admin

The REAL Truth About Coconut Oil ***Plus, Four “Common Yet Dangerous” Oils You Should Never Eat… ***

Plus, Four “Common Yet Dangerous” Oils You Should Never
Eat… If You Want to Heal, Beautify and Restore Your Body!

Mother Nature is incredibly generous in the way she provides – offering a bounty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients to nourish your body so you can enjoy a long healthy life.

One fruit in particular – the coconut – is so abundant in its healing properties it’s referred to as “the tree of life.” And before World War II, people living in island countries, like the Philippines, consumed a diet that consisted mainly of rice, root crops, vegetables and an abundance of the ultra-healing superfood, the coconut.

The coconut is a “functional food” rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber – the essential nutritional building blocks for perfect health.

For generations, island people considered it “The Cure for All Illness” and consumed the meat, milk and coconut oil daily. Although this diet was high in saturated fat, Western conditions like diabetes, cancer and heart disease were virtually unheard of.

Filipinos and islanders were instead rewarded with a lovely youthful complexion, soft wrinkle-free skin, almost no skin cancer – even with excessive exposure to year round sun – and abundant good health.

Coconut oil in particular has been shown to protect you from viruses, bacteria, infection, cancer, thyroid, brain and heart problems… plus beautifies your skin – and even burns fat!

Coconut oil – a saturated fat – is chock-full of health-promoting properties – and is in no way responsible for high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and the bad effects you’ve been led to believe.

Finally, modern medicine and science are starting to realize this fundamental truth… and it’s been a long time coming. But sadly not before heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and a whole host of other catastrophic diseases have reached epidemic proportions!

The Saturated-Fat Myth That Robbed
You of Your Good Health!

Before World War II, the miracle-healing coconut had been used to help alleviate:

  • Coughs
  • Constipation
  • Malnutrition
  • Skin infections
  • Toothaches
  • Earaches
  • Flus
  • And more!

But that all changed when the war ended and the United States proclaimed hydrogenated oils to be the “healthier oils.” By the 1960s, a weak scientific theory claimed that saturated fats-like those found in butter, eggs, milk, red meat and coconuts – increased “bad” LDL cholesterol and were dangerous to consume.

Nothing was further from the truth! But this “health scare” was enough to push the public away from saturated fats and instead to refined vegetable oils. This was perfect for food manufacturers because they were far cheaper to produce.

It wasn’t long before Western-style diets made their way to the islands and the old ways were forgotten.

Cheaper, mass-produced hydrogenated foods replaced traditional foods, like the versatile and all-healing coconut oil that had kept the islanders healthy for generations.

And for the first time ever, diseases that had become prevalent among Americans… heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity started to plague the island nations.

The Four Unhealthy
“Healthy Oils” You Should Never Consume!

Decades ago when food processing first began, it became regular practice to alter that which nature provided. Thus began the era of “frankenfoods.”

Whole, nutritious natural foods that mostly came straight from the farm to the table were replaced by over-processed, refined and chemical laden, mass-produced convenience foods.

And fats were no different. Over four decades healthy sources of fats were replaced with vegetable oils that were thought to be “better-for-you.” We now know they’ve done more harm than good.

The following four are the worst offenders you should avoid at all costs:

Canola – Animals and insects avoid it in nature, here’s why you should too…There is no such thing as a canola in nature. Canola oil is actually a modified version of rapeseed oil. Asian and Indian cultures used rapeseed oil for centuries, but it was never consumed in the large quantities that Americans do.

The rape plant (in the mustard family) contains cyanide-containing compounds and wild animals and even insects avoid it in nature.

The refining process of deodorizing and bleaching to become canola oil involves exposing rapeseed oil to high heat, which greatly reduces the omega 3 content (perhaps it’s only original redeeming factor).

Consumption of this “GMO Oil” has been linked to muscular disorders and fatty degeneration of the heart, kidneys, adrenals and thyroid gland. To avoid it, check labels closely – even in so-called healthy products – because it’s practically everywhere.

