The most dangerous ingredient on the planet

Well, lo and behold, the American Heart Association (AHA) stood up to the food industry and essentially made eating and drinking a lot of items in the supermarket off-limits.

FINALLY!

Sugar has earned a spot on the AHA’s black list — basically a “negative nutrient” that needs to be limited for your heart’s sake (and, really, every other organ in your body too).

Keep in mind that when we say “added sugars” — these are sweeteners that are used primarily in processed packaged foods and beverages—think sodas, fruit drinks, cereals, and desserts. That doesn’t mean fruit, dairy, and veggies, which all have natural sugars. So don’t take this as a suggestion to stop eating fruits and veggies. That’s taking smart guidelines and applying them to what you may want to hear.

The AHA recommends that added sugar intake be limited to 100 calories (25 grams, or 6 teaspoons) per day for women, and to 150 calories (about 37 grams, or 9 teaspoons) per day for men. To be honest, even less would be even better…but happy with this start!

Keep in mind that now, the average American eats over 350 calories each day in sugar alone (about 22 teaspoons,or nearly 3-12 oz cans of soda)! Talk about a way to make sure you gaining belly fat and ruining your health!

Here’s the deal.

Adding sugar to your diet is like pouring mud down your throat. Gross, right? Yeah, they have about the same amount of nutrients — actually, the mud probably has more!

The study I’m referring to was published in AHA’s Scientific Journal, Circulation … and they talk about the link between high sugar intake and insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and type 2 diabetes. Of course we can also point to the increase in belly fat from eating too much sugar, which can lead to basically every other disease known to man.

Very simply, we are OVERFED YET UNDERNOURISHED!!! And added sugars need to go.

In fact, the AHA has a very strong conclusion in their study: “There is sufficient evidence to link excessive sugar intake to the pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease.”

Scary stuff. That is, unless you’re not “in the know.”

Tricks to limit added sugars

This is what I do to limit added sugars and make sure I don’t throw my overall “diet” in the toilet.

Eat whole foods with a max of 5 ingredients each (preferably just 1 ingredient) — fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, grains, & fish, as each are void of added sugars.
If it comes in a package, leave it on the shelf (think snacks, pastries, cookies, most breakfast cereals, etc)
Leave a food on the shelf if it has any of these as the first few ingredients: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, sugar (dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose), high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, raw sugar, syrup.
And just to give you an idea — here are a few of the major culprits of added sugar in Americans’ diets.

Regular soft drinks: 33% contribution to total added sugar intake
Straight sugar and candy: 16%
Cakes, cookies, pies: 13%
Fruit drinks and “-ades” (not 100% fruit juice): 10%
Dairy (watch out for sweetened yogurt and ice cream): 8.5%
Grain-based foods (watch out for most breakfast cereals, waffles, and other similar foods): 6%
Kudos to the American Heart Association … most governing bodies haven’t stepped it up and made such a bold move.

Restoring Lost Nutrients

Our bodies were made to thrive on the fresh, natural foods that Mother Nature provides. But the longer a food’s journey from soil to plate, the more interfering chemical processes it has probably endured along the way. Vital nutrients are lost during that trip — ones that would otherwise have played important roles in your body’s healthy metabolism and everyday functioning.

So how do you get back to basics? First of all, ditching the “frankenfoods” for fresh foods is one of the best ways to reap those natural benefits. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients in a food, you shouldn’t be eating it — period. Second, make sure you’re getting the important nutrients your body needs. Don’t sacrifice them in the name of a dollar.

Here are a few key nutrients to focus on, along with their daily intake amounts as recommended by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and food sources that supply them.

Folic acid (400 mcg): Not only has folic acid, or folate, been shown to help lower ACTH, an adrenal hormone that can lead to increased blood pressure, it’s also essential it’s also essential for any woman of childbearing age — even those not planning on getting pregnant. In case a woman does become pregnant, folic acid will prevent neural tube defects in a fetus that result in brain and nervous system damage.
Food sources: 1/2 cup cooked lentils (179 mcg); 1/2 cup cooked spinach (132 mcg); six spears asparagus (134 mcg)

Niacin (20 mg): Niacin is a heart-healthy superstar because it increases your HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowers your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. It also turns dangerous, tiny LDL particles into larger ones that are less likely to induce heart attacks.
Food sources: 3 ounces tuna (11.3 mg); 3 ounces salmon (8.5 mg); 3 ounces turkey (5.8 mg)

