Weight Loss Market Trends in 2015

 Julie Wolvek, Associate Marketing Manager

When we say “wellness is the “new black,” we mean that, to a growing segment of American women, concern for healthy living is paramount. Wellness is a mindset—it can mean fashion, healthcare, food and so much more. One area that has seen dramatic shifts recently is in women’s approach to weight loss and physical fitness. We’ve seen a significant change in weight loss market trends; women have been shifting away from traditional diet plans toward overall healthy eating and fitness. In fact, 60% of dieters agree that it is better to eat healthfully than to use diet-specific products, while 38% value exercise over diet to maintain their ideal weight.

Saying “See You Later” to Traditional Diet Plans

The use of diet programs and pills has decreased drastically since 2007 and continues with the ever-shifting market trends for 2015. With an increasing emphasis on wellness, brands should be focusing more on the health benefits of their products and less on the weight loss benefits. Special K, in fact, has begun reshaping their entire brand message to appeal more to the health-conscious woman, not the traditional dieter. Fresh meals and locally sourced ingredients excite the modern day health and wellness enthusiast. Consumers will seek “functional fitness” this year more than ever, and instead of resorting to rough exercise schedules and succumbing to harsh diets, women will turn to plans that they feel they can stay committed to.

Wearable Tech and E-Trainers

Technology has begun to play a part in recipe-finding, calorie-tracking, and overall weight loss market trends. Whether they’re using them on their mobile devices or computers, health and wellness enthusiasts looking to cook more creatively are seeking websites and apps to find new, healthy recipes. Wearable health trackers and calorie counters have become a hot commodity. Brands can benefit from this transition into the digital space by offering virtual diet coaches or plans, or motivational outreach through social media. With a larger budget, your brand could even consider partnering with a wearable health technology company.

Reaching Your Health Enthusiast

Roughly 34% of the American population is considered obese. Only 50% of the US population takes part in regular exercise, while those who don’t cite lack of motivation or time as reasons they avoid the gym. Although consumers need to be ready to make life changes, brands can encourage healthier habits by understanding consumer pain points. For example, 31% of women who exercise prefer shorter workouts to fit into their busy day so appealing to working moms with short, effective fitness ideas can boost business. Women also favor “social” exercise (think yoga and Zumba), where they can mix exercise and friendship.

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Fat Burning Kitchen Report

 Discover 23 HEALTH Foods that are causing weight gain (You've been fooled)
Also discover if your Kitchen contains fat-burning foods or fat- gaining foods


by Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
& Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN
Please continue reading, because in this short article Catherine and I are going to share with you a few simple and easy tricks to turn your "fat gaining kitchen" into a "fat burning kitchen," while also showing you some deceptive "health" foods that are not only making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to lose fat, but also make you age FASTER.

In the next few minutes you're going to discover...

Eating for fat loss is simple, right?
Eat fewer calories than you expend in a certain time period and you lose weight... Eat more calories than you expend and you gain weight... right?
Not so fast!
While it's true that your overall caloric intake vs your caloric expenditure is one of the most important aspects in whether you gain weight or lose weight... there are a lot of factors involved that complicate this, such as:
1. Calorie counting NEVER works!
Almost nobody, and I mean nobody, counts calories accurately.  Controlled studies indicate that the majority of people (between 75-90%) consistently (and massively) under-report their calories consumed when they are asked to track their calories.
I'm going to show you why calorie-counting is completely obsolete (as long as you follow one of the main principles that I'm going to teach you).

2. Appetite control and cravings destroy the ability for most people to ever meet a calorie goal
If your appetite and cravings are out of control, how can you control hunger and actually stay in your goal calorie range for fat loss?  The problem is that most people can't!
There is a trick that you can master that will automatically control your appetite and cravings.
3. Hormone imbalances
If you're eating the wrong foods and don't even know it, this may be disrupting hormone balances in your body and leading you to overeat, decrease your metabolic rate, and other problems that can prevent you from burning off body fat effectively.
If you read below, you'll see how you can reverse these eating habits that are causing hormone imbalances, and turn your body into a fat-burning machine, like it was meant to be.
And don't get me started on the "Food Pyramid"...
The Food Pyramid is an absolute JOKE!
In fact, the food pyramid has mislead almost as many individuals down the depressing road of fat-gain as the crooked food companies and their deceptive food label claims.
So-Called "Health Foods" That Are Causing Your Body to Gain More Body Fat?
I can't tell you how many times I've walked into the kitchen of a client of mine that has hired me for nutritional counseling, and I'm shocked by what I see...
Almost every time, I see their kitchen cabinets and fridge LOADED with foods that they think are "healthy" (or have been deceived by clever food labels into believing are healthy), but in reality are fat-storing traps in disguise.
It's not uncommon to see foods such as:

