Snack Tips To Burn Fat

by Sean Barker

Here is the easiest way to keep yourself on track to eat healthy during those busy days.

Just look at your hand! That's right, you were born with the perfect diet reminder.

Count off each meal and snack on your fingers, 5 fingers (I know the thumb, but lets call it a finger), 5 food servings.

In order to keep your blood sugar stable and avoid going into starvation mode during the day, you need to eat 5 times during the day.

That of course includes your regular 3 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. But also, make sure to have 2 snacks, a small snack in between breakfast and lunch, and another snack between lunch and dinner.

This keeps things simple as most busy dads don't have the time or the drug enhanced metabolism's to be eating 6-8 MEALS a day like the "bodybuilding" magazines might tell you.

So here are some quick and healthy snack tips I like to use during the day.

Sometimes I feel like a nut!

I like to nibble on heart healthy nuts in between meal. I like the Walnut pieces that come in the resealable bag. Walnuts contain the highest amount of fat burning omega 3's. I also like Pistachios, as they take time to peel apart keeping you from eating too many too fast. Another great sources of healthy fats. Just make sure to get the natural nuts that are not fried in any vegetable oils or loaded down with salt. Check the ingredients and avoid any that has these listed. Also use your hand as your guide here as well and just take a small handful and put them away to avoid eating too much.

Protein Pudding

I love this high protein snack before bed or in the afternoon. I like to use a scoop of protein powder. Get a protein powder that has fast acting whey protein as well as slow digesting casein protein. This will satisfy you longer than just whey protein alone. The casein protein also mixes into a pudding a lot creamier and thicker. Take your favorite protein flavor and mix it with 1/2cup of PLAIN yogurt or cottage cheese. Add some fresh berries or slivered almonds and you have a great tasting dessert like snack.

Natures Snack

Fruit has been getting some bad rap lately regards to fat loss. When people start blaming fruit for getting them fat, I have to strongly disagree! Since fruit does contain some natural sugars people avoid it thinking that it will make them fat. I highly doubt that FRUIT is what is making people overweight these days. Yeah maybe if you eat a bag of apples a day on top of your current diet. But I don't think anyone eats that much fruit as most people hardly eat any. Grab an apple or orange or your favorite piece of fruit in between meals to nourish your body and actually help burn fat.

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com. Sean is a Certified Personal Trainer and a proud and busy Dad. Sean has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and have appeared in High Performance Muscle Magazine, been on health and fitness radio shows and was selected as a sponsored athlete by one of the top supplement nutrition companies in the world. His popular Dad Fitness fat loss workouts have helped thousands of Dads around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 3 hours per week. For more information on the Dad Fitness workouts that will help you burn fat without spending hours in the gym, visit http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

The Real Way to Stop Eating Fast Food

By Tom Venuto
http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com

“How could you eat that junk? It’s so bad for you!” (nag, nag). “Don’t you know those fries will give you a heart attack?” (nag, nag). “You have to stop eating all that fast food, it’s going to make you fat!” (nag nag). “You have to eat more healthy food like fruits and vegetables - they’re good for you!” (nag, nag). Your friends nag you, your family nags you, your doctor nags you, the health newsletters, websites and magazines - they all nag you, and of course, your personal trainer nags the heck out of you, to stop eating all those BAD FAST FOODS. But does all that nagging you and bad-mouthing the fast food industry really help anyone stop?

It doesn’t look that way. The fast food industry is thriving, even in the bad economy. The Chicago Tribune recently said that McDonalds is “recession proof.”

As one of only two companies to turn a major profit over the last year (the other being WalMart), McDonald’s is laughing its way to the bank. In fact, McDonalds plans to open 1,000 new stores this year.

I was driving down Route 95 a few weeks ago and pulled over to use the rest room at McDonalds on a Saturday morning (there’s a McDonalds conveniently located immediately off almost every exit up and down the full length of Interstate 95).

The parking lot was full, it was standing-room only inside and the lines snaked around into the seating area! You’d think Brad and Angelina were there signing autographs or something. Nope. Just a regular weekend at breakfast-time.

I was shopping in WalMart the same week and I almost passed out when I saw (smelled, actually) a McDonalds… INSIDE THE WAL- MART! Also, with lines.

Yep. It looks like your friends and family’s nagging you to stop eating fast food, and all the messages of the health and fitness industry to get people eating more “health food” are not working!

So what does work?

