Category Archives: Healthy Living

Principle that can literally change your lifestyle

Commit yourself to lifelong learning.

You’ve heard the saying Read, read and when you’re done reading, read some more.

You’re probably thinking by now, how could something like reading have affected my weight loss so dramatically? If I would have stopped so feverishly researching and reading all of the latest and most up to date nutritional information that I did, while I was on my own personal weight loss journey.

I would not have found all of the incredibly helpful information about fat loss that I am able to share with you today.

Actually, since those days I have never stopped continuously reading and researching because there is always new nutrition information becoming available every day.

Of course some of it may be good, and some of it may be bad, but I have made it a lifelong commitment to help as many people as possible to change the direction of their health, and their weight and in order to do that, I have to keep up with all the latest and most up to date information.

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

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

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

Excess Abdominal Fat is Extremely Dangerous – Details Here

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

Healthy Chocolate Pudding – Recipe Here

Free Fat Loss Recipe’s ebook

Here’s the second in the series of free ebooks. Created by some of the experts in the field of fitness and bodybuilding. Starting with Will Brink who you may know has, over 15 years experience as a respected author, magazine columnist and consultant to the following: The supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industries. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences. He also acts as a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.

This is a eBook which gives you a collection, of useful and importantly easy to create muscle building and fat loss recipes.

Double click on image to download.

Fat Loss Recipes

Fat Loss Recipes

Is drinking coffee bad for your health

So you think your morning coffee an OK option on your healthy eating plan? Is drinking coffee really bad for you or is it actually good?

Healthy Caffeine in Coffee?, I get these questions about coffee and health all the time and as a coffee drinker myself, it is smart to take a look at both the good and the bad and learn how to drink coffee safely..

Now, I’m not here to tell you that coffee is good for you. (I’m here to tell you the facts). If I did, I would be telling only the good side of the story and I’m no politician. I am here to give you the good and the bad and tell you how you can incorporate your favorite coffee or tea into your healthy meal plan.

The bad side of Caffeine

Most coffee and tea contains a lot of caffeine. This is usually the primary reason people make coffee their drink of choice in the morning. Caffeine is a drug and comes with a long list of side effects. Have you ever tried not having your coffee in the morning? The headache that comes on when you try and kick this habit can be brutal (just like with any other drug), and creating a dependency and addiction like this is harmful to the body.

Second, coffee is extremely acidic. Our bodies function at optimum levels when they are slightly more alkaline (the opposite of acidic). It is best for us to greatly reduce any foods that will drive our body’s pH to be more acidic and eat more foods that are alkaline (like fruits and veggies). An acidic body pH is like a magnet for all kinds of illnesses. Also, an alkaline body has a much stronger immune system, thus making illness much less likely to occur.

Last but not least, the caffeine in coffee and tea is abuse to your adrenal glands. Your adrenals release your “fight or flight” hormones basically giving you a nice “boost” when needed. Unfortunately, people who drink coffee all day long are consistently beating on their adrenals. This is the equivalent of whipping a tired horse even when he is exhausted. Eventually he will not move at all, the result is adrenal fatigue, leaving you with no energy, think of chronic fatigue.
Research on the effects of caffeine on the adrenal glands

The good side of Caffeine

Coffee tastes so nice and makes me feel great in the morning.

Many studies have shown that drinking coffee can help towards the prevention, and treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease, skin cancer, diabetes, parkinsons’s disease and many more. Although, I don’t believe coffee is the cure all to these diseases, many ancient cultures did rely on the coffee bean to cure a long list of ailments. But also, small doses of caffeine can increase performance and mental focus.

Green tea is a great drink with a long list of benefits. Green tea is a wonderful source of antioxidants which are important in cancer prevention. Green tea has even been found to raise the body’s metabolism and aid in fat burning. However its effects are really minor when compared to the effects of sound nutrition and a good exercise plan. Now that I’ve said that, don’t think you can eat junk food and just wash it down with green tea!