• whole grain breads
• whole grain cereals
• whole grain crackers
• soymilk
• tofu or "veggie burgers"
• orange juice
• apple juice
• skim milk
• margarine
• pre-packaged "diet" dinners
• gator-ade or other sport drinks
• protein bars (aka - candy bars in disguise!)
• overly processed meal replacements (with more junk than healthy ingredients)
• rice cakes
• pasta
• diet ice cream or diet desserts
• so-called "energy" drinks
• low-fat foods
• low-carb foods
• soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil
• etc, etc

I see this trend over and over again with almost every client when I first inspect their cabinets and the foods that they were buying that they thought were healthy.
What they don't realize is that it's these exact foods that are sabotaging their fat loss efforts, increasing their cravings, throwing their hormones out of whack, and more.
The Simple Solution for Eating a Healthy Diet That Promotes Fat Loss (Permanently)
I'm going to show you that eating for permanent fat loss doesn't have to be complicated.
In fact, if you choose the right foods, and understand how these foods react with your body, this method is a way for you to automatically attain the right calorie level without the need to ever count calories again.
That's why I've teamed up with expert nutrition researcher, Catherine Ebeling, and we've co-authored this new program for you:
The Fat Burning Kitchen:  Your 24-Hour Diet Transformation to Make Your Body a Fat-Burning Machine
by Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
& Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN

Inside this brand new program, you'll find:

• the true secret to making calorie-counting obsolete... this is the same principle that will automatically eliminate your cravings and control your appetite permanently (it's the same reason that I personally haven't had a real "craving" in at least 6 years) -- pg 1-2
• the truth about polyunsaturated fats (omega-6's and omega-3's) that most food companies don't want you to know -- pg.18
• which protein bars or energy bars are actually candy bars in disguise and which bars are actually good for you -- pg.50
• the real deal on saturated fat and cholesterol, and why they are essential in your diet -- pg.59
• the "whole grain" deception and why whole grain crackers, breads, and cereals could be packing on more bodyfat -- pg.9
• why that skim milk may not be so good for you after all -- pg.29
• the one time when tilapia and salmon are NOT health foods -- pg.36
• a healthy fat-burning burger option?  Yes -- pg.60
• why soymilk, tofu, and veggie burgers could be increasing your belly fat -- pg.41
• Are sports drinks stifling your fat-burning? -- pg.46
• The only truly healthy options for sweeteners... even non-caloric sweeteners -- pg.83
• A surprising healthy fat in some animal products that actually helps you burn fat and build muscle -- pg.60
• whole eggs or egg whites?  easy answer -- pg.65
• do diet sodas and other diet drinks hurt your fat loss efforts? -- pg.22
• Is whole milk actually better for you than skim milk?  there's more to the story -- pg.67
• A type of saturated fat that actually helps to stimulate your metablism -- pg. 112
• the one time when chocolate can even help to prevent your sweet tooth cravings -- pg.88
• does green tea or oolong tea really increase your metabolism and help fat loss?  the truth -- pg.90
• which fruits and veggies are okay to choose non-organic -- pg.94
• and TONS more secrets to help you permanently transform your diet to force your body to burn fat more effectively.

FREE Bonus:  6-Part Fat-Burning Nutrition Course - On Video!

(Value: $179, but FREE if you order Fat Burning Kitchen today)
By choosing to try out this program and take charge of your diet for life, I've put together a really cool FREE bonus for you.  I know you probably like to see things not only in written word, but also in video tutorials too.
So I've lined up a series of 6 killer video tutorials (by my favorite nutritionist, Isabel De Los Rios) which will help to clarify where you might be going wrong in your food choices, more tricks to eliminate cravings, and even clever time saving tips you can use to eat healthier automatically (without excessive time spent prepping meals).
She even goes through some great examples of food labels showing where the food manufacturers are trying to fool you into thinking their junk foods are "healthy".  This will help you choose healthier at the grocery store.
This video tutorial series are regularly valued at $179.00 separately, but are yours FREE for choosing this program today.

