain and simple. Save your money for buying quality natural food products.

The only supplements I would advise would be a good Whey Protein and Flax Seed Oil. I do use a whey protein shake as a meal replacement when I'm at work or on the go and don't have time to eat.

I also take a multi-vitamin everyday and as a snack in between meals will use protien bars.

Flax seeds offer a lot of nutritional benefits in a small package. Flax seeds have vitamins, minerals and healthy poly-unsaturated fatty acids. A large amount of the essential fatty acids found in flax seed oil are omega 3 essential fatty acids which have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular risk. Flax seeds also provide fiber for healthy digestion and freshly ground flax seed is an excellent source of lignans. Lignans from flax seed can help restore hormonal balance.

Its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance - many dieters have found that flax seed has been a key to keeping them feeling satisfied

Now some people will disagree with me that's fine but I believe for the average person whole foods can get you to your fat loss goals. Yes someone looking to really pack on some serious muscle can benefit more.

The bottom line is supplements are an add on. If you have a lousy nutrition plan supplements won't make up for it

Top Tips To Implement A Successful Weight Loss Strategy

I got 11 Do's, 1 Don't and a STOP tip to make your weight loss and lean muscle body a success.

Ok so some of these are going to be simple, some obvious, some said before, some new and some just plain blunt and painful. You don't have to implement all the tips on this check list at once, but you do need to take action and implement a few to achieve your weight loss goals before your resolutions are wasted on yet another diet claim.

1. "DO "- Eat breakfast - this sets you up for the day and is all powerful in terms of weight loss and lean muscle building, especially over the holidays

2. "DO "- Eat smaller meals more often - Try to eat 5-6 times a day. Eat the same calories, just more frequently in smaller portions; call it grazing if you like. I bet you already eat 4-6 times a day, you just don't count the coke and chocolate bar as a meal

3. "DO "- Eat Fresh - The fresher the better. Fresh fish, meat, fruits and vegetables are best. Get them at their freshest as often as you can. Sometimes shopping at smaller market places are best for this as they get local farmers supporting them with fresh products often times daily

4. "DO "- Eat Treats - yeah you heard it here. Eat treats, but keep it in check. I have worked with some clients that just needed a treat daily, so we counted 31 pieces of chocolate and put them in a box for a daily treat. They had the choice to eat 1 daily or all in one sitting, but that would be it for the month. I think if you are 90-100% compliant to your game plan then a small daily reward can be factored in.

5. "DO "- Eat Fruits and Vegetables - they are packed with nutrients. There is this cool school of thought coming back into research and it is a pretty valid point. Eating lots of variety may be more beneficial in small amounts than eating lots of the same fruit or veggie. It's sort of like the theories of homeopathy or hormesis, it's quite compelling.

6. "DO "- Drink plenty of water - increase hydration, fat loss, energy, mental alertness, satiation, digestion

7. "DO "- Portion Control - watch how big your portions can get. Especially at restaurants, bigger plates, mean more foods and bigger bellies

8. "DO "- Reduce Liquid Calories - these are pops, sodas, fruity beverages, beer, wine and spirits. I am not saying cut them out, but control them and limit them so on the occasions you are going to indulge, then you can without hesitation as you will already be ahead of your holiday weight loss strategy

9. "DO "- Keep a Journal - Food Journaling is a huge business. You can get them online, offline, printed, digital, and many more. Hey they even have cool little iPhone and Mobile Apps for this to make it easier. Food Journals, help you track and create a more consistent eating pattern and change the way you think about food. Sure it looks a little OCD but its all about you and your goals, not the weirdo watching you journal your foods

10. "DO "- Read Labels - this is more on the OCD side, but it helps too. If you read a label of two similar soups, cookies, crackers or meals, you will be able to quickly choose the one that has fewer calories and better percentages or ratios of nutrients to support your fat loss goals. Reading = Learning = Result

11. "DO "- Be Active - sure this is obvious, but I don't just mean go to the gym. Try to go for a walk 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 times a week. Park far and use the stairs to the office. Sure it will take more time, but worth it. Try walking the stairs to and from or during lunch break. Do a simple stretching routine at your desk 2-3 times a day, just 2 minutes will change the way your body looks and feels and your performance at work will benefit too

"DON'T" - Don't Go Out on Empty - yeah all this positive stuff had to get ruined by one DON'T. Sorry. Don't go shopping or out to a party on an empty stomach. Eat a balanced nutritious meal pre event and fight off the cravings and subsequent binge eating of junk, sweats and treats.