Cottonseed Oil – An industrial plant saturated with pesticides…

Thousands of commercially produced foods contain cottonseed oil; everything from canned foods to chips and other packaged items. It is even in beverages such as Gatorade. However, cotton is not a food crop, and is therefore not treated like an edible crop but an industrial one.

Virtually anything can be sprayed on cotton plants to ward off insects and induce growth. Dangerous poisons such as trifluralin, cyanide, dicofol, propargite and naled are used on cotton crops. These work their way deep into the plants, literally transforming them into toxic organisms.

While it may be ok for making pants and shirts, cottonseed oil is truly not safe to consume. The majority of cotton plants are genetically modified – altered at the molecular level. Even though we are not eating the cotton plant directly, the extracted oil contains the same properties as the plant.

Besides a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, cottonseed oil has a similar protein structure to peanuts, so people who are allergic to peanuts may have a serious allergic reaction to this oil, as well. However, the FDA does not require an allergy label on the oil – even though peanut oils can be fatal.

Safflower – Studies show an increase of Omega-6 also increases the rate of death by heart disease, reason enough to avoid this oil…

If you still believe that saturated fat and cholesterol are a direct cause of heart disease then safflower oil probably seems like a healthy swap.

Previous studies had found that by substituting animal fats with vegetable oils such as safflower, cholesterol levels would indeed drop.

However, what the earlier studies failed to evaluate was the high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in these oils and that the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in the American diet was growing astronomically.

Researchers now have evidence that it may not be cholesterol that kills, but omega-6’s. When a group of individuals replaced animal fats with omega-6-rich safflower oil, their cholesterol levels decreased, however, the rates of death from cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease increased significantly as compared to those consuming the animal fats.

These results prompted researchers to re-evaluate their theories on saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease and point the finger at the formerly dubbed “heart-healthy” omega-6 fatty acid.

Soybean – The GMO, hormone disrupting nightmare “health” food they keep telling you is safe…

Oh, the ever-questionable soybean. While marketers will have you believe that soy is beneficial because our healthy Asian counterparts consume it regularly, this is arguably one of the biggest nutritional myths out there. Asians enjoy soy in its fermented state and in considerably smaller quantities than we do.

Ninety-three percent of American soy is GMO and most of the soy we consume is in its unfermented state. This highly processed soy has been linked to numerous conditions including thyroid damage and hormone disruption thanks to its large quantities of estrogen-like compounds called phytoestrogens. As for soybean oil, up to 80 percent of the oil we consume today is soybean oil.

It’s highly processed and heavily hydrogenated and found in a vast majority of products on supermarket shelves. And don’t think choosing organic soy makes you any safer… as some so-called “organic” soy farms have been found to be fraudulent… passing off the GMO-product for the real thing. It’s best to avoid soybean oil completely.

We can almost guarantee you have one of these oils or foods containing these oils sitting in your pantry right now. Maybe you even used one of these oils when you cooked your dinner last night. And today you’re coming to the sad realization that YOU’VE BEEN LIED TO BY THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

Actual healthy foods have been vilified-and your “so-called” healthy food choices have been manipulated by manufacturers getting richer by the day. All while your diet has grown more and more nutritionally-void every day!

The REAL Truth About Coconut Oil ***Plus, Four “Common Yet Dangerous” Oils You Should Never Eat… *** Read More »

My fat-burning grocery list

One of the biggest struggles that folks have is knowing how shop and choose the right foods when visiting the grocery store.  And while there are SO many choices and a TON of confusion at your local grocer, they’ve actually made it really EASY for you to shop, if you know what sections to visit, and which to avoid.

In fact, I can get in and out of the grocery store with a full cart of fat-burning groceries in just 15 mins nowadays, simply because I know I’ll NEVER even visit 90% of the store aisles on most visits.

So, before we get into my exact grocery list, here’s my EASIEST grocery store tip EVER:

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the middle aisles.  That’s it!

