Kale -- The Superfood Nutrition Status... it's not just a garnish!

by Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN & Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist

co-authors - The Fat Burning Kitchen program
Ever wonder what those mystery greens are adorning your plate and the salad bar? Those dark blue-green curly edged greens are the superfood kale. Yes, many people don't realize it, but kale is edible. And not only is it edible, it is very tasty if used right and one of the most nutrition-packed vegetables that you can eat!
Why is Kale a Nutrition Superfood? Well...
Kale belongs to the same plant family as the sulphur-containing vegetables broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and collard greens. Kale is great for protecting your health, providing you with a rich source of vitamins and minerals, and preventing cancer.
The ten to fifteen organosulphur compounds these superfood vegetables contain have been proven to be highly effective against many cancers, including stomach cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
When these vegetables are chopped or chewed, enzymes in the liver are triggered to produce enzymes that disable cancer-causing agents in the body.  Studies have shown that animals that ate these sulphuric compounds found in brussels sprouts, cabbage, and collard greens had tumors that shrunk in size.
In addition to the powerful organosulphurs that help to safeguard against cancer, kale also protects the eyes with the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. These phytochemicals help protect the eyes against damage from the sun and ultraviolet light and prevent cataracts. One study actually showed that people who had a diet rich in carotenoids had up to a 50% less risk for cataracts.
Kale also ranks really high up there for its large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, B6, manganese, calcium, copper, and potassium!
While one cup of kale only has 36 calories, it provides 192% of the daily value of vitamin A, and since this is a plant source of vitamin A, you cannot overdose on it.
That same cup of kale also provides almost 90% of your daily value of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a top free-radical scavenger, preventing damage inside and outside of the cells. Vitamin C helps to reduce damage from inflammation (one of the primary causes of heart disease and autoimmune diseases), help to oxidize cholesterol, fight infections, and strengthen and renew collagen in our skin for a healthy youthful appearance.
Manganese is a trace mineral that is important for the synthesis of fatty acids necessary for sex hormones and the nervous system.  It also helps to metabolize and utilize energy from protein and carbohydrates, making it the perfect fat-burning element.
The calcium in kale when combined with the vitamin A and the vitamin K2 in grass fed butter is highly utilized by the body and works to reverse osteoporosis and strengthen bones. It is one of the best ways to keep your bones and teeth strong and also keep your blood vessels clean.
Did you know that three servings of dark green leafy vegetables a day can slow mental decline that comes with age? Kale and other green leafy vegetables can slow this decline by a whopping 40%! This decrease has been compared to reversing age by about 5 years.  A great vegetable that makes you function as if you are 5 years younger-what could be better!
And there’s even more that kale is good for... kale contains a phytochemical called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), that actually lowers the liver’s  secretion of a chemical that normally transports LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) to tissues and blood vessels.  I3C has also been shown in studies to help fight the effects of xenoestrogens that make belly fat stubborn. Other cruciferous veggies can help fight abdominal fat too.
Kale is a dark, bluish-green leafy vegetable with curly leaves and firm stalks. Look for kale that is not limp or wilted.  For best taste, choose the kale with smaller leaves, since they have a milder taste.
Kale can be chopped up raw and added to salads in small amounts or sautéed lightly with olive oil, grass fed butter and a squeeze of lemon and garlic. Or try braising chopped kale with chopped tart apples. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and serve with walnuts sprinkled on top.
Kale is simply a nutrition-packed powerhouse vegetable that you cannot pass up, so the next time you see it adorning your plate as a garnish, eat it — its probably one of the most nutritious things on your plate!
Learn all about surprising foods that are making you fat vs fat burning foods in our brand new Fat Burning Kitchen program.
 

Enjoy!
Cat Ebeling & Mike Geary
co-authors - The Fat Burning Kitchen

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Chest Training "Thumb Trick" Pumps Up Your Pecs!

By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson - creator of the Underground Chest Training Program

One of the most popular chest training exercises bodybuilders use to develop their pecs is the Dumbbell Flye.  This exercise absolutely MUST be in your chest training routine!
Of course, basic multi-joint exercises such as bench press, dips, and incline press should be the foundation of your routines, but this dumbbell flye modification is pretty cool.

Let me share with you a way to make this powerful exercise even MORE effective using a breakthrough "thumb trick" to get more forceful contractions and better pec development

Thumb Rotation Chest Training Tip (try during your next workout):

1. On an incline bench (set to no MORE than 30 degrees incline), hold a dumbbell in each hand at the starting position (arms extended above you, palms facing each other).

2. With your arms slightly bent, perform a standard chest training flye (not a chest press, but a flye... less elbow bend than a press) by slowly lowering your arms to the side.  BUT…

3. As you lower them, instead of keeping your hands and wrists LOCKED, ROTATE your hands so that your THUMBS point TOWARD THE CEILING at the bottom of the movement.

4. Don't bounce during the movement of this chest exercise but you want to make sure you feel a good stretch in your pecs at the bottom.

