7 Super-Effective Tips for Losing Stomach Fat & Getting Lean Six Pack Abs for Life

Lose Body Fat and Get a Lean Stomach for Good! 

Vince Delmonte interviews author Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist

1.  Mike, what is the number one component to getting a six pack?
MG: Your training style, nutrition, and mindset are all extremely important if you want to stand a chance at getting a six pack... However, if I had to choose 1 component that is most important, it would probably have to be nutrition. Maybe you've heard the saying before that "abs are made in the kitchen".
It really is true, and that's where the majority of people go wrong in the goal to get super lean. Of course, this also ties into mindset, because you really have to get your mind in the right place in order to have the discipline to be able to eat consistently clean enough to get six pack abs.
There's a lot of confusion out there these days about calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates... every "expert" disagrees with one another on proper ratios and types of diets.  I think people make this way too complicated... If you are just to focus on a good balance between fats, carbs, and proteins, and make sure to eat only natural unprocessed organic foods (as close to their natural state as possible) instead of packaged, processed foods, a lot of the problems that most people have with cravings, a sweet tooth, overeating, blood sugar swings, etc all take care of themselves.
We still can't lose sight of the fact that you can overeat on healthy foods and gain fat even while eating healthy. Therefore, your caloric intake needs to be controlled to a level that will promote fat loss if that's the goal.

2.  Excellent Mike!  Next question... What is one thing I might be doing, unknowningly, steering my quest for a six pack in the wrong direction?
MG:  I'll give 2 things that may be steering you in the wrong direction...
a. Too much cardio
Some people, in their efforts to try to get lean, focus way too much on hours and hours of cardio exercise. The problem is that this can backfire on you by making you lose lean muscle mass over time, which decreases your resting metabolic rate. Once this happens, it becomes easier to pack on body fat than ever before.  I've even seen many people that do too much cardio and end up getting that "skinny fat" appearance, where they have very little muscle tone, yet they have excess stomach fat (even a "gut" possibly).
Instead of excess cardio, focus more on high intensity weight training (yes, even during a "cutting" cycle, where heavier training is even MORE important). This will help maintain your lean muscle mass throughout your body, so that you don't experience the metabolic rate decrease. Maintaining as much lean muscle mass on your body at all times is one of the most important things for staying super-lean for life.
b. Not eating enough healthy fats
This is another area where I see people go in the wrong direction. They are trying to lose body fat and they end up going WAY too low on their fat intake. When you decrease your fat intake too much, you are basically messing up your fat burning and muscle building hormones. It's not uncommon to see people decrease their fat intake too low and end up reducing their testosterone levels significantly.
Try to get some sources of healthy fats with every meal to make sure you don't go too low... This could be avocados, any and all nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, etc), seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), nut butters (almond butter, natural peanut butter, etc), virgin coconut oil (good source of medium chain triglycerides), extra virgin olive oil, grass fed beef (good source of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3s), whole eggs (yes, whole eggs...not egg whites), etc.

3. What is one unique way of boosting your metabolism, to finally burn fat, that I might be overlooking?
MG:  Incorporate any form of clean & presses into your routines twice per week. This could be barbell clean & presses or using kettlebells or dumbbells.  If I had to choose one exercise that burns the most calories and has the biggest impact on increasing your metabolic rate, I'd have to choose high intensity clean & presses (with squats and deadlifts being at the top of the pack also).  I like alternating the use of barbells for C&P's one workout and kettlebells for another.
If you want to learn more about how to train with kettlebells, see this article.

4. What is your number one plateau busting secret to lose the last 10 pounds?
MG:  When you get to the point that you're already fairly lean, but just need to lose that last 5 or 10 lbs of body fat that is covering up your abs, you really need to take your workouts to a whole new level of intensity.
Consider adding all-out wind sprints and/or hill sprints into your routine if you want to take it to the next level of intensity.
As for gym workouts, this also means no jibber-jabbering for 5 minutes in between sets at the gym... Instead, you need laser-focused intensity, and one of the best ways to keep high intensity is super-setting or alternating sets. This means while you're resting one area of your body, you're working another area of your body. I usually like to do this by alternating a really tough lower body exercise such as a squat, lunge, or deadlift, with a multi-joint upper body exercise such as a bench press, overhead press, bent over row, or pullup.
Think short rest periods, full body exercises, multi-joint exercises, lots of sweat, and your chest heaving for air... if that's what your workout is looking like, then you're on the right path.  If not, then you're not working hard enough.

