Fitness Book from Top Fitness Expert Covers Exercise, Nutrition & Diet

================================================================
Resource link mentioned at end of article is: EZ Veggie Meals (<- click to visit)
================================================================

One of the biggest areas of confusion when it comes to muscle toning (or building) and getting lean (for males or females) is the topic of dietary protein intake.

Quite often this discussion leads into the subject of “vegetarian” nutritional habits – and whether or not they are conducive to muscular enhancement and improving body composition…

Confrontation on the Playground?

Last week I felt like doing an outdoor workout – so off to our local playground I went, for a sweat-breaking, bodyweight training session (I do this about 2 times per week). I got right into a 25 minute chest/back/core workout.

At the end as I was stretching out and toweling off – one of the dads came over to ask about my workouts, what else I do, etc…. His wife also stepped over to chat, as well.

Then he asked… “With your kind of physique – you must eat a lot of protein, like red meat and chicken, right?”

I said, “Actually, most people would consider me a vegetarian. I don’t eat any red meat and I don’t remember the last time I ate chicken.”

He asked, “Well, don’t you need those meats to build and maintain muscle?”

I said, “No, but unfortunately – that’s what most people have been led to believe.”

His wife then turned to him and said “Ha! See, I told you!” (I had to chuckle at that point)

He asked “What foods do you eat to get enough protein in your diet?”

I rattled off a simple list:

“Various nuts, different types of beans, nut butters, peas… I also eat eggs on occasion, and fish – maybe once or twice a week. And then there’s the protein that comes from the grains I eat, and the organic skim milk I add to my espresso…”

He asked “And you get all the protein you need from those?”

I replied “Yes, see – even if we workout consistently – we don’t need as much protein as people generally believe… So, once that notion is clarified – It’s so much easier to embrace the concept and practice of moving toward a vegetarian approach to your nutrition…”

Then he started to get it… And his cool wife chimed in again.. “Thank you SO much for helping him understand this. We’ve gone back and forth on this for years…”

They then asked what a typical day of eating looks like for me – and I told them…

7am – mocha-espresso with 2 ounces organic skim milk

10:30am – natural peanut butter, a little regular butter, ground flax seeds, ground cinnamon on a piece of oat/nut bread – PLUS a fruit – PLUS a double strength green tea

1:30pm – another mocha-espresso with 2 ounces organic skim milk

2pm – chick peas and baby grape tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sea salt and black pepper – PLUS a medium organic banana

4pm – granola cereal with almond milk – PLUS a fruit – PLUS a double strength jasmine green tea

7:30pm – Peas and cheese on multi-grain wrap seasoned and quick-cooked in pan to melt cheese and brown the wrap – PLUS my famous Sinful Salad; chopped romaine lettuce, chopped apple and sliced strawberries – WITH my ‘secret’ home-made dressing

10pm – 2 ounces of chocolate – PLUS double strength red tea – PLUS fruit (cherries, blueberries, orange, etc… depends what’s in season – and what’s in the house

That’s just a one-day example. I have MANY variations of that. I never get bored and I NEVER feel hungry.

Stay tuned as I’ll surely be sharing some more of these “examples” in the future. And if getting into the “fitness vegetarian” thing is something of real interest to you – then you’ll want to check out one the top resources on the subject from vegetarian expert and author, K. Pauza at: EZ Veggie Meals <- click to visit
-

Your trainer forever…
Your trainer for life…

– Joey Atlas

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tags: vegetarian diet, vegetarian meal plans, vegetarian nutrition, vegetarian protein sources

Comment

An excerpt from ==> Healthy Fitness Recipes

Healthy Fitness Recipe for Summer-Time: Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad

Looking for a cool salad to fill you up this summer? Here’s a delicious recipe from my helpful partners over at Prograde Nutrition…

Super-Cool Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 tsp. lemon juice (or lime juice)

