20 Super Foods You Need to Build Muscle & Lose Fat

To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym. Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you're too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.

1. Whole Eggs. 
Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels. Don't worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn't bound to blood cholesterol. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.

2. Fish Oil. 
Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you'll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.

3. Wild Salmon. 
One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it's corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.

4. Berries. 
Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.

5. Yogurt. 
Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don't buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.

6. Flax Seeds. 
Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it's unstable and contains no fiber.

7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 
70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.

8. Mixed Nuts. 
Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you're a skinny guy who wants to gain weight. Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, ... Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.

9. Red Meat. 
Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks from top round or sirloin. Read Dr. Lonnie Lowery's article on Meat.

10. Broccoli. 
High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenicindoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, ...

11. Spinach. 
One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.

12. Turkey. 
If you don't believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it's so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.

13. Quinoa. 
South American "king of grains". Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it's better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.

14. Oats. 
Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.

15. Tomatoes. 
High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.

16. Oranges. 
Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.

17. Apples. 
Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.

18. Carrots. 
Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.

19. Water. 
Your body holds water if you don't drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.

20. Green Tea. 
Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.

Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you'll build muscle & lose fat.

Drinking More Water Burns a Few More Calories

Does drinking more water really help dieting? A small study says it may help you burn a few more calories each day. How many? About 50 calories per liter or quart of water. About 25 calories per water bottle-full of water. Mind you, that's only 5 M&Ms - plain, not peanut.


Why Drink More When Dieting?
Drinking a big glass of water whenever you feel hungry and before a meal or snack fills the stomach briefly and makes you feel fuller and stop eating sooner.
Breaking down body fat and body muscle during weight loss produces wastes that must be eliminated through the kidneys. Drinking enough water is important to keep the kidneys functioning to remove these wastes.
Popular high-protein diets produce more waste products from digestion, let alone from breaking down stored fat. Kidney function is even more important when on a high-protein diet.
Drinking more water does not "flush fat."
If the dieter is drinking plain water, he/she is less likely to be drinking something with calories in it.


Drinking Water Briefly Increases Metabolism
Drinking 500 mL of water (a half-liter or about a pint) increased the study participants' metabolism briefly - for about a half hour. In that time they burned an extra 25 calories. That's about a quarter of a piece of sliced bread, or 5 M&Ms. The researchers theorized that most of the effect comes from warming the water in the stomach. In the male participants the calories came mostly from stored fat, in the women it came from stored carbohydrates. The paper was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December, 2003. It was conducted by researchers in Berlin.


Eight Glasses of Water a Day?
The study provides some support for the general recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day while dieting. For most people that would add a liter or two to their regular water intake. The extra calorie-burn would be about 100 calories a day if drinking 2 liters (2 quarts or 4 water-bottles full) more than usual.


Dangers of Too Much Water
Don't start drinking an extra gallon of water a day - that can kill you, especially if you are fasting or eating very little. Water taken in must be in balance with body salt - electrolytes. The body needs to maintain salt balance or risk hyponatremia with heart attack and even death. Drinking too much water dilutes the salt in your blood and tissues - and can kill you. Healthy athletes have died from drinking too much plain water and not replacing salt. Dieters should not plunge into drinking gallons of water a day in hopes of burning a few more calories. Drink an extra few glasses, yes. But a gallon is too much.


Drinking and Walking
Exercise such as walking causes the metabolism to rise and body water to be lost through increased respiration and sweat. Walkers should drink a large glass of water an hour before walking, then drink about a cup of water every mile. When you finish walking, drink a glass of water. Guidelines for the marathon and half-marathon now say to "drink when thirsty" rather than pushing water, in order to prevent hyponatremia - drinking too much with replacing electrolytes

3 Rules to Reboot Your Metabolism

This 3-step plan is a surefire way to get your metabolism back in gear

Stalled weight loss can be frustrating. There are a few reasons why you might have a hard time losing weight, and a big one is a metabolism that’s off-balance. Take this quiz to find out if you might be at risk for an off-kilter metabolism. If you are, Chris Powell, a member of Dr. Oz's expert team, has three foolproof rules that will reset your metabolism to make it optimal for weight loss. 