Here’s why it works:

With few exceptions, the middle aisles of the grocery store are full of process packaged foods while the perimeter contains almost all of the whole, natural foods you’ll need to stock up your fat-burning kitchen.

Here’s my usual routine when visiting my local grocery store, and I’m sure your store is set up in a similar way.

When I walk in the door I make sure to walk right on past the bakery!  Did you know that nearly every grocery store puts the bakery right at the entrance intentionally?  If they can get your saliva glands working right away, it’s very likely you’ll spend more as you travel through the store…nothing in a grocery store’s layout is by accident, which is why I know your store is probably laid out the same way.

So, quickly pass by the bakery and head straight to the produce section…this is where wholesome goodness starts…fresh fruits & veggies.  In my most recent trip, here are the items I grabbed from the produce section:

Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Cherries
Berries
Green Beans
Brocolli
Sugar Snap Peas
Carrots
Red Potatoes
Spinach
Romaine Lettuce

Of course there are a ton of other great choices lying around the produce section…pretty much any vegetable and/or fruit would be a great fat-burning, nutrient-rich choice.

I then walk 5 steps from the produce section to the fresh meats and poultry.  At our grocery stores here in Florida (Publix) they have an “all natural” section of the meat department called Greenwise where you can get all-natural and organic meats that are sourced from animals not treated with hormones and antibiotics…your store probably has something like this as well.  Just ask if you aren’t sure.

From this section I grabbed:

All Natural Chicken Sausage
Grass Fed Ground Beef
Grass Fed Chuck Roast (for pot roast)
Organic Chicken Breast
Grass Fed NY Strip Steaks

Next up is the milk and eggs section, again right on that back wall (still haven’t ventured into the aisles at all).  From here I picked up:

Organic Large Eggs
Organic Butter
Organic Whole Milk

Along the very last aisle in the store are some more dairy items where I grabbed:

Organic Greek Yogurt
All-Natural Cheddar Cheese

Also in that last aisle is water, so I grabbed a case or two and that essentially took me back to the front of the store to check out.  A full cart of fat-burning groceries all while NEVER visiting the center aisles where I’m sure I would have been tempted to toss in a bunch of processed garbage like cookies, crackers, chips, ice cream, cereal, stove top pasta “mixes”…and the list goes on.

If I do ever make a strategic trip into the middle of the store, it’s almost always to get these items:

Beans
Spices
Tomato Puree
Nuts
Stevia

And that’s about it.

Follow that simple advice next time you’re at the grocery store and you’ll be in and out in no time while avoiding all those processed items that wind up ruining your diet once you get them home.

My fat-burning grocery list Read More »

The #1 fruit for weightloss

You’ve probably heard the tip that if you’re interested in losing weight, it’s a good idea to eat slowly and chew your food at least 15-20 times before swallowing.  Doing so allows your brain and body to actually sense that it’s full, instead of cramming a bunch of food down your throat only to find out 30 mins later that you’re WAY stuffed.

And for that reason (and a few others) , I’m picking cherries as my #1 fruit for weight loss.

With cherries, you can’t just pop 30 in your mouth in two mins like you could, and probably often do, with grapes or blueberries.  Instead, the pits force you to eat them slowly, allowing your satiation sensors to chime in a prevent you from over-indulging.

So that’s reason #1 – built in portion control.

Reason #2, and it’s a BIG one, is that cherries have the LOWEST glycemic index of all fruits, and one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any carbohydrate source–period.

Scoring at a ridiciulously low 22, you can even snack on cherries in the evening without much detriment as their effect on insulin is minimal at best.  Again, it’s not late-night eating that’s the problem, it’s eating the wrong foods (those that cause a substantial rise in fat-loss halting insulin) in evening hours that is.