What is a coffee and tea drinker to do?

1. Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 – 8 oz cups per day. Not 2 of each, 2 in total. Any more than that is considered as a addict.

2. If you are currently dependent on a lot of caffeine each day, replace at least 1 of the cups of coffee with green tea instead. Green tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, and will help combat the ugly detox symptoms.

3. Do not jack up your coffee with sugar, milk, syrup and whip cream . Use stevia or xylitol to sweeten and avoid all the empty, harmful calories. A teaspoon of half and half won’t hurt either. Please do not use any of those flavored creamers. They are closer to a students chemistry experiment than they are to real food.

4. Make sure that your food choices are healthy. Avoiding other acidic foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods will lighten the acid load on the body.

5. Make sure the coffee you drink is organic. Conventional coffee is contaminated with pesticides and various chemicals and should be avoided.

There is no need to pass on your morning coffee but it is important to drink the right types of coffee, without the added unhealthy extras and, as with most things, in moderation.

Lose weight without getting hungry

“I really need to lose weight but I hate feeling hungry nearly all 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 believe losing weight meant starving yourself. It took me a a very long 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. Some good examples of healthy foods include fresh fish, naturally raised meats, legumes, seeds, organic poultry, organic eggs, raw nuts, along with fresh fruit and vegetables.

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 appetizing 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. (at least 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 sauteed 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 are you making 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.

Why not check out Mike Geary’s Fat Burning Kitchen Program for more great advice and recipes.

Natalie Jill Interview Video

Fitness instructor Natalie Jill talks about how she became a fitness expert, why being FUNCTIONALLY FIT is paramount to her. She specialize’s in healthy lifestyles, weight loss, functional body weight training and gluten free nutrition. In this video Natalie also discusses the importance of being GLUTEN FREE as well as eating an UNPROCESSED food diet.

Learn more about Natalies range of fitness programs here

Treatment methods for Bacterial Vaginitis

Bacterial Vaginitis also known as Vaginosis, is an infection of the vagina which is caused by
excessive growth of the bacteria called Gardnerella vaginitis. Which is already present in the vagina. Gardnerella vaginitis is not solely responsible for this problem. When these different species of bacteria are imbalanced the vaginal discharge gives out a foul fish like odor.

The vagina should have a certain amount of lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria), which makes the vagina slightly acidic which prevents other bacteria from growing.

Excessive discharge and foul fishy odor are the most common symptoms of this disease.

Even though the exact cause is unknown this disease mainly spreads through sexual intercourse, douching, use of intrauterine birth control device (IUD), sometimes a vaginal deodorant can cause this.

It is one of the most common types of vaginal infection found in women. Even though there are quick remedies and medicines for this disease. If not treated on time it can be very dangerous. It may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometritis, cervcitis, pregnancy complication and post-operative infection.

Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginitis

• A good hygiene regime becomes very important if you want to stay away from bacterial vaginitis.

• Wear clean and properly washed cotton underwear because the detergent residue may just cause an itching problem.

• Always wipe from the front to back whenever you visit the toilet to avoid the transfer of germs from rectal to genital area.

• If you like to soak in the bathtub see to it that it is properly cleaned and disinfected as it is
a great place for germs to live.

• Have a warm bath, if possible without soap as the scented additives may cause irritation to the genital tissue. Soap removes natural oils from your body and also makes you defenseless against the germs. This aggravates your problem of vaginal infection.

• Drink at least a cup of pure cranberry juice everyday to fight this bacterial disease.

• Having eight-ounces of yoghurt everyday, keeps women away from frequent problems of bacterial vaginitis or vaginosis. The acidophilus bacteria present in the yoghurt helps to create a healthy slightly acidic bacterial environment. Consuming kefir would be even better as this has a wider range of bacteria species.

• If your vagina is swollen you can use plain tea bag soaked in water, cooled in refrigerator to be applied externally to prevent itching. The tannin in tea gives a soothing touch.