1. Boost metabolism every three hours with a "Power 3" plate. 
One of the best ways to keep your metabolism working is to eat a small meal every three hours. The plate should have three small portions: one protein, one carbohydrate or fat, and unlimited vegetables. Small, frequent meals keep things moving; the simple act of eating stimulates your metabolism by triggering digestion. Every time your body digests food, it ramps up your total metabolic rate. 


2. Turn up your metabolic thermostat. 
Your thyroid acts as a metabolic thermostat. It releases hormones that play a major role in controlling your body’s temperature and the rate that your body burns calories. When your thyroid is working at its max, your metabolism will be sky-high. If your thyroid’s function is impaired, the metabolic rate slows down and leads to weight gain. The key to keeping your thyroid working hard is in eating good carbs, like whole grains, root vegetables and beans. Believe it or not, studies have shown that cutting out carbs from your diet completely can reduce thyroid function by 50 percent. So, make sure to keep complex carbs in your diet. 


3. Build your metabolic muscle. 
The number-one consumer of calories in your body is muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the more your body works toward burning calories—even when you’re asleep. It’s extremely important to maintain muscle during any weight-loss endeavor. A great way to build muscle is by doing cardio with light weights. This will keep your heart rate up while sculpting your body to be more lean and muscular. 


Source: Dr. Oz

Bodyweight Exercises for Home Fitness

Bodyweight exercises can help you stay fit at home and stay with a tight a budget. Here's are a few ideas of bodyweight exercises that you can do any time with no equipment. Perfect for traveling, home workouts or adding a bit of variety to your regular exercise routine.

Start with a light warm up for a few minutes. (This can be walking, marching in place or stepping side to side. The goal of the warm up is to get your blood circulating and you body temperature rising in order to prepare for higher intensity exercise).


Perform each exercise for 30 seconds to two minutes depending upon your conditioning and interest. Move to the next exercise smoothly, but quickly. You can continue the routine as long as you like (a twenty minute workout or an hour or more). Cool down with five or more minutes of stretching.


Common Bodyweight Workouts


Abdominal Exercises
Ab exercises can be done almost anywhere with no equipment.


Top 10 Questions About Abdominal Exercises


How to Exercise Your Abs
Push Ups
Begin in push up position, on knees or toes. Perform 4 push ups, abs in and back straight. On the 5th push up, lower halfway down and hold for 4 counts. Push back up and repeat the series - 4 regular push ups and 1 halfway--5 or more times.


Pull Ups
The pull up exercise does require some basic equipment, or some creativity (go to a playground or find a low hanging tree branch, for example), but it's a great, simple way to build upper body strength.


One-Leg Balance / Squat / Reach
Stand on one leg and balance it as long as you can. If this is too easy, add a slight squat motion. Still too easy? Place an object on the floor, several feet in front of you (a book, perhaps), and slowly squat down, and reach out with one arm and touch the object and slowly return to an upright position. Stay on one leg at all times. Repeat on the other leg after a minute or so.


Tuck Jump
The tuck jump exercise ranks near the top of the list for developing explosive power using only an athlete's body weight.


Chair Dips
You’ll need two chairs, (or a bed and a chair or a counter, etc…) for this great tricep exercise. Place two chairs facing each other, about 3 feet apart. Sit on one chair with your hands palm down and gripping the edge of the chair. Place your heels on the edge of the other chair and hold yourself up using your triceps. Slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the chair and lower yourself so your elbows are at 90 degrees. Do as many repetitions as you can.


Wall Sit 
With your back against a wall, and your feet about 2 feet away from the wall, slide down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Hold the position as long as you can. This is great for ski conditioning.


Abdominal Crunches 
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears. Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch and hold. Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches. Hold for a count of 2 and return to the start position. Tip: Don’t tuck your chin to your chest; keep your head up.


