Understanding Good Carbohydrates Vs Bad Carbs and Choosing Healthy for Weight Loss

There has been so much confusion about the topic of good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates in recent years... I wanted to help clear up some of that confusion for you and set you on a clearer path to lifelong fat loss success and healthier eating.

First of all, although I am not a "low carb" believer (I certainly don't think extremely low carbohydrate diets are healthy), I do believe that one of the main reasons that the vast majority of people struggle to ever lose weight is that they are over-consuming processed refined carbohydrates such as pasta, bagels, breads, cereals, rice, muffins, sodas, juices, candies, crackers, etc.

It is exceedingly hard to lose weight if you are over-consuming any of these types of refined processed carbohydrates (even if you work out extremely hard). In addition to causing big blood sugar swings and insulin surges that stimulate direct body fat storage, eating too many carbohydrates also increases your cravings and overall appetite.

Even carbohydrate sources that most people think are "healthy" really are just excess calories that do not really contain significant nutrient density... and many types of breads and cereals claim to be "whole grain" through clever marketing although in reality, the first ingredient in them is refined flour, which is just going to spike your blood sugar and create an insulin surge. After years of eating excess processed carbohydrates, it becomes harder and harder for insulin to do it's job and continue handling all of this blood sugar, and insulin resistance and eventual type 2 diabetes can occur in many people.

My opinion on this is that the majority of people struggling to lose weight would get much better results by following these types of guidelines:

1. Reduce overall grain-based foods in your diet (pasta, cereal, crackers, rice, etc) and focus more of your diet on healthy free range, grass-fed meats and eggs, raw grass-fed dairy, and a whole lot of vegetables.

2. Instead of grains for most of your carbohydrate intake, try getting most of your carbs from veggies, sweet potatoes, and a variety of berries and whole fruits (NOT fruit juices, which remove the beneficial fiber as well as other important nutrients in the fruit)

3. If you are going to get any grains at all, focus on the most nutrient dense and fibrous portions of the grain... the bran and the germ. This means that the healthiest ideas are using oat bran instead of oat meal, and using wheat germ and rice bran by adding them to your salads, yogurt, cottage cheese, soups, smoothies, etc. This way you get all of the most nutrient dense parts of the grains without all of the excess starches and calories.

4. To replace the void if you are accustomed to consuming large quantities of cereals, bread, pasta, and other carbohydrate sources... try filling that void with additional healthy fats such as avocados, guacamole, nuts, seeds, nut butters as well as healthy proteins such as grass-fed raw dairy and grass fed meats, whole free-range organic eggs, etc. Healthy fats and protein sources go a long way to satisfying your appetite, controlling proper blood sugar and hormone levels, and helping you to make real progress on weight loss for life.

With all of that said, here's one of my favorite carbohydrate sources that is high in fiber as well as contains a high density of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals... it is yams and/or sweet potatoes. Try slicing them into thin slivers and sauteeing them with a few tablespoons of water in a pan for about 5 minutes for a quicker healthy carb (instead of baking them for over an hour). Finish them off with a touch of grass-fed organic butter and some cinnamon and you've got a delicous and healthy carbohydrate side dish!

For more unique exercise and diet techniques for losing your stubborn stomach fat, go to Workouts & Diet Tips for Losing Belly Fat Fast

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1130787

What is the Best Ab Workout for Belly Fat Loss?

The answer to the age-old question of "What is the best ab workout for losing stomach fat?" is...

None! Ab workouts alone don't create enough of a metabolic response in your body to create fat loss.

As a trainer, nutrition specialist, and fitness professional, I often get asked what the best types of exercises and workouts are for losing stubborn stomach fat in order to bring out visible six pack abs. The problem is that most people with excess stomach fat looking to try to uncover their abs are searching for some "miracle abdominal workout" that is going to slash the fat off their abs in no time.

The thing is... they are going about the problem entirely the wrong way! The truth is that you don't lose stomach fat by doing ab workouts.

