The Hidden dangers of Salt

The Hidden dangers of Salt

I was just heard on the news today a story about the dangers of too much of salt in your daily diet

I think we have all heard this before, but I did not realize just how big this problem is.

Basically what they were saying was that on average people in the uk and the usa consume

8.6g of salt a day, 43% higher than the recommended 6g we should be eating.

They also went on to say 14% of stomach cancers (that’s 1 in 7) could be avoided if salt intake was reduced to the daily recommended guideline.

On this blog I have been harking on and on about the values of a whole food diet.

Much of the salt we consume today is hidden in processed foods and microwave meals and it just makes sense to stay away from these and eat more fruits vegetables and wholegrain foods instead.

High salt intake is also linked to high blood pressure the main cause of strokes and a significant cause of heart disease, as well as osteoporosis and kidney disease.

Its time for us to go back to a more wholesome way of eating and to go back to basics.

You do not have to give up most of the foods you enjoy but just try to make sure at least 80% of your diet is made up of fresh whole foods and try to make meals from scratch just like mum used to.

If you find your pushed for time simply make double the amount and freeze half so that you have a healthy meal handy to re-heat whenever you want.

Stay healthy stay away from processed foods.

Check out some more great natural tips at our sister site.

http://www.greatnnatural.com/

Use Your Mind To Get The Body You Want.

The Ultimate Secret of Mind Control and Motivation to Achieve the Exact Body Shape You Want

Hi, this article was taken from a post by Mike from TruthAboutAbs.com.

It was first published back in 2006 but it was a great post and provided me with a lot of motivation at the time so I am itching to share this with you today, six years later enjoy…

Today I ask you just to keep a open mind and suspend your old beliefs as I throw a few new ideas your way.

  If you can take full grasp of these ideas, take my word that this will be the most powerful secret you've ever discovered for attaining the exact body that you desire.

Keep in mind that this "ultimate secret" has nothing to do with our normal discussions of reps and sets. It has nothing to do with calories or fat or protein. It has nothing to do with cardio training or abs exercises. But once you discover the "Secret", you will be on your way to the body of your dreams, or any other goals that you have in your life, for that matter.

Elite athletes have practiced the "Secret". Champion bodybuilders have practiced the "Secret". Virtually all of the most influential, powerful, wealthiest, and happiest people throughout history have either knowingly or not, practiced the "Secret". Some didn't even realize that they knew the "Secret", but applying its power is the sole reason for their success. In today's discussion, I'm simply putting a little twist on this "Secret" and applying it to your fitness goals. But in reality, it works for any of your goals and desires in life.

Before I reveal the "Secret", I want to ask you a few questions today and I want you to answer the questions that are appropriate to your goals. I want you to be honest with yourself. If you discover that you have not accomplished your goals related to these questions, pay close attention, because I'm going to reveal to you how you can change this immediately and be on the path to achieving whatever it is that you want in life.

Do you currently have the body that you want?
Do you feel full of energy every single day?
Do you feel strong, confident, and proud of your body?
Do you feel that you have no physical limitation to be able to do whatever you want to do in life?
Do you want to be thinner?
Do you want more muscle?
Do you want sexy flat abs or a tighter butt?

The answers to these questions will be vastly different for everyone. Not everyone wants the same things. Not everyone has the same goals.

But the most important thing to realize, is that ANY of your goals can be achieved, no matter who you are, if you understand and APPLY the "Secret". Alright, enough of the build-up. What exactly is the "Secret"? Drum roll please...

The "Secret" lies within your mind and revolves around the powerful "Law of Attraction". What you focus on becomes your reality. A wise man once put this another way, "What you resist, persists. Whatever you are feeling and thinking is a perfect reflection of what you will become".
In other words, if all you ever focus on is how frustrated you are that you can never lose weight or get rid of that belly fat, then you are doomed to a flabby body forever, because you are actually creating that reality.

