(Note: If you’re having trouble viewing this video, please try watching it directly on my YouTube channel and see if that helps)

Another real benefit of having strong glutes, is that it protects your low back.  In fact, many of the people that suffer from low back pain have a diminished use of their glutes.  They have what I call, “butt amnesia”.  Their butts don’t know how to work.  It’s been dormant for such as long time that when it’s called upon to do work, it doesn’t know how to and ends up passing the work along to other muscles…mainly your low back muscles.  Eventually your low back can’t take the excess work and it ends up getting strained. 

One reason for “butt amnesia” is a simple case of too much sitting.  Sitting for long periods of time tightens and shortens your hip flexor muscles.  Your hip flexor muscles are large powerful muscles that originate from your low back vertebrae and attaches to your upper thigh region.  Since your hip flexors are much larger and stronger than your low back muscles, when it plays tug a war, your low back muscles lose every time.  Ironically, the muscles that’s strong enough to counter act your hip flexors…your glutes…get shut down when it’s needed the most.  When your hip flexors are tight and over activate, it inhibits your glutes from being activated…go figure?  So what can you to do?

Before trying to wake your butt up (no pun intended), you need to deactivate your hip flexors.  And the best way to do so is to stretch them out.  Stretching your hip flexors for 30 to 60 seconds prior to exercising your glutes will help enhance your ability to activate and “wake up” your glutes from it’s dormancy.

Now that you know how to deactivate your hip flexors, you can take advantage of it and really work your butt!

Take a look at the video above for a simple, but very effective glute exercise that you can do to start strengthening your butt to help you alleviate low back pain, increase athletic performance and of course get you that tight and toned backside. 

Try this exercise and let me know how your butt feels.

Do you notice that your glutes get activated more after you stretch out your hip flexors?

P.S.  Just another reminder…I’m doing my first MAX Workouts Transformation Contest!  I’m giving away $1000 for the top prize winner, $500 for the second prize winner and $250 for the third prize winner.  And all of the winners get a 1 year free membership to my online fitness club.  I’m super excited about the contest and I can’t wait to see the results in a few months from now.  So if you haven’t had the chance to sign up yet, go to MAX Workouts and sign up today.

Let me know what you think?  Please post your questions/comments below

So what’s the best way to lose weight?

Intermittent fasting? Counting calories? High protein diet? High fiber diet? 

The answer depends on who you ask, and the truthfully, if it’s a legitimate diet - and when I mean legitimate, I mean none of these ridiculous diets, like the banana diet which apparently was huge in Japan for a while (go figure!) - most diets work…to a certain degree. 

The difficult thing about diets is that everyone is different and we all respond differently to foods…so there really is no one size fits all.  However, one thing is certain, you are what you eat and eating the right foods can make your weight loss efforts much easier.  Here are a few tips that can make your diet a success.

It’s hard to see past the billion dollar marketing lies that our food industries throw our way, but the best way to bypass all the false hype and gimmick is to stick to real foods that don’t have labels on the them.  If you can stick to eating real foods, you’re going to be significantly better off than 95% of the people out there.  Because here’s the thing, no matter what diet your on, all successful diets have two things in common - reduce calorie intake and provide ample nutrients to your body.  And the best way to do that is by eating real foods and avoid processed foods that have hidden calories and poor nutritious values. 

Now even though I mention calories, don’t get me wrong…I HATE counting calories!  And for the most part, it’s unnecessary if you’re eating the right foods.  But, I do think that initially, if you’re coming off of a poor diet, knowing what foods have how many calories is a good thing.  What is important is knowing how much of each macronutrient you need to consume on a daily basis.  Macronutrients are the protein, carbohydrates and fat contents in you food.  Much like counting calories, it first it’s a bit of work, but once you figure out how much protein, carbs and fats you need…it becomes a piece of cake to maintain.  More importantly it allows you to know what you’re putting into your body, so you can take full control of your diet.

So how much of each macronutrient do you need to eat in a day?

I discussed the benefits of protein and how much protein you need to consume in a day, along with how to calculate your lean body weight, in a previous article, but here’s a another quick look at the general guidelines:

• Sedentary - 0.35 - 5 grams per lean body mass
• Moderately - Active 0.6 - 0.8 grams per lean body mass
• Active - 0.8 - 1.0 grams per lean body mass
• Very Active - 1.0 and higher per lean body mass

Now in caloric terms, protein has 4 calories per gram.  So, as an example let’s say you weight 170 lb and have 20% body fat.  That calculates to 136 lb of lean body weight.  And let’s assume that your very active, perhaps doing the MAX Workouts program…hint hint…that would mean that you should be eating about 1 gram of protein for each pound of lean body weight, which would be around 136 g of protein a day.  This equates to 136 g x 4 cal/g = 544 calories in a day.  (Not much considering one Big Mac has roughly 580 calories…just to puts things into perspective.)

Personally, I feel that the biggest culprit of weight gain is due to excessive carbs.  Now, before I get brushed off as another low carb guy…let me explain.  First of all not all carbs are bad.  In fact, unrefined carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruits are great for you, since it provides tons of nutrients and fiber.  It just so happens that majority of the vegetables and some fruits happen to be low in sugar content and low in calories as well.  So by default, if you eat mostly vegetables and some fruits for your carbohydrates, you end up eating a low carb diet.  It’s grains and grain products that really ramp up your carb intake. 

Whole grains have many health benefits, but unfortunately most grains on the market are not whole grains….they’re processed grains.  Processed grains are in pretty much every product imaginable, from breads, pasta, rice to baked goods, packaged snacks and even healthy snacks.  Grains are dense in calories and packed with sugar, and so when ingested it really increases your insulin activity.  Insulin hormone is like the gate keeper to your fat storage, and since it acts as a storage hormone, it loves to store excess sugar as fat.  So the less you get your insulin involved the better, both for you and your fat.  And the best way to do so is by eliminating refined “grains” carb intake and make sure that your carbohydrate content mainly comes from unrefined carbs like vegetables and fruits. 

So how many carbs should you eat?