5. What is your advice for me to deal with the social temptations of alcohol, eating out, and junk food?
MG: This is something many people struggle with, but if you set some limits, it can be easy to deal with and still stay lean. One thing I'd suggest is to make sure to not get in a habit of drinking alcohol excessively on a daily basis. If you're going to go out and have some fun with friends, try to limit the drinking to only 1 or 2 days max per week. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we can still go out and have fun with our friends without getting totally smashed.
You need to decide what is more important in your life... do you want to live healthy and have a strong lean body, or do you want to get full-blown drunk every night? There's a lot more to life than alcohol.  This article explains some tips for moderate drinkers to stay lean.
As for eating out... If you're serious about getting and staying lean, eating out should only be an occasional event. Cooking your own food on a daily basis is extremely important as it's very hard to know what is in all of the junk at restaurants and fast food joints. One of the tricks I use when eating out is to NEVER eat fries or sodas (in fact, I never eat fries or sodas AT ALL).
Instead, go ahead and order that burger, but substitute steamed veggies or a salad for the fries. Almost every restaurant will make that substitution for you. And water or unsweetened iced tea are the best beverage options to keep the calories under control when eating out.

6.  Why do I lose motivation when trying to get a six pack?
MG: Most people lose motivation because they simply aren't seeing the results fast enough. If that's why you lose motivation, go back to all of the tips and techniques we've been talking about in here and see where your nutrition or training programs are going wrong so you can get faster results.  Be patient and consistent and the results will come.
Also, you can really stay motivated by focusing on what has been successful so far. For example, maybe your fat loss hasn't been what you wanted so far, but maybe you've increased your pullups from 8 to 13 and your squat weight from 185 to 225 lbs for the same reps. Keep focusing on your successes rather than your failures, and keep going for more successes.
More motivation tips -- Train regularly with a partner. This will keep you both focused and will keep you accountable to someone other than yourself. You don't want to disappoint someone else that you've made a goal with.
Also, keep a picture up in your house or at work of someone's body that motivates you to strive for those results. Look at it every day and keep visualizing your own body improving. Set a realistic goal and a time frame to acheive that goal, such as "I will lose 15 lbs of body fat in the next 8 weeks". The important thing here is realistic goal... don't expect to lose 30 lbs in 30 days (despite those weight loss scam ads that you see everywhere claiming BS like this).

7. I understand you have the number one six pack abs program on the Internet -- Truth About Abs.  Why do you think it's so popular?
My Truth about Six Pack Abs program is so popular because it works!  It's REAL nutrition and REAL training programs instead of useless gimmicks and fads.  I give the TRUTH on what people really need to get lean sexy abs for life and why they DON'T NEED fad gimmicks like diets, ab infomercial gadgets, and bogus fat burning pills that people waste way too much money on.

8.  Who should order Truth About Abs and who is this program not for?
This program is for anyone that wants to truly live healthy and get super-lean for life. I have college students, parents, busy professionals, and even grandparents using this program successfully.
Who is this program NOT for?  Anyone who is lazy, or thinks that there is a "quick fix" out there.  There isn't! So stop looking for a quick fix, and learn the truth!
Plus, when you go to order, I'm actually allowing everyone reading this to "try it before you buy it", so that way you can try out the program, start seeing real results, and then decide if it's right for you.
Check out some of the tremendous results that other readers are getting with the Truth about Abs program

Also, you can view some of the most common questions and answers about Truth about Abs

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The Exact Steps that Alex Miller used to Lose 36 Pounds of Body Fat and FINALLY Get Six-Pack Abs

Check out Alex's inspirational pictures and also the Q&A we put together on how he achieved these results (very informative and inspirational!)

