Find Your Abs Fitness / Health Blog

It’s quick update time. On a scale of 1-10 how do I feel? About like a 6, so that pretty good. But food is still a problem. I am exercising more, which is good and my new pants I got recently are already becoming too loose. I guess that’s why they make belts, lol.

That brings up a good point, you clothes fitting better or looser, that is a good sign. So remember don’t base you weight loss just on weight, a great sign is how your clothes fit.

As Always
Play the Game your Way
&
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy
Laterz

Ok so I’m not sure if it’s absolutely delicious, lol. I’ve been meaning to try this so I can give you my honest opinion on but just haven’t found the time, or keep forgetting about it. So I’ve decided to go ahead and post it and if any of you try it out before me and want to share your comments, please do so. I love avocados, almonds and chocolate, but just not sure about them together. But this recipe intrigued me, hope it does you too. Enjoy (I hope)!

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…A pudding recipe that’s high fiber, high protein, full of healthy fats, and low in sugar!!

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

Well, I’ve totally outdone myself with today’s chocolate pudding recipe… this is damn good!!

As you know, I always look for ways to make seemingly unhealthy foods into healthy fat-burning versions. Some popular recipes of mine in the past were when I made a truly healthy chocolate fudge, as well as my recipe for the worlds healthiest cheese steak.

But today, here’s my recipe for an amazingly healthy fat-burning chocolate pudding that’s high in fiber, healthy fats, protein, and low in sugar, with ZERO artificial sweeteners and NO added sugars!

I know… I’m a freakin mad scientist with this stuff. But I actually got the idea for this recipe from Mens Fitness magazine… however, I changed it all around because I didn’t like some of their ingredients, plus their recipe was too high in sugar in my opinion…and I added more protein.

Here’s the Geary version of Healthy Fat-Burning Chocolate Pudding:

(This recipe will make about 2-3 servings and is a great healthy dessert or late night snack)

* 1/2 of a ripe avocado (soft to touch)
* approx 3 tablespoons of almond butter (preferably raw if possible)
* approx 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
* 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
* 1 or 2 packets of stevia (or to your desired sweetness level)
* 1/2 to 3/4 of a scoop of chocolate protein powder (my new favorite is an amazing GRASS-FED whey protein I found here)
* just a small pinch of salt

Put the avocado and almond butter into a bowl and mash together with a fork until smooth. Then add all of the other ingredients into the bowl and mix together vigorously until all is mixed and smooth.

If everything went right, the consistency will be similar to pudding… except normal pudding makes you FAT with loads of sugar! My healthy pudding recipe will actually HELP you to burn fat, control cravings, and satisfy your body’s need for micro-nutrients, protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

If the pudding ends up too thick, simply add a bit more almond milk or coconut milk for more moisture.

If you want to get a little wild and add some more nutrient-rich additions, feel free to add some chopped pecans, chia seeds, rice bran, or walnuts at the end.

Feel free to share this delicious healthy recipe with your friends and family…link to this page on your blogs, forums, facebook, etc.

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Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com

There are many fantastic ways to get focused and motivated to begin a diet or exercise program, but often the most difficult thing to do is keep that drive and ambition alive for more than a few weeks and see your goal through to completion.

Within just weeks of starting, many people have already hit their first snag or setback, and as a result, have slipped backwards in the mental focus and motivation department. Setting goals in writing is an essential step to success, but how do you stay focused on them? One technique I have used ever since my very first bodybuilding competition 18 years ago, is…

The “contest countdown calendar.”

I have used it ever since, through 28 competitions and it will work for you too, for any fitness goal.

I purchase a desk or wall calendar – the type that shows each week stretching horizontally across the page with an open block of space for each day.

After I set my goal and place a deadline on it, I do NOT stop there. I take out my calendar and start counting backwards from my target goal deadline to the present day.

T-minus 117 days….

T-minus 116 days…

T-minus 115 days….

I also fill in my workouts for the entire 3-4 month period, which is the typical length I allow for my mid-range goals like contest prep.

You would be shocked – pleasantly so – just how focused this keeps you. Even better still, you get MORE and MORE motivated with each passing day you countdown because the deadline is getting closer

Deadlines are absolutely critical to your success. Little gets done without deadlines.

There is a saying in management and psychology that “work will always expand to fill the time allowed for it’s completion.”