5. Now, while focusing on contracting your chest muscles (rather than your arms), quickly raise both arms to the starting position of the exercise while ROTATING your hands so that your palms face each other again.

This chest training technique actually creates an isolated range of motion movement within your pecs resulting in increased muscle contraction and fiber stimulation.
Don't believe me? To prove it, try this...

Right now, hold one arm in the flye position while placing your other hand directly on the chest muscle on the same side as your “working arm”.

Now recreate this chest training tip by going through the motion of a “regular” flye with your wrists locked, while feeling the muscle movement with your other hand.

Once you’ve reached the bottom of the movement, hold your arm position and rotate your hand back and forth between the thumb “up” and the “normal” position.

Feel that movement in your upper pec? 

Good!  Now stick a dumbbell in your hand and get ready to GROW!  Try this "thumb trick" in your next chest workout and see if you notice a more powerful pectoral contraction.

If you want to get lean ripped six pack abs, click here

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Will I lose my cup-size if I train chest? Is it Really Possible to Lose Breast Size from Chest Exercises?

 Is it Really Possible to Lose Breast Size from Chest Exercises?

It’s funny how you sometimes get the same question from several people within a period of two-three days. This week was like that, two women in separate contexts being afraid of training their chest because they thought it would reduce their breast cup size.
Let me repeat (again!) : spot reducing is not possible.
Training one body part will not burn the fat off that area. This is true for the abs, and it is equally true for the breasts. The only thing that could reduce your cup size ladies, is if you carry mostly fat and burn that off by drastically reducing your overall body fat percentage. Those who have larger glands will retain most of their cup size, but could still go down one cup size. Could... not will, by the way. 
What we will all do, is go down in the circumference size of the bra; so it’ll be a good investment to go to a lingerie store and get fitted properly after an important fat loss. 
It costs a little more than picking up a bra at the local supermarket, but you’ll be certain of your new size and can go back to the supermarket for more than the one expensive one (that you can keep for special occasions).


Now that you know that chest exercises will not reduce breast size per se, properly training the pectorals will add lean and firm muscle beneath the breasts, giving them (back) the perkiness of their younger years. You may laugh, but when I first discovered the Pec Deck machine, I found it really helped with the “lift” of the breasts, and dubbed it “The Bra Machine” (told you you’d laugh). 
Then I dared try the barbell bench press!
There isn’t really any area of the gym that ladies should feel they don’t belong. 
Hit the bench press; go for the T-bar rows, use any machine or free weight you want. 
The only thing is to remember most men are somewhat stronger so you will most likely have to start with lower weights – although I do use heavier weights than some men … sorry guys if your ego didn’t like that!
The next question I get quite often is “what program should I use? Which is best?”
There is no best program. There are some lousy ones, some ridiculous, some fairly useless but harmless, and a good few really good ones. 
My recommendation is that you find between 2 and 4 different programs that you like, that you enjoy doing and have fun with; and alternate them on a 13-week basis throughout the year – 12 weeks training, one week off; switch to another program.
It took me 3 years to find three programs I really enjoy. 
One was sent me by a colleague, one is self-made, and the third from a member of my old gym who taught me the basics and then some. 
But I own about 10-20 different books and programs, it took some sifting through them all to end up with these three – and I may still switch to a fourth if I decide to.

by Sarah Hougen, CPT

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Paleo Pizza recipe... low-carb, gluten-free, and WAY healthier than most GF crusts

One of the foods that most people miss the most when they switch to eating "Paleo-ish" is good old-fashioned pizza. 

 

I've tried a few variations of gluten-free pizza recipes out there - but although some of them have a decent taste, they are almost ALWAYS very high glycemic and spike your blood sugar significantly (like a lot of "gluten-free" labeled foods) - so for a while, I 'gave up' on pizza... After all, even eating normal pizza on your "cheat day" can still do some harm to your digestive system from the significant amount of gluten in normal pizza crust.

 

Recently though, my good friend Dave from PaleoHacks.com (one of the largest online Paleo communities) sent me a pizza recipe from their website to try - and it was INCREDIBLE!

 

My faith in gluten-free pizza has been restored, and this is by far my new favorite pizza recipe...try this one out tonight for dinner!

This is also one of the ONLY ways to make a truly low-carb pizza, since as you know, most gluten-free crusts are still a massive carb bomb to your blood sugar.  My wife and I also choose to make this with real cheese instead of trying to make it dairy-free as we personally have no issues digesting dairy.  But if you're dairy sensitive, just eliminate the cheese and do more veggie and meat toppings.

One other comment on this recipe... You really can't pick these pizza slices up with your hands and eat them because they do fall apart much easier than regular crust, so I'd recommend just eating it with a fork... This has become a weekly favorite that my wife and I absolutely LOVE!