Alex Miller from the UK

Alex in 2007, before using 
These pictures are of one of my favorite TruthAboutAbs readers, Alex Miller from the UK, who has had phenomenal results and I couldn't be more proud of him with how he has changed his life!  I've kept in communication with Alex these past couple years and have actually become good friends with him.  But he started out years ago as one of my TruthAboutAbs customers.
What I love best about these pictures is that you can see there is at least a 2-year period between Alex's "before" pictures and his "after" pics.  This shows the reality that changing your body doesn't happen overnight.  Sure, Alex probably could have made these changes in 4-6 months if he did everything perfect, but sometimes  life gets in the way, and his journey took longer...
TruthAboutAbs                        
Alex in 2009, and 2010, after applying the TAA principles

And that's why I like his story -- it's realistic for the average person.  I'm sick of scammy weight loss ads that claim you'll get a perfect body in 15 days by taking some miracle acai berry pill... sorry, not going to happen!
I've been so amazed by Alex's story, that I contacted him recently because I just HAD do a Q&A with him to get you all the nitty gritty details of how he's had such an awesome transformation.

So let's get started!
Mike:  Hey Alex, I wanted to feature your story to my readers because I think the changes you've made are really inspirational and can help others.  You've had
incredible results using some of the principles that you learned in my Truth about Six Pack Abs program as well as other research you've done yourself.
First of all, your before and after pictures are amazing!  Congrats on changing your life and your body so dramatically. It's obvious that you're an action taker and that's why you got such amazing results.
Let's start by having you share some of your before and after stats with my readers.  What were your before and after bodyweight, body fat %, etc?
Alex:
Back in 2007 (image 1) I was 14-15% body fat at least, weighing in at 197 pounds.  After applying some of your techniques in your product, I dropped to 9.4% body fat within a few months, but only got around to taking some pictures in the summer of 2009. I lost fat faster after changing my workouts and diet. As of late 2010, I'm under 8% body fat and a weight of 161 pounds - that's a 36 pound loss and I still have plenty (if not more) muscle on my frame than I used to.
If you look at my before pictures, when I looked fat and out of shape, I was actually running and lifting weights in the gym 3-5 times per week. Typically each session used to last about 1.5-2 hours.
I was definitely getting stronger and my distance running was improving a lot, but I could never shift the fat from my stomach especially, no matter how hard I tried with training and eating. I had certainly reached a plateau and it frustrated me more than you could imagine.

I started looking on the Internet for advice and a way to break through this and eventually I came across Mike and his product "Truth About Abs" and that's when everything changed for me.
I changed my workouts completely and started doing his style of intensive, interval training instead and combined this with his unusual workout plans for weights (which are amazing by the way).  I now spend a mere 25-40 minutes per session in the gym and get at least 3-5x better results -- hopefully my pictures prove I'm getting better results!

CLICK HERE to find out more about this program

Mike: Amazing transformation Alex!  I'd also love to hear how this transformation has changed your life.  Obviously, you went from "a little bit chubby" to ripped six pack abs.  But beyond just the obvious visual improvement in your body, how has it affected things in your life such as:

a.  your confidence
b.  your health and energy
c.  how other people treat you or view you (any extra attention     from the ladies ?)
d.  your ability to perform activities or sports ?
e.  any other benefits you can think of ?

Alex:
I can't tell you how much more energy I have now compared to a few years ago. I used to feel pretty tired, a little lazy and I generally lacked consistent energy – plus this was during my early 20's!
Nowadays, my energy fluctuates a lot less during the days and evenings, and this has had so many benefits for me – I'm more productive with work, my mood is better (less highs and lows) and I generally just feel more active!
I'm a regular gym-goer and obviously there are some days I'm just not in the mood, but 9 times out of 10 I look forward to working out because I know I'll get such a powerful endorphin release after my workout as well as knowing I'm keeping the weight off.  You have to try Mike's exercises!
I'd be lying if I said attention from the ladies has gone down!  It's such a confidence booster to have the body that you've always wanted and I'm not shy to take my top off at the beach anymore.
Before, I looked for every excuse to keep my shirt on!

Mike:  I love it! It's so powerful when you think how many aspects of your life that being fit and healthy can improve.
Next question... Please share with my readers exactly how you got started when you first started using some of the principles that I teach in The Truth about Six Pack Abs?  For example:
- How did you change your workouts? 
- How did you change your eating habits? 
- How did you change your mindset?

