Unusual Tips and Foods to Lose Your Stomach Fat

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

In this FREE presentation below, you'll find:

• Shocking foods that burn belly fat
• 2 so-called "health" foods that you should NEVER eat (they can actually increase stomach fat)
• Motivation secrets for lifelong fitness success
• 1 unique "trick" to reduce junk-food cravings
• Weird workouts that burn abdominal fat faster than typical "cardio"
• The TRUTH about getting flat abs without bogus "fat burner" pills
  
  
  Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat and Get Six Pack Ab 
  
  1. Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that can actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.
  2. Ab exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are actually the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We'll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.
  3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I'll tell you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.
  4. You DON'T need to waste your money on expensive "extreme fat burner" pills or other bogus supplements. I'll show you how to use the power of natural foods in more detail below.
  Before we get to #5, if you didn't do it already, make sure not to miss out on this free report with tons of fat loss tips today...
  5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks... they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that "ab contraption"... they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you'll learn some of their secrets and what really works below.
  

  Here's the REAL truth on getting a flat belly and lean sexy abs...

  Men click here for your free presentation with important tips to start losing your belly fat and carving out ripped six pack abs.

  Women Click here for your FREE presentation showing a unique method for losing your stubborn tummy fat and get a tight sexy stomach

   

  Want to read an amazing case study of mine that got ripped six pack abs?  This is very inspirational and I'm extremely proud of Alex for his results:  How Alex lost 36 lbs of body fat, built lean muscle, and got six pack abs for the first time.

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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.  You can find raw honey at certain health food stores or online.

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.

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My Take on Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Low Carbs, and all of the Carb BS

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about 6-Pack Abs

With so much talk, confusion, and controversy in recent years about "carbs", I wanted to give you my take on good carbs vs bad carbs, low carb, and all the other "carb confusion" out there.  I'll also show you one of my favorite healthy carbohydrate choices.
First of all, although I'm not a "low carb" extremist, I do believe that one of the main reasons so many people struggle to ever lose any body fat is that they are over consuming processed carbohydrates such as:

• cereals
• pasta
• rice
• bagels
• muffins
• breads (even whole grain varieties are not ideal if you're looking to lose body fat)
• sodas
• juices
• candies
• crackers

It is extremely hard to lose body fat if you're over consuming any of these types of carbohydrates (even if you workout very hard). In addition to causing wild blood sugar swings and insulin surges which can promote body fat deposition, eating too many carbs also increases your appetite and cravings.
Note that I didn't include potatoes in the list of processed carbohydrates. Despite the trash talking they get from many fitness professionals, I think whole potatoes (not fries or chips!) are a nutrient-dense healthy food.
Even carbohydrate sources that most people think are "healthy" really are just excess calories that don't really deliver a whole lot of nutrient density... and many types of breads and cereals pretend to be "whole grain" with clever marketing while in reality the first ingredient in them is refined flour, which is just going to shoot your blood sugar through the roof.
My take on it is that the majority of people struggling to lose body fat would do much better following these types of carb guidelines:
1. Reduce your grain-based carb products in the diet (cereal, pasta, rice, crackers, etc) and focus more of the diet on healthy grass-fed and/or free-range meats and eggs, grass-fed raw dairy, and TONS of vegetables and fruits.  I understand that it's very hard for most people to give up entirely their breads, cereals, and pastas.  But don't worry, just save the grain-based carbs for a 1-day per week "cheat day", and you can still do just fine!
2. Instead of the grains for most of the carbs, try getting most of your carbs from vegetables, sweet potatoes, and a variety of whole fruits and berries (NOT fruit juices, which remove the beneficial fiber as well as other essential parts of the fruit).
3.  If you're going to eat any grains at all, focus on the most nutrient dense and fibrous portions of the grain... the germ and bran... this means that the best parts are getting oat bran instead of oatmeal, and using rice bran to add to your yogurt, cottage cheese, salads, soups, etc.  This way you get all of the most beneficial nutritious parts of grains without all of the excess starches and calories. 
Note on wheat germ --  although wheat germ is a nutrient dense food (compared to the nutrient-poor starch portion of wheat), beware of the gluten in wheat if you have any intolerance.  Many people have wheat/gluten intolerances and don't even realize it.  It could be worth it to get tested to see how your body is handling wheat.
Also, for best results with grains in general, try to stick only to sprouted grain products if you're going to eat any grains at all.  The sprouting of grains helps to eliminate some of the "anti-nutrients" in some grains, and also improves digestion of those grains.
4. To replace the void if you're used to consuming lots of bread, pasta, cereals, and other carb sources... try filling that void with more healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, nut butters as well as healthy proteins such as raw grass-fed dairy and meats, whole free-range organic eggs, etc. Healthy fats and proteins go a long way to satisfying your appetite, controlling proper hormone and blood sugar levels, and helping you to make real progress on fat loss.
With all of that said, here's one of my favorite carb sources that is high in fiber as well as tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants:
Sweet potatoes or yams
I always choose the orange varieties instead of the white varieties of sweet potatoes. One of the problems with sweet potatoes is the time it takes to bake a sweet potato for 1 to 1.5 hrs.
I cook my sweet potatoes in a different way that only takes 5 minutes and they come out delicious... and no, I would NEVER use a microwave (I talk more about why never to use a microwave to cook your foods in this article).
The easiest and quickest way I've found to cook up a sweet potato is to slice it up into thin slivers and put it into a pan that you can cover with a lid.  I add a touch of butter, virgin coconut oil (beneficial medium chain triglycerides), and about 3-4 Tbsp of water and simmer with a covered lid for about 5 minutes. 
When the sweet potatoes are soft, then add a little cinnamon and maybe a touch of the natural sweetener stevia (if you want a little more sweet flavor) and you're all set with a delicious healthy carb side dish to go with any meat dish.  Add a side salad and you've got the perfect lean-body meal plan.
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A million children at risk because of hidden fat