Try it first, and THEN decide 

Of course, as always, you have our Iron-Clad 8-week 100% money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the program for any reason.
So you can actually try out the program first and start transforming your diet habits and your body, and then decide if this was right for you.  If at any time in 8 weeks, you decide that this wasn't for you, you can simply email us for a prompt and courteous refund.

Let's get you started right away on solving your diet problems for life and creating a permanent fat-burning environment inside your body.

Special Bonus Section Added:
The Super-Advanced Nutritional Tactics That I Used to Go From 10.2% Body Fat to 6.9% Body Fat in Just Over 3 Weeks (23 days to be exact)
 That's right... although I usually stay in great shape year round, I ended up planning a photo shoot recently and needed to drop a couple % more body fat, and I only had just over 3 weeks to prepare for it.
When you're already fairly lean (I was right around 10% bodyfat at the time), that is when it's hardest to lose that last bit of "stubborn fat", so it takes some advanced strategies to get rid of the last bit of fat.
After studying advanced fat loss techniques for years, I knew exactly what I needed to do and it was just a matter of taking action on it.  So I put together all of my most advanced fat loss techniques I've learned over the years and got to work.

 

In this advanced nutritional fat-burning section, I give you all the dirty details about exactly how I went from 10.2% body fat to 6.9% body fat in only 23 days.  Don't worry, there's absolutely no "fluff" in this section with bland and boring generic advice like "eat lots of fruits and veggies"... Everybody knows that...
Instead, this is the real nitty gritty details of everything I ate, meal timing, carb/protein/fat ratios and the exact timing in relation to workouts to maximize fat burning... and the advanced methods I used for the specific types of exercises and workouts that were necessary to maximize fat loss and lean muscle maintenance for such a short time period.
I even give you the details for the really advanced tactics that involved specific foods, teas, nutrients, spices, etc that I used to get the fastest results during these 23 days.
The powerful thing is... if these techniques worked for me, for that hardest to lose "stubborn fat", then it will work even better for you if you have a little bit more fat to lose. 
 These methods should ONLY be used for 3-4 weeks and ONLY on occasion when you need to really drop body fat and get leaner FAST for perhaps an event that you're preparing for... maybe a wedding, or a beach vacation, or a cruise, or your own photo shoot... whenever you need that extra "burst" of fat loss in just 3-4 weeks time frame.
Grab your copy of The Fat Burning Kitchen today, because this Advanced Fat Burning section is so good and so detailed that we'll be selling it separately for $34.95 in the near future
You'll get the entire 23-Day Advanced Nutritional Fat Burning Blueprint Bonus Section for FREE if you order today.

Pre-Sale $30 Discount!

Click The "Add To Cart" Button Below And Instantly
Receive Your Special Introductory Price Of Only $15...
Plus All The Bonuses (Worth Over $237!) 

To Get Your Discount CLICK HERE

I'm confident that you'll LOVE the unique nutrition tips and ideas that you'll gain through this program... You can say goodbye to cravings forever and start eating the right way to turn your body into a fat-burning machine 24/7!
Sincerely,

Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - Worldwide best seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs (over 539,000 readers in 163 countries)

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Lean times for the diet industry

Consumers are eating more fresh food and perhaps exercising more. That’s great news for the country—but not for the weight-loss industry.

To grasp the plight of the diet industry these days, consider these two statistics: 77% of Americans are actively trying to eat healthier, according to a poll conducted this month forFortune by SurveyMonkey—but only 19% say they’re on a diet.

It’s not that Americans have slimmed down; more than a third of U.S. adults are still considered obese. It’s the fact that more and more people are focused on health first—and calories second. The percentage of women reporting they are on a diet has dropped 13 points over the past two decades, according to research firm NPD Group.

The result: crimped revenues for companies in the business of helping people lose weight. Market leader Weight Watchers has reported sales declines for two consecutive years and is projecting a weak 2015. Revenues have also shriveled at Jenny Craig and meal provider Medifast. Another meal provider, Nutrisystem, whose revenues were soaring a few years ago, has seen sales tumble 21% compared to four years ago.

The trend is also casting a chill on the low-calorie (or low anything) stalwarts in supermarket frozen food aisle. Sales of Weight Watchers dinners (made by Heinz) dropped by 17% from 2009 and 2014, while those for Con Agra’s Healthy Choice line thinned by 11% during that period, according to Euromonitor. Nestle’s Lean Cuisine revenues have shrunk by about a quarter over five years. Euromonitor has projected an additional 8% drop for the category over the next five years.

