Glycemic Index, and "White Foods"

I'd like to start a little discussion today about carbohydrates,  in particular "white foods" as well as potatoes. One of the reasons I wanted to mention this is because so many health and fitness professionals dismiss potatoes as being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the so called high glycemic index. Believe it or not potatoes have a medium index. Some people  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 definitely don't agree with avoiding any and all of these so called "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 colours and stay away from white.
"White Foods" aren't necessarily always the enemy
It's true that colourful 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.
In fact, onions are so powerful for our health, that one study of centenarians (people that live to over 100 years old) identified that a common thread of these amazingly healthy individuals was that they ate a lot of onions throughout their lives.  We also know that garlic is one of the most powerful substances for a strong immune system, among other qualities.  
Cauliflower
Another example of something white that is great for you is cauliflower. Cauliflower is surprisingly high in vitamin C, fiber, trace minerals, and special compounds such as glucosinolates which are anti cancer in nature, and thiocyanates (a lack of which can damage a persons immune system) , these are specifically abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.  Another 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 abdominal 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.  Some types of mushrooms, such as portobella mushrooms, are surprisingly good sources of Vitamin D.
Potatoes
Now that also leads us to another example - the humble white potatoe (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 ebook, then you'll 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 more easily than higher 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,  it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the rise in blood sugar 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  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  just does not make any sense.
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. The point I am making is that... chocolate bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat, because they are full of sugar. NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes,  French fries are 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 will talk about this in detail about the 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 - that's with the entire skin left on, 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'll get some fiber too.
Are eating  7-9 potatoes per day going to make you fatter?
There was a study which found that 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. Here's a good newspaper article on why potatoes are good for you.
At the conclusion of the study, the potatoe 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 has about 100-120 calories, and I can't imagine you'd be full constantly from eating 7-9 potatoes each day. 
Of course, this does NOT mean that french fries are ok to eat!  Those will only make you fat, and the trans fat will lead to an early death.  Seriously french fries / potatoe chips are one of the most deadly foods in our food supply.  Plus, deep fried potatoes accumulate dangerous acrylamides absorbed from the frying oil that reacts with the starch, and these compounds are carcinogenic. 
Anyway, back to the 7-9 whole potatoes per 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, preferably 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 (or mashed garlic from a jar, organic preferably)
• 1 or 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and/or virgin 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 truly 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 delicious healthy potato recipe. If you want more recipes like this get a copy of my book Truth about Six Pack Abs.

Stressed, Exhausted, From Fatigued to Fabulous

Are you Stressed, Exhausted, Can't Sleep at night? - read on.
Our health is truly the foundation that supports every other aspect of our lives. It’s difficult to live passionately, strive for our wildest goals and give generously of ourselves when we’re sick and exhausted…believe me, I’ve tried it and I know!
For more than a decade, I suffered from extreme exhaustion, mysterious symptoms and the unpleasant side effects of more medications than I care to recall. I finally reached the point where enough was enough – it was time to try a different approach to life.

Funny thing is, the approach that ended up working for me had nothing to do with the marvels of modern medicine or any high-tech treatments. It was, quite literally, getting back to basics – eating real food, slowing down (while paradoxically, accomplishing more) and giving my body all the things it was (at that point) screaming for…but in a language I hadn’t yet learned.
When I finally deciphered my body’s code, the change in my health was nothing short of astounding. Given the right conditions, our bodies have a miraculous capacity to heal themselves! My life was so dramatically changed that I promptly enrolled into a nutrition and wellness course and became a board certified health coach.
Today, my passion is to help others overcome their struggle with fatigue, brain fog, digestive discomfort, stress, insomnia and other unexplained symptoms that keep us from leading vibrant, fulfilling lives. One of my first projects was to interview the 16 dynamic, inspiring and incredibly knowledgeable women in From Fatigued to Fabulous .  This interview series is filled with tons of useful tips and information about nutrition, sleep, relaxation, relationships, career and finance along with many other topics that are vital to our wellbeing.
Traveling the journey I have, I now know with certainty that good health truly is the greatest gift in the world – but for many of us, it’s a gift we have seek out and earn.  I hope From Fatigued to Fabulous  will make your journey that much easier and I wish you all the good health and hope in the world!
Having just graduated from nutrition school, along with taking lots of pre-med classes for my 2nd degree, I thought I knew a lot – but From Fatigued to Fabulous taught me even more! If you’d like to take your life and health to another level – especially if you’re struggling with exhaustion, stress and sickness like I once was – I hope you’ll join us.  You can download the program right here  and rest easy knowing there’s a 60-day risk free, money back guarantee.

