Are Oats The Secret To Flat Abs?

Looking to flatten your midsection? If so, you may need to look no further than your pantry each morning. One of the best six pack ab foods that too often goes missed in many people’s diets is oatmeal.

Now, I’m not talking about the ‘Peaches N’ Cream’ or ‘Apple Cinnamon’ oats you see on your grocery’s shelves, all subdivided into ready-to-eat packets for your convenience.

I’m talking about good old-fashioned steel cut oats.  Oats that take longer to prepare and don’t come with any ingredients other than, well… oats.  Pure. Simple. Nutritious.  This is what real oatmeal has to offer.

Most people don’t realize just how powerful of a food oatmeal is when it comes to getting flat abs, so let’s walk you through the benefits.

Low Sugar

First, as long as you do go ahead and purchase the plain oats as just mentioned and not the flavored varieties, you can expect to receive a very low sugar option that’ll keep your blood glucose levels stable.

As anyone who’s serious about getting flat abs knows, keeping your sugar intake under control is step one for success.

Oats help you achieve this.

While being low in sugar, they’re also carbohydrate rich, so this means they work perfectly for the post workout period.  They’ll quickly replenish lost energy, helping you recover from that hard workout session.

High Volume

Next, another big benefit to oatmeal is that it’s a high volume food, meaning you can eat a larger volume of it without worrying about weight gain.  This is ideal since most people who are dieting often feel like they’re living off very little food.  They look at their dinner plate and just wish they could eat more. Doesn’t matter what the food is in most cases, they just want more food.

Oatmeal again comes to the rescue here.  Per 100 calories of oatmeal, you will get more total food volume than if you had eaten say rice or another grain.

This means you won’t feel like you’re dieting, even though you are.

Rich In Fiber

The next big benefit to eating oatmeal is that it’s also rich in dietary fiber.  This is important because not only will it help to keep your digestive system healthier, but it also ranks low on the GI scale because of this benefit.

Adding mostly all low GI foods to your diet is one of the best methods to promote better abs.

The higher the fiber content of any carbohydrate, typically the better for you it is.

Satisfying

Finally, simply put, oats are satisfying.  There’s nothing quite as hunger-busting as a bowl of hearty, warm oats, so this breakfast really earns top marks for fat loss diet plans. 

Just be sure that you are only adding healthy ingredients to flavor it if you so choose to.  Cinnamon, drizzling on a little sugar-free maple syrup, slicing on a banana, stirring in some natural peanut butter, or mixing in your favourite protein powder are all healthy options that will keep your diet intact.

So keep oats in mind next time you wake up and are hungry for your morning meal.  Even as a snack, they work fantastic as an energy boosting food, particularly post workout,  that will help you get one step closer to six pack abs.

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4 Foods That Turn Fat Burning On Low

If you’re on a fat-loss mission, one thing that you must keep in the back of your mind at all times is the type of foods you are eating. Most people already know the importance of getting the right number of calories into their day, but few realize just how important that actual foods are that they eat.

Eat the wrong foods and you can actually turn down the dial on fat burning, essentially sabotaging your progress.

Here are 4 foods that you should be avoiding at all costs.

Deep Fried Anything

If the food is deep fried, step away. Most people realize that these are not to be included on a healthy diet plan, but they don’t realize just how bad they are.

Not only do you often have carbs, which will spike blood glucose levels, but then you also add fat into the picture, which gets quickly transported to your butt, thighs, and lower abs when blood sugar is high.

Not a good combination.

High Sugar Breakfast Bars

Speaking of sugar, that morning breakfast bar you start your day with? That’s another one that has to go.

These ‘fruit’ based breakfast bars are simply too high in processed carbs, too low in protein, and contain no healthy fats at all.  Not an ideal mix to get your day off to a good start.

Not only that, but they’ll more than likely make you hungrier mid-morning than if you had skipped them entirely.

Opt for some good old fashioned eggs or oatmeal ( oats are best post-workout )

Processed Snack Foods

Likewise with processed snack foods.  Granola bars, crackers, low fat chips – anything of the like is all going to make reaching your goals that much harder.

