Eating fruits and vegetables can do some amazing things for your body: help stave off chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, keep your skin healthy and your brain sharp, and help you lose weight without your feeling hungry. But the sad fact is that three out of four people don’t get close to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is the minimum amount recommended by most health program.

If you count yourself among that majority, here are some tips to help you fit more of these nutritional powerhouses into your life!
•    Buy bags of pre-washed greens so you can make a salad in no time.
•    Keep blueberries, grapes in the freezer, and nibble on them while they’re still frozen.
•    Make an extra-large batch of vegetable soup. Freeze the leftovers in single-serving containers for easy, instant homemade lunches on busy days.
•    Keep the fruit in a basket — not only will you eat more but you’ll enjoy how it looks!
•    For a satisfying snack, spread some peanut butter on apple slices or a banana.
•    Take a half hour each week to cut up fresh fruits and veggies and store them in sealed containers. No one can resist a ready-to-eat fruit salad, and peppers, celery, and carrots are much more enticing when they are already washed and cut.
•    Visit your local farmers’ market. You’ll be amazed at the array of colorful, delicious produce you’ll find.

Make sure to eat at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day.

There have a buzz of weight loss programs these last few years, from the safe to the downright dangerous. Americans have spent $33 billion annually in the hope to attain the perfect health and perfect figure. Yet, the obesity has increased steadily over the years. Companies producing these products, in the meantime have enjoyed the profits from the overwhelming and never ending demands for new improved products promising quick weight loss schemes without exercise and a change in healthy lifestyle.

What exactly is Carb Rotation Diet? This diet is developed by Jayson Hunter, who is a registered dietitian and the Head of Research & Development for Prograde Nutrition.

He has developed various diet plans for men and women for the past 10 years and finally came up with the Carb Rotation Diet plan which is suitable for the majority of healthy individuals, even diabetics looking for a balanced diet. This diet focuses on consumption of lean meats, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich carbohydrates, good fats and lots of water.

This diet is to be followed for 30 days and weight loss up to 15 lbs (for the really overweight) can be observed after the end of the month safely and healthily. He stresses on being realistic in your goals and to allow yourself to fall off the wagon without having to give up completely. I have been doing a version of this program for the last 3 years, and it works!

The Carb Rotation Diet evolves around the principle of alternating between a high, low and no carbohydrate diet daily by eating carefully selected groups of foods which are highlighted by Hunter in his book.

The concept behind this alternating type of eating is this:
Many low carb and low fat diets are detrimental to our health because it deprived the body of essential nutrients and energy, making the body switch itself into self-preservation mode. Why? This is because the system in our body perceives itself as being starved and automatically lowers the metabolism to conserve energy. That is why a person on this type of diet is often lethargic and will not be able to stay on it for very long. However, the weight loss is drastic and evident and that is why this diet is popular even today. It is even bad for health as the kidneys have to work overtime to assimilate all that protein.

The principles in the program are as follows: (The Carb Rotation Diet has a 3-day cycle)
Day 1 is a high carb / protein & vegetables day
Day 2 is a low carb / protein & vegetables day
Day 3 is a no carb / all protein & vegetables day.
Day 4-Day 6 is a repeat of Day 1 to Day 3

This is to ensure that the body’s metabolism is burning efficiently all day.

Eat Whole Grain Carbohydrates
Choose only wholegrain versions of bread, pasta and cereals to control insulin levels as large amounts of insulin promote fat storage. Eat sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and stay away from the sauces. Eat brown or wild rice instead of white rice.

Eat Nutrient-Rich Vegetables
Limit starchy vegetables like corn to increase fiber intake. Fiber fills you up and promotes colon health. It also takes more energy to digest fibrous vegetables. The higher serving of vegetables you consume, the more weight loss you will achieve.

Consume Lean Protein
Learn to buy leaner cuts of beef and pork and choose white meats over dark meats for poultry. Seafood, including fatty fish like Salmon should be a regular part of the diet. Limit egg yolk but consume more egg whites daily. Select low or nonfat dairy products.

Consume Heart Friendly Fats
These are the polysatured & monosaturated fats. These fats protect the heart, cushion your organs and transport fat-soluble vitamins to your cells. Sources of good fats can be found in extra virgin olive oil, nuts, salmon and omega 3 supplements

Eat Frequently
We should target to eat 5-6 mini meals a day. Each meal should include a portion of carbs, proteins and vegetables and some fats.

Water
Drink 1 oz for every 2lbs of body weight. This will flush toxins out of your body, clear your skin and help you in your weight loss plan.

