Belly Fat's Bestie (Trans Fatty Acid)

Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) are a type of unsaturated fat which is not essential and does not promote good health. The basic science behind trans fats is that they are really bad for you.

Just about every country in the world has recommended massive reduction of trans fats from the human diet to trace amounts (which occur naturally).

What you have to watch out for, as someone who wants to get a flat stomach, is any packaged goods that contains "partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils", "hydrogenated vegetable oils" or "shortening. These are the major culprits which will feed your belly fat and make it more stubborn than ever.

Trans fats are thought to be extremely difficult or impossible to metabolize by the human body, which makes them a permanent threat to your success in losing belly fat and getting 6 pack abs. The only reason companies use partially hydrogenated oils is to increase their profits and you know they are not thinking about reducing your belly fat problem! On top of the belly fat problem, trans fats will also increase your LDL (bad cholesterol), give you hormone imbalances and have been strongly linked to heart disease.

I've always recommended to stay away from any "over-processed" foods and these are specifically the foods that contain trans fats which will make it extremely hard to get a flat stomach.

Don't get caught up in the fat "hoo-haa". Fat is an essential part of any human diet. The trick is to avoid the synthetically produced, over processed fats and go for the natural, pure fats that are not going to cause health problems and to eat them in moderation.

Image courtesy of http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2007-10-16-trans-fats300-72022076.jpg

Dandelion The Exotic "Secret Weapon" Against Stomach Fat

Now you might recall a post I did recently on the "magic silver bullet" for weight loss which basically suggested 4 things to combine to give you optimum fat loss results. Well, today I want to focus on one thing which I call a "secret weapon" against stubborn tummy fat because it simply isn't known very well among people who want to get a flat stomach fast.
Honestly though, there are tonnes of "secret weapons" out there which will help you lose fat but the only way to get really great results is to combine methods, giving you a additive fat-burning effect. The trouble many people have is finding "secret weapons" that work within their particular lifestyle.

So, anyway, this one is the infamous dandelion (leaf) tea. The reason I say infamous is simply because it sounds cool, but the reason I suggest dandelion tea is because it is a powerful fat loss aid which will, like many other teas, accelerate your basal metabolic rate, increase your fat metabolism, remove trans fatty acids (belly fat's best friend) and remove cholesterol build up which will leave you fitter, healthier and happier in both the short and long-term.

Dandelion contains a significant amount of vitamin A and potassium, as well as moderate amounts of vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc, and manganese. It can be used for it's loads of health benefits and even aids in reducing water retention.

I also think that dandelion tea tastes awesome. It's a great as a coffee replacement especially if you need to cut down on caffeine but still get a buzz in the morning. Try drinking up to 3-4 cups per day and watch the amazing benefits of dandelion leaf tea unfold as you get a flat stomach.

Image courtesy http://home.messiah.edu/~jp1301/images/Dandelion_sun.jpg

How To Get A Flat Stomach For Women - Without Sit Ups!

So most women want a flat stomach right?
Most women think that crunches and ab workouts will get them a flat stomach and I just want to make it clear that this is 100% false.
Crunches won't give you a flat belly!
What will help you to get a flat stomach?

1. Weight training
2. Including fat burning foods in your diet (such as cinnamon and cruciferous vegetables)
3. Excluding nasty fat-storing foods and hormonally messy ones (such as trans fats and refined carbohydrates)
4. Targeted, functional ab workouts - Read that carefully. NOT situps.

Heaps of women I come across have concerns about getting bulky if they do any weight training. Well, the good news is, you won't get bulky if you're using the right techniques.

The bad news is... What am I thinking, there is no bad news!

But, you will have to do some weight training if you want to get a flat stomach. Not only will it boost your metabolism, strengthen your bones, increase your heart stroke volume and decrease blood pressure but it will physically alter the composition of your body from fat storage to lean muscle mass storage - NOT bulky, masculine muscles.

Fat burning foods are easy to include in your regular eating. Try sprinkling cinnamon on your breakfast, eat loads of fruit and vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables which have a thermogenic fat-burning effect) and drink special types of teas to stimulate fat loss.

Excluding the nasty foods also becomes easy if you know which ones to eliminate and how you can replace them. Especially bad are the energy-rich, nutrient-poor white, refined, wheat-based products like pastas and breads.

Making sure you are working towards getting a flat stomach during your workout is also pivotal and I will explain that in greater detail in a future article as soon as possible.

