The question we most often get asked is, what diet program will really help me lose weight with the least amount of work?

Here are our most popular diet programs from 2011, that can help you lose weight in 2012.

2012 Diet Reviews

#1 Diet Program: Fat Burning Furnace

Our most popular diet program during the last year was Fat Burning Furnace. Designed by Rob Poulos, Fat Burning Furnace uses a straightforward diet plan, combined with 15 minutes of exercise, 3x a week to help you lose weight and keep it off!

> Click Here to Learn More About Fat Burning Furnace

#2 Diet Program: The Diet Solution Program

Our second favorite program is The Diet Solution Program. Isabel De Los Rios teaches you how to eat the right kinds of food for your metabolic type to help your body burn fat more efficiently.

Isabel has helped tens of thousands of people lose weight – and she can help you lose weight too!

> Learn More About The Diet Solution Program

#3 Diet Program: Truth About Abs

Rounding out the top 3, we recommend you check out The Truth About Abs.

Mike Geary can help you get six pack abs, and the truth is that great abs are made in the kitchen – not from doing hundreds of crunches and situps, or using those silly ‘ab machines’.

> Learn The Truth About Abs

We’ve also read some excellent books this past year that can help you lose weight in 2012. Our choice for the best diet books:

We hope that our 2012 Diet Reviews help you lose weight this year. Make 2012 the year that you lose those pesky extra pounds once and for all!

Original post: 2012 Diet Reviews

A strong core area is super important for your good health, as well as a leaner looking waistline. That’s because your core keeps your back muscles, your abs, and your posture all in alignment! Therefore, an exercise ball like the Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair can help tone and strengthen all these areas. Best of all, it helps you when you’re exercising with it– or when you simply sit on it!

I’ve been a fan of exercise balls for years, and if you’re thinking about investing in one soon, read on for my review.

Comfortable and Practical:

You can use a Balance Ball Chair in two ways:

1. Use the ball alone to isolate your abs. You can do crunches, leg lifts, and many other exercises on the ball!
2. Use the ball as a chair. The chair is designed to promote great posture! Some models, like the one I describe here, come with casters. This way you can sit at your desk, a table or anywhere you like!

I’ve used the balance ball for years, to strength my core. I first learned about them when going through physical therapy. When starting out, I had to be careful to discipline myself to use it correctly, and it took some getting used to. However, after about a week I felt right at home with it, and have loved it ever since!

Recently I learned about the Balance Ball Chair. The great thing about it is that when you sit on it you body is constantly making minute changes, to keep you balanced. This isn’t something you need to think about – it’s barely even noticeable to you. However, for this reason it is best to start out for 5 minutes a day on the chair, and then work your way up to 30-60 minutes or more. Some people even work sitting at them all day!

A few notes about how you’ll receive the product:  The chair does require assembly, but is easy to do so. The ball is ready to be inflated, using the enclosed pump. This pump does take several minutes to inflate fully, but once it’s up you’re all set. Plus there’s a tape measuring tool that tells you when you’ve inflated it to the proper degree.

All in all, I’m really impressed with this particular chair and I recommend that you try it out. I haven’t tried out other brands, but this one is rated 4+ stars on Amazon, which is what originally caught my attention. Click the button below to view the Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair.

Description from Amazon.com:

Isokinetics Inc. Ball Chairs are the same chairs sold by others, only at a manufacturer direct price. No middleman means no need to pay more! And, we provide all of our chairs with a 1 year guarantee. Made in Taiwan. As an additional bonus, we provide an exclusive exercise ball measuring tape that takes the guesswork out of inflating your ball. Sitting on an exercise ball while at home or work promotes flexibility, coordination, motor skills, core strengthening, and balance. Your body, when positioned on top of an exercise ball, is constantly making small adjustments, often imperceptible, to remain balanced and thus is constantly exercising a large group of muscles in doing so.

By strengthening your body’s core muscle group you help improve your posture, have better balance and guard against back injuries. It may take time before your body becomes accustom to sitting on an exercise ball, since your core muscles may not have gotten much exercise previously. Start by using it 10 to 15 minutes a day and gradually work your way up. If you have had back problems or injuries, make sure to consult your physician or therapist first. Note: We provide a small, starter pump for free for you to have a way to inflate your ball. However, exercise balls require a lot of air and it will take a lot of pumping with the free pump. So, you may want to consider purchasing at this time a high volume air pump, especially if you use exercise balls a lot or have other things you often inflate, like pool toys or air mattresses.

