6 Essential Tips For 6 pack Abs

Overview

One fitness target is universally understood by all guys: abs.

A ripped core signals good health, a fit body, and sex appeal. But when it comes to sculpting one, we make excuses: genetics, work, a regular Sunday menu of football, wings, and beer.

Truth? Excuses are bull. Arm yourself with these six simple steps to finally reveal your six-pack, and enjoy a flatter belly for life.

Sleep More

Here's a truth you'll appreciate: One of the best things you can do for your body is spend more time in bed. Harvard researchers who studied more than 68,000 people found that those who slept less than 5 hours a night were 5.4 pounds heavier and more likely to become obese than those who slept more than 7 hours. One reason: Just a single night of inadequate sleep may increase activity in your brain's reward center, particularly regarding food. To point: A University of Chicago study found that "short sleepers" took in an average of 220 more calories a day than those who logged adequate z's.

Quick Fix

Unplug the bedroom TV and try for 8 hours of sleep a night—and never settle for less than 7. Here's a scary fact for some added inspiration: If you are a habitual short sleeper, your chance of an early death rises by as much as 12 percent, Italian researchers say.

Lift More Often

Your treadmill's calorie tracker might make cardio seem like a fat-loss genie, but don't be fooled. The more miles you log, the more efficient at running you become and the fewer calories you may burn. Plus, running long distances can take a physical toll that can dampen your enthusiasm. All that pain and boredom causes many people to burn out and give up.

Quick Fix

Weave The Best Abs Workout Ever into your fitness plan. Just 3 days of resistance training a week can offer the metabolic boost you need to slash fat and finally fit into slimmer, more flattering clothes.

Lift Heavier Weights

Now that you've made it to the gym (or dusted off your weights at home), reach for the larger dumbbells. Lifting heavy weights not only burns more calories during your workout but may also increase your sleeping metabolism by about 8 percent, say researchers at Washington University school of medicine in St. Louis. Yep: You'll burn more calories as you lie on your back and dream of Scarlett Johansson. That 8 percent might not sound like much, but it can add up to about 5 pounds a year.

Quick Fix

Push your limits. As you feel yourself becoming stronger and more comfortable during a workout, don't be afraid to go bigger.

Eat When You Want

You've heard that you need five or six meals a day for fat loss. The simple rationale is this: Digestion requires energy, so spreading your calories over many small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism humming and your hunger at bay. The problem? It's not how frequently you eat but rather what you eat that affects how many calories you burn at mealtime. So if you take in 2,000 a day, it doesn't matter how many meals you've eaten; your calorie burn from digestion remains the same.

Quick Fix

Take a week and write down when you feel most hungry. Then adjust your eating patterns accordingly. The key is to pack each meal with foods that provide the greatest metabolic boost. For some great cooking recipes have a look at the metabolic cookbook.

Load Up On Protein

Every time you eat a meal that doesn't include protein, you're telling your body you don't want to burn more calories. Here's why: Protein helps control your blood sugar, keeps you fuller, reduces hunger, and burns more calories during digestion. So you can stay lean and still enjoy your favorite foods. Also, the protein stops muscle breakdown and provides the raw materials for laying down new muscle.

Quick Fix

Carbohydrates are not evil. But when you eat them alone, they set off a series of events—including a rise of insulin—that cause you to crave more food and store more fat. So whether you're snacking or eating a meal, include some protein and you'll drop fat. For meals, a 6-ounce portion of fish, chicken, or lean beef is reasonable. For snacks, try a handful of nuts, a stick of string cheese, or Greek yogurt.

Snack Smarter

While the number of meals you consume doesn't matter, the size of your snacks does. Since the 1970s, the average snack size has increased from 360 to 580 calories, according to research from the University of North Carolina. When you consider that the average man snacks twice during a workday, you're looking at almost 500 additional calories every 24 hours because of the increased snack size. Over the course of a week, that can contribute to an extra pound of fat.

Quick Fix

Use one hand to defeat your cravings. (Mind out of the gutter, fellas.) If a portion does not fit into your hand—whether it's almonds, a chicken breast, cheese, or fruit—then the portion is probably too large. If it's packaged, read the label. You want 200 to 300 calories in each serving, with 15 to 20 grams of protein and about the same amount of carbs—what you might find in a cup of Greek yogurt and some dried cherries. Again the metabolic cookbook could be very helpful in this aspect, have a look at it by clicking here.

What Else Do I Need To Do In Order To Get My 6 Pack Abs?

I would recommend that you have a look at a weight loss program that has been proven to succeed time and time again. Such a program is Mike Geary's "The Truth About Abs".

All in all, the Truth About Abs program is a very well structured program that will definitely help you see fat loss if you follow it properly.  The nice thing about the program is that it stresses good nutrition rather than just calorie counting, which I firmly believe is important if you hope to maintain the weight loss over the long run.

The author also does a nice job at dispelling some of the common myths out there about what it takes to get flat abs, so this will be key to learn if you want to see best results.

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Busted: The Truth Behind 10 Common Food Myths

Nutrition is an ever-changing and advancing field. What’s unquestioned this morning could be debunked this afternoon. Test how up-to-date you are in this dietary exposé!

You can tell a lot about a person by what they say they'd do if they were given a time machine. Some of us would dial it in for the middle of the 1980s, so we could disabuse the masses of their misguided nutritional notions.

The whole-foods hippies of the 1970s were entering middle age. After a look in the mirror at a sagging this and a bulging that, they began believing every half-cooked book and commercial telling them the key to healthy living was filling their fridge with margarine, tofu, and low-fat … everything.

We may not be to the promised land of nutrition yet—far from it!—but at least researchers can now say conclusively what was wrong with some of the health rules that we formerly swore by. Bypass the non-fat trap and other food myths with these tips from registered dietitian Andy Bellatti.

Myth 1- Cutting Fat from a Meal Makes it Healthier

You pass on pizza, skip the sweets, and double up on salad. You pile your plate with cuts of lean chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and green, leafy vegetables.

Then you opt for a squeeze of lemon juice or top off an already healthy meal with a little balsamic. But you've unknowingly just backtracked. The problem: Your fat-free diet is costing you fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients.

According to a study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, adding healthy fats like avocado, nuts, or even a tablespoon of full-fat dressing helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, K and other heart-healthy nutrients. They're also crucial to feeling full and satisfied after eating. Good luck sticking to your diet without them!

Myth 2- All Low-Fat Foods are Healthy

We're not talking vegetables and beans here. Low-fat processed foods are where things become problematic, because they're often packed with sugar and refined carbohydrates, both of which are more intimately connected to the fat on your body than is the fat in, say, an artichoke. Really, it's a shame they both get called the same name.

Rather than avoiding the F-word like the plague, a better choice is to pick the right fats and enjoy them without guilt, because when it comes to heart health, a little fat goes a long way. "Studies have consistently shown that monosaturated fats (in almonds, peanuts, and avocados), omega 3s—and even some saturated fats like those in coconuts and cocoa—are good for cardiovascular health," says Bellatti. "For men interested in bodybuilding, a good intake also helps with testosterone production."

Myth 3- Milk is the Key for Strong Bones

Milk is high in calcium, and calcium is key to bone health, so pouring a glass of 2 percent at breakfast sounds like the best way to do your bones a solid. But one component is missing: vitamin K, which plays a huge role in maintaining bone health and preventing bone loss. "Once we're full-grown adults, we need to focus on minimizing loss," says Bellatti. "Vitamin K is crucial for that."

Do you know what else vitamin K is crucial for? Making sure that the calcium you take in gets where it needs to go—and nowhere else. One of the vitamin's primary functions in your body is to help calcium bind to bone matter, so it can delay deterioration. It also inhibits that same calcium from building up in your arteries, where it can contribute to heart disease.

While it's not abundant in milk—a cup of 2 percent milk has just 0.2 mg—vitamin K is abundant in dark, leafy greens. Kale contains a whopping 1,062.1 mg per cup. As an added bonus, most of these greens also contain calcium. Just make sure you eat the right ones.