Alex:
My workouts:
Ok, I totally changed my workouts.
You have to be willing to do this to see the results that you want - many people (which is totally understandable) are stubborn to change their routines because this requires you to step outside of your comfort zone, but if you follow Mike's stuff you won't regret it.
I stopped going for long, boring jogs and runs which used to last 40-60 minutes each time.
I stopped isolating my muscle groups when lifting weights.
I started doing multi-joint exercises and high intensity workouts which involves working your largest muscle groups as the calorie expenditure is ridiculously higher this way. I'm typically in the gym for 25-40 minutes MAX (vs 1.5-2 hrs previously).
Circuit training is at the core of my workouts which I generally just make up myself (more on this further below) but they are always intensive. That is the key. I'm burning over 600 calories easily every workout; I can't even compare it to what I was doing before... I wasted 4-5 years doing the wrong thing!
My Eating Habits:
This was also a BIG one. Nutrition is easily 75-80% of "the game" with weight loss because you can burn 600-800 calories in the gym, but if you're taking in more calories per day than you're burning, you're not going to get the fat loss results that you want.
Before I explain a little more, you have to understand that you don't need to eat perfectly all of the time, I always have 1 day a week where I'll go out drinking with my friends or eat some junk food.  It's what you do on the other days that gets you the results.
I eat a lot of wholesome, single ingredients foods – all kinds of meats, fish, veggies, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs etc –simply don't listen to people who say you have to eat tuna fish all day to lose weight.
I eat so many different meals and food combinations it's unreal – the options really are endless AND tasty! I love the food that I eat and I used to eat TONS of crisps, chocolates, cakes when I was heavier.
I virtually eliminate the intake of carbohydrates in the evenings because I know I won't burn off the energy, plus it helps stop cravings and hunger soon after and I feel much less bloated.
I guess I'm on a "slow-carb" diet.  And when I do eat carbs, I mostly limit the grains and sugars to small quantities.  Just remember that you can get more than enough carbohydrates from veggies, fruits and beans.
It's the little changes that make a BIG difference – for example, when I changed what I ate for breakfast on a daily basis I lost an extra 4-5 pounds over the course of a few months. I'll eat eggs in the morning, either with some veggies or a slice of wholemeal toast – this is 100x better than eating sugary, ultra high carb cereals which make you hungry only a few hours later as well as pile on the calories!
Mindset:
Well, my mindset turned into pure excitement as soon as I started reading The Truth About Abs – I genuinely was pumped because realised I had been doing it almost totally wrong for the past 4-5 years in the gym, but I like to think that I've proved it's never too late to change!
My motivation sky-rocketed as I began to see myself losing pounds quickly, as well as seeing vast improvements in my energy, general mood and confidence.
It's hard to lose that motivation when you see results consistently, month after month. Then, when you reach the body you've always wanted you obviously don't want to lose it so the motivation sustains itself.

Mike:  Perfect! I agree on the motivation point... I feel that once you're in great shape, it's really hard to let yourself slide because you don't want to give up the great feeling that you've gained.
I also think that one of the major reasons that you got such great results compared to many people that buy fitness or diet programs is that you TOOK BIG TIME ACTION on the information!
One of the things I love about your transformation, Alex, is that you've taken some of the concepts that you learned from me, and you created your own customized workout plans, and nutrition that worked for you.  I think it's so important for people to learn how to customize things to their own schedules and personal lives.
Can you explain how you've integrated my concepts into your own personal workouts and diet that works for you?

CLICK HERE to find out more about this program

Alex:
Sure! When I got used to your exercises and some of your workouts I started looking up other such exercises and variations (mostly on Youtube) so as to keep my workouts fresh and keep things interesting. When you go to the gym 4 times per week you need to rotate what you're doing quite a lot, otherwise you'll get bored quite quickly.
I'd find 5-10 multi-joint exercises that I liked the looks of and then create my own circuits and workouts. I sometimes do them in a studio or I'll go into the gym, grab a mat and work out there (you really don't need much room at all).
I keep things very intensive, constantly rotating muscle groups and my rest periods are literally 0-30 seconds in between exercises. So, I might do 6 exercises in a row with little to no break – then I'll rest for 30 seconds and do the round again. Then I'll finish with a different 3rd round of exercises (to keep it interesting and keep the body guessing). This can be done in about 15 minutes easily.
After that I'll maybe do some dips, pull ups, leg raises (4-5 different variations), medicine ball work (6-8 exercises) and some other killer ab stuff. The cool thing is that 90% of the exercises that I do are at least working the abs indirectly – those, combined with the more direct-ab exercises results in me getting a really strong core, burning tons of calories and feeling AWESOME.
In terms of diet, once you "get it" and understand more about nutrition and what your body needs, it's really not hard at all. I know exactly what options to take if I'm either cooking at home or eating out. I make sure that I treat myself regularly because I still enjoy eating chocolate and drinking alcohol (which I do too much probably!) – typically I'll pig out and/or drink a bunch of alcohol once per week but for the other days I completely enjoy eating tons of meat, fish, wholefoods, veggies, eggs and the other foods I mentioned above. I never feel like I'm on a diet which is what many programs make you feel, everyday.
Mike: If you had to list 2 or 3 of the biggest changes that you made in your life that have had the most impact on your transformation, what would they be?  Were there any old destructive habits that you had to give up?