Much like protein, it varies with each individual and their activity levels, but here are some ranges you can use as a general guide: 

• At 200 - 300 grams per day you’re likely to steadily gain weight, especially if you’re sedentary or only moderately active.
• At 150-200 grams per day, you’re at the cusp of gaining weight and maintaining your weight is going to depend on your activity levels.  You’ll more than likely need to participate in longer duration “cardio” based activities in order to maintain your current weight.
• At 100-150 grams per day, you should be able to maintain your weight, by being moderately active.  However, if you participate in short duration but higher intensity activities (aka. MAX Workouts), you should be able to lose weight, while building lean muscle.
• At 50-100 grams per day, you should be able to lose weight steadily if you’re moderately active.  And if you participate in short duration high intensity activities, as mentioned above, you should be able to accelerate your weight loss process.
 
• At 0-50 grams per day, your body starts to metabolize fat for fuel, so you’ll burn fat and lose weight more quickly.  However, it’s not recommended for long term.  It’s an effective initial start up phase, utilized by many low carb diets.  The phase is usually 5 days to 2 weeks in length.

Again, these are just general ranges and it will vary according to each individual.  And if you’ve been eating high amounts of carbs, you shouldn’t cut out carbs immediately.  Instead, you’ll need to slowly ween yourself off of carbs until you get to the appropriate ranges.

Eating low carbs isn’t difficult if you’re eating the right kinds of foods.  If you stick to eating unrefined carbs (ie. vegetables and some fruits), you shouldn’t have any trouble keeping your carb intake within ranges of 50 - 150 grams per day.  It’s only when you start to include grains into your diet that you get into trouble.  As mentioned earlier, grains are too high in sugar content and readily activates your insulin, making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight. 

It’s also important to note that your body has the ability to make up to 200 grams of glycogen (stored glucose) a day from proteins and fat.  Much of that glycogen is stored in your muscle (and some in you liver) to be used for physical activities.  So, even with low to zero carb intake, your body can make enough glucose to keep your glycogen levels in your muscles full for fuel. 

Now in caloric terms, carbohydrates has 4 calories per gram.  Using the same example as I did in the protein section…let’s say your goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of the program, which would be 145 lb.  That’s about 2 lb a week, since the program is 12 weeks long.  And let’s say that you decide to cut down your carb intake to a range of about 100 grams per day.  This equals to 100 g x 4 cal/g = 400 calories a day. 

So far, your total calorie intake is 544 calories from protein and 400 calories from carbs for a total of 944 calories

There are a few ways to calculate how many calories you need per day in order for you to achieve your goal weight.  Some calculations require you to plug in your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and some also require you to plug in your lean body weight, and you can use any of these calculations, but a quick, easy and reliable method, is to multiply your goal weight by 10.  So for this example, it would be 145 lb x 10 = 1450 calories a day.  And since the total calorie from protein and carbs is 944 calories, the amount of calories left is 1450 - 944 = 506 calories.  And this last amount of calories should come from fat.  Fat has 9 calories per gram, so that equals 506 cal / 9 cal/g = 84.3 g of fat.  So that means you can consume up to 84 grams of fat and still be within your weight loss caloric intake.

Now…fat is the most misunderstood macronutrient out of them all.  I think it’s because of the name.  Who wants to eat fat when they’re trying to lose fat…right?  But here’s the key to eating fats and still lose weight.  As long as you’re eating the right amounts of macronutrients - protein and carbs - eating fat actually increases you body’s ability to burn stored fat more effectively! 

Fats can be divided up into these following categories:

• Saturated Fats - Stable fats found in foods like animal fats and coconuts.
 
• Monounsaturated Fats - Moderately stable fats found in foods like avocado and in many healthy oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and peanut oil.
• Polyunsaturated Fats - Least stable of the three main fats, making polyunsaturated fats very susceptible to going rancid quickly when heated.  It’s found in grain products, soybeans, peanuts and fish oils.

You can include any or a combination of all of the fats mentioned above in your daily diet.  The only type of fat that needs to be avoided at all costs is trans fats.  It shouldn’t even be considered fat, since it’s not natural.  It’s chemically manufactured and is added to food to extend shelf life.  However, when ingested, it causes serious damage to your body.  Long term exposure to trans fats have been associated with obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and chronic inflammatory diseases, just to name a few. 

It’s important to note, that when you’re deciding to go on a diet, the total amount of calories you choose to eat in a day depends on your goal and how quickly you want to get to your goal.  But here are some key points to keep in mind before you decide:

• Be realistic about your goals and approach it like a marathon slow and steady is the best and healthiest solution
• Cutting out too many calories is a sure way to cause you to rebound by over consuming afterwards, getting you on the infamous yo - yo dieting roller coaster
• Look at your diet as a long term goal and not something you want to achieve today.
• Calories are important, but it’s just as important (if not more so) to watch what you eat.  Not all calories are created equal.  Each food you ingest triggers hormonal responses that can either be helpful and healthy or negative and unhealthy.
• Weight loss should come as a result of a combination of both healthy eating and an effective exercise plan.

In order to figure out how many calories you need a day, you need to find our how much of each macronutrient you should be eating.  And to help you do that, you can go to www.caloriecount.about.com to find out the nutrition content of each food.

So here’s a summary of the tips you can implement to help you succeed in your diet and weight loss efforts.

• Eat real foods and avoid all processed foods, so you can avoid hidden calories and poor nutrition
• Knowing your total caloric intake initially is a good way to have an idea of how much food you should be eating
• Know how much of each macronutrient (protein, carbs and fats) you need to eat
• Cut out refined carbs, especially grains and instead eat unrefined carbs such as vegetables and fruits
• Eating fat helps you lose weight as long as you’re eating the proper amounts of protein and low carbs
• Avoid trans fats at all costs
• Combine healthy eating with an effective exercise program to maximize weight loss

 
P.S.  If you haven’t heard already, I’m doing my first MAX Workouts Transformation Contest! 

I’m super excited about the contest and I can’t wait to see the results in a few months from now.  So if you haven’t had the chance to sign up yet, go to MAX Workouts and sign up today.

As the saying goes…you are what you eat.

There are 3 major categories that all foods can be divided into.  These are also known as macronutrients.  Macronutrients are your proteins, carbohydrates and fats.  We eat a combination of all three on a daily basis, but did you know that only 2 are needed for you to survive and they also happen to be the most effective in helping you lose weight?  And one in particular is absolutely necessary if you want to burn off your stubborn fat and transform your body.  Unfortunately, most of us have been gravely misinformed about how each macronutrient affects our body, which is why weight gain has become such a perpetual problem.