"Some greens like spinach are high in oxalates, which prevent calcium absorption," says Bellatti. "But there are also lots of dark greens like kale and bok choy that have low levels." These dark leafy greens' calcium-to-magnesium ratio makes for optimal absorption of both minerals.

Myth 4- Lower Sodium Intake is Key to Treating High Blood Pressure

It's true that the normal American diet is high in sodium, but when it comes to lowering blood pressure, a diet of low-sodium canned soup isn't enough to swing it back the other way. In fact, many processed low-salt foods sacrifice potassium, which is key to controlling blood pressure. A study last year in the Belgian journal Acta Cardiologica went a step further, stating that upping potassium levels could balance out the deleterious effects of a high-sodium diet.

You read right: The answer might be to eat more good stuff, not just to avoid bad stuff. The takeaway: Regulate your levels with more than that occasional banana. Swiss chard, lentils, sweet potatoes, and avocados all have higher potassium levels—961 mg, 731 mg, 754 mg, and 708 mg per cup, respectively—than banana's 422 mg, and they all have plenty of other healthy nutrients to boot.

Myth 5- Staying Away from Salty Foods is the Key to Cutting Sodium Intake

Skipping the pretzels might trick your palette into thinking you're lowering sodium levels, but taste isn't everything.

A lot of food has processed sodium that simply helps to make it taste good, not just salty.

"One serving of salted peanuts has less than 10 percent of your daily sodium limit, but a lot of baked goods are high in sodium," says Bellatti. "We just can't taste the salt because it's part of the cooking process."

For example, one Dunkin Donuts corn muffin contains 770 mg of sodium, only slightly less than the 900 mg of sodium in a 10-piece McDonald's chicken nuggets.

Myth 6- Protein is the Only Essential Post-Workout Fuel

Protein is a must after a weight-heavy workout, but don't forget the carbs. "Carbohydrates help restore glycogen," says Bellatti. "Replenished glucose helps you get in optimal condition for your next workout." Plus, you may have noticed carb-rich foods just seem to taste better after a hard training session.

To make the most of your recovery period, plan ahead and include a post-workout meal with a 1:3 or 1:4 protein-to-carb ratio. Pair a can of tuna with healthy grains, or add a couple of bananas to an otherwise low-carb protein shake.

Myth 7- Meat is Essential to Getting Sufficient Dietary Protein

Chicken breast and ground beef both have a lot of protein, but they are by no means the lords of the land. Dairy and legumes have their fair share, and so do grains. A cup of cooked oatmeal has about 6 grams of protein, for example, and a standard serving of vegetables has 3-4 grams.

Before you turn down your nose at the vegetarians, take note: A diet packed with nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, and vegetables includes significant protein. A cup of oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter and a few tablespoons of hemp seeds stirred in registers a whopping 25 grams of protein. In contrast, one serving of turkey sausage only contains 11 grams.

Myth 8- Margarine is Healthier than Butter

The nutritional value of many vegetables ends at the point where they are converted into gelatinous cubes. Margarine and other processed butter substitutes may be plant-based, but this doesn't mean they're healthy.

"A lot of margarine uses soybean oil, corn oil, or even cotton oil which are some of the worst fats because they're inflammatory and have a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio," says Bellatti. While both of these essential fatty acids need to be consumed, they also need to be held in balance, and the standard American diet has been tilted heavily toward omega-6 fats for far too long.

"Inflammation at the cellular level is linked to a lot of chronic diseases, so when you have a high omega 6:3 ratio, the 3s—great for heart health, arteries, and blood flow—can't do a good job," says Bellatti. Still drawn toward plant-based fats?...

Is There Anything Else I Should Do In Order To Lose Weight More  Efficiently? 

Aside from these tips I would also recommend choosing one of the great weight loss systems with proven results and/or a good weight loss supplement to aid you in the first couple of months.

The very best weight loss systems are actually a few and it all comes down to your personal preferences. All I can do is point you to them and let you choose by your self. The absolute best systems are The Fat Loss Factor, Customized Fat Loss and The Truth About Abs. These systems are designed by some of the best weight loss experts and have proven to help people like you and me time and time again.

Also a few great supplements are ProShape RX (Herbal supplement used to suppress appetite and burn fat), Phen375 (same effect as proshape only using different ingredients), Meratol (uses natural ingredients to act as a carb blocker and a fat burner).

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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Don't Pass The Salt

Millions of people wonder why the hell they don't lose weight- they are dieting and exercising properly, but it just doesn't happen.  Many of those people have the exact same problem- Salt. A common trend in food production is associated with injecting high levels of sodium in foods. The sodium, or salt, causes your body to hold onto large amounts of water and it is in more of the foods than you realize.

Surprisingly, even some of the organic range chicken is injected with sodium, saline fluid, chicken broth that has a high salt content. Most of your common brand store chicken is injected with chicken broth, which not only gives you too much sodium, but also cost you more money since you pay for the weight of the extra liquid in the poultry.

Sodium in most cases is responsible for causing significant amounts of water retention, which makes you look soft and also stops you from losing the amount of weight you so dearly want to shed.

Several factors affect your salt to water ratio. Other factors are indirectly associated with water retention as well:

• Eating too much salt and/or sugar
• Not eating enough fresh vegetables or fruit
• High levels of toxins or waste in your body
• Taking various commonly prescribed medications, including NSAIDs
• Long term use of very low calorie or low carb diets
• Known or unknown food intolerances or allergies
• Lack of exercise
• Excessive exercise
• High stress
• Inadequate amounts of sleep
• Genetic factors

Lots Of Salt In Your Foods

I picked up a prepackaged noodle product the other day that someone had offered to me as their normal low calorie lunch meal. As I examined the nutritional label it had 120 calories, but the sodium contents was 1330g.

They were amazed that their calorie intake for the day was less than 1500 calories, but they still seen to continue to gain weight. The answer was very simple and is related to the fact that salt forces your body to hold onto more water. One salt molecule requires four molecules of water in your body to remain stable.

The body naturally works on a system that has a slightly acidic pH. Salt acts as a buffer and raises the pH, thus forcing your body to hold onto more water. Water is very heavy and if you have ever tried to lift a 5-gallon bucket filled with water, you will quickly find out how heavy liquids really are.

Fats are 80% water and if you remove the excessive water from your body, you will actually lose unwanted lipids faster. To naturally lower your body's pH once again, add some fresh squeezed lemon to your water or eat some fresh asparagus.

Both of these will help your body to lower its pH therefore allowing your body to get rid of excess fluid. Make sure you are around a rest room when you start to drop water.

Reasons For Holding Water

 Insulin Levels:

If you eat too much sugar it raises the levels of your hormone called insulin. High levels of insulin make it hard for your body to excrete sodium. Eating too much gluten or if your body has a high sensitivity to gluten, will also result in high insulin levels.

It is important to greatly reduce the amount of white flower, white rice, and other whole-grain items from your diet if you have problems with water retention.

 Medications:

Most medications will offer a long-term side effect of water retention. A common example of this is prednisone. If you take it over a short period of time it has very little affect on your water retention; however, if you take it for a period longer than two weeks you are likely to look like a "marshmallow man."

Most of these medications work against your body's water removal by affecting the way that your body handles sodium and insulin. Antidepressants, birth control pills, antibiotics, anti-histamines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, high cholesterol medications, and others are just some of the common medications that will cause your body to hold onto water.

 Sweeteners:

A common problem with low-calorie diets are the uses of low-calorie sweeteners. These artificial sweeteners can often have products in them that result in a pseudo-allergic reaction and may cause some individuals to hold onto water. Typically foods that are low in calories, may have higher fat content or may have high levels of sodium to make up for taste. It is important to always check to label.

