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5 Reasons Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work (And 1 Reason It Does)

November 12, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

 

Is calorie counting really the perfect solution to weight loss? Well actually it’s one heck of a lot more complicated than it sounds…

calorie counting“To lose weight, all you have to do is eat fewer calories than you burn”. I don’t know about you, but I think that has got to be the #1 most-used weight loss tip of all time!

Have you noticed that everyone who drops this advice immediately thinks that they’re a weight loss expert? So much so that they’ll probably follow it up with something dismissive like: “it’s easy really”.

OK, so it does sound like the most perfect, common sense solution for your unwanted belly flab. No gimmicks, no fads, just straight to the point.

But have you noticed that the people who give this advice don’t really tend to follow it themselves. Or they try to, but fail miserably (in other words they’re not really in the best shape ;-) ).

Track down a nutritional expert, fitness model, or somebody that just takes good care of themselves and they’ll all tell you it’s a bit more complicated than just counting the number of calories you chomp down on a daily basis.

So before you start obsessing over food labels, carrying a calorie calculator and noting down every last crumb that passes your lips, here are the top 5 reasons why counting calories does not work:

#1 Not All Calories Were Born Equal

fruit salad vs candyDid you know that a “calorie” is just a unit of food energy – nothing more, nothing less. Which is great, except not all calories have the same effect on your body.

They do nothing to outline the amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and micronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) your food contains. And this is what determines how your body reacts to what you put in your mouth – i.e. whether it puts you into fat burning or fat storage mode.

Let’s suppose that a mixed fruit and nut salad contains 250 cals, and a candy bar contains the same amount. Do you think that both foods will have the same effect on you just because they have the same number of cals? Heck no!

What if you and a friend both decide to lose weight? You’re both of similar age, weight, sex etc and both exercise the same amount each week also. You decide to restrict yourself to 1800 cal per day and eat healthy, wholesome, unprocessed foods. Your friend, on the other hand, eats mostly convenience foods; fast foods, processed foods from packages etc, but still only consumes 1800 calories per day. Who do you think will lose weight faster, be in better shape and much healthier? You of course!

So, problem 1: Calorie counting tells you NOTHING about the nutritional value of the foods you eat, and NOTHING about how your body will react to what you’re eating (fat burning vs fat storage).

#2 Restricting Cals Too Far Causes You To Burn LESS Fat

lean muscle mass helps your body burn more caloriesOK, so the idea behind counting calories is to eat fewer calories than your body burns on a daily basis, right? If you burn more cals than you eat, then you have a calorie deficit. And this should cause you to lose weight, in theory.

So some bright spark figured out that the bigger the calorie deficit (burning more than you eat), the faster you’ll lose weight. Genius!! – NOT!

If you restrict your calorific intake too far then your body goes into a catabolic state. This means that your body starts to break down muscle tissue in order to produce the energy it SHOULD be getting from the calories you SHOULD be eating.

Well some people will say, “I don’t want big muscles anyway so I don’t really care”. But they should care, for 2 reasons:

#1 – Your body is burning MUSCLE, not fat. You might be losing weight, but you’ve just depleted glycogen stores in your body and lost muscle mass. You haven’t actually lost any FAT at all. (Think skinny people with a flabby belly.)

#2 – Lean muscle mass burns calories (approx 50 calories per day per pound of muscle). So if you’re losing muscle mass then you’re reducing the number of cals your body burns naturally every day. Meaning you need to reduce calorific intake even FURTHER to continue to lose weight. No fun!

Problem 2: Cutting calories too far means you burn less fat! And wait until you see problem 3…

#3 Restricting Calories Too Far Causes You To Store MORE Fat

WHAT!? Are you kidding me? I’m eating less food but storing MORE fat! How can this be?

If you restrict cals too far, over a period of time your body will go into starvation mode. It’s already having to break down its muscle mass to produce energy. And your body is built to survive. So every chance it gets to put a few extra calories back in reserve, it will do. And where does it put them?

Your fat stores!

Problem 3: Reducing calories too far puts your body into starvation mode, causing you to store MORE fat.

#4 Your Body Cannot Count Calories – So Neither Should You

Your body can't count caloriesYour body isn’t capable of keeping a running total of how many calories you eat on a daily basis. It can only work meal-by-meal.

So this means you can’t skip a meal and then make up for it at the next opportunity. For example, you can’t skip breakfast in order to eat a big lunch. Your body won’t say: “Hey that’s a big lunch, 800 calories. But it’s OK because I had nothing for breakfast.”

Instead your body will struggle like anything to process 800 calories worth of food; protein, fat and carbohydrates all in one go. More than likely there will be an almighty blood sugar spike, resulting in a strong insulin response. (Insulin tells your body to store excess blood sugar as fat).

And your body is probably already in a catabolic state/ starvation mode from the lack of a morning meal – resulting in even more fat storage.

So there you have it. Eating a large meal and then “making up for it” by skipping the next one, all based on your daily calorie intake, just makes you fatter.

Problem 4: Your body works meal-by-meal, not total number of calories consumed.

#5 Obsessive Compulsive

OK, so this is a fairly minor point. But do you really want to spend the rest of your life obsessing over how many calories you’re eating; pouring over food labels, too afraid to eat anything with fat in it, or anything that tastes good because it is “high calorie”? No, you don’t. And if you’ve ever tried it you will know that it is no fun. No fun at all!