• You can also use a cold compress which will reduce the swelling and any itching of the vagina. The cooling factor squeezes the blood vessels and prevents it from swelling and turning red.

• Avoid tight clothes, try to wear cotton underwear which absorbs moisture and provide good air circulation. This keeps your skin dry, bacteria love moisture.

By reverse engineering how we became ill, we can help to prevent reinfection in the future. Use this common sense method, and you can be sure to stop the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Next time I will recommend some home remedies to get rid of bacterial vaginosis, without the mess and expense of going to the doctor! Bacterial vaginosis alternative treatments. Alternatively you can click on the image below to access my Ebook BV Straight Talk by Mary Malone.

Ebook-246x365-MainPage

Important: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following the instructions on the home remedies from this article. Don’t use any of these products if you are allergic to them. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site this article is published on or the writer.

Flat Six Pack Abdominals, Lean Stomach

My friend Mike Geary told me about an interview he did with a fitness professional from NYC, non other than certified personal trainer, Geovanni Derice. In it he reveals some of the hardest hitting strategies for getting rid of stubborn stomach fat to uncover those flat six pack abdominals that everyone wants.

“GD: Welcome Mike to our 4-ever-Toned Fitness Journal. For those people who do not know you, please tell us a few things about yourself, and how you can help our readers with their fitness, health and fat loss.

MG: Thanks for having me on, Geo. Well, to go back a little, I have been heavily involved in fitness and sports for about 17 years now, ever since I was a teenager. I got involved in sports in high school which got me interested in strength training and conditioning.

At that point, once I started feeling more energetic, then getting stronger, and looking better, I was instantly hooked for life. I’m now 33 years old and I’m still addicted to the way living a healthy and fit lifestyle, makes me feel energetic, confident, and youthful on a daily basis.

I decided earlier in my 20’s that I wanted to make the commitment to help other people experience the excitement of being fit, and getting themselves in the best shape that they can. Since we’ve reached a tragic epidemic of obesity, heart disease, fatigue, diabetes, cancer, depression, etc. That’s why I decided to became a fitness professional. It just gives me such a buzz to help others, who have been struggling for years to get into shape, and to show them that it can be done, and how it can be a fun process.

I’ve expanded over the years from just reaching local individuals with personal training, into being able to help people all over the globe achieve their fitness goals thanks to the internet. I hope that my passion for fitness, helps to inspire people to take action, and improve how they look at life.

GD: Mike, one question is: there are so many things out there as to what works and what does not work… if you had to pick the 3 things that work time and time again to get flat lean abs, what else would they be?

MG: The first and most important thing to get under control, in order to lose your abdominal obesity and get flat six pack abdominals is cleaning up your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is more important when it comes to losing body fat so that you can see your abs.

There’s so much confusion these days about what a healthy diet that promotes fat loss really is. After all, we are constantly bombarded by conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy, and you have all of these gimmicky diet books about various diets too many to mention. There’s so much conflicting info, that the average consumer doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to eating for fat loss.

The second thing that works, is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach fat.

For you to get lean, the workouts should have a high intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves.

For the third thing, let’s talk about actually training the abs specifically. When it comes to training the abs. I always recommend forgetting about the crunches and situps for the most part. They are OK for someone who is really unfit, but most people that already have some training under their belt need a much better stimulus for their abs than doing crunches. Although crunches are one of the abs exercises that actually provide the least amount of resistance. Just remember that resistance is what develops and tones the muscles.

I provide a wealth of great abs exercises in my book, but one of the highest resistance exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but NOT the way you see most people at the gym doing them). The key to doing these and actually working the hell out of your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. Most people don’t ever do it the right way. To be truthfully honest with you, the majority of people cannot do this to begin with, but I provide some strategies in my book how to progress to doing these correctly.

GD: Where are most people going wrong when it comes to developing the coveted “6 pack abs”?

MG: Well Geo, I know this sounds funny to most people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing wrong to get those flat six pack abs is… are you ready for this?