Vitamin D* (2,000 IU): This baby helps your body regulate its calcium level, boosts immunity, discourages autoimmune conditions (such as chronic inflammation), lowers blood pressure, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and breast, colon, and prostate cancers. Not getting enough can negatively affect insulin and glucose levels in people who have type 2 diabetes.
Food sources: 3 ounces canned pink salmon (530 IU); 3 ounces canned sardines (231 IU); 8 ounces milk fortified with vitamin D (98 IU)

Selenium (70 mcg): Most of the active, fat-burning thyroid hormones (T3) in our bodies are activated when selenium-dependent enzymes help convert inactive T4 to T3 by removing one iodine atom. Selenium also boosts the function of certain enzymes that help the body detox from the effects of environmental pollutants, pharmaceuticals, and radiation. Talk about one green nutrient!
Food sources: 3 ounces crabmeat (41 mcg); 3 ounces shrimp (34 mcg); 2 slices whole-wheat bread (23 mcg)

*The Linus Pauling Institute also recommends 10 to 15 minutes of direct midday sun on arms and legs or face and arms at least three times a week. It still pays to be smart, however, when spending extended periods of time in the sun, as prolonged exposure to direct sunlight has been linked to premature aging of the skin as well as skin cancer.

3 Diet Mistakes Everyone Makes

While the word “diet” may not be on anyone’s mind right now with the holidays and tons of parties, it’s surely in the back of everyone’s minds with January 1 around the corner.

So let’s get the info out there while it’s on people’s minds.

There are a few diet “mistakes” that are common, but once you know ‘em, you won’t struggle with them again (at least you’ll be aware … and awareness is the key). You think you’re on track — eating breakfast daily, drinking all diet drinks so no liquid calories, and enjoying low fat snacks between meals — but it’s not necessarily that simple.

Here’s the truth — let’s delve into this a bit deeper to reveal 3 Diet Mistakes Everyone Makes.

Eating breakfast daily. OK, that seems a bit weird — breakfast is supposed to be THE most important meal of the day. It is, unless it’s a bowl of fiber free cereal or a bagel and cream cheese with zero nutrition to fuel your body.
Check this out — 1 cup of Kellog’s low fat granola gives you 28 grams of sugar (that’s more than Froot Loops), which is just a few teaspoons shy of what a can of soda offers. If you instead opt for a plain bagel, you mine as well sit down and eat 5 slices of bread because you’re getting the same thing … empty calories that won’t even fill you up. So, yes, eat breakfast…but choose some protein, add in some fruit and/or veggies, and you’ll be well fueled and full of nutrients. THAT will help with weight loss.

Drinking diet drinks to eliminate liquid calories. This one is tricky. We’re not fans of diet drinks — diet soda, tea, Crystal Light, etc. Why? Because they’re artificial. And, interestingly, a handful of studies suggest diet drinks may actually cause weight gain just like their high calorie counterpart. Very simply the thought process is that your body is “tricked” into thinking it’s getting something sweet, but since you don’t actually get any calories or nutrients, you then have MORE cravings. Hmmmmm. Maybe.
Here’s the kicker, though. We hate the high calorie alternative too. We’re not suggesting slurping down liquid Froot Loops (e.g, soda) either. Drink water. If you don’t like the plain flavor, add slices of fruit or veggies to change it a bit — it will take on a hint of whatever fruit or veggie you use.

Enjoying low fat snacks. Snacking is great…when you choose good options. But when you don’t, they are, well, junk.
Zero nutrient rice cakes = Junk.
Low fat chips = Junk
Low fat ice cream or cookies = You guessed it, junk.

The list can go on. Want a solid snack that will help fill you with nutrients AND boost weight loss? Grab a handful of nuts — they’re loaded with healthy fat, protein, fiber, and a ton of nutrients. Good stuff. Of course, they are calorie dense — so sticking to that handful is the key.

Just don’t fall for the low fat mantra. If a good is naturally low fat, like veggies and fruits, fantastic. But if it’s a food that SHOULD have fat but it’s “magically” disapeared, that means it’s full of added junk to make it taste like what we’re used to. Stick to real foods, just stick to smaller portions.

Inflexibility, Tightness, Pain and Foam Rolling

There are 4 ways that inflexibility occurs in the human body

1. Structural tightness occurs as a result of inactivity and maintaining the body in a constantly shortened position, like extended sitting at work, lack of daily exercise that would length the muscles, or when injury occurs that leads to scar tissue and inactivity.