A great way to ensure fat loss success is by having a nutritional game plan and following a meal plan, check out this link to get 2 free sample meal plans
== >www.EmpoweredNutrition.com

That's it, that is a simple steps for successful weight loss and lean body check list you won't have to make this year.

Patrick McGuire
President, Empowered Nutrition Products Inc.

For more amazing tips, tricks and articles to fight fat during the holiday season and to learn how to SAVE 50% on www.EmpoweredNutrition.com

Hi I'm back for this week's quick Tip!

Let's talk about Fiber.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), fiber helps lower cholesterol and is important for the health of our digestive system. Both the AHA and the National Cancer Institute recommend that we consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily.

The truth is most of us only consume about half the amount of Fiber we should.

Dietary fiber is a transparent solid complex carbohydrate that is the main part of the cell walls of plants. It has two forms:

1) Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke

2) Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber provides the bulk needed for proper functioning of the stomach and intestines. It promotes healthy intestinal action and prevents constipation by moving bodily waste through the digestive tract faster, so harmful substances don't have as much contact with the intestinal walls.

Eating a high-fiber diet can significantly lower our risk of heart attack, stroke and colon cancer.

Whole beans, soybeans and other legumes are excellent sources of fiber

Here are some foods high in Fiber you should add to your diet.

1 cup cooked dry beans
(navy, pinto, red, pink, black, garbanzo, etc.) 9-19 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked lima beans 13 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked peas 9 grams of fiber
1 cup raisin bran cereal 8 grams of fiber
1/2 cup soy tempeh 7 grams of fiber
1 cup canned pumpkin 7 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked spinach 7 grams of fiber
1/2 cup whole wheat flour 7 grams of fiber

You should know that all foods are not created equal. But did you know that often times what are supposed to be low fat varieties are not neccessarily.

So that's this weeks dietary tip get healthy not only on the outside but help your insides by adding some fiber to your diet.

Talk to you next week jag252

Peanut Butter as an example. Low fat versions often contain the same number of calories as regular version's.

The tradeoff is for everyfat calorie removed a sugar calorie is added not a great tradeoff.

So even if it's advertised as low fat Read the labels to be sure.

That's it for now check back often I will be adding new tips at least weekly.

Talk to you soon Jag252

The Real Truth behind Organic Foods

Many people are unaware of what organic food really is. It seems that everywhere we go now, someone is promoting something that is "organic". Are these foods worth your time and money?

It almost seems like some people are afraid of organic food. Could this be possible? Are people afraid that eating one morsel of organic food is going to somehow instantly initiate them into the organic food cult where you're only allowed to wear sandals made from tree bark and deodorant is prohibited?

I swear I have had people say to me "Well, you can't be that organic because you wear make-up and you don't smell."

What? That's not what organic means at all! All it means is that the food or the product has been grown the way mother nature intended: without the use of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. In other words, naturally!

Are some people afraid of the price? Organic does not automatically mean "break the bank". Many times when I compare the price of the organic food versus the conventional food, they are only a few cents different. In the case of the bag of organic carrots I bought today for my lunch, they were the exact same price as the conventional ones. Imagine that!

If anything about the word "organic" makes you want to jump and run the other way, be sure to read my previous blog post "Is there such a thing as Cheap Organic Food?"

It will help you understand exactly why organic food is all the rave these days and what you can do to make organic living easy, simple and not so scary!

Get started on your own fat loss and health goals right away with these Simple and Easy Healthy Meal Plans.

Researchers have found that the Mediterranean region has the lowest mortality rate due to their mono-unsaturated rich diets compared to the U.S. and other countries. Diets rich in olive oil certainly reduces chances of cardiovascular disease.

A drizzle of olive oil in our recipes goes a long way. Instead of cooking in saturated fats, olive oil is a smart way to reduce bad cholesterol.

Olive oil lowers "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and leaves "good" (HDL) cholesterol in the system by preventing heart disease. It does this process by protecting the arteries from plaque that leads to hardening of the arteries

Fresh is better than frozen. With an increasing number of products being marketed as "organic" and "fresh" as part of the current health food trend, it can be easy to assume that fresh foods are naturally better for you than frozen ones.

However, we forget that in order for the so-called "fresh" food to get to the stores, it often has to travel a long distance from its place of origin.

During the journey, fresh fruits and vegetables can lose some of their nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables that have been flash frozen (or even canned!) immediately after harvest maintain their nutritional value until they are consumed.

As a bonus, frozen and canned goods can be much less expensive to buy when they are out of season, helping you to stay healthier year-round.

If you are able to buy locally grown produce, you should.