The problem is that focusing most of your time and effort on abdominal exercises and abs workouts to try to flatten your stomach and bring out 6-pack abs is simply wasting your time from doing the correct workout programs that will acutally reduce your body fat for good.

If I were to choose an answer as to what the best exercises are for losing belly fat, my answer would include full body exercises such as the following:

various forms of squats, lunges, deadlifts, clean & presses, snatches, swings, presses and pulls, mountain climbers, sprinting, etc.

These types of full body exercises would encompass a much higher percentage of the workouts I would design instead of abs exercises directly targeting the midsection. The way you combine those full body exercises into a strategic workout that maximizes your metabolism is also very important.

Don't get me wrong... I do recommend a certain amount of exercises that directly target the abs and core, but these are only a small fraction of the programs I design for my clients as your time is better spent focusing on the full body exercises that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body. In addition, a side-effect of working out using mostly full body multi-joint combo exercises are that you indirectly work your entire midsection even though you are not specifically targeting the abs.

Keep in mind that the most important factor for losing belly fat to see your abs is actually in the nutrition arena. No matter how hard you workout, if your diet is full of junk, then your abdominals will be covered with ugly fat. Nutrition is without a doubt the "king of getting a six pack".

So let's clear this up for good...

Stop wasting so much of your time focusing on situps, crunches, leg raises, and all those silly worthless "ab contraptions" in your efforts to try to develop 6-pack abs. Instead focus on high intensity full body lifts using combination multi-joint exercises all strategically combined into highly effective fat loss workouts. Couple that with a healthy diet full of natural unprocessed whole foods as close to their natural state as possible, and those elusive six-pack abdominals will yours in no time!

Check out below for more of my key strategies for getting flat sexy 6-pack abs for life.

Learn more about my secret strategies for losing stubborn stomach fat at the internet's authority for Getting Flat Six Pack Abs

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/589215

3 Veges that help to burn stomach fat

Here is a great article to help out with your nutrition.

Specific vegetables that actually help to stimulate the burning of stomach fat?  Sounds crazy right?

Well, check this out below and you'll see why it's not so far fetched.

First, one fact that you may have not realized is that there are certain chemicals in our food supply and in our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemicals that have an estrogenic effect inside our bodies.  This problem can increase belly fat on both men and women, so pay attention.

These are called xenoestrogens, and exposure to them from these chemicals in our food supply, water supply, and the environment is one factor that can actually stimulate your body to hold onto belly fat.  The problem is that in today's world, even if you eat organic and live in a relatively low-pollution area, it is almost impossible to not get at least some degree of daily exposure to xenoestrogens.  They are even in household cleaners and cosmetics!

So how can you fight against these xenoestrogens so that they are not forcing your body to hold onto stomach fat?

Well, that's where these specific types of vegetables that I'm going to show you can help.

There are many classes of vegetables, teas, spices, etc that have compounds which can help to fight against the effects of xenoestrogens.  However, one of the most powerful classes are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.

These types of cruciferous vegetables contain very unique compounds (phytonutrients) such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that can help to combat the effects of xenoestrogens in your body, and therefore, can help you to burn abdominal fat more effectively.

As if you needed another excuse to eat more broccoli and cauliflower... Now, you can add losing stomach fat to the list!

Now here's the cool thing... On this link, I'm going to show you my program that explains specific teas, spices, and other sources of these unique compounds that help to fight against xenoestrogens and help you to Burn Belly Fat faster and more effectively. Enjoy, and good luck with your fitness goals! Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist,

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3065722

How to strengthen your abs

To get great abs it takes a good combination of healthy eating, fat burning exercises and ab strengthening exercises.

When strengthening your abs, it is very important to do the correct exercises so that you can effectively work your abs, without hurting your back. Sit ups and crunches can be very strenuous on your back while not effectively working your abs. When doing ab workouts you should instead focus on your entire core, rather than just targeting certain stomach muscles. Exercises such as squats and jumps not only work your entire body, but require a lot of ab stabilization. When focusing on your abs, reverse crunches and stability ball exercises are excellent. Using your legs to work your abs is much more effective and better for your back.