Supermans 
Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched out. Raise your arms and legs off the ground a few inches, hold a few seconds, and then lower. Alternate arms and legs as an option. Repeat.


Reverse Crunch 
Lie on your back with your hands out to your sides, and bend your knees. Bring your knees toward your head until your hips come up slightly off the floor (don’t rock). Hold one second and repeat.


Plank Exercise 
Get into push up position on hands and toes, or on elbows and toes. Contract your abdominal muscles (and core). Keep your back straight (don't collapse in the middle) and hold this position for as long as you can.


Squat-Thrusts 
Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up.


Jumping Jacks 
The basic jumping jack is a good cardio and strength training exercise.


Side Jumps
Stand with feet together. Jump to the right several feet, keeping knees bent and landing in a squat position. Jump back to the left and continue jumping from side to side. Use a small object to jump over if you like (book, pillow etc..).


Mountain Climbers
Start on your hands and knees and get into in a sprinter’s start position. Keep your hands on the ground and push off with your feet so you alternate foot placement (run in place) as long as you can. Be sure to keep your back straight, not arched.

A Muscle Building Workout You Can Do Without Weights

Literally, I have been thinking about posting this for a whilst. Now I finally got some time to do it.
If you want to build muscle, barbell exercises are the easiest way. The problem: you need weights. Not everyone can afford expensive gym memberships or buy a home gym. Maybe you don’t feel the need to get huge, but would still like to gain a little muscle and tone what you already have. Fortunately, there are some simple yet effective exercises you can use to sculpt your body.Here’s a muscle building workout you can do without weights:

Body-weight Exercises
Your body needs a reason to build muscle. That reason is stress. Exercising will stress your body & force it to build muscle. You don’t have access to weights, so you’ll use body-weight exercises:
Pull-ups. Build back & arms muscles. Doorway pull-up bars or any surface where you can hang from work. If you can’t do one rep with correct pull-up technique: use momentum, ask someone to help you or use a resistance band to assist you on the way up.
Push-ups. Build chest, shoulders & arm muscles. Use a full range of motion: arms locked on the way up, nose against the floor on the way down. Put your knees on the floor if you can’t do one push-up. Switch to regular push-ups when this gets easy.
Squats. Build leg muscles. Put your hands behind your head & bend through your knees. Keep your heels on the floor, push your knees out, look forward & squeeze your glutes on the way up. Stretch your hamstrings 3 times a week if you can’t squat lower than parallel.


Training Program
Myhealthyhopes.blogspot.com has a 3 day a week routine based on the above exercises. It takes less than 90mins a week. Easy to mix with your work, business, relationship & hobbies.
Progression
You must get stronger to build muscle. Doing 100 reps of an exercise builds endurance, not strength. Switch to more challenging exercises once you can do more than 20 pull-ups, push-ups or squats.


Rings. Push-ups & pull-ups using rings are harder: you need to stabilize the rings while doing the exercises.
One Arm Push-ups. Start with Incline One Arm Push-ups: one hand on a high box. Decrease the height as you get stronger until you can do them on the floor. Then switch to feet elevated One Arm Push-ups: feet on a box, gradually increasing the height.
One Arm Pull-ups. Pull-ups with one arm. Tricky to master. Check the article on Beast Skills for their technique.
One Leg Squats. Start with One Leg Box Squats: lower yourself on a box. Start with a high box & gradually decrease the height. Switch to One Leg Squats once you can do them from a very low box.
External Resistance.You could consider this as weights but I’m adding it anyway. Wear a rucksack filled with water bottles or books while doing the exercises. Wear a weighted vest. Wrap some chains around your upper-body while doing the exercises. Use adjustable ankle/wrist weights. Use a belt, chain, carabiner & weights.