Consumers are eating more fresh food and perhaps exercising more. That’s great news for the country—but not for the weight-loss industry.

To grasp the plight of the diet industry these days, consider these two statistics: 77% of Americans are actively trying to eat healthier, according to a poll conducted this month forFortune by SurveyMonkey—but only 19% say they’re on a diet.

It’s not that Americans have slimmed down; more than a third of U.S. adults are still considered obese. It’s the fact that more and more people are focused on health first—and calories second. The percentage of women reporting they are on a diet has dropped 13 points over the past two decades, according to research firm NPD Group.

The result: crimped revenues for companies in the business of helping people lose weight. Market leader Weight Watchers has reported sales declines for two consecutive years and is projecting a weak 2015. Revenues have also shriveled at Jenny Craig and meal provider Medifast. Another meal provider, Nutrisystem, whose revenues were soaring a few years ago, has seen sales tumble 21% compared to four years ago.

The trend is also casting a chill on the low-calorie (or low anything) stalwarts in supermarket frozen food aisle. Sales of Weight Watchers dinners (made by Heinz) dropped by 17% from 2009 and 2014, while those for Con Agra’s Healthy Choice line thinned by 11% during that period, according to Euromonitor. Nestle’s Lean Cuisine revenues have shrunk by about a quarter over five years. Euromonitor has projected an additional 8% drop for the category over the next five years.

Consumers are eating more fresh food and perhaps exercising more. That’s great news for the country—but not for the weight-loss industry.

To grasp the plight of the diet industry these days, consider these two statistics: 77% of Americans are actively trying to eat healthier, according to a poll conducted this month forFortune by SurveyMonkey—but only 19% say they’re on a diet.

It’s not that Americans have slimmed down; more than a third of U.S. adults are still considered obese. It’s the fact that more and more people are focused on health first—and calories second. The percentage of women reporting they are on a diet has dropped 13 points over the past two decades, according to research firm NPD Group.

The result: crimped revenues for companies in the business of helping people lose weight. Market leader Weight Watchers has reported sales declines for two consecutive years and is projecting a weak 2015. Revenues have also shriveled at Jenny Craig and meal provider Medifast. Another meal provider, Nutrisystem, whose revenues were soaring a few years ago, has seen sales tumble 21% compared to four years ago.

The trend is also casting a chill on the low-calorie (or low anything) stalwarts in supermarket frozen food aisle. Sales of Weight Watchers dinners (made by Heinz) dropped by 17% from 2009 and 2014, while those for Con Agra’s Healthy Choice line thinned by 11% during that period, according to Euromonitor. Nestle’s Lean Cuisine revenues have shrunk by about a quarter over five years. Euromonitor has projected an additional 8% drop for the category over the next five years.

“Consumers ascribe less direct interest in diet as a standalone need,” said Weight Watchers CEO Jim Chambers in a recent presentation. He acknowledged that consumers are taking a more “holistic” approach by eating healthier, as well as pursuing wellness and fitness goals. (That broad trend towards fresher foods is squeezing not only the diet companies, but also non-diet packaged-food companies; see Fortune’s cover story, The War on Big Food).

The U.S. weight loss market totaled $64 billion in 2014, according to Marketdata Enterprises, a research firm that tracks the industry. Among the categories whose revenues are dwindling are low calorie/diet foods, diet soft drinks, and commercial weight loss centers.

Other categories are expanding, including health clubs, medical weight-loss plans (more on those later) and bariatric surgery. There are also niches of growth in diet foods, including among multi-level marketing companies such as Herbalife.

Beyond the changes in eating, other factors are playing a role. Technology is newly influential. Weight-loss-industry executives point to the proliferation of smartphone apps, says John LaRosa, research director at Marketdata. Health and wellness apps can help track calories and movement. And they particularly appeal to younger consumers, who may feel out of place, LaRosa says, at a Weight Watchers, where the average group leader is 48.

Obamacare has also taken a bite out of the commercial weight loss market. Several provisions in the law promote preventative care for obesity-related services, including mandating insurance reimbursement for such services. But the reimbursement applies only to “qualified providers,” which essentially boils down to those programs run by doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel. Programs such as Weight Watchers typically don’t qualify.

CVS Health is a new competitor in this realm. The pharmacy chain offers one-on-one coaching assisted by doctors or nurse practitioners (thus making the program eligible for reimbursement under Obamacare), personalized plans and other weight loss services at 970 MinuteClinic locations. CVS relies on the Dash diet, a plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.