Overloading the stomach, drinking alcohol, taking medications, long-term use of antibiotics, too much sugar, not getting enough daily fiber all have a detrimental effect on your digestive tract. Some of the foods that you eat may result in a hyper allergic reaction and cause some of your body's immune cells to produce histamine. Histamine results in a large amount of water retention by your body.

 Lack Of Exercise:

Lack of exercise will result in individuals who have poor venous return and have clogged up lymphatic systems, which leads to excessive amounts of water weight. If you are performing cardio longer than one hour per day, your body will increase its cortisol levels and you will definitely begin to hold onto more water. It is very important to try and limit your exercise to sessions that are less than 50 minutes.

Stress & Sleep:

High amounts of stress also result in your body producing excessive amounts of cortisol and insulin. Both of these have an extremely detrimental effect on your body's ability to remove water from your system. Improper sleep will also trigger high amounts of cortisol and insulin and cause L-dopa to remain in your system and affect your body's ability to remove water.

Genetics:

Genetically some of us are better at removing water from our systems, but a large majority of Americans are having more and more troubles associated with high starch and high sodium diets.

Cellulite is a form of fat that is complexed with retained water. Sometimes that particular type of fat holds so much water that it may become painful to the touch. Various toxins produced by your body and pesticides are often stored in this type of fat. High sodium content foods enable your body to maintain this type of fat. Detoxification may be necessary to remove this type of body fat from your system.

Fixing Your Problems Naturally

Correcting the problem starts with reducing the sodium content that goes into your body. The next time that you are at the store, you must start reading the labels. Look at the chicken that you buy and you will be amazed at the differences in sodium content.

Always buy the canned tuna that has no salt added. Always look for the proteins supplements that have the lowest sodium content if you are trying to lose weight. It is not as important to by low-sodium protein if you are trying to gain weight.

Certain vegetables and fruits will reduce your bodies overall sodium content naturally. Foods that are high in sulfur such as onions and garlic can offer a reduction of the body's sodium content. Other vegetables such as asparagus and other leafy greens are very good at reducing your body's sodium content.

Every athlete should make an attempt to eat approximately 8 asparagus spears a day. The change in the smell of your urine is normal and is associated with the aspartate acid that is in the asparagus plant.

Conclusion

Keep your eyes open and realize that today's commercial industrial food producers are looking for foods that taste better. They are adding high amounts of salt to make up for the stabilization of the food, increased shelf life, and the overall taste.

Don't be fooled and just eat things without knowing what you are eating. Be aware of the damage that sodium can do to your body. There are large amounts of sodium hiding in that next diet soda you are drinking for lunch.

Is There Anything Else I Should Do In Order To Lose Weight More  Efficiently? 

Aside from these tips I would also recommend choosing one of the great weight loss systems with proven results and/or a good weight loss supplement to aid you in the first couple of months.

The very best weight loss systems are actually a few and it all comes down to your personal preferences. All I can do is point you to them and let you choose by your self. The absolute best systems are The Fat Loss Factor, Customized Fat Loss and The Truth About Abs. These systems are designed by some of the best weight loss experts and have proven to help people like you and me time and time again.

Also a few great supplements are ProShape RX (Herbal supplement used to suppress appetite and burn fat), Phen375 (same effect as proshape only using different ingredients), Meratol (uses natural ingredients to act as a carb blocker and a fat burner).

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

If you liked this post, I invite you to follow me on Pinterest!

Food Shopping For Women- Powerful Tips For A Strong and Sexy Body

For all the women in the world who don't know what groceries to buy and what to watch for when going food shopping, you have landed on the right page. This is the smart food shopping guide to use on that dreaded day of the week you are exposed to all kinds of food; both good and bad. This guide will aid you in choosing the foods that will help you to attain that strong and sexy body you are trying to get.

After reading this article, you will be armed with the knowledge necessary to know what you should or shouldn't be getting from the supermarket and why.

Pre-Grocery Shopping Preparation

The first thing we are going to do is prepare you and set you up for success before your visit to the grocery store. "Why will I need to prepare?", you must be wondering. Because there are certain situations that dramatically increase your chances of ending up with a shopping cart full of the type of foods that end up stored in your butt and thighs.

Here are the two things that you must make sure of before a visit to the grocery store:

1. Eat A Nutritious Meal Before You Go Grocery Shopping 

When you go to the store on an empty stomach and hungry, you will be very likely to subconsciously grab the worst foods for you. Typically these are the foods full of sugar that spike your insulin levels fast, or the ones that are laden with fats (and/or transfats) that fill you up quickly but wreak havoc with your health.

We don't want that to happen! So what are we going to do? Right; we will make sure to have eaten properly before going to the store to do our grocery shopping. Have low glycemic index carbs like brown rice, yams or oatmeal combined with a lean protein like chicken, turkey or lean fish, and then some vegetables.

In this manner, you won't be hungry and there will be less temptation to grab the foods you need to fulfil that hunger, which will leave you with a refrigerator full of unhealthy groceries, and most likely leave your physique with a few pounds of fat added to it.

2. Do Not Go Grocery Shopping When You Are Feeling Down 

Also, don't go grocery shopping when you are sad or emotional. If you do, you will be very likely to grab "comfort foods", as most people use food for comforting. Leave it to another day, when you are feeling better, or give someone else a grocery list and have them shop for you (good test to see how much your significant other cares for you).

If you follow this smart preparation before you are on your way to get those groceries, the problem of subconsciously getting unhealthy foods into your home is now solved!

Beware Of Food Labels!

Now, I am going to share with you the solution to one of the biggest reasons people gain weight in fat when they are trying to lose weight. How often do you hear that someone is trying to lose fat, but instead she gained fat and doesn't have a clue why that happened as she was "eating healthy"? I will tell you why. It is because labels are misleading!

The companies producing the foods are misleading you to think a food product is healthy, when it is really (absolutely) not. This is why they do it; the food production companies realized people are trying harder and harder to lose that stubborn fat.

With their unhealthy products, they noticed a decrease in sales, since people were looking for healthier alternatives. The solution to get an increase in sales again: show their food products to be healthier than before.

And this is how they do it; by the clever manipulation of words, and words only. They use words which are not lies, but that are absolutely misleading, to make their food products LOOK healthy, or healthier than before. Don't believe me? Not a problem, I will give you a few examples:

Example #1: Fat Free, Preservative Free Cookies 

Did you see the boxes of cookies (even chocolate ones) lately? They will read: "Fat free, gluten free, no preservatives or artificial flavours". Is this true? Yes, it is. But, if we look on the back side of the package to read the ingredients ourselves, what does it say? Most probably the first word you'll find will be SUGAR, or high glucose-fructose corn syrup. So it's pretty much all sugar! Is this healthy; absolutely not.

Example #2: Low Carb Cookies Or Candy Bars 

This is the reverse of the first example. Here what they do is that there are fats in the cookies, but glycerine and maltitol are used to sweeten them. Though these two ingredients do not have an impact in blood sugar levels, they do have calories! However, the FDA allows such products to claim they are "low carb".

In addition, if you look at the fats contained in these foods, they are typically partially hydrogenated oils (transfats)! This is neither healthy nor will it help you attain your fitness goals.

Tips To Making Sure That What You Are Buying Is Good

1. Look At The Ingredients! 

The first ingredient on an ingredient list is the one which is most present in the food product; the last on the list is the one with the lowest percentage of all ingredients of the food products. This is the only way you can see exactly what is inside everything!

Even if the package reads "Transfats free" if you read on the ingredients list that there is some "partially hydrogenated oil" then that means that each serving may have up to 0.4 grams of transfats.

By law, companies can get away with that. The unfortunate situation is that if you have more than one serving then those transfats can start adding up quickly and these fats wreak havoc on your health and your physique!

2. Focus On Choosing Natural Foods 

Always try to use natural foods. Canned or pre-prepared foods usually contain too much fats, sodium and sugars. For example your typical deli meats are too high in fats (as we learned in the examples above), are way too high in sodium, and even are added with sugar to sweeten them!

