Don’t just cut out foods that hurt your heart, eat foods that strengthen it. Dietician Keri Glassman shows Julie Chen some power foods for cardiac health.

Watch the video …..CLICK HERE

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Having your spouse/partner as part of your fitness lifestyle can take your own levels of fitness to a new level.

Imagine that you go to the gym and workout and are around 100% intensity.

Now imagine that you BOTH go to the gym and workout and are around 100% intensity and it carries over into other aspects of your life (sleeping, eating, etc).

It’s difficult when you are into working out and your spouse may not share the same levels of commitment or joys. Talk about frustrating too! You see beyond just you and her but to your daughter as well having parents around later in life that are healthy.

What’s worse is that your daughter may make the choice later to NOT to active even though you are very active. It’s easier if the whole family moves as a single unit.

I’ve seen several articles written on spousal support in the gym.

* some love it as it’s an extension of themselves * others don’t like it as they want to do it on their own

Obviously you are walking a delicate line. You want to get your spouse involved in fitness in some capacity. You also know she doesn’t like exercise in general (my mom was the same way).

The key is….

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Fact: There is no magic pill, special food or fat melting workout when it comes to fat loss and achieving the toned and sculpted body you desire.

There is one way to achieve permanent results; follow a complete and integrated fitness program that focuses on a change in body composition (body fat vs. lean muscle) rather than weight. It is lean muscle that plays the key role in any type of fitness program. Whether you’re interested in fat loss or muscle gain, lean muscle requires certain conditions in order to allow a positive change in body composition.

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What about the relationship between vegetarian diets and health–is there any evidence for better (or worse) health outcomes compared to omnivorous diets?

There is a substantial body of evidence supporting the belief that vegetarians in Western countries experience significantly less cancer, less heart disease, fewer strokes, and generally live longer than omnivores.

However, it is also true that people who choose a particular diet for health reasons will probably also look after their health in other ways. For example, they are less likely to smoke, to abuse alcohol and other drugs, and are more likely to exercise for health and general fitness.

It may be that these behaviors explain some of the health benefits associated with being vegetarian. However, this argument does not explain the entire health benefit. It seems increasingly likely that higher intake of beneficial dietary factors–available only in foods of plant origin–also plays an important part in explaining the better overall health of vegetarians.

Much research is still needed to determine the optimal diet for health and longevity (living to a ‘ripe old age’). Some nutritionists believe that a predominantly vegetarian diet, with low-moderate quantities of lean meat and moderate quantities of low- or reduced-fat dairy products will produce the best long-term health outcome.

However, it is still true that strict vegetarianism (particularly the lacto and lacto-ovo varieties) is associated with better health outcome than an omnivorous diet. Although the optimal dietary strategy for health and longevity has still not been determined, the emphasis today is on increasing intake of foods of plant origin–breads and cereals (preferably whole grain), vegetables (including legumes) and fruits.

If omnivores make this change at the expense of fatty meats, while continuing to eat moderate quantities of lean meat (including red meat) and fish, an overall increase in health will almost certainly result.

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Today, I just wanted to share with you my special muscle meal of the week, and it actually comes in the form of a salad.

I know the ladies will love this idea, but for all of you guys out there that think eating a salad makes you less of a man… Well, you haven’t tried the ultimate “salad on roids” yet!

Keep in mind that this salad is not low in calories. It’s not low in fat. It’s not low in carbs.

And guess what…that’s the whole point!

It’s not low in anything, but it sure as hell is HIGH in everything under the sun that’s good for your body… just about every vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and phytonutrient on the planet! And that means your body will receive all the nutrition it needs to maintain optimal hormonal balance, function at it’s highest capacity, keep your appetite satisfied for hours, and prevent any unwanted cravings.

Keep in mind that last point… when you fill your body with all of the nutrients it needs on a daily basis, you pretty much totally eliminate cravings! This happens because your body is satisfied and doesn’t need to crave any more food, because it has all of the nutrients it needs.

I’ve experienced this myself. Years ago, I used to crave sweets ALL THE TIME. But now that I eat the balanced diet that I do these days, I can’t say that I’ve had a craving in at least 5 years! No joke.

Alright, here’s the recipe:

The Ultimate Muscle Salad

* approx 1 cup spinach leaves
* approx 1 cup mixed leaf lettuce
* shredded carrots
* 1/2 of a ripe avocado, diced
* 2 hard boiled eggs, diced (preferrably organic, cage free)
* 3 Tbsp chopped pecans
* 1/4 cup dried cranberries
* top with homemade dressing made of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and Udo’s Choice Oil Blend (3/4 of total liquid should come from the vinegar)

Mix it all together and you’ve got one delicious and ridiculously nutritious salad. For an extra shot of antioxidants, wash it all down with some homemade iced green/white/oolong tea lightly sweetened with the natural sweetener Stevia or a little touch of raw honey.

Alright, now let’s look at the approx macronutrient breakdown:

Prot: 23 g., Carbs: 46 g., Fiber: 12 g., Fat: 45 g., Calories: 640

Now before you throw your arms up in disgust and call me crazy for recommending such a high fat, high calorie meal, keep in mind to scale back the portion sizes for your own caloric goal. The portions above are simply the portions that I use considering that my maintenance caloric intake is around 3000 calories/day. If your maintenance is 2000 calories/day, then scale back the portions accordingly.

Also, I don’t care about the high fat content of this meal… because every last gram of the fat in this meal is VERY healthy… from the pecans, the olive oil, the Udo’s oil, the fresh avocado… and yes, even the fat from the egg yolks is good for you!

All of this healthy fat makes it a very hunger-satisfying meal, causing you to eat less for the remainder of the day (that’s right… no cravings later that night!).