Nutrition
You need solid nutrition to build strength & muscle. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 kcal. Go for these foods:


Protein. 1g/lbs daily. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, whey, etc.
Fat. Balance your omega 3, 6 & 9 intake.
Veggies. All kinds, especially green fibrous veggies.
Fruit. Also all kinds. Eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal.
Water. 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend.
Whole Grain Carbs. Oats, rice, pasta, breads.


Want to feel great every single week? NOW YOU CAN!

What Makes White Tea Special?

Chinese folks have probably been enjoying the wondrous advantages of drinking tea all their lives. They've been generous enough to share their wholesome secret towards the world when they introduced green tea and black tea. But just lately, the globe discovered out about a substantially healthier white tea. Men and women have found that besides the huge difference with regards to cost, this kind of tea is also getting regarded as very special by most Chinese people. We all realize that the teas from China are normally created out of their Camellia Sinensis tea plant and they only differ from how they may be being processed into a wholesome drink. But if they're all produced out of just one particular type of plant, what tends to make this tea specific? What makes it distinctive or perhaps healthier?

This unique tea made out of Camellia Sinensis tea plant is distinctive from other forms of tea mainly because it is actually lots tastier and healthier. Unlike the green and black teas which are produced out of totally processed adult Camellia Sinensis plants, this tea is taken from the younger plants or those that happen to be not however completely grown. This tea is produced out from the unopened buds from the Camellia Sinensis using the silvery-white hairs from which its name is also taken. It is actually also what offers the tea its rare white colour.


A lot of people say that this sort of herbal tea may be the healthiest primarily mainly because it really is also the least processed kind of tea. Being least processed means that it has not however lost a good deal of its healthy nutrients and it has a extremely fresh taste from its fresh juice. When preparing the tea, you'd have the ability to smells its fresh flavor instead of the extremely robust caffeine concentration that you would commonly smell from the black tea or the green tea.


Just like all sorts of teas, it also has a lot of wellness benefits. It is an productive weight reduction drink that is in a position to scrape each of the undesirable fats or cholesterol which you have stored in the body and it's also an useful remedy to some common and life-threatening illnesses. It assists in relaxing the nerves which tends to make it an effective relief for insomnia and anxiety.


If you'd like an a lot tastier and healthy life-style, it is best to have this special tea as component of your common diet.

Why Must You Select A Green Tea Diet?

Quite a bit of men and women today believes that green tea may be definitely advantageous for the health as a result of the wellness benefits that it contain as well as a lot of men and women also think that it can also support them lose weight rapid. Green tea became so renowned in terms of weight loss due to its impact and visible components that can genuinely aid in losing weight. You are likely amongst those a large number of weight conscious people that wonder why Chinese folks appear a whole lot younger than their age or why the majority of them are petite. Maybe you’ve got been told the answer prior to but you chose not to listen till you might have come to a point when your body is currently shouting at you to obtain their assist in losing weight. Let us refresh your memory just a little concerning the answer to why Chinese folks appear a great deal younger and are petite: It’s mainly because they’re a good deal conscious about their well-being and they use all-natural wellness merchandise for just about all their desires. 1 from the most well-liked wellness items that they’re utilizing to help keep their body at an typical size may be the herbal tea.

Their tea is commonly a mixture of naturally processed herbs with all-natural spices, sweeteners and heavy milk which can be why they may be a good deal healthier for the body in comparison to those which have been artificially processed and added with chemical substances that are likely to be dangerous towards the body. A really preferred tea which has been studied to efficiently assist in losing weight and giving relief to some pretty widespread sorts of illnesses like Anemia and Anxiety could be the Chai tea. It truly is getting made use of in South East Asian nations for numerous years currently and they don't have any damaging side effects.

Tea created out of all-natural herbs are stated to have the capability to enhance metabolism and may burn fats quite promptly which can be why it truly is an efficient tea for obese individuals or those that would like to slim down. The truth that they may be all-natural herbs which have other wholesome substances also make tea a great drink to avoid heart illness, stroke, cancer, diabetes, strain as well as other life threatening illnesses.