1 bag (10 oz.) or 1 head of torn/chopped romaine or green leaf lettuce (about 10 cups)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (my alternative is organic, free range chicken or turkey – or sometimes I just substitute chick peas/garbanzo beans for the poultry as I’m a ‘pseudo vegetarian’ of sorts…)

1 medium tomato, cut into wedges

1 small cucumber, sliced

1/4 of a medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, chopped

½ cup chopped Red Peppers

1/2 cup Light or Fat-free Italian Dressing (my alternative is Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sea salt, pepper, onion power and garlic powder)

¼ cup Romano or Parmesan Cheese

Quick and EZ Preparation Directions:

-

Hey, if you like that one they’ve got 196 more! Seriously, Prograde has a really cool 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes ebook for just $4.95! The same book in the bookstore would go for $25 easily… So get here now as I don’t know how much longer this special will be running for:

Check it out here ==> Healthy Fitness Recipes

Popularity: 12% [?]

Tags: avocado salad, fitness foods, fitness recipe, Healthy Recipe

Comment

I just traded articles with my good friend, trusted colleague and Nutrition Specialist Mike Geary.

I was going to wait a few days to Post this – but this one is so helpful – I couldn’t hold off. So, here it is…

It’s an article that sheds some amazing light on the issue of nutritional trans-fats – and how they affect your body fat.

======================================================

A Type of Trans Fat that Makes You Leaner and Healthier?

– by Mike Geary
– Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist & co-Author – ‘The Fat Burning Kitchen’

We all know that trans fats are horrible for your health right? But what if I told you that there is a specific type of trans fat that’s natural (not man-made) and actually helps you to lose fat faster and build lean muscle?

Well, check out the excerpt from my new program that I co-authored called “The Fat Burning Kitchen” >> http://tinyurl.com/FatLossKitchen below:

“…Not many people know this fact, but CLA is actually a natural form of trans fat, but it is FAR different than the artificial trans fats from hydrogenated oils that are so deadly and that you hear all of the negative information about. CLA is actually one of the only healthy trans fats in existence.

CLA is a natural form of healthy trans fat that occurs in the fat on the meat, and in the dairy from ruminant animals such as cattle, bison, deer, goats, sheep, kangaroo, etc. CLA in natural form has been shown to help in burning off abdominal fat and also maintaining or even building lean muscle.

Warning: do NOT use CLA supplements as they contain an artificially created form of CLA that is a different CLA isomer compared to the natural CLA isomer that’s found in meats and dairy from ruminant animals. The CLA isomer found in CLA supplements can have negative effects in the body and is more similar to an artificial trans fat. The only form of CLA is that going to benefit your health and help you to reduce body fat is the natural CLA isomers from grass-fed beef, bison, venison, etc or from grass-fed raw milk or cheeses.

Also, grass-fed meats and dairy contain 3-5x the CLA of grain fed meats, so avoid your typical grain-fed grocery store meats.

So that is the reason why I focused more on red meats such as grass-fed beef and bison during this 23-day cutting cycle instead of chicken, turkey, or fish — because the extra CLA can really help in accelerating fat loss and preserving lean muscle…”

There you have it… there actually IS such a thing as a healthy trans fat… bet you didn’t know that!

This was an excerpt from my brand new program I just co-authored with an extremely knowledgeable nutrition expert named Catherine Ebeling.

The program is called “The Fat Burning Kitchen”.

Because this is our launch week… you can grab the program for half price this week only. The price will double in a few days at the end of the week.

Also, I wanted to really knock your socks off with this program, so if you grab a copy this week, I even decided to throw in a special bonus section that gives you every single nitty gritty detail of how I just went from 10.2% bodyfat down to 6.9% bodyfat in only 23 days while I prepped for a photo shoot recently.

This is advanced stuff for when you might have an event such as a wedding or a beach vacation coming up and you need to knock off some significant bodyfat in only 3-4 weeks time frame. There’s nothing unhealthy here… but these techniques are definitely “amped up” from the norm.

When I say nitty gritty details… I’m talking everything, including specific spices, teas, nutrients, exactly what I ate, carb/protein/fat ratios and how I manipulated timing of nutrients to accelerate fat loss.