Exercise
Engage in strength training exercises for the whole body at least twice a week and add cardiovascular training for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week.

Personally and professionally for me, the whole concept of cycling your carbs makes sense providing you add exercise to the program to make the whole fat burning process effective.

I will leave you to decide if this program will work for you. If you try any new program, do it for at least 30 days to see the effects. Your body is the best indicator so listen to it.This program is a sound one which incorporates a variety of healthy food choices from all food groups. It won’t hurt to try it at least once.

[ Note: This article was written by my friend and fitness & nutrition author Jon Benson. I liked it and hope you will also. ]

Protein shakes are a dime a dozen. However a high-quality protein drink that is both homemade and nutritious is a rare find. Most protein drinks today have traveled the path of least resistance — cheap and potentially dangerous sweeteners, sugar alcohols (in order to bring down the supposed “carb count”), and protein sources that are often dubious…and accompanied with more outrageous claims than grams of the good stuff.

I use a simple, homemade, economic and super-healthy protein drink at least five times a week during my normal nutrition cycle and several times a day during peak training cycles where I need to be in top shape. My strategy for building this drink was simple:

1. Go hormone-free and organic with everything possible;
2. Go with plenty of healthy fats rather than cheap sugar substitutes to help control insulin and provide more satiety;
3. Think ‘raw’;
4. Make it delicious!

Below you will find this recipe, complete the the exact ingredients used. It takes less than five minutes to make and keeps me full for 2-3 hours. It is less than 1/3 the cost of an out-of-the-box MRP (Meal Replacement Product) and contains 1/10th the number of ingredients — and that’s a good thing. If you cannot pronounce it, it’s probably bad for you. And it tastes fantastic!

Mix the following into a high-quality blender:

1. One heaping scoop of Jay Robb’s Egg White Protein You will need to adjust this amount to your body weight. I use up to 1.5 grams times my body weight (max) and as low as 1 gram times my body weight when doing two shakes a day. For me this is between 20 and 35 grams of powder. Jay uses the best sources available, including hormone-free cattle and Stevia, a herbal sweetener, to make his excellent protein. There are no additional carbs to speak of and only the bare essentials ingredient-wise. Jay also makes a high-quality whey. I will often combine the whey and the egg white powders, using a bit over half a scoop each.

2. One raw egg (cage-free) Do not worry about cholesterol or getting food poisoning. These claims are mostly media hype. You need the high-quality protein and fats found in the egg. Most people try to go low-fat when making a protein shake. This is a mistake, as fats are crucial to the digestion of protein. As for contamination: Roll the egg on the counter. If it wobbles, you are safe to consume it. I’ve used this technique for ten years and I’ve yet to have one case of food poisoning consuming raw eggs. Oh, and it makes the protein drink taste better (believe it or not.)

3. Five grams of L-Glutamine Powdered L-Glutamine (I use Jarrow’s brand) is one of the healthiest things you can supplement your diet with. L-Glutamine has been shown to be one of the most powerful nutrients for both recovery and immunity enhancement. Bodybuilders will take up to 25 grams per day of L-Glutamine during hard training cycles; I do as well. It makes a tremendous difference in both performance and wellness. It is tasteless, too.

4. Five grams of Creatine Monohydrate If you want more strength and muscle fullness, good old creatine monohydrate (the non-fancy stuff; just monohydrate for me) works like you would not believe. Five grams per day is all you need. Like L-Glutamine, it is tasteless. I use Jarrow Brand.

5. Raw almonds I cannot say enough good stuff about almonds. Besides tasting great, they are loaded with essential fats and healthy fiber. Here is how I measure how much to use. This comes right out of my book “The Every Other Day Diet”.

Get it here:

The Every Other Day Diet The “Cheat To Beat” Diet Plan

You can find 15 other shake recipes and over 40 pages of recipes in my book that fit the bill of being tasty and fantastic fat-burning meals. Here is the trick: Divide your body weight by 10. That’s it. If you weigh 200 pounds as I do, that means 20 almonds. Simple, right? I created an entire measuring system for Every Other Day Diet’s SNAPP! System of eating that is this simple for everything: Calories (none to count), carbohydrates, fats, protein intake… even water!

6. Frozen berries (raspberries mixed with blueberries) Yes, fresh is better than frozen… but frozen makes the shake more frothy. Plus I buy organic berries and freeze them in containers. There is practically nothing lost in the process. How much? Simple: Divide your body weight by 5! In my case this is 40 berries, or about a handful. Once you count them out once or twice you never have to again.