How To Cook Your Food

You can have chicken breast, rice and vegetable as a meal, all in the right proportion, and still have a non-nutritious, unhealthy and even fattening meal. How is this possible? If you don't prepare foods the right way you can inadvertently add too many fats, sodium and sugars to what should be a healthy meal and this will have a counter effect on your body, instead of achieving the physique you would like to achieve for yourself.

The right way to cook your food is by grilling or steaming it, or by baking it in fat free Pam spray.

1. Grilling Your Food 

By grilling your food, you don't need oil or butter to prevent the food from sticking to the pan, since in or on a grill, food doesn't stick.

2. Steaming Your Food 

By steaming your food (think of vegetables), you are keeping as much nutrients in the food as you can. For example, after boiling broccoli in a pan with water, have you seen how the water turns green? Those are the nutrients that got lost in the water.

3. Baking Your Food 

By baking food in a pan with fat free Pam spray, you can bake your food without the added calories and bad fats from heated oil or butter. This is also a great way to prepare your food.

How & When To Eat Which Foods & Why


It is very important, to know what kind of food is great or not good in the morning, before or after a workout or before going to bed. The time of the day does matter when it comes to eating.

Pre-Workout Meal Foods 

A pre-workout meal for example can be very different than a post-workout meal. For example, it's ok to have good fats before a workout, but absolutely not immediately after a workout.
Good fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, fish oils or flax seed oil are good as they slow down the digestion and nutrient uptake in addition to providing you with Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) that not only provide multiple health benefits but also help you lose fat and gain muscle tone.

Post-Workout Meal Foods 

However, immediately after a workout, you need to replenish your body with protein and some higher glycemic (fast released) carbs. So you don't need good fats to slow down the uptake of the nutrients as your body needs carbohydrates and proteins as fast as possible!

Morning And Evening Time Meal Foods 

It's good to have medium carbs and medium-high protein in the morning, while it's better to have medium-high protein and none-very low simple carbs in the evening before going to bed.
Low good fats can be ok before going to bed, but absolutely not for breakfast. This is because, at night you don't need energy, since you'll be going to bed soon. The energy you don't burn gets stored as fat! Carbohydrates and good fats give you energy but because at night you don't need them, it is best to reserve them for the morning time and the other times I just described above.

Women Have To Eat Differently Than Men

You must have heard of the saying, "You are what you eat." There is a good point being made there. Imagine eating a little something in the morning, grab a snack later, have a sandwich at lunch, whatever you can find nearby in your lunch break, to snack a little until dinner, after which a few bites here and there won't be left out before going to bed. This way, there is no thought about the right food at the right time, the right preparation, quantities, etc.

There is no real plan about what to eat when. It is not under control. If you follow such a haphazard plan, then I guarantee you that your body will not be under your control.

Let's take a look at our "you are what you eat" rule. If you look at cows, they look strong and robust. Red meat has more fat than lean fish. Men typically have lower body fat than women. They also usually prefer the more robust, strong look. It sounds logical for men to have more red meat in their "diet" than fish.

Women usually prefer the lean, slender, curvaceous look. Lean fish has less fat than red meat, so it helps women to lose more of that body fat. It also contains essential fatty acids, which also help to break down body fat. Therefore, we can achieve this look better by eating more lean fish than red meat.

Apply This Knowledge!

It always takes some knowledge, willpower and discipline to know what you want and actually do it too. Now that you know some of the important knowledge to achieve the body of your dreams, it's up to you to add willpower and discipline in the mix, to have those results you are trying to achieve.

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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"Organic" Junk Food- What Advertisers Don't Want You To Know

Marketing has turned a new chapter in convincing American consumers that junk food is good. Find out the truth and why 'Organic' doesn't make it healthy.

Organic Organic junk food may sound like a simple oxymoron, but it is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. The mere mention of the word "organic" implies that something is healthy. Marketing has turned a new chapter in convincing the basic American consumer that junk food can actually be healthy.

A simple trip into any grocery store has a new section called "nutrition" or "health food" and is loaded with products carrying the words: Organic, natural, wholesome, fresh, healthy choice, nutritious, low fat, baked, etc. Most of these terms are not regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The definition of organic is pretty simple from the USDA and the FDA under the testimony of Dr. Robert Rondale in the early 70's. Others healthy terms are very sketchy and lost in translation.

Organic Foods: Food grown without pesticides; grown without artificial fertilizers; grown in soil whose humus content is increased by the additions of organic matter, grown in soil whose mineral content is increased by the application of natural mineral fertilizers; has not been treated with preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, etc.

The use of the term organic gets even more interesting as we look at the farmers. Some farmers choose to use no chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides, while other farmers use them sparingly. The interesting thing is that the United States Department of Agriculture still terms both farmers as "organic."

Now if you take these organic products and you process them into refined sugar, or other empty calorie content food they can carry the name and seal of approval associated with organic foods. Processed table sugar is now considered organic if grown in the previous mentioned conditions. Although sucrose is not as bad for you as High Fructose Corn Syrup, the white powder is still the leading cause of diabetes in the US.

Who's Watching?

The entire process of organic farming is almost on the honor system. Foods and the farms they come from are not often tracked by the USDA to verify an ongoing high quality of standards with organic farming. They are more concerned with keeping the general American public healthy and safe, but they are not concerned with defining the products true organic character.

Organic Junk

Chocolate bars, hard candy, ice cream, high-fat cheese, suckers, jawbreakers, licorice, cereals, etc., can all carry to term organic. The key thing to remember here is that a calorie is a calorie. The simple truth is that a calorie that is organic is still a calorie.

Although the candy that they may be eating has been produced using less pesticides and herbicides, the excessive calories that they are putting into their body is still going to be converted and stored as fat. It never ceases to amaze me how many unhealthy people seem to be eating simply too much food.

A bag of potato chips can be organic, which only refers to how the potato has been grown. The process to make the potato chip is almost identical to any other standard processed food. They are boiled in high fat oil and dried, showered with lots of salt and packaged and priced three times higher than any non-organic product.

The high salt and high fat content are still associated with these organic foods. I noticed that a chocolate bar that maintained in organic statement on its labeling actually had twice the fat content when compared to a typical Hershey Bar. Given the choice of high fat or purely organic, your body is likely to succeed and do better with the lower fat content.

There is no special healing power associated with organic products. If you are having health problems, then it is better for you to be grabbing for fresh fruits and vegetables, rather than a bag of organic lemon drops. Several studies have shown that organic food taste is absolutely no different than standard food.

Fresh food has far more vitamins and minerals associated with it, but there is little gain when food is grown organically. If crop rotation is utilized, then some improvement in basic nutrition is noted, but that is not truly regulated by the USDA. The organic benefit does not seem to have a "trickle-down-effect" to your 3 scoops of high butter fat: lavender boysenberry ice cream.

The golden role of fitness will never change: "calories in versus calories out". If you consume five thousand calories a day and only burn off a thousand calories a day, then you are going to gain one pound per day of fat. It doesn't matter if someone eats only protein and no carbs, their body will quickly convert the excess calories into fat for storage.

If your client is stressed and over-eating, the combination of our stress hormones and excess calories are likely to go right to their hips and thighs and stomach.

Food should always be eaten in its most raw and natural state to obtain the maximum amount of nutrition and possible. This allows trace minerals to help with digestion and absorption. The benefits of raw organic vegetables are of a concern since in the United States, what regulation is there, truly, over asparagus from Peru? Yet the producers charge a much higher cost for the same product.

Leave Chocolate Out Of It

Chocolate has a green bean associated with it and is not very tasty by itself. Chocolate is an incredibly powerful antioxidant, but the more that the cocoa bean is processed the less benefit it will provide to our body. Coffee is also a green bean, it is the strongest antioxidant known to man, but it is also less effective with over processing.

