EAT MORE OFTEN - LOSE WEIGHT AND GAIN MUSCLE! (Don't Overeat At Any One Meal - Graze Throughout the Day)

Wasting Money on Vitamins?

Did you know? Orange and dark colored foods such as papaya (tops on the list), pink grapefruit, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, collard greens, kale, and spinach are several foods known to be excellent sources of beta carotene. And the research shows that carotenoids (family of "carotenes" of which beta carotene is only one of many) may play a role in preventing cancer. The best bet is to choose foods instead of popping pills because foods contain lots of other healthy "stuff"  (phytochemicals is what the scientists like to call them)  that combine with the carotenoids to help reduce disease formation. However, I don't know about you but it seems the older I get the busier I become. And sometimes even I just can't get the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables that I know I need to eat every day. So, If you can't eat at least five servings of these foods per day then a good insurance policy is to take a reputable vitamin/mineral/anti-oxidant designed for maximum absorption, making sure you take into account the competitive nature of many minerals.

It's a well-proven fact that eating too much food at one time is unhealthy. This can actually be measured by checking our "blood profile" before and after eating a big meal and measuring the results; increased LDL cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, lowered HDL, elevated triglycerides and more are the result of the simple act of overeating.

Most of America eats very little food throughout the day only to end it with a huge meal and then going to bed shortly after (does this sound like you?). Can you imagine the havoc you wreak on your body by eating this way every day for years on end? Is it any wonder now why we have some of the highest poor-nutrition induced disease rates in the world?

If you or someone you know (please show this to them) eats this way then I challenge you (them) to make a choice with all the facts laid out in front of you. Below you'll find one column with the symptoms and result of eating as I just described. The other column is the result of eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. After reading both my hope is that you will make the right and healthy choice not only for yourself, but for your family as well. Because the way you eat doesn't just affect you as an individual. Rather, it profoundly impacts many people, including your loved ones as well. How?

This is a very important consideration when you realize many minerals compete for absorption in the body. What do I mean by this? Most manufacturers throw together all kinds of minerals in a "kitchen-sink" fashion.  And guess what, for a lot of the minerals you're wasting your time taking them. I'll give you one example - calcium. Calcium is preferentially absorbed over other important and critically vital nutrients such as zinc and magnesium. On the other hand, taking calcium with copper is complimentary.

Well, we usually think about ourselves with "blinders on" so to speak, with only ourselves in the picture. We sometimes justify eating incorrectly by saying, "I'm going to die someday anyway, I may as well just enjoy myself by eating the kind of foods I like along the way." However, my challenge is to broaden our scope and view of those we actually impact by having this kind of attitude. Our families - will they be affected if we develop some disease because of the poor-nutrition we ate over the years...or maybe our early death? What kind of pain and suffering will they face? Broadening our view a little further, who do you think fuels the rise in our medical care costs that have been soaring many times over the average inflation rate? With the known cause and effect relationship between obesity (Over 55 of the American population is overweight or clinically obese), poor eating habits, and the highest cancer, heart disease, and diabetes rates in the world I think the answer is obvious.

Take a look at the label of your vitamin. If it has calcium along with zinc and magnesium then guess what, you're probably not absorbing either the zinc or magnesium all that well (if at all). Over time and if you're not taking in an adequate amount from food you will become deficient, especially for a small segment of the population that has a chronically hard time absorbing magnesium.

Did you know that low levels of magnesium have been linked to heart disease? So make sure you take these minerals I mentioned here at separate times of the day to ensure maximum absorption.

For a vitamin/mineral/anti-oxidant formulation with mineral ratios in perfect alignment and combination with each other to maximize absorption, click HERE.

SIMPLE ANSWER - LOSE FAT BY EATING THE LEAST PROCESSED FOODS!

In almost any other area besides our health as humans, we strive to pinpoint the causes of problems and fix them. Yet we don't do that for our spiraling disease rates! I see it so simply - Food is powerful medicine for our bodies - it can either protect, or harm us. And corporate America is not helping us because it's much more profitable for them to design drugs to combat these diseases than to recommend people change the destructive eating habits that are causing these diseases to form in the first place. But armed with knowledge we CAN make a difference in our lives and those of our loved ones. With that said here are the benefits and drawbacks of eating the "typical" way and the Healthy way. I hope YOU choose the right way for you.

Want to lose fat without exercising more? How would you like to eat more and lose fat? Simply choosing your foods with the thought "less processed" in mind will go a long way towards achieving the elusive goal of losing fat. . HOW? When choosing what food item to eat , choose the food that has been less processed by humans or manufacturing methods. For example, you would choose wild or brown over white rice (where more processing has removed the beneficial and healthful outer coating). Or Ezekiel 7-grain sprouted bread (available in most health food stores) vs. regular bread. Ezekiel bread is made from sprouted live grains that have not been stripped of nutrients by too much processing. (such as white or even most whole-wheat bread). More importantly (as far as fat-loss is concerned), these types of "less processed" foods have less calories than their brethren.