Remember term papers in school? when you were given a term paper assignment and you had the entire semester to do it, did you run home that first night and get crankin on it?

How about after a week? two weeks? A month? TWO MONTHS?

Probably not, eh?

If you’re like most people, you put it off until the last minute and you barely got it turned in on time. In fact, there are always a few people who pull all nighters the night before!

Alas, the power of the deadline!

In your fitness endeavors, if you don’t have IMPENDING deadlines that give you that twinge in your stomach that says “take action now, or else!” then you find it very easy to say to yourself, ‘ I have plenty of time so this one cheat meal doesn’t matter… it doesn’t make much difference at this point if I skip this one workout… I have time to make it up…”

And then, just like the term paper, you are scrambling at the last minute to reach your weight goal. But in the case of a your body, the consequences are more severe and painful than just a bad grade or late penalty.

Inevitably, you succumb to crash dieting and overtraining or other unhealthy fast-weight-loss madness, which eats up your own muscle like a hungry cannibal and sends you spiraling into the dark pit of metabolic damage and the inevitable plateau and weight gain that follow.

But the solution is so simple: Count your way down to success!

Don’t stop with setting goals. Put your goal countdown on paper, review your goals every single day, AND know, every single day, how many days there are until your target goal date. You will stay more consciously focused and even better, your unconscious mind will go to work for you in keeping you motivated, on track, and on schedule. You’ll come in for a landing on your goal deadline date like an F-16 landing on an aircraft carrier.

I just did my countdown calendar earlier this week… T minus 117 days til my next bodybuilding competition, and thanks to this simple but powerful technique, I’m already focused like a laser beam and have been making steady progress without so much as a hiccup…

Don’t under-estimate this simple technique… Give it an honest test… because it’s often the simplest motivational techniques that are the most powerful of all!.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.

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Thank you Tom, I love this one, I have learned (later on of course) that by putting my goals down on paper and reviewing them often, I am more apt to succeed. I am a very visual person, out of sight out of mind, is what happens to me. But I have my goal sheet with my deadline dates handy for pretty much daily review. And one more quick note, just because you don’t make a deadline does not mean to give up, adjust that deadline if needed, before you know it those deadlines will be made. ~~Terrie

Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you. ]

Caution:

This sounds like a silly question, but it’s really the most important question you can ask:

“What REALLY makes me increase my bodyfat?”

Is it too many calories? Sure. That’s one part. But I know people who can eat 4-5K calories a day and not add an ounce.

Is it dietary fat? Rarely if ever.

Fat is necessary to melt bodyfat. It is true that fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs, but let’s look at this logically:

40% protein; 40% carbs; 20% fat = 40% fat; 40% protein; 20% carbs

So… no. Increasing your dietary fat does not mean you’ll get fatter…

UNLESS… ready?

Your insulin levels are too high.

Elevated insulin is not only the prime cause of diabetes and a sign of being hypoglycemic, but it’s also the prime numero uno reason people get fat.

And insulin is stimulated most by too many carbohydrates… even the so-called “healthy carbs!”

HOWEVER… ready again?

You can still eat carbs… you do not need a “low-carb” dietplan every day in order to keep your insulin and bodyfat low.

You just have to know what TIME to eat the carbs.

There’s a time and place for everything and carbs are no exception.

I have a presentation here that tells you more about how important timing is and how you can eat your carbs (even sweets) and shed bodyfat…

… here:

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

That being said:

If I had to cut one thing out of my diet for 1-4 days it would definitely be carbs.

I need fat… fat helps melt bodyfat… and I have trained my body to use its own fat-stores for fuel.

( See how on the linked-page above )

I DEFINITELY need protein… and so do you.

Protein speeds up thermogenesis, or your body’s own fat-burning heat factory.

Protein also blunts your appetite so you naturally eat less.

Some carbs are healthy… and I do not recommend you cut out low-sugar fruits and green veggies… you need that stuff.

But you don’t need grains, breads, etc.

At least for a few days.

THEN… you need them… but only after you do two things.

Find out more here:

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

Remember: Don’t Quit. Get Fit!

P.S. My favorite “Feed Meal” (that’s what I call meals where I eat a lot of calories and carbs) is this:

Small serving of protein (1/2 my normal serving size) like chicken, tuna, etc.

Brown rice or baked potato

Slice of pecan pie (or Key Lime pie… yum.)