The results of a new survey from the behavior and psychology section of the journal, OBESITY (Feb 2009) provide some answers:

Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public health surveyed 530 adults about their attitudes towards fast foods.

They found that people already know fast food is unhealthy. (like, no kidding!)

The primary reasons they eat it anyway are because of the perceived convenience and a dislike for cooking! (I’d add another: they think fast food is always cheaper than healthy food).

So, said the authors of this research paper, nagging people to eat more healthy food and warning them that “fast food is going to make us fat and kill us” is not the best approach.

What’s the right approach?

Focus on teaching people how to make healthy eating fast, convenient and easy, because those are the reasons people are choosing fast food in the first place.

So what’s holding us back from implementing or taking this advice?

Well, I think that most people can’t get over the ideas that they “just cant cook” or that cooking is “too time consuming” or that healthy food “tastes like dirt” (as if McDonalds is gourmet food!)

That said, I’m not going to nag you, scold you or try to scare you out of eating fast food. I’m not going to lecture you about health food (not today, anyway). Nor am I going to bad-mouth the fast food restaurants.

I’m going to lead the new charge by showing you just how easy and convenient it is to eat healthy and nutritious food and make it delicious.

Here’s a few meal ideas (for starters) to prove my point.

3-MINUTE APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL

* natural oatmeal (like Quaker old fashioned rolled oats)
* natural (unsweetened) applesauce
* cinnamon
* for protein, serve with scrambled eggs or egg whites on side or stir 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder into the oats
I eat this almost every morning. It’s faster, easier and cheaper than going to the donut place or getting sausage, cheese, bacon breakfast muffins at the fast food joint! (you don’t have to wait in line, either!)

10-MINUTE LAZY PERSON’S CHINESE STIR FRY

* Brown rice (I like basmati)
* frozen oriental vegetables
* chicken breast, grilled (try foreman grill)
* bragg’s “liquid aminos” (or light/lo-sodium soy sauce)

This takes 30 minutes, however, if you get a rice cooker and make a giant batch, you can have your rice on standby for instant eats and this will take less than 10 minutes.

It doesn’t get much easier than that. (I like those Chinese veggies that come with the little mini-corn-on-the-cobs… reminds me of that Tom Hanks Movie, BIG)

2-MINUTE BLACK BEANS AND SPICY SALSA

* black beans (15 oz can)
* Medium or hot salsa
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic or chopped garlic to taste
* salt and pepper to taste

This one takes you all of 2 minutes to make. No cooking required! And it’s good! It’s vegetarian as listed above, but if you’re a high-protein muscle-head like me, just add chicken breast or lean ground turkey.

Best part: this is all inexpensive food! Oats, rice, beans… doesn’t get much cheaper than that - buy your healthy staples in bulk and the cost per serving is probably less than mickey D’s! (yes, even the “Value” meals)

Every one of these recipes is compatible with my Burn The Fat program. This means that my way of eating makes you more muscular and leaner… so you can look hot wearing very little clothes this summer… and be healthier… and save money too.

Train Hard, Eat Right, and Expect Success!

Tom Venuto
BurnTheFat.com
http://burnthefat.rxsportz.com

About the Author:

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

Put your Mind & Body on "Autopilot" and reach your goals...automatically!

Did you know that habits are incredibly powerful tools for personal growth and success?

Think about the habits you have now and how they affect virtually every aspect of your life. Your weight and health are determined by your eating habits. Your relationships with people are determined by your social habits. Your success at work is determined by your work habits. You have sleeping habits that dictate how well you sleep. You have sexual habits. You even have buying habits; just take a look around your house and you will quickly see them. Our character, health and virtually every aspect of our lives are indeed determined by our habits.

If you ask ten people on the street what the word habit means, nine out of ten will tell you that a habit is a negative action that people do over and over again, like smoking, or procrastinating, or eating too much. Bad habits get all the press. Let’s look at the results of just one bad habit: smoking. Every year, over 400,000 people lose their lives to smoking-related illnesses in the United States. Imagine then, the negative power that exists in just that one bad habit. It is staggering.

Now I want you think about an even greater power, a power that can bring you success, health and happiness; a power for positive, permanent, and automatic personal growth: the power of positive habits. Let’s look a little closer at the meaning of the word habit. Random House dictionary defines habit in this way:

Habit: An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

The important words in this definition are acquired and almost involuntary. Let me ask you a question. When is the last time you sat down and said to yourself, "Today I am going to add a new habit to my life?" I would venture to guess that you have probably never said those words. As you read this article, you will see how easy it is to add positive habits to your life and the great power they have to change it. Think about the words almost involuntary. This means the habit is so powerful in your mind that it is almost unstoppable! With respect to bad habits like smoking, procrastination, and overeating, this is very bad. But with positive habits, this is very, very good.

