Eat More - Lose More Weight Loss Diet

Picky eaters - Here's 2 easy solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:38:12 PST

My Good friend Isabel sent me this email.

Sandra I almost can’t believe it. It’s finally happened!

My once very agreeable and easy to feed 2 year old has now, all of a sudden, has become…

A picky eater!

How can this be. What happened to that little boy who used to steal brocolli off my plate?

Up to this point, my little guy, Christian, was more than happy to eat any healthy concoction I put together for him veggies, fruits, a variety of proteins everything I ate, he would eat and was more than happy with any meal Mommy made for him.

Now, he has started to voice his opinion on different foods…and by that I mean, waving his hands over his face with a strong “NO!”

But, I’m up for the challenge. As committed as I am to feeding myself and my husband healthy food, As you know I am even more committed to feeding my children healthy food.

Here are the rules I use to prepare Christian’s food (pretty much the exact SAME rules I use for myself)

1. Include a quality protein source into every meal (this includes snacks). I always make sure to include a natural protein source to keep his blood sugar from spiking and crashing during the day. I do think that many times children have meltdowns because of low blood sugar (and other times, they are just being kids!) Christian’s favorites are eggs, meatballs, chicken (only if it’s cooked in coconut oil) and scallops (only if they are on mommy’s plate…hahaha). For snacks, I will include a few raw almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts or almond butter.

2. Include raw food several times a day. It is not necessary to go “all raw”, as some people promote, but I do think that the inclusion of 1 or 2 raw foods into each meal, with all enzymes intact, assists in the proper digestion of the whole meal. I have known some people to go an entire day only consuming cooked foods, with nothing raw in their daily meals, only to suffer from gastrointestinal distress, gas pains and bloating. Many times this can be easily resolved by just adding a few raw foods into each meal. Christian’s favorites are raw carrots and cucumbers with Celtic sea salt and olive oil. He’ll also eat cauliflower (only if it’s raw), and that’s pretty much it. I’ve tried some other veggies, only to get the furious hand wave. He loves all fruits, so he’ll usually have an apple, pear, banana or kiwi with some raw nuts for snacks.

3. Include 1 complex carb that is wheat free and gluten free. I truly believe wheat and gluten create havoc in most people’s bodies…yes, even children. I know my son will be exposed to many different foods as he gets older, but at home, I will continue to feed him (as I do myself) wheat free and gluten free options. This does NOT mean I purchase any of those “gluten free” processed foods, which are overloading the supermarket shelves these days. It does mean I include rice, quinoa, and all varieties of potatoes.

4. Include 1 or more healthy forms of fat into his meal. Most children (and most adults) are just not getting enough healthy fats or Omega 3’s every single day. Christian is a huge fan of coconut, loves avocadoes and enjoys nuts with his snacks.
It sounds like my kid is eating pretty healthy right?

Well, I gave myself a pat on the back and said, yes, my child still does enjoy a variety of healthy foods, but there is just one problem…

He will NOT eat any other veggies than the few I mentioned above. Long gone are the days of zucchini, spinach, broccoli…not even the occasional asparagus. He will start saying NO even before you’ve put these foods in front of him.

So far I have used 2 very successful strategies to “trick” him into eating his veggies.

1. Hide veggies in meatballs. My Turkey-Vegetable meatballs are a perfect example of this strategy. These are so delicious and he’ll never know there’s healthy zucchini in them.

2. I’ve started giving him 1 Athletic Greens shake each morning. I wasn’t sure that he was going to drink this, but the first time I gave it to him, he drank the entire thing and asked for “mas” (that’s more in Spanish). I put water, 1/2 tsp Athletic Greens, and 1 tsp of raw honey in his sippy cup and shook it up really well. I told myself ahead of time that if he didn’t drink it, I would then take that mixture and put it in a blender with a banana…but that wasn’t necessary. He loved it.

Athletic Greens is really just “real food” in powder form which is why I feel 100% safe giving it to my son and drinking it myself every day. It has often been called “nutritional insurance”… exactly why I give it to Christian every day…because with his pickiness around veggies, I want to ensure that he’s getting all necessary vitamins and minerals every day. The added benefit is that he is also getting healthy probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Isabel has her own program "The Diet Solution" for you to buy and download.
Isabel graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in exercise physiology (a pre-med curriculum). She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, the highest and most advanced certification given by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She is also a Holistic Nutrition Lifestyle Coach, certified by the Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology (C.H.E.K.) Institute in San Diego, California. She counsels many special populations, including diabetics, heart disease patients, cancer survivors, and overweight individuals, as well as healthy individuals who wish to maintain health and prevent disease.

The Main Foods to Avoid in Your Healthy Meal Plans to Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:02:18 PST

You know that people get excited about a lot of things, but I have yet to meet anyone who’s thrilled about being overweight.
However, I've met people who are sick of the up and down roller coaster of so-called healthy meal plans for weight loss. Rather than dealing with more disappointments, most of these people just resign themselves to believe that being big is inevitable for them.

Throw your hands in surrender and deciding to spend the rest of your life being overweight is not a realistic choice of a lifestyle. A decision like this can knock your self esteem to the ground and knock years of your life. So Come on, you owe it to yourself and your family to have much more than that.

There is no magic formula for losing weight - if it were, everyone and their mother would have been fine. The best way to achieve weight loss success is to know what kind of foods to keep away from your diet.

Just say "no" to processed foods

Obviously processed foods are cheap, convenient and easy to prepare. Sadly, these foods are generally bad for your health. Of course, you’d never know this by watching those hyped up television ads. Since manufacturers aren’t going to give you the dirty on the ingredients they use in processed foods, I’ll gladly do it for them.

Let’s start with trans fat. This nasty ingredient lowers good cholesterol, raises bad cholesterol, and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Considering heart disease is one of the leading killers of men and women, trans fat is one ingredient you want to steer clear of.

If you’re wondering where that double chin came from, the high fructose corn syrup used in some of your favorite processed foods may be partially to blame. This ingredient has been getting a lot of press lately because it is believed to be a major player in the rising obesity epidemic.

Don’t even get me started on the chemicals manufacturers use in processed foods. If I tried to name some of these chemicals, I’d be tongue tied for days. Besides, you’d probably think I was reading the label on a can of insect repellant spray instead of the ingredients in your favorite fast meal.

Send Sugar Packing

The average person consumes about 150 pounds of sugar per year. When you think about the fact that sugar is in almost everything, it’s easy to eat tons of this stuff without even realizing it. So what’s the big deal? There isn’t enough time in the day for me to tell you about all the damage sugar can do to your health. However, I can give you a quick rundown.

Sugar contains nothing but empty calories. When you eat this stuff, a large portion of it gets stored in the body as fat. If your goal is to slim down, being heavy-handed with the sugar isn’t going to help. This is not even the worst of it. Sugar can also depress the immune system, feed cancer cells, contribute to heart disease, raise your risk of osteoporosis and make you look ill.

Give Artificial Sweeteners the Boot

Before you run out and stock your fridge with a bunch of those zero-calorie diet drinks, there’s something you should know. The artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks and other low-calorie products are lab-created. Yes. You heard me right – mixed up in a lab like something out of a Frankenstein movie.

These chemical sweeteners can cause or contribute to a laundry list of neuropsychiatric disorders and chronic illnesses – depression, anxiety, migraines, mood changes, panic attacks, fatigue, vertigo, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors – should I go on? And if you think you’re going to shed a couple of pounds using artificial sweeteners, think again. These sweeteners stimulate your appetite and make you eat more food.

When you’ve tried diet after diet and not one of them delivers results, it can certainly make you want to give up. But you owe it to yourself and to your family to live the healthiest life possible. Processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners are the main culprits of weight gain. When you eliminate these foods from your diet, you give yourself a fighting chance to improve your weight loss.

Make dieting disappointment a thing of the past. Let the Diet Solution Program arm you with the tools you need to create effective healthy meal plans to lose weight and live healthier and longer.

Effective Whey Protein Weight Loss Support - USDA Report

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:15:06 PDT

ProHealth.com
July 16, 2011

Why do weight-loss results of high protein diets vary? Not all protein is created equal, according to a new, rigorously controlled Agricultural Research Service trial. Specifically, whey protein (from milk) looks like a winner in terms of weight loss & body fat-to-muscle ratio, even when calories are not reduced.

With nearly 68% of American adults either overweight or obese, finding ways to help people lose excess pounds is a national priority. Though the most obvious advice is to eat less and exercise more, this long-standing recommendation has proven unsuccessful for the lion's share of the population struggling to maintain a healthy body weight.