Then later that day I’ll have a few slices of New York-style pizza.

The next day I’m LEANER. It never fails.

The only time this can fail is if you do not set your body UP to receive these carbs and some junk food.

I call this my “Real World Favorite Foods Dietplan.” That’s not the name of my System but it could be! That’s exactly what it is.

I love it… so will you…

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com

The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive body is a long, slow journey. It’s not something you achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an electric gizmo to your belly.

Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam, the makers of those “ab zappers” had swindled over $100 million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately, some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some! The FTC charged three companies – Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and Ab Energizer – with false advertising and deceptive warranty practices for these “ABSurd” products.

But I digress… back to what I was saying about the journey to a better body…

Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this massive completed structure for the first time, they might not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire construction process unfold from my living room window, I was impressed – amazed even – at what goes into erecting this kind of structure.

I remember watching the crew humming around diligently every day like busy bees, laying one brick after another. From one day to the next, it didn’t seem like much changed. But slowly, over a period of a year and a half, I watched the building gradually morph into the finished product.

When you look at someone with an incredible body as a finished product, you often tend to dismiss the long, arduous journey and hard work it took to build that body. Unless you were side by side with that person in the gym (and in the kitchen), observing the work involved, it’s easy to attribute such a chiseled physique to genetics or give credit to a supplement (they just took product XYZ and voila – overnight abs). What you don’t see or appreciate are all the months and years of sweat and hard work.

Getting in shape is a lot like a construction project. First, there must be a picture in the mind. Then the vision goes onto paper as a blueprint. It takes months just to lay the foundation. More months of work will follow. On a daily basis, it doesn’t seem like much is happening. You look in the mirror and appear, for the most part, the same as you did yesterday. But sure enough, the small improvements are slowly accumulating like compounding interest in the bank. One day, you look in the mirror and “suddenly,” your blueprint has become reality.

The body of a fitness pro or bodybuilding champion is no more likely to be built overnight than a high rise is to be built overnight. It’s not physically possible. Accepting the idea that any type of pill, powder, drug, supplement or machine of any kind will make it happen sooner is pure folly. You can’t force it.

Growth and development of any kind always requires a gestation period. For a baby, it’s nine months. For corn, I believe it’s about three months. If you were an expectant mother, would you want to hurry the process? Could any new development in nutrition or medical science speed up this wonderful miracle even one iota? If you were a farmer, would you try to harvest your crop before it was ripe? Would you dig up your seeds to see if anything was growing down there?

The answers are obvious. If only we would adopt the same patient, nurturing “mother’s” or “farmer’s mindset” towards getting in shape, then no one would waste their money on “fast abs” or “exercise in a bottle” or any such silliness ever again. We would understand that one must sow first, then reap the harvest, but that you can’t sow and reap in the same season.

If you ever get frustrated with your rate of progress (and who doesn’t), just remember; success is always guaranteed to the persistent. Nothing in the world can stop someone who knows what they want and is willing to continue paying the price until they get it. It just takes time.

Become the architect and builder of your own dream body. You WILL build the body you want eventually if you’re patient enough and you refuse to quit. And set your goals HIGH! Create a fantastic blueprint. Michelangelo said, “The greatest danger is not that we set our goals too high and miss them, the greatest danger is that we set our goals too low and we reach them.”

Envision a castle – a veritable Taj Mahal of a body! There’s nothing wrong with building castles in the sky, as long as you patiently work at putting the foundations underneath them. There are very few unrealistic goals; only goals with unrealistic deadlines. So keep laying those “bricks” – every day – one at a time – and sure enough, eventually, you’ll build yourself a palace.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Tom’s Fat Loss program, visit: www.burnthefat.com

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Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

Woof Woof!

Bally the Dog here, and since my Human is away on holiday, I thought I’d email you with 3 fitness tips to help you lose fat.

After all, I finally figured out how to use the “Human’s” computer, but if you see any spelling mistakes, please furgive me, but my big paws aren’t meant for these small computerz.

Oh, and if you’re a cat, please stop reading. Because I don’t like you and I will chase you down if I find out you are reading this.

Okay, woof woof?

Good.