About the author:
Maria Saracen is a board certified Health Coach and the host & creator of From Fatigued to Fabulous. 

Variety of fruit in the fall

If my practice has taught me one thing, it’s that a variety of foods are absolutely essential. Literally every one of my friends and clients eventually comes to a point where they just can’t stand to eat one more salad or filet of salmon. Boredom is dangerous when you’re learning how to be healthy – if you don’t have plenty of options, you’re more likely to fall back on the satisfying processed but bad-for-you foods you relied on in the past. Healthy eating requires variety, and lots of it.

Luckily, nature is on our side. The start of fall doesn’t only mean walking our kids to the bus stop and bracing for cooler weather. It also means we have a whole new variety of fruits and veggies to choose from! Eating seasonally offers real taste, budget, and health  benefits. Here are just a few of them:

1. Fruit tastes better in season. If you’re eating a summer fruit in the middle of winter, chances are it was produced in one of two ways: It was either grown in a greenhouse or other controlled environment, or it was picked early so it could be saved and shipped to you on demand. While there’s nothing wrong with either of these methods – an out of season apple is still an apple – both methods have a real effect on taste. Fruit that’s allowed to ripen fully on the vine as they say, not only tastes better, but contains healthy sugars called monosaccharides. When you’re training your palate to like healthy foods, taste is essential.


2. In-season fruit is less expensive. Transporting food across long distances in the off season costs companies money, and they’ll generally pass that cost on to the consumer. With a few exceptions, fruit is scarcer in its off-season. That scarcity is what drives up costs, which means that buying your fruit in season can significantly lower your shopping bill at the checkout counter. You can even buy in-season fruit and freeze it so you can keep it longer.


3. Nutrients are more plentiful in seasonal fruit. Fruit has a certain amount of time it needs to ripen to be at its maximum free radical-fighting weight. Picking it early – or growing it in artificial conditions – depletes its nutrient store.

Keeping a list of what fruits and veggies are in season is a great way to make sure you aren’t eating exactly the same thing, day in and day out, for the entire year. Here’s a list of fall fruits to stock up on:

Apples: Some researchers believe that apples may aid weight loss by reducing the number of calories you eat throughout the day. For the full antioxidant effect, make sure you eat the skin, which is packed with nutrients.

Pumpkin: Pumpkin's are high in fiber and packed with vitamins A, C, and beta carotene, which help boost immune function. Plus, pumpkin makes a great entrée, and a tasty dessert (heat it up and sprinkle with a little cinnamon).

Grapefruit: Research suggests that grapefruits can aid weight loss. Plus, it contains 75% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Other fruits to look for in the fall, include cranberries, grapes, figs, pears, and pomegranates.
Why not check out Mike Geary and his Truth about Abs Program

Does juicing provide good nutrition whilst dieting

Juicing works - you bet:

Apart from the fact that juiced fruits and vegetables have very low calories and no fat (just make sure you make them yourselves), they are loaded with a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes that help your body to perform at its best. Our bodies spend a lot of time trying to detoxify, repair and protect cells. When we are undernourished our bodies go into protection mode and store fat for survival. But, when your body is functioning at its peak condition and getting all the  nourishment it needs,  it can focus energy on fat loss. Juicing delivers a concentrated healthy cocktail straight into your body. No extra effort is needed to break down the juice and so it is absorbed quickly and starts working magic immediately.