“For so long, we had weight loss within the commercial marketplace, rather than under the medical umbrella,” says Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, who led a study, published inAnnals of Internal Medicine on commercial weight-loss programs. (Her team discovered that Jenny Craig clients shed at least 15 pounds on average after a year, while Weight Watchers participants lose at least eight.)

“All of these changes are happening as we speak,” Gudzune says. “I am hopeful obesity screening and counseling will be an option for more patients than it is today.” That’s good news for patients but not, perhaps, for diet companies.

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10 things the weight-loss industry won’t tell you

Part 1

Currently, more than one in three American adults over 20 is obese — up from roughly one in four 20 years ago. And millions of other people are currently carrying more weight than they’d like this time of year, thanks to the annual holiday overeating ritual.

Many Americans experience not only health problems but also guilt and shame over these added pounds. And that’s why weight loss — an industry of diet companies, weight-loss supplement manufacturers, diet book authors and obesity doctors — is big business. Companies that focus on weight-loss programs (think Nutrisystem and Weight Watchers) raked in $2.4 billion last year; sales of supplements — many of which promise weight loss — add as much as $14 billion. And doctors now perform hundreds of thousands of bariatric surgeries a year to help patients lose weight.

The bottom line: For many, our extra weight is a source of cash. And to get that cash, some companies are willing to stretch the truth of what their products will do.

According to the most recent data from the Federal Trade Commission, roughly 15% of weight loss ads contain false claims or false information. Already this year, the FTC has fined three companies about $34 million over deceptive advertising claims. Among the cited companies is the marketer of Sensa, a product that consumers sprinkled on their food to help them lose weight, which will pay $26.5 million to settle charges of false-advertising because, according to the FTC, the company “deceived consumers with unfounded weight loss claims and misleading endorsements.” (Sensa says that “the settlement includes no admission of wrongful conduct.”)

“There is little evidence that pills and supplements can help you lose a lot of weight,” says Mary Engle, the director of the advertising practices division at the FTC.

What’s more, some of the biggest players in the industry have accused each other of deception. In 2010, Weight Watchers (the largest provider of weight loss services in the U.S., with more than 43% market share) sued Jenny Craig in U.S. District Court in New York over its ads that said that “Jenny Craig clients lost, on average, over twice as much weight as those on the largest weight-loss program.” Weight Watchers claimed that no major clinical trial was done that proved this statement and that those assertions were false and misleading. The two companies reached a settlement: Jenny Craig, though it admitted no wrongdoing, agreed to never again publish, broadcast or disseminate the ad in any form. In a statement issued at the time, Jenny Craig said, “We challenge Weight Watchers to compete directly with us in a head-to-head clinical trial.”

To be sure, the majority of weight-loss ads are relatively honest, and there are some diet supplements that work. Still, the amount of misinformation in this industry is high, experts say. Engle says that to avoid fraudulent weight-loss products, consumers should be on the lookout for labels that promise quick action (like losing 10 pounds in 10 days), and labels that use words like “guaranteed” or “scientific breakthrough.” She also cautions against using creams or patches that promise to help with weight loss. 

Parts 2 - 10 :- Here's the rest of the article.

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Honey vs Sugar?

Are There Really Any Health Benefits to Raw Honey, or is it as Bad as Refined Sugar?

I'm sure from reading these newsletters, you already know my stance that artificial sweeteners are pretty much one of the most evil things you can put in your body.

This leaves many people confused about what to use to sweeten their tea and other food and drinks.

First of all, the less of any sweetener you can use, the better... if you can slowly over time adjust your taste buds to enjoy the natural taste of foods and drink without the need for heavily sweetening them, you'll see many benefits for your body including maintaining more stable blood sugar and insulin levels, managing your body weight, and reducing inflammatory effects of too much sugars and artificial sweeteners.

However, this leaves the question... If you really want to at least use a little sweetener for your tea, coffee, or other foods or drinks, should you use sugar or honey, or another sweetener?

The easy answer is that honey is definitely better for you than refined sugar. However, keep in mind that they are both calorie dense and eating large amounts of honey will still make you deposit body fat if it means you exceed your caloric maintenance level.

However, refined sugar is a "negative" nutrient... this means that it is literally devoid of nutrition and using it actually makes your body use up stored nutrients to process it.

Honey on the other hand has many beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants... raw honey is best as typical honey processing (the kind of honey you'll find at your grocery store) destroys many of the enzymes and antioxidants that give the benefits of raw honey.  Personally, I don't use any honey other than raw honey... it's a no brainer.