The Balance Ball Chair measures 21″W x 31″H x 22″D, 300 lb limit, best for people 5′ to 5’11″ (optional “height adapters” add 2″), and includes a 20.5″D ball.

Benefits of the Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair:

• Factory direct price: same quality and patented design as sold by others
• Includes a 20.5″ (52cm) ball, available in your choice of colors, and a small starter pump
• Bonus – Comes with an exclusive “no-guess” exercise ball tape measure for proper inflation
• Rolling base with 4 wheels, 2 of which are lockable

Learn More About the Balance Ball Chair:

If you’d like to read more reviews about the Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair, please click the button below to read reviews on Amazon.com. Also, if you’re looking for Body Fat Scale & Analyzer, we recommend that you check out the Omron 400 Body Fat Scale with Monitor. Thanks for reading and I hope you found our review helpful!

Original post: A Gift for Your Health: The Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair!

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

>View Breville 800JEXL on Amazon.com

We pride ourselves in being thorough with all products we review. And since the Breville 800JEXL is a moderately high-end model designed for many years of service, we wanted to be sure to research and test it over a generous period of time before writing about it.

Here’s what we found after testing it out for several months.

First, this 1000-watt juicer has 2 speed controls:

• High (13,000 RPM)
• Low (6,500 RPM)

This juicer needs some assembly and I’m not technically inclined, so I wasn’t looking forward to the task. Yet when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was to put together. What helped was that the instructions were realized clearly written.

After washing the parts in the dishwasher (yes, they are dishwasher proof), we proceeded to make one of our regular juice recipes – a “V-8″ type blend.

All I can say is, wow, were we blown away! This juicer met our expectations and more! We were making a rather large batch, and it went so quickly that we ended up making more than the juicing pitcher could hold. After laughing and cleaning up for a few minutes we enjoyed two delicious glasses of juice.

One feature I loved right away was the big feed tube. You can stack 2-4 regular sized carrots at once, or 2-3 medium apples. There’s no cutting needed, since it’s 3″ in diameter and 7″ tall.

A small issue I noticed right away, was that the food had a tendency to spit up at you, right after putting food into the juicer. After a few accidents I referred back to my instructions, which warn you about this. You simply have to push the feed tube in immediately after inserting ingredients into the juicer –or you can cover the opening with your hand.

Over the weeks we noticed another great feature. Unlike some juicers that contain a good deal of pulp, the Juice Fountain juice was virtually pulp-free. I don’t like pulp, yet I didn’t need to bother straining it, since there was so little.

We were equally impressed by the amount of yield we got from it. You can tell how efficient your juicer is by the level of wetness or dryness in your pulp. The drier your pulp, the more juice you extracted from your food. The pulp we saw was consistently as dry as that of the more costly juice extractors you can buy. (We’ve noticed that Breville’s all seem to share this feature.)

As mentioned earlier, the Juice Fountain Elite has two speeds. We found that the slower speed was most helpful for fruits and softer vegetables, and the higher speed was best for most vegetables.

Cleanup was easy too, as most of the components can be thrown in the dishwasher. Most juicers are much more difficult to clean — and some are impossible — but the Breville was no problem. I also hand washed it several times, and was able to thoroughly clean it in 3 minutes or less!

And since the Breville 800JEXL juicer is designed to provide many years of service, I was glad to see that the parts were stain-resistant. Some of them are stainless steel, and others are clear. This design helps make it easy to avoid buildup of food residue, too –keeping your juicing sanitary.

All in all, we were extremely impressed with the Breville 800JEXL, and definitely recommend that you check it out. It’s on par with other juicers that cost 3-4 times as much, and enjoys continuously high ratings from satisfied customers!

Click the button below to view the Breville 800JEXL on Amazon.com.

Note: We recommend using greens first, then pushing them through the system with carrots or apples for best results.

Description from Amazon.com:

The Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite with 1000 watts is super efficient.