Keys to weight-loss success while juicing:

Juicing vegetables and herbs while reducing fruit. Yes, of course fruit makes it taste so delicious. Yes, fruit sugar is healthier than refined table sugar… but it’s still sugar and will still cause spikes in your insulin and if your body cannot clear those sugars out, they will convert to fat stores. Also, watch how many carrots you use, believe it or not they have a lot of sugar as well.

Save juicing fruits for before and/or after your workouts. For the same reason as above, when you work out your body becomes primed for using glucose.

Skip snacking and start juicing. It seems that people always get hungry between meals. The solution to avoid binging on things you probably shouldn't be eating before dinner, is to juice up a big green glass of nutritional goodness. Hopefully the liquid will tide you over until your next meal, or at least it will get your brain thinking about health-conscious snacks.

Snack while juicing. Not on cheese and crackers or anything man-made but on the vegetables you are getting ready to juice. Sometimes our brains like chewing and feeling food in our mouths and stomach's, so give it that satisfaction while nurturing you.

Healthy habits don’t end with juicing. Whether you are having 1 juice a day or 5, remember that beyond your glass jar, you need to be eating healthy all day long. It kind of defeats the purpose of juicing for weight loss when you eat a big bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and burgers and fries for dinner.

Fill up on fresh juice before meals or going out. Even though juice is digested quickly and doesn't leave you full for long, your hunger may be quenched by the nutrients more than the feeling of full.

Alternate your veggies. Two ways that this works: you don’t get bored and you get a variety of nutrients.

Add some chia seeds, avocado, or olive oil. Healthy fats and fibers are not only good for you, but will keep you fuller longer. No one wants to diet, or spend their time with someone who is dieting, who has a big hungry monster in their stomach.

Create lasting habits:

Remember, juicing for weight loss is not a diet. Let juicing be your basis for a  healthy lifestyle. If you are taking the time to clean, chop and juice fresh fruits and vegetables then you should be making time to prepare and cook healthy homemade meals.

Some people start cold turkey with a juice fasting session. Others like to test the water with one, slowly adding more as they feel necessary. If you prefer to start the day with a balanced, nutrition-rich eating plan, you will find that having at least one glass of vegetable juice per day will make it easier to reach your weight loss goals in the long run. Try replacing your morning, afternoon, or before-bed snack with a juice and you are well on your way!
Why not see what Mike Geary has to offer on such foods whilst dieting.
In the mean time why not try.

Morning-time:

     1 beet
     1 pink lady apple
     1 small slice of ginger

Before dinner:
     4 tomatoes
     2 green onions
     ½ green pepper
     2 carrots
     2 celery ribs
     Handful of parsley
     1 peeled lemon

Before bed:
     2 cucumbers
     4 romaine lettuce leaves
     Handful of mint

Is your coffee and biscuits habit robbing you of Nature's wonder nutrient?

Psychotherapist Susan Smith is ‘not keen on traditional medicine’, she says. So she decided to treat her sluggish gut with magnesium supplements. 
Within a few weeks, says the 55-year-old from Bromley, Kent, she felt noticeably stronger and more energetic. Her eyes — and sinuses — are now clearer, and she goes to the loo regularly. Read more:

Weight loss gut bacterium found

Bacteria that live in the gut have been used to reverse obesity and Type-2 diabetes in animal studies.