Also, another benefit of honey (raw) is that it has been shown in several studies to improve the body's ability to process glucose, whereas refined sugar negatively affects your body's ability to process glucose over time.
I've also seen studies that indicate another benefit of raw honey may be in the reduction of symptoms of allergies (if the raw honey is from the region you live in most of the year).

In fact, I don't use refined sugar for anything at all. It's either raw honey, pure maple syrup (not fake corn syrup), or the natural non-caloric sweetener stevia for all of my sweetening needs. Those are better choices than processed refined sugar or nasty health-destroying artificial sweeteners.

If you liked todays articles, feel free to copy and email this link on to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it.

Learn about my internationally renowned system to help get rid of your stubborn belly fat fast

Til next ezine issue...

Don't be lazy, be lean.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com
Related articles:
Proper ratio of carbs and protein in a post workout shake

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Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better for You?

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Author of best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging


I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.
Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this...
"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is".
And I replied something along the lines of... "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"
This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!  It's a shame at how many restaurants you can walk into these days and see that the "healthy" breakfast menu always has egg white items instead of whole eggs.  Are we really still in the "fat-phobic" 80's? 
By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
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 (EFAs).
And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...
"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"
No, this is FALSE!
First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.
On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.
And here's where it gets even more interesting...
There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.
And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease!  Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT.  Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions... it is DEAD WRONG to try to "lower your cholesterol" just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.
If you're interested in this topic of cholesterol specifically, I have another article listed at the bottom of this page about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are.
In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.
To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study.  However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did.
So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.
But what about the extra calories in the yolks?
This is actually a non-issue and here's why... even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume.  Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall.  In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.
Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!
Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet.  Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level.  On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.
I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.
Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids... and just a healthier egg in general.
This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy.  It's a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.
So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their "fat-phobic" mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.
And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk... If you want real taste and real health benefits, we'd all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the delicious nutrient-dense yolks.
After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites?  NOT A CHANCE!  They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks.  But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.
Another interesting study about eggs...
I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts.  The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight. 
It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.
Oh, one last thing I almost forgot... I personally eat 4 whole eggs almost every day with breakfast, and I maintain single-digit bodyfat most of the year. 
Enjoy your eggs and get a leaner body!

Health Alert:

 These 23 "health foods" CAUSE weight gain
(avoid them!)

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5 Muscles For a Flat Stomach

These 5 muscles are the key to exercising for a flat stomach -- Don't waste time training the WRONG muscles!
by Dr. Kareem Samhouri - CSCS, HFS
Neuro Metabolic Fitness & Rehab Expert
Author of the popular program:  Abs Strength Guide 
"Spinal Stabilization + Proper Exercise Selection + a healthy Anti-Inflammatory Diet" is the key to a flat stomach; increase your metabolism by signaling muscle growth.
From an exercise standpoint, the more you work the muscles that stabilize your spine, the faster you signal your body to lose fat and reduce your waistline.  Think about your abs as your spinal cord protectors, even though they're on the other side.  When you protect your body, it gets lean, and prepares to be able to withstand more.  Your "six pack muscle" (rectus abdominus) is an after-effect of training the rest of your core.
Your true core is made up of the following muscles:

