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

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.

Hi Picky eaters - Here's 2 easy solutions

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.

Six week overeating experiment

Did I Gain Weight, Lose Weight, or Stay the Same Read On

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 over eating experiment.

The purpose of this experiment was to see how much weight I could 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).


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'll 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:


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
Truth About Abs

Eating these three vegetables, Helps to burn off stomach fat

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 Abdominal 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 and "White Foods" - for a Lean-Body?

by Mike Geary

I think it about time we started a little discussion about carbohydrates... and in particular, so called "white foods" including potatoes. One reason I wanted to talk about 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 people are saying such ridiculous things as "avoid any and all white carbohydrates".

Now while I agree that white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies. I don't believe in avoiding any and all "white carbohydrates".

Believe it or not "White Foods" aren't always the enemy.

It's true that colourful foods are great, but it is also 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 take a 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.

Cauliflowers

Here is another example of something white, that is great for you is cauliflower. Cauliflower is full of vitamin C, trace elements, fiber, and special compounds such as glucosinolates and thiocyanates, which are specifically abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. A little-known fact is that some of the compounds in cruciferous vegetables help to counteract other estrogenic compounds in our food supply and environment and can help prevent excess belly fat. So eat up 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. Many health professionals claim that potatoes are a bad carbohydrate because they are thought to have a high glycemic index. If you've read my Truth about Six Pack Abs book, you will understand that glycemic index is not necessarily the most important factor in choosing your carbohydrates.

While making the assumption 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 out 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 watermelons have quite a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic level 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's just not logical.

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 that I am trying to get across is... candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts etc 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. E.g 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. I talk in great detail about this topic in my book.

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 or Chips whatever you want to call them, 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 eating 8 potatoes per day make you fatter? of course not.

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, here is one of my favorite recipes for you to try, using potatoes.

Mikes'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 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. Mix together and serve. Its 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 healthy potato recipe idea!


Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Truth about Abs

Heart Disease Fear: Disaster Strikes at the Supermarket

Most people I know 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 # 1 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.

Start following the 5 tips below 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 that are added to cigarettes (not that I'm recommending tobacco or anything.) - why do they add them?

2. Walk, walk, walk. If finding time for a structured exercise program is just too much of a challenge right now, just start by having a gentle walk. I have known many people who have strengthened their heart and reversed severe conditions by getting outside and walking. If you can, find a pleasant relaxing route. There's nothing more calming than the outdoors.

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 Fat Burning Food" in my 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.

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!

If you thought the article was thought provoking, you might like to check out Nick Pineault's the Truth about Fat Burning Foods recipe book.

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

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 carbohydrate 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 you to have 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 calories is usually too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of calories 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 firmly 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 also 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 carbohydrate 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 reality is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat calories too otherwise fatigue / exhaustion will set in.

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 understands what the right amounts of calories should be.

To start losing weight quickly we recommend using the new From Fatigued to Fantastic Program, featuring over 8 hours of interviews with experts in nutrition, relationships, career, finances, sleep and so much more.

Causes of obesity

New information from weight loss researchers and nutritionists shows that over 300,000 people die each year from complications resulting from obesity. Obesity is a major problem in the United States and now many other parts of the world. This is where the body accumulates more fat than is being burned by normal metabolism and this causes fat deposits to begin to build up in the belly area, thighs, buttocks and even waist. The problem of obesity is so acute that some schools especially in Atlanta Georgia have began to offer strictly vegetarian diets to their students and the students have embraced this diet well. So what causes obesity?

There is one cause of weight gain that is rather unfortunate-genetics. Sometimes, it is easy to judge people from appearance and form an opinion that their excess weight is as a result of irresponsible eating habits. But doctors report that there are people with genetic maladjustment's that cause a problem with the way the body processes food. There are also problems that cause an under-performing thyroid gland that ultimately causes the body metabolism to slow and therefore and accumulation of fat. So one reason why some people are overweight is because of genetic issues.

Another reason why some people might have a weight problem is because they have an eating disorder. In the same token that there are eating disorders which cause bulimia, there are disorders that run in the opposite direction and cause compulsive eating and an abnormal appetite. A disorder called Pica even has its victims craving non-foods (earth, pens, pencils and anything close by). These disorders which cause excessive eating can be treated and the person can resume normal eating habits.

Another reason for obesity is off course leading a sedentary life of little or no activity. This is common in the West where people use cars to go even short distances.

Here are 5 of my favorite Easy and Quick Healthy Snacks

There's nothing like real world experience to teach you a thing or two.