Don’t get me wrong, the total number of calories you eat is important to an extent. But the kind of food you’re putting in your mouth, what it’s doing to your body, and when you’re putting it there is much more important.

And that is basically what this entire WEBSITE is about. Helping you make better food choices, lose weight, get a lean physique and improve your health.

Problem 5: Obsessively studying food labels and avoiding the foods that are supposedly “bad” for you takes the enjoyment out of eating.

With that in mind let’s look at a few tips to help you make calorie counting a success.

How Many Calories Should You Eat Anyway?

OK so I’ve shown you the main reasons why most people will never lose any weight by counting calories. But if you want to lose belly fat in a natural and healthy way, and keep it off, here is the proper way to do it:

tips for counting calories in a healthy wayTip #1 – Don’t obsess over the number of calories you eat. What you need to do is get a fairly good idea of the number of calories you require to maintain your current weight, the calorie deficit you need to lose weight at a safe pace, and the number of calories in the foods you eat.

Once you have this info, allow yourself to work to an 8-12% window. This will make up for any inaccuracies in the “daily caloric needs” calculation, and weights/ measurements of the foods you eat.

Tip #2 – Get your calories from the RIGHT sources. You’re looking for natural, unprocessed carbohydrates, fats and proteins, plus a good balance of vitamins and minerals. There are tons of suggestions on this site. Or check out The Fat Burning Kitchen for a complete food education.

Tip #3 – Exercise is key. But not just any exercise. There are specific exercises and training methods that you need to really transform your body. If you get this wrong, all of the calorie counting in the world won’t help you lose fat. And I DON’T mean that you need to spend hours in the gym sweating it out on the treadmill either.

To find out the right way to work out, count calories and make the best food choices check out one of the links below.

Reduce your calorie intake in a natural and healthy way with negative calorie foods.

Why post-workout nutrition is vital to successful weight loss.

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Post Workout Nutrition That Builds Lean Muscle

November 5, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

post workout nutrition to build lean musclePost workout nutrition and your ability to build lean muscle mass are vital for sustained fat loss. Find out why here…

It doesn’t matter whether you want to build a large, lean muscular frame with bulging six pack abs, or a tight, toned, svelte physique with a flat stomach. One attribute makes both goals possible – lean muscle mass.

 

Why Exercise And Lean Muscle Mass Are Important To
Losing Weight & Burning Fat

Obviously the way you train your muscles will be different depending on which goal you have in mind, but the overall rule is the same. Lean muscle increases RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), helping your body burn fat.

By the way, the best exercises are always the most functional result producing, body changing exercises, no matter how much weight you lift – this never changes.

The best exercises will put your body in fat burning turbo drive for up to 48 hours post workout. (Yep, burn fat even while you’re not at the gym or working out!) But a lot of this depends on getting your post workout nutrition just right.

I can’t stress this point enough. If you don’t get this right then you’ll never achieve the results your efforts deserve. Whether you’re trying to get big, or trying to get lean and toned.

What Happens To Your Body After Exercise

Now we could go into some HUGE scientific detail about what happens in your body after exercise, but for the purpose of this article, let’s keep things simple. But you can read a more scientific explanation in this free report (science even I could understand!): What to NEVER eat post workout.

After an intense workout your body enters a catabolic state. Basically this means that the gylcogen in your muscles has all be used up, and your body is starting to break down your muscle tissue as a source of energy.

But wait a minute, didn’t I just say that lean muscle mass was important? So we don’t want our bodies breaking it down do we? Heck no!

And this is where proper post workout nutrition comes in. We need to get our bodies out of this catabolic state and back into a fat burning, muscle building anabolic state as quickly as possible.

Time For A Friendly Insulin Spike

a friendly insulin spike shuttles nutrients to your muscles post workoutOK, so now we’re at the really important part, the actual nutrition stuff. What should we actually eat and drink post exercise?

Well if you’re a regular visitor to this site you’ll know that we’re always aiming to regulate our blood sugar levels with slowly digested carbs, slow release proteins and healthy fats.

But for the post-workout meal we’re looking for the opposite characteristics; quickly digested carbs and quick release proteins. Notice I didn’t mention fats, as they slow the absorption of carbs and protein.

The purpose here is to elicit an insulin spike, which will send the nutrients to your muscles as quickly as possible. By doing this you’ve reversed the catabolic state, and your body can now use the quick release carbs and proteins to replenish muscle glycogen and repair muscle tissue.

Also remember to rehydrate post workout, with a water based (or just water!) drink. This is a very important point, not to be forgotten!

What To Eat And Drink Post Exercise

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you need to chomp down a candy or chocolate bar post workout to spike your blood sugar levels. And I’m not saying that you should add a few spoonfuls of sugar to your protein powder either.

We’re still going to keep things natural, and we’re going to be getting our quick release carbs from healthy sources. We’re looking for natural foods towards the higher end of the glycemic index (GI). Here are a few good examples:

Banana

Watermelon

Mango

Pineapple

Raw, Organic Honey

Organic Maple Syrup

Good sources of quick release protein are natural, fat free/ low fat yogurt and milk. But I get the majority of my post-workout protein from a top quality whey protein isolate.