How about the carbs? Well, out of a total of 46 grams, you’ve got approx 12 grams of fiber. That’s a pretty good ratio. Also, the healthy fats and protein in this meal will slow down the carbohydrate digestion, giving you a healthy glycemic response and steady controlled blood sugar.

Alright, so you’re probably also wondering why there isn’t a larger amount of protein. After all, protein is all the rage with bodybuilders, right.

Well, actually 23 grams isn’t too shabby, especially considering 14 grams of that comes from the highly bioavailable protein from the hard boiled eggs. Also consider that this meal has a whole lot of healthy fats, which increases the utilization of your protein. This happens because your body does not need to use your protein for energy, and can instead use it for muscle building & maintenance, and all of the other various functions that amino acids are needed for in the body.

Overall, with this meal, you’ve got a great mix of healthy fats, good fibrous carbs, quality protein, and a huge diversity of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other trace nutrients.

If you enjoyed this idea today, feel free to fwd this link to your friends, family, and coworkers that might enjoy it.

If you liked this healthy lean-body meal idea, there are 84 other healthy and quick meal ideas in my popular Truth about Six Pack Abs Manual. If you don’t already have a copy, check out some of the Truth About Abs reader reviews right now.

I’ll be back in touch soon. In the meantime… train hard, eat smart, have fun, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com & Busy Man Fitness .com

I have seen ‘whey protein’ advertised in health food stores as the source of food protein with the highest nutritional value. Is this correct, and, if so, should I be eating it to ensure that I get enough protein???

The nutritional value of a food’s protein is determined by the mix of amino acids that it contains. Amino acids are the ‘building blocks’ of protein.

Only some amino acids are essential in the adult human diet - that is, they must be obtained from food because they cannot be manufactured in the body. So the nutritional value of protein in a food is determined by the quantities of the essential amino acids in that food.

Apart from human flesh (and there are ethical considerations that generally preclude obtaining protein from this particular source!), the food with the protein of highest nutritional value is usually taken to be the humble egg (although for infants, breast milk is probably the most appropriate ‘gold standard’).

Therefore, one way of rating a food as a protein source is to give the egg the maximum rating and to compare all other foods against this according to their levels of essential amino acids. Whey is the fluid that remains after the curd has formed (largely from the fat component of milk) in the process of cheesemaking. Whey contains not only protein, but also lactose (milk sugar).

The protein in whey (’lactalbumin’) is good quality protein and does make a useful protein supplement. However, it is not correct to state (as some practitioners of alternative nutrition do) that whey is the ‘best source of protein’; it is simply another good source.

Protein is derived from a huge range of everyday foods. Many of the foods that are good sources of protein (meat, fish, eggs, milk/milk products, cereal foods, vegetables such as beans and other legumes) are also major sources of other essential nutrients.

This means that it is better to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods rather than try to derive most of your protein needs from one source (eg from whey).

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Fitness Tip: Is it true that you should not eat protein and carbohydrate foods at the same time? - This belief dates back at least 100 years and its popularity was recently revived with various publications. In fact, the human digestive system is magnificently designed to cope with an ‘omnivorous’ diet.

That is, we have the enzymes and acidic conditions in our stomach to digest a huge range of foods, whether eaten individually or together. If we were to follow this advice, milk, yogurt, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and legumes would have to be taken off the menu. These foods are all good sources of both protein and carbohydrate which occur naturally together.

Following this advice would also mean that babies could not drink their mothers’ milk. Human breast milk is similar to cow’s milk (although specifically designed for human babies) as it also contains significant quantities of protein, carbohydrate and fat all of which are essential for growth and development.

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Fitness Tip: Eating Nothing But Fruit Before Midday - This is a misguided practice which takes little account of how the body, and the digestive processes, work. Overnight, the body’s blood glucose level drops because you are in a ‘fasting’ state.

The first meal (literally ‘breakfast’) should provide plenty of carbohydrate for energy. This is just as important for people who have sedentary jobs as it is for laborers, athletes, soldiers, or anyone else who is physically active.

Unless you are in a state of semi-starvation your brain has only one source of energy - glucose, and it is also the preferred fuel for active muscles. Unfortunately, most fruits are not very good sources of carbohydrate (they are much better sources of vitamins and fiber).

Cereal foods such as bread, muffins and breakfast cereals are much better sources of carbohydrate than fruit. A breakfast of cereal, milk, and toast, or muffins with fruit juice, will provide you with the carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals you need for that early morning ‘kickstart’.

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Fitness Tip: The Role Of Genetics In Weight Loss - Genetics play a part in a person’s metabolic rate and thyroid function which both impact on the body’s ability to burn fat efficiently. However, having overweight parents does not mean you are destined to a lifetime of obesity and disease.

This just means you have a little bit more work to do to train your body to burn fat more effectively. This means you can’t get away with cheat meals and skipping exercise as much as others can. It means you have to be more disciplined to get results.

At the end of the day, it comes down to making a conscious decision to adopt a health enhancing lifestyle, and you will soon enjoy the benefits.

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Fitness Tip: High Protein Diets Can Be Bad For Your Kidneys - A typical high protein diet, which is usually very high in saturated fats as well, causes you to lose weight by forcing your body into ketosis. When your body is in this state you lose a lot of water (causing dehydration) and you lose lean body mass (it breaks down your muscles, bones and organs).

This is a highly toxic state that is very bad for your kidneys and overall health. The main problem when it comes to kidney-related disorders is dehydration. A diet high in protein and saturated fats like Atkins is very dehydrating, and will eventually lead to disease and potentially death.

However, where you have a healthy balance of lean high quality protein, unprocessed carbohydrates and raw fats/oils, and drink plenty of pure water your kidney function will be enhanced and will have only positive effects on your health.

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