Here we go…

Tip #1 – Get your exercise in the morning

After my morning walk, I usually get a rawhide treat, and then I just lie on the ground waiting for my next walk. And while I do that, I get to listen to my Human do fitness interviews for magazines and radio stations…

…and he keeps on saying:

“It doesn’t matter when you exercise for fat loss, all that matters is that you are consistent. And when you exercise first thing in the morning, that means you will be more consistent. And being consistent is one of the most important things in your fat loss program.”

Woof, woof, maybe that’s why I get a long walk and some sprints first thing in the morning? Bark bark!

That is probably why the vet once said to my human, “Wow, your dog has six pack abs!”

Woof woof!

So if you are struggling to be consistent, get up a little earlier and do your workout before life/work/family gets in the way and stops you from getting your workout.

Woof.

Tip #2 – Eat 3 medium sized meals and some very healthy snacks

Since I’m a dog, I’ll eat just about anything. And that is good news, because that means I love to snack on apples, blueberries, broccoli, red peppers, and bananas.

Woof, I probably eat more fruits and vegetables than most humans, not including my Human. He eats a lot of fruits and vegetables every day, even while traveling.

And he has six pack abs too. Woof, woof, woof.

Tip #3 – Stay active on your off days with fun & playful activity

Even though I’m almost 5 human years old, I still get anxious when my Human leaves me alone at home and goes to the gym.

Woof, woof, woof! Bark, bark, bark! Whine. Bark Bark! WOOF!

I am sure am glad that he only goes 3-4 times per week, instead of 6-7 times per week like some folks.

On his days off, we go to the beach and parks and have fun. No long, slow, boring cardio for him. I won’t allow it.

Grrrrrrrrr. That’s what I say to cardio machines. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I’d rather chase squirrels any day than get on a treadmill or one of those silly elliptical machines.

So bottom line:

1) Do short, burst workouts CONSISTENTLY.

2) Eat 3 mid-size meals and lots of whole, natural food snacks in between meals.

3) Train 3-4 times per week and stay active on your off-days.

Woof.

It’s that simple.

Let me know what you think.

Bark Bark!

Your favorite doggy,

Bally the Dog
Guard Dog, Turbulence Training

PS – If you thought this was stupid…

…let me make it up to you by recommending this free fat loss presentation here:

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Thanks Bally, great tips, but Tip the cat says they need this information also, oh yeah and catch me if you can….meow.

Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

By Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
www.burnthefat.com

QUESTION: “Tom, on your www.burnthefat.com website, you wrote: ‘Who better to model than bodybuilders and fitness competitors? No athletes in the world get as lean as quickly as bodybuilders and fitness competitors. The transformations they undergo in 12 weeks prior to competition would boggle your mind!

Only ultra-endurance athletes come close in terms of low body fat levels, but endurance athletes like triathletes and marathoners often get lean at the expense of chewing up much of their lean muscle.”

There seems to be a contradiction unless I’m missing something. Why do bodybuilders and fitness competitors have to go through a 12 week ‘transformation’ prior to every event instead of staying ‘lean and mean’ all the time? If they practice the secrets exposed in your book, shouldn’t be staying in great shape all the time instead of having to work at losing fat prior to every competitive event?”

ANSWER: Thanks for your question. There’s a logical explanation for why bodybuilders and other physique athletes (fitness and figure competitors), don’t remain completely ripped all year round, and it’s the very reason they are able to get so ripped on the day of a contest…

You can’t hold a peak forever or it’s not a “peak”, right? What is the definition of a peak? It’s a high point surrounded by two lower points isn’t it? Therefore, any shape you can stay in all year round is NOT your “peak” condition.

The intelligent approach to nutrition and training (which almost all bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors use), is to train and diet in a seasonal or cyclical fashion and build up to a peak, then ease off to a maintenance or growth phase.

I am NOT talking about bulking up and getting fat and out of shape every year, then dieting it all off every year. What I’m talking about is going from good shape to great shape, then easing back off to good shape…. but never getting “out of shape.”

Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Here’s an example: I have no intentions whatsoever of walking around 365 days a year at 4% body fat like I appear in the photo on my website. Truth be told, that is day of contest condition.

Off-season (when I’m not competing), my body fat is usually between 8 – 10%. Mind you, that’s very lean and still single digit body fat.I don’t stray too far from competition shape, but I don’t maintain contest shape all the time. It takes me about 10-12 weeks or so to gradually drop from 9% to 3.5%-4.0% body fat to “peak” for competition with NO loss of lean body mass, using the same techniques I reveal in my e-book.