2. Neurotension deficits that blocks muscles from lengthening because the embedded neural tissue is the limiting factor.

3. Lack of core stability or balance. Balance is defined as maintaining our center of gravity over our base of support. So if a person lacks core (primarily trunk and hip) or center of gravity stability their body will inhibit them from going outside their center of gravity which subsequently leads to structural tightness due to lack of active lengthening.

4. Tightness of the muscle lining or the Myofasical component of the muscle is the limiting factor.

This cause of inflexibility is the one that does not initially respond well to band stretching and this is why.
Do to the structural make-up of fascia, we know that it does not respond to repetitive or sustained stretching. Instead it lengthens out better using compression with a mild lengthening stimulus as seen with foam rolling.
What I have found is that adults or athletes that do not positively respond to band stretching within 2 weeks or approximately 8 stretching sessions and demonstrated pain with foam rolling, are probably better candidates for a 3-4 week program of exclusive foam rolling to first eliminate Myofasical restrictions and pain before resuming a band stretching routine.
Recent Case study
To elaborate on this point, I am presently working with a new bootcamp member who is a long time distance runner that has a long history of inflexibility. She has attempted yoga and aggressive static stretching with poor results. She demonstrates relatively good trunk stability with definite gluteus medius weakness. Her foam roll test demonstrated severe pain and I promise you this is a tough lady.
She now has been foam rolling with a white roll for 3 weeks. She has moved up to the firmer black roll and is noting 80% improvement in her foam roll pain through ITB, TFL, and Quadricep regions.
She also reports better pre, during and post running leg stiffness and even feels faster during her running workouts.
We recently rechecked her band stretching tolerance and noted a 40% improvement in hamstring mobility in the sagital plan.
Summary
Foam rolling should always be considered as a frequently used recover and pre-habilitation tool. It also should be looked upon as a pre-band stretching tool, especially when are not responding favorably to band stretching and demonstrate significant Myofasical like symptoms.

5 Sneaky Tricks to KILL Belly Fat Fast

Below are 5 big-time solutions to help you lose the belly buldge—for good!

5 Sneaky Tricks to SLASH Stomach Fat Fast
Are you ready to finally slash up to 11 pounds of belly fat, excess water and “toxic waste” from your body in just 7 days (and keep losing it at a record pace for weeks to come)?

And are you prepared to do this while still enjoying your favorite foods (without going hungry), and without endless exercise?

If so, you’ve come to the RIGHT place.

Here’s why:

Men and women from around the world were shocked to discover the 3 REAL reasons they haven’t been able to get a flat stomach. But at the same time, they were also RELIEVED to learn that excess belly fat wasn’t their fault.

The truth is, there are a lot of sneaky tricks being played on you by giant food manufacturers who have a BIG interest in making you and your family overweight. (Hint: It has to do with making $$$.)

Even your body is genetically programmed to play tricks on you that force you to take/pack on the pounds in all the wrong places.

Believe me, I understand what it’s like to be ashamed of my weight and embarrassed about what I looked like.

I know what it feels like to:

NOT want to be seen in a swimsuit
DREAD shopping for new clothes
NOT want to have pictures and videos taken
Be SCARED to death about health issues—like when my cholesterol used to be 250 and my blood pressure was sky high. I thought I was going to die young of a heart attack.
Know I was setting a BAD example for loved ones
Maybe you can relate to some of these feelings, too.

That’s why it’s high time to retaliate against your fat-storing metabolism and those pesky food manufacturers with some belly-burning, sneaky tricks of your own.

With that in mind, here are my 7 Sneaky Tricks to Slash Stomach Fat Fast…

Sneaky Trick #1: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Okay, I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is when your mind is not at peace and not “in balance,” all sorts of hormones go “wacky” and out of control. This can really cause some serious belly bulging.

What causes this imbalance?

Not getting enough sleep
Running yourself ragged at work and with family obligations
Worrying and stressing about life…
As a result of mental and emotional stress, your body will automatically release a fat storing hormone called Cortisol. This is bad because Cortisol’s favorite thing to do is to “redirect” fat storage to your abdominal area.

So, the bottom line is this: during your day, whenever you feel stress levels creeping up, I want you to take a few minutes (or seconds) to breath. It sounds simple but it works.

And if you want to get even more advanced do some meditation, yoga or simply think about all the things you’re grateful in your life. The truth is, it’s impossible to feel stressed out, anxious or depressed when you have a deep feeling of gratitude.