On the other hand, if you focus on your successes with every ounce of your being, every single day, and continually feel in your mind what your dream body is going to be like, you will create that reality. The key point is that your thoughts and feelings must revolve around already having the body that you want. You must actually imagine daily that you are already living in your new body.

If you're closed-minded, at this point in reading this article, you will probably say something like, "what is all of this gobbly-gook crap this idiot is talking about". And then you will click away to another site, go back to your daily life, and continue to be frustrated by failing to achieve the body you want for the rest of your life.

On the other hand, if you're open minded, and truly want to succeed, you will continue to read, absorb, and start to apply the "Secret", and watch your body slowly become exactly what you want it to become.

I've only recently discovered the "Secret" and how to apply this towards my other goals in life aside from fitness.

However, I also realized that the reason I've been successful with my fitness goals is that I've been unknowingly applying the "Secret" towards my fitness goals for many, many years now. I have always visualized exactly how I wanted my body to look, how energized I wanted to feel day in and day out, how strong and confident I wanted to feel. These visualizations led me on a constant mission to take massive daily ACTION towards exactly what I wanted.

So how do you get the exact body you want? Well, the first thing I want you to realize is that how you feel today and the body that you see in the mirror today is not the real you today... It is actually a combined result of how you have lived your life in the past... the habits, thoughts, and actions that you have taken throughout every single day that has preceded today.

If your past has not given you the body you want today, the energy you want, the powerful feeling of health that you want, then you need to change your mindset and start taking immediate and massive action towards exactly what you want.

You need to visualize yourself living in that desired lean, strong body... feel the energy, vitality, and strength running through every inch of you. Imagine the confidence you feel. If you want it bad enough, you WILL achieve it, but it takes a BURNING DESIRE to succeed. You need to keep running through this imagining process, and actually capture this "feeling" every single day, until the day comes that you realize that you have achieved your goals. If you practice this enough, you will attract into your life exactly what you want. Again, if all you focus on is your failures, and continue to think negatively, you will only attract more failures and negativity into your life.

Amazing things and amazing people have been coming into my life ever since I discovered the "Secret". If you have an open mind and focus your entire being on what you want, it WILL come into your life. It starts with the mindset, and your journey towards your goals continues from there with massive action taken on a daily basis toward your goals. Once you get this process right, you CAN'T fail.

I will leave you with one more powerful quote that has totally transformed the way I think about what I can achieve in life:

"Whether you THINK that you can or can't do something, either way, you are right".
Read that one again, and believe it! It is a powerful shift in mindset that will change your life.
I want you to do me a favor and read this entire article over again and really start thinking about how you can apply it towards your goals. They don't even have to be fitness goals. It can really be anything that you want to achieve.

Once you've got your mind in the right place, you are now ready to take massive action towards your goals starting now! Getting back to your fitness goals... If your goals revolve at all around losing body fat, tightening up your entire body, and creating an energy filled lifestyle, then a great place to get all of the information you need to achieve this and start taking action is in my Truth about Six Pack Abs book.

By the way, this book does not simply revolve around abs exercises. To be honest, the abs exercises are the LEAST important part of the book. The most important parts of the book are carrying out the nutritional program and compiling all of the training information into a full body training program to stimulate your metabolism and create the right hormonal environment in your body that removes body fat consistently.

Combining a fool-proof training and nutrition program such as this with the proper mindset and application of the "Secret", will give you a very powerful solution to the lean-body that you desire.

The solution is here - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

All that stands now between you and your goals is getting your mindset right, and taking action!
I hope this article has given you some things to think about. I urge you to have an open mind and allow yourself to attract what you want into your life.

Thanks

Exercises that Are NOT Your "Normal" Ab Exercises

The 3 Best Abdominal Exercises that Are NOT Your "Normal" Ab Exercises 

A unique ab workout that doesn't contain your typical boring stomach exercises - no crunches or situps here!

I have reproduced with permission from mike, this great article which includes some great exercises I have used over the years.