To all of you parents who have written to me in the past saying "Isabel, with all the responsibilities I have in one day with the kids, work and the house, I just don't have time to eat healthy." I GET IT!

Wow!...who knew a little 8 lb baby could take up so much time...I mean the whole day.

Since eating healthy is an absolute must for me (I just wouldn't have it any other way), I really had to come up with some quick and easy snacks that I could grab at any time, especially if my little munchkin didn't let me get to make breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Even if you don't have kids and are just busy, busy, busy all day....here are a few of the healthy snacks I enjoy (most of which can be grabbed with one hand while holding a newborn in the other).

1. Nut Butter and Honey on Ezekiel Bread (or any sprouted grain bread) - Although this would taste better toasted, I can make do with the colder version. I put 1-2 tbsps of natural peanut butter or almond butter on 1 slice of Sprouted Grain or Spelt bread with ½ tsp of raw honey. I make 2-3 of these at a time and leave them in the fridge for easy grabbing.

2. Deviled Eggs - These do take a bit of prep time so I have to wait for my husband to come home in the evening to make them. I hard boil 6 eggs. Once cooled, I cut them in half and place all of the cooked yolks in a separate bowl. I add Dijon mustard and olive oil to the yolks and mash them up so they become creamy. I put the creamy mixture back into the center of the egg whites and sprinkle Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper on top. I keep these in the refrigerator for an easy protein snack.

3. Turkey and Roast Beef Rollup - These are simply just deli turkey breast and roast beef wrapped up in a rollup (I only buy the turkey and roast beef that is fresh and natural, not any of the cold cut supermarket brands with added nitrites and nitrates). I add some mustard to each rollup and keep them all in a container in the fridge. Again, another quick protein snack. These are also great with baby carrots.

4. Frozen Grapes - If you're searching for something sweet, grapes in the freezer are a great way to curb a sweet tooth. I keep a bunch of these in the freezer and snack on them along with some raw nuts. Just a handful of grapes with some walnuts really keeps me full and satisfied until I can get to my next meal. It's also a great "sweet" pick me up (for all those sleep deprived parents and even non-parents out there).

5. Bag of Trail Mix - I absolutely do not go anywhere without my bag of trail mix. Right now I have almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, dried apricots and raisins all in a bag with a touch of Celtic Sea Salt added. Yesterday I took my little guy to the pediatrician and we were there for what seemed to be hours! Thank goodness for my trail mix, otherwise I probably would have cried more than the baby did.

Are you confused about Carbs?

By now you should be seeing some good changes happening in your body. Yes, even just after a few days! Many people report feeling energized, lighter, and less bloated just by applying the 3 "magic rules" and incorporating some more healthy fats into their meal plans.

A question I do get quite often after people have eliminated white foods such as pasta, white rice, potatoes, and bread from their eating is "Isabel, don't I need some carbs?"

The word CARBS often induces more fear in people than the words Monday morning, Taxes and Shark combined. (AAAhhhh!)

Your fears may have some merit (but no need to scream), as many carbs in our supermarkets today are really just doing us more harm than good. Most breads, pastas, cereals, cookies and crackers are overloaded with refined flour and happen to be one of the leading causes our planet's obesity rate is on the rise.

Here's the dilemma. You really do need carbs to function properly. Your brain does not function as well without carbs (hmmm...does this explain anything about some people you may know?) and you may lack energy and be unmotivated to do anything (even fun things) without them.

Where is the happy balance? How can we get enough carbs for a healthy body and prevent weight gain? Or even better, lose weight?

Do carbs make you fat and how can you incorporate them into a healthy meal plan? The answer is here:

Do Carbs make you fat video.
What carbs do you need to modify in your current eating plan to help your body shed off its unwanted weight? Start with one or two food items and replace them with the healthier carb options I mentioned in the video.

Remember, there's no need to go "low carb". Just pick the "right carbs" to see the weight drop off.

Fructose-sweetened drinks again raise questions in obesity-related study

Hi everyone
Just a quick post.
Here is a link to a news article which I feel is quite important.

Fructose-sweetened drinks again raise questions in obesity-related study

Sandra Collins

Back To School Means Back To Health

It happens to the best of us. The kids get out of school and our exercise routines and healthy eating habits get thrown to the waste side. Evening trips to the ice cream shop, hours of sitting in a beach chair, long car rides where only fast food is available: all of these factors may have added a few extra pounds to you and your kids over the course of the summer. Now with the start of the school season how can you get yourself and your kids back on a good eating and exercise routine? The following 4 steps will help you lose those unwanted summer pounds and develop a good routine for the rest of the school year.