So next time you’re in the mood for a sweet, satiating snack, reach for a small bowl of cherries and enjoy the goodness.  My new favorite variety is Rainier cherries….Mmm mmm good 🙂

The #1 fruit for weightloss Read More »

5 Reasons that I Think Treadmill and Elliptical Machine Workouts are a Waste of Time

Plus 10 workout ideas that I believe are more effective and fun!

by Mike Geary,

Now that I made all of the treadmill and elliptical machine worshipers angry… let me say that if you truly enjoy mindlessly pumping away on a treadmill or elliptical (or exercise bike for that matter too), then by all means, keep doing what you enjoy, because enjoying your exercise is one of the most important aspects to sticking with any exercise program…

However, don’t say that I didn’t warn you that you were wasting your time with all that mindless cardio machine boredom.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I don’t believe in cardio machines, and to be quite honest, I don’t think I’ve personally used a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise bike for at least the last 10 years or so.

As a matter of fact, I don’t even use cardio machines anymore for warmups before a workout (I did before occasionally)… Nowadays, I prefer to do dumbbell orkettlebellsnatches and swings mixed with bodyweight exercises as the perfect full body warmup at the beginning of my workouts.
So why do I have such hatred for cardio machines?  Well, here are 5 reasons:

1) Treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes are mind-blowingly BOOOORING!  Personally, I can think of a million things I’d rather be doing than pedaling my way to nowhere!

2) Mindless steady state cardio exercise while watching TV or reading creates a mind / body disconnect resulting in poor results from your exercise routine.  Instead of reading a gossip magazine or watching a cheesy reality TV show on the TV screen in front of the cardio machine, a REAL workout consists of actually having your mind engaged strongly in what your body is doing!

3) I’ve seen studies that indicated that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, etc.

…although I never recommend just “jogging” anyway (or as Ron Burgundy would say, “yogging”) … Instead, variable intensity walks / runs or sprints are so much more effective, training your heart rate in a much wider range instead of just the same pace during the entire workout.  I choose to do a lot of hiking up mountains and also sprinting, but never steady state jogging.

4) Treadmills and ellipticals are ridiculously expensive and a waste of money for people that workout at home… there’s so many better options for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical.

The perfect home gym setup is MUCH cheaper… there’s no reason you need anything other than a jump rope, bodyweight exercises, a few dumbbells, stability ball, maybe a few kettlebells (if you want to get fancy), and perhaps high tension bands for some more variety.  And of course… the great outdoors has some of the best workout options of all… hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing, sports, and more!

5) Treadmills and elliptical machines are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options.  The metabolic response is much lower compared to the types of workouts ideas that I describe below.  Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent…

So what are the alternatives to treadmills, exercise bikes, and elliptical trainers? Here are TEN of my favorite types of alternative workouts:

  1. jumping rope – great mind-body connection – try speed jumping, crossovers, and double jumps once you get skilled at it.  An amazing metabolic exercise with one of the cheapest pieces of equipment available.  There’s a reason that every world class boxer uses this exercise!
  2. kettlebell training – nothing will get your heart pounding like high repetition KB swings and snatches or clean & presses (can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer KBs).  Personally, I think one of the most intense body changing exercises ever invented are double kettlebell snatches (snatching both kettlebells at the same time overhead from the floor).
  3. outdoor wind sprinting (the ultimate exercise for a rock hard ripped body… just look at the chiseled powerful bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the weakling withered physique of a typical marathoner… nuff said!  I generally do wind sprints 2-3 days a week during the warm times of the year, and I’ll do something such as 50 yards, 60 yards, 70 yards, 80 yards, 90 yards, 100 yards, and then repeat (with about 40-60 second rests between sprints).  By the way, for the international folks, a “yard” is just slightly shorter than a meter.
  4. hill sprinting – yet another classic exercise for a rock hard lean and powerful body!  I like to do 30 yard sprints up a steep hill and then walk down and repeat a bunch of times for maybe 20-30 minutes.  Amazing workout.
  5. The rowing machine – ok, I don’t really lump this in as a “cardio” machine like treadmills and ellipticals… I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses resistance… The best results come from using variable speeds and really pulling hard to challenge your body.
  6. Sprint style swimming workouts – a more muscular workout than steady state distance swimming… I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint style swimming — this is the same concept as sprinting vs jogging but in a pool instead.  It’s all about intensity!
  7. heavy bag punching / kicking workout, speed bag, rebound bag – all are great forms of training and much more interesting than boring cardio machines.  These exercises are also great examples of exercises that require an intense mind-body connection, which is missing in boring cardio equipment like treadmills and elliptical machines.
  8. shadow boxing – This is an awesome workout, but if you’re shy, this is best saved for your home workouts since you’ll get some crazy stares doing this at a typical gym from people who think they’re “too cool” for stuff like this.
  9. dumbbell circuits — This is a super metabolic type of workout that involves alternating between various full-body multi-joint exercises to get a crazy fat-burning workout in minimal time.  A good example would be alternating between dumbbell lunges, overhead presses, bent over rows, step ups, and squat presses all with minimal rest between.
  10. bodyweight training – bodyweight squats, pushups, lunges, jumps, bear crawls, mountain climbers and jumpers, planks, and the list goes on and on.  Another example of great mind-body connection and much more metabolic type of training than treadmills and ellipticals.