Alex:
1.  Working out intensively in the gym, training your largest muscles and focusing on multi-joint exercises totally transformed my body and the number of calories that I burnt. Stop doing long, boring cardio – you won’t lose the weight that you want to.

2.  Cutting the amount of carbohydrates that I eat during the day, and especially at night. I do NOT mean the Atkins diet, but it's simply a matter of cutting most carbs out after 4-5PM in the day as your body doesn't need it and will end up storing excess fat or causing cravings.

3.  I try to eat every 3 or so hours during the day, even if it's just a little snack in between the larger meals. This helps me to stop over-eating when it comes to lunch and dinner especially. If you just eat 3 meals per day you'll find it very hard not to over-consume – I'm hardly ever starving or stuffed and it's a great rule to keep to (and very easy). Organisation is the key – making sure you have a stock of healthy foods at home or on you when you're out and about will make a big difference and stop you from eating the wrong foods.
Mike:  Great stuff Alex!  I especially like what you said about minimizing carbohydrates.  People like to argue about carbs, but every single fitness model, bodybuilder, or athlete that I've known that had super low body fat levels, always was very careful about their carb intake.  Bottom line... when I want to gain weight, I increase my carbs... when I want to lose weight, I decrease my carbs and eat more proteins, healthy fats, and lots of veggies.
Ok, last question... from what you've told me, your new body and life is a permanent change. You're not going to "fall off the bandwagon" and let yourself get out of shape again.
This new body and life is a new fitness lifestyle for you that is a priority in your life.  Do you have any advice for other people that seem to always fail to make a PERMANENT change? Some people seem to go on diet after diet only to lose weight and gain it back again.  But you've kept your transformed body for at least 2 or 3 years now, and you're not going back.  What advice do you have for people that struggle with this?

Alex:
I touched on this further above but as soon as you start enjoying your workouts and the food that you eat, whilst at the same time getting unbelievable results, you simply won’t want to go back to your old ways.  Why would you?
I'm convinced you'll love these workouts, exercises and overall the approach that Mike takes to exercise. On top of that, it's so enjoyable to eat foods that are so healthy for you, fill you up, SO tasty and result in a lower, daily calorie intake.
Remember that I still eat treats and things like chocolate but honestly my cravings for these types of foods rapidly decreases when you start eating correctly and giving what your body wants. This is because your blood sugar levels are a lot more controlled and therefore your cravings will reduce significantly.
Once you've got it, you won't ever want to go back.

Mike:  Thanks so much for agreeing to do this Q&A with me Alex!  You're truly an inspiration to all of my readers, and I love your story!

CLICK HERE to find out to get this program for less than $5.00

CLICK HERE for more testimonials

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The Top 5 Healthiest Condiments (and the WORST)

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

I'm sure you can think of all sorts of condiments that are obviously
NOT healthy...


What about Mayo?  Sorry...

With processed refined soybean oil as the main ingredient in most
mayos, there's NOTHING healthy about mayonnaise.
It causes internal inflammation and harms your omega-6 to omega-3
balance with excess omega-6 fats.   Tartar sauce has the same issues
as mayo.If you can find a mayo made with 100% olive oil instead of
soybean oil, this would actually be a healthy choice.

Ketchup?  Not quite...

Yes, ketchup is made from tomatoes so it does contain the beneficial
nutrient lycopene.  Unfortunately ketchup has a high % of sugar, and
most brands are made with nasty high fructose corn syrup.  Not good.
Hey, I'm a ketchup lover myself, but I just try to keep the quantity
small to minimize the sugar intake.

