FAT BUSTERS
Some of you may have made a new years resolution to get in shape yet your results so far are nothing to write home about.

Take heart as these 5 tips I'm going to present to you may just be the help you need to jump start that fat burning again.

1. JUST ADD VINEGAR

In brand new tests conducted at Arizona State University, subjects who took 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar ate on average 200 fewer calories at the next meal.

The researchers reasoned since vinegar tends to minimize swings in blood insulin levels this reduced hunger pangs (hunger is increased when blood sugar levels are low - usually as a result of eating an easily digested unprocessed food or grain such as bread or pasta or potatoes).

Other research shows eating vinegar or lemon juice when you do eat high-carb foods lowers the jumps in blood sugar levels you would normally get.

Bottom line: Liberally use vinegar and/or lemon juice as much as you can with the meals you eat.

 

2. THE SPICE OF LIFE
Jalapeno's, tabasco sauce, hot pepper rings, chile peppers, spicy mustards, and curry spices...what do all these hot and sometimes fiery spices have in common?

They all raise your metabolism.

Capsaicin, the one ingredient common to all the above plus many more similarly spicy foods, has been shown in many research studies to rev up the metabolism, allowing one to burn off many more calories.

It may also help suppress the appetite.

One recent Canadian study showed subjects who ate sauce rich in capsaicin ate about 200 fewer calories in the following 3 hours compared to those that didn't eat the sauce.

So, if you like the hot sauce, combine it with the vinegar above and deliver a potent "double whammy" blow against our worst enemy...hunger.

 

3. BAD FATS...GOOD FATS...
There are certain types of fats that actually promote more of a weight gain than others.

The best types of fat to help prevent weight gain (by fat storage) are certain mono- and poly-unsaturated types of fats. These are olive oil and omega-3 fats found in fish and several plants (the flaxseed being one of the most well known).

The worst types of fat to eat are the more saturated types of fat found in abundance in animal meats (although there are many good types of red meat with minimal amounts of saturated fat).

One study showed animals gained 1/3rd more bodyfat on a high- saturated diet than on a high monounsaturated diet.

I personally love salmon although there are many who stay away from it because of its high fat content compared to other fishes. However, the fat found here is pure, heart healthy, omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA to be exact. These particular ESSENTIAL fatty acids have also been shown to be potent fat uncouplers. This means they help "break apart" the fat cells on your body so they can be burned more readily.

But that's a topic I will delve into more in depth next month.

 

4. EAT INSULIN REGULATING FOODS
There are certain foods that elicit a very small insulin output in response to eating them. This is important because insulin is a very potent "fat storage" hormone. If insulin levels are consistently raised, the chances of your storing the food you eat as fat in increased. Also, keeping insulin levels (and subsequently your blood sugar levels) low helps curb your appetite as well.

So, to keep insulin levels low eat these foods:
lean red meat
turkey
chicken breast w/out skin
fish
cabbage
broccoli
cauliflower
brussels sprouts
kale
green and red peppers
cucumbers
celery
sweet potatoes (stay away from white potatoes)
apples
pears
strawberries
blueberries
plums
apricots
lentils
black-eyed peas
black beans
most other dried beans

 

5. BULK IT UP TO KEEP THE FAT OFF
Fiber, fiber, and more fiber....

This is the key to long term success in keeping the weight off. You will prevent weight gain, and even increase weight loss, if the foods you eat are high in bulk, or fiber, and low in calories.

The trick to think of is to target foods that "take up a lot of space" on your plate. Not only will they take up more room in your stomach, but they typically take longer to eat as well. This is important because it allows your "satiety reflex" to kick in. This takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes.

How many times have you eaten a calorie-loaded food like cheesecake in 2 minutes flat and yet not have felt full? Trust me, I have too. And because we have not even come close to allowing our satiety reflex to let us know we've eaten enough we're still hungry. So we continue eating although the amount of calories we've taken in is more than adequate for that meal.

This leads to overeating and plenty of fat storage as well because your body just doesn't need all those calories at the same time.

But choosing a high fiber (bulky) food requires much more time to eat due to the extra chewing required. This extra time allows you to become satisfied with a much smaller calorie load.

Adding additional fiber to your diet triples the weight you can lose. Try to aim for at least 25 grams per day minimum. Preferrably, 35-50 grams per day.

The best high fiber foods are some of the fruits and vegetables listed above in addition to some high-water foods such as soups, stews, and casseroles.  

That's it for this month. Make sure you tune in to next month's topic where I'll talk about the "State of Affairs" in the Supplement industry plus a whole education on protein powders and what you should look for in a good one.

If you're interested in learning how to truly achieve the shape you've always dreamed of attaining then Click Here.

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