Here’s one more quick tip: studies show that you can decrease cortisol levels (the hormone responsible for storing belly fat), by 17% in just 14 days by eating a balanced meal every three hours. Pretty cool, huh?)

But what’s a balanced meal? We’ll talk about that more below.

Sneaky Trick #2: Confuse Your Calories

Here’s the problem… when most people want to lose weight, they begin to severely cut calories. Sure, they might start losing some weight temporarily, but this calorie restriction method will soon backfire and mangle their metabolism for two reasons:

As you’re probably aware, cutting calories leads to uncontrollable hunger and cravings because your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to function and be healthy. This causes severe hunger and cravings, and eventually breaks most people mentally…and causes them to lose control, overeat, rebound, and gain even MORE weight than where they started.
After about a week of dieting, the hormone levels in your body that are responsible for keeping your metabolism humming along (like the master weight-controlling hormone leptin and the thyroid hormones) start adapting to your new calorie intake, and they plummet like a piano off the Empire State Building. This causes your body to conserve calories.
At the same time, the fat-storing hormone insulin goes berserk as does a hormone called cortisol that is responsible for storing fat skyrockets. As a result, your weight loss will come to a screeching halt. At this point, you’ll need to reduce your calories even lower to keep losing weight, or you’ll need to do MORE exercise to burn even MORE calories. (Not fun…I’ve been there.)

But there is an odd-ball little trick you can do instead of constantly lowering your calories and practically starving yourself in the process. It’s to change the number of calories you’re eating every 7 days just before your body “catches on” to what you’re doing.

Now, I’m not talking about indulging in a “cheat day” or having a few “cheat meals” at the end of the week (although these are part of the equation, too). I’m talking about actually changing the number of calories you eat every week for 7 days in a row.

BINGO!

This is my Calorie Confusion Method™ in a nutshell. If you do it the right way (and there is a wrong way to do this), you will fix your metabolism and trick your body into continuously burning more and more calories and unattractive body fat, without hitting a plateau or igniting a tidal wave of hunger and cravings in the process.

You do this by changing the calories you’re eating before your body is able to lower the hormones responsible for controlling your calorie-burning metabolism.

Now that you’ve learned a little about my Calorie Confusion Method™, I’ve got to give you a little warning. You can’t just randomly change your calories up and expect to notice results. There are certain belly-fat-burning foods you need to be eating (all calories are not created equal), and there are certain “cycles” that you need to follow.

But here’s the kicker… you don’t have to actually count calories to enjoy the benefits of Calorie Confusion. Counting calories is way too difficult and takes too much time. (I’ll show you this cool alternative in my soon-to-be-released 7-Day Belly Blast Diet program.)

While we’re on the topic of calories, here’s my next way to “kill belly fat fast”…

Sneaky Trick #3: Eat These 7 Belly-Killing Foods

Yep. There are certain foods that KILL belly fat and others that CAUSE belly fat (and belly bulge).

What’s more, the RIGHT kinds of foods give you the nutrients you need to crush cravings. What’s more they will “scrub” your digestive track and allow you to eliminate pounds of “toxic waste” and excess water from your body in just a few short days.

Here are 7 belly KILLING foods:

Avocados: These little suckers are loaded with two nutrients that are KEY to killing belly fat: hunger-crushing fiber (11 to 17 grams per avocado!), and monounsaturated fats, which studies have shown to actually “spot reduce” belly fat. Zowie!

Peanut Butter: Okay, not just peanut butter, but mostly any seeds and nuts (these are the best): pistachios, walnuts, almonds (or almond butter), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Why? They keep you full and satisfied for long periods of time, and they’re stuffed with healthy, belly-burning fats and minerals. (Stick to natural peanut butter by the way. The regular stuff is full of deadly trans fats.)

Dark Chocolate: That is not a typo. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants (nearly eight times the number found in strawberries) and it contains stimulants that can have a positive effect on fat burning, including theobromine and caffeine. It also contains a nice dose of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat. Make sure to choose the 78% or higher cocoa levels for best results.

Green Tea: Not only does it contain a potent antioxidant, many scientific studies have linked green tea to increased fat burning, including a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found green tea extract boosted the daytime metabolism of test subjects by 35-43%.

Cinnamon: Researchers have found that cinnamon contains a type of antioxidant that increases insulin sensitivity and effectively helps to stabilize blood sugar. Bottom line…you’ll store less belly fat.