Research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that a broth containing a single species of bacteria could dramatically alter the health of obese mice.
Read More 

Secret Supplement in Your Kitchen

Hi it's time for a  quick trick that will help you safely lose 10 pounds in a short space of time. But first let's talk about a serious health problem - weight gain with aging. Did you know that runners between the ages of 18 and 50 gain weight at the same rate regardless of the number of miles run per week. The average is 3.3 pounds every 10 years...for a runner. Weight gain as you age is inevitable. It's part diet, part exercise, and part gravity. If runners can't keep weight off by running, what are the rest of us supposed to do? Since we can't turn off gravity, we going to have to work on the other two. I have a simple solution that will help you start losing weight safely and naturally. I use it every day. We have a common enemy you and I. That common enemy is processed foods and their condiments. The amount of junk in today's factory-made food adds to our waistlines and our national obesity problem. It's one of the reasons I am so passionate about healthy eating. Let me ask you 3 simple questions: 1. Do you struggle to add green vegetables to your diet? 2. Do you add unhealthy condiments to veggies? 3. Do you want to lose weight eating healthy food that tastes great? Did you answer "Yes" to any of these questions? If so, I have a simple solution for you. And, it's the exact same solution I use. Find out exactly what I'm talking about here. Imagine what it would feel like to lose 5 pounds, 10 pounds...even 20 pounds. I remember when I started eating healthy and lost my first 10 pounds... - It felt amazing to put on my jeans without struggling. - The people around me  started making comments about how fantastic I looked. - I was ever so excited about heading to the beach with the family. Its alright, it's not your fault. The processed foods that we have been force-fed with for so many years have made it virtually impossible to keep the weight off. Why not check out Nick Pineault and his Truth about Fat burning foods Program

How to lose weight without getting hungry

“I really need to lose weight but I hate feeling hungry most of the time,” I suppose this has to be one of the most common statements, made by people who follow many of the so called fad diets. If your diet leaves your stomach rumbling every hour on the hour, your body is telling you it’s time to make a change. I used to think that losing weight meant starving yourself. It took me along time to accept the fact that I could actually eat heartily and still drop a few pounds in weight.
The times I spent starving myself in the name of losing weight were miserable. When I did manage to shed a few pounds, I would sadly put it all back on, in a matter of weeks. Sometimes I’d even gain a few extra pounds. Now that's what I call depressing!
What I learned through many years of research (trial and error) is that when you follow a healthy eating plan, you can eat until you’re full, and still see amazing weight loss results.

What Are Healthy Foods?

Healthy foods are not created in factory's where food is processed to death. If the food is dried, dehydrated, canned, frozen or filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce, I suggest that you stay away from it. Examples of healthy foods include fresh fish, naturally raised meats, legumes, seeds, organic poultry, organic whole eggs, raw nuts, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

How to Make Healthy Meals More Filling

There’s nothing more miserable than having to deal with hunger pangs all day. If your meals aren’t satisfying your nutritional needs, this is exactly what’s going to happen. Here are some tricks to make your meals more filling:

• Add a source of good quality protein and a source healthy fat (yes, fat) to each of your meals. Doing this should make your meals more appetising and curbs the hunger. Sources of healthy protein include natural meats, organic whole eggs, organic poultry and fish. Sources of healthy fat include avocados, fish, beans, raw nuts, coconut oil and olive oil.

• Fill your plate with veggies. They help to divide your plate into three sections, and fill the larger section with veggies. Leave the other two sections for meat and other foods. Veggies are full of fiber, so they expand in the stomach, digest more slowly so keeping you full longer. Try eating green leafs such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli which are rich in magnesium. (57% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for dietary intake of magnesium)

• Drink a glass of bottled water before each meal and throughout the day. This will help you feel full faster and reduce hunger.

Examples of Healthy, Filling Meals and Snacks

• At Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1/3 cup of oatmeal with cinnamon and a small pear.

• Snack: 1 medium apple, 1 cup of cucumber slices and 1 oz of raw nuts.

• For Lunch: 4 oz ground turkey, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, 8 oz carrot sticks, and a small green salad with vinegar and olive oil dressing.

• Snack: 2 tablespoons of almond butter, 2 slices of rye crisp bread and 8 oz of celery sticks.

• For Dinner: 5 oz boiled halibut steak, 1/2 cup of green beans sautéed in garlic, small baked sweet potato and a small green salad with apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing.