Today, on a regular basis drinking tea created out of all-natural herbs is also getting named the green tea diet. It can be no longer just becoming applied in South East Asian nations but all more than the globe as all-natural therapy to illnesses and as wholesome and preventive drink against numerous unique varieties of illnesses.

Regardless of whether you're in search of an powerful approach to slim down or you merely would like to reside a healthier life, you must decide on to drink green tea often or make it an element of one's standard diet.

Besides, White tea is also as special as green tea. I will post another article about it pretty soon.

How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the same time?

After my previous post 7 Ways to Build the Exercise Habit, Leo asked me to write an 8-week program to build muscle and lose fat.

However, I believe that to have long-term success, the plan must become your lifestyle. It must become a habit.

Therefore this article is not an 8-week program. It’s a list of simple ways to build muscle and lose fat. Tips that worked for me and my readers. And guess what: you will be able to build muscle and lose fat in 8 weeks using these tips.

Build Muscle. The fastest way to build muscle is to get stronger. The stronger you are, the stronger you’ll look. Get into strength training. Do barbell exercises that hit several muscles at the same time: Squats,Deadlifts, Overhead Press, etc.

Start with an empty barbell. Learn the exercise technique. Increase the weight gradually. If you don’t know where to start, check out theBeginner Strength Training Program: it takes 3 times 30 minutes a week.

Nutrition. You need solid nutrition to get stronger and build muscle. Keep the nutrition healthy and you’ll lose fat. Some tips:

Protein. 1g/lbs daily. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, etc.

Fat. Balance omega 3, 6 & 9 intake: fish oil, saturated fat & olive oil.

Veggies. All kinds, especially green fibrous veggies.

Fruit. Also all kinds. Eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal.

Water. 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend.

Whole grain food. Oats, rice, pasta, breads, …

Eat foods that come in their natural state. Avoid anything that comes out of a box. Avoid trans-fats. Limit junk food consumption to once a week. Quit drinking soda. These simple tips will make a big difference in a very short time.

Lose Fat. Strength training will build muscle while decreasing your body fat. Eating healthy will further decrease your body fat. If you need to lose a lot of fat or if you’re impatient, these tips are for you:

Cardio. Do 30 minutes of cardio after your strength training. Three times a week at moderate intensity will do. The goal of cardio is to burn fat, not to exhaust yourself. You should breathe heavier than when at rest, but not gasping.

Cut calories. Track your food intake using Fitday. Start eating 18x your current body-weight in lbs. One week later: cut 500kcal. Check the balance one week later again. Did you lose weight? If you did, keep eating the same amount of calories. If not: cut another 500kcal.

Whatever you do: don’t starve yourself. Fat is emergency storage for your body. If you don’t eat your body will hold the fat and burn muscles. That’s the opposite of what you’re after. Only cut calories if you don’t progress.

Women. Building muscle, losing fat and strength training for women is same as for men. The only difference is women have other hormonal profiles than men. Meaning women will always have less muscle mass and more body fat than men.

But the approach is the same. Follow these tips and you’ll get results. You won’t get bulky if you don’t overeat and stay away from steroids.

Vegan & Vegetarian. Leo is a vegan, and other readers of Zen Habits are also vegans or vegetarians. You’ll find plenty of examples of vegans and vegetarians who built muscle. It can be done. But you might have less results than meat-eaters.

Red meat contains saturated fat and cholesterol which raises your testosterone levels. Testosterone is needed for muscle. Ask your doctor for a blood-test. Eat red meat for 2 months. Do another blood-test. Compare testosterone levels.

Eat lots of dairy products: milk, eggs and cheese if you’re vegetarian. Don’t let the fact that you’re vegan or vegetarian serve as excuse. You can build muscle.

Motivation. The best way to keep yourself motivated is to set goals & track your progress. The classic scale is not your best tool. Here are better ways.

Fat measurements. Measure your body fat weekly using a fat caliper.

Pictures. Take pictures every 4 weeks.

Blood test. Check health improvements.