This model has an Italian made electronic motor that increases power under yield to maintain filter revolutions. It has two speeds for soft and hard fruits and a three inch feed tube which minimizes preparation and feeding time.

Beautifully designed stainless die cast steel housing and motor body makes it a work of art on the countertop.

Note: While juicing, you may notice juice escaping between the plastic juicer cover and the stainless steel filter bowl surround. Try pushing the Food Pusher down more slowly and using the low speed. When large quantities of fruits and vegetables, especially those with high water content such tomatoes and watermelon, are fed into the Feed Chute at a rapid rate, the stainless steel filter basket converts these into juice so quickly that the force may cause leaking.

Product Dimensions: 17″ x 11″ x 20″H (it’s tall enough so it may not fit under some cabinets when on the counter top)

Benefits of the Breville 800JEXL Juicer:

• 1000-watt juicer with 2 speed controls, high (13,000 RPM) and low (6,500 RPM)
• Die-cast steel housing; stainless-steel micromesh filter; titanium-plated cutting disk
• Circular 3-inch feed tube accommodates whole fruits and vegetables
• Pulp container, juicing pitcher, and manual/recipe book included; dishwasher-safe parts
• Locking arm bolts move up to 1/4″ in all directions to ensure a snug fit in the locking arm

>Click here to learn more about the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor

Learn More About the the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite:

If you’d like to read more reviews about the Breville 800JEXL Juicer, please click the button below to read reviews on Amazon.com. Also, if you’re looking for a guide to help you get started juicing for weight loss or for better health, check out the Experts Guide to Juicing. Also, if you’re interested in a juicer with five speeds, you may want to check out our review of the Breville BJE510XL 900-watt Ikon Variable Speed Juicer. Thanks for reading and I hope you found our brief review helpful!

Original post: Breville 800JEXL Juicer Review

> View Omron HBF-400 Body Fat Monitor and Scale on Amazon.com

Anything worth doing is worth measuring…especially when it comes to your health and fitness. And this is where a tool like the Omron HBF-400 Fat Loss Monitor and Scale comes in handy!

One of the biggest mistake you can make when following a weight management program is to track your progress by weight alone. Instead, you can use a device like the Omron HBF-400, as a cost-effective measuring tool to track your progress from a few different angles.

Before we look at the body fat scale, let’s quickly review the key information you want to measure:

• Weight: Your weight affects all bodily systems either positively or negatively. Beyond the weight needed to maintain your life, additional weight strains all your organs.
• Body Mass Index (BMI): Is used for risk assessment, and is a measure of overweight. It’s calculated from your height and weight; it does not calculate fat.
• Body Fat Percentage: Is an estimate that measures the percentage of your body that is purely fat–as opposed to the weight of your bones, muscle, fluids, muscles and organs.

Your goal for owning a body fat scale and monitor is simple: to measure your progress over time, using these 3 proven measures. Think of it as a 3-D picture that helps define your level of health.

Remember that no single measuring device is perfect. Someone with large bones may weigh more than the recommended weight chart, and athletes using the BMI method won’t find it to be a viable measure. Body fat percentage can vary greatly, depending on the method used to obtain it. The way your clothes fit, how you feel, and how you look in the mirror all matter too!

So how does the Omron body fat scale work?

You want a product that gives consistent measurements over time, rather than being concerned about whether the scale is exactly calibrated to the one at your doctor’s office. The Omron-400 has been proven to provide this consistent accuracy over the years.

The main feature of the Omron-400 is its ability to easily and accurately measure your weight and your body fat at the same time. It does this by using Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA).

See the product description in the Amazon section below for more information about why this is the best method for most of us.*(There are five ways to measure body fat: Skin Fold Caliper, Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA), Anthropometric, Hydrostatic Weighing and the DEXA Scan.)

When selecting a fitness measuring tool there are four considerations to think about: availability, expense, convenience and the ability to self test. Body fat scales like the Omron 400 meet these needs with a small, one-time investment.

What features does the Omron-400 have?

It’s lightweight, attractive and easy to use. The numbers are easy to read and the instructions that come with it make the programming especially easy. Plus, I love the fact that I can program it for up to 4 different people, and the memory holds this information so that I don’t have to input my weight, age and gender each time I step on the scale!