Each macronutrient provides something to your body.  Protein provides structure for your cells, carbohydrate provides immediate energy for activities and fat provides long term energy for physical activities as well as energy to run all of your metabolic processes.  But protein and fats are the only two macronutrients essential for your body’s survival.  This is why when you’re trying to lose weight and cutting calories it’s vital that you take in sufficient amounts of protein and fat. 

In particular, it’s vital that you consume enough protein on a daily basis in order for you to sustain (or build) a lean body while trying to lose weight.  A minimum daily protein intake is between 0.35 - 0.5 grams per lean body weight, and that’s just enough to keep your present “structural” integrity…if you will.  And that’s for a sedentary individual. 

As your activity level increases so should your protein intake.  The reason being that the more active you are the more muscles you breakdown and repairing it requires you to have more protein.  It’s like building a house, if something happened to the house while your building it and some of the structure was damaged, you would need more material to fix the damage.  Without the necessary building material, you wouldn’t be able to fix the house. 

The same principle applies to your body.  This is especially the case if you’re doing activities that require more force and hence more muscle recruitment, like lifting weights, jumping and sprinting.  More muscle you use the more protein you need to repair it. 

So how much protein do you need?  The exact amount will vary according to each individual and their activity levels, but below is a general rule of thumb for your protein consumption. 

In order to calculate the amount of protein, you need to consume, the first thing you must do is get your lean body mass.  Your lean body mass is your body fat (weight) subtracted by your current bodyweight.  And in order to get that, you need to calculate your body fat percentage. 

There are a number of ways to get your body fat percentage.  The most accurate being the hydrostatic weighing, where you’re required to submerge your entire body underwater for a given amount of time, repeated 4 - 5 times.  The obvious downside to this is that it’s not readily available for everyone. 

The next common method is the skin calipers.  The downside to this method, is that the accuracy of the result is directly correlated to the person administering it.  And again, not everyone has access to it. 

The next method has recently gained in popularity, simply because of the ease of use.  It’s electrical impedance.  This is a machine where you either hold on to it or stand on it with your bare feet and it sends an electrical pulse through your body to figure out how much body fat you have.  The downside to it, is that the accuracy depends on the machine.  Some machines are quite accurate, where as many of the portable units that are sold in stores have a much less accurate reading.  The range of accuracy is too wide (at least for now) to make it a reliable source. 

Last, but not least is the military calculation method.  This was developed by Hodgdon and Beckett in 1984 and later updated by Hodgdon and Friedl in 1999 at the Naval Research Center.  The equation was developed using their large statistical data in order to help develop uniforms, weapons and other related equipment.  The equation requires you to measure your height, waist and neck circumference for men and height, waist, hip and neck circumference for women.  The equation is given below.  It’s a complicated equation, but according to the study, the equation was chosen because the outcome closely represented that of the hydrostatic weighing.  For those of you that can’t be bothered with the equation, you can check out the chart here where you can look up your body fat percentage according to your height and the calculated circumference value**.  Note: The chart does not give fat percentages for men under 9% body fat and for women under 19% body fat.

**Circumference Value = waist circumference + hip circumference – neck circumference (in inches)

**Circumference Value = abdomen circumference – neck circumference (in inches)

The equation:

Men: % body fat = 86.010 x log10(abdomen - neck) - 70.041 x log10(height) + 36.76

Women: % body fat = 163.205 x log10(abdomen + hip - neck) - 97.684 x log10(height) - 78.387

After you find out what your body fat percentage is calculate your body fat mass by multiplying your weight with the body fat percentage.

Eg. body fat percentage is 19% and your current body weight is 140 lb.  140 x 0.19 =  26.6 lb of body fat.

After you get your body fat mass, you can take that value and subtract it from your current body weight to get your lean body mass.  140 - 26.6 =  113 lb (round up or down to the closest whole number)

So let’s assume that your lean body mass is 113 lb.  Here’s the break down of your recommended daily protein consumption according to activity levels.

• Sedentary - 0.35 - 5 grams per lean body mass: 113 x (0.35 to 0.5) = 40 to 57 grams of protein a day
• Moderately - Active 0.6 - 0.8 grams per lean body mass: 113 x (0.6 - 0.8) = 68 to 90 grams of protein a day
• Active - 0.8 - 1.0 grams per lean body mass: 113 x (0.8 - 1.0) = 90 to 113 grams of protein a day
• Very Active - 1.0 and higher per lean body mass: 113 x (1.0 or higher) = 113 grams or more protein a day

These are just ball park figures and each individual amount will change depending on their situation, but it’s definitely a good place to start.

Since we’re talking about proteins, and why it’s so important to your body…let’s take a closer look. 

Protein is composed of a chain of amino acids.  There are probably more than a hundred different amino acids that are available on this planet, but only 20 are necessary for our body.  These amino acids are classified as essential and non-essential amino acids.  There are 10 non-essential amino acids which are amino acids that your body can make on its own and there are 10 essential amino acids which are ones your body can’t make.  The following is a list of essential and non-essential amino acids:

Essential
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine

Non-essential
Alanine
Arginine
Asparagine
Aspartic Acid
Cysteine
Glutamic Acid
Glutamine
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tryosine

The essential amino acids has to come from protein in your diet, and the best source is animal protein that come from foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.  These foods provide “complete” proteins since all 10 essential amino acids are available.  Plant proteins on the other hand do not provide all of the essential amino acids (with the exception of soy).  These are also known as “incomplete” proteins and are found in foods such as vegetables, legumes, brown rice, nuts and seeds. 

Foods with “incomplete” proteins contain different combinations of essential amino acids and if you combine the right types of (plants) foods, you can get all of the necessary 10 essential amino acids.  However, that being said, the bioavailability of these plant proteins are not nearly as good as animal protein and so unless you’re a vegetarian, it’s best to get your essential amino acids from foods that provide “complete” protein like red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. 