 

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Paleo Cauliflower-Crust Pizza Recipe

 

Cauliflower Crust

 

1 head cauliflower

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional if you're trying to reduce dairy)

1 egg

Coconut oil or grass fed butter to grease the cookie sheet

 

The toppings (any combination that you like)

Organic pepperoni

Organic bacon

Organic chicken sausage
Various veggies (onions, mushrooms and peppers are my favorite mix)

Black olives

Dried oregano

Homemade or store bought organic tomato sauce
Organic Mozzarella cheese (optional if you're trying to go dairy-free)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large cookie sheet with your coconut oil or grass fed butter.

 

2. Cut up your cauliflower into pieces so that you can steam it.

 

3. Steam your cauliflower (or boil it) for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Strain out the water, let the cauliflower cool, and strain out any additional water.  Mix the cauliflower, egg, spices, parm cheese, olive oil and salt in a big bowl by mashing it with a masher or using hand beaters to mix thoroughly.

 

4. Press the cauliflower mash out to 1/4 inch thick crust and then bake for 20 minutes.  I'd recommend making 2-3 smaller crusts instead of 1 large crust as it's easier to handle.

 

5. Flip the crusts over and put back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.

 

6. Remove from the oven, add your sauce and toppings. Place back in the oven for 5-6 minutes to heat and melt the toppings.

 

7. Remove from the oven and enjoy your tasty low-carb gluten-free Paleo-ish pizza!
 

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This is by far my new favorite pizza recipe - and instead of feeling nasty, bloated, and tired after eating it, I feel GREAT!

 

This is just one of the over 200+ gluten-free, grain-free, recipes that Dave put together from his community-sourced & chef-reviewed Paleo Cookbook Bundle. 

 

With it, you'll not only get ridiculously tasty & healthy recipes like the one above, but you'll also get bonuses like the "Paleo 4x Cookbook", which shows you simple, easy to make recipes with just 4 ingredients. You'll also get another guide that shows you how to stay healthy when you're eating out - so you don't have to sacrifice your social life for a healthier diet. 

 

On top of it all, the Paleo Cookbook Bundle is on sale (with well over $100 in bonuses) right now at almost 30% off.

 

Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

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My delicious and healthy recipe for reduced-sugar, nutrient-dense, "Super-Food" peanut-butter Chocolate Fudge

-Takes less than 5 minutes to make  (Updated recipe!)
Ideas for lower-calorie, reduced sugar desserts
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-sellers:  The Truth About Six-Pack Abs
& The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

Today, I have one of my most famous delicous Lean-Body desserts or snacks that always helps to satisfy my sweet tooth while at the same time giving you TONS of quality nutrition.

It's my own special version of a healthy peanut-butter-fudge! We could even call it "superfood-fudge".   Everybody RAVES about this recipe, and people that try it almost always can't believe that this could be healthy -- because it tastes so damn good!
In fact, there are NO refined sugars or artificial sweeteners in this fudge recipe, so it is MUCH lower in sugar than any fudge you would ever find at any store.  Plus, I make this recipe jam-packed with nutrient-dense additions to satisfy your body's need for micronutrients, but also satisfy your sweet tooth!
If you don't like (or can't eat) nuts or peanut butter, you can simply leave out those ingredients and make a chocolate-only version. Pay attention, because there are specific ingredients that make this a LOT healthier for you than typical fudge.

I will say that this dessert / snack is not low-calorie per se, but it is loaded with quality healthy fats, protein, LOTS of antioxidants, and is relatively low in sugar and total carbohydrates (compared with typical fudge or other desserts), while also containing a decent dose of fiber.
Overall, it's a great snack or dessert that helps curb your appetite, fuel your muscles, loads you up on protective antioxidants, and quells that sweet tooth that often makes you overeat on refined sweets.

Geary's Lean-Body Chocolate Peanut Butter "SuperFood" Fudge Recipe:

• 3/4 cup organic canned coconut milk (NOT the watered down "light" version which just replaces some of the healthy coconut fat with water...use the real full-fat version)
• 1 bar (3-5 oz. bar works well) of bakers unsweetened chocolate - 100% cacao content (if you can't find 100% cacao bakers chocolate, look for at least 70-80% cocoa content on the label of any dark chocolate bar - to minimize sugar content)
• 4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, and/or macadamia butter, etc)
• 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds or other nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup raw chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 scoop, about 25 gms of your favorite protein powder
  (this is my new favorite protein - amazing taste!)
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds, hemp seeds, and/or flax seeds  (optional, but adds crazy amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants...plus a nutty taste)
• 2 Tbsp whole oats or oat bran
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A little natural stevia powder to sweeten (add a small amount to achieve the sweetness you prefer)
• add a small touch of real maple syrup if you want a more "blended" sweetness flavor (keep the amount small to keep sugar content low)