7. Pumpkin seeds This was a great find: A super-healthy and tasty addition to my protein recipe, plus a nice bump in the fiber content. Measuring something as fine a seeds is a bit more challenging using my numeric system, so we keep it simple: Use your palm. Just pour the seeds into your palm. Make sure they are not forming a pyramid or overflowing. That’s the ideal amount.

8. 1 to 1.5 cups of pure water I use only 1 cup of water as I like my shake thick.

9. 1 cup of ice Adjust to taste and texture preference.

10. Stevia (to taste) I love Stevia. It is an herbal sweetener that does not cause an insulin spike like sugar or even sugar alcohols can, and does not have the health hazards of artificial sweeteners. I use a few packets as I like my shake nice and sweet.

There you have it: A mostly raw, protein-rich, health-fat, carb-friendly protein drink that will fill you up for hours, tastes great, and contains more raw nutrition than most people get in a week.

P.S. There’s an eye-opening weight loss video you need to see.

Watch it here: Weight Loss Video Watch

Eating Clean is not a new concept. Those involved in any way with health, fitness or nutrition, from fitness competitors to personal trainers to health-conscious individuals, have known about eating clean for years.

There is NO weight loss or fitness goal which you can be achieved without first cleaning up your diet.  Changing your diet is one of the biggest challenges when faced with improving ones health.  A majority of people are used to eating highly processed foods on a regular basis and breaking away from that can be difficult.  The good news is, it isn’t impossible and once you make it a habit to eat clean, it becomes a part of your life.

Eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “if man made it, don’t eat it.”

The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever!

A person that eats clean generally practices the following:
•    Eating 5 to 6 meals every 2 to 3 hours, to keep blood sugar level and prevent hunger.
•    Combining lean proteins and complex carbs at every meal.
•    Avoiding all over-processed and refined foods (sugar, white rice, and white flour).
•    Avoiding saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats.
•    Avoiding soda and other sugary juices and drinks.
•    Avoiding high-calorie, zero nutrient foods (i.e., junk food).
•    Eating proper portion sizes.
•    Drinking at least 8 cups of water every day.

Eating clean can be a major transition for a majority of people due to addictions to sugar, white bread, and fast food. It takes discipline in order to make eating clean a habit but it is possible and has so many long-term health benefits.
There are many health benefits to eating clean, including:
•    Fat loss
•    Weight loss
•    Increased energy
•    Clearer skin
•    Shinier hair
•    Better sleep
•    Increased mental well-being

Clean eating is not complicated, nor is it expensive. Oftentimes it is actually cheaper to buy clean eating foods than it is to buy prepackaged, processed foods. Although it is less expensive to eat clean and nutritious foods, it does require more time in the kitchen planning and cooking meals.

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean! [EAT CLEAN DIET CKBK]

The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health & Fitness [EAT CLEAN DIET FOR FAMILY & KI]

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Why is P90X so effective?

The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called “Muscle Confusion,” which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored! Whether you want to get lean, bulk up, or just plain get ripped, there’s an endless variety of ways to mix and match the routines to keep you motivated the full 90 days and beyond!

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Turbo Jam’s Chalene Johnson packs each workout with calorie-blasting kickboxing, body sculpting, and the hottest dance music. Last year over 1 million people chose Turbo Jam to get the body of their dreams… and now Turbo Jam has been supercharged so you can burn fat and calories to see results faster than ever! It’s fast. It’s fun. It works.

In a recent university study, some Turbo Jam participants burned over 1,000 calories an hour—that’s more than walking, strength training, Pilates, step aerobics, and even running! Plus, add Chalene’s Turbo Sculpting Gloves to supercharge your workout and activate 96% more muscle activity than with Turbo Jam alone!

The program for the busiest people! “10 Minute Trainer”

Think you don’t have time to work out? Think again! For over 20 years, Tony Horton has trained all types of clients from celebrities and CEO’s to full-time moms. And they all have the same excuse—not enough time. We all need to maximize every minute of our days. That’s why Tony developed 10-Minute Trainer®. No matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to squeeze in one of my 10-minute workouts . . . now there are no more excuses! With these breakthrough workouts and his easy-to-follow eating plan, you’ll lose weight, tone your body from head to toe, and have plenty of time left over for your day! Try it for yourself today . . .