Seriously, we did the body comp tests and I went from 10.2% BF to 6.9% BF in only 23 days. I’ll be sharing the pics on my blog in a week or 2, when I get the finals back from the photographer.

You’ll find out all of those details of how I did this in the bonus chapter if you grab a copy this week.

check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/FatLossKitchen <<= Click Here

Get your copy today so you don’t miss out on the special offer.

Eat clean – Be Lean…

— Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
——————————————————————————————–

By all means please feel free to share this post with anyone you know who may benefit from this type of helpful info…

Stay tuned – as I have a bunch of other freebies I’ll be sending your way later this week.

Your trainer forever – your trainer for life,

— Joey Atlas

Popularity: 10% [?]

Tags: CLA, fat loss, trans-fats

Comment

________________________________________________________________________

FDA orders General Mills to stop cholesterol-lowering claims for Cheerios

- Credited to Stephen Barrett, M.D., Editor of Quackwatch.org

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered General Mills to stop making overly explicit disease-prevention claims for its Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal.

Because foods that contain dietary fiber can help lower cholesterol and may help prevent certain cancers as part of a healthful diet, food companies are permitted to make certain approved claims to that effect.

However, the FDA objected that the company went beyond what is legally permissible by suggesting that blood cholesterol was likely to be lowered 4% in 6 weeks by including Cheerios in a person’s diet.

[Becoat WC. Warning letter to Ken Powell, May 5, 2009]
FDA Orders General Mills to Stop ‘Cholesterol-lowering’ Claims for Cheerios Cereal

http://www.casewatch.org/fdawarning/prod/2009/cheerios.shtml

Popularity: 13% [?]

Tags: cheerios cholesterol lowering, lower cholesterol, whole grain cereal

Comment

——————————————————————————–

Fitness Foods # 3: Eight “B” Foods to Include In Your Weekly Meals Plans

As always – any food I suggest – is preferably of organic origin. And your meats are ideally grass fed, free range, etc…

1 – Banana

This is one of my all time favorites – and I eat one every day. Bananas are a great source of magnesium (good for your bones and heart health) – and they are loaded with potassium (about 400 milligrams in a medium one). This is good since we are supposed to get close to 5,000 milligrams of potassium per day. Remember, potassium helps regulate blood pressure, fights bone loss and reduces your risk of kidney stones.

2 – Brown Rice

The difference between white rice and brown rice is not the color. White rice is brown rice AFTER it has been processed and devalued. Unlike white rice, brown rice is a true whole grain – because it still has the bran and germ of the natural grain. So you get the true ‘whole grain’ benefits – and about 10 times as much body-benefiting potassium and phosphorus.

3 – Bran

Either as cold cereal or hot cereal – bran kicks butt (I love oat bran cooked in water for breakfast [11:30am] with a medium banana, and 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed).

What do you get? A very nice dose of fiber, magnesium – and some VERY good quality carbohydrates.

4 – Brussel(s) Sprouts

Just 4 of these natural powerhouses gives you about 240 micrograms of vitamin K – which is twice the measly amount the average person gets in a full day. And trust me – you NEED vitamin K.

5 – Beef (Eye of Round is good)

Red meat is not evil – unless you are eating half a pound every day…

A 3 ounce serving of high quality beef gives you a body toning and strengthening dose of protein – at only 160 calories.

What else do you get from ‘the beef’? Zinc and vitamin B6 – two more essential elements you need to function optimally

6 – Broccoli

Yes – its STILL good for you… – As one of the top ‘dark green vegetables’ – you want to find a way to get this on your dinner table a few times a week if you are interested in reducing your chances of getting cancer – just to name a few…

7 – Blueberries

..VERY high in antioxidants …boost your brain function …helps lower cholesterol …loaded with vitamin K …may help prevent osteoporosis …prevents hardening of the arteries …loaded with fiber …should I keep going?