1. External Obliques
2. Internal Obliques
3. Tranversus Abdominus
4. Multifidi
5. Psoas

In some cases it's worth considering your Quadratus Lumborum when training your core, but we'll talk more about side-bending, which will affect your hip bone definition, in a moment.
If you're training other muscles and you think you're exercising your core, you're training the wrong muscles. 
The 5 true core muscles are the only ones that really matter when it comes to training your abs for a flat stomach.  Once you get a flat stomach, you can always enhance the ripple effect by improving definition of the rectus abdominus; but should you go out of order, your body will reduce the speed of your results.
The reason that your body wants to see you train your abs in this order is because it is the best survival strategy.  Protect your most vital organs, and above all else, protect your brain, spinal cord, and heart.  When you train your 'true core' muscles in your abdomen, you are also tightening something called 'fascia.'  Fascia is basically a connective web of tissue that lines every organ in your body, attaches muscle to ligaments, ligaments to bones, and acts as a protective layer for your entire body.  Fascia runs through every aspect of your body, from your veins and arteries, all the way out to your skin.
When you train your internal and external obliques, you provide greater stability to these muscles, but they also have a connective web of tissue that attaches them to your lower spine, called your Thoracolumbar Fascia.  In other words, tighten your obliques and TVA, and you'll stabilize your spine through this fascia.
Your multifidus, or multifidi for plural, are triangularly shaped muscles that are on either side of each spinal segment, and they help you rotate, or when working together, backwards bend.  When you train these muscles, you are working directly on spinal stabilization, so you are signaling your body to get a flatter stomach. 
Lastly, we have your psoas.  Your psoas is a hip flexor, and it begins on the front of your spine, or super deep in your abdomen.  It's job is to help you bring your knee towards your chest, but when it's wound up, it forces your low back to extend instead.  What should be helping you glide your knee towards your chest is now forcing other areas of your body to substitute movement and try to help out by accomplishing the motion.  This causes a lot of undue stress on your low spine, and it goes against the goal of a flat stomach.
As you can see, each of the 5 muscles has a specific purpose for protecting your spine, and assisting with multi-dimensional movement.  That's what this is all about:  3D Movement.
By moving in 3D, you are constantly forcing your body to train in a functional way.  The real-world is 3D, it has bumps, grooves, and things that throw you off balance.  Sometimes you have to walk up a hill, step over a pothole, or do some stairs.  At times, you have to back up, move to the side, or reach and grab something on the opposite side of your body.
Simulate real-world demands in your training program and your body learns to believe it needs to get leaner to get through your day.  You know the saying:  "Use it or lose it."
This is so true, but there's even more to that statement, if you ask me:
Use it or lose it; but when you use it, grow it. 
Your body will grow and respond to any stress or demand you place upon it (Wolff's Law.)  Exercise, when done in a real-world way, makes your body believe it requires greater strength, less fat, or more energy for its day.  Your body adapts, and it helps you cope with your environment.
On the other hand, when you train the wrong way, or in one or two planes of motion, you lose the 'meaning' behind your exercise program, and your body responds by halting or slowing your results.
This brings up the topic of training 'sideways,' which is equally important to training rotationally.  We have a massive and powerful muscle on our sides called our Quadratus Lumborum.  It's job is to help us sidebend (hand to side of knee) or when used on both sides, to flex our trunks (bend over.)
Interestingly, when you're working out, your Q.L., for short, has one more very important purpose -- holding your lower ribs down when you breathe in heavily.  You can imagine how often you're using your Q.L. when you're training your core in an intense way.  It's almost part of the same group of muscles, but the nature of this muscle is a bit different, in that it cannot sustain a muscle contraction for as long as the rest of your core.
As a result, we're going to train the Q.L. with a lot of dynamic movements, like:

1. Side Step Squat
2. Q.L. Sidebridges
3. Spider Planks

This way, when we pair the three exericses above with stabilization exercises, such as planks and bridges, we work all dimensions of our true core and truly stabilize our spines.
Remember, there is a right way and a wrong way to exercise.
When you exercise the right way, your body adapts by losing fat and giving you a flat stomach.

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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 delicious 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!

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The Best and WORST Protein Bars

Don't be fooled by "protein bars" that are really candy bars in disguise... read below for
The 6 Most Important Things to Look for in a Bar
by Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-seller:  The Truth About Six-Pack Abs

I know there's a lot of confusion these days about what actually constitutes a truly healthy "protein bar" or meal replacement bar... let's face it... most protein bars on the market have at least one or more of these evil ingredients:

• Too much sugar
• High fructose corn syrup
• Soy protein  (and no, soy protein is NOT healthy)
• Nasty artificial sweeteners  (anybody want some cancer with that protein bar?)
• Other chemical additives
• Artificial forms of vitamins, instead of naturally occuring
• Excessive amounts of sugar alcohols
• and even occasionally, shockingly, trans fats in some bars!