Now here is where things get a little complicated. Most of the commercial whey protein powders, soy protein powders and post workout formulas are full of junk and xenoestrogens that ruin your post workout nutrition, stunt muscle growth and sabotage fat loss.

What you need to look for is a natural source of whey isolate, from organically reared, grass fed cows. While I’m in the UK I go for Pulsin Natural Whey Protein. I’m fairly sure they only ship to the UK, but haven’t tested.

Fortunately for those not in the UK, I’ve also heard amazing things about Prograde (also the guys who wrote the report I mentioned earlier). These are the guys recommended by countless fitness enthusiasts and personal trainers.

Your Workout Is Important Too

I hope this article has shown you that post workout nutrition is vitally important if you want to be lean, no matter if you want to build huge muscles or a toned physique. But I also want you to know that the type of exercise you do is important. If you just spend hours every week on the treadmill or elliptical trainer then the advice in this article will do nothing for you.

But if you really want to learn how to workout for a lean physique then watch one of the videos below to make sure you’re not working out the wrong way, or eating the wrong kinds of foods. This will blow your mind!

Back to the fat burning foods homepage.

Have you heard about negative calorie foods and the negative calorie diet?

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Saturated Fat: Is It Really Bad For You?

October 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

 

What If Saturated Fats Are Actually Good For You?

saturated fatBefore I start I’d just like to say that this article covers a very controversial topic. Not because the science involved is flawed, or because I’m trying to push some new “miracle weight loss technique” on to you.

It’s “controversial” because what I’m going to show you goes against almost every article and news report brought to you by the mass media, and the misinformation generated by the billion dollar “health food” industry.

I’m going to go against what 99% of us believe to be indisputable FACT, what most of us have been taught to believe since BIRTH! And because of that, you might have a hard time taking everything in. All I ask is that you read this article with an open mind, OK?

 

 

Flawed Research and Profit Margins

Dr. Ancel KeysSo where has the misinformation about saturated fats come from? All the way back in the 1950′s would you believe!

In 1953 a gent named Ancel Keys published a paper called “Atherosclerosis, a Problem in Newer Public Health“. Keys’ paper claimed a “remarkable relationship” between fat intake and heart disease.

Keys studied six countries, and showed that those with the highest number of deaths from heart disease also ate the most fat, while the opposite was true for those countries that had the fewest number of deaths from heart disease. This became known as the diet-heart hypothesis.

At the time there were plenty of critics, such as Jacob Yerushalmy, who pointed out that there was diet and heart disease data available from 22 countries. In 1957 he wrote a paper that showed the diet-heart hypothesis disappeared if all 22 countries were studied.

Nevertheless, the American Heart Association (AHA), mass media and health food companies jumped all over Keys’ study. He became a minor scientific celebrity and evolved his work into the 1970′s “7-countries” study.

animal foods are high in saturated fatsIn this piece of work he posed that animal-fat consumption was closely liked to a risk of heart attack, and that total cholesterol was linked to heart disease. The overall conclusion was that the saturated fats in animal foods (NOT any other types of fat) raised cholesterol and caused heart disease.

Of course this study was flawed; 3 of the countries selected in the study did not support his conclusion. There was also no mention of stress, refined sugar consumption, smoking or exercise levels. But the mass media and health food industry jumped all over the new study.

Fast-forward to the present day, and billion-dollar health companies and food producers are still marketing their products based on these findings. Despite the fact that nobody has ever proven these findings to be true.

Do you think that billion-dollars advertising budgets have the power to influence public opinion? Absolutely. And that kind of money is pretty hard to argue with!

Proof That Saturated Fat Is Good For You

Is there any evidence to support the idea that saturated fats are not bad for you, or dare I say it, actually GOOD for you? Well yes there is, I’m glad you asked!

In the 1960′s, George Mann of the Vanderbilt University conducted a study on the Masai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania. He found that their diet consisted almost entirely of raw milk (unpasteurized), red meet and blood. This means that their diet was about 60% fat, half of which saturated.

Curiously he discovered that the tribe had very low body fat percentage, low levels of cholesterol and were virtually free of heart disease.

coconut oil and milk: healthy but high in saturated fatThere have also been studies on native pacific island inhabitants. Traditionally they have a very high saturated fat intake from the palm, coconuts and cocoa plant foods they consume. Again, heart disease was virtually non-existent.

There is also a low rate of heart disease in the Eskimo population that survives almost entirely on whale blubber, seal fat and organ meats and fish.

But what about the argument that these studies must have been conducted on people that are lucky enough to have “good genetics”?

British researchers, confused by the findings from Mann’s study of the Masai, actually challenged the “good genetics” theory and put it to the test. They followed a group of former Masai men in Nairobi, who had begun to consumer a more modern, westernized diet. And they found that their cholesterol levels and heart disease risk had gone through the roof.

This was also true of pacific islanders that had moved away from their native island and adopted a western diet.

It is starting to sound very much like the modern day diet, and our reliance on processed foods is the REAL cause of heart disease, but more on that in a bit…

Types Of Saturated Fats

There are more than 12 ‘types’ of saturated fats, with the most common being stearic acid, palmitic acid and lauric acid.

Stearic Acid – These days it is widely accepted and established that stearic acid has either no negative impact on heart disease risk, or is actually beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease.