It would be almost impossible to maintain 4% body fat, and even if I could, why would I want to? For the few weeks prior to competition I’m so depleted, ripped, and even “drawn” in the face, that complete strangers walk up and offer to feed me.

Okay, so I’m just kidding about that, but let’s just say being “being ripped to shreds” isn’t a desirable condition to maintain because it takes such a monumental effort to stay there.

It’s probably not even healthy to try forcing yourself to hold extreme low body fat. Unless you’re a natural “ectomorph” (skinny, fast metabolism body type), your body will fight you and you’ll always be hungry.

Not only that, anabolic hormones may drop and sometimes your immune system is affected as well (and I hate to say this, but sometimes – for some people – even the, uh… “reproductive functions”… decline a bit when you’re that lean).

Hey, I’m just being honest. It’s just not “normal” to walk around all the time with literally NO subcutaneous body fat.

Instead of attempting to hold the peak, I cycle back into a less demanding off-season program and avoid creeping beyond 9.9% body fat. Some years I’ve stayed leaner – like 6-7%, (which takes effort), especially when I knew I would be photographed, but I don’t let my body fat go over 10%. That’s “the line” I draw – it’s like a personal “rule” for me.

This practice isn’t just restricted to bodybuilders. Athletes in all sports use periodization to build themselves up to their best shape for competition.

Is a pro football player in the same condition in March-April as he is in August-September? Probably not. Many show up fat and out of shape (relatively speaking) for training camp, others just need fine tuning, but none are in peak form… that’s why they have training camp!!!

There’s another reason you wouldn’t want to maintain a “ripped to shreds” physique all year round – you’d have to be dieting (calorie restricted) all the time. And this is one of the reasons that 95% of people can’t lose weight and keep it off – they are CHRONIC dieters… always on some type of diet. Know anyone like that?

You can’t stay on restricted low calories indefinitely. Sooner or later your metabolism slows down and you plateau as your body adapts to the chronically lowered food intake and reduced body weight.

But if you diet for fat loss and push incredibly hard for 3 months, then ease off for a while and eat a little more (healthy food, not “pigging out”), your metabolic rate is re-stimulated.

In a few weeks or months, you can return to another fat loss phase and reach an even lower body fat level, until you finally reach the point that’s your happy maintenance level for life – a level that is healthy and realistic – as well as visually appealing.

That’s how we physique athletes do it…

Bodybuilders have discovered a methodology for losing fat that’s so effective, it puts them in complete control of their body composition. They’ve mastered this area of their lives and will never have to worry about it again.

If they ever “slip” and fall off the wagon like all humans do at times … no problem! They know how to get back into shape fast.

Bodybuilders have the tools and knowledge to hold a low body fat all year round(such as 9% for men, or about 15% for women), and then at a whim, to reach a temporary “peak” of extremely low body fat for the purpose of competition.

Maybe most important of all, they have the power and control to slowly ease back from peak shape into maintenance, and not balloon up and yo-yo like most conventional dieters.

What if you had the power to stay lean all year round, and then get super lean when summer rolled around, or when you took your vacation to the Caribbean, or when your wedding date was coming up?

Wouldn’t you like to be in control of your body like that? Isn’t that the same thing that bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors do, only on a more practical, real-world level?

So even if you have no intention of ever being a bodybuilder, don’t you agree that there’s something of value everyone could learn from physique athletes?

Don’t model yourself after the huge crowd of “losers” who gobble diet pills, buy exercise gimmicks and suffer through starvation diets like automatons, only to gain back everything they lost! Instead, learn from the leanest athletes on Earth – natural bodybuilders and fitness competitors…

These physique athletes get as ripped as they want to be, exactly when they want to, simply by manipulating their diets in a cyclical fashion between pre-contest “cutting” programs and off season “maintenance” or “muscle growth” programs.

Even if you have no desire to ever compete, try this seasonal “peaking” approach yourself and you’ll see that it can work as well for you as it does for elite bodybuilders.

If you’re interested in learning even more secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models, visit the Burn The Fat website at: www.burnthefat.com

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto,
Fat loss coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

First off, let me say I am not a vegetarian, I do love my meat, but saying that, vegetables are an important part of your diet. Way back when, when I was in college and trying to loose weight, I went on a mainly veggie diet and lost quiet a bit of weight. So I know a healthy diet of vegetable can work. If you like me enjoy you meats, perhaps you could modify this plan to include some low fat meat.