Click the button below to view the Omron HBF-400 Fat Loss Monitor with Scale on Amazon.com.

Description from Amazon.com:

The Omron HBF-400 Fat Loss Monitor with Scale is the perfect way to track your weight loss goals, thanks to its fast, accurate measurement of weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI).

Just step on the HBF-400 and in seconds you’ll have much of the information that’s vital to any weight loss or weight maintenance program. Simple controls and a large, easy-to-read display make fat and weight monitoring a snap. Just step on and see your data in seconds.

For the Whole Family The HBF-400 supports up to four personal profiles, so each member of your family can track their own measurements independently. Plus, an easy-to-read and large digital display makes it a snap to get the information you need.

Detailed Measurement The weight display measures weight up to 330 pounds in .2-pound increments, while body fat percentage can be measured from 5 to 60 percent in .1 percent increments. One of the keys to weight loss and management is tracking your body mass index, or BMI. The HBF-400 rates your BMI from 7.0 to 90.0 in .1 increments. BMI is classified at three levels: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese.

Made for Just about Everyone The HBF-400 is set up to provide measurements for folks of nearly all heights (3’4″ to 6′ 6-3/4″) and nearly all ages (10 to 79 years). Measurements are customized for males and females, as well.

Power and Dimensions The HBF-400 runs on four AA batteries, and you can expect about a year of battery life when the device is used four times a day. The unit measures 12.2 x 11.8 x 2.1 inches (L x W x H). The unit weighs 4.7 pounds.

What’s in the Box HBF-400 unit, 4 AA batteries, and instruction manual.

Benefits of the HBF-400 Omron Body Fat Scale with Monitor:

• Provides accurate measurement of weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI) in one device
• Supports up to four personal profiles, so each member of your family can track their own measurements BMI classified at three levels: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese
• Provides measurements for people of nearly all heights (3’4″ to 6′ 6-3/4″) and nearly all ages (10 to 79 years)

What is the Bioelectrical Impedance Method?*

Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) is considered one of the most accurate and accessible methods of screening body fat. Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues having a high water content that conduct electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The monitor sends an extremely weak electrical current through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. The weak electrical current is not felt while operating the Body Fat Analyzer. The monitor is calculated by a formula that includes five factors; electric resistance, height, weight, age and gender.

> Click Here to Buy the Omron 400 Body Fat Scale and Monitor at Amazon.com

Learn More About the the HBF-400 Omron Body Fat Scale and Monitor:

If you’d like to read more reviews about the Omron 400, please click the button below to read reviews on Amazon.com. Also, if you’re looking for a diet program to help you reach your fitness and weight loss goals, check out our review of  The Truth About Abs, by best selling author Mike Geary. Thanks for reading and I hope you found our review helpful!

Original post: Stay on Track with a Body Fat Scale!

> View Breville BJE200XL on Amazon.com

One of the great things about writing for weight loss and health products, is that we get to try them out! Recently, I tested the Breville BJE200XL 700-watt Compact Juice Fountain for a month or so. Being that it’s a smaller juicer, I was curious to see what kind of power it had.

Right off the bat, I was impressed at its powerful 700-watt motor, which operates at 14,000 RPM. Most smaller juicers only have 400-500 watt motors so that’s a good start.

The motor also stacks up well when compared to those found in the larger Breville BJE510XL –which has a 900-watt motor and runs at speeds between 6,500-12,500 RPM.

That said, numbers are only part of the equation and the BJE200XL performed even better than I’d expected! Its powerful motor didn’t even flinch at anything we put through it –from apples to beets, carrots, ginger, spinach and kale.

We were equally impressed by the amount of yield we got from it. You can tell how efficient your juicer is by the level of wetness or dryness in your pulp. The drier your pulp, the more juice you extracted from your food. The pulp we saw was consistently as dry as that of the more costly juice extractors you can buy.

This model only has one speed, but I found that’s all it needed. Plus, I’ve read reviews from customers who’ve used it daily for years, and who feel the same.

Cleanup was easy too, as most of the components can be thrown in the dishwasher. Most juicers are much more difficult to clean — and some are impossible — but the Breville was no problem. I also hand washed it several times, and was able to thoroughly clean it in 3 minutes or less!