Benefits of protein

Outside of providing muscular development and supporting other structural integrity in your body, protein plays a major role in losing weight as well.  Consuming enough protein suppresses your hunger.  That’s one major reason why high protein, high fat and low carb diets work so well when it comes to losing weight (at least initially).  It’s much harder to over eat protein rich meals, since it makes you full faster and keeps you full longer, there by reducing your total caloric intake.

Consuming sufficient protein combined with ample healthy fats allows you to curb your (refined) carbohydrate intake as well.  Consuming refined carbs is the biggest reason for gaining weight along with a slew of other health problems.  I won’t get into the details in this article, but it basically boils down to insulin.  The more refined carbs you eat, the more your insulin rises and the fatter you get…it’s as simple as that.  You can cut out refined carbs and replace it with unrefined carbs like vegetables and fruits.  These foods have much less impact on your insulin, so it won’t increase your fat accumulation.

The flip side of replacing refined carbs with unrefined carbs is that they are very low in calories, which is a good thing from the stand point of losing weight, but calorie deficit also makes your hungrier.  Uncontrollable hunger is the number one reason why diets fail.  So satiety is a must if your want to stick to eating healthy unrefined carbs, and this is where protein can really help.  You can shift some of the caloric deficit by consuming more protein, which should also increase your satiety, since protein suppresses hunger and keeps you full longer.  In addition, digesting protein takes more energy (process known as thermogenesis) than digesting (refined) carbs.  Therefore, you burn more calories, curb your appetite and control insulin levels all by eating protein.

As mentioned earlier, your body technically does not (technically) need carbohydrates to survive.  Remember, carbohydrate provides energy, but our body has an amazing ability to turn fat and even some protein into the same basic components, that carbs breakdown into, to provide energy.  The process is called gluconeogenesis, and it converts other non-carbohydrate food sources into energy in the absence of sugar, and the best part about this process is that it forces your body to burn fat as the primarily energy source instead of sugar, so you can burn more calories from your stored fat.  Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that unrefined carbohydrate is vital to a well balanced and healthy diet, but the benefits from the foods like fruits and vegetables don’t necessary come from their sugar content, but rather from other micronutrients, like vitamins, and anti-oxidative qualities that they provide instead. 

Needless to say it’s important to consume enough protein (and fat, but I’ll get into that in a separate article) if you want to lose weight, stay lean and have a healthy diet. 

So here’s the quick summary:

• Protein is made of a chain of amino acids which are essentially building blocks for your body
• Protein is necessary to build lean muscle
• Protein and fat are both essential for survival (Technically, carbohydrates are not)
• There are 20 amino acids that your body needs for survival - 10 essential amino acids and 10 non-essential amino acids
• Your body can make the non-essential amino acids, but it can’t make the essential amino acids.  Therefore, all essential amino acids must come from dietary sources
• The best source of protein comes from animal protein, since it provides all 10 essential amino acids - also know as complete protein
• Plant protein does not provide all 10 essential amino acids - also known as incomplete protein - however, you can still acquire all 10 essential amino acids by combining the right types of (plant) foods
• You should consume 0.35 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, depending on your activity level
• Diet rich in protein and fat allows you to reduce or eliminate (refined) carbohydrate consumption, thereby helping you control insulin levels and lose weight
• Protein helps suppress hunger
• Protein burns more calories through digestion (thermogenesis)

Are you consuming enough protein in your diet?

Did you know that consuming protein can help you lose weight?

I’d love to know your thoughts on the article.  Please post your comments below.

The most common area in the body that almost everyone wants to improve is their stomach.  This is why the cover of most fitness magazines have headlines in bold that read something like, “Lose Belly Fat in 10 Days”  or “How to Get Sexy Abs like so and so”. 

Yes, we’re a culture obsessed with abs.  Ironically, abs are the first feature on your body to accumulate fat and usually one of the last places to burn off.  Which is why we’re always on the lookout for the latest information that can make our lives just a little easier, when it comes to achieving those flat sexy abs garnered by the “heavily air brushed” celebrities on the front cover of magazines.  Well then, you’re in for a nice surprise! 

A recent study done on this popular compound found that people that took it lost belly fat, compared to people that didn’t take it….and it was specifically belly fat that was affected.  Imagine that, it’s usually the other way around…you lose everything but the belly!  It’s nice to know that there’s a compound out there that’s feelin‘ your frustrations!  Find out what compound I’m talking about and how you can use it to help you burn off your stubborn belly flab!

The compound that I’m talking about is catechins.  Catechins are antioxidant compounds found in green teas, known to have beneficial effects against serious diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cancer.  And now a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, indicates that drinking green tea with 625mg/d of catechin helps reduce belly fat when combined with exercise.  Yes, you do have to exercise!  But exercising is necessary anyway to help you lose weight, burn fat and also keep you healthy and disease free.  So just think of it as an added bonus….you get to lose your belly along the way!  Here’s a more detailed look at the study:

Double-blind study

Researchers recruited just over 100 adults between the ages of 21 and 65. The participants were all healthy and “normally sedentary”, with a mean BMI of 32kg/m². Most subjects were of non-Hispanic white ethnicity.

Male participants, who made up about half of the total study group, had a waist circumference of over 90cm, while women had a waist circumference of over 87cm. Cholesterol levels were over 5.2mmol/L.

The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 500ml per day of a beverage providing 625mg catechins, or a control beverage containing added caffeine to match the caffeine content of the catechin beverage.

Both the active and the control beverage contained water, sodium chloride, artificial citrus flavouring, glucose, erythritol, and sucralose. Each 500ml serving provided 63kj (15 Kcal) of energy. Participants agreed not to consume more than two caffeinated beverages per day, including the study product, during the 12-week study period.

Participants consumed one serving of their assigned beverage per day, at any time of the day, and with or without food. They continued their usual energy intake, and three-day diet records were taken at baseline, six and 12 weeks.

During the study period, the subjects committed to 180 minutes of “moderate-intensity” physical activity per week, and to attend at lease three supervised exercise sessions per week.

So from the beginning, the study eliminated the caffeine factor.  This is good, since many people associate caffeine with boosting their metabolism to lose weight…which BTW is not the case. 