Garden-grown foods do have the best flavor, and if they're grown locally, you can be sure that the time between picking and eating is reduced.

Learn About Fat Burning Diets And Keeping The Weight Off

When you want to learn about fat burning diets, and being able to keep the weight off, you want to make sure you have the best information. Since there are so many diets going around promising to keep you weight off, you cannot know for certain whether this is the case or not.

Instead of signing up for one of these fat burning diets, you should think about a more healthier outlook on the losing weight regimen you will have for yourself by changing certain things in your routine every day. This means finding a healthier diet to eat, and getting plenty of fat burning exercise to get you through the day to work off what you just ate.

Since there are many different things out there for you to take you want to make sure the one you choose is the best for your body. Many people end up getting sick from not eating enough, or having too little vitamins in their systems while they are on their fat burning diets. This should not have to be a problem if you just alter the way you do things.

When you go to make your meal during the day, you want to make sure that you have something from each of the food groups, and that they are low on calories and carbohydrates since these things can add to your weight. This is something that you should keep track of as well to ensure you are staying on track. Try to stay away from any sweets that you pass that might alter your healthy eating habits.

You should also try to stay away from carbonation, and pastas with a lot of starches since these are a number one on the list of weight gainers. If you feel like you are not making progress then you can start weighing yourself every day, week, or month to track your weight loss throughout your fat burning diets. This will give you encouragement to know that you are losing weight while staying on track.

If you feel like you're not doing the diet the way it should be done, or you think you're not getting enough nutrients that you think you need, you are more than welcome to go find a fat burning diet program that will give you more tips on how to eat, and a fat burning workout for the maximum healthy lifestyle, and weight loss plan.

Many people find this diet hard to do, but it will make your body feel better once you try it after a couple of weeks, and you will see the difference, you will lose weight in the process as well. This will allow you to get a better feel of what losing weight is all about.

You should make sure you exercise like you are supposed to in order to tone your body where it needs to be toned. This will also allow your skin to tighten back from losing all the weight from the fat burning diet you started without having to have it surgically removed. Start your healthy eating diet today with a little help from your family and friends.

Fat burning diets should not be about starvation and sacrifice. Yes you must make certain adjustments in the way you eat and what you eat. If you didn't have to you wouldn't be reading this. Healthy eating is about avoiding as much processed food as possible and going with a natural diet. Eat as natural as possible do some fat burning exercises daily and you will lose weight and keep it off.

Precision Nutrition is the nutrition system used by Dr. John Berardi's personal clients and athletes to build lean, muscular, high-performance physiques in record time.

Simply put, Precision Nutrition is a no-nonsense approach to getting results, based on the latest research and Dr. Berardi's years of experience in the field.

It's a complete system, built for one purpose only: to give you precise control over your body through nutrition. There is nothing else like it.

Let me warn you: if you're looking for a casual read, a celebrity diet, a tip here and there, or something to sit on the coffee table, I strongly recommend you look elsewhere.

But if you've finally decided it's time to get serious about building the body you've always wanted, you're in the right place.

Whether you want to gain muscle, lose fat, or just live healthy, the limiting factor is almost always nutrition.

Precision Nutrition Get Your Healthy Eating Advantage

Spinach Soufflé
By Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD and Dr. John K. Williams, PhD, authors of the bestselling optimal nutrition ebook, Gourmet Nutrition .

Given the excellent nutritional properties of spinach, it would be a shame to restrict our intake of this leafy green to the occasional salad. Anyone who's ever cooked spinach quickly realizes that a giant mound of fresh spinach reduces to a tenth of its original size. So unless you enjoy eating Volkswagen-sized salads, some cooking is in order.

Most people's preconception of cooked spinach is the slimy stuff that Popeye pulls from a can. Judging spinach on the basis of the canned variety is like dismissing the entire Beatle's White Album because of the song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". Don't torture yourself; fast forward to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and pull a nice spinach soufflé out of the oven. Life is good.

Ingredients
2 packages frozen spinach (10 oz. each), thawed and drained
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of ground nutmeg (1/8 tsp)
Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.

Combine spinach, cottage cheese, egg whites, garlic, nutmeg, and salt/pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until you have the desired consistency. For a more textured final product, blend just until mixed. For a smoother dish, blend thoroughly.

Stir the parmesan cheese and baking powder into the blended mixture, and then pour everything into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly set. Test to see if it's done by shaking the dish slightly: the center should not jiggle.

Makes a large meal for one, or 2 servings as a side dish.