EATING TOO MUCH AT ONCE OR INFREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY

*Promotes fat storage - the body can only use a certain amount of food at one time for its needs...the excess is stored as fat         *Elevates Blood Sugar Levels - this leads to a rise in the bodies insulin output in an attempt to "clear and store" the sugar in the bloodstream. Insulin is a storage hormone and the typical storage place in this instance is your fat cells  *Metabolism is Reduced - 2 ways: One, by eating only once or twice per day the body's "feedback" mechanism detects a shortage in the available food supply. Consequently, one's metabolic rate (the rate at which one burns calories) is reduced in order to "last" to the next meal. Two, the body requires "energy" to digest meals. Eating only once or twice per day utilizes less energy than that required to support many smaller meals throughout the day.     *Promotes Lethargy - Every feel tired, un-energetic and sleepy an hour or two after eating?  You may have eaten too much or eaten the wrong types of foods (high in hidden sugars such as pasta, bread and macaroni & cheese to name a few, ie. highly processed foods). *Blood Lipid Profiles Negatively Altered - Promotes disease state.

Ideally, a steady diet of fresh or frozen vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, fruit, some dairy (if not lactose-intolerant) and lean cuts of beef, poultry, and fish is the way to go. The benefits of eating this way are many: Easier fat loss, fewer digestive problems, a lowered risk for heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and a reduced diet-induced rate of death.

However, notice I said ideally. There are many stages in between ideal and worst. And a lot of us may not be ready for the big "jump" to super healthy foods when we're used to a steady diet of sodas and fast-food vending machines. The point is by thinking a little differently (less processed), you can slowly start to make the transition between one side of the continuum to the other (and hopefully that transition is from the unhealthy to the healthy side).  Here are some examples so you can see what I'm actually talking about: Which one between the two would you choose: Quaker 100% Natural Granola or Quaker old-fashioned rolled oats? By looking at the label of each your choice should be obvious. Granola has added sugar, fat, artificial ingredients, and is more processed than rolled oats which is simply harvested-from-the-field oats that have been pressed, baked and then cut into the familiar form we've come to know. Just be careful what you add though as the healthy oats could turn into a not-so-healthy meal with the addition of sugars, either obvious or hidden in the form of honey, syrup, or other similarly man-made foods. Here's another for you: A bologna sandwich made with 2 slices of whole-wheat bread, 1 slice of cheese, and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. OR, a roast beef sandwich, 2 slices of bread, 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayo, plus 1 cup of 2% milk. Which one is better for you? Which one has more calories? Here's a key thought to help you...THINK LESS PROCESSED! So now, which sandwich is more "processed"? Well, bologna is nothing but processed meat, and cheese is processed dairy. And guess what? The difference in calories between the two is striking! The bologna sandwich has 36 grams of fat while the roast beef sandwich only 6! This is a 270 calorie differential! Will you think differently next time you prepare your children's (or your) meals for the day? I sincerely hope so.

EATING SMALLER MEALS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

*Increased fat burning - Because you're only feeding your body what it needs to reach the next meal. *Metabolic rate is increased - Because the body no longer detects a "famine" situation. This means you can eat more throughout the day. *Increased lean muscle tissue - because you're regularly feeding your body the nutrients it needs to support growth. *Ever Higher Fat Burning - The increased lean muscle on your body requires mor e calories to support it. This potentially causes more fat loss to occur. *Blood Sugar Levels Steadier- This eliminates lethargic "swings" typically experienced with rising/falling sugar levels and promotes greater energy levels throughout the day. *Lowers Total Cholesterol and Increases Good (HDL) cholesterol *Reduces Hunger Pangs *Lowers disease-formation risk *Increases Life Span

Here's a favorite recipe of mine that's simple, quick, easy to make, tastes great and is great for you! Mix together one serving of uncooked oats (the number of ounces depends upon your weight. For me at 215 lbs it's ¾ cups of dry oats) and 1 scoop of the AminoMatrix Vanilla protein powder in a cereal bowl. Add small amounts of water and stir until everything is mixed. Then add ½ sliced banana, 1 ring of canned pineapple (packed in its own juice, not the heavy syrup kind which has too much sugar), and ½ tablespoon of organic flax seed oil then dive on in eating it right out of the bowl.

I call this recipe "Hank's Anytime Oat Delight" because I don't just have it for breakfast. It's great anytime. It's sweet, tasty, and just flat out delicious...I love it! I eat it cold without cooking it at all. I recommend trying it this way first (better glycemic response), but if you must cook the oats then cook them in water first, then add the AminoMatrix, stirring until mixed. Then add the remaining ingredients. This recipe yields one serving that has 29 grams of protein, 60 grams of energizing carbs, 12 ½ grams of heart-healthy fats [25% protein, 51% carbs, 24% fat], tons of cancer-fighting fiber, and only 469 calories which for me, is just about the perfect amount to start off the day. Adjust the oats portion to reduce the calorie and carbohydrate amounts for your individual needs. For example, dropping to 1/3 cup of oats lowers the protein only slightly to 25 grams, the carbs down to 38 grams, fat to 10 grams, and the calories to 342 [29% protein, 44% carbs, 26% fat]. Either was it's a great start to your day, anytime you need a quick, easy meal, or your sweet tooth is begging you for attention. Enjoy!