What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.

So how do we go about adding new positive habits to our life? It’s really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent habit. Remember that positive habits have positive benefits and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So now that we know what positive habits are, and how to acquire them, let’s look at some simple positive habits from the book that will help you reach your goals and have a healthier body.

Positive Habit #53 - Make it a habit to set goals

Since we are talking about goals, what better habit could you have then the habit of setting goals? Did you know that the most successful people all share the common positive habit of goal setting? A study was done to determine the importance of goal setting. College students who had gone on to achieve great success in business were asked to list their habits. The students who had made a habit of setting goals were in the top 3% of earnings in the population! It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of goal-setting as a positive habit. Goal setting is simple, yet 97% of the population never do it. By making goal setting a positive habit, you can start placing yourself in the top 3% of the population of successful people.

Here are some simple steps to help you start making goal setting a positive habit:

Step 1 - Define your goals, write them down, and be very specific; capture your goals on paper. It is amazing how many people never take the time to write down exactly what it is they want in life. Remember, you can’t hit a target if you don’t have one.

Step 2 - Determine what the time line is for reaching your goals; set specific deadlines for each goal.

Step 3 - Identify any obstacles that may stand in your way, list them, and state how you plan to overcome them.

Step 4 - Make a list of the people and/or organizations who will help you reach your goals.

Positive Habit #3 - Take Flax Every Day for a Healthy, Trim Body and Lower Cholesterol!

What is flax?

Flax is a blue-flowering plant known for its oil-rich seed. People have been eating flaxseed since ancient times, it has a pleasant, nutty flavor. The health benefits of flaxseed and flaxseed oil are significant and for that reason this habit is recommended as a primary habit for health and a trim and fit body. Here are some of the benefits of flaxseed and flaxseed oil:

Flaxseed contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. Several studies have shown that flaxseed can help to lower cholesterol in the same way that other soluble fiber foods like oat bran and fruit pectin do. A study at the University of Toronto showed that total cholesterol levels dropped 9% and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) decreased 18% among a group of women who ate milled flaxseed cooked into bread every day for a period of 4 weeks.

Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of lignans and alpha-linolenic acid. Studies suggest that lignans may help to prevent certain cancers. Flaxseed is one of the few plants in the plant kingdom that provide a high ratio of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) to linoleic (omega-6 fatty acids), it is an excellent source of healthy polyunsaturated fat.

A new study has confirmed that the positive habit of taking flax seed daily can help you get a trim and fit body. I interviewed Dr. Sam Bhathena, a researcher at the Phytonutrients Laboratory of the US department of Agriculture, he said, "we have observed that flax seed meal is much more effective in lowering cholesterol then soy. Several other studies have shown that in general, omega-3 fatty acids,lower lipid deposition, and help in reducing body weight."

Omega-3 fatty acids — More than half the fat contained in flaxseed is omega-3 fatty acid type, an essential fatty acid. There have been numerous studies reporting the health benefits of consuming omega-3 fats. Recent studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids which are abundant in flax seed can help protect you from coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Studies on the effects of flax seed on breast cancer are now under way. Omega-3s can also help boost your metabolism, helping your body to burn calories faster.

Flax is available as raw seed, ground seed and also as an oil which is made by cold pressing flax seeds. You can purchase raw flax seed, ground flax seed and flax seed oil at most health food stores. The easiest way to incorporate flax seed into your diet is to buy ground flax seed meal and add it to your food.

· Substitute for cooking oil or shortening in baked goods.
· Add ground flax seed to pancakes, waffles and cereals.
· Put ground flax seed on salads.

Here is a great recipe for a super health shake. Make a protein shake with 8 ounces of your favorite juice such as apple or orange, add 2 tablespoons of flax seed oil, 2 tablespoons of soy powder, 1 tablespoon of lecithin, fresh fruit such as bananas, papayas or blueberries. Blend with a hand blender or an electric blender. This power shake will provide you with the health benefits of soy; omega-3’s, fiber, antioxidants, and enzymes from the fruit, and the fat loss benefits of lecithin.