Healthy Lunch's for Your Kids Packed lunch. Not just your child’s lunch, but your lunch as well. Make meal preparation an activity that you can share along with your kids. Include them in the process from start to finish. First start by making a grocery list of all the foods you will need for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week. Remember that kids are more likely to eat healthy foods if they have chosen them themselves. Next, food shop together. And last, make lunches at the same time that you make dinner in the evening. Not only will your children enjoy the foods that they have prepared themselves but they will also learn the value of taking time to prepare healthy foods. Yes, we are all limited by time these days. But children who learn that healthy food takes time to prepare become teenagers and adults that will take the time to choose and prepare healthy foods. Children who eat on the run usually turn into teenagers who eat fast foods on the run who then turn into adults who eat fast food. This starts them on a downward spiral that will only lead to obesity and heart disease.

Schedule your exercise. Schedule your exercise routine around your child’s school schedule and / or activity schedule. For example, wear your gym clothes to drop your kids off at school and go directly to the gym. Not only will you be setting a great example for your children, you will be less likely to skip your workout if you are dressed and ready to go. You can also schedule your exercise time around your child’s sports or activity schedule. If you know your child has dance on certain days, at certain times, schedule your exercise during that time as well. If can you prioritize your own exercise time this way, you will be showing your child how valuable exercise is and how it is an integral part of your day. Children who see you value and prioritize exercise time become adults who value and prioritize exercise time.

Make sure your back pack is packed the night before. Again, this does not only go for your child but it goes for you as well. What do you need to have set up at night to make the next morning run smoothly and free of chaos? When I was a little girl my mom would help us each night set up our clothes and backpacks the night before. Every night I would have to think about the next day’s activities and plan accordingly. Did I have dancing school after school? Was it gym day? Was I going to a friend’s for a play date? Now, as an adult, the questions are a bit different but still require planning and packing the night before. Am I going to the gym first thing in the morning? Do I need to pack my clothes for an after work workout? Am I meeting a friend for a run? Do I have some healthy snacks with me? This simple step each night still helps me, to this day, make each morning run smoothly.

Get a tutor or outside help. If your child was doing poorly in math, you would not just let him throw in the towel and drop math class. Same goes for your workouts and eating regimen. If you find that you’re struggling with your current plan, find yourself some outside support just as you would find your child a tutor or supplementary tutoring class. Join an exercise class at the gym, hire a trainer for a few sessions, consult with a nutritionist, find an exercise / nutrition support group. When one avenue doesn’t work, try a new strategy. You would never let your child just drop out of school if one method of learning wasn’t working. The same goes for your exercise and nutrition plans. No one plan works for everyone, so explore all your options and choose the plan that suits you.

Remember that being healthy should always be your highest priority. Teaching your child that health is just as important to their future as school will get them started on a life long path to healthy living.

Don't go on a diet every again until you know these 5 Essential Truths about Dieting.

A little bit of Exercise Motivation

Many people know how important exercise is as an integral part of their weight loss and health plan but still have a difficult time fitting it into their busy lives.

One possible reason could be that, yes, exercise can be challenging when you first begin your program or you just give yourself the excuse "I just don't have the time."

What I have figured out for myself and for hundreds of my clients that no matter which exercise program they choose, it must be something they enjoy. Especially when it comes to the setting and location.

For me, I have converted the 2nd bedroom of my house into my "home gym".

NO, home gym does not mean I have the most expensive, high tech equipment. To be honest, the only items that make up my home gym are: an exercise ball, 2 adjustable weights, an exercise mat, and an old Spinning bike that I bought used from a local YMCA. That’s it! Nothing expensive or high tech about it.

Many times in the past I have joined gyms and told myself I was going to go. But like many other gym members, I never go! Now, I do really enjoy exercising so why wouldn't I actually use my gym membership?

I figured out that I really love my exercise room. It’s my private time to myself and I don’t have to worry about who else needs the equipment or who’s lurking around the gym. I get an hour to myself and it’s a great way to start my day.

I asked myself if this could possibly be what's stopping many people from exercising. “Is this most people’s problem? Do they not like where they work out so they just don’t want to go?” So it’s really not the actual workout but the environment that they’re in.

Now maybe for you the situation is just the opposite. You don’t like working out in your home and you would much rather get out and be motivated by other healthy people. Whatever the case may be, choose something you enjoy! You will never make a lifestyle change to include exercise on a consistent basis if you don’t enjoy it. Who wants to do something that feels like torture? Not me. I love my morning exercise time and if it felt like torture, I just wouldn’t do it.