Yogurt: Most regular yogurt is bad for your belly. It’s loaded with belly-bulging sugar (real or artificial) that you want to avoid it. However, Greek yogurts like Stoneyfield Farms and Oikos Greek Yogurt (plain) are loaded with probiotics that fight belly bulge. (See “Sneaky Trick #6.”) Add some natural sweetener like stevia or Truvia™ to it with some walnuts and berries for the ultimate belly flattening treat.

Giant Turkey Legs: You got me. I’m pulling your leg. (Get it?) I’m not just talking about turkey meat (white preferred), but any lean protein source is a good belly-blasting food. This includes wild salmon, free-range chicken, whey protein powders, and most especially grass-fed beef because it contains natural CLA—a fat that studies have actually shown to burn fat. The interesting thing about protein is your body will burn off as much as 30% of its calories to digest and “use” it. Read the next trick for details…
Sneaky Trick #4: Set Your Food on Fire

The fact is, after years of poor food choices and yo-yo dieting, most overweight folks these days have a broken calorie-burning furnace.

But don’t despair, some foods will fix a “mangled metabolism” BIG TIME, while others can actually destroy it and stop it dead in its tracks.

The truth is, calories from different types of food act very differently once inside your body. Some of them ignite what I call “Thermal Burn” and others are plain “Thermal Duds.” (For some reason, now I’m thinking of the little “Milk Duds” chocolate candies. As Homer Simpson would say, “Mmm duds…”)

Here’s an example: your metabolic rate will increase by approximately 5% in response to eating fats. This means that for every 1,000 calories of fat you eat, your body will burn 50 of its own calories to digest and process the fat you just ate. (Note: Keep in mind that some healthy fats can help you burn fat in other ways, so don’t discount them.)

When you eat carbohydrates, your metabolic rate will increase by up to 10% (less for refined carbs like sugar that are easily digested, more for high-fiber choices). This means your body uses 100 calories to digest and use 1,000 calories of carbs.

Now, PROTEIN has the highest Thermal-Burn of all foods, increasing your metabolism by up to a whopping 30%. ZOWIE!

Why? Because protein is a very complex nutrient… for every 1,000 calories of protein you eat, your body will use about 300 calories to digest and process this macro-nutrient.

This means you’re only netting about 700 calories for every 1,000 calories you eat of protein.

So, you’re getting 300 “free calories.”

Pretty cool, huh?

Heck, the “Thermal Burn” of some natural foods is so high that they don’t even register on the calorie scale. They’re “FREE Foods” that you can practically eat non-stop without gaining an ounce.

Now, to backtrack a bit, I’m not suggesting that you eat ONLY protein in an attempt to fix your broken metabolism. (Cluck, cluck…another chicken breast anyone?) No, not at all.

What I am saying is that I’ll show you how to eat specific Thermal-Burn MEALS throughout the day that include precise amounts of protein, slow-absorbing carbs, and a dollop of good fat (love that word…dollop). This way, you can wage WAR against your metabolism and WIN.

The funny thing is that some of the foods I’m going to show you are not what you’d typically think of as diet foods. It’s all in how you prepare them. An example? Okay, how about a thick, juicy cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.

Or mouth-watering pizza.

Or melt-in-your mouth lasagna.

What I’m trying to say is that you’ll be able to eat MORE delicious food but with a lower calorie impact. More bang for your buck. And I don’t know about you, but I LOVE eating, so this is a very exciting way to kill more belly fat.

Sneaky Trick #5: Exorcise Your Demons

Did you know that most of the tens of thousands of food items which line our grocery store shelves are made and controlled by only four or five GIANT multinational food corporations who only have one goal in mind—to make more and more money? It’s true.

What’s more, the food chemists that work for these food kingpins are paid big bucks to create “Frankenstein foods” that are manufactured within huge, robotic, assembly-lined factories.

Here, they dump all kinds of (mostly) man-made preservatives, additives, and chemicals into the recipes for our favorite meals and snacks–in just the right amounts–so these “fake foods” can sit on grocery store shelves for months, years, and even decades, without going bad. (YUMBO!!)

Out of these toxic food chemicals, I have identified 7 that I not-so-lovingly refer to as “Obesity Additives.” I call them this because research shows they have a big, negative impact on our health and waistlines.

And, all you need to do to experience some SERIOUS weight loss fast is to exorcise these “DEMONS” out of your kitchen.

How Do These 7 Obesity Additives Make You Fat?

