For many millions of women all over the world, going through the menopause is a time of great stress, discomfort and some hardship. Because it is a time of life when your hormone balance is completely askew, it can often be very difficult to keep a grip on everyday life, hard to keep everything in perspective when everything seems unremittingly grey and heavy.
For the fortunate few, the menopause is on the other hand a time that they simply sail through without any undue pressures or stresses, without either physical discomfort or psychological problems of the kind that it is probably fair to suggest the majority of women suffer whilst enduring the menopause.
The physical causes of the menopause are widely understood, as are many of the symptoms of this particular phase of every females life, such as the inevitable hot flushes, persistent headaches, dizziness and light-headedness. In addition, many women feel depressed and anxious as well, further adding to their general malaise and feelings of unhappiness.
Most women should start to keep an eye open for the first signs of menopause from age 45 onwards, because the majority of women go through this phase of their life between the ages of 47 and 53. However, it is not unknown for women in their 20s and 30s to suffer premature menopause, which is often a sign of ovarian problems that need medical attention.
Because the menopause is caused by hormonal imbalances, many women turn to hormone replacement therapy as a way of dealing with their condition but many medical professionals consider that rendering HRT is an extreme solution that should only be reverted to in the most pressing of circumstances. Hence, whilst many women who are fortunate enough to be the recipients of HRT report that the therapy makes them feel better and that they enjoyed other side benefits such as improved memory, it is not a solution that will automatically be made available to everyone.
Thus, it is fortunate that there are many other natural 'treatments' that you can learn about in 'Natural ways to overcome the menopause' that you can start using as soon as the first signs of menopause strike.
Many of these things are straightforward, logical and easy to implement, with such basics as regular exercise forming an integral part of any logical natural 'treatment' program for dealing with the menopause.
There are also plenty of herbs that you can use that are widely believed to offset the most unpleasant side-effects of the menopause, and again, there is plenty of detail about all of these herbs contained in 'Natural ways to overcome the menopause'.
This really is a 'natural menopause treatment' bible that any woman can use to deal with the worst effects of the onset of menopause. Assuming that you want to get through the menopause as easily as possible, this is a book that I would recommend you should consider, because it will help you deal with the menopause far more effectively (and painlessly) than you might otherwise do.
Get information on natural menopause treatment now.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Saturated Fat - Deadly Food Demon or Healthy Part of a Natural Diet?
You've been told for decades that saturated fat will kill you. Even medical and health professionals have believed this was a "fact". However, did you know that this "fact" has never been proven? In this article, you'll learn why saturated fat may actually have some surprising benefits.
I've written many times in the last couple years about the mistaken beliefs in society about saturated fat and the false perception in the media and with MOST health and medical professionals that saturated fat is bad for you.
If you've seen in some of my articles, I've even showed you why saturated fat can even be GOOD for you in some cases, despite every health & fitness professional in the world just accepting the false belief that it is unhealthy for you.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to FINALLY see a big name publisher have some guts to publish an article about why everyone in the world may be wrong about their beliefs about saturated fat and it's health effects.
I received my new issue of Men's Health magazine recently, and they had a really detailed 6-page article in there about the faulty research in the past about saturated fat, and some new emerging research that is showing why it may actually be more good for you than you would have ever conceived.
I have to give them credit... the article was very well researched and laid out in an easy to understand format to summarize where the studies in the past have gone wrong, and why recent studies are showing that everyone may have been wrong for the last 5 decades about saturated fat.
I'd highly suggest you read the entire article if you can. If not, I am going to try to give you a quick synopsis of the findings here since it was a long article...
First of all, did you realize that although doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, fitness professionals, and the media all have told you that it's a FACT that saturated fats are bad for you, this "FACT" has actually never been proven!
It's actually not a "fact" at all. It was a hypothesis! This goes all the way back to a flawed research study from the 1950's where a scientist named Ancel Keys published a paper that laid the blame on dietary fat intake for the increasing heart disease phenomenon around the world.
However, there were major flaws to his study. For one, in his conclusions he only used data from a small portion of the countries where data was available on fat consumption versus heart disease death rate. When researches have gone back in and looked at the data from all of the countries where data was available, there actually was no link between fat consumption and heart disease deaths. So his conclusions were false in reality.
Second, his blaming of fat intake for heart disease was only one factor that was considered. There was no consideration of other factors such as smoking rates, stress factors, sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, exercise frequency, and other lifestyle factors.
Basically, his conclusions which blamed heart disease deaths on fat intake were really just a shot in the dark about what a possible cause may have been, even though all of those other factors I just mentioned, plus many others, may be the more prominent cause.
Unfortunately, Keys study has been cited for over 5 decades now as "fact" that saturated fat is bad for you. As you can see, there certainly is nothing factual about it.
Since that time, numerous other studies have been conducted trying to link saturated fat intake to heart disease. The majority of these studies have failed to correlate ANY risk at all from saturated fat. A couple of them made feeble attempts at linking saturated fat to heart disease, however, it was later shown that the data was flawed in those studies as well.
Do we actually have evidence that saturated fat may in fact be good for you instead?
Well, let's consider a few examples...
Did you know that there are several well known tribes in Africa... the Masai, Samburu, and Fulani tribes... where their diet consists mostly of raw whole milk, large quantities of red meat, and cows blood? Despite their very high saturated fat intake, they display extremely low body fat levels, and heart disease to natives of the tribe is virtually non-existent.
Now most critics of this example will say that it has to be related to superior genetics... however this is not true, as when they studied tribesman who had moved out of their native lands and started eating more modern day diets, their blood chemistry skyrocketed with heart disease risk factors.
This is true of certain pacific island countries inhabitants as well. Several studies have shown that certain pacific island nations had VERY high intakes of total fat as well as saturated fat from tropical fats such as palm, coconut, and cocoa. Despite very high intakes of saturated fat and total fat, these island natives were typically very lean and heart disease was virtually non-existent.
However, when researchers followed up with islanders that had moved away from their native island and adopted a typical western diet, the heart disease factors were through the roof.
In fact, did you know that although saturated fat intake does increase your LDL bad cholesterol, it actually increases your HDL good cholesterol even further, hence improving your overall cholesterol ratio, which has been proven to be more important that just total cholesterol level (actually total cholesterol is an almost useless number... inflammation is the REAL problem, but that's a whole different topic).
Another fact worth noting in favor of saturated fat...
Saturated fat is comprised of various different types... the 3 most prevalent types are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.
Stearic acid is found in animal fat and cocoa in higher levels. Research continues to show that stearic acid has no negative impacts on heart disease risks. If anything, it's either neutral or beneficial. In fact, your liver breaks down stearic acid into a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is the same type of fat that makes up most of heart-healthy olive oil. Bet you didn't know that!
Lauric acid is beneficial as well. Not only has it been shown to increase your HDL good cholesterol levels significantly, but it is also lacking in most Americans diet and has even been shown to have some powerful immune-boosting effects potentially. It is even being studied currently in HIV/AIDS research to help improve immune function in patients.
Tropical oils such as coconut and palm are the best sources of beneficial lauric acid.
Palmitic acid is the other main component of saturated fat and has also been shown to increase HDL good cholesterol to the same, if not greater extent than LDL bad cholesterol, thereby making it either neutral or beneficial, but certainly not bad for you.
So, if all of these researchers have tried so hard over the years to point the finger at saturated fat, but have continued to fail to show a correlation between saturated fat and heart disease risk, what are the REAL culprits for heart disease?
Well, here are the real causes of heart disease risk:
Trans fats (artificially hydrogenated oils)
Heavily refined vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn oil, etc. (inflammatory inside the body, and typically throw the omega-6/omega-3 balance out of whack)
Too much refined sugar in the diet (including high fructose corn syrup)
Too much refined starches such as white bread, low fiber cereals, etc
Smoking
Stressful lifestyle
Lack of exercise
Other lifestyle factors
So why does it seem that so many attempts over the years have tried to lay the blame on saturated fat... Do you think it might have anything to do with the muli-billion dollar vegetable oil industry, which has taken over for cooking oils for what used to be mostly animal fats and tropical oils in decades past...
Hmm... do multi-billion dollar industries really have an influence on the way data is portrayed to the public? I think you know the answer to that! And don't even get me started on the cholesterol meds industry! Again, I digress.
I hope this article has opened your eyes about the truth about saturated fat and how you've been misled over the years.
The true FACT is that saturated fat is a neutral substance in your body, and even beneficial at times, not a deadly risk factor for disease. The REAL risk factors are what I listed above.
Keep in mind that this does NOT mean that eating 5 pounds of bacon for breakfast every morning is good for you, and you should only eat foods high in saturated fats. Rather, you still need a to strike a balance for optimal health... this means fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy meats, eggs, and small amounts of whole or sprouted grains.
Again, animals raised in an unhealthy manner are not good for you... this is the case with most commercially raised meat and grain fed meat. On the other hand, wild game meats, grass fed meats, free range chickens and eggs (preferably organic) are healthy animals, and therefore the meat is generally healthy for us with better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios than standard commercial meats.
I recently found a great website that has some of the best grass-fed meat available on the market. It's nice to know that what you're feeding yourself and your family is actually good for you! Plus, they delivered the sealed cooler of grass-fed meats right to my doorstep only 2 days after ordering, and everything was still frozen. I was very happy with the service. Here's the site -- http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com/
Learn over 27 unique techniques for stripping off belly fat and carving out sexy 6-pack abs at Abdominal Exercises & Full Body Workouts to Flatten Your Stomach.
Workout at home in only 4-minutes a day by using our innovative training system at Fast Fat Loss Dumbbell Bodyweight Workouts at Home.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
I've written many times in the last couple years about the mistaken beliefs in society about saturated fat and the false perception in the media and with MOST health and medical professionals that saturated fat is bad for you.
If you've seen in some of my articles, I've even showed you why saturated fat can even be GOOD for you in some cases, despite every health & fitness professional in the world just accepting the false belief that it is unhealthy for you.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to FINALLY see a big name publisher have some guts to publish an article about why everyone in the world may be wrong about their beliefs about saturated fat and it's health effects.
I received my new issue of Men's Health magazine recently, and they had a really detailed 6-page article in there about the faulty research in the past about saturated fat, and some new emerging research that is showing why it may actually be more good for you than you would have ever conceived.
I have to give them credit... the article was very well researched and laid out in an easy to understand format to summarize where the studies in the past have gone wrong, and why recent studies are showing that everyone may have been wrong for the last 5 decades about saturated fat.
I'd highly suggest you read the entire article if you can. If not, I am going to try to give you a quick synopsis of the findings here since it was a long article...
First of all, did you realize that although doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, fitness professionals, and the media all have told you that it's a FACT that saturated fats are bad for you, this "FACT" has actually never been proven!
It's actually not a "fact" at all. It was a hypothesis! This goes all the way back to a flawed research study from the 1950's where a scientist named Ancel Keys published a paper that laid the blame on dietary fat intake for the increasing heart disease phenomenon around the world.
However, there were major flaws to his study. For one, in his conclusions he only used data from a small portion of the countries where data was available on fat consumption versus heart disease death rate. When researches have gone back in and looked at the data from all of the countries where data was available, there actually was no link between fat consumption and heart disease deaths. So his conclusions were false in reality.
Second, his blaming of fat intake for heart disease was only one factor that was considered. There was no consideration of other factors such as smoking rates, stress factors, sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, exercise frequency, and other lifestyle factors.
Basically, his conclusions which blamed heart disease deaths on fat intake were really just a shot in the dark about what a possible cause may have been, even though all of those other factors I just mentioned, plus many others, may be the more prominent cause.
Unfortunately, Keys study has been cited for over 5 decades now as "fact" that saturated fat is bad for you. As you can see, there certainly is nothing factual about it.
Since that time, numerous other studies have been conducted trying to link saturated fat intake to heart disease. The majority of these studies have failed to correlate ANY risk at all from saturated fat. A couple of them made feeble attempts at linking saturated fat to heart disease, however, it was later shown that the data was flawed in those studies as well.
Do we actually have evidence that saturated fat may in fact be good for you instead?
Well, let's consider a few examples...
Did you know that there are several well known tribes in Africa... the Masai, Samburu, and Fulani tribes... where their diet consists mostly of raw whole milk, large quantities of red meat, and cows blood? Despite their very high saturated fat intake, they display extremely low body fat levels, and heart disease to natives of the tribe is virtually non-existent.
Now most critics of this example will say that it has to be related to superior genetics... however this is not true, as when they studied tribesman who had moved out of their native lands and started eating more modern day diets, their blood chemistry skyrocketed with heart disease risk factors.
This is true of certain pacific island countries inhabitants as well. Several studies have shown that certain pacific island nations had VERY high intakes of total fat as well as saturated fat from tropical fats such as palm, coconut, and cocoa. Despite very high intakes of saturated fat and total fat, these island natives were typically very lean and heart disease was virtually non-existent.
However, when researchers followed up with islanders that had moved away from their native island and adopted a typical western diet, the heart disease factors were through the roof.
In fact, did you know that although saturated fat intake does increase your LDL bad cholesterol, it actually increases your HDL good cholesterol even further, hence improving your overall cholesterol ratio, which has been proven to be more important that just total cholesterol level (actually total cholesterol is an almost useless number... inflammation is the REAL problem, but that's a whole different topic).
Another fact worth noting in favor of saturated fat...
Saturated fat is comprised of various different types... the 3 most prevalent types are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.
Stearic acid is found in animal fat and cocoa in higher levels. Research continues to show that stearic acid has no negative impacts on heart disease risks. If anything, it's either neutral or beneficial. In fact, your liver breaks down stearic acid into a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is the same type of fat that makes up most of heart-healthy olive oil. Bet you didn't know that!
Lauric acid is beneficial as well. Not only has it been shown to increase your HDL good cholesterol levels significantly, but it is also lacking in most Americans diet and has even been shown to have some powerful immune-boosting effects potentially. It is even being studied currently in HIV/AIDS research to help improve immune function in patients.
Tropical oils such as coconut and palm are the best sources of beneficial lauric acid.
Palmitic acid is the other main component of saturated fat and has also been shown to increase HDL good cholesterol to the same, if not greater extent than LDL bad cholesterol, thereby making it either neutral or beneficial, but certainly not bad for you.
So, if all of these researchers have tried so hard over the years to point the finger at saturated fat, but have continued to fail to show a correlation between saturated fat and heart disease risk, what are the REAL culprits for heart disease?
Well, here are the real causes of heart disease risk:
Trans fats (artificially hydrogenated oils)
Heavily refined vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn oil, etc. (inflammatory inside the body, and typically throw the omega-6/omega-3 balance out of whack)
Too much refined sugar in the diet (including high fructose corn syrup)
Too much refined starches such as white bread, low fiber cereals, etc
Smoking
Stressful lifestyle
Lack of exercise
Other lifestyle factors
So why does it seem that so many attempts over the years have tried to lay the blame on saturated fat... Do you think it might have anything to do with the muli-billion dollar vegetable oil industry, which has taken over for cooking oils for what used to be mostly animal fats and tropical oils in decades past...
Hmm... do multi-billion dollar industries really have an influence on the way data is portrayed to the public? I think you know the answer to that! And don't even get me started on the cholesterol meds industry! Again, I digress.
I hope this article has opened your eyes about the truth about saturated fat and how you've been misled over the years.
The true FACT is that saturated fat is a neutral substance in your body, and even beneficial at times, not a deadly risk factor for disease. The REAL risk factors are what I listed above.
Keep in mind that this does NOT mean that eating 5 pounds of bacon for breakfast every morning is good for you, and you should only eat foods high in saturated fats. Rather, you still need a to strike a balance for optimal health... this means fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy meats, eggs, and small amounts of whole or sprouted grains.
Again, animals raised in an unhealthy manner are not good for you... this is the case with most commercially raised meat and grain fed meat. On the other hand, wild game meats, grass fed meats, free range chickens and eggs (preferably organic) are healthy animals, and therefore the meat is generally healthy for us with better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios than standard commercial meats.
I recently found a great website that has some of the best grass-fed meat available on the market. It's nice to know that what you're feeding yourself and your family is actually good for you! Plus, they delivered the sealed cooler of grass-fed meats right to my doorstep only 2 days after ordering, and everything was still frozen. I was very happy with the service. Here's the site -- http://healthygrassfed.2ya.com/
Learn over 27 unique techniques for stripping off belly fat and carving out sexy 6-pack abs at Abdominal Exercises & Full Body Workouts to Flatten Your Stomach.
Workout at home in only 4-minutes a day by using our innovative training system at Fast Fat Loss Dumbbell Bodyweight Workouts at Home.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Monday, November 16, 2009
Top 3 Fat Burning Foods - Surprising Hidden Gems
In all of my years as a professional Nutrition Specialist, I've noticed that most people are shocked to hear some of my picks for the top fat burning foods that are best for weight loss and good health.
I won't bore you with all of the typical "healthy foods" that you hear about all of the time such as fruits and veggies... everybody knows those. Instead, I'm going to show you some shockers that most people don't realize are super healthy foods for fat loss.
1. Egg Yolks - yes, that's right... full fatty egg yolks with all of their fat and cholesterol. By the way, you've been mislead about the cholesterol in egg yolks -- it actually raises your GOOD cholesterol and helps balance proper ratios, so don't be afraid of the fat and cholesterol in these little nutrition power packed gems. And if you choose cage-free eggs from free roaming hens, the omega-3 content is higher with a more balanced fat profile.
Egg yolks are also one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet in terms of vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. Trying to list all of the vital nutrients in egg yolks would take up an entire page so I won't even try that here. Just realize that egg yolks should NOT be avoided in favor of egg whites. Even the protein is more bioavailable when you include the yolks!
So don't be afraid to eat those delicious and healthy eggs and start burning belly fat faster.
2. Avocados - This is yet another "fatty food" that is also one of the best fat burning foods! Not only that, but avocados make just about everything creamier and more delicious. They are also power-packed with healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals. The healthy fat in avocados also helps control appetite and fat burning hormones in your body.
Try adding avocado slices or guacamole to everything from morning eggs, salads, sandwiches, and burgers, and starting burning body fat faster! I would definitely consider avocados one of the best healthy super foods.
3. Grass-fed beef - While most beef you see at the grocery store is grain fed beef from cattle that are in poor health and has lower nutrition values and omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratios that are far out of whack, there is a better option... and that is Grass-Fed Beef!
Grass-fed beef is known to have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower omega-6 fats (which most people get too much of anyway). Grass-fed beef also contains higher levels of many vitamins and minerals, as well as containing high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a healthy fat that is known to help muscle building and fat burning.
So don't be afraid to live it up a little and eat more beef, as long as you choose healthy grass-fed beef instead of grain fed beef. Enjoy and start burning more body fat with these so called "fatty" foods!
If you want to lose body fat faster, check out these 5 tips to Burn Stomach Fat the smart and effective way.
Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness endeavors!
Mike Geary
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
I won't bore you with all of the typical "healthy foods" that you hear about all of the time such as fruits and veggies... everybody knows those. Instead, I'm going to show you some shockers that most people don't realize are super healthy foods for fat loss.
1. Egg Yolks - yes, that's right... full fatty egg yolks with all of their fat and cholesterol. By the way, you've been mislead about the cholesterol in egg yolks -- it actually raises your GOOD cholesterol and helps balance proper ratios, so don't be afraid of the fat and cholesterol in these little nutrition power packed gems. And if you choose cage-free eggs from free roaming hens, the omega-3 content is higher with a more balanced fat profile.
Egg yolks are also one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet in terms of vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients. Trying to list all of the vital nutrients in egg yolks would take up an entire page so I won't even try that here. Just realize that egg yolks should NOT be avoided in favor of egg whites. Even the protein is more bioavailable when you include the yolks!
So don't be afraid to eat those delicious and healthy eggs and start burning belly fat faster.
2. Avocados - This is yet another "fatty food" that is also one of the best fat burning foods! Not only that, but avocados make just about everything creamier and more delicious. They are also power-packed with healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals. The healthy fat in avocados also helps control appetite and fat burning hormones in your body.
Try adding avocado slices or guacamole to everything from morning eggs, salads, sandwiches, and burgers, and starting burning body fat faster! I would definitely consider avocados one of the best healthy super foods.
3. Grass-fed beef - While most beef you see at the grocery store is grain fed beef from cattle that are in poor health and has lower nutrition values and omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratios that are far out of whack, there is a better option... and that is Grass-Fed Beef!
Grass-fed beef is known to have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower omega-6 fats (which most people get too much of anyway). Grass-fed beef also contains higher levels of many vitamins and minerals, as well as containing high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a healthy fat that is known to help muscle building and fat burning.
So don't be afraid to live it up a little and eat more beef, as long as you choose healthy grass-fed beef instead of grain fed beef. Enjoy and start burning more body fat with these so called "fatty" foods!
If you want to lose body fat faster, check out these 5 tips to Burn Stomach Fat the smart and effective way.
Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness endeavors!
Mike Geary
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Secrets to a Hard, Lean Body: Post Workout Nutrition
As you’ve probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day. The reason is that when you’re finished with an intense workout, you’re entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is depleted and increased cortisol levels are beginning to excessively break down muscle tissue. These conditions are not good and the only way to reverse this catabolic state (and promote an anabolic state) is to consume a quickly digestible post-workout meal as soon as you can after training. The goal is to choose a meal with quickly digestible carbs to replenish muscle glycogen as well as quickly digestible protein to provide the amino acids needed to jump start muscular repair. The surge of carbohydrates and amino acids from this quickly digested meal promotes an insulin spike from the pancreas, which shuttles nutrients into the muscle cells.
The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. For example, a 120-lb female may only need a 300-calorie meal, whereas a 200-lb male may need a 500-calorie post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal should also contain anywhere from a 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum, since fat slows the absorption of the meal, which is the opposite of what you want after a workout.
When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to realize is that you DON’T need any of these expensive post-workout supplement formulations that the magazines (who advertise for them) will tell you that you absolutely NEED! As with any nutritional strategies, natural is always better. A good source of quickly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, raisins, honey, or organic maple syrup are perfect to elicit an insulin response that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a general anabolic (muscle building) effect. The best source of quickly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein isolate and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Here are a couple ideas for delicious post-workout smoothies that will kick start your recovery process:
Chocolate Banana – blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup skim milk, one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder – 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 440 calories.
Pineapple Vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder – 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 425 calories.
When looking to lose body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the opposite characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have quick high glycemic index carbs, quickly digested proteins, and minimal fat, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, slowly digested carbs, slow release proteins, and ample healthy fats. These are powerful strategies towards developing a lean muscular body with a low body fat percentage. Another great thing about post-workout meals is that you can satisfy even the worst sweet tooth, since this is the one time of the day where you can get away with eating extra sugars without adding to your gut. Instead, it all goes straight to the muscles! Enjoy!
Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/Training-and-Nutrition-Articles.html to receive your own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well as 4 of my secret hard-body workout routines - both FREE, with no purchase necessary.
Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" ©2004-2005.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. For example, a 120-lb female may only need a 300-calorie meal, whereas a 200-lb male may need a 500-calorie post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal should also contain anywhere from a 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum, since fat slows the absorption of the meal, which is the opposite of what you want after a workout.
When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to realize is that you DON’T need any of these expensive post-workout supplement formulations that the magazines (who advertise for them) will tell you that you absolutely NEED! As with any nutritional strategies, natural is always better. A good source of quickly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, raisins, honey, or organic maple syrup are perfect to elicit an insulin response that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a general anabolic (muscle building) effect. The best source of quickly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein isolate and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Here are a couple ideas for delicious post-workout smoothies that will kick start your recovery process:
Chocolate Banana – blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup skim milk, one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder – 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 440 calories.
Pineapple Vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder – 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 425 calories.
When looking to lose body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the opposite characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have quick high glycemic index carbs, quickly digested proteins, and minimal fat, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, slowly digested carbs, slow release proteins, and ample healthy fats. These are powerful strategies towards developing a lean muscular body with a low body fat percentage. Another great thing about post-workout meals is that you can satisfy even the worst sweet tooth, since this is the one time of the day where you can get away with eating extra sugars without adding to your gut. Instead, it all goes straight to the muscles! Enjoy!
Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/Training-and-Nutrition-Articles.html to receive your own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well as 4 of my secret hard-body workout routines - both FREE, with no purchase necessary.
Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" ©2004-2005.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Mistakes You Must Avoid for Ab Workout and Fat Loss
If you want to discover some areas where you may be going wrong in your ab workouts and your attempts at losing stomach fat, I have an interview for you here that you'll want to read.
In the interview, we discuss the topic of abs training and the biggest myths and mistakes we see in this field.
Here's a copy of the training portion of the interview below. We'll discuss the nutrition aspects necessary for losing enough body fat to carve out those six pack abs in another article.
CB: Okay Mike, so where does the average man or woman go wrong when it comes to training abs?
MG: Most people are probably going to be surprised with this answer. In their quest for 'six pack abs', the biggest mistake I see people making is wasting WAY too much of their time training their abs directly... pumping away with all kinds of different abs-specific exercises.
I'm sure you know what I'm referring to. The person is trying so hard to get those abs to show, that they're spending almost all of their time in the gym with hundreds of reps of various crunches, leg raises, twisting exercises, etc. Meanwhile, all of that wasted time directly training the abs could have been better spent on a properly designed full body workout program that would elicit a much better metabolic response and increase the fat-burning hormone levels in their body as well.
After all, losing the stomach fat that is covering the abs is the MOST important aspect for most people to finally be able to make their abdominals visible. Unfortunately, pumping away with hundreds of crunches and leg raises does NOT cause much of a metabolic or fat burning hormonal response.
This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs book... full body workout programs and proper nutrition to strip off that stubborn belly fat and reveal the six pack that's hiding underneath!
Of course it wouldn't be an abs book if I didn't focus on ab development too, but I make sure firstly that the most important concepts for lasting body fat reduction are understood.
CB: Do you see any gender differences in mistakes they make? And more importantly, do you see any gender differences in the response to various types of ab training?
MG: To be honest, I don't really see any need for men or women to train differently. Bottom line... the best exercises are the best exercises regardless of gender.
However, in regards to mistakes I see between genders... Yes, I tend to see women more often are deathly afraid to use weight training with anything but really light weights. That is a shame, because THE most effective way to gain control over your body fat for life, is to maximize your lean muscle that your body carries, as well as working that muscle hard through intense resistance exercise regularly.
It's important for women to realize that regular strength training using heavier resistance will NOT "bulk them up" (as long as caloric intake is controlled), but rather is one of the key secrets for losing body fat and staying lean year-round. As a matter of fact, some of the leanest females that I've trained over the years are the ones that aren't afraid to work hard with the weights.
I also notice that most women (and a lot of guys too) spend way too much time with slow cardio workouts. This is simply not necessary, and the way I combine high intensity resistance training into full body routines provides enough of a "cardio" workout in itself usually. We'll get back to this in a minute though.
CB: What about old school sit-ups? Do you use these? Are they good, bad, or does it "depend"?
MG: Sit-ups are a controversial topic. I don't think they're good or bad per se, but rather "in between". I didn't include them in my workout programs. I simply don't feel they are necessary, and I think there are much more effective abs exercises to focus on. Personally, I almost never do sit-ups except occasionally for a little variety every now and then.
CB: Give us a weekly sample ab training program. How many days per week? What are a couple of the best exercises you'd pick? How many sets? Reps? Rest?
MG: Well, first I'd like to point out that the full body exercises that make up the majority of my programs indirectly work the abs and the entire "core" area to a fairly decent extent. However, I do include abs-specific exercises into the routines generally about twice per week. The "abs-specific" portion of the workouts generally only take about 5 minutes at most with very little rest between exercises.
Once people are past the beginning phase of gaining some initial ab strength, I try to get them away from the exercises that are too easy, where someone can do 50 or 100 reps, as is frequently common with standard crunches. Instead, I like to focus on higher resistance exercises that actually stimulate the muscle fibers to a much greater degree.
One example of a higher resistance abs exercise is hanging leg raises with a proper "pelvic curl up". It's funny but usually someone that has been wasting so much time with hundreds of reps of crunches can usually only do a few solid reps when they first attempt some of these higher resistance exercises.
We also make sure not to neglect some rotational movements, as well as some work for the deeper muscles like the transversus abdominis.
CB: What do you use for burning fat, intervals or slow cardio workouts? Or both? Any gender differences here? Or differences between fitness levels (beginner vs. advanced)?
MG: In most cases, my answer is definitely intervals... or as I like to call it "variable intensity training". In general, I think slow steady pace cardio is a waste of time, especially if the goal is lasting fat loss.
I think people need to get away from this thinking about "fat burning zones" and calories burned during the actual workout, and look at the bigger picture of what you're doing in your workout to stimulate the greatest metabolic response in your body... and the best metabolic and hormonal response is achieved through variable intensity training and strength training, not slow steady-pace cardio workouts.
Now I will say that if someone is really deconditioned and can't handle higher intensity exercise routines just yet, this still doesn't mean that they can't simply use lower intensity routines, but still use it in a "variable intensity" fashion, by alternating between higher and lower exertion levels throughout the workout.
That wraps up the "abs training" portion of the interview. We'll discuss the nutrition aspects that are necessary for losing enough body fat to get visible six pack abs in a separate article.
Make sure to grab this free report detailing over 27 specific metabolism boosting secrets at Best Ab Workout, Abdominal Exercises, Fat Loss
Need more workout ideas? This site has over 10,000 workouts professionally designed by the top fitness pros on earth for every fitness goal imaginable: Unlimited Workout Ideas
Tired of boring cardio workouts? Discover better workout styles at Better than Cardio Workouts
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
In the interview, we discuss the topic of abs training and the biggest myths and mistakes we see in this field.
Here's a copy of the training portion of the interview below. We'll discuss the nutrition aspects necessary for losing enough body fat to carve out those six pack abs in another article.
CB: Okay Mike, so where does the average man or woman go wrong when it comes to training abs?
MG: Most people are probably going to be surprised with this answer. In their quest for 'six pack abs', the biggest mistake I see people making is wasting WAY too much of their time training their abs directly... pumping away with all kinds of different abs-specific exercises.
I'm sure you know what I'm referring to. The person is trying so hard to get those abs to show, that they're spending almost all of their time in the gym with hundreds of reps of various crunches, leg raises, twisting exercises, etc. Meanwhile, all of that wasted time directly training the abs could have been better spent on a properly designed full body workout program that would elicit a much better metabolic response and increase the fat-burning hormone levels in their body as well.
After all, losing the stomach fat that is covering the abs is the MOST important aspect for most people to finally be able to make their abdominals visible. Unfortunately, pumping away with hundreds of crunches and leg raises does NOT cause much of a metabolic or fat burning hormonal response.
This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs book... full body workout programs and proper nutrition to strip off that stubborn belly fat and reveal the six pack that's hiding underneath!
Of course it wouldn't be an abs book if I didn't focus on ab development too, but I make sure firstly that the most important concepts for lasting body fat reduction are understood.
CB: Do you see any gender differences in mistakes they make? And more importantly, do you see any gender differences in the response to various types of ab training?
MG: To be honest, I don't really see any need for men or women to train differently. Bottom line... the best exercises are the best exercises regardless of gender.
However, in regards to mistakes I see between genders... Yes, I tend to see women more often are deathly afraid to use weight training with anything but really light weights. That is a shame, because THE most effective way to gain control over your body fat for life, is to maximize your lean muscle that your body carries, as well as working that muscle hard through intense resistance exercise regularly.
It's important for women to realize that regular strength training using heavier resistance will NOT "bulk them up" (as long as caloric intake is controlled), but rather is one of the key secrets for losing body fat and staying lean year-round. As a matter of fact, some of the leanest females that I've trained over the years are the ones that aren't afraid to work hard with the weights.
I also notice that most women (and a lot of guys too) spend way too much time with slow cardio workouts. This is simply not necessary, and the way I combine high intensity resistance training into full body routines provides enough of a "cardio" workout in itself usually. We'll get back to this in a minute though.
CB: What about old school sit-ups? Do you use these? Are they good, bad, or does it "depend"?
MG: Sit-ups are a controversial topic. I don't think they're good or bad per se, but rather "in between". I didn't include them in my workout programs. I simply don't feel they are necessary, and I think there are much more effective abs exercises to focus on. Personally, I almost never do sit-ups except occasionally for a little variety every now and then.
CB: Give us a weekly sample ab training program. How many days per week? What are a couple of the best exercises you'd pick? How many sets? Reps? Rest?
MG: Well, first I'd like to point out that the full body exercises that make up the majority of my programs indirectly work the abs and the entire "core" area to a fairly decent extent. However, I do include abs-specific exercises into the routines generally about twice per week. The "abs-specific" portion of the workouts generally only take about 5 minutes at most with very little rest between exercises.
Once people are past the beginning phase of gaining some initial ab strength, I try to get them away from the exercises that are too easy, where someone can do 50 or 100 reps, as is frequently common with standard crunches. Instead, I like to focus on higher resistance exercises that actually stimulate the muscle fibers to a much greater degree.
One example of a higher resistance abs exercise is hanging leg raises with a proper "pelvic curl up". It's funny but usually someone that has been wasting so much time with hundreds of reps of crunches can usually only do a few solid reps when they first attempt some of these higher resistance exercises.
We also make sure not to neglect some rotational movements, as well as some work for the deeper muscles like the transversus abdominis.
CB: What do you use for burning fat, intervals or slow cardio workouts? Or both? Any gender differences here? Or differences between fitness levels (beginner vs. advanced)?
MG: In most cases, my answer is definitely intervals... or as I like to call it "variable intensity training". In general, I think slow steady pace cardio is a waste of time, especially if the goal is lasting fat loss.
I think people need to get away from this thinking about "fat burning zones" and calories burned during the actual workout, and look at the bigger picture of what you're doing in your workout to stimulate the greatest metabolic response in your body... and the best metabolic and hormonal response is achieved through variable intensity training and strength training, not slow steady-pace cardio workouts.
Now I will say that if someone is really deconditioned and can't handle higher intensity exercise routines just yet, this still doesn't mean that they can't simply use lower intensity routines, but still use it in a "variable intensity" fashion, by alternating between higher and lower exertion levels throughout the workout.
That wraps up the "abs training" portion of the interview. We'll discuss the nutrition aspects that are necessary for losing enough body fat to get visible six pack abs in a separate article.
Make sure to grab this free report detailing over 27 specific metabolism boosting secrets at Best Ab Workout, Abdominal Exercises, Fat Loss
Need more workout ideas? This site has over 10,000 workouts professionally designed by the top fitness pros on earth for every fitness goal imaginable: Unlimited Workout Ideas
Tired of boring cardio workouts? Discover better workout styles at Better than Cardio Workouts
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Three Veggies That Help to Burn Stomach Fat
Specific vegetables that actually help to stimulate the burning of stomach fat? Sounds crazy right?
Well, check this out below and you'll see why it's not so far fetched.
First, one fact that you may have not realized is that there are certain chemicals in our food supply and in our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemicals that have an estrogenic effect inside our bodies. This problem can increase belly fat on both men and women, so pay attention.
These are called xenoestrogens, and exposure to them from these chemicals in our food supply, water supply, and the environment is one factor that can actually stimulate your body to hold onto belly fat. The problem is that in today's world, even if you eat organic and live in a relatively low-pollution area, it is almost impossible to not get at least some degree of daily exposure to xenoestrogens. They are even in household cleaners and cosmetics!
So how can you fight against these xenoestrogens so that they are not forcing your body to hold onto stomach fat?
Well, that's where these specific types of vegetables that I'm going to show you can help.
There are many classes of vegetables, teas, spices, etc that have compounds which can help to fight against the effects of xenoestrogens. However, one of the most powerful classes are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.
These types of cruciferous vegetables contain very unique compounds (phytonutrients) such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that can help to combat the effects of xenoestrogens in your body, and therefore, can help you to burn abdominal fat more effectively.
As if you needed another excuse to eat more broccoli and cauliflower... Now, you can add losing stomach fat to the list!
Now here's the cool thing...
On this link, I'm going to show you my program that explains specific teas, spices, and other sources of these unique compounds that help to fight against xenoestrogens and help you to Burn Belly Fat faster and more effectively.
Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness goals!
Mike Geary -
Certified Nutrition Specialist,
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Well, check this out below and you'll see why it's not so far fetched.
First, one fact that you may have not realized is that there are certain chemicals in our food supply and in our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemicals that have an estrogenic effect inside our bodies. This problem can increase belly fat on both men and women, so pay attention.
These are called xenoestrogens, and exposure to them from these chemicals in our food supply, water supply, and the environment is one factor that can actually stimulate your body to hold onto belly fat. The problem is that in today's world, even if you eat organic and live in a relatively low-pollution area, it is almost impossible to not get at least some degree of daily exposure to xenoestrogens. They are even in household cleaners and cosmetics!
So how can you fight against these xenoestrogens so that they are not forcing your body to hold onto stomach fat?
Well, that's where these specific types of vegetables that I'm going to show you can help.
There are many classes of vegetables, teas, spices, etc that have compounds which can help to fight against the effects of xenoestrogens. However, one of the most powerful classes are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.
These types of cruciferous vegetables contain very unique compounds (phytonutrients) such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that can help to combat the effects of xenoestrogens in your body, and therefore, can help you to burn abdominal fat more effectively.
As if you needed another excuse to eat more broccoli and cauliflower... Now, you can add losing stomach fat to the list!
Now here's the cool thing...
On this link, I'm going to show you my program that explains specific teas, spices, and other sources of these unique compounds that help to fight against xenoestrogens and help you to Burn Belly Fat faster and more effectively.
Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness goals!
Mike Geary -
Certified Nutrition Specialist,
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Geary
Learn more on how to get rid of that extra fat and get a slim trim body which you can be proud of. Go here to learn more...
Truth About Abs
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tips to eat ONLY healthy food at restaurants
Eating frequently at restaurants? Beware, it can become one of the main reason to get that extra fat on your body. But, then you say that its not that you like restaurants but it because you travel much, or you have clients with whom you have to eat out etc etc.
Okay! I will give you some tips that you can use while eating out at restaurants and still eat healthy food.
First of all understand the most common food available at the restaurants which always increase your fat, means the food you must avoid:
These items do the major chunk of damage. If you can learn to avoid them you can feel that you have achieved a major success. So try getting away from trans fats, refined vegetable oils, refined starchy carbohydrates, and processed sugar items. This could mean that you should try to skip table bread, the french fries, the heaping portions of pasta and rice.
Oh! my god, you will say then what is left? Well, coming to that try to eat just meat with side vegetables, lot of salads and making the salad a substitute for your french fries, pasta or rice. No restaurant will say no for that.
All restaurants will have this kind of facility to substitute the one type food for another so try salads more.
People with you may look at you when you substitute but its you who have to understand whats good and what bad, you can always tell them that it what you like for a change. Ha ha.
If you scrutinize, you will find that these are the people who will complain first about getting overweight and having tried everything to reduce, but in vein.
Substitution may bring a simple difference but that's where lies the key. Take a look...
Most people will eat a meal out something like this:
A simple substitution could be:
These simple substitution can help you save at least 400 to 900 every time you go to restaurant. Of course the portion size does matter. The other benefit you can see on your cost of dining as well.
On a side note: a good high intensity daily work-out before your meal can help you though to get away from the bad effect of eating the full portions of pasta, rice and breads
An exercise schedule may not fit in your day to day schedule, but if you try nothing is impossible and you can make your meal itself as post - workout meal. After a high intensity workout, you body become ready to handle higher amounts of carb.
A moderate exercise may not get you the results you want.
So, next time you eat out remember these and keep maintaining that lean body. Enjoy your life.
Get the full solution for life on this problem at...
http://www.truthaboutabs.com/
Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!
Okay! I will give you some tips that you can use while eating out at restaurants and still eat healthy food.
First of all understand the most common food available at the restaurants which always increase your fat, means the food you must avoid:
- Soda item: Food items with soda should be avoided. Examples of such items are juices, drinks, sugar drinks.
- Food that is deep fried
- Starchy food that is refined.
These items do the major chunk of damage. If you can learn to avoid them you can feel that you have achieved a major success. So try getting away from trans fats, refined vegetable oils, refined starchy carbohydrates, and processed sugar items. This could mean that you should try to skip table bread, the french fries, the heaping portions of pasta and rice.
Oh! my god, you will say then what is left? Well, coming to that try to eat just meat with side vegetables, lot of salads and making the salad a substitute for your french fries, pasta or rice. No restaurant will say no for that.
All restaurants will have this kind of facility to substitute the one type food for another so try salads more.
People with you may look at you when you substitute but its you who have to understand whats good and what bad, you can always tell them that it what you like for a change. Ha ha.
If you scrutinize, you will find that these are the people who will complain first about getting overweight and having tried everything to reduce, but in vein.
Substitution may bring a simple difference but that's where lies the key. Take a look...
Most people will eat a meal out something like this:
- Burger or sandwich
- fries or chips
- soda or other sweetened drink (and yes even diet sodas are NOT healthy!)
A simple substitution could be:
- Burger or Sandwich
- Salad or veggies
- unsweetened iced tea or water (say no to diet drinks as well. They are like poison!)
These simple substitution can help you save at least 400 to 900 every time you go to restaurant. Of course the portion size does matter. The other benefit you can see on your cost of dining as well.
On a side note: a good high intensity daily work-out before your meal can help you though to get away from the bad effect of eating the full portions of pasta, rice and breads
An exercise schedule may not fit in your day to day schedule, but if you try nothing is impossible and you can make your meal itself as post - workout meal. After a high intensity workout, you body become ready to handle higher amounts of carb.
A moderate exercise may not get you the results you want.
So, next time you eat out remember these and keep maintaining that lean body. Enjoy your life.
Get the full solution for life on this problem at...
http://www.truthaboutabs.com/
Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