Candy is no different and by the time you heat sugar up to the temperature required to caramelize it for candy, there is little nutrient value available, hence the term zero calorie. After enough processing of any food, you are likely to be dumping high calories with zero nutritional benefit into your body.

Conclusion

In conclusion we can only state the obvious facts- you cannot eat junk food, even if it is called organic junk food, and think that you are going to have anything except very expensive organic fat on your hips, thighs, stomach, arms, and buttocks.

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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Beyond Olive Oil: 5 More Healthy Cooking Oils

Try any of these healthy, versatile fat sources, and you'll feel like you struck it rich.

Unless you've been conked in the head by an olive branch, you know that "no fat" is out and healthy fats are in. Good fats help to maintain body tissues, they provide an excellent energy source, and they help normalize blood sugar for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. And that's not to say anything of the well-studied long-term benefits they provide for your heart and circulatory system.

But if your oil arsenal is limited to olive oil in salads and on chicken, and vegetable oil for frying, you're missing out. Other seed and fruit oils can add a range of savory flavors and textures to your menu, helping you make the most of your meager cooking abilities without having to cheat your health.

Whatever your cooking demands, there's an oil for that. Let's meet the rising stars which should be in your recipes.

1. Coconut Oil

If you came of age in the 1990s or earlier, you might have trouble reconciling yourself to the idea that coconut oil has any place in a healthy diet. Along with its evil allies palm and soybean, coconut has defined "bad fat" for most of the last generation. Heck, it's the fat movie theater popcorn is popped in! We're talking trans fats here, for crying out loud!

Well, that was then—and more to the point, that was partially hydrogenated coconut oil. The hydrogenation process blasts all kinds of good stuff out of coconut oil, including essential fatty acids and antioxidants galore. In contrast, virgin coconut oil, sold in a solidified form in small jars in health food stores, is a delicious and versatile fat that has plenty to offer, especially for vegetarians and vegans.

One advantage to coconut oil is that it is rich in lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that your body burns more efficiently than almost any other fat. This makes it great energy food. What's more, the vitamins K and E in coconut oil help support healthy skin and hair.

"But how do I eat that pasty stuff?" you ask. This is where it gets fun. Coconut oil is one of the world's great butter substitutes. It melts just like butter on hot toast or pancakes, and it has a uniquely nutty, creamy flavor that many people actually prefer to butter—no, really. It is equally effective subbing for butter, shortening, or lard in baking, which is why you'll see it popping up all over "guilt-free" recipes.

2. Walnut Oil

Walnut oil is one of the world's great secret ingredients—once you know how to use it. Try to fry with it, and you'll be disappointed. But put it in salad dressing, banana bread, or brush it on home-baked oven fries, and you'll have everyone asking you for the recipe.

When it comes to health, the walnut is king of the nut aisle. It's high in antioxidants and phytonutrients and comparatively low in saturated fat. Just a tablespoon of walnut oil has as much omega fats as a salmon filet, making it a great fat to consider if you're vegetarian or don't eat a lot of fish. And unlike most oils, walnuts are high in omega-3 acids, not just omega-6 acids.

The only real drawback with walnut oil, as with walnuts, is that they're not as good for your wallet as for your heart. Keep your eye open for sales, or consider asking for some as a stocking stuffer during the holidays. You won't miss that marshmallow Santa, anyway.

3. Sesame Oil

Sesame oil has one of the most distinct flavors of all the cooking oils. It comes in both light and dark varieties, which are both healthy but taste very different. Light sesame oil is more subtle and can be used for frying, while dark oil is made from toasted sesames and is used more for its flavor. The darker one goes great with Korean, Chinese, and Indian foods and gives a unique nutty edge to boring chicken recipes.

In either case, sesame oil offers a great profile of healthy fats, made of almost half monounsaturated fat, and half polyunsaturated fat. Only a small component comes from saturated fat, making this a great oil to use for anyone concerned with heart disease. Sesame oil is also a premier source of vitamin E, which can further help to boost your health by combating free-radical damage.

As anyone who has ever over-seasoned with sesame oil knows, a little goes a long way. This means a bottle might chill out in your cupboard for months or years on end. If that's the case, consider using it as massage oil, like they've been doing in India for thousands of years.

4. Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseeds are one of the leftovers in the winemaking process after all the stomping and squishing is done. While the oil pressed from these seeds doesn't have the cachet or health claims of wine, it's catching on as a versatile, healthy cooking fat.

Grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point than many other oils, so it's good for frying and dishes that require high temperatures. Its light, neutral flavor makes it ideal for muffins, cakes, and other baked goods. It also absorbs other flavors effectively, making it a perfect candidate for infusion with garlic, herbs, or other flavors.

Nutritionally, grapeseed has double the vitamin E of olive oil, but it isn't as high as other popular frying oils like safflower. It also has high levels of several fatty acids and like all vegetable oils is cholesterol-free, so you can saute without guilt.

5. Avocado Oil

The avocado has built up loads of press in recent years for its nutrient-rich nutritional profile, abundance of healthy fats, and potential to combat heart disease and hypertension. It's become North America's answer to the almighty Mediterranean olive, and avocado oil is our olive oil.

Avocado oil has a great fatty acid profile made up of 70 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 12 percent omega-6 fatty acids, and just 12 percent saturated fatty acids. This makes it a great option for people who want to incorporate more omega fats in their diet but are looking to keep their saturated fat intake down. It also has an unusually high smoking point, so it works great for any high temperature dish.

At first taste, you might have trouble differentiating avocado oil from a high-end olive oil; both have a subtle nutty taste and yellow-green color. But the light avocado aroma and fruitier flavor will definitely grow on you as you try this versatile oil in meat rubs, sauteing, and as a dipping oil or salad dressing.

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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5 Energy Vampires In Your Diet—And How To Drive A Stake Through Them

If you're scrambling to find the strength you need to make it through the day, a nutritional deficiency could be to blame. Stay ahead of the game by getting to know the usual suspects.

Watch the way most people structure their day, and it's hard to escape the conclusion that their energy level is solely a product of what they drink. As the hours tick by, they alternate between coffee, soda, energy shots, pre-workout supps, and whatever else they "need" to keep them propped up until they collapse into bed.

Somewhere in the middle all of that liquid stimulation, their diet may be trying to tell them something. A nutritional deficiency can hit you harder than you might expect, leaving you scrambling for quick-fixes to help you finish your to-do list. And even if you think you're eating healthily, such as by cutting out animal products and red meat, you might be putting yourself behind the 8-ball when it comes to overall vitality.

There is another way: You can eat for energy in addition to health. This requires taking an unflinching look at your diet, and taking immediate action against any gaping holes. If you feel like your gas gauge is pegged on "E" too often, here are five common culprits to consider.

Vampire 1-- Your Diet Lacks Sufficient Vitamin B12

Someone should consider renaming vitamin B12 to give it a title that reflects just how crucial it is to the human body's normal functions. Sure, all those other vitamins are important, too, but not many of them can say that they are involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body. No matter what we do physically or mentally, B12 is a key player—and especially when it comes to energy.

As you might expect, being deficient in B12 is no fun. People who aren't getting enough can experience sometimes severe alterations in their mood, including fatigue, depression, loss of appetite, and poor memory. Of course, none of these symptoms in and of themselves are sufficient to diagnose B12 deficiency, but they provide a good opportunity to take stock of what might be holding you down. A lot's at stake. In the long-term, B12 deficiencies can cause irreparable damage your brain and nervous system.

So how much is enough? Because B-complex vitamins are water-soluble, your body excretes them regularly and they need to be replenished daily. As a general rule, adults should be aiming to consume at least 2.4 mcg of this vitamin per day, an amount easily obtained from most people's diets. Pregnant and lactating women are advised to take a slightly higher dose, around 2.8 mcg. Because older people often do not absorb B12 from food efficiently, they often take even higher dosages as supplements.

Good food sources for this vitamin include everything associated with animals: fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Vegetarians and vegans are most at risk for B12 deficiency, so if you are leading a vegetarian lifestyle, consider supplementation.