Good question. Studies show…

Two interfere with a hormone called leptin which sends a signal from our stomachs to our brains to tell us we’re full. Without this signal we keep eating and eating.
Other Obesity Additives create weight gain by causing hormone imbalances. That’s right, a fat-storing hormone called insulin skyrockets in your body (hello belly fat!), while a fat-burning hormone called glucagon is shut off. (Not good.)
Another (in excess) can cause a mineral imbalance in your body that causes you to become “bloated” with water weight all the time. (Ever feel bloated?)
And yet science has proven that some Obesity Additives actually addict us and cause us to eat uncontrollably by altering brain chemicals called neurotransmitters—just like the street drugs cocaine, morphine, and nicotine do. (Maybe this why you can’t “eat just one.”)
With these Obesity Additives working against you, it’s no wonder you haven’t been able to win the belly bulge battle in the past. Failing to lose weight isn’t your fault.

Where Obesity Additives Are Found

These dangerous Obesity Additives are secretly hiding in dozens of foods within your kitchen. These are foods that you’re eating–and feeding to your family–each and every day.

Salad dressings—including many low-fat and fat-free versions
Cereals (even those advertised as healthy for children), crackers, breads, chips, pretzels, and pastas—even good ol’ macaroni and cheese
Condiments like ketchup, jelly, jams, syrups, gravies, and sauces
Dried, canned, and cured meats
Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables (no kidding)
Soft drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, and teas
Many pre-packaged diet foods and drinks
Hundreds of foods labeled low-fat, fat-free, and “diet”
And, of course, most junk foods, desserts, and fast foods

4 Carbs to Help LOSE FAT

Carbs get a bad wrap.

Here is the “carbs make you fat” thought process.

You eat carbs. Insulin levels spike. Because insulin makes you fat, you just added pounds of belly fat.

So maybe that’s a bit simplified, but I’ve read more than one article that can pretty much be summarized that way.

But is that REALLY true — do all carbs cause insulin to blow through the roof? And subsequently that insulin immediately turn to belly fat?

Not so fast.

We touched briefly on insulin the other day — and how 1 simple spice (cinnamon) may help control insulin.

But not all carbs are created equal.

In fact, there are some that may help you LOSE fat!

First thing to remember is carbs are your muscles (and brains) primary fuel source. That means when you exercise, this is the main fuel source of working muscles. In other words, the more you exercise, the more you’d need. On the flipside, the less you move, the less you need.

Unfortunately most people move very little — even if you do exercise regularly — 1 hour each day of exercise can still mean 23 other hours of little movement. Typing quickly on a computer for 8+ hours doesn’t count as activity!

So therefore, most people don’t need a ton of carbohydrates.

That being said, what most people DO need is more quality carbs. And these 5 insanely healthy carbohydrates may actually help you lose fat!

White Beans. A study published in 2007 showed how subjects using a white bean extract lost significantly more weight (8.7 lbs) than the group that didn’t (1.7 lbs). Both groups had the same diet and exercise prescriptions outside of the white bean extract addition. This is preliminary data, but in the meantime, simply add white beans to the diet — they’re high in fiber, high in protein, and may actually prevent or delay digestion complex carbs.
Barley. This “super carb” — super because it’s so insanely healthy — is very slowly digested and is a good source of a particular fiber called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is partly responsible for the lipid lowering effects of foods like barley and oats.
Chickpeas. A study published in the 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that adults who incorporated chickpeas into their diets on a regular basis had improvements in blood sugar control and lipid profiles.  My favorite snack is to drain a can of chickpeas, toss them with 1 tsp olive oil, add a pinch of salt and chili powder, then saute over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, tossing regularly. Saute until slightly crisp. Great, easy snack!

Apples and pears. Researchers published a study in the journal Appetite measuring the effects of adding 3 different foods to the diets of the overweight subjects — apples, pears, or oats. Each group added 3 apples, 3 pears, or 3 oat cookies (each provided the same number of calories and fiber) to their daily diets for 10 weeks. The differences among the foods was the energy density. The apple and pear groups lost significantly more weight than the oat group.

Replace less healthy carbs with these healthy options — try the chick pea recipe above, maybe start each meal with an apple or pear, or maybe add a serving of white beans to a soup or salad instead of croutons or a side of bread.

Carbs are healthy. When you choose the right ones. Of course these 5 aren’t the only healthy options — certainly veggies and other fruits are fantastic too — mix it up and as always, think fiber, not carbs.

Your Favorite Food Might be Your Enemy

There’s not a single food (or group of foods) that reminds me more of when I was younger than cereal.