An alternative approach is to help people focus on consuming specific foods that promote weight loss. Some studies have suggested that high-protein foods might function in this capacity, although the data are conflicting.

Scientists speculate that there are several reasons for these inconsistencies, including the type of protein used (animal vs. plant).

A Six-Month Comparison

To better understand the relation between protein intake and weight loss, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service - the principal scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - recently conducted a rigorously-controlled human intervention trial comparing milk proteins (whey) vs. soy proteins in overweight and obese adults.

Their paper, published in the Aug 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, reports Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults.

Pounds and Fat Lost Even Without Calorie Reductions

Subjects (n = 73) were relatively healthy, other than having a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 38 kg/m2. As a point of reference, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers BMIs between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 as signifying overweight; BMI values above this level are indicative of obesity.

For 23 weeks, participants consumed either:

• Whey (milk) protein (about 104 g protein),

• Soy protein (about 104 g protein),

• Or carbohydrate supplements.

All supplements provided 400 kcal/day. Overall dietary intake was assessed every 10 days, and sensations of satiety and hunger were monitored daily. Prior to the start of the intervention and then monthly thereafter, body weight and composition were measured; fasting blood samples were also collected.

There was no effect of dietary treatment on overall caloric intake. Similarly, dietary treatment did not influence hunger, desire to eat, or the feeling of stomach fullness.

Nonetheless, by the end of the study:

• Body weight of the group consuming the whey protein was significantly (2%) lower than that of the group consuming the carbohydrate treatment.

• Moreover, body fat mass was 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) lower in the whey protein group compared to the carbohydrate group.

These beneficial effects were not seen in subjects consuming the soy protein supplement.

Whey Protein Reduced ‘Hunger Hormone’

Consumption of the whey protein (but not soy protein) also resulted in lower circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a stomach-derived hormone thought to stimulate hunger.

Both groups consuming protein supplements exhibited lower fasting insulin concentrations when compared to that assigned to the carbohydrate treatment.

The researchers concluded that different sources of dietary protein may differentially facilitate weight loss and affect body composition.

They also suggested that dietary recommendations related to weight loss, especially those that emphasize the role of protein, consider the source of the protein in helping meet weight-loss goals.

Source: Journal of Nutrition media alert, Jul 14, 2011.

A good principle that can literally change your lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:34:28 PDT

Commit yourself to lifelong learning.
Read, read and when you’re done reading, read some more.
You may be thinking, how could something like reading have affected my weight loss so dramatically? If I would have stopped so feverishly researching and reading all of the latest and most up to date nutritional information that I did while I was on my own personal weight loss journey, I would not have found all of the incredibly helpful fat loss principles that I am able to share with you today (and use myself).

Actually, since that time I have never stopped continuously reading and researching because there is new nutrition information available every single day.
Some may be good, some may be bad, but I have made it a lifelong commitment to help as many people as possible change the direction of their health and their weight and in order to do that, I have to keep up with all the latest and most up to date information.

Now I know with so much information out there, it can sometimes become overwhelming. That’s why I focus my reading efforts on a few trusted sources that I really enjoy and know are just as passionate about nutrition as I am.

One of those trusted authors is my good friend Mike Geary, author of The Truth About Abs. I think most of you would agree that his articles are jam packed full of useful information and tips (not to mention tons of delicious recipes that are perfect for our healthy way of eating).

Today I want to share with you 2 of those great articles. The first is a definite “eye opener” and an article that may completely change the way you look at fat loss.

Excess Abdominal Fat is Extremely Dangerous –
Details Here

The second is a delicious chocolate pudding recipe that I’ve made several times and have passed on the recipe to several family members and friends.

Healthy Chocolate Pudding – Recipe Here

3 Recipe Tips...make any meal a fat burning meal

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:10:54 PDT

Here is a message that my good friend Isabel sent me a few days ago. Its about really good alternative to three common cooking issues.

I’ve got 3 quick and easy tips that I use almost daily to make any recipe into a healthy and fat burning meal. You see, many times the recipes I find and want to try are not exactly as I would like them, so they take a bit of tweaking from me in order to get them to contain only healthy ingredients and still taste great.

Here are the 3 most common issues I run into when trying out new recipes:

The cooking oil is a BAD choice. I hate to ever call any food “bad”, but there are many oils which I stay away from at all costs. Oils like canola oil and vegetable oil are really just toxic to your body and can be extremely detrimental to your health and weight loss efforts (please refer back to the FATS chapter of your manual for a more detailed discussion of healthy oils). I always replace the canola oil and /or vegetable oil in any recipe with coconut oil or butter to cook with.
First, take a look at the ingredients list and decide which oil would be a better fit for that particular recipe. I use coconut oil to cook stir fries, eggs and most meats and use butter to cook veggies and for any recipe that contains a grain (quinoa, rice or millet recipes). I don’t usually use olive oil to cook with unless I am cooking at a very low temperature (the lowest setting on my stove top) because olive oil’s healthy properties are better maintained if it is not heated.
Coconut oil and butter are always better to cook with.

If the recipe calls for breadcrumbs. Most breadcrumbs are made from processed white bread and contain high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (yes, in bread crumbs!) I choose to make my own from Ezekiel bread, rice bread or spelt bread. I place 10 pieces of bread in a 250 degree Farenheit oven. You’ll get the best results if you put the bread right on the oven racks. Leave them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, place all the bread in a food processor until fine. Then you can add any seasoning you like and have fresh, delicious bread crumbs that you can use in any recipe.

The recipe calls for milk. This one is an easy solution... I always use coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Coconut milk is my favorite and I’ve used it in mashed potatoes, smoothies, and in baking, all with great success. Making your own coconut milk is best, but I buy canned coconut milk, since the ones in the refrigerator section all contain a long list of ingredients I can’t pronounce. Make sure the ingredients list on your coconut milk is as short as possible and the first 2 ingredients are organic coconut milk and water (no sugar or preservatives added).
Those 3 tips seem to help me the most often and have helped me modify some really incredible recipes that my family really loves.

As I mentioned yesterday, I did get my hands on, what I think, is a wonderful series of cookbooks that are a perfect complement to your healthy weight loss meal plans. It’s not very often that I get a cookbook that is almost 100% aligned with my own healthy way of eating, so when I do, I love to share that information with you.

Check them out here ---> The Metabolic Cookbooks

Here is a post we received from a satisfied reader who is also loving Dave Ruel's cookbooks as much as I am.

"After a quick look through the various files that downloaded, I am impressed. First, let me say that Isabelle has promised to send us with a copy of the receipt for the books, a help sheet to modify this and other cookbooks so that they more closely hit the DSP guidelines. We will need it if we have any doubts about what parts of the recipes don't meet the mark. Other than that (and it is not a problem with Isabel's "fix"), the books look good to me.

I want to try several recipes immediately. What I really love is the navigation within the cookbooks. Its So EASY! Just Click on the page number or the title in the Table of Contents and you are then transported to the recipe. Click at the bottom of the ingredients list and you're taken right back to the Table of Contents. Macronutrients are always listed (a great BIG plus for all those who like to know exactly what we are putting on our plates), and the recipes can actually be chosen from the Table of Contents with just the combination of macronutrients you are looking for. Want a protein and carb combination? It is in the ToC under that category!

Well organized and easy navigation. Also, it appears that each recipe will print out on a single page. I never like a printout to go to the second page when I am cooking from it (too easy to miss something important on the second page the second or third time I do a read through while executing the directions).

There are several different cookbooks; e.g., Breakfast, Sides, Red Meat, etc. I plan on using them and from what I could tell by the reading of them, I also plan to enjoy the tasty meals I will cook from them."

~Sharon B from Lakeland, FL

See what Sharon is talking about with Dave’s Cookbooks here!

My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program check it out for more fantastic recipes etc.

Two yummy recipes with minimal ingredients.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:23:41 PDT

Food Recipes have been the hot topic of the week recently, and is actually one of the most favorite things to talk about. I really love trying new and creative ways to keep my meals fresh, delicious and interesting, and of course I enjoy passing on that information to all of you.
Today I’ve got 2 fantastic recipes for you, whose claim to fame is going to be “delicious with minimal ingredients”. The first is my all new favorite pregnancy snack (and, NO, you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy it), and the second is a recipe I have all set to make this evening as a treat for my family.

In my search for new and creative recipes, I actually chose these two because they have very few ingredients and are super quick to put together while still being delicious (of course!).