In fact, part of the digestion process of stearic acid means that the liver breaks it down into something known as oleic acid. This is a monounsaturated fat that is abundant in olive oil. And we all know that olive oil is regarded as heart-healthy (think the traditional Mediterranean diet).

Stearic acid can be found in rich quantities in animal fats and cocoa.

palm oil is high in lauric acidLauric Acid – Did you know that lauric acid has been proven to significantly increase levels of the good HDL cholesterol? It has also been shown to improve your overall immune system.

Until recently I had no idea of this fact, but the healthy saturated fat – lauric acid is being studied for its ability to improve immune system functions in HIV/ AIDS patients.

Palm oil and organic coconut oil are the best sources of lauric acid.

Palmitic Acid – While palmitic acid has been shown to increase levels of the bad LDL cholesterol, it actually increases levels of good HDL cholesterol to the same extent, if not more.

If you increase the ratio of good vs bad cholesterol in your body, then this lowers the risk of heart disease. And as you can see, palmitic acid can help you do this, and is certainly not damaging your cholesterol ratio.

So if saturated fat isn’t bad for you, and is not a cause of heart disease, then what is?

The REAL Causes Of Heart Disease

So then, the health food industry continue to pump huge sums of money into making you believe that fatty foods and saturated fats are making you overweight, and increasing your risk of heart disease. But they haven’t actually been able to prove it, have they?

So what are the REAL causes of weight gain and increased risk of heart disease?

Smoking

Stress

Lack of exercise

Too much refined sugar & high fructose corn syrup (found in processed “low fat” foods)

Refined vegetable and cooking oils

Too many refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, low fiber cereals)

And here’s a big one….. Trans fats (artificial, hydrogenated oils)

The real cause of heart disease and other degenerative diseases is inflammation inside your body. All of the factors listed above can cause this inflammation, and are the real risk factors. Not saturated fats.

I hope this article has shown you the light as far as saturated fat is concerned. Please bear in mind that I’m not suggesting that it is OK to eat processed foods that contain tons of saturated fats. However, including sat fats from natural, organic sources is not harmful. In fact it can actually improve your health and help you to lose that stubborn belly fat!

If you are really interested in this topic then I highly recommend you check out the following articles: Men’s Health – What If Bad Fat Is Actually Good For You and The Truth About Saturated Fats by Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon.

Mary and Sally are both considered experts in their field, and boast the following achievements:

Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. is an expert of international renown in the field of lipid biochemistry. She has headed a number of studies on the content and effects of trans fatty acids in America and Israel, and has successfully challenged government assertions that dietary animal fat causes cancer and heart disease. Recent scientific and media attention on the possible adverse health effects of trans fatty acids has brought increased attention to her work. She is a licensed nutritionist, certified by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, a qualified expert witness, nutrition consultant to individuals, industry and state and federal governments, contributing editor to a number of scientific publications, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and President of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She is the author of over 60 technical papers and presentations, as well as a popular lecturer. Dr. Enig is currently working on the exploratory development of an adjunct therapy for AIDS using complete medium chain saturated fatty acids from whole foods. She is the mother of three healthy children brought up on whole foods including butter, cream, eggs and meat.

Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats (with Mary G. Enig, PhD), as well as of numerous articles on the subject of diet and health. She is President of the Weston A Price Foundation and founder of A Campaign for Real Milk. She is the mother of four healthy children raised on whole foods including butter, cream, eggs and meat.

Check out these excellent books on Saturated Fats & Healthy Eating co-authored by Mary and Sally:

 

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
   
 

 

Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats
   
 

 

Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol
   
 

 

You can also check out my article on healthy cooking oils – organic extra virgin coconut oil for an example of how to introduce saturated fats to your diet and learn about a healthier way to cook your food.

Back to the Fat Burning Foods home page.

Why not learn about negative calorie foods for another way to lose weight fast.

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Healthy Fast Food: Tips For Making Healthier Choices

August 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

 

Healthy fast foodIs there such a thing as healthy fast food? Well, maybe not. But there are times when it simply can’t be avoided. Maybe you’re out with friends and they drag you inside a burger joint. Or perhaps you’re on vacation, tired from too much travel and you can’t (be bothered to ;-) ) find anything else. Whatever the reason, you’ll need to know how to make healthier choices at the fast food counter.

Why Is Fast Food Bad For You?

To help us make healthy choices we need to understand why fast food sucks in the first place. Here’s a list of the main problems:

 

High in calories
High in sodium (salt)
High fat content
High sugar content
Lower quality, processed foods

Trans-Fats, The Wrong Kind Of Fat

As you guys probably already know, I’m not necessarily against foods with a high fat content. But I am against foods that are high in the wrong kinds of fats. And fast food is one of the “bad guys” because it is fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils – and these are packed with artificial trans fats.

french fries are high in trans-fatsIncidentally, did you know that eating as little as 1 gram of artificial trans-fats per day can have a deadly impact on your health?

Mike Geary, author of best-selling The Truth About Six Pack Abs says: “as little as 1 gram of artificial trans fat per day can have serious degenerative internal effects in your body such as inflammation, clogging and hardening of the arteries, heart disease, various forms of cancer…not to mention packing on the ab flab.”

And that is just 1 gram per day! Makes you think doesn’t it? The next time you visit a fast food place just check out the nutritional labels to see how many grams your meal contains. It’ll make you think twice about ordering the same meal again.