Barbeque Sauce?  Nope...

BBQ sauce is actually worse than ketchup because it has higher levels
of sugar or HFCS and lower levels of actual tomato.  Strike 3 with
BBQ sauce.

Salad Dressing?  Not most store brands.

As you know from this salad dressing article of mine, there's not much
healthy about most store bought salad dressings...most contain HFCS
and soybean oil or unhealthy canola oil as the main ingredients.

Most "fat-free" salad dressings are simply loaded with extra sugar.
Plus, remember that you need a good fat source to go with your salad
to help absorb the vitamins and minerals in your veggies, so fat-free
dressing is not a good option.  Even most salad dressing brands that
claim to be "made with olive oil" only have small amounts of actual olive oil,
while unhealthy soybean or canola oils are main oils used.  Instead, follow
my healthy salad dressing recipe if you want a lean healthy body.

So, what are the top 5 healthiest condiments?

Below, I give you my top 5 picks for the healthiest condiments for a
lean healthy body.  Sure, there might be a few others not on this list that
are also healthy, but these are my top 5 picks:

1. Mustard

That's right... mustard is absolutely one of the healthiest condiments!
First, it has no added sugar.  Also, mustard seed itself is a source of
powerful antioxidants.  In addition to the antioxidants in the mustard seed,
most yellow mustards also contain turmeric (one of the healthiest anti-
cancer spices) and paprika, which both contain powerful antioxidants
as well!

2. Guacamole

I know, I know... when do I ever stop talking about avocados and
guacamole. Sorry, it's one of my favorite foods, and I eat avocados
or guac just about every single day.  At this point, I don't think I need to
explain why Gauc is healthy, as I think everybody knows this by now...
but a quick recap: lots of healthy fats (that satisfy your appetite and
regulate hormone balance), lots of fiber, and plenty of vitamins, minerals,
and antioxidants.

And creamy guac just makes anything taste better!  I put it on eggs,
on burgers, on chicken or fish, or just eat it with veggie sticks.
If you buy pre-made guac from the store, just be sure to check the
ingredients and make sure it doesn't have added trans fats or other
artificial ingredients. But it's so simple and fast to make fresh guac,
I don't know why anybody would buy pre-made guac.

3. Salsa

Although ketchup was on the unhealthy list due to the sugar content,
salsa makes the super healthy list as it almost never has added sugars
if you get a good brand.Salsa is mostly just vegetables so it's hard to
go wrong.  I like it on my morning eggs for variety sometimes.
I also like to mix salsa half and half with guac for a delicious party
treat!

And if you're a ketchup lover and want to reduce your sugar intake,
just try salsa instead for a much healthier option.  Trust me... salsa
on a burger is just as delicious as ketchup on a burger.

Just remember that the corn chips that people generally cram down
their throats with salsa are NOT even close to healthy.  Corn chips
are almost always fried in a heavily refined omega-6 oil such as corn
or soy oil, and are inflammatory. Plus, most corn used for corn chips
is genetically modified.Organic corn chips are a small step in the right
direction (this ensures it's not GMO corn), but I'd still try to keep the
quantity small if you're going to eat corn chips with salsa.

4. Hummus

Hummus is mostly just chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil,
and is easily one of the healthiest condiments or as a separate snack
by itself.

The main thing to look for when buying a good hummus is to make sure
it's made with olive oil and NOT soybean or canola oil.  Unfortunately
most brands use cheap soy or canola oil, but if you're a label reader, it's
easy to find a brand that uses solely olive oil.

One of my favorite snacks is just veggie sticks with hummus.  However,
hummus is also a delicious condiment to go with sandwiches, on top of
meat dishes, etc.

5. Pesto

Pesto is generally a mashed mix of garlic, pine nuts, basil, olive oil, and
grated cheese.  It's a great source of healthy fats and also powerful
antioxidants, mostly from the garlic and basil, but to some extent from the
pine nuts and olive oil too.

Pesto goes incredibly well with sandwiches, on meat dishes, or
surprisingly, even on eggs. There's one more condiment we didn't cover
yet that you might be wondering about.....What about hot sauce?
Actually, hot sauce is fairly healthy. Most hot sauces don't have added
sugars. And the hot peppers are actually good for you too and could even
cause a slight and temporary metabolism increase.
The only drawback to most hot sauces is a moderately high sodium content.
But unless you go nuts with loads of hot sauce on every meal, the sodium
content in hot sauce will not be an issue.