As many of you have realized by now, I really LOVE trying new foods, and finding new ways to make meals tasty while still fitting into my healthy way of eating. I also got very much into cooking, once my son started getting older because I realize that if I want him to continue to eat healthy, it’s really up to me to make his food YUMMY. This is also true for adults who want to continue to keep a healthy way of eating…if your food tastes good, a healthy way of eating is easy to follow. If your food tastes bad, well, then you know what’s going to happen…frustration, abandonment and a possible quick trip to the closest fast food joint.

These 2 recipes came straight out of Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cooking cookbooks. His cookbooks are really great and you’ll see below that his recipes are a great complement to our principles of healthy eating.

For anyone who does grab a copy of Dave’s books, please be sure to email me at info@thedietsolutionprogram.com so I can give you the supplemental bonus I created that goes along with Dave’s cookbooks. It’s a great guide I created that gives you alternatives and ingredient replacements you may need when going through each recipe. It’s basically a list of exactly how I would use the recipes and which ingredients I feel are best.

Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cookbooks -- 52% off for only one more day!

Without further ado, here are 2 great recipes for you to try this weekend:

Apple No-Crisp (1 of my new favorite snacks!)

INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 1 SERVING
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 apple, sliced or diced
• Pinch of stevia
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and enjoy!

LEMON-HERB STUFFED SALMON
(I picked this one because it sounds delicious)

INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 2 SERVINGS
• 2 salmon fillets (4 oz each)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Make a horizontal cut in the salmon fillets, for 2/3 of the fillet’s length.
2. Lay the salmon on a baking dish (I prefer a glass dish for fish).
3. Stuff the salmon (in the horizontal cut) with lemon slices.
Do the same with the scallion.
4. Mix together the two herbs and stuff them into the salmon as well.
5. Bake the fillets for 15 minutes.
Enjoy these 2 great recipes and don’t forget to email me for your bonus if you do decide to get a copy of Dave’s cookbooks.

Check out loads more recipes that are just as easy and delicious as these 2 right above --> Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cooking cookbooks

My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program check it out for more fantastic recipes etc.

The truth about cholesterol.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:36:47 PDT

I am going to let you in on something really shocking. Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease. I know this may be hard to believe after all we have heard about the dangers of high cholesterol from our doctors, and the media. But the truth is, it is not the cholesterol levels themselves or the cholesterol containing foods that are the culprits in heart disease, it is those foods and any other thing that causes inflammation in your body that is the major cause of heart disease (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure).

What is cholesterol and why do we need it?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body because it’s used to form cell membranes. Cholesterol also aids in the manufacture of bile (which helps digest fats), and is also important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K. It is the major precursor for the synthesis of vitamin D and of the various steroid hormones (which include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, the various estrogens, testosterone, and derivatives ).

How could something so good be so bad?

Cholesterol has been wrongly accused because upon inspection of the arteries of someone at risk for a heart attack, levels of cholesterol and plaque build up are very high. Cholesterol is actually being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage. It will only lodge itself onto the artery and cause plaque if the artery has become damaged. Inflammation in the artery is what causes this damage. In fact, it is now known that the coronary disease that causes heart attacks is now considered to be caused mostly from chronic inflammation.

So blaming cholesterol for heart attacks would be the equivalent of blaming increased police security in a high crime area. It was not the police that caused the crime, they were just placed there in response to the crimes.

A more important question to ask ourselves, is how do we decrease the amount of inflammation in our bodies so that cholesterol will not bind to our arteries?

We must decrease all of those things that we do that cause inflammation and increase things that decrease inflammation. First and foremost we must stay away from foods that cause inflammation in our bodies. Any food that causes a fast rise in blood insulin levels will quickly cause inflammation in the body. These foods are sugar, white breads, most dairy products and almost all packaged and processed foods. What does this leave you with? Fresh, wholesome foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean animal proteins, nuts, and lots and lots of water. Also, taking in lots of omega-3 rich foods will dramatically decrease inflammation in the body (salmon, trout, organic eggs, walnuts and oily fish such as sardines).

What about your cholesterol medication?

Some of you may be thinking, it is just easier to take a pill and not have to change what I am eating. But you may want to think twice considering the side effects of statins (cholesterol lowering drugs). The most common side effects reported are fatigue, headaches, nausea and the most common of them all, severe muscular pains and muscular degeneration. If you remember that cholesterol is essential for the formation of cell membranes, taking a drug that is drastically lowering cholesterol may be causing membrane damage in neural and muscle tissue. Most people on statins complain of neck, back or leg pain.

Millions of people worldwide are now on cholesterol lowering drugs, but the number of people suffering from heart attacks and heart disease is only increasing. Let’s take a personal responsibility for our health and truly get to the root of the problem. Managing your diet and staying away from those foods that are causing an inflammatory response in your body is your first step to decreasing your chance of heart disease and heart attacks.

Get Started on Your Own Weight Loss and Health Goals right away with these Simple and Effective Healthy Meal Plans.

Isabel De Los Rios is a certified nutritionist and exercise specialist who has already helped over 25,000 people all over the world lose incredible amounts of weight, regain their health and permanently change their lives. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program and the Owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey. She has become the #1 “go to girl” when it comes to Fat Burning Nutrition by several of the most popular fitness professionals around the globe.

The Shocking Truth about Dietary and Saturated Fats in todays diets.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:48:24 PDT

You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts below...

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to the concept of politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", and the mass media.

To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally.

On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.

In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.

I cringe every time I hear these so called "health experts" recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.

All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.

For example, if these so called "health experts" that admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?

Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?

Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases? What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake.

Well, I suppose the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc.
These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with. In essense all fats have become unhealthy in the minds of so many people.

Please note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair.
The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily calorie range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals).

Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

* Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.

* Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils.
Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.

* Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content.
Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.

* Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.

* High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.

* Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.

* Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!

* The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.

Now The Deadly Fatty Foods:

* Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA and most countries food standards agencies still allow this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else.

* Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled cooking oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.

* Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!

* Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US or the UK unless you personally know a farmer.
Check out www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt and especially kefir have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

I hope this article has helped to shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.

A fully comprehensive analysis on dietary protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and how to compile all of this information into a diet that promotes a lean healthy body with a low body fat percentage is provided in my book “The Truth About Six Pack Abs”. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!

Sue Heintze: Launches The drop a dress size diet

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:31:19 PDT

Lean Body Nutrition for Women
One of the most common reasons for people wanting to lose weight is so that they can fit into their favourite outfit for a party or important celebration, and for one reason or another they haven't had the time or inclination to start a controlled diet in advance.

It may also be the case that you have simply over indulged after a holiday for instance and there is a need to shed a few pounds sooner rather then later.

Up until recently the only solution to this dilemma was to go on some silly diet which basically meant that you had to starve yourself for a few days in order to achieve the desired weight loss.

If you can recognise this need to lose some weight both quickly and safely then you will be delighted to learn that the famous weight loss expert, Sue Heintze, has come up with an ingenious weight loss plan that could very well be the answer to your dreams.

She has come up with a diet plan which she has ingeniously named the 'Drop A Dress Size' diet which can either be downloaded, or a physical copy can be delivered to you.

It will show you how to lose weight for whatever the reason may be, both safely and quickly and if you are familiar with Sue's previous diet plans you will be well aware that she doesn't mess around, her diet plans work and what's more, they work well.

The reason this diet works so well is that it has been designed so that you lose the subcutaneous water and fat under your skin which which will result in you drastically losing weight within only five days and what's more you are left with a lovely taut and trim figure underneath.

It must be remembered that the 'Drop A Dress Size' diet should not be used over the long term but it is designed to be both enjoyable and effective and if your desire is to lose weight quickly then you really can't beat it.

It does not consist of those 'shakes' which most dieters are familiar with but ingredients that are inexpensive and more importantly,easy to get hold of.

So, if you have a big occasion on the horizon, or if you simply want to lose some weight quickly then I would highly recommend that you take a look at the DropADressSize Diet. It's not often that you come across a diet plan like this that actually works and doesn't involve virtually starving yourself in the process.

Six week overeating experiment

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:30:03 PDT

Did I Gain Weight, Lose Weight, or Stay the Same?

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Ok, I decided to do something crazy recently... For the last six weeks, I used myself as a guinea pig and completed an overeating experiment.

The purpose of the experiment was to see how much weight I would gain if I purposely tried to over-eat on a daily basis for six weeks straight.

What do you think the results were? Did I get fat (after all, I gained 9 lbs on a 7-day cruise last year when my normal diet at home was replace with my cruise diet...although I subsequently lost that 9 lbs in only a week and a half after that cruise). Or maybe during this overeating experiment I stayed the same weight or even got leaner?

My theory was that if you eat the right types of highly nutrient-dense foods and do not stray from those foods at all, that your body will automatically re-balance itself (your hormones, appetite levels, etc, etc)... and even though you are attempting to over-eat, as long as the nutrient-density of all of your meals is maximized, total calorie balance will inevitably end up at a level where I would not gain weight.