Upon digestion, these foods immediately cause a surge of insulin to enter the body, which then takes up all that glucose and turns it into fat quickly.

Upon doing so, you are then left very hungry and irritable, and will more than likely reach for more processed foods.

This makes sticking with your diet next to impossible and soon, weight gain will follow.

Sugary Alcoholic Drinks

Finally, don’t overlook how bad sugary alcoholic drinks can be.  Not only is alcohol bad in itself as it immediately turns off fat burning as soon as you consume it, but in addition to that, with the added sugar you now have in the picture, that sugar will get converted to body fat immediately as well.

While a glass of wine with dinner once or twice a week typically isn’t a huge issue, if you’re downing cocktails every Friday after a long hard work-week, you can count on one thing: a stall in fat loss progress.

So keep these things in mind and make sure they aren’t making an appearance in your plan. If they are, you now know why you are not seeing the results you were hoping for. 

Stay solid

Lochs :-)

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The Most Common and Harmful Preservatives in Our Food

           

Preservatives in food are responsible for exactly what they are named for: preserving food. They are often added to foods that generally would spoil easily.  This includes canned foods, deli meat, yogurts, milk, dairy, and many items found in the refrigerator.  

While some preservatives are classified as antioxidants, they actually have been given a bad rep and for good reasons. As the food industry searched for ways to increase shelf-life for foods and other items that spoil easily, preservatives became common in our households.  There was great word when products had longer shelf-lives and when milk and dairy products lasted longer in the refrigerator. 

As time and research continued with these products, the more we learned that preservatives are not good for the body.  While consuming a product with a preservative will not immediately harm an individual, it can increase the risk of cancer and other illnesses with increased consumption.  This article lists some of the more harmful and more common preservatives that are found in foods known to have short shelf-lives.

·      Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT): These two compounds are antioxidants- meaning the primary role of these compounds is to fight oxygen atoms in the body from creating bad health.  Ironically, these compounds have been linked to cancer and tumors in studies with animals and some countries have even prohibited these preservatives in food.  While there are many countries and regions that have prohibited these compounds, there are still traces in certain foods, containers, and bottles that can cause harm to the body.

·      Sulphur Dioxide: This preservative is widely used in food and drink products, especially in dried fruit and vegetables, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.  This preservative is considered to be harmful to individuals who are sensitive to asthma.  Research indicates that one in nine asthmatics state a prior history of asthma exacerbated by consuming soda beverages that contain this preservative.  While the UK regulates the amount of sulphur dioxide used as a preservative, it is still used in many dried fruit and vegetables.  Consuming high amounts of sulphur dioxide can add the gassy side-effect one may experience after consuming the preservative.

·      Sodium benzoate and sodium nitrite: These preservatives can generally be found in deli meat and other preserved meats. Coincidentally, these preservatives have been associated with increased mortality rates in pregnant rats, which could help decrease the human shelf-life for those who consume these preservatives.

·       

            Consuming preservatives is often something that is hard to avoid, but it is important to try to avoid consuming additives whenever possible.  Avoiding preservatives can often be as simple as reading a food ingredient label on a package or can.  Regulations on foods and preservatives mandate the listing of all products on such foods, which means that these compounds are often listed.  Finding key words such as “nitrate” or the previously listed ingredients is something that should be searched for when reading food labels.  

Stay Solid, Lochs :-)

References

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_150/181b_eating_well.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7426352

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Why Is “12 Weeks” Such A Popular Transformation Period

If you’re someone who’s looking for a transformation program to get on, hoping to completely change how you look and feel, presenting a brand new ‘you’, then you’re likely finding multiple options.

There’s no shortage of transformation protocols to select from, but one thing that you will notice amongst all these is that the classic length they run for is 12 weeks.  Whether it’s the Metabolic Precision Program, the Body For Life challenge or the Michelle Bridges 12 WBT, you’ll notice they all have this in common.

Why is this? Is there something magical about 12 weeks? How come it seems like every transformation program you see is dedicated to this period of time?

Let’s take a closer look.