Imagine how your life would change if you could put it on AUTOPILOT and reach all of your goals automatically! Now you can with "The Power of Positive Habits," the new book that #1 NY Times best-selling authors Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, John Gray Ph.D. are all raving about!

As you read this book you will discover:

. How you can "Reach Your Goals" Automatically!
. How you can "Achieve Greater Success" Automatically!
. How you can "Lower your Cholesterol" Automatically!
. How you can "Reduce Cancer Risks" Automatically!
. How you can "Improve your Health" Automatically and more!

"The Power of Positive Habits" e-book is filled with dozens of positive habits based on the latest scientific and medical research. Order your copy today and get over $450 worth of Fr*ee "Life Changing" bonus gifts!! Click on the link below to see a complete list of all of these incredible bonus products!

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Getting The Most Bang For Your Buck From Supplements!

Are You An Educated Consumer? Lessons in Saving Money By Reading Labels: Fish Oil Supplements.

As a consumer advocate of sorts, I have always strived to educate consumers regarding supplements, be it whether or not a supplement was worth using, or if it was worth using for the money being charged. Ingredient X may get a thumbs up from me, but that does not mean the products you use that contain ingredient X has the correct dose of that ingredient to be worth the cost. Translated, not only do you have to make sure you are getting the correct dose of said ingredient X, you have to cost compare to see if it’s a good deal. The only way to do that, is to read the labels. It’s stunning to me how little effort people put into reading the simple labels to see if what they are purchasing is cost effective. They often just grab the giant-jug-O-whey and fail to realize it’s not the bargain they think it is. Or they grab that big bottle of “cheap” fish oil caps and think they saved money.

You have to compare labels and doses or you are simply throwing money away. Speaking of fish oils supplements, it’s a perfect example of how one can compare labels and doses to see if (1) they are getting the correct dose for the effects they desire (e.g., the therapeutic dose) and (2) if the product is actually cost effective compared to another.

Quality issues not withstanding, do you actually look at the % of active lipids EPA and DHA when you buy fish oil supplements? Retailers are betting you don’t…What’s the better deal: A product that is 30% active lipids for $20 for 100 1g caps vs. say a product that is 50% active lipids containing the same 100 1g caps for $25? clearly, the latter product is the better deal but the first is cheaper.

Two, are you looking at the % of active lipids to make sure you are taking enough to have an effect? If not, you are short changing yourself both physically and financially. In either of my ebooks for example, I attempt to not only teach people which supplements actually work, but how to learn to read labels, so they are educated consumers, able to save money on the supplements they purchase. For example - keeping with the fish oil theme - what follows is right out of my Fat Loss Revealed ebook:

Studies with fish oils have used doses that are quite variable, so no exact dose is known in terms of optimal effects on fat loss/bodycomp, but 6 - 10 g/day (assuming 30% EPA + DHA) is a starting point. So, a 1000mg (1g) softgel cap of fish oil, would be approximately 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA, assuming the general rule of 30% total active lipids. Fish oil comes as 60/40 EPA to DHA.

I would recommend at least approximately 6g (6 1000mg caps) fish oils giving you a total of 1800mg of active lipids per day assuming 30% of 6g is EPA and DHA, but you must read the labels for exact numbers. Looking at specific brands for example:

Puritan’s Pride uses a 1200mg cap, each containing 360mg total active lipids. You would need 5 caps to = 1800mg total active lipids.

Looking at The Life Extension Foundation: They use a 1000mg cap that gives 600mg total active lipids per cap, which means you would need 3 caps to equal the recommended 1800mg above.

Looking at Nordic Naturals, they use a 1000mg cap that gives a total of 275mg of active lipids per cap, so you will need 6-7 caps per day

Looking at Carlson’s, they use a 1000mg cap that gives a total of 320mg of active Omega-3 lipids, so you would need 5-6 caps of this product.

Read your labels people!

Will Brink's biography:
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies. His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors. Will is the author of the popular e-books, both accompanied by private members forum access, Bodybuilding Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed.

Foods that Burn Fat and Cellulite

(Written by a Fat Loss & Women's Transformation Expert, Alex Eatly, NASM CPT)

One of the things a majority of women find most challenging is understanding which foods should be eaten to cleanse the body of stubborn fat and cellulite.

To truly fight cellulite you should aim to include in your diet, foods that help power up your fat burning mechanisms.