The only minor issue I had was that occasionally I’d see a few small pieces of ginger or veggies that got pulled into the mesh basket without getting juiced. When this occurred, I’d simply turn the juicer off, and once it fully stopped spinning I’d pull the pieces out of the basket and put them back through the juicer. This way I’d avoid any food waste.

All in all, we were really impressed with this juicer and strongly recommend that you try it out. Click the button below to view the Breville BJE200XL on Amazon.com.

Note: We recommend using greens first, then pushing them through the system with carrots or apples for best results.

Description from Amazon.com:

Enjoy an 8-ounce cup of juice in just five seconds thanks to the unique cyclonic system of this full-function juice fountain. Its 700-watt motor operates at 14,000 RPM for maximum extraction and fast results.

The unit features a stabilizing dual knife assembly, which centers fruits or vegetable over the cutter and filter, minces them into minute particles, and forces them against the stainless-steel micro-mesh filter, all of which increases yield by 30 percent and produces results 10 times faster than other juice extractors.

The filter and cutter system are so powerful that pineapple can be juiced with the rind on. Another thoughtful detail includes the machine’s extra-large 3-inch centered feed tube that allows for juicing whole fruits and vegetables.

Plus, the unit’s easy-to-clean internal pulp container assembles in seconds and juices 1-1/2 quarts of apple juice before it needs to be emptied.

All removable parts clean up quickly by hand or in the dishwasher, and a custom cleaning brush is included.

The Breville Juice Fountain Compact has a patented 3 inch centered feed tube which juices whole fruit without cutting. The easy clean central pulp container juices 1.5 quarts before it needs to be emptied. With a 700 watt motor it has a heavy duty performance. It also has a unique Cyclonic Juicing System which operates at 14,000 RPM to maximize extraction.

Providing heavy-duty performance in a space-saving design, the compact juice fountain measures 9-1/2 by 8-3/4 by 16 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Benefits of the Breville BJE200XL Juicer:

• Heavy-duty compact juice fountain with centered knife blade assembly
• 700-watt motor operates at 14,000 RPM for maximum extraction
• Extra-large 3-inch centered feed tube; stainless-steel micro-mesh filter
• Dishwasher-safe parts; custom cleaning brush included
• Measures 9-1/2 by 8-3/4 by 16 inches; 1-year limited warranty

> Click Here to Buy the Breville BJE200XL Juice Fountain for Under $100 at Amazon.com

Learn More About the Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain:

If you’d like to read more reviews about the Breville BJE510XL Juicer, please click the button below to read reviews on Amazon.com. Also, if you’re looking for a guide to help you get started juicing for weight loss or for better health, check out the Experts Guide to Juicing.  Also, if you’re interested in a juicer with five speeds, you may want to check out our review of the Breville BJE510XL 900-watt Ikon Variable Speed Juicer. Thanks for reading and I hope you found our brief review helpful!

Original post: Breville BJE200XL Juicer Review

Welcome to our review of the Flat Belly Solution, written by bestselling author Isabel De Los Rios. We take our Diet Reviews seriously, so we read every diet plan we review. This way you can trust the information to be honest and accurate!

Unfortunately, we’ve found that most Flat Belly Solution Reviews are full of inaccurate information. Guess why? Many people who wrote the reviews obviously didn’t read the book. If you’re like us you want to know if the Flat Belly Solution works so you invest your time and money in a program that helps you shed weight easily and quickly!

No worries — The Flat Belly Solution (FBS) is one of the best diets we reviewed on this site. Read below to learn why.

Oh, and if you have questions about the FBS eBook that aren’t answered in our review, please ask in the comments below. Sound good? Let’s get started.

What’s included in the Flat Belly Solution:

The Flat Belly Solution by Isabel De Los Rios includes:

• The Flat Belly Solution Program eBook
• Metabolism Type Test
• Quick Start Guide
• Recipe Guide and Shopping List
• Done for You Meal Plans
• Exercise & Diet Success Journal
• The Ten Most Common Nutrition Mistakes
• 14 Days to a Sexy Body – Accelerated Program

The program offers 2 optional upgrades -

• 24 Accelerator Audio Recordings by Isabel De Los Rios
• Turbulence Training Special Workouts with Craig Ballantyne

After checking out  the entire program, we feel that the standard the Flat Belly Solution is fine without the optional upgrades.