The secret behind my 10-Minute Training system is my breakthrough Super Stacking Technique™ using resistance bands. Tony combines the most effective moves he knows into each 10-minute workout. Here’s how it works: instead of starting with your cardio, then working your different body parts one at a time like most long workouts, he stacks them, so you get your fat-burning cardio, total-body toning and sculpting, and abs workouts at the same time—in just 10 minutes, from start to finish! Not a second is wasted! It’s multitasking for your muscles!

Give yourself 10 minutes. You deserve it. And best of all, I bet when you’re done, you’ll want to do another 10-minute workout. And you know what that means . . . better, faster results!

Burn up to 60% of your body!

Get ready to burn fat and get lean with ChaLEAN Extreme®, Chalene Johnson’s new extreme workout system that transformed everyone in the test group with 3 simple words: MUSCLE BURNS FAT®. It’s a fact. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. You can burn up to 60% of your body fat in just 3 months and see visible results every 30 days—GUARANTEED!

The Secret is “Lean Phasing”
My proven circuit training technique shifts your fat-burning focus from cardio to resistance training. She will have you lifting heavy weights in 3 phases to ignite your metabolism and help you burn fat long after your workout—even while you sleep!

Get flat, Sexy Abs without ever doing a single crunch or sit-up!

Shaun T. you might not know it now, but used to be 50 pounds heavier. He lost the weight just by dancing and having fun with his Hip Hop Abs® program. That’s right, he got these flat, amazing abs without getting on the floor.

He can’t wait to share his fitness and diet secrets with you. Shaun will show you his “Tilt, Tuck & Tighten” technique for six-pack abs and burning the fat off your entire body! And don’t worry if you can’t dance, he will teach you his moves, step by step, and you’ll be ready to hit the clubs in your hot, new body in no time!

Reshape your body in just 6 weeks with Slim In 6!

Slim in 6 will literally reshape your body in 6 weeks using the science of Slim Training®. Slim Training combines cardio with light resistance moves to help you burn fat and sculpt a lean, sexy body—especially your abs, thighs, and buns. Thousands of people have lost up to 25 pounds in just 6 weeks with this breakthrough system, and you can, too!

Cutting calories too low will cause your body to think it’s starving, and it will hold on to the fat you’re trying so hard to lose. Working out longer will cut into your personal time and probably won’t help you drop those last few pounds anyway. Instead, try making these tweaks to your program.