So with that said, some of the worst protein or "energy" bars out there have at least 1 or more of these problems above.
In all honestly, it's actually really hard to find a good bar that doesn't have one of these problems.  I've even seen some bars marketed as "healthy" that contain corn syrup as the 1st ingredient!  No, I'm not joking... they should be arrested for false advertising like that!
I'm not going to "name names" and name all of the junk protein bars (because there's simply too many bad ones to name), but you now know to avoid everything listed above.  And also, here's the absolute MOST important things I look for...
The 6 most important things that I look for in a good protein bar are:
1.  One of the first things I look for on the ingredient label is to make sure there is ZERO soy protein.
Remember that soy protein and soy products in general are one of the most contaminated crops with pesticide and herbicide residues (which are xenoestrogens that increase your "stubborn" belly fat)...
Soy is also the most genetically modified of any crop (which has it's own potentially scary issues we won't even delve into in this article)... and even worse, soy proteins in particular typically concentrate much of the phytoestrogens in soy (different than xenoestrogens), which adds a double whammy for adding belly fat to your body.  Organic soy is a step in the right direction, but I'd still stay away from it for many reasons.
Instead of soy protein, I look for healthier protein sources in my bars, such as brown rice protein, hemp protein, whey protein, or even just obtaining the protein content from various nuts and seeds.
2.  The 2nd most important thing that I make sure to avoid in protein bars are artificial sweeteners.... so I look out for sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (a.k.a acesulfame K), or any other artificial sweeteners.
I also try to avoid large amounts of sugar alcohols.  If a bar only has 1 or 2 grams of sugar alcohols, that's not a big deal, but I try to avoid anything more than that.
3.  The 3rd thing I look at is total carbohydrates and total grams of fiber.  Specifically, what I look for is a good ratio of grams of fiber to grams of total carbohydrates.  The higher the ratio of fiber compared to total carbs, the better this bar will be for your blood sugar stabilization, and therefore, appetite control.
For example, if bar1 has 5 grams of fiber, but 50 grams of total carbs, that's only 10% fiber content out of total carbs.  Not good!
However, if bar2 has 4 grams of fiber, and 16 grams of total carbs, that's actually 25% fiber content out of total carbs!  Bar2 had 1 gram less fiber, but had a MUCH better ratio (2.5x better ratio) of fiber to total carbs.  Bar2 is the clear winner... assuming it doesn't contain the other evil ingredients we talked about above.
4.  The 4th most important thing I look at on the nutrition label of a protein bar or energy bar is the protein content vs the carbohydrate content.
Generally, I look for at least 10 to 15 grams of protein or more, and maybe no more than 20-30 grams of total carbs.  However, we have to make sure that there's no soy protein, and also, if the fiber content is super high, it doesn't matter if the total carb amount is over 30 grams, as long as the ratio of fiber to total carbs is very high (at least 25% or more fiber content of total carbs)
5.  Another thing I generally look for in a good bar is about 8-15 grams of healthy fats (usually obtained from nuts and seeds in the ingredients, coconut oil, or almond butter).  This is important not only for having a good tasting bar, but also to make sure the bar has a better glycemic profile (which the healthy fats help with), and help to satisfy your appetite longer.
6.  The last thing I look for in a good bar is simply a bonus if it does contain any... and that would be if it has any superfoods or greens... superfoods such as spirulina, maca, blue-green algae, kelp, chlorella, goji berry, raw cacao or organic cocoa powder, and other greens, etc.
So with all of those things in mind, what are the BEST bars out there?
Well, I previously used to recommend a couple that were my favorites - Larabars and Organic Food Bars.
I still think both of these are excellent bars, and use almost solely organic, raw, natural ingredients without any soy protein, HFCS, artificial sweeteners, or other junk.  However, I've always felt they could do slightly better on the fiber content and the protein content... as those are 2 of the most important aspects of a good bar that I look for.
So, just last week, I found a NEW bar, that has just become my new favorite bar!  It's called the Boku Superfood Bar and I just received my box in the mail a couple days ago... and I'm blown away at not only how delicious these bars taste, but also how practically perfect they are in terms of nutrition!
And they're even cheaper than most bars at my local health food store... and better quality.  Needless to say, I'm a little excited about this new find!
Here's why I think these bars are almost perfect nutrition-wise:

• 15 grams of protein (from raw sprouted brown rice protein... and some from the almond butter too)
• a whopping 11 grams of fiber out of 30 grams of total carbs!  (that's a 37% ratio of fiber content... pefect for blood sugar stability)
• there's 13 grams of healthy fats (mostly from the almond butter and almonds)
• these bars also have some sprouted quinoa, and celtic sea salt (but are still low sodium)
• and best of all, they contain loads of superfoods from the Boku Superfood blend of greens, maca, goji berries, antioxidant-rich mushrooms, probiotics, enzymes, and more

Overall, these are the best bars I've found in terms of taste and nutrition combined!  You've gotta give em a try!
Also, I love this company because of their focus on super high quality ingredients.  I've also tried their Boku SuperProtein and and their Boku SuperFood, and I love the quality of both of those products too.  I think they're one of the best companies out there these days in the health food space for sure.
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