So now that you know 5 of the healthiest condiments, don't be afraid to
indulge next time you need one of these tasty additions to your meal.

Now for the BAD NEWS...

These 4 foods accelerate AGING in your body (avoid these 
and look 10 years younger!)

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One of The World's Greatest Snacks -- A Healthy Treat for a Lean Body

Why pistachios not only taste delicious, but are also jam-packed with nutrition for your lean healthy body
by Cat Ebeling, RN, BSN & Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialistco-authors of the
Fat Burning Kitchen program


Some people mistakenly think that pistachios are a "fattening" food... but despite having loads of healthy fats, these yummy little snacks can actually HELP you to burn off stomach fat.  Let's see why...
Do you remember eating pistachios when they used to be dyed a deep pinkish/red? They were always so delicious, but after eating a bunch of those bright "red" nuts, your fingers and hands would be stained red.
Pistachios, as we now know, do not grow as magenta-colored nuts but come in a nice natural tan colored shell with a mild-tasting, crunchy, green and yellow interior. Nuts have risen in popularity lately, but did you know that pistachios are probably one of the most nutritious of all nuts?
It's hard to compare anything to the nutritional benefit of nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans... but pistachios give them a run for the money!
Just a one-ounce serving of pistachios will give you over 30 vitamins, minerals and other super nutrients.
One of the best things about nuts in general, is that they are full of minerals that are VITAL to our body's proper functioning. And if you have paid much attention to nutrition news lately, you may be aware that minerals are getting harder and harder to obtain from our diet, and many people are mineral-deficient in one way or another.
So what are these great nutrients in pistachios?
Well for starters, pistachios are full of copper, phosphorus, and manganese (different from magnesium).
Copper is made up of multiple enzymes that help to create many of the necessary biochemical reactions in your body and also forms connective tissue. Manganese also helps form connective and skeletal tissue, and is instrumental in growth, reproduction and (this is good!) carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Phosphorus is very important for strong bones and teeth and works with calcium to prevent osteoporosis.
Other important minerals are magnesium -- necessary for more than 300 different important biochemical reactions in your body, and good for your heart and blood pressure; potassium --an electrolyte that keeps the body in the correct acid/base balance and also helps in forming proteins, metabolizing carbohydrates and building muscle.
And there is more to this nutritional powerhouse...

Pistachios are a rich source of B vitamins. B vitamins are essential for good nerve transmission, muscle building, a good mood, lots of energy, and infection-fighting power. They are also one of the highest protein nuts (as well as healthy fats), so they make a great satisfying snack that keeps your blood sugar and insulin at a good steady level.
In one study on pistachios and antioxidants, pistachios ranked up in the group with the highest amount of antioxidant activity above over 100 other foods. Antioxidants help to prevent free radical damage, which saves your cells and prevents aging and disease among other things.
We hear a lot about eye health and nutrients for the eyes lately, and guess what-- pistachios contain generous amount of lutein and zeaxanthin which prevent macular degeneration and other eye diseases related to aging.
Fiber
Last but not least, pistachios are full of appetite satisfying fiber -- as much as a serving of oatmeal.
Nuts in general are a great source of fiber, which is valuable for fighting cancer, controlling blood sugar, and aids in a feeling of fullness. Most people only get about half the recommended amount of fiber they need in their diets, so eating pistachios will help add to your dietary intake.
Healthy Fats
While eating extremely large quantities of pistachios would be a LOT of calories... the good news is that the protein, good fats and fiber in them are nutritious and satisfy so much of the nutrient needs of your body, it's VERY difficult to overeat them.
Even when only eating small servings of these nuts, they have been proven to provide a high rate of satiety. Besides, having to shell all those pistachios actually ends up making you eat them a little more slowly, so the message to your brain that you are full happens on less nuts than if you were eating something already out of its shell.
Try to go for the all-natural or organic pistachios with no salt of low salt. Some brands of pistachios are a bit heavy on the salt.
If you haven't read our new Fat Burning Kitchen program, make sure to see the dozens of foods that help you burn fat, and surprising "health foods" that make you fat.
Eat well and stay lean!