This goes along with my theory that calorie counting is basically pointless as long as your nutrient density of your foods is so high that the body obtains all of the nutrition it needs and re-balances your appetite and hormones to account for this.

Think of it this way... if you eat 1000 calories worth of soda, donuts, and cookies, your body needs to readjust hormone levels, increase your appetite and try to force you ingest more food to attempt to get more nutrients, since those 1000 calories were almost devoid of the nutrition your body needs.

However, if you eat 1000 calories worth of healthy foods with high nutrient density such as avocados, whole eggs, nuts, vegetables, fruits, grass fed meats, and other healthy options, your body obtains most of the nutrition it needs and accounts for this by leveling your appetite and hormones in the time period following that meal (the remainder of the day perhaps). In this scenerio, your body is not forcing you to eat more food (via cravings) to obtain the nutrition it needs since it already received a boatload of nutrition.

So, here were the details I had to adhere to in my little experiment:

1. I could NOT just eat any and all types of foods... I could overeat on as much food as I wanted, but ONLY the foods that are "approved" according to my rules... this means all foods had to be un-processed natural foods. No pasta, white rice, refined flour breads, or refined grain cereals were allowed. No trans fats, deep fried foods, or any other processed foods such as candies, cookies, cakes, etc were allowed in the overeating experiment... I was only allowed to overeat on healthy food.

Some staples during my overeating phase were tons of whole eggs (yep, including the extremely healthy full-fat egg yolks), full-fat grass-fed raw cheese and yogurt, avocados, almonds, pecans, walnuts, lots of virgin coconut oil and olive oil, grass-fed butter, berries, lots of fruit and veggies, sprouted grain bread, raw almond butter, sweet potatoes, and lots of venison and grass-fed beef.

2. I was still training very intensely 3-4 days/week at the gym but nothing extremely different from my normal workouts (this means that my caloric expenditure from exercise was not drastically different than normal).

So what was the end result after six weeks of trying to stuff my face with as much healthy food as possible?

>> My body weight stayed EXACTLY the same! I didn't gain a single pound.

I know the first reaction of many people is that I just must have a "fast metabolism" or something along those lines and that is why I did not gain weight.

But that is false!

The truth is that I have no problem at all gaining weight when I overeat on junk foods, or eat large amounts of processed foods in general. I can guarantee you that if I was overeating on pasta, white rice, cookies, white bread, donuts, and other processed foods during these last 6 weeks, I would have gained a massive amount of weight.

In fact, as I have mentioned before, in the past I have easily gained as much as 10 pounds in only 1 week when I have been on some sort of vacation and simply eat the normal types of processed food that everyone else is eating.

This proves that I am just as prone to gaining weight as anybody else.

However, notice the stark contrast in my experiment with attempting to overeat on all healthy unprocessed foods... I simply could not gain weight because my body would be constantly re-adjusting the hormone levels and appetite levels to account for the super-high nutrient density of food I was eating.

In the end, this meant that my body automatically maintained calorie balance without the need for calorie counting.

This is the type of eating lifestyle that pretty much totally eliminates your cravings... Remember that I have said before that I do not think I have had any real cravings in at least five years (that is the time since I have been more strict on the type of foods I eat).

I also think it is actually fun and more enjoyable to eat in such a healthy manner (for the skeptics that think this involves some sort of deprivation).

As I have mentioned before, I think one of the programs that gives some of the best guidelines for eating healthy and truly enjoying your food for lifelong success is Isabel De Los Rios' program at:

The Diet Solution

Muscle Building topic:

As you know, I'm a huge proponent of constantly reading new books and getting as many perspectives as I can on different fitness topics. I probably read 15-30 new books each year on different fitness and health topics.

I'm currently reading Jason Ferrugia's Muscle Gaining Secrets. Jason is one of the most popular writers for Men's Fitness magazine, and I know we met briefly a couple years ago at a fitness conference, although didn't get much of a chance to talk at that conference.

So far, I'm about half way done with the book and I'm finding it to be very thorough at this point. There's a lot of talk about rep ranges, training volume, types of exercises for gaining muscle, techniques for the true "hardgainers", and lots more.

I'm gonna finish reading it and give you my full review in a week or two. If you want to check it out for yourself, here is Jason's website:

MyMuscleBuildingSecrets

I'll be back soon with another Lean-Body Secrets Ezine issue. Til then,
Don't be lazy... be lean.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs

Eating these three vegetables, Helps to burn off stomach fat

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:30:23 PDT

Specific vegetables that actually help to stimulate the burning of stomach fat? Sounds crazy right?

Well, check this out below and you'll see why it's not so far fetched.

First, one fact that you may have not realized is that there are certain chemicals in our food supply and in our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemicals that have an estrogenic effect inside our bodies. This problem can increase belly fat on both men and women, so pay attention.

These are called xenoestrogens, and exposure to them from these chemicals in our food supply, water supply, and the environment is one factor that can actually stimulate your body to hold onto belly fat. The problem is that in today's world, even if you eat organic and live in a relatively low-pollution area, it is almost impossible to not get at least some degree of daily exposure to xenoestrogens. They are even in household cleaners and cosmetics!

So how can you fight against these xenoestrogens so that they are not forcing your body to hold onto stomach fat?

Well, that's where these specific types of vegetables that I'm going to show you can help.

There are many classes of vegetables, teas, spices, etc that have compounds which can help to fight against the effects of xenoestrogens. However, one of the most powerful classes are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.

These types of cruciferous vegetables contain very unique compounds (phytonutrients) such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that can help to combat the effects of xenoestrogens in your body, and therefore, can help you to burn abdominal fat more effectively.

As if you needed another excuse to eat more broccoli and cauliflower... Now, you can add losing stomach fat to the list!

Now here's the cool thing...

On this link, I'm going to show you my program that explains specific teas, spices, and other sources of these unique compounds that help to fight against xenoestrogens and help you to Burn Belly Fat faster and more effectively.

Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness goals!

Mike Geary -
Certified Nutrition Specialist,
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

Potatoes, Glycemic Index, and "White Foods" - Friend or Foe for a Lean-Body?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:02:31 PDT

Potatoes, Glycemic Index, and "White Foods" - Friend or Foe for a Lean-Body?

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

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.

"White Foods" aren't necessarily always the enemy.

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... French fries excluded of course.

Also, as i 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.

Will 7-9 potatoes per day make you fatter?

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 and/or coconut 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 healthy potato recipe idea!

Sincerely,

Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Truth about Abs

Heart Disease Fear: Disaster Strikes at the Supermarket

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:35:23 PDT

People absolutely hate going to the supermarket with me. I have often crushed many dreams in the bakery section and have nearly brought people to tears in the packaged foods department.

I often go by myself (It's just too upsetting watching adults cry). Off I went to the local Shop Rite to pick up some paper goods. The usual: paper towels, tissues, toilet paper and all the while minding my own business. Until my super nosy busy body alter ego began to eavesdrop on a conversation between two women.

The younger woman was apparently the daughter of the older woman.

"Yes, we can get Daddy the foods the doctor recommended. He said he has to eat low-fat to lose the weight. Mom, if we don't really help him this time he could have another heart attack."

Oh boy. Did I really want to help. Instead of stepping right in with my magic cape, I proceeded to follow the 2 women (I swear, I'm going to get arrested one day).

"Let's get him these granola bars for snacking. It says right here they're heart healthy. He can't have meat anymore so we can pick up some of these frozen dinners that are low in fat."

What was I to do? On the one hand, I shouldn't be following people around the supermarket, but on the other hand how could I stand back and watch this?

These days it's difficult not to meet someone who is either suffering from heart disease, has had a heart attack or has been told they are at risk for heart disease. It's just about as common as meeting someone with brown hair. Unfortunately, the media and even many well-meaning doctors are completely misinformed on how to tackle this growing epidemic. It's the number one killer in the US and plaguing many other countries as well.

What are we to do?

The best plan of attack is to combat the risk factors the best we can.

Use the following 5 tips to get you started on a heart healthy plan:

1. Drop the smokes. Yes, smoking has been shown to be one of the biggest risk factors in heart disease, mainly because of all the toxic chemicals added to cigarettes (not that I'm recommending tobacco or anything.)

2. Walk, walk, walk. If finding time for a structured exercise program is just too much of a challenge right now, just start by walking. I have known many people who have strengthened their heart and reversed severe conditions by getting outside and walking. If you can, find a scenic route. There's nothing more calming than the outdoors. (I highly recommend whistling and singing while you walk. It makes for happy thoughts.)