Diet plans that leave you hungry all the time (or even some of the time) are useless, why make life so miserable. Why not ditch the diet altogether and eat healthy instead? If you do it this way, you can eat delicious, filling foods and still lose weight.
Enough with the yo-yo dieting!
Why not check out Mike Geary's Fat Burning Kitchen Program for more great advice and recipes.

Bowel Colon Cleansing for better health

Post originated by Isabel De Los Rios There's nothing more frustrating than giving a goal all of your time and energy, just to come up with no results. Especially when it comes to losing weight. I get it. You're eating all the "right stuff" and there's still not much to show for it. What gives? I can tell you with absolute certainty one thing I know for sure...if this one thing is NOT happening, the excess weight on your body is most likely NOT going to budge. What is it? It's your bowels (poop for those who have children under the age of 10) and if your bowels are not moving 2 times (yes, 2 times) every day, than your weight loss will be dramatically stalled. For a very long time, I was only going once every day, in the morning. Sure, that's not so bad, as I know there are people who go DAYS without going to the bathroom at all (oh, my stomach hurts just thinking about it). The solution to my bowel movements (or lack thereof) was a very simple and easy-to-use cleanse (called Ultimate Digestive Cleanse) that I used last year. If you didn't hear me rave about it then, here are my results in detail (hope you're ok with bowels details). There are numerous benefits to bowel cleansing. A normal person usually has about 5 pounds of fecal matter stuck to the walls of their intestines. This is made up of rotting food, bacteria, toxins etc which the human body is designed to get rid of naturally, but in our modern stressed lives and poor diets this does not usually happen. Also did you know that about 50% of North Americans have parasites living in their intestines, whilst generally they can live for many years undetected, they can cause long term chronic health problems by feeding of the food that is meant for you, causing allergies, fatigue etc, this is especially true if you are dieting. Isabel's Cleansing Secret - Fix your bowels the easy way I used Ultimate Digestive Cleanse for the full recommended 30 days (since it is my golden rule to always try anything before recommending it to others). It very simply consists of a fiber drink you drink every morning, a probiotic, a natural parasite cleanser, and a cleansing tea you drink at night. Here are my results in listed form for ease of reading: I consistently went to the bathroom three times a day, every day, without any stomach pains or diarrhea. I have tried some other products in the past and after the first day just knew they weren't for me because I could NOT literally leave the house. This product is much gentler on your system and will help your body establish its natural rhythm. I cannot guarantee that this will be the case for everyone, especially if your bowels have been clogged for a long time, but I felt comfortable using this product every day and continuing all of my daily living activities unaffected. There was some stuff that came out of my body that was a bit scary to say the least. For someone like me who goes pretty regularly, this was a big shock. I couldn't believe that even after having 1-2 consistent bowel movements a day for several years, there was still some scary stuff in there that needed to make its way out. I'm guessing that the natural "sweeping" effect of the increased fiber helped to get any lodged fecal matter out of my large intestine and put it where it belongs...down the toilet...! My lower abs are super flat right now. I am pretty lean all year long (well, at least when I'm not pregnant) and I would attribute most of this leanness to my eating habits, but whatever little pooch was there is pretty much gone now. Many people (women especially) complain about "the lower ab pooch" and no matter what they try, it just doesn't go away. Many times, for men and women, this is a direct effect of not releasing what's in their bowels every single day. Ridding your body of all of the trapped fecal matter in your large intestine can have a dramatic effect on how your abs look, and have the added benefit of getting rid of gas, bloating, and digestive discomforts. Ultimate Digestive Health - Gentle Cleansing System I believe a detox meal plan like the Diet Solution Program, along with Ultimate Digestive Cleanse, will truly get your bowels moving and releasing all of the trapped fecal matter in your intestines that just might be preventing you from losing weight (and damaging your health). If you're not "pooping" 2 times every single day, please take my advice above very seriously. This is not just for your fat loss efforts, but for the sake of your health. Get your bowels moving consistently each day and this will make a tremendous difference in your fat loss efforts and your health.  Another of my friend's is using this program, you can read his comments here   Give it a try