Empty Calories

You might also have noticed that I’m not anti high-calorie foods. Foods that contain natural, healthy fats are high in calories by their very nature. But what I am against is high calorie foods with little or no nutritional value (processed, fried, sugary, refined foods).

The most obvious example is soda. Sodas are full of high fructose corn syrup, a substance that causes you to pack on belly fat like nothing else. And don’t go thinking that diet soda is any better for you either! Check out my article Does Diet Soda Make You Fat? For more info.

Foods To Avoid

So now you know what is causing you harm, let’s look at the fast foods to avoid:

French fries

Breaded/ battered chicken and fish

Chicken nuggets

Hash browns

Potato wedges

Onion rings

All of the above are fried in hydrogenated oils, packed full of artificial trans-fats. Even if your burger joint says their food is free from trans-fats, they’re still using refined vegetable cooking oils that negatively affects your health and waistline.

avoid the soda fountain and its high fructose corn syrupHere are some more to avoid:

Soda

Diet soda

Ice cream sundaes

Milkshakes

Cookies, Pies, Donuts etc

I’m singling out the above because they are high in refined sugar, but some of them are also full of hydrogenated fats and other empty calories. If you’re serious about getting in shape then you must avoid them at all costs.

Finally, a few extras:

Extra cheese (highly processed junk, containing a low percentage of “real cheese” as we know it)

Sauce – BBQ, Tommy K (basically a mixture of artificial flavor, sugar and salt – yuck!)

Your Healthy Choices

As our society has become more aware of the dangers that processed and fast foods can do to us, there has been an introduction of some healthier options.

While many of them might not be the picture of organic and healthy foods we love, they are still the best option in an emergency.

The drinks:

Water (you don’t say!)

Iced or warm tea (unsweetened)

Herbal and fruit teas have added antioxidant power, but water is always good for hydration and creating a fat burning environment in your body.

Main meals:

Grilled chicken/ fish (not breaded or battered)

Salad

Egg & ham on an English muffin

Plain cheese burger

Fruit and nuts

Plain, unsweetened porridge

grilled chicken salad - one of the healthiest fast food choicesLike I’ve already said, none of the above are particularly healthy. But if fast food is the only option then they are by far your healthiest options.

The main point to take away from this article is that the deep-fried food and the sodas are the most health-damaging and flab-enhancing items on every menu. Once you learn a little bit about the damage these foods are doing to your body you’ll find burger joints much less appealing. I haven’t visited one in a little over a year now, and I’m more than happy about that fact!

If possible try to find a small deli that serves up fresh salads and sandwiches. Or head to a grocery store and hit the salad bar, or choose some fresh fruit. Remember that eating a balanced and healthy diet is as much a mindset as anything else. Once you’re in the right place mentally you’ll find avoiding fast food is easy!

If you want a fully comprehensive, scientifically designed nutritional program to help you lose belly fat and get in shape, check out The Fat Burning Kitchen.

Back to Fat Burning Foods home page.

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Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

August 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

organic extra virgin coconut oilIf you’re a regular reader, and even if you’re not, then you’ll probably hear me talking about the benefits of cooking with organic extra virgin coconut oil at some point.

Before we even get into the reasons why you should cook with it, let’s talk a bit about its general health benefits. Coconut oil is made up mostly of unique, healthy saturated fats, known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs for short).

MCTs are easily broken down into energy by your body, and they are good for the health of your heart and arteries.

The short and medium-chain fatty acids found in organic coconut oil are also vital for speeding up your body’s metabolism, aids a healthy thyroid (vital for metabolism and weight loss) and enzyme system, and removes digestive stress on the pancreas, leaving you more energy to burn body fat.

N.B. One of the MCTs found in tropical oils is Lauric acid. It is known to strengthen the immune system, and medical studies are being carried out to determine its effectiveness at controlling contagious disease.

organic coconut oil palmOK, I know it’s a lot to take in, but cast your mind back to the part where I said extra virgin, organic coconut oil is “made up mostly of unique, healthy saturated fats”. This statement is the key reason why it is the number #1 choice for use in cooking.

Saturated fats are actually the healthiest fats to cook with! Why? Because they are the most stable when exposed to heat/ light. Combine this with the fact that the saturated fats in coconut oil are mainly healthy MCTs, and you’re on to a winner.

On the other hand, processed polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable cooking oils, soybean, cottonseed, corn, grape seed, and sunflower oils) are highly reactive to heat and light, making them prone to oxidization. This inflammation is what makes polyunsaturated fats so unhealthy, causing heart disease, clogging arteries and causing degenerative disease such as diabetes.

Click here to read more about healthy vs unhealthy cooking oils

This is basically the complete opposite to what you’re used to hearing from the so-called “health industry”.

Choosing The Best Coconut Oil

Like I always say, organic, and in this case extra virgin, is best. Make sure you do not pick up any hydrogenated coconut oil by mistake.

I’ve done a lot of research on the web, and tried at least 15 brands of coconut oil myself, and I have to say Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, or Barlean’s if you live in the UK, are by far the best.

The texture, taste and aroma that these guys produce is second to none. And it looks as though the reviews on Amazon.com tend to agree with me too.

 
   
 

 

me and Barlean's

Me with Barlean's extra virgin, organic coconut oil

Seriously, if you’ve never cooked with coconut oil before, the aroma will blow you away! Especially if you throw in some spices!

