Are you struggling to lose weight...

Are you struggling to lose weight...or have you put on some extra pounds lately?

Most people don't know that one of the most common causes of fat gain and slowed fat loss comes not JUST from our food, but also our environment.

The problem is a build-up of toxic substances. Unfortunately, in this day and age we are surrounded by harmful toxins. They come to us through food in the form of artificial colors, chemical preservatives, pesticides, insecticides, and more. They get to us through some of the plastic containers and coated cans that our food is sometimes packaged in. But we also absorb them through our lungs and skin from the air and the water around us. Even the body wash or shampoo you use could be a source of toxins entering your body.

Gluten

You may not realize this, but the dangers of gluten are secretly hiding in sauces, salad dressings, soups, seasoning blends, and the vast majority of packaged foods (even if you think they're gluten-free)... not to mention all your favorites like bread, pasta, cereals, and desserts.  Even worse, gluten is virtually impossible to escape when dining out, even when ordering from gluten-free menus as cross-contamination runs rampant in most restaurant kitchens.

So why is gluten such a problem that you MUST avoid?  You see, gluten is extremely difficult for most people to properly digest, leading to digestive issues like gas, bloating and overall discomfort.  And even if you don't "feel" the side effects of gluten, rest assured it's still causing "silent damage" to your gut and immune system.  When ingested, gluten acts like shards of glass cutting into the intestinal wall, causing inflammation and compromising your immune system, overall health, and can even be the cause of slowed or completely stalled fatloss.

Belly Fat

This one hormone has a lot to do with your bellyfat.

"Ugh, I think my hormones are all messed up!" That's the statement I heard from my sister not too long ago.

After I asked her a few questions about what was going on, I proceeded to explain to her that there are no "bad" hormones. They are all there for a good reason.

Problems arise when your hormones get unbalanced, and bad things happen in your body.

There's one particular hormone that's directly responsible for adding unwanted fat around your middle. It's called cortisol and this was my sister's biggest problem.

Your body releases cortisol when you're under stress. It's part of the whole "fight or flight" response. It worked great for our caveman ancestors when they were being chased by a lion. But it isn't so great for us now...

You see, many of us are walking around with high cortisol levels all the time.

It happens thanks to everyday stressors, like a fight with your spouse or a rough day at work.

Even strenuous exercise like jogging can raise your cortisol to sky-high levels.

And these increased cortisol levels could be making you fat.

The kind of fat you're most likely to store from elevated cortisol is called visceral fat - the dangerous bellyfat that's linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.

4 High Fiber Healthy Foods that Pack on the Pounds.

Did you know that one of the major contributors to a SLOW metabolism is the overconsumption of whole grains, even foods praised as being "high in fiber" such as:
 
1. 100% Whole Wheat Bread
2. Whole Grain Pasta
3. Bran flakes and other Wheat-based “Fiber” Cereals, and…
4. Whole Wheat Tortillas and Wraps
 
Despite having more fiber than their “white” counterparts, these 4 high-fiber foods destroy your blood sugar and give rapid rise to the fat-storing hormone insulin.  In fact, believe it or not, two slices of whole wheat bread raise blood sugar far higher than a can of sugar-sweetened soda or even a sugary candy bar.  This is because the wheat of today is nothing like the wheat of generations ago, having been genetically modified by the food industry, mutated, and exposed to the likes of industrial toxins and radiation to force an unnatural higher yield at the expense of your health.
 
These harmful wheat products, although praised by food manufacturers as healthy for their fiber and “whole grain” content, are a major cause of the raging obesity epidemic in western society today.  Even more, because they are so rapidly digested, these foods provide virtually no metabolic benefit during digestion, resulting in less than optimal metabolic rates, and ever-expanding bellies world-wide.
 
On the other hand, protein is much more metabolically complex, boosting metabolism and burning up to 30% of the calories you eat just during the digestion process, not to mention the fat-burning hormonal benefits of eating less wheat and more protein.  Simply put, by swapping out toxic wheat for fat-burning protein starting today, you’ll do wonders for your metabolism and your waistline to boot… highly recommended.