Made all the necessary changes—but still dragging around? You may have pernicious anemia, a condition in which the intestines lose the ability to absorb B12. Your doctor can order a simple test to see if this is indeed your problem.

Vampire 2-- You Need To Eat More Iron

Like B12, iron has a hand in almost everything your body does. First and foremost, it's crucial in the formation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to bodily tissues. So if you're among the billion or so people worldwide who are iron deficient, it's almost like you're taking tiny, shallow breaths all day, every day.

Pinning down iron deficiency through its symptoms can be tough, because it can have many causes and takes time to progress. From an exercise perspective, suffice it to say if your muscles are not getting the oxygen they need, you can expect intense fatigue to hit rapidly.

Many women in particular tend to fall short in iron, both because they lose iron in their menstrual cycle each month, and because iron-rich foods often aren't prioritized in many fat-loss diets. The most abundant absorbable sources of iron in the diet are animal foods like lean beef, bison, and venison. Poultry also contains some iron, but at a much lower level than in red meat.

Non-animal sources of iron include spinach, tomatoes, lima beans, soybeans, apricots, kale, and oatmeal. However, these are non-heme forms of iron, meaning that your body doesn't absorb them as efficiently as the heme iron of animal-based foods. So if you aren't eating animal products, supplementation is a good move, just to be sure you get sufficient amounts of the type of iron you need most.

The RDA for iron among adult men is 8 mg, and 11 mg for teenage men. Adult women, on the other hand, need 18 mg daily from age 18 through menopause, and 15 mg as teenagers. Pregnant women of any age are recommended to consume 27 mg daily.

Vampire 3-- You're Not Properly Hydrated

Far too many people overlook the impact hydration has on the body and on general well-being. Dehydration levels as small as two percent can influence day-to-day energy levels, concentration levels, and metabolic rate.

There have been countless studies on hydration, but we continue to learn more about how it affects us. Earlier this year, a well-publicized study at the University of Connecticut's Human Performance Laboratory added an important piece to the puzzle: by the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. And at that point, your working memory and cognitive abilities are already impaired. Women are statistically more prone to these symptoms than men, but both are at risk for increased fatigue, tension, and anxiety as a result of not drinking enough.

The answer is simply to not let it get to that point. Men should aim to consume more than three quarts of water each day, while women should be taking in more than two quarts. If you're highly active or living in hot climates, consuming slightly more than this can work to your benefit.

Water is clearly the first choice for hydration, but several studies have shown that milk is equally effective. Avoid downing large amounts of fruit juices, however; these are loaded with simple carbs and can cause your blood-sugar level to spike and crash, leaving you with less energy than you had before.

Vampire 4-- You Cut Too Many Carbs

If your dietary scheme requires you to make all-or-nothing decisions regarding important food sources or nutrients, you might be putting your energy level at risk. This can definitely apply in the case of carbohydrates, as it does with the animal products mentioned earlier.

Cutting carbs from the standard American diet is a no-brainer. But if you're considering cutting carbs out almost entirely—say, to 20-40 g or less per day—then tread carefully. This is low enough to cause you to enter a state of ketosis, where you might experience a temporary but intense drop in energy and mental clarity as your body grows accustomed to burning fat instead of glycogen. If these unpleasant feelings last longer than a couple of weeks, consider upping your carb intake.

Focus on eating complex carbohydrates that break down and digest slowly in the body; these are the ones that will maintain your energy level over long periods, rather than causing a peak followed by a dip. It's also worth remembering that fresh fruits and vegetables bring myriad benefits to your health and energy level, and you definitely don't need to eat a high-carb diet to fit them in.

Vampire 5-- You Need More Dietary Potassium

If you work out intensely for long period of time, you're probably sweating out a lot of potassium. Diuretic medications can cause you to lose even more, as can the vomiting and diarrhea that come along with seasonal illnesses like the flu. Either in combination or on their own, these factors can cause a major hit to your energy and muscular strength.


If you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods, you'll naturally be getting a good intake of potassium. However, if you're training heavily, you'd be well advised to make space for a few more potassium-rich foods.

Avocados are an all-star when it comes to K, as are dark chocolate, dried fruits, and pistachios and other nuts. Seasonings like paprika, chili powder, coriander, and basil also contain potassium, so don't hold back the spice.

Take inventory of what your current diet looks like and make sure that you aren't overdoing sodium and missing out on potassium. One recent study showed that the two really do work in balance; you can maintain a diet fairly high in sodium without severe consequences, as long as you get enough potassium. Chips, meet guacamole.

Is There Anything Else I Should Do In Order To Lose Weight More  Efficiently? 

Aside from these tips I would also recommend choosing one of the great weight loss systems with proven results and/or a good weight loss supplement to aid you in the first couple of months.

The very best weight loss systems are actually a few and it all comes down to your personal preferences. All I can do is point you to them and let you choose by your self. The absolute best systems are The Fat Loss Factor, Customized Fat Loss and The Truth About Abs. These systems are designed by some of the best weight loss experts and have proven to help people like you and me time and time again.

Also a few great supplements are ProShape RX (Herbal supplement used to suppress appetite and burn fat), Phen375 (same effect as proshape only using different ingredients), Meratol (uses natural ingredients to act as a carb blocker and a fat burner).

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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5 Nuts That Can Revolutionize Your Diet

It’s time to give nuts their due. These top five have been through the grinder and earned their place in the nutritional hall of fame.

Vendors walking the aisles at baseball games are wiser (and less obscene) than they know when they yell to "get your nuts." The days of ultra low-fat diets that starve the body of healthy nutrients are gone. Healthy fats are now considered a pillar of any healthy diet, and leading the charge into this new era are nuts.

Every year seems to bring new evidence that nuts are nature's most versatile, nutritionally balanced health food. And yet, they continue to be cast aside by many as fatty junk food. We must be nuts as a society not to shout the virtues of shelled snacks from the treetops!

The case for nuts doesn't end with fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels among many other benefits. Nuts have also been shown to help provide an edge against stroke and type 2 diabetes, curb appetite, and encourage weight loss, as studies indicate that calories from nuts don't always correlate with the expected amount of weight gain. Nuts also give vegetarians a guiltless protein source that rivals any meat, and they mix well any number of diverse dishes.

However you spread it, nuts should be a part of a healthy diet plan. Here, then, are our top five, in no particular order:

1. Almonds

They're everywhere: in salads, on pizzas, as snacks with all manner of seasonings - they even have their own milk. With good reason: Almonds rank among the highest-protein nuts, but at a fraction of the price of some higher-end nuts like walnuts. Almonds are also high in manganese and vitamin E, vital defenders against oxidative damage.

Those who consume almonds on a regular basis are at lower risk for developing heart disease. One study even found they actually help lower elevated cholesterol.

What are you waiting for? Consider topping your salads with slivered almonds or snack on a few with your mid-afternoon protein shake.

What's in an ounce of almonds?*

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 22, dry roasted without salt

Calories 169
Total Fat 14.8g
Total Carb 8.3g
Protein 5.9g

Other significant vitamins/minerals: riboflavin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc.

2. Walnuts

The word superfood gets tossed around in respect to walnuts more than any other nut. This basically means while we now know walnuts are nutrient-packed, we're still in the process of discovering all the benefits they can bring.

Among the latest studies was one that found that walnuts may actually enhance reasoning skills in teenagers! Considering the insane popularity of Justin Bieber, this is no small feat.

Much of the walnut's stellar reputation comes from its richness in essential fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid.

A well-publicized study in 2006 found that the fatty acids derived from regular walnut consumption decreased subjects' total cholesterol level and LDL cholesterol in short-term trials.

And you don't have to eat a tree's worth to see the benefits!

Just a quarter cup serving of walnuts daily provides almost 100 percent of the total recommended omega-3 fatty acid intake and contains just 163 calories. Just a one-ounce serving has more omega-3s than a 4 oz piece of salmon.