Strength stats. Keep a training journal. More strength is more muscles.

Weigh scale. Only use it once a week. Each Friday for example.

I advise you to keep an online journal. Put it on Zen Habits Forums or onStrongLifts.com Forum. You’ll get feedback & you won’t feel alone anymore in what you’re trying to achieve.

Expectations. Don’t believe the hype in the magazines. You won’t get ripped in 8 weeks. However you can build muscle and lose fat in 8 weeks.

As I wrote in the leading: 8 weeks is a start. It learns you that you can transform your body if you want to. One of my readers lost 40lbs fat & built 20lbs muscle in 10 months at age 55. You can do it. If you want to. Persist and you’ll get there.

5 Sugar Free Snacks To Help You Abstain From Sugar

Today begins the first day of Lent that many of my Christian friends use as a catalyst to get off sugar. At least for the short them. This helps motivate them to get off the sugar and give their bodies a break from having to deal with it all the time.

My cousin Diane that does this every year. Without a doubt, she is a sugar addict, whether she admits it or not. Frequently she eats chocolate or other sugar laden desserts for lunch. She did this for years while teaching elementary school. She felt it gave her the extra boost to get through the afternoon with the little ones. Plus, she just plain liked it.

If you want to break the sugar habit, you too can use Lent as an inspiration. Or at least as a timeline or as a challenge. But since deprivation is the most fattening food you can have (in my opinion), finding sugar free snacks that will satisfy you instead is a better solution.

Here are some that have worked for me:

1. 20 almonds ( some will tell you the palm of your hand, I like to measure them out)

2. Low fat cream cheese stuffed in celery. ( Satisfies the need for crunch and chewing, plus you get fiber)

3. Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks with small 4 oz. apple, sliced. ( I one had a client who lost 100 pounds in 6 months by using this as her main snack. Many times she would not even use the cheese. She liked to slice the apple into 16 slices. Why 16 slices? No particular reason, that is just how she did it and it became a good habit for her).

4. Low sugar yogurt with 1/4 cup of Shredded Wheat cereal, crumbled up, used as a topping, with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries.

5. Heat 1/2 cup blueberries on top of stove, mash them up, and then mix with 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt. Pour over 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal. Very delicious and VERY filling.

You can use these ideas as a starting point to get off sugar during the next 6 weeks. The first 3 days are the hardest, so know that if you get beyond that point, it will become much easier to do. You will be shocked at how good you start to feel and how much more energy you will have. It's one thing to talk about it, it is totally different when you actually experience it.

Aerobic Exercise - Best Aerobic Exercise for Beginners

Safely Perform Aerobic Workouts

Aerobic exercising is a fabulous way to get your heart rate climbing. Aerobics can help to keep your heart healthy, as well as to build your endurance, promoting effective body weight loss. However, unsafe exercising can result in injuries. Make sure that your workout is a rewarding experience by following the safety tips included in this article.

The first and most important safety tip concerns your dress while exercising. Since aerobic exercising involves moving around rapidly, having good shoes are very important. Excess wear and tear on shoes or loose laces can promote loss of traction and falls. Other clothing items which are especially heavy or very tight may result in excessive overheating. Clothing must allow the exerciser to release heat and to move freely during workouts. Loose clothing can also interfere with successful workouts.

Working out at home is another area of concern. The exercise area must be large enough to avoid injuries from bumping into any items, especially sharp items, walls and corners. Wet floors can ruin your day causing slipping and falling. Make sure to keep small children and pets at a safe distance from the exercise area.

All exercise equipment must have proper maintenance to avoid the dangers of malfunctions during operation. Cleanliness is another important part of a safe home environment. Nasty viruses and bacteria are possible due to sweating and breathing in a dirty area. Disinfect equipment as often as is necessary.

Another safety tip is to exercise at your own rate. Of course, you must exercise at the greatest intensity to get the most benefit from the exercises. However, overworking yourself can lead to cramping or to pulling your muscles, or other overworking stress and strain injuries.