That said, if you don’t already have a fitness routine you may want to buy the upgrades, since Craig Ballentyne’s proven Turbulence Training Workouts will kick up your weight loss and fitness results –and help you get that lean, muscular look you want!

Isabel De Los Rios’ Two Powerful Secrets Revealed:

The Flat Belly Solution contains two little-known but powerful secrets that will help your body to lose weight with less effort:

1. Secret #1: Their are 3 different metabolic types, and your specific metabolic determines what foods your body needs to easily lose weight and maintain weight loss.
2. Secret #2: You can supercharge your weight loss efforts by removing specific foods from your diet that are keeping you fat – and you’ll be shocked when you learn what some of these food are!

Using the principles in these two SECRETS, the program consists of 3 STEPS:

Step 1: Determine Your Metabolic Type: From pages 1-12 Isabel De Los Rios explains how you’ll fall into one of three categories when it come to your metabolic (fat burning) needs. By balancing your intake of protein, carbs and fats to your specific metabolic type, you’ll  shed weight more easily.

The metabolic typing Isabel describes helps to explain why some people do well on a certain diets and others fail on the same one! And the good news is that once you take a simple, 10-minute Metabolism Type test, you can get started on the Flat Belly Solution right away.

Step 2: Create Your Personal Meal Plan: From pages 13-15 Isabel reviews calories,  and how all calories are not created equal. She explains that depending on your Metabolic type, certain calories- such as refined carbs for instance -will add fat to some people, while having little negative impact on others. She then has you refer to your FOOD CHART from step 1, which includes portion sizes to help you plan balanced meals.

She also gives you a blank meal planner which helps you select your favorite ‘best foods’ from the list and to plug them into the meal planner. This plan should be done weekly, and Isabel also provides a shopping list and recipe guide to keep things simple. (No worries, this planning should only take about 1/2 hour a week, and it helps you plan for dining out too.)

Step 3: Choose The Best Foods: From pages 16-96 the Isabel emphasizes the value of  certain nutrient-rich foods, which will benefit you regardless of your metabolic type.

In this section, Isabel also talks about some of the common food myths, and explains why certain ‘healthy’ foods could be keeping you fat.

The Flat Belly Solution is right for you if:

You appreciate a cost-effective, customized diet solution that encourages healthy eating and supporting your unique metabolic needs as a way to lose weight and keep it off.

Our Take:

Bestselling author, Isabel De Los Rios has an obvious passion for health, fitness and nutrition… and she looks fit and fabulous, as a result! She’s an inspiration and credible health and fitness professional who’s designed a unique, common sense approach to weight management.

We believe in results, and the Flat Belly Solution is a proven program. It has delivered results for many people, and has tons of testimonials to back it up. Check it out for yourself, we believe you’ll be impressed!

> Click Here to Visit The Flat Belly Solution Website

Original post: Flat Belly Solution Review

I like to maintain a healthy weight, so I’ve devised a few simple, healthy snacks that I always keep on hand. I invite you to try them out to help with your weight loss or maintenance goals, too.

Snack #1: Almond Butter on Celery

• 3 stalks organic celery
• approx. 3 t raw almond butter, unsalted (crunchy is my favorite)

Wash and dry celery, cutting into thirds. Top with raw almond butter and eat.

Healthy tips: Most people are familiar with this snack, but by using organic celery and raw, unsalted almond butter –rather than highly processed standard peanut butter — you’ll optimize your nutritional intake. Plus, this snack stays with you for awhile, due to the protein in the almond butter.

Snack #2: Greek Yogurt and Fruit

• 1/2 c plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt
• any fruit or berries (pineapple, bananas, fruit)
• dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 packet stevia (optional)
• 1/2 t unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Scoop out 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. Depending on your taste buds, you may want to stir in 1/2 packet of stevia before adding fruit. If fruit alone is sweet enough for you, that’s great! In any case, add your fresh fruit or berries to the yogurt. (Pineapple is one of my favorites!)Top this treat off with a dash of cinnamon, and finish it off with coconut flakes if you like. Enjoy!