8 – Barley

Pearl barley has the outer husk removed – so DON’T eat it. You want WHOLE GRAIN barley – which still has the valuable husk. We all know the benefits of true whole grains – so no need for me to rehash here. You can also try bulgar or buckwheat groats (kasha) – as they are also nutrient packed whole grains.

Please share this post with anyone else you know – who will benefit from it.

Got some comments or questions about this list? Or just want to say ‘thanks’ – then click the ‘Comment’ button down there on the left…

And stay tuned for more from…

Your trainer for life,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 31% [?]

Tags: easy diet meals, fitness nutrition, fitness recipe, healthy foods

Comment

______________________________________________________________

Fitness Foods # 2: Five “S” Foods to Include In Your Weekly Meal Plans

-
In Fitness Foods Issue # 1, which I sent out last week – I raised some controversy over the ‘Canola Oil’ issue.

I’ll say one last thing about it…

There are MANY readers of this newsletter. People from all over the world, from all levels of socio-economic groups – with various levels of financial means – at different stages of trying to change their lifestyle habits for the better.

While one reader may be at the peak of their health and fitness journey, simply striving for maintenance – another person may be simply trying to figure out how to cut down on high fat, highyl processed foods – as their first step in their journey to better fitness and a better life.

My mention of canola oil was not a recommendation to use it as your sole choice of fat in your daily diet – but rather it was to give various readers another occasional option to explore as they try to create their own ‘fitness lifestyle plan’.

As a professional in the field and a father of 3 growing children – I wouldn’t serve us anything that is going to kill us – nor would I tell you, my appreciated reader, to consume something that would kill you.

So I repeat – If, on a WEEKLY basis, you add 4 or 5 tablespoons of NON-GENETICALLY ENGINEERED, EXPELLER PRESSED, ORGANIC Canola Oil to your diet – this is a HUGE difference as compared to consuming 6 or 7 tablespoons of the “evil” version of canola oil.

When I sent out the quote from Dr Andrew Weil – those were his exact words on the subject of canola oil – excerpted from a longer Q&A type article. If you want to read it just search ‘Dr Weil canola oil’. He and I share a VERY similar opinion on this subject.

OK – enough of that – let’s get on to this week’s Fitness Foods Issue # 2

A reminder first – Always choose organic versions of any foods I suggest – if it is within your means.

1) Steel Cuts Oats

Talk about a cheap, tasty, nutrient packed breakfast? I eat Bob’s Red Mill, Organic, Whole grain steel cut oats. Just a 1/4 cup gives you a solid 7 grams of protein and a satisfying 5 grams of fiber – with only 24 grams of energy sustaining, net carbs. Add a pinch of stevia, a half teaspoon of cinnamon, a tablespoon of raisins – and you are ‘in the zone’, my friend.

Take it up a notch by adding a tablespoon of ground flax seeds – and you wont be hungry for about 4 or 5 hours.

2) Sardines

I eat these about twice a week for lunch. Loaded with Omega-3s – sardines are also a fantastic source of calcium (when eaten with bones, which I do) and vitamin D. Open a can (packed in water, not oil) – sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and black peper, and say hello to a hearty serving of body-toning, fat-burning protein.

Add a chopped cucumber with a little vinegar or lemon juice and you are ‘in the zone’…

3) Sweet Potatoes

The deep orange color of this great veggie should make it dead give away to its nutritional value. Truth be told – these orange beauties put the regular white spud to shame because they have more vitamin C, folate, calcium, manganese and beta-carotene than the white variety of potato. As a matter of fact, one sweet potato (with skin) has a booming 25,000 IU of beta-carotene.

4) Spinach

My good friend, Popeye (some of my friends think he’s my half brother) knew what he was doing whenever he squeezed open a can of spinach. As one of the ultimate dark green leafy veggies, spinach is loaded with vitamins A and K, a bit of folate – and a bunch of lutein. Lutein is associated with reduced risk of macular degeneration (the leading cause of impaired vision and blindness in people ago 65 and over). So, you wanna be strong and have good eye sight for the rest of your life? – then do like me and Popeye – and eat your spinach.