A trainer or your own doctor can explain the basics of safe exercising. Your workout should begin with a warming period and end with a cooling period. Using the proper exercises for your particular body, gender, and age are important. The workout should get you to feel great, without creating any injury to your body.

Keeping yourself safe is the best tip of all. When you have an injury, you are out of action, possibly for an extended period of time, and all training advantages are lost to you. Health and safety go hand in hand, so take all the possible safety precautions whether you choose to workout at home or at the gym.

Have You Decided to Give Up Coffee? Try These Alternatives

Have you finally decided to give up coffee because you are worried about your blood pressure, disrupted sleep patterns, or other health concerns?

If you, like up to 20% of the population in the Western world, have IBS, you have probably learned that coffee is a trigger. Surprisingly, decaffeinated coffee is also a trigger. It is not just the caffeine that stimulates your gut. Coffee contains an enzyme that irritates the digestive tract.

You love the flavor and the entire coffee experience - but you know that coffee is not agreeing with you.

The decision has been made... but you miss that early morning experience... the warm, rich flavor, texture, and aroma... the way it feels as it caresses your tongue and glides down your throat.

Coffee substitutes might be the answer for you.

Grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits form the basis for many coffee-like beverages. They may be roasted, steeped, or boiled to extract the substances that are used to produce a final dried product that you mix with hot water or prepare like regular ground coffee.

Here are a few substitutes that might be worth trying.

Caf-Lib Original Blend Caffeine-Free Grain Beverage

Caf-Lib is an instant coffee alternative extracted from roasted malt barley, roasted barley, and roasted chicory. It is 100% all natural with no caffeine, sugar, chemicals, or preservatives. It looks and tastes much like coffee without some of coffee's disagreeable side effects.

Pero Caffeine-Free Instant Natural Beverage

Pero, a product of Switzerland, is made from malted barley, barley, chicory, and rye, with no added ingredients. It is very low in acidity and has a coffee-like taste.

Teeccino Caffeine-Free Herbal Coffee

Teeccino coffee substitutes are rich in inulin, a soluble fiber from chicory root that helps to improve digestion/elimination and increase the absorption of calcium and minerals. It is nonacidic and high in heart-healthy potassium. Teeccino is available in several flavors.

Dandy Blend Instant Grain Caffeine-Free Coffee Beverage

Dandy Blend is macrobiotic, vegan, and gluten-free with no acidity or bitterness. It features the health benefits of dandelion and the rich, full-bodied flavor, smoothness, and texture of real coffee.

Cafix All Natural Caffeine-Free Instant Beverage

Cafix coffee substitute gets its rich flavor from a healthful blend of all natural ingredients... nothing artificial. Ingredients include malted barley, barley, chicory, figs, and beet roots.

Cafe Orzo Organic Italian Caffeine-Free Alternative

Cafe Orzo is made from organic roasted barley. Brew it the way you would coffee - in your drip coffee machine, a drip filter, or in a French press. It is a smooth, nutty drink with a rich flavor.

Crio Bru Vega Real

Vega Real is premium roasted cocoa with natural hints of red berries and dark spice. The earthy-toned beans are harvested at the peak of freshness and then crafted to reveal a luxurious, complex flavor that hints of red berries and dark spice with a cocoa aroma. Making Crio Bru is easy, whether in a coffee maker or French press. The brew is reported as delicious, especially when you add a little sweetener or creamer.

Note: cocoa beans contain small amounts of caffeine. If you are caffeine- or chocolate- sensitive, this may not be the beverage for you.

Natural Touch Kaffree Roma Caffeine-Free Coffee Substitute

Kaffree Roma Roasted Grain Beverage is delicious and satisfying. It is made from roasted malt barley with a touch of chicory. Enjoy the robust, full-bodied taste of coffee without the caffeine, tannic acids, or coffee beans.