Two of these,The Renegade Row and the Mountain climbers, I had not even heard of before and the truth about abs program has so many more of these great tips and tricks.

Enjoy.....


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

Instead of the typical ab routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc... I like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their abs... thus building rock hard abs & core, but also creating a much better fat-burning workout than a typical ab workout.

I'm going to show you an example today of one of my favorite "ab workouts" that doesn't include any direct "ab exercises" at all. This is actually a full body workout that works your abs pretty hard indirectly, and stimulates a good metabolism boost!  It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises instead of 2).
Here goes:

1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor

A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".

Exercise Pics & Descriptions:

Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!

 

Renegade Rows shown above

Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body.
This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time!  Any time I do front squats after not having done them for a while, I get a really deep soreness in my abs the next day.

 

Front squats shown above

Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.



Mountain Climbers shown above

After finishing each exercise, try to move to the next exercise with very minimal rest (no more than 15-20 seconds).  Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating the sequence.
This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises.... and with a LOT more fat-burning metabolic effect compared to standard ab exercises...  You'll see what I mean after you try it!  This can be used as a stand-alone workout (as it can be very intense if you use challenging weights), or you can incorporate it as a portion of your full body workout.

http://www.getabsatlast.com/

Good luck in your training goals

The Rise Of The Moobs.

Posted on July 1, 2012 by reid114

The Rise Of The Moobs.

The number of men having breast reduction operations in the USA and UK is rising dramatically every year.
But is this down to people trying to obtain the perfect celebrity body of are we simply just getting fatter as a nation?

This is an era when glossy magazines and tabloids highlight every minute flaw of the female form, and the male celebrity for that matter.

The actress with bags under her eyes, the singer with an untrimmed armpit, the model with a sweat patch, all are presented blinking in the paparazzo’s flashbulb as their imperfections are chronicled.

But is this to blame for the rise in men going under the knife? to get rid of the flabby deposits on their chest or “moobs” as the media like to call them.

Well in my opinion the main cause of the dreaded moobs is diet.

No one is born with Moobs but the fatty deposits build up over time due to a unhealthy diet high in fat and junk food.

I also believe some junk foods contain excessive amounts of hormones which are fed to cattle to fatten them up, which can get into the food chain and further increase the rise in this condition.

So if you think you are genetically “blessed” to get man moobs, you are wrong it is all down to bad eating habits and lack of diet.

Another thing the media will not tell you is that even if you undertake a reduction operation and still continue to eat the same diet and not exercise your moobs will simply grow back stronger than before
It is not all doom and gloom however the situation can be reversed for good with a two pronged attack on the fat.

With a combination of a high intensity fat burning strength training routine  along with a proper diet you can turn the moobs in muscle in a short while.

So first thing is to cut out the junk food, and excess beer drinking.

Increase the fresh whole foods and drink plenty of water.

The change of diet may be hard but you have to really want this to make it work, we have to decrease you overall body fat percentage and increase the muscle mass.

Muscle’s burn much more calories than fat so as you increase muscle you will lose fat faster and faster.
One of the best ways to kick start you diet is to reduce your carbohydrate intake at first.

Though they can be added back into your diet at a later date, this will trick your body into using excess stored fat for fuel when it has no carbohydrates to feed from.

Moob diets should also include a good amount of protein especially when one begins to exercise. It is hard to build muscle without an adequate intake of protein.

Check out this great fat burning breakfast.

Replacing a lot of your carb intake with good quality protein will dramatically boost your exercise progress.
Incorporate Lean steak, chicken breasts and healthy sea foods into your diet and watch the size of your moobs decrease and your muscles increase

Another source of protein you can include in a moob diet is supplemental protein like whey protein. Whey protein shakes can be made and consumed to support those more intense workouts that you will be doing as you get stronger in your quest to eliminate the man boob.

Whey protein shakes are very easy to make they also taste quite nice now, just scoop some into the blender with ice and milk or water, and voila! you have a great fat burning shake.