I found it odd that they provided these people with green tea artificially sweetened with 3 different sweeteners, knowing how bad artificial sweetener is for (their) our health.  Here’s a list of sweeteners that was included in their drink:

• glucose - simplest form of sugar
• erythritol - naturally derived sugar substitute with no calories, also known as sugar alcohol
• sucralose - an artificial sweetener also known as splenda which has been linked to all sorts of serious health problems like cancers, kidney failure and nerve damage

That’s some super sweet and unhealthy green tea!  But if that’s any indication of their normal diet, it makes the effects of catechins even more impressive.

Lastly, these people exercised 180 minutes a week at “moderate intensity”.  That’s 30 minutes a day 6 days week and keep in mind that these people are normally sedentary…which makes you wonder what’s considered moderately intense.  Now, if you’re normally sedentary and you start exercising at any any level of intensity, you will lose weight assuming all other factors are kept consistent, like diet etc.  But the interesting part about the study is as follows:

At the end of the study period, people in the catechin group were found to have lost more body weight compared to the control group (P = 0.079).

There were no significant differences between the two groups in changes in waist circumference or fat mass. However, both total abdominal fat area (P = 0.013) and abdominal subcutaneous fat area (P = 0.019) had decreased more in the catechin group.

So, the only part that they actually lost fat was in their belly region.  Considering all of the factors, the result is actually quite impressive. 

Let’s think about it…these people are overweight with “normal sedentary” lifestyles.  Which by the way, is like saying healthy people have “abnormal active” lifestyles….go figure. 

The people in the study did not change their diets, which meant that they probably kept eating the kinds of unhealthy foods that got them overweight in the first place. 

Outside of drinking the artificially sweetened green tea with 650 mg/d of the active ingredient “catechins”, the only addition to their life was adding in 180 minutes of moderate exercising a week. 

And let’s keep in mind, the subjective nature of the term “intensity”, where “moderate” can be interpreted quite differently to a sedentary individual as supposed to a normally active individual.

So all things considered, the fact that people participating in the study who drank the (not so healthy) green tea actually shrank in their belly region, is definitely notable. 

Heck, since the active ingredient “catechins” has so many other health benefits we as well, what have you got to lose by including a little green tea in your day.  Except, I would definitely recommend drinking green tea without sugar or sweeteners, so you can get all the benefits without the negative downfalls of sugar. 

As for the exercise portion, if you’re already active, I would recommend working out at high intensities for shorter durations to really crank up your metabolism at the same time.  If you’re working out hard enough, all you need is 20 - 30 minutes max!  You’ll get better results in less time.  I have thousands of people participating in my fitness program which is based on short but highly intense workouts and the results speaks for themselves.  If your interested checked it out at www.MAXWorkouts.com.

So here’s a quick summary:

• Eat a well balanced diet consisting of whole, unrefined foods.
• Drink a cup of green tea (about 500 ml) with 650 mg/d of catechins per day.
• Participate in short but high intensity workouts regularly throughout the week.

So there you have it!  Another simple and easy tip you can do, to help you burn off that stubborn belly fat and get your flat abs back in time for summer!

Did you think drinking green tea had such an effect? 

Are you a regular green tea drinker, and if so, what health benefits have you noticed?

I’d love to know what you think about the article, so please your comments below!

The weight loss supplement industry is always looking for that magic pill that’ll do it all.  And truth be told, the lure of easy weight loss is often times too attractive…even for the well informed.  Which explains why the weight loss supplement business is a multi billion dollar industry. 

We live in a culture of instant gratification, where going under the knife for a little nip and tuck have become as common as visiting your family doctor and taking an OTC diet pill is as normal as taking a multi-vitamin

Even though majority of the products out in the market today are just as effective as taking a sugar pill…these companies are smart, savvy and know exactly how to take advantage of people’s weaknesses and desires. 

The weight loss supplement companies are used to taking the benefits of one or two active ingredient(s) from naturally occurring plants and vegetation and packaging it into pills and powders. 

The problem is there is no standard level of quality when it comes to supplements in the US.  There is no third party quality control agencies that exists to make sure that you’re getting what’s stated in the label.  So you never really know what you’re consuming and more often than not the pill being marketed is probably 99% filler. 

This is why the recently published study from Newcastle University, is quite significant.

The research done is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Scientific Research Council which strictly adheres to a new regulations set out by the European Food Safety Authority, which states that any health claims made on food label should be substantiated by scientific evidence.

“There are countless claims about miracle cures for weight loss, but only a few cases offer any sound scientific evidence to back up these claims”  Dr. Brownlee.

A team of scientists led by Dr Iain Brownlee and Prof Jeff Pearson have found that an active ingredient from sea kelp (a common seaweed) can reduce fat absorption by your body by more than 75 percent! 

Sea kelp is already one of the world’s largest commercially used seaweed, which means that it’s readily bioavailable. 

The active ingredient found in sea kelp is a natural fiber known as alginate.  It’s a soluble fiber 
that halts digestion of fat.  The study reveals that this natural fiber is far more effective than any of the treatments currently being used for obese patients. 

“Alginates are already commonly used at a very low level in many foods as thickeners and stabilisers and when added to bread as part of a blind taste test, Dr Brownlee said the alginate bread actually scored higher for texture and richness than a standard white loaf.”

“Obesity is an ever-growing problem and many people find it difficult to stick to diet and exercise plans in order to lose weight,” explained Dr Brownlee.

“Alginates not only have great potential for weight management - adding them to food also has the added advantage of boosting overall fibre content.”

Dr Brownlee adds: “These initial findings suggest alginates could offer a very real solution in the battle against obesity.”

I understand that the scientists are excited about the possible benefits it will have on obese patients.  BUT…isn’t the consumption of white bread and other “white” refined processed foods one of the biggest reasons why people are overweight to begin with? 

Hmmm…

Discovering new health benefits of existing foods or even unknown ones is great…if you already have healthy eating habits.  Unfortunately, I feel that the health benefits discovered by some of these studies are taken and manipulated (and not for the greater good), which just perpetuates the vicious cycle of our current health dilemma.  Here’s a few issues I had with this published study.

• Adding alginate, the super fiber, into refined simple carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, potatoes and white rice isn’t going to solve anything.  It’s just going to deepen the problem at hand.
 