3. Calm down. By this I mean, don't stress about the stuff you don't have to. This is actually a very funny statement coming from me who used to stress about everything! Deadlines, laundry, work, family... you name it, I stressed about. Not until I realized that this would kill me no matter how healthy my food was did I drop the stress and pick up the laughter. Right now as I write this newsletter, I've got more things that need to get done today than are humanly possible. My reaction "Haha..better put my Superwoman shirt on"

4. Do not and I repeat, do not go on a low-fat diet. Your heart condition may get worse in your attempts. Drop the bad fats (like hydrogenated oil and the nasty oil in French fries and donuts) and start eating more healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, salmon, walnuts and whole organic eggs.

5. Do not be afraid to eat saturated fat. If you read "The Truth About Saturated Fat" in The Diet Solution Program you know that eating saturated fats is not what is causing people to get heart disease. It is processed foods, sugars and an overabundance of refined carbohydrates that is making this country so sick. The whole saturated fats topic gets me so fired up, I even made a video to give you more information - check it on my blog here: The Truth About Saturated Fat

What did I say to the 2 women at Shop Rite?

"Excuse me Ma'am. I don't mean to be nosy, but I write a Blog that may really be helpful to you and for you, its completely free." Gave her the web address and bolted out of there. All that and I totally forgot to get my stuff!

In health and happiness,

Article by:
Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of The The Diet Solution Program

The surprising truth about most Protein Powders

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:49:42 PDT

If you've ever gotten even 10 feet near any health food store, pharmacy or even supermarket, you know firsthand there is no shortage of available protein powders on the market today. And, in an effort to increase your daily protein intake in an easy way, you've probably been tempted to buy one or more of these (or maybe you already have) and make them a part of your fat burning meal plans.

But here's the problem...

Up until now, there has not been a protein powder that I felt confident recommending to you or even taking myself (Ok, there may be 1 or 2 on the market, but they're either ridiculously expensive or taste downright awful).

First and foremost, most protein powders are sweetened with artificial sweeteners. If your protein powder lists aspartame or sucralose as the sweetener...throw it out! I'm not kidding. These sweeteners are downright dangerous and toxic to your body and seriously hinder your fat burning efforts. Instead of helping you burn fat by increasing your protein intake, these artificially sweetened protein powders prevent you from losing fat by overwhelming your body with toxins. Dump it!

Second, most protein powders are not only using a low quality source of whey, they are processing it in high temperatures. The problem with this is that high heat processing completely denatures the protein and decreases the protein value (making it kind of pointless and a waste to take at that point). Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find out exactly how your protein powder has been processed as the owners of most protein powder companies are big corporations and difficult to get a hold of.

Well Prograde Nutrition has finally done it. They have finally formulated a Protein Powder that is not only delicious, but one that is sweetened with Stevia (a completely natural sweetener) and have only used the highest quality, cold processed whey.

The best thing about the guys over at Prograde is that they listen! Myself and many other fitness authors that I truly respect were downright honest with them and told them frankly we would not recommend any protein powder with artificial sweeteners in it! You know what happened? They listened and spent months and months formulating this new product. (Honestly, I probably drove their head nutritionist, Jayson Hunter, downright crazy with all the questions and comments I sent him. But he never stopped acknowledging or sending me the answers I needed.)

This is as much great news for me as it is for you. I'm just like you, if I have a protein option that's going to be easier than scrambling eggs in the morning or making a full post workout meal, I'll take it! With this new protein powder, I'm going to be able to maintain my current protein intake in a much easier way.

Here's the special link to take advantage of Prograde's 10% off sale of Prograde Protein right now:

http://progradeprotein.thedsp.info

Here are a few of my favorite Protein Powder Recipes that I will be making regularly with my new batch of Prograde Protein:

Pina Colada Protein Shake

Ingredients

8 oz. water
4 oz coconut milk
4 ice cubes
3 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/3 cup Pineapple chunks

Mix all ingredients in the blender and enjoy!

The ideas and recipes for protein shakes are endless. I use either water or coconut milk but you can also use almond milk or rice milk if you'd like. Get creative and add in a variety of fruits, raw nuts and nut butters for a delicious breakfast or meal replacement any time of the day.

Easy Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients

1/3 cup oatmeal (dry)
1 cup water
1 scoop protein powder

Cook 1/3 cup dry oatmeal in 1 cup of water. Mix 1 scoop of protein powder with just a little bit of water, in a separate bowl, until it becomes thick. Add the powder and water mixture to the oatmeal. Top with fresh fruit or raw nuts and enjoy!

This is a super easy way to get in a high protein, high fiber and very filling breakfast.

For time saving purposing, I make several servings of oatmeal at once and keep it in the refrigerator for the next few days. In the morning, I scoop out 1 serving (1 heaping cup full) and heat it up on the stove top. Saves me a few minutes in the morning (every second counts, right?)

Protein Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup Cottage Cheese (if you're not intolerant to dairy)
4-5 egg whites (I don't like to throw away quality yokes, so I save them for other recipes or to add to my next meal somehow. I tried to make this recipe with whole eggs and it doesn't work as well.)
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)

Blend all ingredients until batter consistency. Then pour into a frying pan like normal pancakes. I use butter to cook these.

You can add your own items for flavoring... for example

Mix in 1/2 cup blueberries after blending(Blueberry pancakes). Or try adding a half a bannana before blending for banana flavored pancakes. I also like to top mine with applesauce, cinnamon and a dab of honey.

These are really easy to make up ahead of time too so you can have a nice protein heavy breakfast without a lot of morning prep. (They are alright for snacks too)

You can find more of Isabel's delicious recipes at the diet solution program

To celebrate the launch of this new, great Protein Powder, Prograde is offering it now at 10% off.

http://progradeprotein.thedsp.info

But the sale ends Friday, so be sure to pick up your first batch today.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of The Diet Solution Program

Are you suffering from the Portion Distortion Syndrome?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:37:25 PDT

A couple years ago I was definitely suffering from a condition that is not too commonly discussed, but does very often appear in many restaurants, parties and homes all over the world. Yes, you too may be suffering from this horrible condition and not even know it. What is this awful plague? It's called: Portion Distortion, and it just may be what is holding you back from reaching your weight loss goals.

I can remember one particular occasion when I saw portion distortion at its very finest. I was at a family party at a Spanish restaurant celebrating the Christening of my baby nephew Alex. Here I was chit chatting with guests and catching up with friends and relatives when I see the waiters walk out of the kitchen with what looked like the most insane servings of steaks, lobsters, chicken and salmon on each plate. At first I was thinking they were serving each plate on each table "family style", where the whole table could each enjoy a piece. I was wrong. One plate was for one person and the amount of food on each was downright scary.

I walked back to my table and said to my husband, "Holy smokes! Wait until you see the size of the portions!" My husband replied, "Oh Isabel, you exaggerate. You think one extra grain of rice on the plate is too much. I'm sure it's fine for normal people." There's a good question. Do we even know what a normal portion is anymore? Or a better question to ask ourselves would be, What is a healthy portion?

By the look on my husband's face when a humongous mountain of chicken masala was placed in front of him and a lobster larger than my nephew on a 1 pound bed of 1 (I swear. That is no exaggeration) was placed in front of me, I knew he agreed this was not "normal" by any means.

Here's the sad and most unfortunate part. I would say that 75% of the people in the room ate the entire portion that was served to them. I realize each one of us is different, requiring different amounts for our body size and metabolic type, but no one and I mean no one needs 2 pounds of chicken, 20 ounces of steak, or 1 pound of rice in one sitting (sorry to break it to you). Could you eat this much over the course of one day? Of course you could. One meal though? Obviously not a healthy portion by any means.

Restaurants are not the only place where portion distortion creeps into our lives. We often do the same thing at home, serving ourselves one reasonable, healthy portion and then going again for seconds. If you are still hungry, then of course I do not want you to go hungry, but often it is not hunger at all that draws us back to the kitchen for more. It's the fact that the food just tasted good or that we ate so fast we didn't even get a chance to savor and enjoy the meal.

If you think too much food on your plate may be what's stopping you from seeing the weight come off, here are a few tips to help you battle the Portion Distortion Syndrome:

1. Eat Slowly. Yes, I know, In our fast paced society, it is a bit difficult to make the time to eat slow and enjoy your meal. I am not asking for a 2 hour lunch break here. All it takes is approximately 20 minutes for your brain and your stomach to register that food has arrived and calm your hunger. When we inhale our meal (and boy did I see some inhalers this weekend) in the first 5 minutes that it has been served, we do not give our bodies enough time to register the "I'm not hungry anymore" cue and of course we are left hungry and searching for more food. Give yourself a minimum of 20 minutes to eat before deciding if more food is even necessary. Savor each bite of food and chew it thoroughly (no inhalers, please!) For those of you that suffer from any gastrointestinal distress, you will actually find that this will greatly enhance your digestion just chewing your food more thoroughly and creating more digestive enzymes in your body.