These foods include:-

Fruits & Vegetables (complex carbohydrates)

Lean sources of protein

Essential Fatty Acids

Fruit & Vegetables

Organic fruits and vegetables are excellent foods for cleansing your body and helping eliminate stored toxins. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain multiple compounds like fiber, phytochemicals and minerals that help reduce the damage inflicted on our bodies by those free radicals (like those in smoke and alcohol).

Aim to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

o Avocado: also vital for healthy skin – plus essential fats help you burn more body fat

o Blueberries, blackcurrants , raspberries, cranberries & strawberries: Among the highest sources of antioxidants out there

o Watermelon, cucumber, celery and asparagus: Diuretic foods that fight fluid retention

o Citrus fruit, pineapple, papaya: All high in vitamin C, vital for creating healthy collagen

o Bananas: Circulation boosting and good fluid-retention fighters

o Grapefruit, apples, Spinach, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Carrots

Protein

Every tissue in your body is made up of protein. Proteins are the building blocks of lean muscle tissue. Without it, building muscle and burning fat efficiently would be impossible.

Additionally, protein has the greatest thermic effect of feeding (TEF) compared to fats and carbohydrates combined, which translates to more calories being burned during digestion. simply put, the body will burn more calories (upwards of 30%) assimilating and digesting protein than carbs (6%) and fats (3%). So, for every 100 calories of protein ingested, the body will burn 30 calories just digesting it. That means that eating protein is actually thermogenic and can lead to a higher metabolic rate. This means greater fat loss when dieting and less fat gain. Protein also takes longer to digest which will give you a greater feeling of satiety and prevent hunger pangs. 

The best sources of protein are listed below:-

o White fish

o Chicken & Turkey

o Beans and pulses: these contain amino acids that fight fluid retention

o Oily fish: As well as being a good source of protein, this also contains essential fats that hydrate the skin (making cellulite less noticeable).

o Eggs: Incredibly high in detoxifying agents

o Low-fat dairy products: calcium in these increases the amount of body fat you lose while dieting

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your main source of fuel or energy, and are the exclusive fuel source for the brain and nervous system. Carbohydrates are a very important part of a long-term fat loss plan. If you stick to whole, natural sources of carbohydrates you will keep your blood sugar levels more stable. These sources include vegetables, whole grains and fruit.Including such things as Bran or oat cereals can be very beneficial.Breakfast stokes the metabolism leading to easier weight loss – plus cereals contain high levels of antioxidants.

Essential Fatty Acids

People associate dietary fat intake with body fat, but certain fats are very important. A fat-free diet is not optimal in normal individuals.

According to nutrition experts, "eating a reasonable amount of fat in your diet promotes good health and physical performance, especially if the majority of your fat sources contain high amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are commonly referred to as "essential fats".

There are at least eleven important functions of EFA's in your diet:

• improved insulin sensitivity
• required for absorption of fat soluble vitamins
• essential for joint health
• required for energy production
• required for Oxygen transfer
• maintain cell membrane integrity
• suppress cortisol production (fat storage hormone)
• improve skin texture (dry skin is a classic symptom of EFA deficiency)
• growth promoting
• increase metabolic rate
• help burn fat

Good Sources of fat include:-

o Fish Oil

o Flax Oil

o Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Natural Peanut Butter

Water

You all know the benefits of water but did you know water actually fights fluid retention. Areas of cellulite contain higher than average amounts of water-attracting cells: if you have excess fluid in the body this will gravitate to these cells swelling the boxes (a major cause of cellulite in thinner women). Cutting down on salt and drinking at least eight glasses of water a day helps fight this.

Foods that make it worse

Know I've shown you the foods that will help you, I think I should point out the foods that you want to avoid at all costs. Some foods may make cellulite appear worse. None of you want that so it's best you limit your intake of these foods or avoid them all together. The worst offenders include alcohol (which dehydrates your body), refined foods (including foods high in artificial additives and sweeteners) & calorie dense drinks.

o Anything high in saturated fat – high in calories and free-radical producing

o High sugar foods – sugar actually produces more free radicals than fat

o High GI carbohydrates (like white bread, rice and baked potatoes). Raise levels of fat storing insulin

o Coffee and other caffeinated beverages: These pressurise the lymphatic system

o Alcohol: increases free radicals and may boost fat storage

o High salt foods like peanuts, crisps, ready meals, canned soups etc

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get your FREE report "Cellulite Reduction Plan" from Alex Eatly at

http://complete.rxsportz.com/

Alex Eatly is a Certified Personal Fitness Coach and works with women just like you day in and day out and has mastered the art of fat loss and body transformations for women with extreme success.