Walnuts also contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that are known to be helpful in reducing inflammation levels and warding off type 2 diabetes. Another interesting walnut factoid: They're a rich source of melatonin, which encourages a healthy sleep cycle.

What's in an ounce of walnuts?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 14 halves

Amount per serving

Calories 185
Total Fat 18.5g
Total Carb 3.9g
Protein 4.3g

Other significant vitamins/minerals: thiamine, vitamin B6, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc.

3. Pistachios

Pistachios are often dismissed as diet busters, but these nuts provide clear health benefits.

Pistachios are lower per-nut in calories than other nuts, but are quite high in protein and fiber. They also shine in vitamin B6 content, providing 18 percent of daily requirements, whereas most other nuts fall below five percent of that metric.

Pistachios are also the inspiration behind the "pistachio effect," an interesting approach to eating highlighted in a recent study at Eastern Illinois University. The authors of the study found that subjects who were offered pistachios in shells ate an average of 125 calories worth of nuts, whereas those who were offered shelled nuts consumed an average of 211 calories. However, participants on both sides rated their fullness and satisfaction the same, despite the difference in calories.

The Takeaway: Eating more slowly and mindfully can help you stick to caloric restrictions and get more satisfaction through less food. Your mother always told you that eating slowly was better for you, and here's proof mom may have been onto something. So take your time and savor this healthy comfort food!

What's in an ounce of pistachios?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 49, dry roasted without salt

Amount per serving

Calories 161
Total Fat 12.7g
Total Carb 8.3g
Protein 5.9g
Fiber 2.8g

Other significant vitamins/minerals: thiamine, vitamin B6, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc.

4. Cashews

Cashews have a buttery, fatty flavor that puts them right up with macadamias as the most feared nuts. Fear not! Cashews are one of the most nutrient-rich nuts in the orchard, with plenty of iron, zinc, and trace minerals.

A 1 oz serving provides nearly a quarter of your daily phosphorus requirements!

The calories add up quickly when snacking on cashews, but it's worth noting that a recent study found that weight-loss diets that allow nuts have greater compliance among dieters, and better results, than diets that don't!

What's in an ounce of cashews?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 18 halves and pieces, dry-roasted without salt

Amount per serving

Calories 163
Total Fat 13.1g
Total Carb 9.2
Protein 4.3g
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 7.7g
Fiber 1g

Other significant vitamins/minerals: thiamin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc.

5. Peanuts

Sometimes you learn as an adult that you had it right as a kid. That bag of nuts is definitely the healthiest thing you can eat at the ballpark!

Peanuts come in endless flavors and mixes of varying nutritional worth, but for many of us, they are still first and foremost the base of peanut butter. But not all peanut butters are created equal! When shopping, look for natural varieties with oil on top.

These varieties contain less sugar and added ingredients. Also consider making your own in your blender or food processor. It's easier than you think and there's no step down in taste.

Peanuts are one of the great energy foods, no matter if you're an athlete or a desk-jockey trying to maintain focus through a long work day. They are high in protein, dietary fiber, and antioxidants.

Consuming peanuts also reduces the chances of stroke, as they increase your natural production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels.

What's in an ounce of peanuts?

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 35, dry roasted without salt

Amount per serving

Calories 166
Total Fat 14.1g
Total Carb 6.1g
Protein 6.7g
Fiber 2.3g

Other significant vitamins/minerals: potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, niacin, vitamin E, folate.

* Nutritional data from the USDA National Nutrient Database.

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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I’m Starving: 5 Overlooked Causes Of Hunger

Your diet leaves you feeling empty and you can’t figure out why. Here are five possible culprits to assign to your fix list.

Feeling famished on your diet? If so, you have probably considered boosting your fiber intake, adding protein, drinking plenty of water, and other classic strategies to help combat hunger.

But what if these strategies fail you? What do you do when you still have a hankering so intense, you struggle to focus on anything else?

That's when you need to take a look at your lifestyle and assess whether any of the following five issues may come into play.

1.Excessive Low-Level Cardio

Multiple studies in recent years have suggested that cardiovascular exercise is an effective way to suppress and manage hunger.


One recent study suggested that appetite can be better controlled by exercise than by simple restraint-take note, dieters who struggle to say "no!" But if you're chained to the cardio machines for hours on end at a moderate intensity, it could send your hunger soaring.

A study of German cyclists found that their production of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin rose significantly after a 120-minute low-to-moderate intensity exercise session, but not nearly so much after high-intensity workouts of any duration.

Other recent studies have reinforced the notion that high-intensity workouts don't dramatically stimulate appetite. If you're stuck on the moderate intensity cardio bandwagon and feeling ravenous, now might be the time to up the intensity.

Of course, not all cardio is the same. One recent study, for instance, suggested that swimming can have a tendency to stimulate appetite in the hours following exercise.

If you find yourself climbing out of the pool and racing for the bakery, consider mixing cross-training into your routine.

2. Lack of Sleep

It's no secret that sleep deprivation can damage your workout performance and make for a miserable recovery period, but it may also influence how well you can stick to your diet plan.

A study in the Journal of Sleep Research found that a single night of sleep deprivation caused subjects' reported hunger levels and their appetite-stimulating ghrelin levels to rise drastically. Other studies have reported similar findings for subjects who slept poorly over multiple nights.

These studies suggest a simple relationship: The less you sleep, the more you put yourself at risk for uncontrollable hunger. You probably don't need an academic study to tell you that if you're feeling tired and cranky after a bad night's sleep, it's going to be hard to stay positive about a diet.

3. The "See-Food" Diet

Speaking of temptation, a growing body of research suggests that exposure to delicious food increases cravings. Big surprise, right?

The food you see in pictures, on television/Internet commercials, or on your coworker's desk can create a feeling of hunger in you. Smell is another powerful hunger stimulant. If you walk into a room filled with the aroma of delicious food, don't be surprised if your stomach starts rumbling.

It's almost impossible to totally shield yourself from hunger-spiking "food porn," but if you're feeling famished, it's probably a good idea to try.

One recent study found that people who struggled with weight control in the past are especially susceptible to the temptation brought on by exposure to food. If that describes you, do your best to build a wall around you!

4. Time of Day

Most of us have been conditioned to grow hungry at the typical meal times: in the morning after waking up, at midday, and in the early evening.

If you've switched over to a higher frequency meal plan, don't be surprised if you still experience some hunger when those old meal times hit.

This may be especially acute if those around you are eating, since hunger can be socially triggered.

If nostalgia for those three-squares-per-day impacts your ability to stick with your diet, then you may want to consider being flexible about your meal times and moving at least a couple of them in-line with the traditional times.

Your body will probably catch up to your new system with time, but you might feel a powerful hankering until it does!

5. Drinking Your Food

High-protein, low-carb diets have been shown to help control hunger and increase feelings of post-meal satisfaction, but when it comes to suppressing hunger, how you get that protein still matters.

If your shaker bottle has taken the place of your knife and fork, take note: A pair of recent studies at the Nutrim School of Nutrition found that solid protein meals are more effective in suppressing hunger than similar liquid protein meals.

The subjects received the same nutritional benefits from nutrient shakes and chicken breasts, but the difference was after the shake, they still felt hungry.

So while those supplements may help you to reach your fitness goals, don't forget that they're supplementing food!

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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Nocturnal Noshing: 6 Snacks You Can Eat Before Bed

Your metabolism never takes a break, even while you sleep. Give it the energy it craves with easy-to-make snacks that fuel muscle growth without flipping on the fat switch.

Inexperienced dieters commonly believe anything consumed in the hours right before bed goes directly to body fat stores. Sounds like a nightmare for your physique! The real nightmare is that they end up going to bed hungry, wake up with minimal energy, and wonder why they feel like crap despite being disciplined.

Wake up! Your metabolism never fully shuts down, even overnight. Eating too many calories or bad foods before bed adds fat to your frame, but not all nocturnal noshing begets extra body fat.