2. When at restaurants or parties, take a good look at what is on your plate before you even pick up the fork. Figure out exactly how much of it would be healthy for you at this particular meal. This is what my husband did with his mountain of chicken and mashed potatoes. He said to me, "If I eat 1 and ½ pieces of chicken (there was 4 huge pieces on his plate) and half of these mashed potatoes, that is probably more than enough right?". Then he proceeded to cut exactly that much and put it over to one side of his plate and ate from there. If you just start attacking your plate the second it shows up in front of you, the whole thing will be gone (hopefully not including the plate itself) before you even realize it! The scary part is you won't even know how much you ate! We have all had those moments of total regret when our stomach is aching and we're asking ourselves "Why did I eat so much? Why didn't I stop sooner?" A better question to ask before this happens is "How much can I eat now and how much can I have again later?" Give yourself just 2 minutes to assess the portion that would be best for you and take the rest home. Not only will you prevent the stomach pains, but you will get to enjoy this delicious meal twice.

3. At home, put exactly what you intend to eat on your plate before you start eating. Take your time enjoying the food you have in front of you and don't make this an eating race with the rest of the table. I am often the last person finished at the table and I don't care. Why should I rush? Unless we have plans or somewhere to be there is no need for me to eat my whole dinner plate in 5 minutes. Not only do I enjoy my meal, but I enjoy talking to my family members during our meal and even put my fork down a few times to digest between bites (imagine that, putting the fork down). I know we are often influenced by the people eating around us and if everyone else is eating fast we have a tendency to follow. Keep at your own pace and have people follow your lead. I know when people eat with me they do have a tendency to eat much slower because I am not inhaling. You will influence others around you to eat healthier without even knowing it.

4. Always remember, there is more where that came from. Chances are none of us are going to suffer from a lack of food, especially when it comes to dining out and being invited to parties. There is no need to eat today like it is the last day that food is being served on this planet. You also don't receive a special reward for "cleaning your plate" or finishing your meal the fastest. There is always more food available for your next meal (many times there is just too much food available) and we can always take food home with us or eat again in a few hours if we get hungry.

What did I do with my gigantic lobster and 1 pound mountain of rice? Actually my order was confused and I split my sister's salmon with her (which must have been at least 14 ounces )and we each had a healthy and satisfying piece with green beans and spanish rice on the side. The lobster and rice went home with another relative to serve to her entire family the next day.

Be careful of the Portion Distortion Syndrome. Use the above tips and I know weight loss will come much easier.

My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program check it out for more fantastic recipes etc.

Foods to alleviate back pain

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:52:41 PDT

(Note: Make sure to grab your FREE book at the end of this posting)

In my house there's a phrase I hear quite often...

"Oh, my back hurts!"

Why?

Because my dear old husband, Stewart, suffers from back pain... just like more than half of all adults in the western world.

Yes, we can lay some blame on college football and a desk job that keeps him seated for more than 8 hours a day. But there are a lot of factors that make the situation worse and, luckily, a lot of things that can be done to make the situation better.

One thing Stewart always does say is when he's eating really well, and staying away from "junky" foods his back feels much, much better. (What do you mean? Isabel's husband doesn't eat perfectly all the time?) Nope, definitely not (sorry sweetie, I just ratted you out).

Some people would say this may be because the more weight you're carrying around on your body, the more strain you are putting on your back. Yes, this is probably true, but my husband is not overweight, so there must be something else to this.

The reason?

Inflammation.

Specifically internal inflammation and this kind of inflammation can be greatly controlled by the food you eat.

Internal inflammation is a lot like external inflammation but you can't see it so it is not as obvious to us. When you sprain your ankle, your body's natural response is to signal pain (so you won't keep moving and cause more damage) and will also cause inflammation in the injured area (again, so you'll just lie on the couch and chill out). It will also direct fresh blood, antibodies, and vital cells to the area to aid in the healing process. This sounds all fine and dandy but when your body creates inflammation and pain signals in your lower back, sometimes debilitating you for the day, it is not so fine and dandy anymore. Like my husband, you may have experienced this before.

I have had plenty of people look at me like I was crazy when I tried to tell them that if they just eliminated "inflammatory foods" from their meal plans, a lot of the pain would go away. Especially medical professionals who have been so accustomed to just prescribing surgery or pain medications to alleviate bad backs. But I have seen it happen right before my eyes time and time again. People eliminate inflammatory foods like wheat, dairy and sugar, and voilà

...Back pain gone in a few weeks.

So what foods should you avoid and which foods should you eat to control and prevent back pain?

Foods to avoid to control and eliminate inflammation (i.e. inflammatory foods)

Sugar, from any source
Processed foods
French Fries
Fast Foods
White bread
Pasta
Ice Cream
Cheddar Cheeses
Snack Foods
Oils such as vegetable and corn
Soda, caffeine and alcohol

Foods to eat to control and eliminate inflammation (i.e. anti-inflammatory foods)

Atlantic Salmon (wild)
Fresh whole fruits, vegetables
Bright multi-colored vegetables
Green tea
Water
Olive oil
Lean poultry
Nuts, legumes and seeds
Dark green leafy vegetables
Old fashioned oatmeal

If you are one of the millions of people suffering from back pain, I highly recommend taking a look at the foods you're currently eating and replace any inflammatory foods with a good dose of anti-inflammatory foods.

I would also highly recommend grabbing a FREE copy of Jesse Cannone's "The 7-Day Back Pain Cure"

Jesse is recognized as one of the leading back pain relief experts in the world and right now he is giving away FREE copies of this new book.

It's not an eBook or anything like that... it's a real book and it's for sale on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, but don't go buy it because if you go to his website you can get a free copy. You just pay a small shipping fee...

Plus, a portion of your shipping fee is donated to one of two great charities: Habitat for Humanity or St. Jude's Children?s Hospital - you choose.

Click here to grab a FREE copy

The best part about Jesse's book is that he takes complicated issues like back pain and the many things that cause it and has broken it down into an easy to read and understand book.

I also think the "7-Day Action Plans" included at the end of the book are extremely helpful... so based on your situation, you choose the action plan that's best for you... then all you have to do is follow the steps. If you suffer from back pain or know someone who does, make sure to grab your free copy here:

Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program check it out for more fantastic recipes etc.

Not all fat makes you fat.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:39:25 PDT

There is an incredible thing that happens when you lose weight and finally get your health in order (I'm not talking about buying a new bikini)...Everyone wants to know how you did it. Am I right?

This is exactly what has happened to my mom. Last year she lost 40 pounds and was able to stop taking her blood pressure and cholesterol medications just by using the principles in The Diet Solution (I haven't asked her about the bikini).

Now, even a year later, all of her friends are constantly calling her to ask their nutrition and health questions. Funny thing, they never want to talk to me, they only want to talk to her!

Last week my mom called me and needed a bit of help. "Isabel, I tried to tell one of the ladies at the YMCA where I exercise that she should use coconut oil to cook and she nearly fell off the exercise machine. I think she thought I was trying to kill her. She said her doctor told her to stop eating all saturated fat and that oils like coconut oil are fattening. How do I explain to her that it's actually good for her?"

This same scenario happens to me all the time. People have a really hard time believing that coconut oil is not "fattening" or "dangerous". We have all been falsely led to believe that fat, especially saturated fat, is the cause of our weight gain and health problems. This is only true half true. Some fats like hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils do contribute to heart disease and weight gain, but good fats like coconut oil, butter and olive oil are actually great fats for our bodies. Think about how much healthier people were in the late 1800's and very early 1900's. Heart disease was almost unheard of back then.

Let's put some of these MYTHS about coconut oil to rest right now.

Myth #1 - Coconut Oil contains a lot of fat so it must be fattening.

Truth - Not all fat makes you fat (I want to get this tattooed on my forehead). Certain fats do cause weight gain, but other good fats will actually burn unwanted fat off your body and accelerate your metabolism. I explain this in much more detail in the FATS Chapter of The Diet Solution Program so be sure to reference your manual for those details.

Myth #2 - Coconut Oil contains almost all saturated fat so it must be bad for you.

Truth - Saturated Fat is not the cause of heart disease, weight gain and high cholesterol. Saturated Fat has been falsely accused and it is SUGAR that is Enemy Numero Uno (It is worse than the Joker in Bat Man). Again, this is explained thoroughly in your manual (The Truth About Saturated Fat), stating facts and figures that prove saturated fat is really not our major problem.