Nutritional information (entire dish)
Per Serving
Total Calories 562 k/cal
Protein 75 g
Total Carbohydrates 37 g
Fiber 17 g
Sugars 0 g
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated 9 g
Monounsaturated 4 g
Polyunsaturated 4 g
Omega-3 0.31 g
Omega-6 0.74 g

Tips: Preparing your spinach; soufflé in a hurry
Be sure to thaw your spinach entirely before preparing this dish. This can be done in the microwave, or simply by placing the spinach in the fridge for a couple of days. Squeeze as much of the water from the spinach as you can before mixing.

If you're in a hurry and don't have time to bake it in an oven, use a microwave safe casserole dish, cover with plastic wrap, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Release the steam, recover, and cook on high for another 3 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.

*Disclaimer: cooking this dish in a microwave is vastly inferior to the taste of the oven-cooked version. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra 15 minutes to cook it in the oven.

Food Fact: The power of spinach
Spinach and other leafy greens pack an incredible amount of nutrients into each calorie compared to other foods. There are at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as anti-oxidants and anti-cancer agents. In addition, spinach contains a carotenoid called neoxanthin, which both combats and helps prevent prostate cancer. Need more? Spinach is also one of the best sources of the elusive vitamin K, which helps maintain bone health. Anti-inflammatory nutrients, protecting the brain from oxidative stress, better eyesight%u2026the list of benefits from spinach is seemingly infinite.

Want to change your body -- while still eating meals that taste this good?
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I hate to give you the bad news, because I wish there was an
effective fat loss supplement as much as the next person. A real
"fat burner" just doesn't exist.

BUT, there are ways to boost your metabolism without supplements...

1) Strength training - aiming for 8 reps per set.

2) Interval and Tabata training - rather than long, slow boring cardio.

3) Extra bodyweight circuits - done either in the AM or PM.

4) A whole, natural foods diet, rich in high-fiber fruits and
vegetables, healthy fats, and high-protein foods.

5) Eating 5-6 meals a day

Now we have the basics of what to eat lets put it together. You know that the best way to accomplish our goals is to spred your meals out to 5-6 a day.

Each meal should contain a complex carb (whole grain cereals, brown rice, sweet potatoes etc) and a high protein source (chicken breast, egg whites, fish, lean beef).

The rules are simple. All you have to do is commit to them, and
follow them consistently, and you'll boost your metabolism.

 

Over at Nutrition 102 we will dig deeper into nutrition giving you recipes and nutrition info on different food groups.

It's still a work in progress so keep checking back.

You Fit And Healthy

Weight Training Workouts

Interval Training

Nutrition 101

Guaranteed Weight Loss In 30 Days

Kettlebell Training

Eat breakfast. A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who ate breakfast are more successful with long-term weight maintenance. Other research has shown the same for weight loss. Grab a yogurt, a piece of fruit, or make a smoothie. It doesn't have to be fancy.

I'd like to start a little discussion today about carbohydrates... and in particular, "white foods" as well as potatoes. One reason I wanted to mention this is because so many health and fitness professionals trash talk potatoes about being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the high glycemic index. Some even say such ridiculous things as "avoid any and all white carbohydrates".

Ok, now while I certainly agree that white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies, I definately don't agree with avoiding any and all "white carbohydrates". Now I know all of the buzz lately has been about colorful foods and the protective antioxidants that they contain. They tell you to focus on colors and stay away from white.

It's true that colorful foods are great, but it is a big mistake to specifically avoid white foods! There are plenty of white foods that have specific nutrients that are hard to find elsewhere.

Let's look at a few examples...

Onions & Garlic

What about onions and garlic? They are both white and they are chock full of protective phytonutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals that aren't easy to find elsewhere in a normal diet... such nutrients as allicin, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and other unique anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Cauliflower
Another example of something white that is great for you is cauliflower. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, minerals, and special compounds such as glucosinolates and thiocyanates, which are specifically abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. And a little-known fact is that some of the compounds in cruciferous vegetables help to combat other estrogenic compounds in our food supply and environment and can help prevent excess belly fat. So eat up on that cauliflower!

Mushrooms
Not many people realize this, but surprisingly, even white mushrooms have high levels of unique nutrients and antioxidants. White mushrooms are high in a couple types of antioxidants called polyphenols and ergothioneine.

Potatoes
Now that also leads us to another example - white potatoes (which by the way, can also be found in red, yellow, purple varieties, etc). Many health professionals claim that potatoes are a bad carbohydrate because they are thought to have a high glycemic index. First of all, if you've read my Truth about Six Pack Abs book, then you understand that glycemic index is not necessarily the most important factor in choosing your carbohydrates.