These shakes should not be replacing every meal but they can replace a lunch or to get your energy back up after some intense working out at the gym and should be taken within half an hour after your workout.
The protein gets to work repairing you tied muscles and build fresh new muscle material, and where there is muscle there is no room for fat.

Include a varied amount of chest exercises into your routine such as bench press, incline flys, cable crossovers and all the different varitions  (too many to list here)

And watch those moobs turn into a lean looking manly chest.

Good luck in achieving your fitness goals.
http://www.getabsatlast.com/

How to get rid of bingo wings/Bat wings for good.

How to get rid of bingo wings/Bat wings for good.

The triceps muscle is often overlooked and many people complain that they do not know any good exercises to firm them up.
This muscle located beneath the bicep is responsible for extending your arms and your biceps are used for contracting them.
The two need to work in synch so you cannot train one and neglect the other.
As the triceps is located beneath the arm and does not get as much day to day use as the bicep, it is more prone to the affects of gravity and ageing and can become flabby, hence the terms “bingo wings” or “bat wings.
The good news is this muscle in most cases responds fairly quickly to resistance exercises, so you can have your arms back in tip top condition within a few month of consistent training.
I shall out line today three of the very best triceps exercises which can be done at home or in a gym with a pair of dumbbells failing this any heavy object which can be handled safely can be used.
1. DIPS

Dips the bread and butter exercise for the triceps.
This is a compound move, involving both the elbow and the shoulder joint and it doesn't require any equipment, making it a great travel exercise.
This version shows modified dip with a chair but you can also use a bench at the gym.

1. Sit on a bench or chair.
2. Begin with the hands next to the hips.
3. Lift up onto the hands and bring the hips forward.
4. Bend the elbows (no lower than 90 degrees) and lower the hips down, keeping them very close to the chair. Keep the shoulders down.
5. Push back up without locking the elbows and repeat for 10-16 reps.

Tips

• Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears to protect them from injury.
• Keep the hips close to the bench or chair to keep the focus on the triceps and not the shoulders.
• To make it easier, move the feet closer in. To make it harder, walk the feet out or elevate them on another chair or bench.
• Please note if you have any shoulder injuries it better not to preform these.

 2.KICKBACKS

The kickback is a common trieps exercise which involves extending the arm while the torso is in a bent position. For this exercise, you can do one arm at a time and use heavier weights or you can extend both arms at the same time, which will involve more lower back stabilization.

1. Hold a medium weight in both hands and bend over until your torso is at a 45-degree angle or parallel to the floor (more advanced). Bend the knees if needed and keep the abs engaged to protect the lower back.
2. Begin the movement by bending the arms and pulling the elbows up to torso level.
3. Holding that position, straighten the arms out behind you, squeezing the triceps muscles.
4. Bend the arms back to starting position and repeat for 10-16 reps.

Tips

• Do this exercise one arm at a time if you're using heavier weights or need more support for the lower back.
• Keep the abs engaged and the back flat throughout the movement.
• At the end of the movement, your arms should extend along the body, palms facing each other.
• Try not to swing the arms to get the weight up.

3. STANDING TRICEP EXTENSIONS


Triceps extensions are another great way to work the back of the arms.
Start with a light weight and remember to control the downward movement do not net the weight drop.
Stand erect and tall and extend the arms straight up above the head, palms face in. Use light-medium weights.

1. Bend the elbows and lower the hands until they're next to the ears, elbows at about 90-degree angles.
2. Squeeze the triceps to straighten the arms without locking the joints.
3. Keep the elbows steady throughout the movement, only moving the forearms.
4. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.

Include these great exercises into you workouts once, or for best results twice a week and say goodbye to those bingo wings for good.

For even more great tips check out:
http://www.getabsatlast.com/

Burn fat with the Deadlift

This month's featured exercise is the deadlift

One of the best full body exercises for burning fat is the deadlift.

When performed correctly it works you legs, back, buttocks, arms in fact most of the major muscle groups are involved.