I use it no matter what I’m cooking, using all techniques from baking, roasting, stir-fry, shallow-fry and sauté. Recently I wanted to lightly sauté some potatoes and decided to throw in some paprika. What can I say! By far the most amazing aroma I’ve ever experienced, at least as far as my cooking goes :-)

Why not try your own little combinations and let me know what works.

 

Discover the TRUTH About the Foods You’re Eating and why they’re making you STORE More Belly Flab

Check out my in-depth article on saturated fat for more information.

Return to the Fat Burning Foods home page.

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How To Find Fat Burning Foods On Vacation

July 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

 

vacation foods that burn fatStaying in control of your diet and nutritional program while you’re on holiday isn’t easy. Firstly there is the temptation to be naughty, and second it can be hard to find foods that burn fat when you’re in new and unfamiliar surroundings.

Let’s take a look at a few tips that will help you stay on track whenever you go away.

 

 

Unique Diet “Trick” That Eliminates Cravings For Junk Food

Go Grilled

grilled salmonJust because you’re on vacation, it doesn’t mean that your good habits should be left at home. Remember that your balanced nutritional program means eating well prepared, delicious foods.

With that in mind keep your eyes open for grilled meats and fish and stay away from fried foods.

If you’re visiting a coastal town or city the chances are that there will be an endless supply of fresh seafood. If you’re heading inland then it is more likely that red meat and poultry will dominate the menu.

Just remember to ask yourself the question, “would I cook a meal this way at home?”. If the answer is “no” then there is probably a better choice on that menu.

Go Local

seafood tapasIn my experience, the smaller local restaurants really pull out the stops to showcase their local produce. Most of them will deal with local producers and suppliers, meaning the majority of their food will be natural, fresh and flavorsome!

It also means that these places know how to treat their food. Flavors will be enhanced through the use of herbs, spices and traditional cooking methods.

On the other hand, large chains and fast food establishments are likely to source lower quality, mass-produced foods and prepare them in a manner that can be detrimental to your health. (Through the use of hydrogenated cooking oils and fats.)

Remember, if there is an ingredient that you know is bad for you then you can always ask the chef to leave that out of your meal. Or you can remove it from your plate once you are served.

Be Prepared

Whether you’re out on the road, on a day trip or laying on a beach somewhere you are going to get hungry at some point.

mixed nuts are a healthy and convenient snackBut when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings it can be hard to find a place to eat. And if you do, you’re only choice might be an ice cream stall and a greasy diner!

So you’ll need to have some healthy, fat burning snacks to hand!

When ever I go away I will always take a large bag of mixed nuts with me. (Make sure you check that you will be allowed to cross the border with any food you travel with).

I pack them with my towel and sun cream when I go to the beach, and with my camera when I go on a sightseeing trip!

Another great tip is to carry some fresh fruit. Fruit with a skin is just as convenient to carry as a bag of nuts. And if you are staying in a hotel that provides a decent breakfast spread then there will likely be enough fresh fruit to last you the day. Just take some with you!

I go for a banana, apples, oranges, kiwi… you get the picture.

Enjoy Yourself

healthy dessertRemember that you are on vacation to enjoy yourself. And life is too short not to enjoy the occasional treat!

I have a very sweet tooth, so when I go away I pay close attention to the dessert menu. If I see something that really looks irresistible then I’ll go for it! And so should you.

But don’t go thinking that you can get away with eating a dessert with every meal! Remember what refined sugar does to you; it leaves you feeling bloated, lethargic, sluggish, not to mention it puts your body into fat storage mode!

It really all comes down to being sensible and trusting your choices. If you’re following a balanced, healthy and fat burning nutritional program then you’ll know your limits, and you won’t be craving junk foods in the first place!

At the end of the day you can’t control how your food is prepared, or how it is sourced, so don’t stress about it! Vacations are a time to relax and recharge your batteries. And if you follow these tips you’ll come back just as lean as when you left!

Learn the Real Truth About the Foods that Make You Fat

Do you have any tips about staying healthy when you go away? Why not let us know by leaving a comment below…

 

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Fat Burning Foods Podcast

July 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

 

Fat Burning Foods PodcastI’m very pleased to announce that we have launched our very own Fat Burning Foods Podcast! Now you can download the very best foods that burn fat, negative calorie foods, weight loss recipes and nutritional tips direct to your iPod, iPhone, PC, iPad, mp3 player (well just about anything really!) and watch or listen on the go!

As if this wasn’t cool enough, the latest episode will always be delivered directly to you, so you’ll never miss out!

 

Our first episode has already been published, so why not get cracking right away!

subscribe in itunesClick here to Subscribe in iTunes

Subscribe via RSSClick here to Subscribe in Your Browser or RSS Aggregator

and here is the iTunes Fat Burning Foods Podcast page.

 

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New Fat Burning Omelette Recipe

July 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

 

Prep time: 5 mins max
Cooking time: 10-15 mins
Eating time: 10-15 mins
Healthy? You bet…

Fat Burning OmeletteNot that I have a thing for omelettes or anything, but I do have a really big thing for omelettes!

Free-range, organic, whole eggs are one of my favorite fat burning foods; delicious, filling, nutritional powerhouses and promote a fat burning hormonal response.