They spend entirely too much time focusing on training their abs! WAY too much time spent on abs exercises. Crazy, but that’s the truth.

Remember, having a flat and visible six pack of abs is all about getting down to a low body fat percentage.For you to do that, your workouts must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal environment in your body, and thus increasing your metabolic rate. That is not going to happen when you focus too much time training a small muscle group like the abs.

Instead, you must use the majority of your time focusing on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That’s what stimulates your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will get you truly lean and sporting a flat six pack!

GD: Which exercises do you rate as the top exercises that people need to do if they are to get maximum definition with their midsection?

MG: When it comes to developing the abs themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging abs exercises, as well as some good floor abs exercises like lying leg thrusts. All these routines are described as well as illustrated in my book mentioned below.

However, maximum definition in the abs and midsection comes from losing body fat, the most effective exercises featured in my program for that one goal. Various forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or kettle bell exercises that almost nobody ever does), squats, dead lifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises and calisthenics. If you desire great looking flat abs, focus on the above methods instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!

GD: When it comes to diet Mike, people really have tried millions of ways to get one thing and that is fat loss. What do you recommend to your clients, to lose body fat and keep it off?

MG: I have included a fully comprehensive discussion of this topic in my book, which makes up almost half of the book. The most important thing to achieve is that your diet is as natural, and as unprocessed as is possible. It almost always comes back to the over processing of food that makes it unhealthy, and it will wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body.

For example, why would you want to eat refined grains, if you can eat whole grains (even better are sprouted grains, as I usually recommend limiting grain foods overall for best results).

Why eat all that disgusting refined sugar that causes weight gain, when you can get natural sources of sugar from a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why do we eat highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the modern diet), when we can eat natural sources of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, coconut milk, even organically raised meat.

The point here is to not fall for some quick gimmick like extremely low carbs (although I do believe in a fairly reduced carb intake as that is a big problem for most people), low fat, super high protein, or any other combination that has you focusing on one macro nutrient compared to another.

Your body needs all macro nutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Cutting out an entire food group out just works against what your body needs. I go into more detail on this vitally important topic towards losing body fat (especially that stubborn stomach fat) for life in my book.

GD: Thank you very much Mike for taking the time to share with us all of this great information.

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and got several useful bits of info to get you motivated and started on showing off your flat abs shortly. If you have not already got a copy, be sure to pick up a copy of Mikes Truth about Six Pack Abs Ebook, and discover for yourself the entire system he developed for ridding yourself of that extra abdominal fat for good!

Six Pack Abs

Exercise after eating

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

These hormones can help active people feel less hungry immediately after exercise. This carries through to their next meal, experiments have suggested.

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

The University of Surrey and Imperial College London research paper is published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

Exercise may affect people’s appetite, helping them to lose weight.

According to researcher Dr Denise Robertson:

Twelve volunteers were fed the exact same breakfast.

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

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

Not surprisingly, the people who exercised burned more calories than those who sat quietly, 492 kcal compared to 197 kcal.

When they were given the chance to eat afterwards, the people who had exercised had a tendency to eat more, 913 kcal versus to 762 kcal.

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

Levels of hormones called PYY, GLP-1 and PP, which tell the brain when the stomach is full, increased during and immediately after exercise. So is this saying that exercise after eating is the way to go.

Volunteers also commented on how they felt less hungry during this time.

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

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

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

‘Significant contribution’

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ref:

Effects of exercise on gut peptides, energy intake and appetite
Catia Martins, Linda M Morgan, Stephen R Bloom1 and M Denise Robertson

Journal of Endocrinology (2007) 193, 251-258 DOI: 10.1677/JOE-06-0030

Eat Potatoes White Foods – for a Leaner-Body?

I think it about time we started a little discussion about carbohydrates… and in particular, “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 and 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 abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage. One 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 even white mushrooms have high levels of unique nutrients and antioxidants. Ordinary white mushrooms are high in 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 because they contain fat but because of all the added sugar… 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, and healthy fats, or even certain proteins, effect of the increased 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.