Note on coconut milk: don't be afraid of the fats in this... coconut fat is mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are more readily used for energy and also contain a special fat called Lauric Acid, which is extremely healthy and supports the immune system.
Start by adding the coconut milk (cans of organic coconut milk are available at most health food stores and possibly even your grocery store) and vanilla extract to a small saucepan on VERY low heat -- the lowest heat setting. Break up the extra dark chocolate bar into chunks and add into pot. Add the nut butters and the stevia, and continuously stir until it all melts together into a smooth mixture.
Then add the raisins, nuts, seeds, protein powder, oat bran, etc and stir until fully blended.  If the mixture becomes too thick or dry consistency, just add a small amount more coconut milk.  If the mixtures seems too wet, keep in mind that it will solidify a good bit once it goes in the fridge.
Spoon/pour the fudge mixture onto some waxed paper in a dish and place in the fridge until it cools and solidifies together (3-4 hours). Cut into squares once firm and place in a closed container or cover with foil in fridge to prevent it from drying out.
Enjoy small squares of this delicious healthy "super-food" fudge for dessert and for small snacks throughout the day. This is about as good as it gets for a healthy yet delicious treat! 
Even though this is a healthier dessert idea that's lower in sugar and higher in nutrition than most sweet treats, keep in mind that it is still calorie dense, so keep your portions reasonable.  Give this recipe a try and I guarantee that you'll LOVE it... Everybody I know raves to me about this healthy, but delicious fudge recipe!

Feel free to email the link for this page with the special healthy fudge recipe to any friends and family that you think might enjoy it or share this with your facebook friends!
If you liked this healthy fudge recipe idea, feel free to share with your friends below:

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The Shocking Truth about Dietary Fats and Saturated Fats

You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts below...
by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", and the mass media.
To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally.
On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.
In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes.  Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.
I cringe every time I hear so called "health experts" recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases.  Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.
All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body.  As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, and one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.
For example, if these so called "health experts" that admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?
Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?
Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases?
What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts dietary fat intake.
Well, the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc. These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with.
Take note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet (although technically this can be more healthy than a high carb diet as long as you choose healthy fats).

However, in most cases, active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don't need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily caloric range to maintain or lose body fat (depending on your goals).
Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

• Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat.  Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.
• Extra virgin olive oil:  Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.
• Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa):  The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content. Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.
• Avocados or guacamole:  The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
• High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.:  Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.  I also recommend Krill Oil, which has been shown to possibly have even more health benefits than standard fish oil
• Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
• Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds):  All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad.  If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
• The fat in organically raised, free-range animals:  This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

• Hydrogenated oils (trans fats):  These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else. 
• Refined oils:  Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.
• Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!
• Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products.  Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you.  Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

I hope this article has shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.
A fully comprehensive analysis on dietary protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and how to compile all of this information into a diet that promotes a lean healthy body with a low body fat percentage is provided in my book “The Truth About Six Pack Abs”.  Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!

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1 Day of My Fat Burning Meal Plans (and my hot dog bender confession)

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

Although I always try to do my best with nutrition (probably 95% compliance), I've admitted before that I'm not perfect. Heck, nobody's perfect.
And last week was an example...
I went on vacation with about 10 of my buddies last week... a nice little tropical party vacation!  So obviously, there was a good deal of drinking and eating just about anything and everything going on during the entire vacation.
I gained 8 lbs in 1 week!  Yes, us fitness pros are not always "fitness robots"... we are human.
I honestly don't think I've eaten a single hot dog in about 5 or 6 years... but one night after a long night out with the guys, we came back and I threw down 3 hot dogs in one sitting.  In retrospect, that was nasty... but at 3am, with nothing else in our vacation house for food, I gave in, and found myself stuffing my face with something I usually view as disgusting food.
But I knew this all would happen... as a matter of fact, I don't stress about going on vacations like that and knowing that I'm going to gain weight, because I know that I have 100% control over my body and can lose it again in a snap.
And true to form, in just 7 days since returning from vacation, I've already lost the 8 lbs that I gained on vacation.  But I've done this for years now, and have learned how to fully be in control of my weight at any time.  I know that once I return home and return to my extremely healthy nutrition and hardcore training program, I'll be back in top shape within a week or two.
That's a great example of how if you eat 95% of the time like we teach in our Fat Burning Kitchen program -- that you end up getting total control over your cravings, appetite, and ability to stay as lean as you want at any given time.
So now that I'm back to my normal healthy nutrition ways, I'm going to show you some of my typical meals below.
Being in the position I'm in as a nutrition author and fitness professional, almost everywhere I go I get questions about nutrition, and most of the time, people want to hear ACTUAL examples of what I eat on a daily basis to stay super lean.
So instead of talking about more theory, here's an example of exactly what I ate yesterday (keep in mind this is not a prescription, because everyone has different food intolerances and allergies, but it's just my personal example of how I keep it healthy).
As you look at my typical daily meals, take notice that I do eat some carbs, but I don't eat any breads or pasta at all (except maybe on cheat days). Essentially, I get almost all of my carbs from fruits, lots of veggies, and the little bit of raw honey that I use in my daily teas.

Breakfast today - 9am:
3 whole eggs (yes, including the super-healthy egg yolks) scrambled with TONS of veggies (onions, mushrooms, peppers, diced squash, and chopped spinach)
1 large chicken sausage (organic free range chicken with NO nitrates, nitrites, or preservatives... only chicken and spices)
Half of a red grapefruit
1 large cup of yerba mate/green/mint tea (this is my new favorite tea I found at Whole Foods... it's a mix of yerba mate, green tea, and mint tea, and it's freakin amazing!)