After the squat this is the best exercise to build lean muscle get the heart pumping and increases your metabolic rate so you will still be burning calories long after your workout.

Deadlifts will also teach you to pick up an heavy object with a straight back - this will prevent injuries like hernias which usually result from repeatedly lifting with a round lower back.

How to Deadlift.

Proper technique is the key to deadlifting and preventing backpain.

Always start with the bar on the floor. Pulling from the safety pins is a Rack Pull. Deadlifting top down is a Romanian Deadlift. With conventional Deadlifs the bar must always start on the floor. Here's how to Deadlift in 5 easy steps:

1.    Stand with the bar above the center of your feet - your stance should be a bit more narrow than shoulder-width to give your arms room.

2.    Grab the bar overhand so your arms are vertical to the floor - if your hamstrings are tight, do Squat 2 stands to boost your hip flexibility.

3.    Bend through your knees until your shins hit the bar which must remain above the middle of your feet. Shoulder-blades directly over the bar.

4.    Lift your chest but don't squeeze your shoulder-blades like on Squats. Just put your shoulders back & down, head inline with rest of your spine.

5.    Pull - keep the bar close to your body, roll it over your knees and thighs until your hips and knees are locked. Do not lean back at the top.

And that's all there is to it. Lower the bar by pushing your hips back first, and then bend your knees once the bar reaches knee level (NOT before otherwise the bar will hit your knees). Repeat for 5 reps on StrongLifts 5x5.
(Check out this crazy fat burning routine)This simple exercise can accelerate your fitness progress dramatically, and should be preformed by women as well as men.

You will find when you start doing deadlifts and squats the extra strength you gain carries over to all your other exercises, not to mention improved posture.

So what are you waiting for lets get deadlifting.

Get even more great tips here!

My Top 55 Lean-Body Foods to Build Lean Muscle and Lose Body Fat

My Top 55 Lean-Body Foods to Build Lean Muscle and Lose Body Fat

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

In most of my Lean-Body Secrets Newsletters, I like to provide a healthy snack or meal recipe that not only is delicious and healthy, but also helps to get you closer to that hard-body appearance that everyone is looking for, while also more importantly, improving your health for life. In this article, I'd like to give you healthy food ideas in a different way. This time, I figured I'd just give you some ideas of what I stock my fridge and cabinets with.

Remember, if you don't have junk around the house, you're less likely to eat junk! If all you have is healthy nutritious foods around the house, you're forced to make smart choices. Basically, it all starts with making smart choices and avoiding temptations when you make your grocery store trip. Now these are just some of my personal preferences, but perhaps they will give you some good ideas that you'll enjoy.

Some of these will be obvious healthy choices, such as fruits and veggies... however, others on this page I think will surprise you!

Alright, so let's start with the fridge. Each week, I try to make sure I'm loaded up with lots of varieties of fresh vegetables. During the growing season, I only get local produce, but obviously in winter, I have to resort to the produce at the grocery store. Most of the time, I make sure I have plenty of vegetables like onions, zucchini, spinach, fresh mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli, etc. to use in my morning eggs. I also like to chop up some lean chicken or turkey sausage (make sure to look for nitrate & nitrite free) or grass-fed bison sausage into the eggs, along with some swiss, jack, or goat cheeses (preferably raw grass-fed cheeses when I can find them).

By the way I'm talking about whole eggs, NOT egg whites. Always remember that the yolk is the most nutritious and nutrient dense part of the egg, so only eating egg whites is like throwing away the best part... and no, it's NOT bad for you because of the cholesterol... whole eggs actually raise your GOOD cholesterol. Try to get free range organic eggs for the best quality. Here's an entire article I did on the topic of whole eggs vs egg whites.

Coconut milk is another staple in my fridge. I like to use it to mix in with smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt for a rich, creamy taste. Not only does coconut milk add a rich, creamy taste to lots of dishes, but it's also full of healthy saturated fats. Yes, you heard me right... I said healthy saturated fats! ...Healthy saturated fats such as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), specifically an MCT called lauric acid, which is vitally important for your immune system.