Check out The Truth About Six Pack Abs, an excellent guide to not only getting great abs, but also about how to get a lean, toned body. This guide really has everything you need.

How to lose belly fat with exercise

Exercise, just like your diet, is extremely important in maintaining a healthy, lean body. Once you have sorted out your diet, this is what you should focus on next.

Everyone knows that they need to exercise to stay in shape, however the reason people fail at this so much is because it all seems too hard and working for hours in the gym each day becomes long, tiring and boring. It doesn't need to be this way! You can achieve the same results by doing only 15 minutes a day a few times a week. All you have to know is the right exercises to do. You don't even need to go to a gym, or own expensive machines and equipment. It really is that easy!

By doing short intense workouts using exercises that use your whole body, you can effectively burn the same amount of fat as hours of cardio at the gym. This also makes exercising much easier to stick to, and also makes it more enjoyable!

If you want to lose belly fat and get a nice flat, toned stomach and body, then you should incorporate a workout routine into your daily life. Your workout should consist of full body movements including lots of weight exercises. It should also include ab exercises and great fat burning exercises such as hill sprints and step ups.

Always remember though, that every body is different and have different health levels. Which is why it is important to see a doctor before you commit to any exercise routine, especially if you have heart problems.

If you want to know how to develop a workout that really burns that belly fat, then I highly recommend that you check out this e-book by Mike Geary, a very experienced personal trainer. If you follow what he suggests then you WILL lose weight, burn that belly fat off and achieve a healthy, toned body.

1 rule about nutrition

When it comes to nutrition a lot of people have no idea what to do. There is a lot of speculation out there about what is actually "good for you". Some people say you should avoid all carbohydrates, some people say you should avoid all fat, others say you should avoid meat. The one thing that they all have in common is the word "avoid". The fact is that you shouldn't "avoid" any of these things. You just need to learn to eat the food that you are supposed to eat.

This all comes down to our bodies and our genetics. Our species (the homosapien), just like our previous ancestors, is an omnivore. This means that we are supposed to eat a variety of meats, fruits, vegetables, grains and fats. This is the number 1 rule to nutrition and losing fat. EAT NATURALLY. This is how we are supposed to eat and what will keep you in your best shape along with enough exercise. The main reason why there are so many obese people these days, is because of the processing of foods and artificial ingredients. Ask yourself this question. "Can a product with ingredients that contain numbers really be good for you?". The processing of foods can do all sorts of nasty things to your body, including putting bad fats (such as trans fats) into your body, causing you to put on fat.

This should be the first thing you do to lose weight. Change your diet enough to only include natural foods consisting of fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, dairy and good fats (saturated fats). The more natural the better. If you have access to organic free range meats and veges then use them, as they are grown naturally rather than mass produced with hormones, chemicals and fertilizers.

If you can do this, you will start losing weight and burning that belly fat in no time.

Lose fat

Loosing fat can be extremely difficult for people these days. There are so many diets, weight loss products and weight loss myths out there that can make the whole thing so confusing. In my opinion these fast track weight loss solutions do not work and are a waste of money. Why do they not work? Well the truth is that even if these products, such as meal replacements and weight loss pills actually do make you lose weight, they will not work permanently as people don't want to be taking them for the rest of their lives..and who would want to? Life is meant to be enjoyed!

The best solution for weight loss, losing that unwanted belly fat, getting lean and trim, ripped or getting that six pack you've always wanted, is through diet and exercise. Now those two words scare the hell out of a lot of people because it seems like too much effort. People are under the impression that diet means starve yourself and exercise means hours in the gym every day. It doesn't have to be like that - in fact it is best to NOT do it that way.

You can lose weight and burn fat extremely effectively just by changing a couple of things in your diet, and doing quick and easy exercises a few times a week.

In this blog I will give you tips and information about what you can do to lose fat.

I learnt a lot from this e-book which really helped me lose belly fat and get great abs. It really is worth a read.