Until then, work to your own accord on those 4 steps mentioned above to get a flat stomach and have sexy, flat, six pack abs.

Expert Fitness Advice - The #1 Difference

Now you may have read my post the other day on top 10 fitness tips which went through some of the best in the fitness industry and what their apparent #1 tip was.

Well, right now I want to summarize that into a #1 most important thing to do for fat loss and to lose stomach fat, get a flat stomach and 6 pack abs if that's your goal. This #1 difference is not only relevant to fitness goals but anything that you want to succeed in really.

So, what's the very most important thing that will more often than not be the defining factor in your success of failure to get a flat stomach?
Is it the exercises you do? The time of day you exercise or eat? The foods you eat? The equipment you have access to? Whether or not you have social support?
Now these things are all important, but the number 1 difference in fat loss is much simpler...

It might not be what you want to hear but it's commitment.
In all honesty, if someone is committed to a task like getting 6 pack abs for example, they will follow through no matter what it takes or what costs may be involved physically, emotionally or financially.

So why then do so many people fail with their health and fitness goals? It's because they lack commitment.
We have so many resources at our fingertips these days, especially with the internet allowing all sorts of information to be instantly transferred.

So for your sake, not mine, re-check your level of commitment to your goals. Are you sure about what you want? Have you got it written down? That's always a big test of someones certainty of their goals. If you're 100% sure about it then I guarantee you will get there.

Image courtesy http://www.slimdownfitness.com/resources/eva_photo%5B1%5D.jpg

Comparing Top Healthy Weight Loss Plans: Diet vs. Exercise

Today I have a post from an expert nutritionist friend of mine, John Phillip, on exercise and diet around weight loss (virtually the same methods apply to lose belly fat).Unlike a previous article on some un-savvy nutritionists, John really gets to the point here about healthy weight loss plans. Have a read:

 Comparing Top Healthy Weight Loss Plans: Diet vs. Exercise

Everyone has an opinion as to whether diet or exercise works best when trying to lose weight.  Which method will provide the best weight loss results, and more importantly, which will help in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes and cancer?

Both diet and exercise are important when considering a weight loss plan, and each regimen has important benefits when considering the war on obesity. More than 45 million Americans belong to a health club and yet obesity continues to rise at an alarming rate. How do you determine the best strategy to drop those excess pounds without disrupting your daily routine?

Important Benefits of Diet for Weight Loss and Health

Changing the quantity and type of food eaten is the single most important way to promote weight loss and improve overall health. To lose one pound of body fat, it’s necessary to burn an extra 3500 calories, either through physical exertion or reduction in calories eaten.

This can be done by jogging for a total of 7 hours over the course of a week or through substituting 3 sugary soft drinks each day with a no calorie alternative. The net effect will be the same, and most people find the dietary modification route much easier to tolerate. Diet trumps exercise as the quickest route to sustainable weight loss.

It’s important to look beyond weight loss, and consider the health implications of a reduced calorie diet. The food you eat has a direct impact on your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia. The nutrients in the foods we eat have either a positive or negative impact on our genes. Studies demonstrate that our genome is altered ever so slightly every time we eat, depending on our food choices at that meal.

Researchers have been able to map the negative genetic changes which we incur from a single meal of fried foods, refined carbohydrates and sweets. Our genes are dynamic and continually changing the risk factors which lead to serious disease. Proper diet is the most important factor in any healthy weight loss plan.

Compliment Diet with Exercise For Maximum Benefit

While diet may be the most efficient route to permanent weight loss, exercise is a necessary component to ignite your fat burning machine. Combined with a low calorie menu, exercise compliments diet to provide muscle tone, endurance and a positive mood.

Over 70 studies confirm the mood lifting effect of both cardio and resistance exercise performed for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week. Regular exercise is also important for reduction of heart disease risk as it builds the heart muscle, as well as prevention of diabetes due to improved regulation of insulin metabolism by the muscles.

A diet which emphasizes substitution of high calorie, unhealthy foods with low calorie, nutrient dense vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, nuts and seeds will alter the body’s metabolism and result in slow, sustainable weight loss. When compared to exercise, most people will find a dietary restriction plan easier to follow because small changes in food choice lead to quicker weight loss. The importance of both diet and exercise on overall health cannot be minimized, as both are clear winners in disease risk reduction, but the blue ribbon is awarded to healthy diet and calorie restriction in the weight loss battle.