If the idea of healthy saturated fats is foreign to you, check out my article about why saturated fat is not as bad as you think.

Back to the fridge, some other staples:

•Walnuts, pecans, almonds - delicious and great sources of healthy fats. Try to get raw nuts if possible as the roasting process can oxidize some of the polyunsaturated fats in some types of nuts making those damaged fats slightly more inflammatory. Overall, nuts are still healthy even if they are roasted, but raw nuts are optimal.

•Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and yogurt (grass-fed and organic if possible) - I like to mix cottage or ricotta cheese and yogurt together with chopped nuts and berries for a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal.

•Chia seeds and/or hemp seeds - I add these highly nutritious seeds to yogurt, smoothies, or salads for a great nutty taste and loads of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins and minerals. Don't use pre-ground versions of these seeds as the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and prone to oxidation, creating high levels of free radicals if you use pre-ground seeds. No grinding is necessary to properly digest these seeds.

•Whole eggs - one of natures richest sources of nutrients (and remember, they increase your GOOD cholesterol so stop fearing them).

•Salsa - I try to get creative and try some of the exotic varieties of salsas.

•Avocados - love them...plus a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients. Try adding them to wraps, salads, or sandwiches.

•Butter - don't believe the naysayers; butter adds great flavor to anything and CAN be part of a healthy diet... just keep the quantity small because it is calorie dense... and NEVER use margarine, unless you want to assure yourself a heart attack. Most important -- choose organic butter only, since pesticides and other harmful chemicals accumulate in the fat of the milk which is used for butter, so choosing organic helps avoid this problem. Also, choose grass-fed (pastured) butter if you can find it as it will contain higher levels of healthful omega-3 fats and the fat-burning conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

•Nut butters - Plain old peanut butter has gotten a little old for me, so I get creative and mix together almond butter with pecan butter, or even cashew butter with macadamia butter...delicious and unbeatable nutrition! Using a variety of nut butters gives you a broader range of vitamins and minerals and other micronutrients, and gives you variety instead of boring old peanut butter all the time.

•Leaf lettuce and spinach along with shredded carrots - for salads with dinner.

•Home-made salad dressing - using balsamic vinegar, spices, extra virgin olive oil, and Udo's Choice oil blend. This is much better than store bought salad dressing which mostly use highly refined canola or soybean oil (canola and soybean oil are both very inflammatory in the body). Here's an article showing why to NEVER use store-bought salad dressings.

•Sprouted grain bread for occasional use -- My personal belief from years of nutrition research is that we're not really meant to consume the massive quantities of grains (not even whole grains) that we do in this day and age... a small amount may be okay, but our digestive systems are still primarily adapted to a hunter/gatherer type of diet with only a very small amount of grains, therefore I try to only have breads and other grain-based foods on cheat days.

•Rice bran - If we're going to have some grain-based food, we might as well have the most nutrient dense part, and rice bran is one of those parts, since it includes the germ of brown rice too. Rice bran is loaded with vitamins and minerals but without the large amount of starch calories that rice has... and it actually adds a nice little nutty, crunchy taste to yogurt or smoothies, or can be added when baking to add nutrients and fiber to the recipe.
Some of the staples in the freezer:

•Frozen berries - during the local growing season, I only get fresh berries, but during the other 10 months of the year, I always keep a supply of frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, etc. to add to high fiber cereal, oatmeal, cottage cheese, yogurt, or smoothies. I also get frozen goji berries sometimes for a little "exotic" variety.

•Frozen fish - I like to try a couple different kinds of fish each week. There are so many varieties out there, you never have to get bored. Just make sure to ALWAYS choose wild fish instead of farmed versions, as the omega-3 to omega-6 balance is MUCH healthier in wild fish. Also, as this article shows, there are some possible other health issues with farmed fish.