Lunch - noon:
1 cup greek yogurt (the Fage brand is the highest protein yogurt I've ever seen) mixed with 1/2 cup cottage cheese combined with pecans, almonds, hemp seeds, frozen goji berries, and frozen blueberries. A little bit of stevia and cinnamon for sweetness and extra flavor.

Mid afternoon snack - 3pm:
1 large organic apple sliced up with almond butter on each slice.

Super high intensity weight training workout from 5-6pm

Post workout shake/meal - 6:15pm:
my typical blender mix of raw grass-fed milk, a chopped up frozen banana, some frozen pitted cherries, a tablespoon or so of real maple syrup, and 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder. Plus I throw a scoop of raw grass-fed whey protein (the highest quality whey that I've found) into the blender too.

Dinner - 9pm:
My "Italian blend" recipe -- This is basically a spaghetti and meatsauce meal but without the spaghetti, and tons of veggies instead.
I use grass-fed bison sausages (again, no nitrates, nitrites, or preservatives of any kind...just grass-fed bison and spices) -- fyi - you can find good quality grass-fed meats and sausages at this site
...and then I use a huge cooking dish on the stove to mix in any and every type of vegetable I can find in my fridge (zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms, snow peas, peppers, asparagus...and whatever else I have laying around).
I mix the grass-fed bison sausage and sauteed veggies with a tomato sauce and some extra virgin olive oil.  Sometimes I also mix in a container of organic ricotta cheese (grass fed if possible) into the whole mix, which makes the whole dish taste more like lasagna...delicious!
Top the whole thing with some fresh grated parmesan cheese and you've got a super-nutritious dinner with high nutrient density and no pasta (which would just pack on the pounds).
I also had a delicious side-salad of arugula, diced yellow peppers, and half of a small avocado.

Late night snack - midnight:
A handful of pistachio nuts and a cup of chamomile tea

So that is just 1 example of how a typical day might look for me. I mix it up and eat a variety of other things as well, but these are some pretty frequent meals that I use to stay super lean, but maintain muscle.

 Til next newsletter,
Don't be lazy... be lean.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

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Is this the Healthiest Drink in the World?

10x the Vitamin C of orange juice with 1/4 the 
sugar and calories!
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Did you know that there's a drink with 10 times the Vitamin C of orange juice?  and it's all naturally occurring, not added vitamin C! I'll explain...
Well, I've done it again... After my famous "healthiest cheesesteak in the world" (tons of people LOVED that recipe), and my healthy chocolate fudge recipe (which was a big hit too)... now I've come up with a drink so healthy, it might be a record-breaker...
Here's my newest concoction for a drink that has one of the highest antioxidant levels possible and also more naturally occuring Vitamin C than 7-10 glasses of orange juice (but with 1/4 the sugar and calories of gut-fattening OJ)...
If you remember from my Truth about Abs program, one of my favorite drinks (since I avoid all sodas, fruit juices, and any sugary drinks), is to simply drink these unsweetened iced tea mixtures that I make where I use a blend of green tea, white tea, rooibos tea, oolong tea, black tea, mate, etc (in different combos each week, usually 3-4 types -- big variety of antioxidants).
I usually make a big pitcher of this type of iced tea blend each week just very lightly sweetened with the natural non-caloric sweetener stevia.
Now here's where the 10x the vitamin C content of Orange Juice comes in...
I found out about a fruit called an Amazon Cherry (acerola cherry).
Each individual serving pack of the frozen pureed acerola cherry contains a massive 1,400% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C (all naturally occurring in this little superfood).
So what I do is thaw the acerola cherry puree/juice, and use 1/2 of a packet in a full glass of my unsweetened iced tea blend.
Since I use half the packet, this comes out to only 9 gms of sugar per glass of the mixture (about 1/4 the sugar content of about 10 oz of OJ), but a whopping 700% recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
Essentially this is a drink with 1/4 the calories of OJ, and more than 10x the nutritional punch, factoring in the antioxidants from the teas and the natural Vitamin C from the acerola cherry.
Move over OJ... there's a new breakfast beverage winner in town!  And it'll keep you leaner than sugary OJ!
My favorite use of the acai berry puree is to mix it with a banana, some organic cocoa powder, and raw milk... makes a delicious healthy smoothie (acai, cocoa, and banana is an incredible combo)!
Note that this is real acai berry puree, instead of all of the "miracle pill" acai berry scams that you see all over the internet these days... most of which are produced by shady companies where you don't even know if they put any real acai extract in their pills.
As I mentioned a few months ago, I'm good friends with the owners of a nutritional company, and I actually helped them design the formula for what I think is one of the most powerful (and synergistic) antioxidant blends you can get.  Grab some today.
Enjoy!
Feel free to post a link to this page on your facebook, twitter, myspace, or blog pages and share this super healthy drink idea with your friends and family.