My question to you is: What do you have to do to make your workout time enjoyable? Or (heaven forbid) something you actually look forward to? Join an adult sports league? Start your own exercise group? Join a new gym? Set up a home gym? Find a workout partner? The choices are endless.

Try many different options and figure out which activity you would enjoy best and I assure you, exercise never has to be a drag.

3 Simple, Healthy Meal Plans You Can Start Right Now

Is really it possible to put together a simple and healthy meal plan? One which is not going to be complicated and impossible to follow?
Yes. It is possible and I will show you how. The healthy meal plans below will help you achieve your health goals while simultaneously shedding fat off your body.

Here are 3 healthy meal plans you can get started on right now.

Breakfast

Protein should be included in every meal throughout the day and breakfast is no exception. Make sure to include organic eggs, cottage cheese, raw nut butter or smoked fish as one component of your healthy breakfast. Carbohydrates should also be included in the form of oatmeal, sprouted grain bread, fruit and/or vegetables.

3 great sample breakfasts are:

Oatmeal with almond butter, topped with fresh berries and a bit of Stevia to sweeten.

2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice sprouted grain toast and ½ grapefruit

Smoked salmon over sliced tomato and 1 green apple

Lunch

The same rules apply as breakfast. An easy way to ensure that you always have a healthy protein available for lunch is to pack leftovers from dinner the night before. Leftover hamburger, chicken legs or wild fish are all great to include in a salad or over vegetables.

3 great sample lunches are:

Baked Tilapia over sautéed spinach, green salad with chick peas (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by ½ cup of pineapple.

Leftover chicken legs with ½ sweet potato and broccoli.

Lean hamburger over portabella mushroom and brown rice. Cooked vegetables or a green salad. 1 orange.

Dinner

You can really be creative with dinner. Look for recipes that are quick and easy and modify them with your own healthy ingredients as needed. Again, always remember to include protein and carbohydrates.

3 great sample dinners are:

Mexican salad: Ground beef over shredded lettuce and tomato, guacamole and brown rice.

Grilled Salmon over asparagus, green salad (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by a fresh fruit salad.

Buffalo meat balls over rice pasta with sautéed broccoli.

Snacks

You never want to let your body get too hungry. Hunger often leads to binge eating of unhealthy food and makes sticking to a healthy eating regimen much more difficult. It’s important to keep snacks handy so you never experience hunger or a blood sugar low without having a healthy option nearby.

3 great snacks are:

2 Tbsp almond butter on ½ apple

Trail mix made up of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit (no sugar added)

Cottage cheese and pineapple

Incorporating just a few of these meals into your daily eating regimen, you will start to see an incredible difference in your weight loss results. Following simple and healthy meal plans like these is the first step in achieving your health and fitness goals.

3 Easy Tips To Lose Fat

Losing fat does not have to be difficult, especially if you have a few tricks up your sleeve. By this I don't mean you would not want you to take a dangerous, radical approach to your fat loss, but only one that would be healthy and prove great results at the same time.
I have had many clients, friends and family members ask me, "Isabel, is there a way I can drop my first few pounds of fat quickly and easily?" Yes, there is. It will require a few dietary changes on your part, but the results are incredible. I have had hundreds of people use these tips with great success, easily losing their first 10-15lbs of unwanted fat.

Here are my 3 Simple and Easy Fat Loss Rules:
1. Don’t eat anything that is white. Name every single food that is white and chances are you shouldn’t be eating it: bread, pasta, crackers, most cereals, flour based products, white potatoes, white rice, and pasteurized dairy and cheese are all no-no's during this time. (Healthy foods like broccoli, cauliflower, chicken, turkey, fish, white pork are all exceptions to this rule).

2. Only drink water, NOTHING else! How about coffee? Just to keep any possible withdrawal headaches at bay, one small cup of organic black coffee. Can you add half and half?…Well is it white? Drink a minimum of 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces of water each day (ex. If you weigh 200 lbs, you need to drink 100 ounces) to really see the fat fall off.

3. Don’t eat anything with the word wheat in the ingredients list. What if it’s whole wheat? Look, if the word starts with W and ends in T and has the letters h e a in between, you can’t eat it. This includes bread, pasta, crackers and cereal. Many packaged snack foods also contain wheat so be sure to read the ingredients list carefully, check out wheat free diets.
Are you up for this challenge? Apply these easy fat loss rules to your own eating plan for the next 2 weeks and I know you will be seeing some amazing fat loss results in no time.