The trick is to be smart before sleep time. If you snack late, make room for the extra calories earlier in the day to obey your target calorie limit. Choose foods which fuel muscles, keep hunger levels low, and promote stable blood glucose levels … so your brain doesn't wake up your body.

These six snacks provide quality nutrition that supports fat loss and muscle building, helping you forge the body of your dreams:

1. Cottage Cheese With Natural Peanut Butter

Considered a classic night-time nosh by many health enthusiasts, cottage cheese with natural peanut butter is a snacking no-brainer.

Cottage cheese is ideal before bed because it includes lots of casein protein, which releases slowly into the body. This ensures a steady supply of amino acids through the night.

Adding natural peanut butter to this snack increases digestion time, enhancing the snack's ability to control hunger.

Keep the peanut butter to a tablespoon or less to avoid heavy calories!


2. Salmon Salad

Salmon is a perfect pre-bed food source because it's high in protein content and contains healthy omega fats. Many people fall short in omega fat content. This goes a long way to supporting your overall health!

Add salmon with salad to add bulk and fiber for the perfect low-carb option before turning in.

3. Greek Yogurt With Flaxseeds

Like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt is high in protein and packs a calcium punch. Boost the healthy fat content of this low-fat snack with some flaxseeds.

Together, these deliver a steady dose of fiber, protein and omega fats!

4. Low-Fat Cheese With Raw Veggies

If you crave cheese, this is your pre-bed meal. Regular cheese is high in saturated fat, so opt for a reduced-fat variety with a healthy dose of protein.

Cheese is carb-free, making the fat/protein combination just what you're looking for! Include raw green veggies (cucumbers, celery or broccoli) for some negligible calories.

5.Canned Tuna With Olive Oil

Tuna is a great option for people wanting minimal prep work. Canned tuna packed in water is fat free, so it's important to add healthy fats to boost the staying power overnight.

Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the tuna and serve with a bed of spinach for an iron-packed snack that prepares you for the day to come.


6. A Casein Protein Shake With Coconut Oil

If solid food isn't your forte before bed, consider a casein protein shake. We discussed the benefits casein provides in cottage cheese earlier. But you can also get it in protein powder!

Most casein shakes are low in fat. To overcome this, add fats by stirring in a tablespoon of coconut oil, which provides heart-healthy medium-chain triglycerides.

This snack contains approximately 200 calories and helps repair muscle overnight.

 Is There Anything Else I Should Do In Order To Lose Weight More  Efficiently? 

Aside from these tips I would also recommend choosing one of the great weight loss systems with proven results and/or a good weight loss supplement to aid you in the first couple of months.

The very best weight loss systems are actually a few and it all comes down to your personal preferences. All I can do is point you to them and let you choose by your self. The absolute best systems are The Fat Loss Factor, Customized Fat Loss and The Truth About Abs. These systems are designed by some of the best weight loss experts and have proven to help people like you and me time and time again.

Also a few great supplements are ProShape RX (Herbal supplement used to suppress appetite and burn fat), Phen375 (same effect as proshape only using different ingredients), Meratol (uses natural ingredients to act as a carb blocker and a fat burner).

All of this should be enough to get you started on your way to losing fat and getting the body of your dreams.

Good Luck

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Booty Camp: Summer Bikini Butt Workout!

A hot bikini won't hide a flat butt. Bikini season exposes saggy bottoms! Build a beach-ready behind with this workout.

Break out your beachwear, ladies: summer is upon us! If you've been hibernating at home between quick trips to the gym, patiently sculpting your sun-ready physique, now is the time to showcase strategic pieces of your hard-earned bikini body!

Ah summer — 3 months of sun-drenched fun. If you don't have one already, it's time to go bikini shopping. Although there are plenty of cute designs, one factor remains the same for any bathing suit: your booty will be on display.

You may decide to disguise it with a wrap, but there's no hiding a flat booty. Add some junk to your trunk with a properly-structured plan; it's a great idea for some spring-time confidence. It will also ensure your summer bum is ready for sun.

Baby Got Back

Building a bikini booty doesn't have to take long — provided you keep track of your diet and do the right exercises. To make your backside bumpin' you need to incorporate strength training and cardio into your workout routine. Strength training will add curves and definition. Cardio will burn extra calories
and reduce body fat. You do need some backside tissue to avoid "flat-butt syndrome,"
but you want that tissue to be lean muscle, not fat.

You don't have to do cardio training if your diet is already perfect. But, most women find faster progress if they add cardio to their training regimen. Don't overdo it by grinding away on the treadmill every day. Too much cardio can eat away at that great lean muscle mass.

Strength Training

You want to focus on compound lower-body movements, while adding glute-specific exercises to really target that backside. Many women have trouble activating their glutes because it's incredibly easy to let the quads and/or hamstrings overpower the movement.

To activate your glutes, rely on these key moves:

EXERCISE 1

Sets: 3-4 Reps: 8-12

FULL SQUATS

Squats are fantastic for enhancing your booty shape, and for strengthening the quads and hamstrings. Go as low as your flexibility allows. As long as your knees don't hurt, the lower you go, the better. Why? Deep squats provide the most glute activation.

Too many women make the mistake of not going all the way down through the movement. Go all the way down, pause, and then press all the way back up.

EXERCISE 2

Sets: 3 Reps: 15

SPLIT SQUATS

When done properly, this is a fantastic glutes strengthener. Because this exercise takes some balance, focus on the mind-muscle connection. If you aren't actively thinking of relaxing the quads and hamstrings during this exercise, your glutes won't activate. Use your butt to drive through the motion.

Use a barbell instead of dumbbells, which will help you maintain an upright position — a key for glute activation and good form. When you rise, think about pressing through your heels instead of through your quads.

EXERCISE 3

Sets: 4 Reps: 8

SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFTS

This movement is a great butt-builder and will target the hamstrings and lower back, effectively hitting most links in your posterior chain. Performing it on a single leg helps activate the glutes and core.

Focus on squeezing through the glutes. If your lower back aches after performing this movement, you aren't using the muscles as you should be.

If you do feel back pain, lighten the load. Using too much weight will force you to recruit additional muscles because your glutes aren't strong enough to do the work.

EXERCISE 4

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-15

LUNGES

Lunges target the quads, hamstrings, core and glutes. These booty-bombers will have you sore for days! You can further stimulate your butt by taking a slightly longer step forward. This increased distance will put more stress on the glutes and less on the quads.

EXERCISE 5

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12-20

WEIGHTED GLUTE BRIDGES

The glute bridge is great because it isolates the bum. Your hammies and quads aren't going to play a big part in this exercise.

Use a barbell to make this exercise more strenuous. Make sure you're powerfully driving your hips directly upward, and then lowering them down slowly. Contract your glutes at the top, which will ensure that you move the load with your butt, not your lower back.

Cardio

The best cardio exercises for booty building ask you to act against resistance:

CARDIO 1

UPHILL WALKING

Uphill walking, or using the elliptical trainer at an incline, is a better option than running on a flat surface. Flat running tends to decrease the booty musculature, and that's definitely not going to make it in a rap video.

CARDIO 2

INTERVAL TRAINING

If your fitness level allows, perform interval training instead of steady-state training. Interval training increases fat oxidation, and will thus help uncover a curvy bum.

Booty Builder Workout

Two sample workouts will get you started. Perform each workout once per week, along with your own upper-body workouts for a complete program.

Note: You should lift enough weight to hit the point of fatigue/failure on the last rep.

Workout A

Squats
4 sets of 8 reps

Lunges
3 sets of 12 reps

Split Squats
3 sets of 15 reps

Glute Bridges
2 sets of 20 reps


Workout B

Squats
3 sets of 12 reps

Single-Leg Deadlifts
4 sets of 8 reps

Lunges
2 drop sets of 15 reps each

Glute Bridges
3 sets of 12 reps

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