Myth #3 - Coconut Oil should be avoided by those who are at risk for heart disease .

Truth - The fat in coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can consume (yes, even for those with heart disease). It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties and contains no trans fat. The saturated fat in coconut oil is different than many other oils in that it is of the medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) variety. The body digests MCFAs more easily and sends these fats directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. Now isn't that great? A fat that is used to make energy instead of storing it on our bodies. We can all use some of that.
I highly recommend everyone use unrefined, organic coconut oil for all of their cooking needs. 1 - 2 tsps for most cooking is more than enough. You can even use it raw if you like as I think, it tastes OH SO DELICIOUS! I usually have about 2-3 total TBSPs per day which is a perfect amount for a fat burning eating plan. While it's really good for you, there's no need to go overboard.

If you have a hard time finding coconut oil in your local supermarket, I buy mine here:

http://wildfamilynaturals.com

Now go right ahead and enjoy your coconut oil.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of The Diet Solution Program

Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:52:15 PDT

By Isabel:
Just a few weeks ago I told you how I spent the weekend filming some great fat loss nutrition videos. Well one thing I had to do before I started filming was go to the grocery store and buy several "bad" food items and "good" food items (Actually, I already had most of the good in the fridge, so that part was easy).

I walked up and down the aisles looking for foods that claimed to be "healthy" or "good for you", but listed ingredients on the label like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and artificial sweeteners.

Do you know what happened?

Before I knew it, I had a cart completely full. The number of products I found seemed endless. I couldn't believe all the false marketing claims all over these foods and needless to say, I ended up ridiculously angry by the end of this trip! (Don't worry. I abstained from throwing stuff around the store. I try and keep my composure in public.)

Why would I get so angry? Well it just makes me so mad to imagine all the people that have fallen for these false claims...all in an effort to eat healthy or try to lose weight. It breaks my heart actually (and no, I'm not exaggerating), probably because I used to be one of those people who thought they were doing the "right" thing but I had fallen for all of this false marketing as well.

Now it would take me pages and pages to list all the foods and ingredients I found in each of these products, but here

Isabel's "Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT" (and I'm going to hope that your favorite meal, snack or drink is not on this list):

1. Whole Wheat bread - all contain enriched flour and some contain high fructose corn syrup
2. Low Fat and/or Low Sugar Salad Dressings - canola oil, sugar (or some use artificial sweeteners instead...which is worse!)
3. Sports Drinks - high fructose corn syrup, not to mention all the nasty dyes that are used to make it all sorts of fluorescent colors
4. Dry Roasted Almonds - canola oil and some add sugar
5. Almost all Protein and Energy Bars - soy and sugar
6. Almost all High Protein and High Fiber cereals - soy and canola oil
7. Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal - sugar, soy, and artificial sweeteners
8. Diet and Weight Loss Shakes (and other diet shakes) - canola oil and sugar
9. 100 Calorie Snack Packs - enriched flour and artificial sweeteners
10. Flavored Yogurt - sugar or artificial sweeteners

Take a look in your fridge and in your pantry right now and see if any of your favorite foods contain ingredients that may just be stopping you from reaching your fat loss goals. Sometimes, seeing results or overcoming a weight loss plateau is as easy as getting rid of some of these so called "healthy" foods.

Now on to a happier topic...

I've got some great news!

I've been asked to speak at a LIVE, in person event, along with some of my favorite fitness authors and coaches. Not only is this an incredible honor, but it is a great opportunity for me to meet you and all of my other wonderful readers and subscribers. I'm so excited!

This event will be taking place in sunny Tampa, Florida January 16th - 18th, 2010.

The weekend will be jam-packed with activities, each day beginning with morning workouts instructed by premier bootcamp coaches like Craig Ballantyne and Scott Colby, followed by motivational and educational presentations in the Grand Ballroom from training, nutrition, and mindset experts like Joel Marion, Jon Benson, Vince Del Monte, Shawn Phillips, Holly Rigsby and ME...just to name a few!

And yes, there will be plenty of time to interact and socialize!

Tickets will go on sale next week and I know seats are going to be limited (all of the speakers, including myself, want to make sure we have enough time to meet all of the attendees). All you need to do right now is clear your calendar for January 16th - 18th and watch your email inbox early next week for the link to the early bird discount. I'll be sure to let you know the second these tickets become available.

I look forward to meeting you in Tampa, Florida!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of TheDietSolution Program

Fast and Easy Fat Loss, How he lost 5 lbs in 5 days.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:52:49 PDT

Posted by Isabel De Los Rios:
Fat loss doesn't have to be as hard as you think. Just ask my most recent house guest, who easily lost 5 lbs in 5 days after staying with me for just 5 days. Did I torture him with boring food in an effort to lose weight? No not at all. I can promise you one thing, I definitely did not starve the guy. We ate some super delicious meals and I made sure to cook him up some of my all time favorites:

Grass Fed Bacon and Scrambled Eggs on Spelt tortillas.

Taco seasoned Buffalo ground beef on lettuce and tomato with shredded, raw cheddar cheese.

Isabel’s Special Baked Chicken, garlic broccoli and brown rice flavored with butter.

Even he was shocked when he thought about how hearty and tasty all of our meals were and how he was still able to drop a few pounds during his short stay. Something that doesn’t normally happen on vacation, right?

It really goes to show that the right foods will prove results every single time!

Even if you feel like you are having a hard time sticking to your meal plans 100%, just make sure that you stick to your recommended foods. That in itself, is a huge step in the right direction, and like my good friend here, has proved to be just the jump start many people have needed.

So what are the right foods?

Always think NATURAL. If it was provided by Mother Nature herself, chances are its a great addition to your meal plan: natural meats and poultry, wild fish, raw nuts, fruits and veggies are just a few examples of the incredible fat burning foods Mother Nature has provided. Make these foods the greater percentage of your meal plans and you will be well on your way to losing those unwanted pounds (without having to come sleep over my house).

Get started on your own healthy fat loss meal plans right away with Isabel's free Fat Loss Report.

Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:54:19 PDT

Everybody has heard of “low carb" diets -- since they seem to be emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? ...
If so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

Well we don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of "net carbs" per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of "net carbs".

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak”, “miserable” and even "spaced out" all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy), and can lead to long term health problems.

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we're saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that the average dieter will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently.
The truth is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat calories too.

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody knows what the right proportions of calories should be.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Fat Burning Diet shown below -- since there are no specific "portion limits" at any meal (and dieters can eat as much as they need to at each meal). Unlimited amounts of certain condiments may also be eaten with every meal.

This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

Exercise after eating - diet tip

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:01:34 PDT

Exercising after eating a meal can help promote weight loss by boosting hormones that suppress appetite, say UK scientists.

Thanks to these hormones, active people feel less hungry immediately after exercise, and this carries through to their next meal, experiments suggest.

Even when their meals were bigger, sporty people gained fewer calories overall because they burned off more.

The Surrey University and Imperial College London joint work is published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

Exercise may alter people's appetite to help them lose weight.
According to researcher Dr Denise Robertson:

Twelve volunteers were fed the same breakfast.

An hour later, half of them worked out for an hour on an exercise bike while the other half sat quietly.

Both groups were left for another hour and then allowed to eat as much as they liked.

Exercise guidelines

Unsurprisingly, people who exercised burned more calories than those who sat quietly, 492 kcal compared to 197 kcal.

And when given the chance to eat afterwards, people who had exercised tended to eat more, 913 kcal versus to 762 kcal.

However, when the amount of energy burned during exercise was taken into account, the sporty people took in fewer calories overall - 421 kcal compared to 565 kcal for the inactive group.

And levels of hormones called PYY, GLP-1 and PP, which tell the brain when the stomach is full, increased during and immediately after exercise.

Volunteers also said they felt less hungry during this time.

Researcher Dr Denise Robertson said: "In the past we have been concerned that, although exercise burns energy, people subsequently ate more after working out. This would cancel out any possible weight reduction effects of exercise.

"But our research shows that exercise may alter people's appetite to help them lose weight and prevent further weight gain as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle."

Experts recommend people do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week.

'Significant contribution'

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: "This is an interesting study. Patients often report that they feel increased hunger and eat more after exercise.

"What this study shows is that, although total calorific intake is greater, the net result, because of the exercise taken, is a reduction in the net energy balance.

"Dieting is never easy. Increased physical activity is an essential part of any weight management programme, not just to expend more calories but also, as we see here, to help control our appetite too."