5) Strawberries

With these I would strongly urge you to go organic if you can. It is widely known that non-organic strawberries are farmed with relatively higher levels of chemical pesticides, herbicides, etc…

While organic strawberries may be a bit pricey – you can certainly make them ‘go further’ by mixing them with a bunch of other organic fruits – for a high fiber, nutrient packed, fruit salad dessert.

The nice thing about strawberries is that they contain powerful antioxidants, anthocyins, which as we all know – offer powerful health benefits for people of all ages. They also give you a nice dose of folate and vitamin C.

I hope you enjoyed Issue # 2 of Fitness Foods. Have a comment, question – or just want to say “Thanks!” – then click on the ‘comment’ link below – and let me know…

And don’t forget to print this out and add it to your shopping list.

And stay tuned for more of these coming your way.

Have any questions, thoughts – or just want to say “Thanks Joey!” ? – then just click on the ‘comment’ link below – and let me know…

Your trainer for life – your trainer forever,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 67% [?]

Tags: easy diet meals, fitness nutrition, fitness recipe, healthy foods

Comment

_____________________________________________________________

We got a ton of ‘thank you’ emails responding to the e-newsletter I
sent out yesterday – and as I anticipated we also got a few
screamers and shouters – asking me “Why are you recommending canola
oil – it’s a toxic chemical!!”

(for those of you who missed it – I’ve added it to the bottom of
this email) It’s actually the next blog post now…

Well, let’s put this to rest right now:

1 – I should have prefaced my recommendation of canola oil with my
very typical “always choose organic, non-gmo brands.” I usually
attach this to any food suggestion – but I left it off yesterday, in
haste… my mistake.

2 – Some of you are correct – most canola oil is of a genetically
engineered variety – that is NOT what I suggest to add to your
daily nutrition. As I mentioned in # 1 above – go for
expeller-pressed, non-gmo brands, such as Spectrum brand.

3 – I did not say to replace the best source of healthy fats -
which I always tell you is Extra-Virgin, Organic Olive Oil. My
suggestion is to simply add it to your diet as a ‘less-flavored’
option when cooking certain dishes.

4 – Dr’ Weil – yes, THE Dr. Weil – shares the same sentiments as I
do when it comes to canola oil…

Here is a statement right from the lips of the master of natural
health himself, Dr. Andrew Weil:

“I use canola oil in moderation, when I want a neutral-tasting oil,
but I always look for organic, expeller-pressed brands. The
lower-cost products sold in supermarkets have often been extracted
with chemical solvents or high-speed presses that generate heat.
Both methods alter the oil’s fatty acid chemistry in undesirable
ways. Furthermore, canola oil producers use a lot of pesticides on
their crops, and I suspect that residues find their way into the
finished product, so be sure to check labels.”

Did you see that – let me highlight it so we don’t miss it:

**I use canola oil in moderation, when I want a neutral-tasting
oil, but I always look for organic, expeller-pressed brands…**

That’s it for today…

Stay tuned for the next ‘Fitness Foods’ article.

Your trainer for life – your trainer forever,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 29% [?]

Tags: diet foods, fitness nutrition, fitness recipe, healthy food

Comment

_________________________________________________________________

Fitness Food List: 5 “C” Foods for a Fit, Strong, Lean & Healthy Body

-
1) Canola Oil

Cut down on butter, lard and other saturated fats with healthy vegetable oils that offer beneficial mono-unsaturated & poly-unsaturated fats. This is great for your skin and even better for your heart. (but do keep in mind we still need some small amounts of saturated fats for optimal health and function). Safflower oil is also a good choice in this regard. These are also good oils to cook with as they have a higher tolerance for heat as compared to olive oil (which is an amazing choice for salads, etc…)

Keep in mind – no matter which fat/oil you choose – its still 120 calories per tablespoon.