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By Kardena Pauza
www.EasyVeggieMealPlans.com

A healthy diet is a vital component to any fat loss program. Fortunately, this superfood can be found at any grocery store or farmer’s market at a relatively inexpensive price.

What’s more, this superfood supplies a majority of the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals to give you endless amounts of energy, it stabilizes your blood sugar and detoxifies your body, and it provides you with the essential amino acids your body needs to build strong, lean muscles.

So what is it?

None other than the leafy green vegetable.

I hope you aren’t disappointed it wasn’t something exotic like elixir berry juice. But, the truth of the matter is, the leafy green vegetable is an underrated, nutrient dense, inexpensive, and readily available superfood.

It does, however, get a little more exciting in that this dark green vegetable has many substitutes, including spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, chard, parsley, cilantro, and many others.

In fact, if you go to a farmer’s market I’m sure you’ll find plenty to choose from. And variety is important because each green offers a different composition of minerals and vitamins.

Most leafy greens have a mild flavour, but if you’re unsure about one, here’s a little tip you can use when doing your shopping. When you find a green that you think you’d like to try, simply pinch off a small piece of it and give it a try. If you like the taste, add it to the cart, if not, just hope no one was watching!

Alright, you’re home and ready to give the leafy greens a try, but you’re unsure how to eat them. Well, here are some suggestions:

1. Prepare a salad with a base of greens that you like, while adding in some of the new, unfamiliar greens. You’ll find that over time you’ll acquire a taste for the new darker greens and begin to really enjoy them.

2. Add greens to your smoothies. I know it sounds odd, but trust me, you won’t taste a thing. Just start out with a small amount of greens and slowly add more.

3. Try making fresh fruit and veggie juice with greens in it. Personally, I like cilantro, parsley, and spinach in mine.

4. Stir fries are a great way to add in veggies and greens.

5. Also, try making soups with added greens.

So, those are just some of the ways in which you can add one of the best superfoods to your diet. Try them out for two weeks and I guarantee that you will feel more alert and have more energy.

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P.S. – Want to try out the Easy Veggie Meal Plans, download a free sample 7-day veggie meal plan here: ===> FREE Sample 7-day Veggie Meal Plan

Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

Yesterday, I shared the interview which discussed various training aspects to consider for stripping off stubborn belly fat and uncovering those six pack abs that everyone wants.

Today, I have the rest of the interview with Abs-Expert Mike Geary dealing with the best nutrition secrets to apply if you want to have any chance of getting lean enough to see visible abs on yourself…

CB: And finally Mike, 1 or 2 of your top secret nutrition tips for losing body fat to carve out those abs. Open your vault of info!

MG: Well Craig, I think you’d agree that there has never been a more confusing time regarding proper nutrition for consumers. Every so called “expert” out there seems to disagree and contradict each other on what’s the best way to eat for fat loss and overall good health.

I’ll leave your readers with a couple of the most important aspects of nutrition that help to get you lean for life…

1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet - not only does it have a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Plus it’s a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle… And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.

2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits, and high fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat.

I personally don’t eat many grains as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits, but I’ll admit I am a bit of a fan of sprouted grains. I generally recommend looking for carbohydrate sources that have at least 2-3 grams of fiber per each 10 grams of total carbs. Remember that fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting super lean.

3. Don’t be afraid to eat fat! Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as causing more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily.

Good sources are all nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats, but are actually beneficial (but that’s way beyond the scope of this article).

4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:

*artificial trans fats from margarine, shortening, and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods

*high fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all sweetened products on the market

Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.

I always contend that once you get a handle on these 4 main points of your diet detailed above, the rest starts to take care of itself as you gain control over your appetite, blood sugar levels, hormone levels, etc. It all falls into place, and you eventually gain total control over how lean you want to get.

CB: Thanks Mike!

For more info on Mike’s Truth about Six Pack Abs Program, be sure to check out:

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Have a Great Day!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy

Yes, I almost forgot (just cause not feeling too well today), but better late than never. Who won….?

===> Here are the TT Transformation winners!

Don’t forget to watch for a special announcement coming soon!

Have a great evening!

Till later,
Keep It Burning & Be Healthy