Alex has developed an explosive new fat loss system called Look Great Naked: The Complete Body Makeover for Women, which was designed specifically to help busy women such as students, executives and parents with young children to get the most results in the least amount of time. For more info visit:
http://complete.rxsportz.com/

Top Ten Power Packed Foods

What is the secret to a long and healthy life?  It is in the food that we eat.  As you well know, all foods are not created equal.  Choosing and eating the right foods may help increase your life expectancy as well as the quality of your life.

Here are ten of the top power packed foods designed to give you energy, vitality and all around good health!

1. Beans – If they give you gas, take precautions before you eat them.  Soaking them first can help.  Beans of all kinds (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, Northern) are high in protein.  This is plant protein so it contains very little fat, carbs and calories.  If fiber is a problem in your diet, eating a healthy portion of beans each day can keep your digestive system healthy.

2. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is coming into popularity as a food that lowers blood cholesterol.  You can make it yourself with rolled oats or eat the instant kind if you are in a hurry.  Oatmeal is a filling grain that also provides much needed fiber to keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar constant.

3. Fruits – Fruits are filled with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A.  Antioxidants fight free radical damage in the body and reduce the risk of cancer.  Berries such as blueberries and grapes have the highest amount of antioxidants.  But choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health.  The antioxidants in fruit boost the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body.

4. Allium foods – This class of foods includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots.  Garlic is known for lowering cholesterol.  Allium vegetables help guard the body against the risk of cancer and many other ailments.  They also help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.  Eating these power packed vegetables in their natural state especially garlic increases their health benefits. 

5. Salmon – Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease and other conditions like atherosclerosis.  Wild salmon is a fatty fish but it contains good fats that has been proven to improve health in children and adults.  Salmon is rich in protein which is of great use after an exercise session to build muscle tissue.

6. Flax seed – Like salmon it contains omega-3 fatty acids.  These seeds also contain omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.  You get a lot of power to fight high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes with this seed.  Ground flax seed can be added to fruit smoothies, sprinkled in yogurt, eaten with cereal or added to pancake mix to name a few.

7. Peppers – Peppers are colorful.  They contain antioxidants like beta-carotene and Vitamin C.  Peppers range from mild and sweet to so hot you’ll be calling the fire department.  All peppers contain a substance called capsaicin.  Capsaicin has the properties of an anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever, lowers cancer risk and heart disease.  They are good in salads, salsa and all sorts of dishes.

8. Nuts and seeds – Nuts are high in fat but those fats are the good kind.  Peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all providers of good fats and protein.  Crush them into a fine powder and use as a coating instead of higher carb bread crumbs.  Nuts help to lower cholesterol.  Eat them right out of the shell with no additives.

9. Açai – This berry has been in the news lately.  It is rich in antioxidants and increases energy.  You can get more done and look better while doing it.  You can get Acai juice and supplements in your health food store.

10. Yogurt – The fat free variety is good for you.  Yogurt contains calcium, Vitamin B, and protein.  If you don’t drink milk, yogurt is an alternative to get your calcium in to build strong bones and teeth.  Live yogurt also contains friendly bacteria to help promote a healthy digestive system.

Building a better healthier body begins with what you eat.  Try these super foods to get started on the right foot.

How to Overcome Emotional Eating

Eating is a part of life.  Your body gets its nutrients from food.  Sometimes we can go overboard with our eating habits and it can result in gaining weight.  One issue with food is emotional eating. 

The problem of emotional eating may end with the scale but it begins in the mind.  Stress takes its toll on your life.  When your defenses are compromised your health takes a hit and so do your emotions. 

Everyone has good days and bad days.  How we deal with the bad ones brings emotional eating into play.  You look for comfort for your hurts.  People who turn to food for comfort find a coping mechanism that won’t judge them, hurt them or tell them “no.” To complicate the issue, eating pleasurable foods can stimulate the release of endorphins just like exercise.  So, after you eat, you feel better.

Emotional eaters use food to relieve stress.  They hide behind the food instead of seeking solutions to the problems.  This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.

But, how do you know you are using food in this way?  The first sign is obvious.  You will gain weight if you eat too much.  In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:

* Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
* Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
* Are you dealing with a problem but haven’t found a solution?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions could mean that you are an emotional eater.  You eat but you are not necessarily hungry at the time.  The foods that you choose are what we term “comfort foods”:

* High fat foods like French fries, fried foods
* High carb foods like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes
* Sugary foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies, cake

There is help for emotional eaters.  The first step is recognizing that you have a problem.  You’ll experience feelings of helplessness and guilt.  The guilt is over potentially ruining your health and the helplessness lies in the fact that you don’t see a way out.