Around a million children are at risk of heart disease and diabetes because standard measures to determine if they are healthy ignore body fat and muscle mass
By Claire Carter
 
One million children who are classed as healthy under Government standards could be at risk of an early death because of hidden fat around their organs, academics warn.

The body mass index system, which measures height and weight to classify people as underweight, healthy and obese ignores fat within the body say experts, which puts children at risk of diabetes and heart disease.

They say this system underestimates the amount of children who are overweight by around one million, as these children may appear slim but have fat packed around their organs, limbs and brains.

Scientists describe this group as “tofi” children – thin on the outside and fat on the inside – who are being put at risk by the use of standard measurements that do not distinguish between body fat and muscle mass.

Professor David McCarthy, of London Metropolitan University, said there was a “raft” of children who had been overlooked because they are classified as having a healthy BMI.

“This matters because the more fat you have, compared to muscle, the more likely you are to develop type 2 Diabetes and coronary heart disease in later life,” Prof McCarthy told the Mail on Sunday.
“If they maintain their body composition into adulthood, or it gets worse, they are going to be at risk of these diseases.”
For the study 1,000 children were measured using a Tanita bio-electrical impedance machine which measures how much weight is fat and muscle by passing a low electrical current through the body.
This found that 15 per cent of children classed as “healthy” under the BMI scale had high levels of fat – with one boy found to have 29 per cent body fat.
The study also found that one in ten children who were classed as overweight using the BMI system were actually healthy when their muscle and fat mass were measured.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, called for scanning units to be regularly used in schools so their body fat could be measured properly.
“We need to see inside children with sophisticated scientific equipment to find hidden fat- otherwise we are failing to address a growing problem.”
Body mass index is calculated by measuring the ratio of weight to height and does not take into account the difference between body fat and muscle mass. Under the National Child Measurement programme children are measured at ages four to five and when they are 10 and 11, to indicate whether they are in the healthy BMI range or not.
The measurements, which public health officials have conceded are not perfect, have seen some parents of active sporty children receive letters telling them their child is overweight.
If you liked today's article please feel free to share with your friends and family.

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

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

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

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

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Chest Training "Thumb Trick" Pumps Up Your Pecs!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feel that movement in your upper pec? 

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

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

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

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

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


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

by Sarah Hougen, CPT

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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Paleo Cauliflower-Crust Pizza Recipe

 

Cauliflower Crust

 

1 head cauliflower

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

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

1 egg

Coconut oil or grass fed butter to grease the cookie sheet

 

The toppings (any combination that you like)

Organic pepperoni

Organic bacon

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

Black olives

Dried oregano

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

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

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