Will eating 8 potatoes per day make you fatter? of course not.

On the subject of potatoes not being bad after all, I don’t remember where I read this, but I saw a study that had participants eat at least 7-9 whole potatoes per day for several weeks.
At the end of the study, the potato eaters had 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 potatoes. They consumed less calories than normal! An average sized potato has about 100-120 calories, and I can imagine you’d be constantly full from eating 7-9 potatoes each day.

I would never recommend going to those extremes, but my point is that an occasional potato is not going to affect your efforts to get leaner, especially if you combine it with some other fibrous vegetables, and maybe a healthy fat, and some protein. Let me share with you 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. Slowly fry 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

Eating Oily Fish to Lose Weight

Eating Oily fish such as Salmon, Trout, Mackerel, Pilchards, Sardines, etc, which are known to contain many important dietary elements that will improve a person’s overall health. Many health experts have long stressed the importance of switching from red meats to fish to improve weight loss. They have based their logic on the fact that fish contains less fat per serving compared to beef, chicken, and pork. However the real benefits that the body receives from eating oily fish. Is not from the lower amounts of fat that fish contain, but the type of fat that fish contain.

The human body can’t produce all of the essential elements that it needs to function. Some of the elements must come strictly from diet. The fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid(ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) must come from diet. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid, while LA is an omega-6 fatty acid. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the health of humans. The body uses ALA to create eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are both omega-3 fatty acids. These omega -3 fatty acids play a key role in the health and regulation of our heart.

The problem is that this process relies on an enzyme called delta-6-desaturase, which can be in short supply, especially after a viral illness, (viruses deactivate this enzyme in order to survive, and in many chronic health conditions). It is also a slow and inefficient process, which means that the majority of us, are probably deficient in these essential fatty acids.

There are not many foods that are high in EPA and DHA fatty acids. These foods include organ meats such as kidney, liver, and intestine; the other source is from fish. The fat that fish contain in very high in both EPA and DHA fatty acids, and they contain other nutrients that make them far better for the body to digest in comparison to organ meats.

Research has shown that people who are training that eat three to four servings of fish a week absorb more oxygen into their system. So puts less strain on their heart compared to people on other diets. This means that people who are ingesting omega-3 fatty acids will be able to train longer, and lose more weight compared to people who aren’t getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. Research has also shown that people in western society’s get around ten times the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in their diet compared to omega-3 fatty acids. A healthier ratio would be around four times the amount. Eating oily fish would be an enjoyable way to achieve this rebalance.

Even with the substitution of fish into a person’s diet it is hard to contain a regular amount of omega-3 fatty acids in a diet. It is important to have a continual supply of omega-3 fatty acid, because it takes weeks for the fatty acids to be incorporated into your heart’s muscle cells. It is important to take a supplement that contains the fish oil that is high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Try to get supplements which have a much higher ratio of EPA to DHA, as these have been found to be more effective. Taking a supplement in addition to eating more fish in your diet will ensure that you get all the benefits that omega-3 fatty acids have to offer.

Understanding that our body requires certain fats and oils in order to function more efficiently will help you to lose more weight. In addition to the weight loss benefits of essential fatty acids. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids have helped to prevent heart disease, and joint inflammation, in addition to helping both the hair and skin to be more healthy and vibrant.

If you want more info on omega 3 and fat loss, why not check out Mike Geary’s “Fat Burning Kitchen” ebook which can be purchased here.
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Appetite – Omega-3s may help control appetite, satiety and promote weight loss. Parra D, Ramel A, Bandarra N, et al. A diet rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulates satiety in overweight and obese volunteers during weight loss. Appetite. 2008;51(3):676-80.

Obesity – Omega-3 fatty acids prevent increases in abdominal fat. Sneddon A, Tsofliou F, Fyfe C, et al. Effect of a Conjugated Linoleic Acid and omega-3 Fatty Acid Mixture on Body Composition and Adiponectin. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; [Epub ahead of print]