Healthy tips: Greek yogurt is good for your digestive system and cinnamon boosts your metabolism. Coconut flakes add a touch of flavor and crunch, and are good for you, too. Stevia is a good alternative to agave nectar or other sugars, in that it’s a natural sweetener that doesn’t spike insulin. Finally, this can replace ice cream at night, as it’s tasty and sweet.

Snack #3: Carrot Sticks & Hummus

• 8-10 baby organic carrots or carrot sticks
• organic hummus

Wash carrots and dip into a small bowl of hummus and enjoy!

Healthy tips: There are lots of great flavors of hummus available to you, to keep this snack interesting. That said, my two favorite ones are (Trader Joe’s) Spicy Hummus and Garlic Hummus. The reason they’re my favorites is that these both contain anti-inflammatory properties and they’re tasty, too. Another tip is to keep a small appetizer-sized dish handy, so you don’t overdo it on eating hummus. (Even though hummus is pretty low on calories, you can still overdo it.)

There you have it! I try to eat 5-6 times a day, by eating 2-3 modest sized meals, and 2-3 snacks. I usually eat my meals on a salad sized plate so I keep the calorie count low most of the time.

Plus, when you eat this way, you can often avoid calorie counting and still lose weight. This is because you’re focusing on nutrient-rich foods that fuel your body and keep you satisfied at the same time!

One program that focuses on nutrient rich eating is Truth About Six Pack Abs program, which gives you over 80 healthy snack ideas and meal plans, as well as fitness tips and weight loss strategies.

> Click Here to Learn More About The Truth About Abs

Original post: 3 Quick & Healthy Snack Ideas

This time, I’m featuring a recipe from Truth About Abs fitness and weight loss expert, Mike Geary. In his Lean Body Chili Recipe, he spices up this ordinary dish by adding ingredients like dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, and grass fed beef.

Mike is known for creating healthy meals, which satisfy both your hunger and your nutritional needs.

When discussing chili, he says, “I was surprised to find that many people don’t realize that chili can be a VERY healthy meal. And no, this does NOT mean you have to use turkey or chicken to make the chili… actually certain types of red meat are MUCH healthier (since most of the chicken and turkey farms in the US raise unhealthy birds fed the wrong types of feed).

If you follow my recipe, you’ll get a satisfying and tasty meal with a good macro-nutrient balance (prot-carb-fat ratio) that is also full of a diverse array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Enjoy!

Plus, this recipe has a few interesting ingredients… like the small amount of dark chocolate…yes, in chili!

Mike Geary’s Lean-Body Chili Recipe

Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 45 min.
Total Time: 75 min.
Yield: This recipe makes 6+ servings, depending on the size of bowl

Ingredients

• 1 large red pepper diced
• 5-6 jalapeno peppers diced (adjust based on your desired “hotness”)
• 2 large onions diced
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes or 5-6 large fresh tomatoes diced
• 1 can organic kidney beans or black beans (good source of antioxidants and fiber)
• half bag of frozen chopped spinach (adds extra nutrient density… add in towards the end of cooking)
• 2 T molasses (this is a good source of antioxidants, adds great flavor, and only adds minimal sugar)
• 2-3 squares of extra dark chocolate (sounds weird, but trust me…this adds just a touch of great extra flavor, and a little bit of extra antioxidants)
• 1 or 2 T of chili powder
• 1 or 2 t cumin
• 1 or 2 t crushed garlic
• a small touch of celtic sea salt (I don’t measure… I just use a couple small pinches)
• 1/2 cup oat bran (adds fiber and also helps soak up some of the extra moisture)

Optional:

• If you like your chili extra HOT, add some cayenne pepper to the mix also (this is also a metabolism booster!)
• I also like to add some fresh chopped cilantro while it’s cooking
• Some avocado (for use as a topping after chili is cooked and served)
• Grass-fed raw cheese if you can find it (sprinkle as a topping after chili is cooked)
• 1.5 lbs of a healthy type of ground meat (I like to use ground grass-fed buffalo, ostrich, venison, or grass-fed beef as the preferred healthiest meat choices… as a last resort, lean ground turkey or chicken can work also — but just try to NEVER use factory-farm raised meat) For vegetarians, simply substitute triple the beans noted above.