2) Cantaloupe

The light orange color is a dead give away that this delicious fruit is a good source of beta-carotene. It’s also a great source of vitamin C. I like my cantaloupe a little sweeter – so after I cut the whole melon into cubes – I sprinkle some stevia powder on it – and shake the sealed container for a nice little kick of natural, no-cal sweetness.

3) Carrots

Just half a cup give you 150% of your daily Vitamin A. What else is there to say? go organic when you you can – its worth it.

4) Cauliflower

A nice source of Vitamin C – and most likely a source of anti-cancer compounds. You can take this low carb veggie – cook it, then mash it – then sprinkle with sea salt, some black pepper – and a touch of olive oil or butter – and you’ll think you’re eating gourmet mashed potatoes – without all the heavy carbs. Yeah Baby!!

5) Chicken Breast

Start with free-range, cage free, organic – boneless, skinless breasts (if you can)…

Then dice it up…
Place in bowl…
Add 1 table spoon of canola oil (or olive oil)
Some sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika.

Mix it up with a fork – and then pan sear it in a heated pan until cooked.

I hope you enjoyed this list of Fitness Foods. Print it out and add it to your shopping list.

And stay tuned for more of these coming your way.

Your trainer for life – your trainer forever,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 29% [?]

Tags: diet foods, fitness nutrition, fitness recipe, healthy food

Comment

_______________________________________________________

Stevia Uprising: Natural, No-Cal Sweetener Stevia Kills Artificial Sweeteners

It was raining yesterday – so I did a 30 minute hill/run/stride treadmill workout before I did my Atlas Bodyweight Routine…

I’m not a TV watcher – but while on the treadmill – there are about 4 TVs going at the same time – so ill check ‘em out to see what the mainstream world is being “shown”…

On comes a short commercial about the artificial sweetener Splenda.

It was ridiculous – but as true as true can be. Here’s what they presented:

“It starts as sugar.”

“It tastes like sugar.”

“But it’s not sugar.”

My question is:

“What in the world happened between “Starts as sugar…. – …But it’s not sugar.”??

Well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or a chemical scientist in this case) to figure out how Splenda starts as sugar – and then magically its transformed into “not sugar”…

Truth is the artificial sweetener companies are shaking in their boots because Stevia, the natural, no-calorie herbal sweetener is positioned to kill off all chemical sweeteners. This is HUGE and its a massive boon to our long term health and fitness.

Stay tuned for more exciting and very important news on this topic.

Care to leave a comment or some info of your own – just click ‘comment’ below – and give it a go.

Your trainer,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 27% [?]

Tags: Artificial Sweeteners, Natural, No-Cal Sweetener, stevia

Comment

________________________________________________________________

Peanut Products Contaminated w/ Deadly Salmonella Bacteria

Want to help prevent this kind of stuff in the future? You can do it right here.

If we don’t ‘make noise’ – we will not be heard. It’s up to us, as concerned consumers to push for higher standards.

http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/foodsafetyact

Go to that link to…

Urge Your Representative in Congress to Cosponsor The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009

Here’s a small excerpt of what you’ll see on that page:

“Like you, I’m outraged about the latest food-poisoning outbreak caused by peanut products contaminated with deadly Salmonella bacteria. As the director of food safety here at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, I have seen a disturbing increase in the incidence of food-borne disease outbreaks.

This is the largest recall of its kind in our history. Close to 1,800 products are now implicated—and because of the long shelf life of many of these products, they may linger in unsuspecting Americans’ cupboards for many months.

More than 600 people have contracted serious infections after eating these tainted food products. More than 100 have been hospitalized. And eight families are grieving the senseless loss of a loved family member.

I need your help with three things to help us contain the current outbreak and to seize a historic opportunity in Washington to prevent these outbreaks in the future.”

Go there now – and put in your powerful ‘2cents’.

If fast, free, simple – and will only help us live better lives.

Your trainer,

Joey Atlas

Popularity: 23% [?]

Tags: Food Poisoning, Peanut Products Contaminated, Salmonella Bacteria

Comment