1. Clean up your diet. Once you find a diet that works for you, stick to it. Researchers at Tufts University followed 160 people on four different weight loss plans and found that the type of diet participants were on didn’t matter as much as the participants’ willingness to stick to their diets. If you’ve been dieting for a while, you might have become a little lax with your food choices and portions, so tighten them up again. To lose those last pesky pounds, stick to unprocessed foods (the kind that don’t come in a box) and choose lean protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Keeping a food journal will help you track everything you eat and get your calories under control.
2. Cut out some carbs. A simple, short-term trick to losing weight is to cut back on carbs until you’re at your goal. Eat lean protein and vegetables at every meal and limit carbs to before and after your workouts, and you’ll probably see the scale shift rather quickly. Easy, low-carb meal ideas include egg-white omelettes with vegetables, Whey Protein Powder shakes made with water, salads with lean protein (chicken, tuna, or turkey), and grilled or broiled lean beef, poultry, or fish with vegetables.
3. Bump up the intensity of your workouts. No matter what workout program you’re doing, you will lose weight faster if you kick up the intensity. Jump higher, squat lower, and increase the weight you’re lifting to burn more calories, rev your metabolism, and stoke the fat-burning fire. Whether you’re working out to Slim in 6®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, P90X®, or any other Beachbody® fitness program, you’ll bust through a plateau by putting out more effort when you exercise.
4. Change your exercise routine. If you’ve already increased the intensity of your workout program and still find that your weight loss has slowed, it might be time to try something different. When you perform the same exercises over and over, your body becomes more efficient at them. As a result, you use less energy and burn fewer calories. By starting a new fitness routine, you’ll shock your muscles, reignite your metabolism, and get the scale moving again. Check out TeamBeachbody.com to find the workout that’ll take your weight loss to the next level.
5. Stand up. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that lean people spend 2 more hours per day on their feet than overweight people. Participants in the study who stood, paced, and fidgeted burned as many as 350 extra calories a day and were much leaner than those who didn’t move as much. Get up from your desk at work, talk on the phone while standing, and stay on your feet in waiting rooms—the simplest effort will yield an extra calorie burn that may help you shed those remaining pounds.
6. Eat a little less. When your body gets smaller, it requires fewer calories to function properly. A 165-pound woman who works out three to five times a week may require 2,300 calories per day to maintain her weight, but the same woman at 125 pounds may only need 2,000 calories for maintenance. Trying to lose additional pounds in your lighter body means cutting back a little more. You do not need to make radical changes, however; if you’re already increasing the intensity of your workouts and eating a clean, whole-foods diet, you could probably see the scale move with a modest 100-calorie reduction per day.
7. Zigzag your calories. Cycling your calories, also known as zigzagging, is the process of eating more on certain days and less on others. If you always eat 1,800 calories, try eating 1,500 calories one day and 2,000 the next. As long as you create a weekly deficit, you should see the pounds drop. Much like shocking your muscles into working harder by introducing new exercises, it’s possible to shock your metabolism by zigzagging your calories.
8. Drink more water. You may not realize how important water is for weight loss—it’s not just a tool to help you eat less. Being properly hydrated will balance your energy levels, which allows you to exercise with intensity. (Have you ever been so thirsty during a workout that you couldn’t perform as well as usual?) Drinking enough water may also increase your metabolism and promote muscle building—a well-hydrated body can more efficiently repair and build muscles. On the other hand, being dehydrated encourages muscle breakdown. So drink up, especially since you are exercising regularly.
9. Relax. Believe it or not, you may be trying too hard to lose weight. If your workouts are very intense and your diet is too strict, you could overtrain and burn out. Your mind and body will just not respond in the same way when they’re tired. Muscles need rest to repair and grow, and sometimes your brain needs a break from constant calorie counting and worrying about the last few pounds. Instead of becoming frustrated and diving into a box of cookies, try to relax and reduce the intensity for a little while. You may be surprised to find the scale moving again when you give your mind and body a rest.
10. Reevaluate your goal weight. First, congratulate yourself on getting to this point. Losing weight is not easy, and you’ve already accomplished a great deal—so enjoy your success. The next step is to ask yourself if the “magic” number on the scale is really the best weight for you. Perhaps you’ve lost fat and gained a lot of muscle; your new hard body might be healthier and happier with a few more pounds on it. Many people want to weigh the same as they did in high school or college. What if you’re much more fit and muscular now than you were in those days? You may realize that the number on the scale today is perfect for you.

By Whitney Provost:  TeamBeachBody.

[ Note: This article was written by my friend and fitness & nutrition author Jon Benson. I liked it and hope you will also. ]

Below are two videos. Watch them if you dare.

Then, by all means… take action.

Part 1

Part 2

Put an END to this! Grab the book below…

Holly Rigsby personal trainer and author of “Fit Yummy Mummy”, gives you a food label crash course. Food product manufactures use some pretty clever marketing. But they are no match for Holly and guest star, Tyler Rigsby, as they show you what to watch out for at the grocery store!
Key Point: Food products are not always what they seem and you need to be careful which ones you choose. For example, many peanut butters are loaded with hydrogenated oils and sugar. Some spaghetti sauces have more than 10 grams of sugar per small serving. “Healthy” low calorie dressings often include high fructose corn syrup. Even if it’s fat-free, it can still be high in calories because of all the sugar added. And those products that are sugar-free, are often jam-packed with hydrogenated fats. Take the time to check the labels and choose wisely.

If unable to watch video click here

More information on Holly Rigsby and her program, click here: Fit Mummy Yummy

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If you can not see video click here

During an exercise program, not much is as frustrating as when your results stop progressing. It happens to everyone at some point, but you can prevent it.

It’s part of the body’s natural process to hit a plateau, because the body is always trying to regulate itself. So your body’s regulated state is actually a plateau, which isn’t good if you’re trying to get results.

To avoid plateaus in an exercise program, you need to break habits from time to time. This is why most training programs are broken up into phases or blocks. The four training phases are called foundation, adaptive, growth, and recovery.

Foundation phase is to build base fitness.

Adaptive phase is when you learn to master the movements of your program.

Growth, or Mastery, phase is when you’ve mastered a workout’s schedule and then make accelerated progress.

Recovery phase is when you back off and recover from the stress of the previous phases.

A plateau can occur either when you stay in any one phase for too long or don’t push your body hard enough. But even though plateaus are a natural part of the process, it doesn’t mean we need to give in to them. Here are a few strategies to try when your progress curve begins to flatten:

Try these strategies the next time you’re facing an uphill battle with plateaus in your exercise routine.

Thanks to: Steve Edwards, Director of Results Team Beachbody for this great post.