• The fact that it absorbs 75% of fat is quite remarkable…but I have a few problems with this blanket statement.  It groups all fat into one big category.  There’s good fat and bad fat.  Bad fat should be avoided, but good fat is essential for your health and it aids in effective weight loss!
• Also, if you’re eating a diet that requires you to absorb 75% of fat, don’t you think that there’s a much larger underlying problem?
• And although this particular study is about the benefits of sea kelp and it’s active ingredient, alginate, and it’s ability to absorb dietary fat:  I feel that this study puts the emphasis back on fat rather than sugar, when it comes tackling the underlying cause of obesity.  Overconsumption of simple carbohydrates like refined flour, white rice, pasta and other processed foods which causes insulin insensitivity is the real culprit of obesity. (...just my two cents worth…)

At this point, I think it’s also worth noting that all soluble dietary fibers absorb fat; albeit, perhaps not as as much as this ultra fat absorbing seaweed.  So, in theory, if you ate foods high in fat along with copious amounts of food high in dietary (soluble) fiber, it would absorb much of the dietary fat you just ate.  The problem is dietary fiber is pretty much non-existent in most people’s diets.

So as you can see having fiber is essential to a healthy diet.  And since it’s often overlooked, I thought it would give you a little overview and some surprising facts about fiber that you probably didn’t know…but should.

There are two types of dietary fibers: soluble and insoluble fibers and each one has different functions and benefits as listed below. 

Soluble fiber:

• Binds to fatty acids (absorbs fat)
• Prolongs stomach emptying time thereby slowing down the absorption and uptake of sugar
• Lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

Insoluble fiber:

• Promotes regularity and bowel movement
• Controls the PH level in your intestine
• Removes toxic waste quicker
• Help prevents colon cancer by maintaining an optimal pH level in your intestines

Foods high in dietary fibers usually contain both soluble and insoluble ones.
Here’s a list of some common foods (high in fiber) below: 

• Dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, swiss chard, brussel sprouts etc.)
• Root vegetables (carrots, parsnip, radish, turnip, rutabaga, beets etc.)
• Fruits (especially with skin such as apples, pear, kiwi, oranges etc.)
• Unrefined whole grains (barley, bran, oats, buckwheat, etc.)
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc.)
• Nuts (brazilian nuts, almonds, hazelnuts etc.)
• Seeds (flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc.)

So as you can see, if you have a well balanced diet that consists of raw fruits, raw or slightly cooked vegetables along with some unrefined whole grains, legumes and some nuts or seeds, you should be getting plenty of dietary fibers to keep you bowel movements regular, keep your intestine healthy and absorb plenty of dietary fat…if needed.

Now that being said, seaweed provides unique health benefits as well.  Since it’s an algae, it’s unique to the aquatic ecosystem and has completely different characteristics than foods grown on earth.  Here are some of the health benefits listed below:

• Beta-Carotene: Algae is known to have a high concentration of beta-carotene, that helps fight some serious diseases.
• Antioxidant: Full of antioxidants, algae help neutralize free radicals.
• Better Digestion: It is known to help in easy bowel movements, reducing strains in the abdomen muscles.
• Protein: Algae is considered a complete source of protein, and helps the growth of hair, skin and nails.
• Immunity Booster: Algae contains immune boosting and stimulating properties.
• Spirulina (blue-green algae) is a great source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA has many anti-inflammatory properties and are often used to treat serious inflammatory diseases like eczema, psoriasis and even rheumatoid arthritis.
• Stabilize blood sugar levels: Algae is known to help to stabilize blood sugar levels in people with high or low blood sugar.
• Controls appetite: The amino acids present in algae are known to influence neurotransmitters in the brain that control appetite.
• Alkaline Food:  Algae is considered a natural source of alkaline (basic) food. (Diets high in alkaline foods are much more healthy than diets based on acidic foods)

If you’re curious and want to explore the full benefits of algae, start by including seaweed into your diet.  And if you’re not a fan of the taste or texture, you can always opt for supplements.  Just be sure to read up on the company first, to ensure that it’s trustworthy. 

Lastly, no matter how good your diet is or how potent of a fat absorber this seaweed is…in order to achieve optimal health and maximize your fat burning capabilities, you have to combine it with exercise.  Eating well and exercising goes hand in hand.  You need both pieces to unlock the weight loss secret. 

So while the supplement companies tirelessly keep pushing the latest and greatest wonder solution in a pill…just makes sure that you’ve build a solid foundation of healthy eating and exercising before you start supplementing.

Did you ever think seaweed had such an effect? 

Do you get enough fiber in your diet and if not how can you change it?

What do you think about the article?  I’d love to know your thoughts, so please post your comments below.

Remember when tanning was in.  I’m probably aging myself here, but I remember back when I was a kid growing up in NYC and swimming at the local outdoor swimming pool.  While all the kids were busy playing Marco Polo in the pool, the adults were busy trying to find just the right position to place their recliners to get maximum sun exposure and literally bake themselves in the sun…extra crispy!  Colonel Sanders would have been proud! 

But then came the realization that looking golden bronze may not be so good for your skin or health!  Smart thing, since skin cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer around.  And all of a sudden sun tanning lotion was replaced with sunscreens and baking in the sun became a thing of the past. 

However, it seems that we may have gone a little overboard about avoiding the sun. 

A recent study found that vitamin D deficiency is not only prevalent, but it’s present in epidemic proportions in North America!  Vitamin D deficiency causes serious diseases like cancer, rickets, osteoporosis and diabetes, and most recently linked to weight gain from increased fat storage.

I’ll show you some surprisingly alarming facts about vitamin D deficiency.  You’ll learn why your dermatologist may be causing you to become vitamin D deficient and find out how much vitamin D you really need and the simplest way to get it.  I’ll also show you the best vitamin D supplementation, as well as which foods to eat, so you can get sufficient vitamin D to optimize your health and help maximize your weight loss efforts.

Truth be told, I think vitamin D may be the most underrated vitamin around…probably because it’s available in mass abundance for free!  The number one source of vitamin D is the sun. 

However, since the skin cancer scare a while back, people have avoided sun exposure like the plague and now more people unknowingly suffer from vitamin D deficiency than ever before. 

A combination of increased working hours, a cultural shift towards indoor activities such as video games, internet and other high-tech computer related activities and the multi-billion dollar skin care industry pushing sun screens and other “skin protection / age defying” related products on the market, maybe to blame for the deficiency. 