Written by guest author, John Phillip.  Visit his blog to get heaps of great info on nutrition and health, including some free articles.

The "Magic Silver Bullet" To Kill Belly Fat

Now I have never been one for instant weight loss schemes or anything that claims you can get flat, sexy, 6 pack abs straight away. Realistically for most people, there is going to be some time in between now and your 6 pack. The truth about this is, however, that you can definitely fast-track the process using many of the tips and tricks I teach on this blog and other specialist methods.
If you're after a "magic silver bullet" to kill belly fat then listen up... The closest thing to this is going to be a combination effect. When you combine these three awesome tactics, you will literally explode your fat-burning potential and unleash your metabolism to do some "damage" on your belly fat.
Now listen closely when I say "combination effect". This specifically means that when you combine a few key things. That is to say, each method "works" but the silver bullet effect only works if all of these things are doing their part.
So what are these "magic" methods? Well I'll tell you:

1. Your food - 80% of losing belly fat is about your food. This statement might be over-playing a little but I need to highlight the huge negative impact that wrong food choices have and the massive positive impact that the right choices can make.
2. Your exercise - There's no such thing as "good" or "bad" exercise but what works best is an integrative approach of HIIT, full body strength sessions and targeted, functional abdominal work. Realistically, exercise every day (to some extent) is the best approach.
3. Your body - 100% of your success will come from your body's ability to burn the fat and feed the lean muscle mass. Your body must function well to lose belly fat and get abs. This means minimizing xenoestrogens and other toxins, balancing your progesterone hormones and removing harmful obstacles (such as parasites) from your body.

This is a rock-solid approach to creating a "magic silver bullet" to kill belly fat. With these three steps in harmony, nothing will stop you and you will have firm, flat abs in very little time.

Image courtesy http://people.rit.edu/andpph/photofile-c/bullet-rifle-22-1a.jpg

Health Food "Extremists" VS The Average Guy - Tips For Fat Loss

What I aim to answer here is this: Is there a justifiable benefit to being a health food "extremist" compared to the average guy? In terms of fat loss results and health benefits also.
When I say "extremist", I mean someone who practically lives in the health food store and lives off primarily raw foods, is either vegetarian or vegan and never strays off from a wholesome and healthy diet.
In contrast, the "average guy" is someone very similar to you in a lot of ways. Either male or female, this person tries to watch out for bad (fatty) foods but usually gives in to peer pressures when out with some friends with food and alcohol.

So, from my previous posts you may have already got the picture that fat loss is mostly about:

1. The nutritional content of your food
2. Avoiding toxic poisons and xenoestrogen build up
3. Doing the right types of exercise

The health food extremist might seem to have the upper hand here when it comes to nutrition and avoidance of unnatural substances and this is a pretty accurate assumption. People who are highly concentrated on health foods are often getting an awesome dose of necessary vitamins and minerals for fat loss and will often avoid toxic substances and thus the presence of xenoestrogens. In contrast, this person may be missing out on some key foods (eg. the vegetarian who lacks iron - a very simple example) and might have some health issues as a result.
The average guy by contrast, tries to listen to nutritional advice and has a somewhat "healthy" diet but it will usually contain some processed foods, alcohol and some trans fatty acid foods. He would struggle to remove belly fat and despite his best efforts is somewhat overweight and has health problems due to xenoestrogens and high cholesterol.

Here's the deal, the extremist is clearly in a better position to facilitate fat loss but the cost is a totally dedicated lifestyle, heaps of time and energy put into ensuring only the proper foods are consumed and some possible health side effects. Also the potential of this guy to change may be quite low so that even if he has some problems or stubborn fat, he might be unwilling or unmotivated to make the necessary change.
The average guy knows something is wrong in his diet and knows that he should be exercising. The problem is integrating the right foods in, getting the wrong foods out and only doing exciting, effective exercise which will help him lose fat. The average guy also has the upper hand in terms of his ability to change. He knows he doesn't have it all right and can make changes more easily.
So that's my take on it. Although there are massive benefits to healthy eating, eating raw foods and being conscious of what you eat, becoming an "extremist" about it will not necessarily help you lose belly fat. Not to mention the social implications for some people.
So as wise people have told me many times: "everything in moderation" is the best philosophy to adapt for an effective fat loss routine.

Image courtesy of http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/2007/03/29/7-tips-for-dealing-with-confrontation/