Secondly, seek counseling.  There are many types of counselors out there that can meet your need.  Emotional eating has nothing to do with dieting or changing your eating habits but gaining control over your emotions. 

A counselor might suggest things like visualization, practicing problem solving skills, relaxation techniques and family support.  Visualization helps you to see your problems in a realistic way and not blown out of proportion.  You will also learn to see food as nutrition for the body and not an emotional crutch.

Thirdly, your family can learn your triggers for stress and be on the lookout for changes in your eating habits.  They can help you be aware of the foods you are eating, assist you in making healthy food choices and exercise along with you.  Proper diet and exercise increases immunity, blood flow and positive thinking.  Yoga enhances the mind/body connection so you don’t eat when you aren’t hungry.

Finding new ways to solve your problems and deal with stress will push food out of the equation.  You’ll feel good about finding solutions which will replace the dependence on food.

The Skinny on Fats

[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

Let's get this one out in the open:

1. Fats do not make you gain bodyfat.

2. Fats do not put you on Heart Attack Row.

3. Fats are not the enemy.

We've been sold a bag of lies when it comes to fats.

Fats are essential for your body's hormone production, skin health, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and even burning bodyfat. Yep... you need fats to burn fat.!

Studies have been conducted to attempt to elevate cholesterol levels using high-fat diets. Most all of them have failed miserably -- in fact several "lowered" total cholesterol while raising the so-called "good" cholesterol (HDL).

That being said, you don't need the following...

1. A lot of fats in your diet. Fats still contain over twice the calories per gram as carbs and protein.

2. Any kind of "fake fats" -- margarine or processed oils of any kind are highly dangerous foods.

Here's my simple dietary fats solution:

1. Eat fats as they occur in nature, but eat at least 80% as they "actually" occur in nature -- meaning from grass-fed and free-range sources. The extra cost is worth it. It tastes better and your medical costs will well offset the few dollars more per pound you pay.

2. Cook with a combination of olive oil and coconut oil, but use both sparingly. If you are eating plenty of animal protein you do not need excessive fats... not because of 'danger' but because of needless calories. Not a good idea if you're wanting to keep your abs. But a bit of raw butter or olive oil can make bland veggies taste wonderful, so feel freee.

Also, omega 3-rich fats like olive oil and fish (and especially fish oil) help lower inflammation. That's the real culprit behind heart disease in most cases.

3. Avoid a lot of fats at night. The night-time meals should be high in lean protein (tuna, tofu, turkey breast) with very limited fats if you are wanting to really get lean. If you are just trying to shed bodyweight slowly, it's okay to have some fats at night.

Just do me a favor: If you are on the "Fats make you gain bodyfat and have heart attacks" bandwagon, jump off. We have consumed fat for countless thousands of years. Just consume it the way we always HAVE (naturally, not stuffed with hormones and cooked up in a lab) and you'll be fine.

If you want a diet-solution that actually uses dietary fats to help you take off the bodyfat, then use this one:

http://eodd.rxsportz.com  <--- Eat Fats, Burn Bodyfat!

It's a real-world plan that allows you to eat your favorite foods and still shed the bodyweight you want.

And yes -- that includes fats.

Arthur M.
http://rxsportz.com

Tips for Helping Your Kids to Enjoy Raw Vegan Foods!

Grow Your Own - Kids love to help out in the garden so plant one! It is a rich introduction to living foods and allows them to see first hand how food grows and makes its way to our dinner plate. Even if you have to use containers on a small apartment patio your kids can still grow their own food, perhaps grape tomatoes. Kids are much more likely to try foods that they grow themselves too.

Pick Your Own - If you don't have a garden or even if you do...you can't possibly grow everything. Look for Pick Your Own farms in your area where you can wander the farm and pick your own fruits and veggies.

Forage in the Wild - It's a lot of fun for the whole family to go foraging in the wild for berries, nuts, and other delectable eats. Study up on what kind of edible food can be found in your area, go hiking, and ask around if any hot spots are known and get started!

Preparing Food Together - Get your kids involved in the process of shopping for food and making the food. Kids can become pretty handy when hot stoves aren't required. If they feel personally vested in the meal processes they are much more likely to be open minded about new textures and flavors. Kids love to hobnob at farmer's markets too.