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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).

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.

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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The "Land Meat" That Rivals Wild Salmon in Omega-3 Content -- Grass Fed Beef & Other Grass Fed Meats

Improve your health, lose body fat, and build muscle with one of the healthiest protein sources available

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about 6-Pack Abs


I know you've heard all of the buzz over the last few years about the health benefits of wild salmon and other fish that have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
However, did you know that there's a "land meat" that has similar omega-3/omega-6 ratios as wild salmon?  In fact, this "land meat" not only contains as much, or even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but without the possible negatives such as heavy metals (mercury, etc) and PCBs that can be found in fish frequently.
I've talked about this type of meat before and how it's one of the healthiest forms of meat you can possibly eat... It's grass-fed beef and other grass-fed ruminant meats such as bison, buffalo, lamb, and venison.
Now I know that a lot of people will try to convince you that meat is not good for you... and to be honest I partially agree with them when it comes to your typical factory farm-raised meat where the animals are fattened up with huge quantities of grains & soy that are not their natural diet & given unhealthy doses of hormones, antibiotics, etc.
However, when animals are healthy and eat the diet they were meant to eat naturally, the meat is actually healthy for us.  Not only are grass-fed meats a super-high quality source of muscle-building proteins, but they are also a great source of healthy fats (surprisingly to most people).
Let's take beef for example... When cattle eat mostly grain and soy, the fat composition of their meat becomes higher in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (which most of us already consume too much omega-6's) and lower in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (which are typically lacking in modern diets). 
On the other hand, when cattle eat mostly grass instead of grains & soy, their meat becomes higher in omega-3s and lower in omega-6 fatty acids, achieving a more natural balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats.  In addition, grass-fed beef also contains much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has shown some promising benefits in studies for losing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass.
Note - only the natural form of CLA from grass-fed meats and dairy has shown the fat loss and muscle building benefits in studies... beware of the supplement pill forms of CLA, which are artificially created.
A similar comparison can be made between wild salmon and farm raised salmon. Wild salmon is a healthier option than farm raised salmon and has higher levels of omega-3's because the wild salmon eat what they're supposed to eat naturally. On the other hand, farm raised salmon are fattened up unnaturally with grain/soy based food pellets which detrimentally changes the salmon's fat ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
The problem is that it is VERY hard to find healthy grass fed meats in typical grocery stores. In fact, even at health food stores, you might find some "organic" meats (which is at least a little better than standard), but it is often hard to find any real grass-fed meats.
Well, recently I did some searching and found a great website that sells all kinds of varieties of grass-fed beef and other healthy grass fed meats...
http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com
They have everything you could ever want... grass-fed burgers, ribeye steaks, filet mignon & any other quality beef cuts, grass-fed buffalo, grass-fed cheeses, and even free-range chicken and turkey! 
And better yet, they deliver it right to your house with no shipping costs either... and I actually found that the prices were pretty comparable to what I usually pay at the grocery store anyway.
I'll tell ya... I was like a kid in a candy store when I found this site. I placed my order for all kinds of goodies on a friday, I got a shipping notification email that Monday, and my delivery came right to my door the very next day in a sealed cooler... I couldn't believe the service I got from this company.
Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to know that you and your family are eating meat that is actually good for you instead of the mass produced junk at most grocery stores? I know I'm getting most of my meat from them from now on.
Everything in my order ended up being awesome... here's my recommendations:

• the grass-fed filet mignons (delicious and tender!)
• grass-fed burgers and bison burgers when I need a quick but healthy 5-minute meal (use some grass-fed cheese and sprouted grain roll for the ultimate balanced meal)
• the free-range chicken and turkey sausages (makes great italian dishes or healthier breakfast sausage)
• grass-fed cheese and butter (higher in CLA and omega-3 than normal butter or cheese) 
• they even have free-range turkeys available for big family meals (you won't find free-range turkeys in stores)

Plus, besides getting much healthier meat than you'd ever find in the store, another benefit to this site was that it was like doing my grocery shopping from my living room, instead of fighting the crowds at the store.
Well, they've got me hooked, and thought I'd pass on this little discovery to you. Here's the site again...
http://www.grasslandbeef.com
(FYI - from looking at the site, I believe you can only order the meats if you're in the US and Canada)
Enjoy!
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