5 Essential Supplements You Should Be Taking Daily

We all want it: more energy and better health. And we know how to get it: a balanced diet.

But let’s face it. Most of us don’t eat right every day.

Even when we’re not eating all that “bad,” balanced nutrients are often in short supply. Experts agree that when we compare recommended nutrient intakes to what actually gets consumed, there’s a huge gap. Most adults are falling short on their vitamins and minerals. Over time, even small discrepancies can compound into bigger problems, so the right daily intake is important.

There’s a way to bridge that gap. Get these five essential nutrients, and you’re on the right path to feeling your best.

1. Vitamins

A reliable component of good health, multivitamins help fill in the gaps you might not be getting with nutrition alone. Choose one that includes these: vitamin A for eye health, a healthy immune system, and cell growth; vitamin C to help tissue and bone growth and repair; vitamin D3 for bone health; and vitamin E for strong immunity and healthy skin and eyes. B vitamins should be in there, too, to support the health of red blood cells nerves, the heart, and the brain.

2. Minerals

Minerals help your body perform essential functions, like building strong bones and teeth, supporting the blood and glucose levels, cellular energy — the list goes on. A good multi will include minerals for you. Look for things like iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, calcium and manganese.

3. Omega 3s

Your body needs a balance of essential fatty acids, essential meaning that you have to ingest it because you don’t just manufacture it on your own. The problem is, most of us get plenty of omega 6 fatty acids from meat and dairy, but it’s the omega 3s — the primary components of cell membranes — that are most commonly lacking. So get at least a weekly serving of cold-water fish, and supplement with a good omega-3 or something like Krill Oil as well. This will do good things for your bones, your skin, your brain, your heart, your joints, and even your moods.

4. Antioxidants

Antioxidants are the body’s natural defense against harmful free radicals. They scavenge them and get rid of them before they can damage your cells. There are great natural sources of antioxidants — most fresh fruits, vegetables and teas have them — and you can always supplement them as well. Find sources like green tea, mangosteen, curcumin, or acai berry.

5. Co-Q10

Cellular energy, cardiovascular health, and longevity have all been linked to taking co-enzyme Q10. This vitamin-like substance, present in every cell in the body, is required for energy production in the mitochondria of the cells. It is literally the fuel for most metabolic processes. Co-Q10 especially contributes to the health of the heart, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. It also supports already-normal-range blood pressure levels.

Can your body function without all of these fab five every day? Of course it can. But here’s the thing. By the time you feel like something’s out of whack, you’ve been at a deficit at the cellular level for a while. So why risk it? Eat the best you can, and supplement to make sure you’re not leaving any gaps.

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie Meal Replacement Shake

2 scoops vanilla SmartMeal

2 heaping T plain or vanilla yogurt

8 oz. orange juice

1 cup ice

Crash dieting?

Something you may have done a lot of:  Dieting.  Particularly in the form of "crash dieting" where calories are restricted for extended perdiods of time.

Both crash dieting and chronic dieting can and will wreak havoc on your metabolic rate, as is clearly demonstrated in numerous studies published in the prestigious research journal Metaoblism.

For example, in a study conducted at Rockefeller University by world-renowned obesity researcher Dr. Rudolph Leibel, the metabolisms of individuals who had lost weight via long-term chronic dieting and/or various "crash dieting" techniques were compared to those of individuals who have typically maintained a normal weight.

As expected, the metabolisms of those in the the "dieter" group were 25% lower than those who had not gained or lost significant weight in the past.  Even more, the dieter group had accrued so much damage to their metabolism over the years that their now battered metabolic rates were slower than those of normal-weight indidividuals two-thirds their size!

Other studies show significantly decreased levels of important metabolic, fat-burning hormones with crash dieting, such as theMetabolism study performed by Dr. Campbell at the University of Vienna in which thyroid levels dropped by a whopping 38% after just 2 weeks of consuming a very low calorie diet.

And yet another Metabolism study conducted by Dr. Gloria Dubuc and the nutrition research team at the University of California - Davis, showed a 50% reduction in the body's #1 metabolic hormone after just 7 days of following a severely reduced calorie diet.