Not to mention the fact that they are extremely versatile, they go well with just about anything (even Tuna, I’m not kidding, just try it) and quick and easy to prepare.

This recipe is slightly different from the Fat Burning Breakfast Omelette because I’m going all veggie.

Whole eggs have a great amount of protein packed into them (whole eggs deliver a more balanced amino acid dose than the whites alone, which means the protein is easier to break down and use by your body), which means I’m not missing out on anything nutritionally.

Ingredients & Prep

chopped onion pepper and tomatoI’ve gone for fresh and organic veg: Tomatoes, red pepper and a small white onion. But you can try any number of combinations. I’ve even seen asparagus in an omelette!

I like to get the preparation done first, so chop up the veg and then prepare the omelette ‘mix’.

I use 3 whole eggs (free-range and organic as I’ve already mentioned), a little raw milk (unpasteurized and unhomogenized) to your taste depending on how firm or runny you’d like it, and season with pepper and a little rock salt.

Just a little note on salt. I try to stay clear of as many processed foods as I can, so my salt intake is pretty low. Adding rock or sea salt to your meals is completely safe and healthy as long as you use it sparingly. Oh, and the taste is a big positive too.

Cooking

Next, heat a little oil in a pan (I use organic, extra virgin coconut oil because it is amazingly healthy and the fats are very stable under high heat – i.e. they don’t turn into anything nasty!) and cook off the onions and peppers just to soften them up.

Finally add your omelette mix and the chopped tomatoes, spread the mix and veg out a bit and cook on a medium to low heat. You’re almost there!

TIP: I like to move the pan around on the heat to make sure it cooks evenly. If you find that the bottom is cooking but the top is too runny you can always finish it off under the grill.

Turn it out onto a plate et voila! You’re done.

Make It Your Own!

fat burning omelette with green tea

Served with a mug of green tea.

You can do just about anything you like with your omelette; add chilli powder, a little cooked chicken, some leafy greens… Go nuts! If it’s large enough you can even cut it in 2 and eat in 2 stages!

Just remember to make sure that any sides, and they oil you cook with go a long way to determining how healthy and fat burning the meal is.

If you fry it in an ocean of refined vegetable oil and serve with a large portion of chips, then your looking at a stomach bulging meal, rather than a slimming one.

Why not get in touch with your favorite omelette recipes, cooking tips and ingredients? We’d love to see your comments below!

Learn How To Tell the Fat Burning Foods from the
Gut Bulging Foods – Click Here

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Five Fat Burning Foods

July 15, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

 

Super Foods That Burn Fat Fast!

 

 

Oatmeal - Rolled OatsOatmeal – Think rolled oats and stay clear of the instant, sweetened variety. Rolled oats might be very plain in terms of flavour but you can add to the taste easily with fruit, nuts and some of the berries listed below. Steel rolled oats are even better for you but can be quite expensive.

The Science: Oatmeal is loaded with soluble fibre which causes a slow energy release. Because it releases energy slowly, your metabolism is running at a steady pace – perfect for fat loss. It also helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and flush out bad fatty acids. Oatmeal has also been proven to prevent heart disease and colon cancer. The perfect food to help you get a flat stomach!

Shop For: Steel rolled oats (if you can find and afford them) or regular rolled oats.

Avoid: Sweetened/ Instant oats.

Tip: Don’t add sugars and syrups, instead try honey, berries and nuts.

 

Raw nuts - AlmondsNuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia etc) – Yes, nuts are a fatty food, but this fatty food actually helps you burn body fat! So if you want to get rid of fat and lose inches on your stomach then you’ll want to incorporate nuts to your diet. Nuts are perfect as a side order for a larger meal, a light snack (ditch those chips and crisps) or for desert.

The Science: Although nuts are loaded with fat, this fat is healthy fat. Furthermore, nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein which are all vital for controlling blood sugar level and encouraging fat loss.
Nuts also maintain fat burning hormones, they fill you up quickly and keep you feeling full – suppressing your appetite.

Shop For: Aim for raw nuts or mixed nuts – Almonds, Walnuts and Macadamia nuts. Unsweetened peanut butter.

Avoid: Definitely steer clear of the dry roasted and salted variety.

Tip: By varying your nut intake you’ll get a good cocktail of vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Peanut butter is also an excellent substitute for margarine or butter for sandwiches but once again you must go for the natural, unsweetened variety if you’re going for fast abs.

 

Organic BerriesBerries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cranberries etc) – We’ve already mentioned that berries are a great way of sweetening your usually bland oatmeal, but that’s not all they are great for. You can also add them to your protein shake, salad, natural yogurt or a mixed bag of nuts for a fat busting snack.

The Science: Berries are a natural source of dietary fibre, which helps slow your carbohydrate absorption, controls blood sugar levels and prevents the insulin spikes that can cause your body to store fat. Berries are also packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of this with low calories – a real flab fighter!

Shop For: Fresh berries if possible, frozen berries are cost effective.
Avoid: Tinned berried with added sugar.

Tip: Try exotic berries such as the Goji, which boasts one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any food on the planet!