Well, I hope this article helps give you ideas on how you can get away from all of these mindless and ineffective treadmill and elliptical trainer machines (and exercise bike) workouts that are just wasting your time and energy that could be better spent on more effective workouts.

If you want maximum results, it’s all about your intensity levels and also your mind-body connection… and that all important mind-body connection is usually missing when it comes to elliptical and treadmill workouts, that most people do while watching TV or reading.

5 Reasons that I Think Treadmill and Elliptical Machine Workouts are a Waste of Time Read More »

11 Portion-Control Tips to Take to the Table

by Lizzie Fuhr

Finding yourself in a serious food coma at the end of every meal gets old real quick. If you’ve struggled with overeating and portion control, it’s time to rethink old habits and redesign your relationship with meals. Take these these 11 straightforward tips to heart for guidance.

  1. Know your needs: When your diet doesn’t feel like a guessing game, you’re more likely to stick with the plan at meals. Check out this Mayo Clinic calorie calculator and RDA protein chart to learn your numbers and make educated decisions about what you’re eating.
  2. Measure things out: You can’t be exactly sure of what you’re eating unless you measure out portions properly. Instead of eyeballing everything, pick up some portion-control products so you can be precise.
  3. Never show up too hungry: When you arrive at a meal famished, you’re much more likely to overdo it. Enjoy quality snacks during the day to keep your hunger in check for meals.
  4. Cook one serving: Take temptation out of the picture by cooking single-size servings of your favorite foods. This way, you won’t have to struggle with saying no to the extras lurking in your fridge.
  5. Choose smaller plates: Serve your meal on a salad or a dessert plate. Studies have proven that using a smaller plate helps with weight loss and portion control.
  6. Sit down to eat: Turn off outside distractions, sit at the table, and focus on your food. You’ll be able to slow down, enjoy your meal, and feel more satisfied from what’s on your plate.
  7. Check in with your breath: Is your breathing quick and tense? Is your heart racing? Take three deep breaths before you even think about eating. Going into a meal with an anxious mind makes you more likely abandon portion-control plans.
  8. Cut your food: A study found that cutting up your food may help trick your brain into thinking there’s more on the plate, which can translate into eating less while still feeling satisfied.
  9. Leave the table: If you feel yourself eating too fast or unable to drop your fork, excuse yourself from the table, and step outside for some fresh air. You’ll come back with a refreshed perspective.
  10. Pack up leftovers: As soon as your meal is ready, serve yourself a portion and pack up the rest. When the leftovers aren’t out in the open, it’s easier to say no.
  11. Sip on tea: Once you’ve finished the serving you’ve set out for yourself, boil for some water for a hot cup of calming tea. Once you’ve had a few minutes to relax after your meal, chances are you won’t be hungry for seconds.

11 Portion-Control Tips to Take to the Table Read More »