Whatever the cause(s) may be, it’s important to know the facts and learn what you can do about it.  But before I get into the preventative measures, I wanted to list a few very important and commonly unknown facts about vitamin D as stated by the foremost expert in vitamin D, Dr. Michael Holick (The author of “The UV Advantage”)

• Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.
• The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
• It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your own body.
• A person would have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.
• The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most U.S. states are far from the equator.
• People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair- skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That’s why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men—it’s a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.
• Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.
• Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body’s bones and nervous system.
• Even weak sunscreens (SPF=8) block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause disease—by creating a critical vitamin deficiency in the body.
• It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
• If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency right now.
• Vitamin D is “activated” in your body by your kidneys and liver before it can be used.
• Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body’s ability to activate circulating vitamin D.
• The sunscreen industry doesn’t want you to know that your body actually needs sunlight exposure because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products.
• Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required.
• 32% of doctors and med school students are vitamin D deficient.
• 40% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient.
• 42% of African American women of childbearing age are deficient in vitamin D.
• 48% of young girls (9-11 years old) are vitamin D deficient.
• Up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deficient.
• 76% of pregnant mothers are severely vitamin D deficient, causing wide spread vitamin D deficiencies in their unborn children, which predisposes them to type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia later in life.  81% of the children born to these mothers were deficient.
• Up to 80% of nursing home patients are vitamin D deficient.

Diseases and conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency:

• Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which greatly impairs calcium absorption.
• Sufficient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer and schizophrenia.
• “Rickets” is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.
• Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate type 2 diabetes and impair insulin production in the pancreas.
• Obesity impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning that obese people need twice as much vitamin D.
• Vitamin D is used around the world to treat Psoriasis.
• Vitamin D deficiency causes schizophrenia.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by a melatonin imbalance initiated by lack of exposure to sunlight.
• Chronic vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia because its symptoms are so similar: muscle weakness, aches and pains.
• Your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and cancer is reduced 50% - 80% through simple, sensible exposure to natural sunlight 2-3 times each week.
• Infants who receive vitamin D supplementation (2000 units daily) have an 80% reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes over the next twenty years.

The great thing about vitamin D, is that there’s really no harmful effects from getting too much of it.  And since sunshine is the best source of vitamin D,  you don’t need to pay for anything!  The only thing you have to pay attention to is getting sufficient sunlight without overexposure, which can damage your skin and make you susceptible to skin cancer. 

If you’re caucasian, all you need is about 5 to 10 minutes of direct sun exposure 2 - 3 times a week and you’re good to go.  As stated above, keep in mind that as your skin pigmentation gets darker, you’ll need to be get more sun exposure in order to get adequate vitamin D. 

Don’t worry if you can’t be out in the sun for a long time.  You can always combine it with the right the supplementations.  You can take vitamin D supplements or cod liver oil supplements in the range or 1000 - 10,000 IU per day.  The exact amount will vary with each individual depending on how deficient they are to begin with and where they live.  Which leads me to the next point…the higher the latitude the weaker the sun, so if you live closer to the equator you’ll need less direct sun exposure compared to someone living closer to the arctic (or antarctic). 

In addition to all of the serious illness vitamin D deficiency is associated with, it’s now also been linked to increased fat deposition and muscle weakness. 

The latest study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that vitamin D deficiency causes an increase of fat infiltration into the muscles, causing muscle weakness as well as weight gain.  And there’s also an inverse relationship as well, which means that excess vitamin D can get stored in the fat tissue and can trap the vitamin D making it unavailable to the body.  This is why people that are obese need to get more vitamin D (as much as twice, as stated above) in order to avoid being deficient of vitamin D. 

So here’s a short, simple list of things you should be doing to ensure that you have sufficient vitamin D in your body, so you can avoid any unnecessary illness and weight gain:

• Get enough natural sun exposure.  Just 5 - 10 minutes a day 2 - 3 days a week may be all you need depending on the color of your skin as well as where you live.  The more fair your skin, the less sun exposure you need.
• The recommended amount of vitamin D supplementation is 2000 - 10,000 IU per day.  The amount varies with each individual according to their individual history of vitamin D deficiency.  The good thing is there are no known harmful effects of taking too much vitamin D.
• Vitamin D 3 is the active form of vitamin D, so it is the best form of supplementation. You can also take cod liver oil supplements from a trusted source as well.
• Foods high in vitamin D are fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon.  Keep in mind that some of these fish may have high levels of PCB’s.  So make sure to get your fish from a reliable natural source.
• Orange juice and Milk do not naturally contain vitamin D.  It must be fortified with vitamin D.  However, it’s not considered a good source since orange juice is high in sugar and too many people have intolerance to dairy.
• Apply sunscreen lotion on your skin after you get the recommended amount of sun exposure.  Also, keep in mind that not all sun screen lotions are the same.  Try and avoid lotions with any known chemicals and paraben that have been linked to causing cancer and other serious illnesses.

So there you have it.  It’s pretty amazing to think that there’s such a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency in this country knowing how easy it is to avoid it.  Quite ironic considering it’s source.  However, now you know the real facts.  Go outside and enjoy the sun!  It’ll keep you a happy, healthy and lean!

Now that you know the facts about vitamin D, do you think you suffer from vitamin D deficiency?

If so, what kinds symptoms have you been suffering from?
 
I’d love to know what you think about the article.  Please leave your comments below

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The thing I love about spring is the energy in the air.  It’s almost palpable!  People come out of hibernation and get outside for some much needed sun and fresh air. 

And as we come out from hiding, the other thing that almost inevitably seems to happen as the climate gets warmer, is our increased thirst for cold alcohol beverages.  It’s as if we’ve been deprived of drinking all winter!  Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s the patio or maybe it’s just part of spring fever.  Whatever the reason…there always seems to be an occasion where drinking a cold alcoholic beverage is appropriate.  A beer after a nice day out in the sun, a cosmopolitan for those swanky nights out or a fresh mimosa at your Sunday brunch with your family and friends.  Whatever the occasion, there’s always an alcoholic beverage that perfectly fits that event.