While a generalization can be made that most low glycemic index carbohydrate choices will help you lose body fat easier than high glycemic index choices, it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There are many other factors that determine how your body will react-to and process the carbohydrates you ingest, such as glycemic load and also how you combine the high GI food with other foods.

For example, using glycemic load as an example... it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic load of a normal serving of watermelon is just way too low for your body to start packing on body fat just because you ate a high glycemic index fruit. You would have to eat such an enormous quantity of watermelon just to get enough grams of carbohydrates to have any negative glycemic effect, that it is just non-sensical.

Not to mention that watermelon is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and lycopene. There's just no reason to avoid it simply because it has a high GI. My point is... candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat... NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes.
Also, as mentioned, food combinations are important in how your body processes the carbohydrates and the associated blood sugar and insulin response you receive. For example, if you mix a high glycemic index carbohydrate with an extra source of fiber, healthy fats, or even certain proteins, many times the blood sugar and glycemic response will be slowed down considerably by the way you combined the food. Again, I talk in detail about this entire topic in my Truth about Six Pack Abs book

Alright, so back to my point that white potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form... with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.
Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too.

On the topic of potatoes not being so bad after all, I don't remember where I saw this referenced, but I recently saw a particular study that had participants eat something like 7-9 whole potatoes per day for several weeks.
At the conclusion of the study, the potato eaters had actually consistently lost weight! I'd venture a guess that the reason the people lost weight is that they were probably so full from eating all of those damn potatoes, that they actually consumed less calories than normal! An average sized potato only has about 100-120 calories, and I can surely imagine you'd be full constantly from eating 7-9 potatoes each day.

Now I would never recommend going to those extremes, but my point is that an occasional potato is not going to hurt your efforts to get lean, especially if you combine it with some other fibrous vegetables and maybe a healthy fat and some protein.

On that note, I have one of my favorite recipes for you, using potatoes.

Geary's Lean-Body Potato Side Dish

Desired quantity of baby potatoes (I like to use this mixture I found recently at a health food store... it is a mixture of white, red, yellow, and purple baby potatoes)
1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 or 2 onions

a couple cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 or 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

a little salt and pepper to taste (I like using a sea salt instead of normal commercial salt)
Cut the baby potatoes into slightly smaller pieces and place in a steamer until soft all the way through. Slice up the peppers and onions into strips and add with the chopped garlic into a pan with the olive oil. Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic until tender, and then add the steamed baby potatoes. Stir it all together and serve. This is a delicious and healthy side dish that goes great with chicken or red meat.
I hope you've enjoyed this little topic today about potatoes, healthy carbohydrates, glycemic index, and my killer potato recipe idea!

Thanks again to Mike Geary Truth about Six Pack Abs

ping my podcast

Diet Programs What You Should Look Out For
Today I have part 1 of an excellant 3 part series about fat loss diets by John Alvino. Being someone that does a lot of research on diets and workouts it's nice to hear from an expert who tells you the truth.

As John will tell you there are a lot of good products out there and then other's not so much. That's why I never show you a product or post an article from someone I don't check out thoroughly. And by that I mean buying the product and communicating with the author. So anyway onto%u2026.

Let's Talk Fat loss Diets
It seems that each and every week, some "expert" comes out with a new and improved diet for fat loss. A few of these diets actually have some validity, but unfortunately, the vast majority of them are total scams.

In fact, I have firsthand knowledge that many of these so-called "breakthrough" diets are not even written by fitness or fat loss experts. In fact, they are often created by marketers who know nothing about real fat loss.

While these marketers don't know much about designing a good fat loss diet, they happen to know a lot about what people WANT to hear. You see, before creating a diet, this "marketing gang" gives surveys to thousands of fat loss hopefuls.

They learn what dieters' greatest struggles are, and then they try to design diets that seem to "solve" those specific problems. This may not sound so bad in theory, but in reality nothing is getting solved at all.

In other words, these marketers will say whatever they think people want to hear, regardless of whether it is true or false. For example, if the market research/surveys shows that dieters want to eat cookies all day, they will create the "Cookie Diet". Or if the surveys show that dieters want to lose fat while still consuming pizza and beer, then you can be sure the "Pizza and Beer" diet will be right around the corner!

For the more educated fitness crowd (like readers of this blog), the marketers get extra sneaky. In an attempt to "pull the wool over the eyes" of the savvier segment of the fitness market, they will pay a fitness expert to put his or her name on the product/diet

This is a 3 part series that is a little to long for this site head on over to
Fat Burning Diets and you can read the entire series. Thanks Joe