My brother and I couldn’t get enough of the stuff.

For breakfast. As a snack. Before bed.

We ate cereal literally ALL the time. We would mix them together to see what creation we could come up with. We’d often eat it out of mixing bowls.

And I wonder why I was overweight when I was younger.

I digress.

While we did eat it all the time and clearly ate way too much of the goodness, we still always had healthy options. My mom had a rule that our cereals didn’t have more than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Only sometimes could we get Honey Nut Cheerios, but even then we mixed it with plain Cheerios so it wasn’t as sweet.

Smart lady.

But one time, I was with my Dad at the grocery store, and I “tricked” him — we needed cereal and somehow I was able to convince him to buy E.T. Cereal — telling him that our mom let us have it. The E’s were chocolate. The T’s peanut butter. Clearly not a regular cereal of choice in our house.

And it broke one of the cardinal rules of eating that we now suggest to people. Our favorite food clearly was our “enemy” when trying to eat well.

You see, cereal can be a GREAT option …

…but it can also be no different than if you were to fill a bowl with a can of Coke and eat that. Sugary junk. In flake form.

So while we encourage everyone to fuel their bodies as soon as they wake up (well, within about 30-60 minutes), we want this fuel to be fuel that works for you, not against you.

Cereal is often a quick go to option because it’s quick and convenient.

If that’s you, though, picking cereal for a quick on the go option, follow our 6 Food Rules to make sure you’re starting your day right (or ending your day, if you were anything like my brother and I).

It should have at least 3 g of fiber/serving (Boot Camp Picks – rolled oats, Grape Nuts, Kashi Good Friends Cereals, Wheat Chex).
If there is a cartoon on the box, leave it on the shelf.
If it turns your milk colors, toss it in the trash.
If it has more than 10 grams of sugar per serving, find a different option.
If sugar (or any variation of the name, sugar) is one of the first 3 ingredients, put ti back on the shelf.
Don’t fall for marketing hype and claims that are pasted all over food labels now, like “made with whole grains” even though that may do nothing to boost fiber and it’s still loaded with sugar.
Fueling your body with breakfast is not an option — it’s a necessity. But fueling your body right is just as important.

Post Pig-Out Plan

We started with some appetizers. Had a nice dinner. Great wine. And dessert.

The food was absolutely incredible. But when all was said and done, we both definitely had that feeling of “whoa, I think I ate and drank TOO much!”

Now, admittedly it’s rare that we both have that feeling — while nice, we’re not usually have 3 course meals and wine every night.

But this wasn’t a time to panic that we overate and completely blew our cover of living a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately many people do this regularly — eat way too much — than panic that they “blew it” and are completely off the bandwagon for good!

Or maybe you’ve had this thought yourself:

“Wow, I was out with friends all night for a friends birthday and could NOT stop eating the cake, drinking the wine, and topped it all off with some ice cream! I’ll just spend a few hours tomorrow doing cardio at the gym to make up for it.”

Let’s be realistic.

First, trying to negate those added calories with some extra cardio would take about 5+hours.

If we assume you packed away 1500 or so calories, that would mean you have to run or walk 15 miles, if you’re trying to go calorie for calorie.

Let’s face it — that ain’t gonna happen!

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting not doing anything, but work up a true sweat and get that heart going! Do some intervals. Add in some weights. Burn serious calories!

And simply move more throughout the day to lose weight — try to get in a few 10 or so minute walks. Enjoy the weather and get outside during the day. You’ll feel better in general.

The next day food wise — cut back just a bit.

Since we used wine in our example (and drank a bit more than usual ourselves last night), definitely load up on water the next day to rehydrate. You’ll not only feel better, but often thirst is mistaken for hunger, so if you’re dehydrated it’s likely you’ll eat more. Aim to drink at least half your body weight in oz.

Fill up with veggies and fruits. They keep you full, are loaded with fiber and other nutrients, yet won’t fill you out with a ton of calories.

Don’t beat yourself up over 1 splurge. 1 meal isn’t going to make or break success. If it takes 3500 calories to equal 1 lb, the key is to get right back on track and not continue to overindulge, rationalizing your behaviors and saying that you’ll simply “start the diet again on Monday.”

Use those 3 Simple Strategies to Beat the Post Pig Out Blues next time you’re in that situation!