 

Grass fed beef, bison and gameRed Meat: That’s right, we’re talking beef, bison and game! Traditionally Beef is seen as a fatty meat. And it’s seen as a fat gaining food rather than a fat burning food. However, Beef that has been raised on grass and other natural foliage is actually much healthier than the grain reared meat you’ll find at your local grocery store. It has 30% less fat, but the fat content has the perfect ratio of essential fatty acids required for fat loss.

The Science: Beef raised on grass (a cow’s natural diet) is much higher in healthy omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and healthy fat than that brought up on an artificial diet of grains. Not to mention that grass fed beef is some of the highest quality protein available, vital for building muscle and burning fat.

Shop for: Organic, grass fed beef, bison and game from farms where the animals can graze on wild foliage and get much needed exercise!

Tip: Avoid grain fed, mass production animals. The protein in this meat is harder to digest, not to mention the higher ‘bad fat’ content.

 

Organic, free range, whole eggsWhole, organic, free range eggs: Most people are scared of eggs because they believe them to be high in fat and cholesterol. But the truth is, organic, free-range eggs have no affect on blood cholesterol (blame processed and refined fats for that). Furthermore, the essential fatty acids inside an eggs yolk are vital for fat burning.

The Science: Eggs contain iron, zinc, phosphorus, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid. But you’ll actually find that 90% of these nutrients are found in the yolk, so it’s important to eat whole eggs. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids. Also, the protein of whole eggs is easier to digest than egg whites alone, due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.

Shop for: Free range, organic, whole eggs.

Tip: Small farm shops are a great source of free-range eggs. Some of the “free range” eggs you find in the grocery store come from hens that are allowed out for about 10 minutes a day! Remember, the natural foods a free range hen eats basically decides the quality of the nutrients you’ll get from her eggs!

My Unique Diet “Trick” That Eliminates Cravings for Junk Food and Controls Your Appetite Automatically

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Negative Calorie Foods: What Are They?

July 11, 2010 By admin 6 Comments

 

Some people believe that negative calorie foods are nothing short of a miracle when it comes to weight loss tips, techniques, and calorie restriction. There is even a negative calorie diet dedicated to the idea. We’ll discuss this diet later on, but let’s focus on the foods to start with.

Negative calorie foodsSimply put, negative calorie foods cause us to burn more calories through digestion than the food actually contained in the first place. It sounds a little bit confusing doesn’t it? And we’ll discover the negative calorie diet a bit later. But first let’s take a look at a quick example:

1. Imagine your favorite candy bar; it contains 250 calories. In order for your body to digest the candy bar it only burns up 75 calories. So you are left with a net gain of 175 calories.

2. Now imagine eating a raw apple; this food contains roughly 55 calories. In order for your body to digest this food, it uses up 70 calories. This time you are left with a net loss of 15 calories.

1 “Weird Trick” For Beating Junk Food Cravings – Click Here

So it seems as though these negative calorie foods could be a great weapon in our battle to lose weight, right? Let’s find out more about them.

 

The Negative Calorie Effect

No food actually contains “negative calories”; the name comes from the negative calorie effect. This is what you can see taking place in example 2 above.

So what causes this effect? Well, all foods contain micronutrients (i.e. carbohydrates, protein, fat), vitamins and minerals. The number of calories contained within a food depends on the quantity and structure of these micronutrients.

Once you eat the food, the micronutrients stimulate our cells to produce enzymes that break down (digest) the nutrients. Negative calorie foods stimulate the production of so many enzymes, that not only are the calories in the food burned, but also extra calories from the body are used up too!

But don’t worry, this process is completely harmless. In fact it has positive health effects!

Calories From Natural Foods

Asparagus, just one of many negative calorie vegetablesI’m going to give you a sample list of these foods in a moment, but it might not come as a surprise to find that they are all natural, fresh and unprocessed foods.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that I am a great believer in natural and unprocessed foods; I think they are vital to losing weight, burning fat, building a lean physique and promoting a healthy immune system.

Click Here to Discover A Complete Nutritional Program that Fights Fat and Dominates Junk Food Cravings

One of the reasons for this is that all of the calories in unprocessed foods come from natural sources. That means that they are jam-packed with the nutrients you need to boost your metabolism and create a fat burning hormonal response in your body.

Free List Of Negative Calorie Foods

Negative Calorie Fruits:
Apples
Oranges
Strawberries
Raspberries
Mango
Tomato
Blueberries
Grapefruit and many more…

Negative Calorie Vegetables:
Asparagus
Broccoli
Hot Chilli
Spinach
Onion
Celery
Cabbage
Turnips and the list goes on…

Just look at all of the nutritional powerhouses in the free list of negative calorie foods above!

Negative Calorie Diet?

Is a negative calorie diet all you need to lose fat?If you are burning more calories than you are eating, it seems like an excellent opportunity for us to burn up our fat stores, right? Heck, there is even a negative calorie diet, or zero calorie diet on offer.

One word of warning though, it doesn’t matter how many negative calorie foods you eat, you’ll never shift your unwanted weight if your diet still includes too many processed, junk foods.

I believe that it is all about creating a balanced nutritional program, and negative calorie food certainly has its place. We’d be crazy not to use such a potent fat fighting weapon, right? But don’t go believing you can survive on these foods alone!

What do you think about negative calorie foods? Do they have a place in your diet, or is it just a bunch of hype? Why not leave a comment below and let me know what you really think.

Back to the Negative Calorie Foods and Fat Burning Foods home page.

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