Dr John McAvoy, a GP with a special interest in obesity, said the study was a "significant contribution to understanding the complex mechanisms of energy balance".

"It will be of much more interest to the pharmaceutical industry than the general public at this stage, for the simple reason that most people view exercising so soon after eating as akin to putting your fingers down your throat," he added.

"For exercise to contribute to weight control it should be sustainable over the long term and enjoyment remains a critical factor to this end."

Ref:
Effects of exercise on gut peptides, energy intake and appetite
Catia Martins, Linda M Morgan, Stephen R Bloom1 and M Denise Robertson
Journal of Endocrinology (2007) 193, 251-258 DOI: 10.1677/JOE-06-0030

Article originally posted on BBC News

How to lose your butt for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:42:31 PDT

Losing weight is on many people’s minds nowadays. This is because there is more information coming in to the media, that highlights the dangers of being obese and of not being vigilant when it comes to diet. In the US alone, over 40% of the population can be considered overweight. This essentially means a BMI of over 25. BMI or body mass index is the standard measure used to gauge one’s weight in relation to their height. It does not really measure, the actually measure of the quantity of fat that is in the body, but it is nevertheless accepted by many medical organizations as the standard way of measuring obesity. Obesity on the other hand is termed as a condition where the body accumulates more fat to the extent that it becomes a health risk. Obesity kills over 400,000 people in the US and costs billions of dollars in lost productivity for workers who have to miss work because of obesity-related medical visits.

There are many ways one can become obese and before we look at how you can lose your butt in 2009, let us examine a few ways in which people gain that butt in the first place. In today’s society, people find themselves so hard pressed for time that they cannot go grocery shopping or cook. Their only option now becomes eating out at a fast food restaurant. Fast food restaurants in turn have mushroomed by the hundreds to cater for this growing number of customers. While they have been trying to reduce the amount of fat they use to fry their food, fast food restaurants nevertheless continue to churn very high-calorie meals and at times the calorie level of some meals can be as high as the entire required calorie intake for the whole day! It is also not unusual nowadays to see whole families eating lunch breakfast and dinner at fast food restaurants. Coupled with a lifestyle again that is too busy to allow for time to exercise, being obese becomes the next logical step for many of these people. There are off course those who have genetic issues that prevent the body metabolism from burning enough calories and so fat is accumulated faster and if these same people live the fast food lifestyle, then they can become obese.

Having a bigger butt is direct result of being obese for most people. Today, many are trying to lose their butt and have become focused on doing so especially for this 2009. There are various ways one can do this.
One way is to exercise. There are many simple exercises and workouts that one can engage in to lose their butt. The first one is walking (yes, walking, something that quite a few of us seem to have fogotten how to do). This is sometimes hard because we live in a society where we need to drive everywhere but when it comes to short distances, walking can go a long way in ensuring that we burn enough fat in our hip, thigh and butt area. Sit ups and simple jogging exercise also help immensely. Swimming is an excellent way to burn of those carbohydrates.

How dieting can affect weight loss

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:21:38 PDT

Excess weight is often referred to by the term obesity. This is a condition where the body accumulates more fat than is being processed or burned by the normal metabolism. In many cases, this can be genetic but in most, there is obviously a diet problem that needs to be reconsidered. Obesity is measured in what is called body mass index or BMI according to the fitness and medical circles. BMI is arrived at by dividing weight by height and then squaring the result. A BMI of 25-29kg/m is considered overweight.

Obesity is dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. For instance, obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem, because the general mass media pushes the image of the slim model as the ideal. Clothes are also hard to find and one has to shop at special stores. More health problems include sleep irregularities and the risk of a stroke.

How does diet help? Researchers and nutritionists report that there is a correlation between weight loss and dieting. Education is key. Reading the labels when shopping is recommended. There are some foods which have a higher calorie content than others and knowing this will put one in the right track. By education, we also mean that you should familiarize yourself with the food pyramid. You can easily access this at the food pyramid website which is supported by the Food and Drug Administration.

Dieting does not always mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are taking precautions as to what you eat. That means cooking with oils such as olive oil which has healthy fats and does not encourage fat accumulation. Of course animal fats should be avoided if possible.

How to combat a Nasty Sweet Tooth

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:55:26 PDT

By Isabel
I can't tell you how many times each week I get the same email. "Isabel, I am doing great on your plan, but every once in a while, I'm still craving sweets!"

I am no different. I especially remember when I was pregnant, not only was I a bit more tired, I also craved sweet foods a lot more than I ever had before (my baby must take after my husband in that department).

I know that a nasty sweet tooth can be a real problem for a lot of people (not just pregnant folk). Many times cravings are an indication that you are not eating your meals in the right combinations or in the right proportions. That is why it is so important to find out your Metabolic Type (there is a whole chapter dedicated to this in The Diet Solution manual) and find exactly how many portions of each food you should be eating based on those results (there is a whole set of chapters dedicated to this topic in The Diet Solution manual).

If you are following your healthy meal plans and the sugar monster is still out to get you, here are some healthy ways that I have been using myself to satisfy my sweet cravings:

1. Cut up some fresh fruit (berries, an apple, a pear, 1/2 banana) and put 1 tsp of raw, natural honey on top. One teaspoon goes a long way and gives your already sweet fruit a bit more of a kick.

2. Drink some Tea Juice (this is the first recipe in your Diet Solution Recipes). Essentially it is herbal tea sweetened with Stevia and cooled to be enjoyed as a cold drink. This really hits the spot at 3pm when I "think" I want a sweet treat, but this naturally sweetened beverage is enough to calm my cravings.

3. Mix some almond or peanut butter with unsweetened organic apple sauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top. YUMMY! This has been my pregnancy favorite! A great mid morning or afternoon snack.

4. Cut up one apple, spread almond butter or peanut butter on top and sprinkle some crushed raw cacao or organic dark chocolate on top.

5. A fruity herbal tea sweetened with stevia, xylitol or agave syrup in the evening is perfect right before bed to calm you after a busy day.

Remember you want to stay away from processed sugar and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I personally use Stevia for all of my sweetening needs, but I know many people who also enjoy xylitol and agave syrup which are also great choices.

I think the best tasting Stevia can be found at http://www.stevivasweetener.com.

Eating Healthy while Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:55:50 PDT

Some good ideas by: Isabel Del Los Rios.
It's difficult enough these days to maintain a healthy eating plan, let a long keep a healthy diet while traveling.

Traveling HealthyI am no stranger to maintaining a healthy eating plan while being on the road. I do a good amount of traveling myself, and my clients and readers are asking me all the time:

“Isabel, I am always on the go. How can I stick to my healthy eating plan and still live my life?”

If your days really have you running around from work, to parties, to picking up kids all over the neighborhood, here are a few strategies that really do work:

1. Make your trunk your refrigerator.

Ok, not literally, but I have known many people (including myself) to keep a small cooler in their trunk at all times. They fill it with healthy goodies at the beginning of the day (raw nuts, fresh fruits and veggies, even hard boiled eggs) along with some ice packs and extra tupperware (just in case) and they’re off for the day. At the end of the day, they empty whatever is left and the ice packs go back in the freezer for the next day. This is also a great way to keep your water bottles nice and cold and not warm from the car heat.

2. Make your supermarket your Fast Food stop.

Instead of a quick trip through the drive thru, run into the local supermarket and pick up an assortment of dried or fresh fruits, healthy trail mixes, fresh veggies and natural peanut or almond butter. Most supermarkets now have wonderful salad bars and prepared foods like grilled chicken and salmon (better than any fast food joint) and healthy sandwich options (be careful with certain condiments like mayo that may be added). Eliminate the fast food joints from your choices of “quick stops” and look for the hot spots in town that offer healthier options.

3. Be the bearer of good food.

When going to a barbecue or social event, always offer to bring something (now I sound like the etiquette police). I always bring something and that something is always healthy. I know, if nothing else, at least I’ve got that to eat (although all of my friends and family know why I do this. Even if you contribute the healthy and lean beef burgers or turkey burgers, this may deter you from the not-so healthy hot dogs and sausages. Or how about a colorful salad or fruit salad?

4. Find the healthy places all over the world.

Before I go on any trip, I go online and find the closest Whole Foods or Health Food Store. If there are none close by, I find a major supermarket. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy myself on vacation (like the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed down South) or when visiting family and friends, but I make sure that all healthy principles do NOT go out the window. I keep it healthy and have a great time! (not one or the other)

There are always great ways to maintain your healthy weight loss plans even if your life has you traveling and on the road quite a bit.

To get started on your own Weight loss and Health goals, download these Easy Healthy Meal Plans and Delicious Recipes right now.