Now, my motto for almost everything, including alcohol, is moderation.  But let’s be honest, when it comes to alcohol, the word “moderation” gets used quite liberally.  Now I’m not suggesting that you stop drinking, but if you’re worried about your waistline and appearance as the warmer weather approaches and the amount of clothing covering your body starts to lessen, than you’d better reconsider how much you drink. 

But, if drinking is going to be a significant part of your summer plans, I’ll give you some effective tips to help negate some of the unwanted effects of alcohol consumption including weight gain. 

Now, before I tell you how to best prevent the negative effects of alcohol including the best way prevent gaining unwanted weight…I want to list out the common positive and negative effects alcohol consumption has on your body.

The pros about alcohol consumption are quite short but here it is:

• A very small percentage of alcohol actually gets converted to fat
• Small to moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with having some health benefits

Here are the cons about alcohol consumption:

• Alcohol is known to inhibit fat oxidation, which basically stops your body from burning existing fat.  Since fat is your number one energy source during rest, you’re basically storing more fat when you drink alcohol.
• Alcohol also converts testosterone into estrogen making you more susceptible to getting excess levels of estrogen which is what gives you that stubborn belly fat.  By the way, this applies for both men and women.
• According to some studies a mere 3 ounces of alcohol can reduce your body’s fat burning ability by 1/3.
• Alcohol gets metabolized by your liver into two toxic compounds, acetaldehyde and malondialdehyde.
• Acetaldehyde is the same chemical found in cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and is a known carcinogen and has been linked to many organ diseases.  It’s also the nasty chemical that supposedly causes your hangovers.
• Malondialdehyde is a potent free radical and causes excessive oxidative damage to you body.
• Alcohol is further metabolized in the liver into acetate, which gets burned before any other calories.  This means that any excess calories, like the calamari or fries you had along with your drink, doesn’t get utilized and hence gets stored as fat instead.
• Your body can only process 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour.  And since it takes precedence over anything else, you liver takes up all of it’s time and energy trying to metabolize it.  Anything more overwhelms your liver and essentially halts your normal metabolic functions like burning fat.

So, if you drink a 12 oz can of beer which has about 0.6 oz of alcohol, it’ll take your liver about an hour to metabolize it, during which time your body stops burning fat. 

Now let’s say you have a six pack of beer while munching on some chips and dip as you’re watching a ball game.  You’re looking at 6 - 7 hours for your liver to metabolize all of the beer you drank.  And during that period, your body stops burning fat, and all the calories from the chips and dip you just chowed down gets stored straight to fat! 

Well, you get the picture.  Alcohol and weight loss don’t work together.  If you’re serious about losing weight, you really need to eliminate alcohol, or seriously moderate your intake. 

However, if you choose to drink on those special occasions…wink wink...there are a few things you can do to help negate some of the effects alcohol has on your body.

• Drink water along with your beverage of choice.  This way you avoid getting dehydrated (which is another side effect of drinking alcohol) as well as helping you refrain from over consuming.
• Drink slowly, preferably one drink per hour, so your body has time to metabolize the alcohol and minimize putting too much stress on your liver.
• Don’t eat while you’re drinking.  All the calories being consumed while you’re drinking pretty much goes right to your beer belly and man boobs for men and for women a larger belly, wider hips and thicker thighs.
• While moderation is the key to any alcoholic consumption, if you’re going to drink wine is preferred over hard liquor and liquor is preferred over beer.  If you’re drinking liquor, it’s best not to mix it with anything sugary.  Stick to water, club soda or take it straight.  Those fancy named drinks that tastes more like dessert than alcohol, is the worst kind of all…it’s super high in empty calories, it’ll sky rocket your insulin levels and is sure to give you a wicked hangover.
• Here’s a list of supplements that you can take to minimize the free radical damage of alcohol. Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin E, Selenium and Amino Acids: S-allyl-cysteine and Glutathione.

Now, I know it may be unrealistic to avoid alcohol altogether, and I also I know that socializing almost always involves alcohol.  So, while keeping in mind that minimal to moderate intake of alcohol is key to any healthy balanced living…here’s a few simple but effective tips that you can implement as part of your long term regimen to help maximize your body’s own immune and defense mechanism, so you can participate and enjoy socializing with friends and family without guilt.

• If you consume alcohol at all, make sure to consume it in moderation.
• Stay away from processed and refined foods, severely limit intake of sugars and stick to eating unrefined whole foods.
• Eat plenty of dark green vegetables and especially makes sure to consume cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, chard and collard greens which help you maintain healthy testosterone levels.
• Eat enough fibers from fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.
• Consume enough monounsaturated fats and good saturated fats, such as that found in avocados, olive oil, coconut oils, almonds and walnuts to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
• Eat plenty of lean proteins from good reliable sources, such as fresh fish, organic poultry, organic meat and eggs enriched in omega 3’s.
• Exercises with enough intensity using weights.  This dramatically increases your body’s metabolism, enhances your body’s rate of fat burning, optimizes your hormonal function and maximizes lean muscle development to keep your strong, lean and fit.

Now I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but if you decide to drink, the real key to maintaing a healthy lifestyle while still enabling yourself to lose weight and get lean and fit is moderation.  And although moderation can be relative to each individual, you need to be true to yourself.  If you’re not seeing what you like in the mirror, perhaps it’s time rethink what you consider moderate. 

I’m all about having a good time, but for me being healthy, lean and fit is much more important.  I’ll take feeling strong, energetic and vibrant over a few cocktails any day…but that’s just me.  Moderation is simple when you know what’s at stake.

If you aren’t familiar with what kind of exercises or workouts to do, take a look at my MAX Workouts program.  It’s a fitness program designed specifically with workouts that consists of full body weightlifting exercises done in a heart pumping pace.  The exercises and workouts are all scheduled for you, so you don’t need to think about a thing, all you have to do is follow the program.  And if you’re unfamiliar with an exercise, you also get detailed pictures and instructions of each exercises so you’re not left trying to figure out what to do.  You also get a trial access to our monthly club, where you can see videos of all the exercises, workouts, and participate in forums where you can get support from other participants as well as ask any questions you may have about the program. 

Are you an occasional drinker, and if so do you notice a difference in your body when you drink?

Have you moderated your drinking and seen a difference in how you feel and how you look? 

What do you think about the article?  I’d love to know what you think, so please post your comments below!