Directions

1. Use a large pot and start with the olive oil and ground meat cooking. Just start adding all of the diced vegetables and other ingredients as you get them read, placing the spinach in last.
2. Once it’s all together and cooking in the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
3. Optional: Top each bowl with fresh cilantro, freshly diced ripe avocado (which adds even more satisfying healthy fats), and sprinkle with shredded raw grass-fed cheese. You’ve got an awesome hot delicious meal!

Save the leftovers and bring healthy leftovers with you to work each day. It doesn’t get any more nutrient dense than this!  This is the type of meal that is so dense in micro-nutrients, that it will satisfy your body’s needs for nutrition (hence, eliminating cravings), but do it without overloading on calories.

Approximate macro-nutrient breakdown per serving:
36 g. protein, 44 g. carbs, 9 g. fiber, 14 g. fat (all healthy fat), 430 calories”

We’ve reviewed Mikes’s Truth About Six Pack Abs program, which gives you also get 84 additional lean body recipes and meal plans, as well as fitness tips and weight loss strategies.

> Click Here to Learn More About The Truth About Abs

Original post: Mike Geary’s Lean-Body Chili Recipe

I found it on All Recipes.com and decided to post it on our site, since it’s also a great recipe for weight loss at only about 320 calories per serving.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 45 min.

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield:  This recipe makes 4+ servings, depending on the size of bowl

Ingredients

• 2 T butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 medium butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
2. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
3. Optional: Leave soup chunky, for more of a veggie stew. Or , for a puree, transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Original post: Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

I’ll leave the intro to Mike, who tells us:

“Well, I’ve totally outdone myself with today’s chocolate pudding recipe… this is darn good!!

As you know, I always look for ways to make seemingly unhealthy foods into healthy fat-burning versions.  Some popular recipes of mine in the past were when I made a truly healthy chocolate fudge, as well as my recipe for the worlds healthiest cheese steak.

But today, here’s my recipe for an amazingly healthy fat-burning chocolate pudding that’s high in fiber, healthy fats, protein, and low in sugar, with ZERO artificial sweeteners and NO added sugars!

I know… I’m a mad scientist with this stuff. But I actually got the idea for this recipe from Men’s Fitness magazine… however, I changed it all around because I didn’t like some of their ingredients, plus their recipe was too high in sugar in my opinion…and I added more protein.

Mike Geary’s

Healthy Fat Burning Chocolate Pudding

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: None

Total Time: 15 min.

Yield:  This recipe will make about 2-3 servings and is a great healthy dessert or late night snack

Ingredients

• 1/2  ripe avocado (soft to touch)
• 3 T almond butter (preferably raw if possible)
• 1/4 cup  unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
• 2 heaping T organic cocoa powder
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 or 2 packets stevia (or to your desired sweetness level)
• 1/2 to 3/4 scoop chocolate protein powder (my new favorite is an amazing GRASS-FED whey protein I found here)
• Small pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the avocado and almond butter into a bowl and mash together with a fork until smooth. Add all of the other ingredients into the bowl and mix together vigorously until all is mixed and smooth. (Or you can pour ingredients into a blender for 1 minute until smooth).
2. If everything went right, the consistency will be similar to pudding… except normal pudding makes you FAT with loads of sugar! My healthy pudding recipe will actually HELP you to burn fat, control cravings, and satisfy your body’s need for micro-nutrients, protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
3. If the pudding ends up too thick, simply add a bit more almond milk or coconut milk for more moisture.
4. If you want to get a little wild and add some more nutrient-rich additions, feel free to add some chopped pecans, chia seeds, rice bran, or walnuts at the end.

Mike’s recipe for fat burning chocolate pudding is a great substitute for sugary desserts. Stevia is a natural sweetener that doesn’t spike insulin levels. It’s been tested for 20 years and has been proven to produce no side effects, thus providing a great alternative chemical sweeteners and sugar. Plus, the fat in an avacado is the healthy kind that’s metabolized in the body and used for fuel, rather than being stored as fat.

So enjoy a guilt-free and healthy dessert from Mike Geary this week!

Original post: Healthy Fat Burning Chocolate Pudding