Different Causes Of Weight Loss

This article is everybody's concern, and there are so many causes of weight loss; but before that, do you have an idea of what can cause weight loss? It can be caused either intentionally or not. Obesity is something that everyone despises; even the ones who are carrying it despise it and they are not doing anything to reduce it. Obesity can be caused when you overeat it will give you a terrifically poor body shape.

Also, it can be caused when a person has health problems like diarrhea, hypothyroidism and others. It will cause the retention of fluid and will make the person look fluffy. Overweight leads to health problems and it might lead to death. This brings us to the causes of loss of weight, and they will be listed out to you in a jiffy.

The intentional ways of losing weight are;

1. Dietary plan: what you eat determines the amount of weight to be lost. This can be done when you eat the ideal meal, which should be rich in the six classes of food with less carbohydrate in them.

2. Hand workout: This means that you can begin to perform exercises and do things with your hand. This helps in the flexing of the muscles and also the burning of fat in the arms and the strengthening of the bones.

3. Weight loss pills: These can be taken along with the necessary diet plan for a speedy loss of weight. These help in the reduction of the fat in the stomach, and the absorption of fat.

4. Surgery: This can be done depending on your pocket and it helps in the reduction of body fat.

Other factors are:

5. Nutritional therapy;

6. Dietary restrictions;

7. Exercise.

The other cause of loss of weight is the unintentional causes which are:

1. Cancer;

2. AIDS;

3. Gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcer and diarrhea;

4. Parasitic attack;

5. Renal diseases;

6. Cardiac diseases: This is related to the heart and its surrounding areas. Such diseases are heart attacks, hypertension and high blood pressure.

7. Pulmonary diseases;

8. Connective tissue disease; and

9. Neurological diseases.

These are the causes of weight loss and I would like to know the one you prefer. Do you prefer the intentional one to the unintentional one or vice versa? It's your choice; but, understand that the unintentional one can lead to what we call "DEATH". So, choose right and live right.

What You Didn't Know About Omega 3 and Weight Loss

For long, the role of omega 3 has been identified as a therapeutic agent that helps in the prevention/treatment of various cardiovascular ailments, degenerative neuronal diseases, allergies, cancer, and skin disorders.

Apart from these therapeutic effects, recent research reports suggest an interesting association between omega 3 and weight loss.

What are Omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega 3 fats are a group of long chain polyunsaturated essential fatty acids that are abundantly available in cold water fish such as salmons, sardines, mackerel, and hoki.

In addition, omega 3 fats are also available in foods such as walnuts, canola oil, flax seed oil, and hemp seeds. Since these fats cannot be synthesized inside the human body, they need to be supplemented through dietary sources.

How do omega 3 fats help in weight loss?

Million of people in US are suffering with excess weight gain and obesity. One of the reasons for this problem is consumption of less nutritious and high-calorie diet, which leads to increased secretion of insulin and promotes adipogenesis: excess fat is stored as fatty bodies inside the adipose tissue.

According to recent research study that has been published in the International Journal of Obesity, eating large portions of omega 3 fatty acids causes an exceptional increase in the number of calories burnt on an average in a day.

In this study, when subjects were fed with omega 3 fish oil, they burned 26% more calories compared to the calories burned up by the subjects given omega 6 and omega 9 oils, which proves that there exists a connection between omega 3 and weight loss.

In the omega 3 and weight loss research, it has been proved that a daily intake of omega 3 fish oils causes a decreased response of body cells to insulin hormone and activation of a lipid-breaking enzyme called lipase, thereby promoting the breaking down of stored fats.

In addition, omega 3 fatty acids consumption also causes a marked reduction in the carbohydrate metabolism, thereby preventing the conversion of dietary carbohydrates into fat bodies.

Moreover, omega 3 fats even improve the blood circulation in the body, thereby facilitating better oxygen supply and increased fat breakdown. Simply put, increased omega 3 fish oil intake propels better utilization of stored fat as a body fuel source.

If you're interested in learning more about the best fish oil supplements for weight loss, visit my website, where I share what products I have personally been using daily for several years.