To your superior health and a lean body,

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

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7 "FATTY" Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach (some of these will surprise you!)

These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster!

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat.  In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings.  Here are 7 examples of "fatty" foods that can actually HELP you to get lean...

1.  Super Dark Chocolate (at least 72% cacao content or higher)
It might not be a secret anymore, but yes, dark chocolate (NOT milk chocolate) can be a very healthy food, even though it is technically calorie dense.
However, I would contend that dark chocolate can actually HELP you to burn off more body fat if you're the type of person that has a sweet tooth and likes to eat a lot of desserts.  In this case, just 1 or 2 small squares of dark chocolate can many times satisfy your sweet tooth for only 30 or 40 calories as opposed to 500 calories for a piece of chocolate cake or a piece of pie.
Also some brands of dark chocolate that are in the mid 70's in % cacao content or higher, can have a fairly high ratio of fiber content (I've seen some brands have 5 grams of fiber out of 15 grams of total carbs per serving), and relatively low sugar content compared to the amount of healthy fats.  In fact, that's one of the "tricks" I use to select a good quality chocolate... I look for more total fat than total carbs (or about the same number of grams of each).
The importance of that fact is that it means many dark chocolates will not greatly affect your blood sugar and will have a fairly blunted blood sugar response compared to other "sweets".
In addition, dark chocolate is also very rich in healthful antioxidants, including a powerful compound called theobromine which has been shown to help lower blood pressure and have other health benefits.  The fat content in a good dark chocolate should come solely from the natural healthy fats occuring in cocoa butter and not from any other added fats.  Any chocolates with added fats or other additives will generally not be as healthy.
The reason I say to choose dark chocolates with at least 72% cacao content is that the higher the % of cacao, the lower the % of sugar.  However, this does mean that any chocolate over 80% cacao content will generally start to get a more bitter taste and have very little sweetness.  If you like this type of taste, then the higher % cocao, the better. Otherwise, a good 75% dark chocolate is in my opinion an almost perfect combination of lightly sweet with a rich chocolate taste.  Just remember to keep those daily quantities of chocolate small as it is calorie dense!
You can also reap the benefits of the antioxidants and fiber without all of the calories by using organic unsweetened cocoa powder in your smoothies or other recipes.

2.  Coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut oil
Coconut milk and oil are great sources of a super healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), including a component called lauric acid, which is a powerful nutrient for your immune system, and is lacking in most western diets.  In addition, MCTs are readily used for energy by the body and less likely to be stored as bodyfat compared to other types of fats.
Along with coconut milk and coconut oil as healthy fat choices, we've also got coconut flour as a healthier flour option for baking. Coconut flour is an extremely high fiber flour alternative (almost ALL of the carbs in this flour are fiber and not starch!).  Coconut flour is also VERY high in protein compared to most flours and is also gluten free!
Just beware that if you're going to use coconut flour for baking, it absolutely NEEDS to be mixed with other flours as it sucks up moisture like crazy... I've made delicious baked goods by mixing coconut flour with almond flour and quinoa flour in equal parts, and adding slightly more liquid ingredients than the recipe calls for.

3.  Grass-fed (pasture-raised) butter
Yes, delicious smooth and rich BUTTER (real butter, not deadly margarine!)... It's delicious, contains loads of healthy nutritional factors, and does NOT have to be avoided in order to get lean.  In fact, I eat a couple pats of grass-fed butter daily and maintain single digit bodyfat most times of the year.
There's a lot of confusion about this topic... in fact, I just saw a TV show today that was talking about unhealthy foods and one of the first things they showed was butter.  It just shows that the majority of the population has zero idea that butter (grass-fed only!) can actually be a healthy part of your diet.
In fact, there's even ample evidence that REAL butter can even help you to lose body fat for a couple of main reasons:
   a.  Grass-fed butter is known to have high levels of a healthy fat called CLA, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, and also has been shown to help burn abdominal fat and build lean muscle.
   b.  Grass-fed butter also has an ideal balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids (unlike conventional grain-fed butter) which helps fight inflammation in your body, and can help balance hormones.
   c.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also contain MCTs, which help to boost your immune system and are readily burned by the body for energy.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also help to satisfy your appetite and control blood sugar levels, both of which help you to stay lean!
If you have a hard time finding a grass-fed butter at your grocery store, Kerrygold Irish butter is one of my favorites, and even though the label doesn't clearly state "grass-fed", the cows are 100% grass-fed on lush green pastures in Ireland. It's one of the richest butters in color that I've seen, which indicates high levels of carotenoids.

4.  Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites)
Most people know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein.  However, most people don't know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg... that's where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.
In fact, the egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids.  Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.
Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal grocery store eggs.  Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the hens.
Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical grocery store eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside "egg factories" all day long).
If you want more details on eggs, here is my full article that details more about why egg yolks are BETTER for you than egg whites.