•Frozen chicken breasts - very convenient for a quick addition to wraps or chicken sandwiches for quick meals.

•Grass-fed steaks, burgers, and ground beef: Grass-fed meats have been shown to have as high as, or even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than salmon (without the mercury). Also, grass-fed meats have much higher levels of fat-burning and muscle-building conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared to typical grain-fed beef that you'll find at your grocery store. I recently found an excellent on-line store where I buy all of my grass-fed meats now (they even deliver right to your door in a sealed cooler) - www.healthygrassfed.2ya.com

•Frozen buffalo, ostrich, venison, and other "exotic" lean meats - Yeah, I know...I'm weird, but I can tell you that these are some of the healthiest meats around, and if you're serious about a lean healthy body, these types of meats are much better for you than the mass produced, hormone-pumped beef, chicken, and pork that's sold at most grocery stores.

•Frozen veggies - again, when the growing season is over and I can no longer get local fresh produce, frozen veggies are the best option, since they often have higher nutrient contents compared to the fresh produce that has been shipped thousands of miles, sitting around for weeks before making it to your dinner table.
Alright, now the staples in my cabinets:

•Various antioxidant-rich teas - green, oolong, white, rooibos (red tea) are some of the healthiest. One of my newest favorite teas is yerba mate, which is a south american tea that is loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients. I've found some delicious yerba mate mixes such as chocolate yerba mate, mint mate, raspberry mate, etc.

•Oat bran and steel cut oats - higher fiber than those little packs of instant oats, which are typically loaded with sugar. If I'm trying to reduce body fat and get extra lean, I make most of my breakfasts based on eggs and veggies and bison sausage, but if I'm on a muscle building phase, I increase carbohydrate intake and use more oat bran and oatmeal.

•The only healthy oils I have in my cabinets are virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Macadamia oil may also be a reasonable choice as long as it's not "refined". But other than that, all "vegetable oils" (which is usually soy and corn oil) are total junk and very inflammatory. Never use soy or corn oils! Also, always avoid canola oil, as there is nothing healthy about canola oil, despite the deceptive marketing claims by the canola oil industry.

•Cans of coconut milk (loaded with healthy saturated MCT fats) - to be transferred to a container in the fridge after opening.

•Brown rice and other higher fiber rice - NEVER white rice

•Tomato sauces - delicious, and as I'm sure you've heard a million times, they are a great source of lycopene. Just watch out for the brands that are loaded with nasty high fructose corn syrup. You also want to make sure that the tomato sauce is made with olive oil instead of unhealthy soybean oil or canola oils. Also get tomato sauces in glass jars instead of cans, as canned tomatoes are notoriously high in the dangerous chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA) due to the acidic leaching of BPA from the can lining.

•Stevia - a natural non-caloric sweetener, which is an excellent alternative to the nasty chemical-laden artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine, and sucralose.

•Raw honey - better than processed honey... higher quantities of beneficial nutrients and enzymes. Honey has even been proven in studies to improve glucose metabolism (your efficiency in processing carbohydrates). I use a small teaspoon every morning in my teas. Yes, I know that even honey is pure sugar, but at least it has some nutritional benefits... and let's be real, a teaspoon of healthier raw honey is only 5 grams of carbs... certainly nothing to worry about, and a better choice than refined sugar.

•Organic REAL maple syrup - none of that high fructose corn syrup Aunt Jemima crap...only real maple syrup can be considered real food. The only time I really use this (because of the high sugar load) is added to my post-workout smoothies to sweeten things up and also elicit an insulin surge to push nutrients into your muscles to aid muscle recovery.

•Organic unsweetened cocoa powder - I like to mix this into my smoothies for an extra jolt of antioxidants or make my own low-sugar hot cocoa by mixing cocoa powder into hot milk with stevia and a couple melted dark chocolate chunks (delicious!).

•Cans of black or kidney beans - I like to add a couple scoops to my Mexican dishes for the fiber and high nutrition content. Also, beans are surprisingly one of the best sources of youth enhancing antioxidants! Did you know that black beans and kidney beans have more antioxidants than blueberries...it's true!