Habit Building

First, whenever you go on a transformation, the goal is not just to get you from point A to point B, but then to keep you at point B from that day forward. It would be highly discouraging to build your new body and then a few weeks later, lose it entirely as you resort to your old unhealthy habits once again.

The good thing with the 12 week challenge is that 12 weeks is easily sufficient time to build new habits that will stand the test of time.

It’s easier for you to really get into your groove with the new lifestyle, ensuring that you will continue to utilize those techniques from that day forward.

This is what makes a transformation successful.

Time To See Results

Second, you also need enough time to see good results. If a transformation was just 3 weeks long, chances are you wouldn’t be looking all that much different than you look today.  It’s simply not enough time to make changes on a grand scale.

But 12 weeks? Much can be accomplished if you’re a dedicated individual over a 12 week period. You definitely can shed a significant amount of body fat and firm up the rest of the muscles in your body as well.

Motivation To Complete

Finally, the last reason why 12 weeks is a popular choice for most transformation programs is because anything longer than this period and you might start to see some drop-offs taking place. 

Most people have a hard time building up the desire to start the transformation in the first place; if they know they have to make changes for 24 weeks (or whatever the number happens to be), this may just be too long for them to commit to.

12 weeks is a nice number where you will easily be able to stay on course, pushing through until the end. It is also a common timeframe that elite level athletes use in specific phases of their training, called 

So next time you’re hunting down a challenge to partake in, always keep the 12 week ‘magic’ number in mind. If a challenge is designed differently – fewer or more weeks, you may want to question whether it really is going to be the best set-up for you to utilize.

Always keep in mind that you need enough time to see results but not so much that you lose steam to complete the journey. 

Personally, I design my entire workout schedule in 12 week blocks, and still learn and get-excited about each new cycle. Each new plan brings with it a new goal, a new set of exercises and a different mindset from the previous plan. For best results, look to take a week off in between 12 week cycles to engage in less-strenuous activity, this will allow the body some time to recover and replenish, and come back even stronger. :-)

Stay Solid Lochs 

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The Best Mood Enhancing Foods To Eat Regularly

In a bad mood and looking to feel better? Did you know that the foods you eat on a day to day basis can actually influence the mood you’re in?

Sure, eating a certain food may not cure the worst of all days, but what you eat on a day to day basis – or even when you are a feeling a little down – can certainly help perk you up and get you going again.

You may think that the best mood enhancing food is whatever your favorite food happens to be, but you might be surprised to learn that while your favorite foods definitely will help put a smile on your face, certain foods contain actual properties that will impact your mood.

Here’s what you should know.

Salmon

Topping the list of mood boosting foods is a piece of wild salmon.  Wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which has been proven to help improve mind and brain health.

Those who eat this fish regularly – at least twice per week – will have a lower rate of experiencing depression like symptoms.

If fish isn’t your thing, you can also supplement with fish oil or eat some walnuts to receive similar benefits.

Strawberries And Oranges  

Another good option for boosting your mood is a bowl of fresh strawberries.  Strawberries contain a powerful dose of vitamin C, which will help to prevent free radical damage, which can sometimes lead to mood problems.

Vitamin C may also help you recover faster from any stressors you may face, which can also add up and contribute to you feeling less than well.

Oatmeal

It might just be time to give in to some carbohydrates if a blue mood is what you feel.  Not only is oatmeal a classic comfort food, but it’ll also cause your brain to release a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which puts you into an instant feel good state.

In fact, if you find that you feel a little less happy when on a lower carb diet, this is likely why.  Without as many carbohydrates in your diet plan, your brain won’t be releasing as much of this neurotransmitter, having a direct influence on the mood state you present.

Lean Beef

Finally, the last of the foods that you should be adding to your diet plan to help improve your mood and feel better as you go about your day is lean beef.  Beef, provided it’s a grass fed variety will contain a healthy dose of omega-3 fats as well, while also helping to reduce the harmful effects that too many omega-6 fats can have.

When your omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intake is unbalanced, this can lead to additional inflammation in the body, causing you to not only be at risk for a poor mood, but many other health problems as well.

So there you have a few of the best mood boosting foods to consider for your diet.  Are there any you are missing out on?

Stay solid

Lochs J

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