5.  Grass-fed beef or bison (NOT the typical grain-fed grocery store beef!)
I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they do not understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption.  Keep this in mind -- "an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat".
Typical beef or bison that you see at the grocery store is raised on grains, mainly corn (and to some extent, soybeans). Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle or bison, and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef or bison.  Grain-fed beef and bison is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fats and WAY too low in omega-3 fats.  In addition, the practice of feeding cattle corn and soy as the main portion of their diet upsets their digestive system and makes them sick... and it also increases the amount of dangerous e-coli in the meat.  This is not the case with grass-fed meat.
On the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle and buffalo (or bison) that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fats (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef or bison.
Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.
In addition, grass-fed meat from healthy cattle or bison also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat.  CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!).  These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat... and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.
Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a specialty grocery store and they usually have cuts available.  I've also found a great site to order grass-fed meats online and have gotten to know the owner of this company well, and they are dedicated to the quality of their foods.

6.  Avocados
Even though avocados are typically thought of as a "fatty food", they are chock full of healthy fats!  Not only is this fruit (yes, surprisingly, avocados are actually a fruit) super-high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants.
Also, in my opinion, guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious food toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it's also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods.  Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, eggs or omelets, on salads or with fish, or as a delicious side to just about any meal.
The quality dose of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building.  Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal.  Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that fat burning!  I personally eat anywhere from a half to a full avocado DAILY and it only helps to keep me lean.

7.  Nuts:  Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Macadamias, etc  
Yes, this is yet another "fatty food" that can actually help you burn belly fat!  Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in fat loss.
Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body (adequate healthy fat intake is vitally important to hormone balance) as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you're consuming a high-fat food.  My favorite healthy nuts are pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamias, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.
Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.
Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.
One of the little "tricks" that I've used with clients when trying to cut down body fat is to have them eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or pecans about 20 minutes before lunch and dinner.  This ends up being a perfect time to control your appetite before lunch or dinner and helps you to eat less overall calories on that meal.
I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the healthiest "fatty" fat-burning foods you can possibly eat.  I could list a ton more, but wanted to give you a few of my favorites for now.  Enjoy!

But BEWARE...
Although these "fatty" foods may be a super-healthy choice for achieving your lean, strong, and energetic body... I've discovered that there are at least 23 popular foods that most people falsely think are "healthy", but they actually HARM your metabolism and pack on belly fat.
Discover what these metabolism-harming foods are on the next page:

These 23 "healthy" foods HARM your metabolism & pack on belly fat (avoid these!)

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Your #1 most important metabolic ORGAN for fighting age-related fat gain...

A curious thing happens when you send astronauts into space.  They lose muscle. LOTS of muscle... FAST.

Why? Because in space there is no gravity to trigger muscle contraction. Your body doesn't receive a signal that tells it to use muscle.

The EXACT same thing happens as we get older.

Around the age of 30, your muscle morphs into fat at about 1 pound per year. And it accelerates as you get older. That means you can be the SAME weight but your body composition will be made up of more fat and less muscle, leading to that soft "doughy", squishy look (think Pillsbury Doughboy).

Just like astronauts, you aren't sending the appropriate signal to your metabolism. Yet this time it's NOT because of gravity...

It's all to do with a very common mistake that most people make.

To correct this mistake, to maintain lean muscle, keep off that squishy fat and to re-shape your body, you need to send a different signal. I'll show you how to do that in just a sec.

Your #1 Most Important Metabolic Organ Is...

Your muscle is a VERY active organ on its own -- in fact, it's THE most active metabolic organ you have.  It determines how much fat you burn much more so than your thyroid or adrenal glands, which are typically thought of as your most important metabolic organs.

That's why losing muscle mass is so devastating to your body composition and waistline -- it literally snuffs out your fat burning capacity while cranking up your fat making machinery.

This explains why as you age it's so difficult to burn fat -- and why you seem to keep getting fatter even if you aren't changing what you eat.

Your Greedy Fat Cells and Needy Power Plants...

The problem all starts with your fat cells -- they are programmed to be VERY greedy. If fuel (glucose or fatty acids) is available, they'll suck it in and turn it into fat at an alarming rate.

No matter what's going on with your body, they're ALWAYS looking to haul in MORE fat.

Muscle cells, on the other hand, are more selective. They only suck in fuel when it's needed.  And it's only needed when you are moving. That's what sends the signal to your body to keep or build muscle.

But because we all move less as we age, our muscle cells use less fuel.

And THAT's the mistake we all make that signals to your body that muscles are no longer needed, so they begin to waste away.  That makes more fuel available to those greedy fat cells to suck in and convert to body fat.

So the less movement you do, the less muscle you have, the less fuel it uses, the more fuel is available to fat cells, the larger they become and the fatter you get.

The Simple Answer to Age-Related Fat Gain...

The answer to stopping age-related muscle loss and fat gain is EASY and it's something that any of us can do.

Just send the correct signal to your body to say "maintain muscle and burn fat".

How?

By moving. But ONLY in the optimal metabolic way.  Doing the right movements spikes your metabolic rate, rebuilds muscle and burns fat for energy in 3 steps:

Step #1: The right metabolic movements drive sugar (glucose) and fat (fatty acids) into your muscle cells to be used as fuel. This prevents your fat cells from sucking it in and turning it into fat.

Step #2: Once the fuel gets into your muscle cells, it needs to be burned or it'll just get sucked back into your fat cells. That's why it's so important to make sure you are doing the RIGHT type of movement -- one that builds more of your fuel-burning furnaces called mitochondria.

Step #3: You need to consistently repeat these movements over time -- that's when the magic happens. You'll create new lean, toned muscle mass, which sucks in even more fuel to be burned, prevents your fat cells from getting fatter and gives you tons of energy.

Put simply, you'll end up with a permanently HIGHER metabolic rate, a permanently LOWER level of body fat and permanently elevated level of energy.  That's why I highly recommend you investigate these powerful metabolic movements that take each of these 3 crucial steps.

I haven't seen anything quite like this that works so fast to maintain lean muscle mass, while simultaneously forcing your body to shed off unwanted fat.

What I like best about these is that anybody can do them at any age. And they are fast -- REALLY fast -- as in 45 seconds for each movement...

Remember, just because you might be over 40, 50, 60, or even 70, it doesn't mean you are doomed to have a slow metabolism, low energy or uncontrollable fat gain.

The key is to get moving, but by using the right metabolic movements that unleash your full fat burning and muscle shaping potential in a scientifically proven way as explained here.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

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The Best Workouts (Fast and Efficient) for Traveling and Hotels

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-seller:  The Truth about Six Pack Abs & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

In a recent article, I gave you some great ideas for ways to eat healthier while traveling.
Today, I want to show you how easy it is to get short but super effective workouts at home or while traveling (if you happen to be in hotels often for business).
The most frequent excuse I get as to why people don't workout is PERCEIVED lack of time.  I emphasize "perceived" because it is just that... it is a false sense of lack of time. 
If your body and health is important to you, there is no such thing as lack of time... you will find a way to incorporate a few minutes here and a few minutes there for full body exercises.
I don't care how busy you are, how many family or work obligations you have, there are always ways to schedule time for yourself to fit in workouts. For years, I used to work 70-hr+ work-weeks and still always fit in regular workouts at least 3-4x a week.
If you think about it, working out hard for 20 minutes, 5 days per week is only 100 minutes... but realize that you have 10,080 minutes of time in every week, so 100 minutes is only 1% of your given time!  When you think about it that way, it's almost ridiculous not to be able to dedicate 1% of your time to your health and fitness.

Remember I've said many times that a good workout doesn't have to be the traditional 60 minute workout that is so common. It's all about using the max amount of full body movements with a high enough intensity in any given time period... even if that time period for the workout is only 5 or 10 minutes a day.

Now back to workouts while traveling...
I know that it can be a challenge sometimes if you travel for business to be able to get decent workouts in at some hotels.
Many hotels don't even have a gym. Some hotels only have a treadmill in a room the size of a broom closet... And other hotels might have a reasonable gym, but a little lacking on equipment.
In any case, there's still always ways to get in a good workout.  Here are a few options:

• Bodyweight exercises -- even if the hotel has no gym at all, you can alternate lunges, bw squats, pushups, and ab exercises in your hotel room. Try 15 minutes of alternating circuits between those and if done with enough intensity, this will do the trick to keep you in great shape even while traveling.
• Exercise bands -- These can come in handy while traveling because they're light and portable, and can add a whole slew of exercises into the mix beyond just bodyweight exercises. You can find exercise bands at amazon
• Stairs -- most hotels have flights of stairs. You can actually take 10 or 15 minutes to purposely go to the stairs and do nothing but go up/down the stairs to get a great workout... mix up walking/running the stairs, taking double steps... you can even mix in stairs lunges and other similar things for variety.
• Get outside -- even if the hotel has a gym, many times it's small and stuffy. Instead, get outside! It might be possible to find a park or field nearby, and do 20-30 minutes of wind sprints or hill sprints mixed with bodyweight exercises.
• Maybe even bring a jump rope with you and find a smooth surface to jump rope. Jumping rope is one of the best forms of exercise known to man, but so few people actually do it.
• The hotel gym dumbbells -- I've noticed that a lot of hotels do have a small set of dumbbells, but they usually only go up to a max of 50 lbs. Even if you're strong enough to use more than 50 lbs for many exercises, this gives you an opportunity to mix up your routines and do versions of dumbbell exercises that maybe you don't usually do or different rep ranges with slightly lighter weights.  One of my favorite dumbbell exercises - the dumbbell squat & press... works almost every muscle in your entire body with this one combination move... a big time fat burner!

Well, I think that's enough ideas for today... as you can see, there's no excuse for letting yourself get out of shape just because you travel a lot on business or have a perceived lack of time.
Ryan Lee's software below even shows you how to combine strategic exercises into effective workouts in as little as 4-minutes per workout... you can choose to do these 4-minute workouts once, twice, or even more per day depending on your preferences:

Til next ezine issue,
Don't be lazy... be lean. Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com

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