•Dark chocolate (as dark as possible - ideally more than 70-75% cocoa content) - This is one of my treats that satisfies my sweet tooth, plus provides loads of antioxidants at the same time. It's still calorie dense, so I keep it to just 1-2 small squares after a meal... but that is enough to do the trick, so I don't feel like I need to go out and get cake and ice cream to satisfy my dessert urges.
Lastly, another thing that's hard to go wrong with is a good variety of fresh fruits and berries. The staples such as bananas, apples, oranges, pears, peaches are good, but I like to also be a little more adventurous and include things like yellow (aka - mexican or champagne) mangoes, pomegranates, kumquats, papaya, star fruit, pineapples, and others. Also, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries (the highest fiber berry) and cherries are some of the most nutrient and antioxidant-dense fruits you can eat.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this special look into my favorite lean body meals and how I stock my cabinets and fridge. Your tastes are probably quite different than mine, but hopefully this gave you some good ideas you can use next time you're at the grocery store looking to stock up a healthy and delicious pile of groceries.

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The 2 worst foods that make you fat

The 2 worst foods that make you fat

The 2 fattening foods that I'm going to talk about in this article may actually shock you...
most people falsely believe these 2 foods are "healthy".

In all of my years working as a Certified Nutrition Specialist, this usually surprises people when I mention they should consider eliminating these foods from their diet.

Everybody these days knows how bad trans fats and high fructose corn syrup are for you, so I figured I'd spare you yet another lecture on those... Instead, read on to see a couple foods that may shock you that they may be packing on the blubber.
The first type of food that is often falsely believed to be healthy is wheat products... this includes most breads, cereals, bagels, muffins, pasta, crackers, and so on.  And yes, I am including "whole wheat" in the category of this fattening food.

First of all, a large percentage of the population has some degree of intolerance to the gluten in wheat and some other grains. Full blown celiacs are the most sensitive to it, but what most people don't realize is that the majority of the population was never meant to eat large quantities of wheat.  The human digestive system has never adapted to large amounts of wheat in the diet.

The introduction of wheat into the human diet has only been in the last couple thousand years, and it has NEVER been in such large quantities in the human diet until the last 80-100 years.  This is a small time frame compared to the traditional diet that the human digestive system developed over several hundred thousand years eating a hunter-gatherer diet of meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

From my experience with many of my clients, when they heed my advice and eliminate wheat from their diet for 2-3 weeks to see if they start to lose weight and feel better, this almost always makes a HUGE difference.  Many times, they not only start losing body fat much faster, but they also finally get rid of headaches and indigestion that has plagued them for years.  Sometimes even skin problems go away when eliminating wheat from the diet.
The 2nd example of the worst fattening foods that shocks many people because it is thought to be "healthy" is -- fruit juice.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-carb advocate per se... I actually think most fruits are VERY healthy for us. However, we were NOT meant to separate the juice from the rest of the fruit and only drink the high calorie sugary mixture and leave behind the fiber and other beneficial components of the fruit.

When you only drink the juice of fruits (apple juice and orange juice being 2 of the worst culprits in the western diet), you are not getting the appetite satisfying effect of the fiber in the fruit, and you're left craving more carbs.  Also, the fiber in whole fruit helps to slow the blood sugar response when eating whole fruit compared to fruit juice.

Bottom line... overconsuming fruit juices makes you fat.  On the other hand, eating whole fruits including all of the fiber helps you maintain a healthy balanced diet and high nutrient density (as long as the rest of your diet is whole unprocessed foods as well).

If you want the REAL truth on eating strategically for permanent fat loss, read these 5 tips for Losing Body Fat the smart and effective way.

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Enjoy, and good luck with your nutrition endeavors!
Mike Geary -
Certified Nutrition Specialist,
Certified Personal Trainer,
Author of the world-wide best-seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs