Pushup Plank Helps Tone Abs Faster

Try the pushup plank exercise to change up your routine, challenge your body and tone your abs. You should always be concerned with improving your core strength. The pushup plank will help you progress with your core strength and tone your abs faster.

It is a mistake to work on building your superficial abdominal muscles and not work on building your deep stabilizing core muscles.

The pushup plank is an isometric bodyweight exercise which helps you build strength and burn fat without moving much. They are great for building muscles, stabilizing muscles, building strength, improving power and burning fat.

Isometric contractions can be described as a type of muscle contraction where your muscles develop tension without changing length. Isometric contractions cause most if not all of your muscles to work during the exercise.

You need to do isometric core exercises, like the pushup plank, to get your toned or six pack abs. This is a surprise to many people. Isometric core exercises build up the deep stabilizing muscles and give tone to your entire core area.

How to do the Pushup Plank

Get in the pushup position and balance on your toes while keeping your body in a straight line. Hold the plank position for the required count without moving. Keep your head in line with your torso and brace your torso (as if taking a punch to the gut).

Finally, you should strength train your muscles with all contraction types (eccentric, isometric, concentric). This will help you burn more total body fat. All muscles function eccentrically (reduces force or deceleration), isometrically (stabilizes force) and concentrically (produces force).

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Why Your Muffin Top Won't Burn Off

If your muffin top is spilling over the top of your pant’s waistline, don't give up hope. You can burn off your belly fat with the right strategies. Just doing 1,000 ab crunches every day won't burn your belly fat.

You must understand the primary cause of your belly fat, namely a caloric imbalance. If you consistently maintain daily caloric surpluses (eating more calories than you burn), you will gain weight and body fat. A good amount of this fat will settle in your gut.

Its important that you burn off belly fat for health reasons. Your appearance will take care of itself. Research has documented that too much belly fat damages blood vessels and cells. Belly fat has also been associated with contributing to coronary artery disease, Metabolic Syndrome and cancer.

According to Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, who is an internationally renowned expert and speaker in women's health, fitness and nutrition, muffin tops can happen at any age. Pamela calls muffin top after age 40, menopot.

Menopot occurs in women as their sex hormones decrease. This makes it easier to store belly fat instead of fat storing in the butt, hips and thighs.

Call it muffin top, menopot, belly fat or beer gut. The bottom line is that you need to get rid of it! You can do it with a sustained, strategic effort to lean out your entire body.

Here are my 10 tips on how to burn belly fat and keep it off:

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

1. Get a healthy, managed meal plan and comply with it at least 90% of the time. If you are trying to burn fat and lose weight, nutrition is critical. Eat mainly whole, natural foods that have one ingredient–the food itself. For example, fruits and vegetables have one ingredient.

I don’t ever encourage any diet that significantly omits one of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins). Your body’s metabolism needs all 3 macronutrients to operate properly. So, diets that are very low in carbs or fats will not help your body in the long-term. Fats, which is the most nutrient-dense of the macronutrients (9 calories per gram), can help you feel fuller for longer and thereby help you eat less. Just eat mainly heart-healthy fats like olive oil, salmon and avocado.

Eating fast-digesting carbs immediately before or after your workout will not spike your blood sugar levels. Your body uses carbs for intense weight training and interval cardio.

Set your daily calorie intake based on your basal metabolic rate, your activity level and your goals. This way, you won’t eat too much or too little. Maintaining the right amount of calorie deficit on most days (burning more calories than you consume) is the key to burning fat and losing weight.

2. Eat more protein. Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady when you have a meal that includes carbohydrates. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your hunger doesn’t spike so high. Just include protein foods with each meal.

Drinking a fast-digesting whey protein drink before and after your weight training workout helps your body repair and rebuild your muscles.

3. Eat more fiber for your overall health and belly fat reduction. Your body cannot digest fiber and there are two forms:

–Soluble fiber dissolves in water and produces a gel-like substance in your stomach. This substance helps digested food move slowly through the small intestine and slows down food absorption and release of nutrients into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber also limits the amount of cholesterol released into the blood. Oats are high in soluble fiber.

–Insoluble fiber cannot be broken down once entering the stomach and increases in size by absorbing water. This type of fiber speeds up foods absorption once it enters into the small intestine. Insoluble fiber cleans your system as it travels through your body.

Eat both types of fiber to help you feel fuller for longer and to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Eating 25-35 grams of daily fiber per day will help fight belly fat. Fruits and vegetables have both types of fiber.

4. Limit sugary drinks and other sugary foods. If you want a fat belly, load up consistently on sugars. Dr. David Ludwig, a Harvard endocrinologist, who is widely cited by obesity researchers, says that sweetened drinks are the only specific food that clinical research has directly linked to weight gain. “Highly concentrated starches and sugars promote overeating, and the granddaddy of them all is sugar-sweetened beverages,” said Ludwig, who runs the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

And, avoid high-fructose corn syrup. Your body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does regular sugar. It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you’re full. It causes your liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast). So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time.

5. If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation. One gram of alcohol provides 7 calories. Only fat (9 cal/g) provides more calories than alcohol. So, when you are planning your food and drink consumption, don’t forget the calories from alcohol. When you take a drink of alcohol, your body converts a small amount of it into fat and the rest is converted (by the liver) into a substance called acetate. This acetate is then quickly released into the bloodstream and used as the body’s main source of energy.

So, your body is using the acetate for energy instead of the stored fat in your body. The more you drink, the more fat your body will store (many times belly fat).

Added to this problem is the fact that alcohol consumption can increase your appetite. Researchers from Denmark found that a group of men ate more when they were served beer or wine and they ate less when served a soft drink.

6. Drink plenty of water. This will help you limit sugary drinks that pack on belly fat. Your body is about two-thirds water. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like tea) most of the time. It will help you eat less and help your body function better.

Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink 70 ounces of water each day.

Remember, certain foods contain large amounts of water. This counts toward your water intake. For instance watermelon is about 90% water and lettuce has about 95% water. Some meats contain as much as 70% water.

Water also helps your body flex muscles, remove wastes, cushion joints, carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells and helps convert food into energy (although water doesn’t provide energy).

You may be experiencing dehydration if you have dry lips/mouth, dizziness, headache, nausea or muscle cramps. When you exercise, drink about a cup of water every 15 minutes.

7. Do regular full body strength training at least 3 days a week to burn total body fat. Spot reduction training won’t work to burn your belly fat. Focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlift, lunges, pullups, chest press, shoulder press and rows because they work large muscle groups and help you burn more calories and fat.

8. Do regular short burst interval cardio workouts. Sprint intervals and bodyweight exercise cardio are top fat burners. Twenty minute cardio sessions (2-3 times a week) will get the job done.

9. Limit prolonged stress in your life. A certain amount of stress is good for us to live efficiently. Too much stress…well, you know the answer. In a Mayo Clinic article, “Stress Basics,” it states:

“When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones to fuel your capacity for a response. This has been labeled the “fight-or-flight” response.

Once the threat is gone, your body is meant to return to a normal relaxed state. Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life means that your alarm system rarely shuts off. Without stress management, all too often your body is always on high alert. Over time, high levels of stress lead to serious health problems.”

10. Get enough sleep. In a Health.com article, “Why a Lack of Sleep Can Make You Fat, and How to Keep From Gaining Weight” it says the following:

“We have very substantial research that shows if you shorten or disturb sleep, you increase your appetite for high-calorie dense foods,” says Charles Samuels, MD, medical director of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary, Alberta. “On a simplistic level, your appetite changes.”

Two hormones in your body play an important role in controlling appetite and satiety. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, causing you to eat; leptin suppresses appetite—so you’ll stop eating—and stimulates energy expenditure. In a properly functioning brain, the two hormones are released on and off to regulate normal feelings of hunger. But research has shown that sleep deprivation can alter ghrelin and leptin levels.

“When sleep is restricted to four hours a night, ghrelin levels go up and leptin levels go down,” says National Sleep Foundation spokesperson William Orr, PhD, president and CEO of the Lynn Health Science Institute in Oklahoma City. “So you have a greater amount of appetite and a greater amount of intake.”

Burn fat and shrink your entire body. That will get rid of your muffin top too.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

5 Reasons to do the Cross-Body Mountain Climber Exercise

If you want to be a mountain climber, you need massive amounts of core strength and muscle endurance strength....so says my friends Brian and Jackie, who finished successfully climbing to the summit of Mt. Ranier! I'm not going to argue with them. I'm impressed---congrats, you two! On to the cross-body mountain climber exercise.....

Here are 5 reasons for you to include the cross-body mountain climber in your workouts (even if you don't want to be a real mountain climber):

1. All movement begins with the core and many injuries can be traced to a weak core area. WE KNOW THE SAYING---YOU'RE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR "WEAKEST LINK." Well, this saying definitely applies to your body.

Many people work certain favorite body parts when exercising. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing. But for your training to be effective, you should focus training your "weak links" first while also training the other body parts as well.

For many, the "weakest link" is the core. Weak cores lead to back and other related trunk injuries. Others have weak opposing muscle groups. An example would be having strong triceps but weak biceps, or strong chest muscles but weak back muscles.

2. Another problem for many is not strengthening and stretching all muscle groups, which will give you an unbalanced physique and poor posture. This leads to injuries. So, what's the solution? Do full body strength workouts, which will include core strength exercises and total body flexibility exercises like the cross-body mountain climber. This way your workouts will focus on your "weak links" while training the other parts of your body.

3. The cross-body mountain climber is a compound exercise in that it works the calves, quadriceps, glutes, back, chest, triceps, abdominals and shoulders. You will need high levels of core strength to do this exercise the right way for each set.

4. Oh yeah, Brian and Jackie also talked about the importance of doing cardio exercise. The cross-body mountain climber doubles as a strength/cardio exercise. Try doing an interval bodyweight cardio workout like this:

--Cross-body mountain climber, 30 seconds, fast
--Walk 1 minute
--Do this rotation for 20 minutes

5. Do cross-body mountain climbers if you're serious about burning more fat and sculpting your body faster.

It is a versatile exercise in that you can do it on level ground, on an incline, as a warmup, as cardio or as a workout exercise. I like to include cross-body mountain climbers as part of a bodyweight cardio session.

It is one of the best and toughest exercises out there. Challenge yourself!

Do the cross-body mountain climber this way:

a. Start by getting in the push up position with your arms fully extended. Keep your hips and torso in a straight line. Don't let your hips sag and don't point your butt in the air during this exercise.

b. Do the exercise by moving your left knee straight up and across your body to the right armpit area (keep your abs braced). Also, don't let your foot touch the ground as you do the movement.

Move your left leg back to the starting position and repeat with your right leg. Alternate your leg movements until you have completed all repetitions.

If you are doing the mountain climber exercise then just add on the cross-body mountain climber!

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Chronic Over-Training Leads to Degenerative Joint Conditions

You shouldn't workout every day. Workouts include resistance training, cardio training, bootcamps, endurance training (triathlons, marathons, group exercise, etc.).....You have to let your body recover and rebuild itself. You will generally need 1-2 days rest each week from workouts. Recovery may include massage therapy.

Over-training is common with many people. How do you know if you are over-training? Here are some physical and performance signs:

1. Sluggishness
2. Lack of control during exercises
3. Longer rest periods are needed between sets
4. You are usually tired before your workouts
5. You are stressed out (when exercise should be your stress-buster!)
6. You get sick often
7. Increasing joint pain

Other signs of over-training can include: depression, concentration problems, sleep disorders and eating disorders.

See my article here 10 Warning Signs of Female Over-Training

Don't think that you are being smart, or tough, by working out every day of the week. You can be a "workout warrior" and still be smart about it. Trust me, your body will break down if you don't treat it right. The cumulative effect of various injuries will take its toll on you. And, that could lead to chronic or degenerative injuries.

Chronic injuries can be caused by over-training, muscle imbalances and uncorrected postural problems.

Furthermore, muscle imbalances and postural problems are made worse by over-training. And, since chronic injuries come on gradually, you are more apt to "play through the pain." Leave that attitude to people getting paid to compete. You need to take care of the only body you have.

Degenerative conditions can become non-reversible and many are associated with long-term joint problems. Sometimes, previously unrehabilitated injuries turn into degenerative conditions (such as low back problems, shoulder problems or knee problems). Some arthritic conditions are brought on by the cumulative effect of previous injuries.

You can stay active without doing a workout. A big part of the fitness lifestyle is to stay as active as possible when you aren't working out. By staying active, you keep your fat burning enzymes and metabolism active.

Here are 7 Ways to stay active between workouts:

1. walk 30 moderately-paced minutes,
2. go swimming,
3. take a 30 minute bike ride after dinner,
4. take walking breaks at work,
5. walk or bike when you can instead of driving the car,
6. walk your dog, or
7. do yardwork or house chores.

Remember, all movement burns calories.

It is not uncommon to take a week off from workouts if you are a veteran of the workout arena.

Don't underestimate the importance of rest and recovery during your exercise program.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Your 7 Step Fall Season Shape Up Plan

If you need to start burning fat and shaping your body, fall season is a good time to start. Summer schedules can get off track and crazy busy...The weather is now cooler and you've got your fall schedule set for the next few months.

The change of seasons can be a motivator to get you going.

So, schedule time to take care of your body.....

Here are 7 tips to help you shape up this fall:

1. Today is always the best day to start exercising and eating better. Make up your mind to get started. Unless you have a medical condition stopping you, don't put it off until tomorrow or next week. Putting things off can turn into "next year," "5 years" or "I remember when" if you're not careful.

2. The holiday season is coming! If you don't start exercising now, its likely you'll be making those dreaded New Year's fitness resolutions. You could be 20-30 pounds heavier by then.

Its much better and lasting if you will just make a commitment to exercise regularly and eat better now----and for good.

If you made a New Year’s resolution, how’s that going? Need to get started exercising again? I recommend weight training 3 days a week and short, interval cardio sessions 2-3 days a week.

3. Fall weather is ideal for exercising outdoors. Layer your clothing for cool weather. The inner-most layer of clothing should be moisture wicking material. The outer layer should be windbreaker type material. If its cold, you'll need a middle layer of thicker material.

If you have been inactive, start walking every day for 20-30 minutes. Because it will be getting dark sooner, its easy to just go home and hibernate after a long day of school or work. Don't wait until the end of the day.

Staying active as much as possible is very under-rated and will help you shape up and feel better during the day. It helps relieve stress, improves bloodflow and improves breathing. So, if you have a "sit-down" job, I would recommend that you stand more during work. Stand-up desks are becoming popular.

4. Get a healthy meal plan and comply with it at least 90% of the time. Eat mainly whole, natural foods that have one ingredient. For example, fruits and vegetables have one ingredient--the food itself.

Your body’s metabolism needs all 3 macronutrients (fats, carbs, protein) to operate properly. So, diets that are very low in carbohydrates or fats will not help your body in the long-term. Also, what you eat plays an important role in brain function.

5. Fall is a good time for a change of pace, especially if you've been working out hard all year. A bootcamp, group exercise class, 5K run or rec soccer team can be a needed change for the next three months. And, all of these programs require a solid commitment from you.

6. Exercise where it is convenient for you. Don't leave room for excuses. Here are some tips:

a. Keep your gym bag in your car so you can workout before or after work.
b. Do a quick workout during your kids soccer practice.
c. Workout during lunch break. Eat before or after lunch. And, you can always eat during breaks.
d. Workout at home. Here is a good workout for you:

--Prisoner squats, 10 repetitions, moderate pace
--Pushups, 10 repetitions, moderate pace
--Prone plank, 10 repetitions, 10 second hold
--Bentover dumbbell row, 10 repetitions, moderate pace
--Mountain Climbers, 30 seconds, fast
--Standing dumbbell shoulder press, 10 repetitions, moderate pace
--Do this circuit 3 times

7. Get enough sleep, no matter what season it is. If you don't sleep enough, your body won't work right and it will be tough to get in a good workout.

Lack of sleep affects memory, concentration and health. In a Medical News Today article, “Getting A Good Night's Sleep,” the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM), reports that sleep problems add up to a global epidemic that affects 45% of the world's population.

"Insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless legs syndrome (RLS), and sleep deprivation significantly impact physical, mental and emotional health, in addition to affecting work performance and personal relationships," WASM said.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

4 Reasons NOT to Try a Low-Fat Diet

I always ask the same question when someone tells me they're on a low-fat diet. Why?

Here are 4 common answers people give for being on a low-fat diet:

1. Fats are bad for me.

2. I'm trying to lose weight on my low-fat diet.

3. I saw this commercial on television and the people talked about how their low-fat diet helped them lose weight.

4. I've tried many different diets so I want to see if this one will work for me.

Okay, you get the picture....

All of these diets are getting "tired"......low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, etc.

The same solution works for fat loss and weight loss: regular exercise, an active lifesytle and a nutritious, balanced meal plan. Having said that, a low-fat, low-carb or high-protein diet can sometimes be used with some success in the right situations....but, your meals should be balanced and nutritious most of the time. That means fats, carbs and protein in your meal plan.

Eat these 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

If you're trying to burn fat and lose weight, maintaining a daily caloric deficit (burn more calories than you eat) on most days of about 200-600 calories will get it done. Maintaining daily caloric surpluses will put weight on your body.

You need fats in your diet for your body to function properly. Fats are also filling. Get about 20% of total daily calories from fats. Eat no trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats found in packaged foods and fast foods). Eating too many (and too often) trans fats will land you in the doctor's office with heart and cholesterol problems!

Focus mainly on eating heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower total cholesterol. Good sources of MUFAs are nuts (especially raw), nut butters, olives, olive oil, avocados, safflower oil, peanut oil.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are also good for you---especially the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout and white tuna. Flaxseed and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats. Eat more omega-3 fats and less omega 6 fats.

Too much omega 6 fat intake can lead to inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Sources of omega-6 fats are soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil and cottonseed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid(CLA) fats found in red meat and dairy are also good for you provided they come from grass-fed cattle. Another option would be to supplement your diet with fish oil.

Limit (not eliminate) eating saturated fats like butter. Some sources of saturated fats are healthy, such as from coconut oil. Moderation is the key to eating saturated fats.

Count the calories with fatty foods just like any other food. For example, nuts are good for you but they are loaded with calories. A handful of raw almonds will do the trick for you.

One more thing: many food items labeled as low-fat are high-calorie. Always check the food label.

So, why are you on that low-fat diet?

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

5 Steps to Stop Weight Regain Forever

Do you want to stop yo-yo weight loss and regain (or weight cycling)? Exercise, eat healthy and don't stop. Are you tired of losing 30 pounds and regaining 50 pounds? Are you tired of quick weight loss "solutions" that aren't solutions (the problem gets bigger with each yo-yo weight regain)?

You can stop the weight loss/weight regain cycle with regular exercise and healthy menus. Its that simple. But, somehow its not that easy for many people. Why? Because they buy in to the quick weight loss "solutions" that really don't solve the behavioral problems. The problem is that you need to change your exercise and eating habits to get and keep the lean body you want and need!

Eat These 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

If you want to lose 20 pounds to get ready for your friend's wedding 3 months from now, that's great. Don't stop exercising and eating healthy after the wedding! Keep the good exercise and eating habits going---for life. There's no good reason to stop. That's how you can ultimately stop the yo-yo weight loss and regain. Otherwise, you will always regain more weight than you lost.

According to Marketdata Enterprises, an estimated 54 percent of people in the United States are currently trying to lose weight. This leads many of you to buy weight loss pills and "special foods" that promote weight loss. There's no need to do this.

Just start with a regular exercise program and eat healthy based on your basal metabolic rate, activity level and goals. Its that simple folks. Oh yeah, you have to be willing to go with this plan for the long-term. It takes a long time to change your body's composition to more muscle and less fat. More muscle mass will speed up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass.

If you don't believe what I'm saying, listen to this: Most of us will regain almost all of what we lost, according to research, which is why the typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year.

"We have this mentality that a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible," says FITNESS advisory board member Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh's Weight Management Center. "But lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that will work long-term."

"With special-occasion weight loss, it's all about dropping pounds quickly," Fernstrom says. Do this too often and you may find that it's even harder to lose than before. "Constant crash dieting causes your body to cling to the calories you do eat because it's not sure when it's going to get more," she explains.

Rather than keep the pounds off just long enough to impress strangers on your vacation, think about rewarding long-term achievements. Maybe you want to train for your first half-marathon or get in shape to hike the Grand Canyon. Setting a big new goal each time you check one off your list will keep you headed in the right direction.

It's not only your waistline that suffers from yo-yoing. "Repeated crash dieting increases metabolic hormones, such as insulin, and elevates levels of sex hormones, including estrogen," says Andrea Pennington, MD, author of The Pennington Plan for Weight Success. "These changes cause you to start putting on weight around your middle, which research has linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease."

Your confidence also takes a hit. "The more times you go through the gain-lose-gain cycle, the less convinced you become that you can break free from the constant ups and downs," says Keri Gans, RD, a dietitian in private practice in New York City. "No one wants to diet forever; it's hard work."

Here are my 5 tips to help you keep the weight off forever:

1. Concentrate on setting the lifetime goal of eating right and exercising regularly with weight training and interval cardio training. This will keep you from stressing about quick weight loss goals. This will also give your body the long-term health it needs. You may need to slowly replace sugary foods and drinks with water, unsweetened drinks and fruits. You could have this as a goal for the week.

"Even if you're doing everything right, your weight can fluctuate based on the time of day or how hydrated you are," says Evelyn Tribole, RD, coauthor of Intuitive Eating. In fact, research shows that women who fixate on counting calories and restricting their food intake report more stress and have higher levels of cortisol, which is linked to overeating.

"Instead of obsessing about every morsel, think about how eating right and exercising make you feel," Tribole says. "Do you have more energy? Are you able to keep up with your kids?" If you take the time to notice the positive effects of each healthy behavior -- whether it's pushing away from the table before you clean your plate or biking for 30 minutes a day -- it's easier to motivate yourself to stay on track.

2. Have a more active lifestyle. I make a habit of walking every where that I can. Walk to the store, walk the dog, walk to the park, walk at the park, walk during your kids' practices, walk during work breaks, etc. Walking will keep your blood flowing, fat-burn enzymes active and calories burning.

3. Get a healty meal plan based on whole, natural foods that you like. You are more likely to comply with a meal plan that you like. Be prepared to eat less but more nutritious. Base your meal plan on your basal metabolic rate, activity level and goals. You need to maintain a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you eat) on most days to lose weight.

4. Track what you eat in a food journal for a week or two. Until you get good at eating right, you need to carefully watch what and why you eat.

Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan if you keep a food journal. By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better.

In your journal, list food, calories and serving sizes for every snack or meal. List details such as meats, drinks, vegetables, fruits, etc. For each meal, list why you ate--such as you were angry, sad, happy, hungry, etc. This is very important because moods can affect food choices. You need to know your motivations for eating.

5. Get a weight loss buddy for emotional support. Don't try to do your program alone. Research proves that those who workout with a friend, spouse or personal trainer are more likely to reach their goals.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

7 Nutrition Basics to Eat Healthier

If you don't get the nutrition basics down, you are getting off on the wrong foot when trying to improve your health, burn fat and lose weight.

Here are 7 nutrition basics you need get and keep a healthy body:

1. What puts weight on your body? Consume more calories than you burn (caloric surplus). Want to lose weight? Create a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you consume) on most days. That is the law of thermodynamics. So what makes this such a complex process?

Cutting calories to help reach your fat loss and weight loss goals is not as easy as “just doing the math.” You need a healthy meal plan to start the process. After that, you will make many adjustments until you know how different foods affect your body.

Don’t think you can just eat 1,000 calories every day and continue to lose weight (because you have a caloric deficit). This tactic will only work for a short time. Your body doesn’t know you’re on some crazy diet. It thinks you are starving, so it goes into survival mode and stores body fat. Many of you have wrecked your metabolisms by eating too few calories during the day (month after month).

2. Calories are just units of energy in the form of food and drink. Consider these facts:

--one gram of protein provides 4 calories
--one gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories
--one gram of fat provides 9 calories
--one gram of alcohol provides 7 calories
--vitamins and minerals don't provide any calories
--water provides no calories

You don't need to strictly count calories but you need to have a good handle on how much you are eating every day. Its handy to keep a food journal for a week or so to give you guidance and feedback on what and why you are eating.

Depending on your goals, you may want to gain weight (such as athletes) or lose weight. Proper training will allow you to do either without losing critical muscle mass.

3. What is your basal metabolic rate (i.e., the number of calories you would burn if sitting all day doing nothing)? You will need to know this rate and your activity level because it is important when planning meals to reach your individual training goals. You can't eat as much as you want and burn fat.

For instance, my basal metabolic rate is about 2,000 calories. If I eat 2,000 calories and burn 500 calories through exercise and daily activity, I will still lose weight and burn fat (500 caloric deficit).

If I starve myself and eat 1,200 calories (1,300 caloric deficit) day after day, my body will rebel and store body fat. A 1,300 caloric deficit is too large (severe calorie restriction).

4. You will find it easier to cut more calories by eating healthy and eating foods with high water content. You will actually be eating more while eating fewer calories. And, you will feel fuller for a longer period (thereby eating less). Foods with fiber fit this category well.

5. Components of a Healthy Diet

Protein

Proteins are the basic building blocks of life. They make up a large part of our foods such as lean meats, nuts and beans. It is very important for building and repairing body tissues, especially after a tough workout. Protein should provide 15-30% of total daily caloric intake, depending on your goals. Include protein in every meal to help you feel fuller for a longer period and to keep your blood sugar levels more steady.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are made mostly of sugars. They are also important to spare protein to build and repair body tissue. Carbs provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other substances that are important to overall health.

Carbohydrates are not your enemy! They are your body's preferred source of energy (especially during exercise). Its important to have a meal plan that includes the macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats). The primary cause of weight gain is a caloric surplus. There are some instances where carb cycling can be a great strategy to burn fat. But, you should master the basics of nutrition first.

The majority of your carbs should be low glycemic (about 80%) with the rest of your carbs being high glycemic. This means that you should limit eating foods like white potatoes, white bread, corn, pasta, muffins, refined foods and white flour products.

These high glycemic foods encourages fat storage since more sucrose is escorted into the bloodstream quickly. The best time to eat high glycemic carbs is after a tough workout when your body needs quick replenishment (your blood sugar levels won't spike).

Concentrate more on foods like fruits and vegetables which have high fiber and/or water content. Total carbs should provide 55%-60% of total daily caloric intake for moderately active individuals.

Eat These 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

Fats

You need fats in your diet for your body to function properly. Fats are also filling. Get about 20% of total daily calories from fats. Eat no trans fats (partially hydrogenated fats found in packaged foods and fast foods). Eating too many (and too often) trans fats will land you in the doctor's office with heart and cholesterol problems!

Focus mainly on eating heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower total cholesterol. Good sources of MUFAs are nuts (especially raw), nut butters, olives, olive oil, avocados, safflower oil, peanut oil.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are also good for you---especially the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout and white tuna. Flaxseed and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats. Eat more omega-3 fats and less omega 6 fats.

Too much omega 6 fat intake can lead to inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Sources of omega-6 fats are soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil and cottonseed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid(CLA) fats found in red meat and dairy are also good for you provided they come from grass-fed cattle. Another option would be to supplement your diet with fish oil.

Limit (not eliminate) eating saturated fats like butter. Some sources of saturated fats are healthy, such as from coconut oil. Moderation is the key to eating saturated fats.

Count the calories with fatty foods just like any other food. For example, nuts are good for you but they are loaded with calories. A handful of raw almonds will do the trick for you.

6. Drink plenty of water. It helps you drink less sugary drinks. About 2/3 of your body is water. Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day.

Remember, certain foods contain large amounts of water. This counts toward your water intake. For instance watermelon is about 90% water and lettuce has about 95% water. Some meats contain as much as 70% water.

Water also helps your body flex muscles, remove wastes, cushion joints, carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells and helps convert food into energy (although water doesn't provide energy).

You may be experiencing dehydration if you have dry lips/mouth, dizziness, headache, nausea or muscle cramps. When you exercise, drink about a cup of water every 15 minutes.

7. Take needed vitamins and minerals to fill in the holes of your eating habits. Nobody eats perfectly all the time. Discuss the supplements you plan to take with your doctor. Don't try to treat serious medical conditions with supplements. Look at the GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) supplement list published by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

15 Tips to Eat Less Salt, Sugars and Trans Fats

Do you know how to read the food label for the nutrition facts? To eat healthy, you must know what's behind the numbers and ingredients.

Foods in a bag or box have many harmful trans fats, sodium and other ingredients that you don't need. Shop on the perimeter of your supermarket to find most whole, natural foods.

Trans fats are made by food manufacturers through a chemical process called hydrogenation (to increase shelf life). Excess trans fat consumption over time causes inflammation in your body and contributes to risk of heart disease and other medical problems.

Eat these 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in whole foods. That means processed foods have loads of sodium added to them. Just read the nutrition facts label carefully.

In a Muscle Works Magazine article, "Tips for Reading Food Labels and Sugar Warnings," the following tips are given about food labels:

1. Look at more than calories: Many healthy foods (like quinoa) tend to be higher in calories; likewise, a food that’s low in calories may contain a lot of sodium or saturated fat. Read through every part of the label to get the full picture, and then make the decision if you’re going to eat it.

2. Compare apples to apples: You have two boxes of crackers in your hands and quickly see that one contains 220 calories per serving, while the other is only 140. Before you choose the box with fewer calories, double-check to make sure you’re comparing equal serving sizes. Also take a look to see how the nutritional content compares.

3. Read, and reread: There are certain foods you feel confident placing in your cart because you’ve previously read through the labels. Play it safe by checking the label again every month, just to make sure the company hasn’t changed or added ingredients without you knowing.

4. Watch out for sugars: They may say “no sugars” but look at the ingredients, those big words you have a hard time pronouncing may be sugars, whether they are natural or not.

Too much salt and sodium intake is also a big problem for many people. If that's consistently you, health problems are around the corner.

According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, DASH Eating Plan: Lower Your Blood Pressure, these recommendations are given to lower your salt and sodium intake:

5. Choose low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods and condiments when available.

6. Choose fresh, frozen, or canned (low-sodium or no-salt-added) vegetables.

7. Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed types.

8. Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

9. Limit cured foods (such as bacon and ham); foods packed in brine (such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut); and condiments (such as mustard, horseradish, ketchup, and barbecue sauce). Limit even lower sodium versions of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Treat these condiments sparingly as you do table salt.

10. Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.

11. Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, mixed dishes such as pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings—these often have a lot of sodium.

12. Rinse canned foods, such as tuna and canned beans, to remove some of the sodium.

13. Use spices instead of salt. In cooking and at the table, flavor foods with herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, or salt-free seasoning blends. Start by cutting salt in half.

When Eating in a Restaurant:

14. Ask how foods are prepared. Ask that they be prepared without added salt, MSG, or salt-containing ingredients. Most restaurants are willing to accommodate requests.

15. Know the terms that indicate high sodium content: pickled, cured, smoked, soy sauce and broth. Move the salt shaker away. Limit condiments, such as mustard, ketchup, pickles, and sauces with salt-containing ingredients. Choose fruit or vegetables, instead of salty snack foods.

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

7 Easy Tips to Eat Quality Calories Consistently

Consistently eating quality calories is your key to a healthy, lean body. Enjoy your food. The main negative with many calorie restricted and fad diets is that they have you "dreading to eat."

That is no way to live as far as I'm concerned! And, in the long-term, you won't be successful keeping the weight off your body with the "anti-eating" approach.

Cutting calories, eating healthy, burning fat and losing weight can be a confusing process for you.

You won't have it all figured out in 2 weeks time. Experts agree that you are better off making manageable changes to your diet and workout routine. Some of your eating and workout (or no workouts) habits have been developed over a lifetime.

Eat these 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

Christopher Sciamanna, M.D., discovered how to do weight managment the hard way: After losing 30 pounds, he described his new, lower weight as "shockingly challenging" to maintain.

He and his colleagues at Penn State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center decided to study weight loss maintenance.

Part of their study was to examine results found at the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). For the past two decades, NWCR has focused on a single group of people. To qualify, they have to lose at least 30 pounds and keep the weight off for at least a year. The findings aren’t surprising. The participants were successful primarily because of the following habits:

--Exercise at least an hour a day, almost every day
--Follow a low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie diet
--Eat, more or less, the same foods all the time
--Minimize TV watching
--Eat breakfast

With all this in mind, here are 7 ways to eat quality calories:

Note: The old rule still applies: Maintaining daily caloric surpluses (eating more calories than you burn) will cause you to gain weight. You can't eat all you want. You must learn how much and when to eat. Eating quality calories helps you eat nutritiously with less caloric intake. You won't ever be hungry.

1. Don't cut out any of the macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins) from your diet. Your body needs all three to function properly. Once you have the foundational eating practices figured out, specialized eating tactics like "low-carb days" can be an effective way to burn fat.

2. Drink mainly water and unsweetened drinks like green tea for fluids. This will help you avoid drinking sugary sodas and fruit juices that puts dangerous belly fat on your body. This one change will slash tons of calories every day.

3. Eat enough food to fuel your body for the day's demands of work, activities and exercise. Eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep your energy up and your metabolism active throughout the day.

Many of you have wrecked your metabolisms by eating too few calories during the day. If you have been eating 1000 calories a day for months and months, your body has shifted into survival mode and is storing body fat. And, you must feel terrible!

Although you need to maintain a caloric deficit on most days to burn fat and lose weight, that doesn't mean you have to go hungry.

For instance, my basal metabolic rate (how many calories my body would burn if I did nothing all day) is about 2,000 calories. If I eat 2,000 calories and burn 500 calories through exercise and daily activity, I will still burn fat and lose weight (500 calorie deficit).

If I starve myself and eat 1,200 calories (1,300 calorie deficit) day after day, my body will rebel and store body fat. A 1,300 calorie deficit is too large (severe calorie restriction).

4. Eat carbohydrates. A low-carb diet is not necessarily required to burn fat, although it can be useful in some circumstances. You are better off eating the right kinds of carbohydrates at the right time.

Eat These 3 Veggies to Burn More Abdominal Fat

Your body depends on carbohydrates as a primary fuel source (especially during intense workouts). After a tough workout, a post-workout drink with high glycemic carbs and protein will help your body recover and rebuild your muscles. During the day, low glycemic carbs are more desirable.

5. Eat protein with every meal. Animal sources of protein are complete proteins, such as from eggs and lean meats.

Protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady when you have a meal that includes carbohydrates. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your hunger doesn't spike so high.

Drinking a fast-digesting whey protein drink before and after your weight training workout helps your body repair and rebuild your muscles.

6. Eat enough fiber eat day. Your body cannot digest fiber and there are two forms:

--Soluble fiber dissolves in water and produces a gel-like substance in your stomach. This substance helps digested food move slowly through the small intestine and slows down food absorption and release of nutrients into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber also limits the amount of cholesterol released into the blood. Oats are high in soluble fiber.

--Insoluble fiber cannot be broken down once entering the stomach and increases in size by absorbing water. This type of fiber speeds up foods absorption once it enters into the small intestine. Insoluble fiber cleans your system as it travels through your body.

Eat both types of fiber to help you feel fuller for longer and to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Eating 25-35 grams of daily fiber per day will help fight belly fat. Fruits and vegetables have both types of fiber.

7. Use the replacement method to change bad eating habits. If you don't replace bad foods with healthy foods, you will continue to eat bad foods. You have to eat something, right?! For instance, if you have a sweet tooth, eat more fruits and less candy and sugary desserts.

Start eating better today!

Eat These 3 Foods to Burn More Belly Fat

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Ten Commandments Of Training

Christopher R. Mohr, PhD, RD

How many of you have heard from your clients or friends, “I am a hard gainer and no matter how much I eat, I can’t gain weight?” Maybe that is how you feel yourself. Or I’m sure many of you want to lose fat and maybe build a little muscle too. Even if your weight training goals are just to remain healthy and maintain your current physique, there are certain “rules” you should follow.

Therefore, I thought I would compile a list of what I’ll call the “Ten Commandments of Training.”

1. Eat a balanced diet. Some of you may think I am a bit biased since I’m a dietitian; however, training is at best half the battle. If your goal is to pack on slabs of muscle, you can lift until the gym staff has to scrape you off the floor with the trash, but without refueling those muscles, your efforts are futile. It is actually after training, when you allow your muscles to rest, that they will grow.

The best way to refuel and recover your muscles is by eating a sufficient amount of calories, high quality carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Similarly, if fat loss is your goal, it will be next to impossible to be successful if you change nothing about your eating habits and only increase your exercise. Not monitoring your food intake while training hard is like riding a bicycle with one flat tire; sure, you may get to your destination, but there will be ton of wasted effort.

2. Keep a food log. This may be a barrier for many of you, but how do you plan to monitor your changes without writing them down and seeing what can be altered? This journal does not have to be detailed; record the portion sizes and foods you eat and beverages you drink, the calories, carbohydrate, protein and fats each contain.

This will allow you to see what foods or food groups you may be missing or limited in, what foods you can eliminate or reduce if your goal is to lose weight, or just closely monitor your intake if you are trying to gain muscle and limit fat gain.

3. Keep a training log. Similar to the above recommendation, you can’t effectively track your progress if you don’t know what you’re doing. You may learn from recording and watching your physique that a particular exercise or series of exercise is effective and maybe some that is not. Similarly, it will help you track your progress to ensure you are on track.

4. Vary your routine. To be ultimately successful in the gym, you need to vary your workouts. In fact, there is no other aspect of your life that is stagnant—why should the gym be any different? However, this probably describes many of you: Monday is chest day, in which you start with 3 sets of 10 reps on flat bench, followed by 3 sets of 10 on incline press, and maybe 3 sets of 10 for dumbbell fly’s.

You then move to triceps, where you do pushdowns and maybe lying tricep extension. The rest of the week follows suit. You always pair back and biceps together, legs are granted their own day, and shoulders fit somewhere in the mix. Mix it up-do a different body part(s) on Monday’s, do dips instead of flat bench, pushups on a stability ball, 4 sets of 5, whatever. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

5. Rest!!! When was the last time you took some time off from training? Go ahead, get out of the weight room for a week. I’ll rarely tell you to be a couch potato, but here’s your opportunity. OK, fine, don’t undo what you’ve worked so hard at by sitting with the remote in hand and a bag of chips at your side for a week straight, but being active doesn’t mean you must live in the weight room.

Remember, growth happens during recovery, not when you’re in the gym. If you hit the weights day in a day out, you are never giving your body a chance to recover. A week off now and then is great for the body and I bet you’ll come back stronger.

6. Stretch. I bet there are a lot of you out there who do not stretch at all or if you do, stretch the muscle you’re going to work for about 5 seconds. Stretching helps muscles recover, increases muscle elasticity and decreases the chance of injury.

Make sure you leave plenty of time to stretch after your workout, do a number of stretches for the body parts you just worked, and hold each stretch for about 20 to 30 seconds. I’m not asking you to mimic Gumbi, just do some basic stretches. Heck, try a yoga class for a change of pace.

7. Lift heavy weights. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “I don’t want to lift too heavy because I will get bulky,” I would be giving Trump a run for his money. Yes, I’m picking on the women here because they are usually the group who is afraid of looking like Hercules. But flapping your arms with 1 lb dumbbells like you are trying to take off will do nothing more than bore you to tears while you claim that weight lifting is useless. Challenge the muscle and lift heavier weights within your comfort zone.

8. Use proper form. I know I was guilty of this the first day I stepped into my high school weight room. I was trying with all my might to bench press 135 lbs since I saw someone else using that weight. Any ounce of “coolness” I had as a gawky freshman left my body faster than the weight falling straight to my chest.

I would have rather been injured than suffer through the embarrassment of an upperclassmen “rescuing” me from underneath the bar between his laughing in the corner. I looked like I was having a seizure as a squirmed and twisted to get that weight up. Save yourself from the embarrassment and more importantly a potential injury. If you can’t lift the weight in a controlled manner, it is too much weight. Take it from me; it is not pretty when you let the weight “control” you.

9. Cross train. Weight training is a great form of exercise, but you will ultimately be much better off health wise if you try different activities (both aerobic and anaerobic in nature). Hit your local high school and run some bleachers, ask a friend or spouse to play tennis, swim, do some sprints at the local track, pull together a group of friends for some flag football, mountain bike, etc.

The list can go on forever, but cross-training will not only make you stronger, it will help your body recovery by hitting it with varied movements, and will also decrease your chance of injury.

10. Drink like a fish. My college days are over; I’m talking about non-alcoholic beverages. Keep in mind that if you are thirsty, mild dehydration has already set in. This may not sound very important, but even mild dehydration will be a decrement to your performance.

It’s not only important to carry a water bottle with you to the gym, but you should be consuming fluids regularly all day. Shoot for 8 cups of water for every 1000 calories you consume (that is ½ gallon for every 1000 calories). Of course this is most important during the summer months when the mercury is nearing triple digits, but should not be negated during the colder months too.

Keep these “rules” in mind to help keep you healthy, strong, and injury free.

About the Author:

Dr. Chris Mohr RD, PhD is a health nutrition consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including Discovery Health Channel, Clif Bar, Waterfront Media, and Fit Fuel. He has authored and co-authored several textbooks and textbook chapters, including consulting with LL Cool J on "LL Cool J's Platinum Workout" (Rodale Press, 2006).  

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

7 "FATTY" Foods that Can Help You to Get a Flat Stomach

These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster!

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

At this point, the anti-fat propaganda has died and almost everybody understands by now that eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat.  In fact, it's absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings.  Here are 7 examples of "fatty" foods that can actually HELP you to get lean...

1.  Super Dark Chocolate (at least 72% cacao content or higher) - It might not be a secret anymore, but yes, dark chocolate (NOT milk chocolate) can be a very healthy food, even though it is technically calorie dense. 

However, I would contend that dark chocolate can actually HELP you to burn off more body fat if you're the type of person that has a sweet tooth and likes to eat a lot of desserts.  In this case, just 1 or 2 small squares of dark chocolate can many times satisfy your sweet tooth for only 30 or 40 calories as opposed to 500 calories for a piece of chocolate cake or a piece of pie. 

Also some brands of dark chocolate that are in the mid 70's in % cacao content or higher, can have a fairly high ratio of fiber content (I've seen some brands have 5 grams of fiber out of 15 grams of total carbs per serving), and relatively low sugar content compared to the amount of healthy fats.  In fact, that's one of the "tricks" I use to select a good quality chocolate... I look for more total fat than total carbs (or about the same number of grams of each).

The importance of that fact is that it means many dark chocolates will not greatly affect your blood sugar and will have a fairly blunted blood sugar response compared to other "sweets".

In addition, dark chocolate is also very rich in healthful antioxidants, including a powerful compound called theobrominewhich has been shown to help lower blood pressure and have other health benefits.  The fat content in a good dark chocolate should come solely from the natural healthy fats occuring in cocoa butter and not from any other added fats.  Any chocolates with added fats or other additives will generally not be as healthy.

The reason I say to choose dark chocolates with at least 72% cacao content is that the higher the % of cacao, the lower the % of sugar.  However, this does mean that any chocolate over 80% cacao content will generally start to get a more bitter taste and have very little sweetness.  If you like this type of taste, then the higher % cocao, the better. Otherwise, a good 75% dark chocolate is in my opinion an almost perfect combination of lightly sweet with a rich chocolate taste.  Just remember to keep those daily quantities of chocolate small as it is calorie dense!

You can also reap the benefits of the antioxidants and fiber without all of the calories by using organic unsweetened cocoa powder in your smoothies or other recipes.

2.  Coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut oil --  Coconut milk and oil are great sources of a super healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), including a component called lauric acid, which is a powerful nutrient for your immune system, and is lacking in most western diets.  In addition, MCTs are readily used for energy by the body and less likely to be stored as bodyfat compared to other types of fats.

Along with coconut milk and coconut oil as healthy fat choices, we've also got coconut flour as a healthier flour option for baking. Coconut flour is an extremely high fiber flour alternative (almost ALL of the carbs in this flour are fiber and not starch!).  Coconut flour is also VERY high in protein compared to most flours and is also gluten free! 

Just beware that if you're going to use coconut flour for baking, it absolutely NEEDS to be mixed with other flours as it sucks up moisture like crazy... I've made delicious baked goods by mixing coconut flour with almond flour and quinoa flour in equal parts, and adding slightly more liquid ingredients than the recipe calls for.

3.  Grass-fed (pasture-raised) butter -- yes, delicious smooth and rich BUTTER (real butter, not deadly margarine!)... It's delicious, contains loads of healthy nutritional factors, and does NOT have to be avoided in order to get lean.  In fact, I eat a couple pats of grass-fed butter daily and maintain single digit bodyfat most times of the year.

There's a lot of confusion about this topic... in fact, I just saw a TV show today that was talking about unhealthy foods and one of the first things they showed was butter.  It just shows that the majority of the population has zero idea that butter (grass-fed only!) can actually be a healthy part of your diet.

In fact, there's even ample evidence that REAL butter can even help you to lose body fat for a couple of main reasons:

   a.  Grass-fed butter is known to have high levels of a healthy fat called CLA, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, and also has been shown to help burn abdominal fat and build lean muscle.

   b.  Grass-fed butter also has an ideal balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids (unlike conventional grain-fed butter) which helps fight inflammation in your body, and can help balance hormones.

   c.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also contain MCTs, which help to boost your immune system and are readily burned by the body for energy.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also help to satisfy your appetite and control blood sugar levels, both of which help you to stay lean!

If you have a hard time finding a grass-fed butter at your grocery store, Kerrygold Irish butter is one of my favorites, and even though the label doesn't clearly state "grass-fed", the cows are 100% grass-fed on lush green pastures in Ireland. It's one of the richest butters in color that I've seen, which indicates high levels of carotenoids.

4.  Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites) -- Most people know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein.  However, most people don't know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg... that's where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.

In fact, the egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids.  Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.

Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal grocery store eggs.  Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the hens. 

Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical grocery store eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside "egg factories" all day long). 

If you want more details on eggs, here is an article that details more about why egg yolks are BETTER for you than egg whites.

5.  Grass-fed beef or bison (NOT the typical grocery store beef!) -- I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that's because they do not understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption.  Keep this in mind -- "an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat".

Typical beef or bison that you see at the grocery store is raised on grains, mainly corn (and to some extent, soybeans). Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle or bison, and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef or bison.  Grain-fed beef and bison is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fats and WAY too low in omega-3 fats.  In addition, the practice of feeding cattle corn and soy as the main portion of their diet upsets their digestive system and makes them sick... and it also increases the amount of dangerous e-coli in the meat.  This is not the case with grass-fed meat.

On the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle and buffalo (or bison) that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fats (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef or bison. 

Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.

In addition, grass-fed meat from healthy cattle or bison also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat.  CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!).  These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat... and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.

Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a specialty grocery store and they usually have cuts available.  I've also found a great site to order grass-fed meats online and have gotten to know the owner of this company well, and they are dedicated to the quality of their foods.

6.  Avocados -- Even though avocados are typically thought of as a "fatty food", they are chock full ofhealthy fats!  Not only is this fruit (yes, surprisingly, avocados are actually a fruit) super-high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants. 

Also, in my opinion, guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious food toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it's also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods.  Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, eggs or omelets, on salads or with fish, or as a delicious side to just about any meal.

The quality dose of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building.  Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal.  Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that fat burning!  I personally eat anywhere from a half to a full avocado DAILY and it only helps to keep me lean.

7.  Nuts:  Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Macadamias, etc --  Yes, this is yet another "fatty food" that can actually help you burn belly fat!  Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in fat loss.

Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body (adequate healthy fat intake is vitally important to hormone balance) as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you're consuming a high-fat food.  My favorite healthy nuts are pecans,pistachios, almonds, macadamias, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.

Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of thehealthy fats that you will eat.

Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.

One of the little "tricks" that I've used with clients when trying to cut down body fat is to have them eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or pecans about 20 minutes before lunch and dinner.  This ends up being a perfect time to control your appetite before lunch or dinner and helps you to eat less overall calories on that meal.

I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the healthiest "fatty" fat-burning foods you can possibly eat.  I could list a ton more, but wanted to give you a few of my favorites for now.  Enjoy!

Go to Mike's Truth about Six Pack Abs site today and discover the exact system that Mike is using to help thousands of his clients from all over the world get leaner than they've ever been before. This system will help you to lose that stubborn stomach fat that has plagued you for years, so you can finally get that sexy six pack that you've always wanted.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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