Get exotic - Exotic or rare fruits and veggies can get pricey so they aren't usually to be found in the average raw family home. However, it is fun once a month or so to shop for a brand new-to-you food...maybe a sapodilla, durian, star fruit, etc. You can find them in Asian or International food markets most times.

Raw Food Parties - Look for raw foodies in your area (try meetup.com) and have a potluck once a month for good conversation and exposure to new raw dishes. There are also fun raw food conventions and seminars you can go to and many allow kids.

Educate them - Talk to your kids about raw, living foods and why they are different than what you buy at the store and why processed foods are not healthy for us. When kids realize that food can hurt them they will be more open to the idea of raw foods.

Show excitement - If you love raw foods your enthusiasm will be contagious!

------------
Raw Recipes for Kids

Are grains really healthy?

Are you like me and have a hard time with eating beans and grains, despite the fact they're supposed to be 'healthy'?

Do you gain fat when you eat even "non-refined" healthy carbs like brown rice?

I did -- until recently.

Here's your mid-week tip:

       Soak all grains and legumes for 24 hours
       prior to cooking them.

Don't worry -- they taste the same. They're even more fluffy. But, more important than that --

       they are now "lectin-free"...or 90% there.

What are lectins?

Lectins are protein and protein-family substances that love to bind to stuff and mess with your body's cellular structure.

The have a nasty habit of rendering even the most healthy of foods (almost always plant-based) very unhealthy for you to consume.

This does not have to be.

Simply soaking brown rice and legumes (beans) in water for 24 hours, according to food allergy researcher Dr. David Freed, causes the lectins in both foods to be destroyed 10 minutes into cooking.

This will not happen if you cook grains normally.

This is why you may be sniffling or having a hard time with "good carbs" in your diet. There are other reasons, but I've found this to be the ace in the hole.

Try it and see if your grains don't go down better.

       Want more tips like this, as well as the
       5 Steps that are guaranteed to make any
       foodplan (die-t...spelled that way because
       look at the first three letters...this plan is not
       a death sentence!) -- 

       5 times easier

       5 times faster (as fast as possible to shed fat
       in a healthy way)

       5 times more powerful (something you can
       manage for life!)

Go get "Simply Eat!' today --
http://tinyurl.com/cg7zcy

Sincerely,

Arthur M.

Food Safety Tips For Freezer Meals

When it comes to safety, there is room for it in every area of life. As with everything, freezer cooking has some safety precautions. It is important to pay attention to the tips and implement them. Here are a few tips on food safety for freezer meals.

• If you’re making extra food at one meal for future meals, separate and refrigerate the portion to be served later before you put the food on the table. This keeps food quality higher and helps keep food safe.

• Keep an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator and in your freezer. This helps to assure they stay at 40 F or lower in the refrigerator and 0 F or lower in the freezer. You can find thermometers at a discount, hardware, grocery or other stores that sells kitchen cooking tools.

• Cool foods to refrigerator temperature before bagging them for your freezer. It is ok to refrigerate foods while they’re still warm. Once you are ready to refrigerate food, cover it loosely. Doing so will allows heat to escape and protects the food from accidental cross contamination.

• Do not thaw perishable foods at room temperature. If perishable foods are left at room temperature too long, bacteria may grow and produce heat-resistant toxins that can cause food-borne illness. Your family does not need that.

• To avoid mystery meats and other foods of unknown age and possibly origin, label foods using freezer tape, gummed freezer labels or permanent marker. When you label include the name of the food, packaging date, and additional information like is the food sliced or chopped.

• Freeze food in the freezer safe containers or bags. Containers and bags that are not freezer safe allow air in and cause freezer bite. The food will also not last as long.

• Pay attention the packages date of the food you freeze. In general food that has been frozen last from 3 to 6 months. Take inventory every so often of what it in your freezer and pay attention to foods that have freezer bite, meats that have blue of green spots on them, and food that is outdated. Throw it out.

When it comes to freezing your food ahead of time, you want to be sure to be safe. Freezer cooking is a safe way to make meals ahead and using these tips will help you to keep it that way. Follow the ideas listed here and successfully freeze your food every time.

Looking for more information on Freezer Cooking? Our Freezer Cooking Made Simple has exactly what you’re looking for. Want more tips, ideas, and homemaking information? Visit Hillbilly Housewife. While you are there sign up for the Hillbilly Housewife newsletter.