The TRUTH About Empty Stomach Cardio

Over the weekend I hit the gym with my buddy for a morning cardio workout. Now, I say “cardio”, but really it was a metabolic resistance training session. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the simple definition for metabolic resistance training is “cardio with weights”. We’ll cover this more in detail in another update so as not to get too off topic.

So we’re about 10 minutes into the workout and my buddy looks like she is in pretty bad shape (despite being in really GOOD shape). So I asked her what the deal was. “I didn’t eat anything for breakfast.” Me: Why the heck not? “I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do if you want to burn the most fat from your morning workouts.” Uh oh. Perhaps you’re still believing this old myth, so allow me to take a moment to dispel it.

The theory behind empty stomach is cardio is simple: supposedly, by doing cardio on a empty stomach, you tap directly into fat stores since glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are somewhat depleted after an overnight fast. Seems to make sense, but research has proven this to be wrong. Several studies have shown no difference in substrate utilization (glycogen vs. fat) for those working out on an empty stomach vs. those who eat a small meal prior to their morning workouts. In fact, one study showed the exact opposite—those who had a small meal first burned more calories and more fat than the empty stomach group. How can this be? The reason is rather simple if you think about it. I was kicking butt and taking names with my workout, and my buddy was barely able to get through hers. Even if not eating beforehand allowed you to burn more fat (which it doesn’t), the major trade off is performance. And why does performance matter? Well, if you can’t perform at an optimal level and put forth maximal effort, then you are not going to be burning an optimal amount of calories–period. The truth is, empty stomach cardio is an outdated philosophy whose theory was proven incorrect by research.

Still, there are plenty of people who hold on to the theory despite the available research. Perhaps they’re not aware of it, perhaps they just go by what the fitness and bodybuilding magazines tell them (bad idea); I’m not sure. Whatever the reason, popular philosophy doesn’t always mean correct philosophy, and this is one such instance. So I’ll leave you with some practical recommendations: At the very minimum, have a couple scoops of whey before any morning “cardio” workout. That said, if it’s still negatively affecting your performance, you need to go a bit further. The meal doesn’t have to be large, but it should contain some complex carbs (oatmeal, etc) along with a small serving of protein. Give it about a half hour to begin digesting and then hit your workout. Better performance = more calories burned = more fat loss = improved cardiovascular functioning = even better performance = even more calories burned = even more fat loss.

Don’t be like my friend and have a crappy workout because you didn’t eat. As I shared with you, the research shows that’s not going to make a difference anyway. Instead, eat your Wheaties (figuratively speaking) and then dominate your workout! Alright, now it’s comment time: I want to know: Do you still do empty stomach cardio? Will you give it up based on this post? Do you notice your performance suffers? Or maybe you do REALLY well with empty stomach cardio. Either way, let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!

The Unhealthiest “Health” Food

We start our mornings with one every single day.

Couple servings of fruit. Some satiating protein. A bit of healthy fat. And the almond milk is fortified with vitamin D to boot.

It’s a smoothie. And the one we make is incredible for you.

But the whole notion of “health” smoothies is a little overboard.

The idea of a smoothie implies a convenient, easy fat burning meal on the go.

In fact the other day I saw a smoothie shop with a line that was easily 15 people deep.

Heck, I stopped there myself. You can order yogurt with fresh fruit (not fruit syrupy junk) or you can order smoothies.

I opted for the yogurt parfait layered with fresh blueberries and raspberries. Good stuff.

But as I read the sign of some of the other options … they were high sugar/calorie bombs going incognito as health foods. Not far down the terminal there was also a Jamba Juice … with some of their “healthy” smoothies boasting an impressive 100+ grams of sugar! Smoothie King … same idea.

Talk about a simple way of sabotaging your fat loss goals!

The problem with any of these, though, is not as much that they are so high in sugar and calories (well, yes, that’s a problem too) … but rather it’s the fact that the assumption is smoothie = healthy.

While some smoothies are in fact fantastic for you, most are nothing more than expensive sodas hiding behind fancy fruit and “power” names. Wholesale clubs and grocery stores sell premix products (READ: premixed sugar to make it convenient for you to gain weight).

So what is your best bet?

Skip the smoothie chains or premixed products and make your own. Try different ingredients and mix it up — our staple is the one with frozen blueberries, frozen banana, a scoop of unflavored protein powder, and about 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.

But we’ve been known to throw spinach, cayenne pepper, and other “strange” ingredients in there too — trust us, they’re great — and when mixed with other ingredients, you’ll never actually think you’re drinking liquid spinach (works well with chocolate protein powder and peanut butter)!