Trans Fat Article

Here is a link to an MSN health article that explains what Trans fat is and what things contain the most Trans fat. I know I have posted about trans fat before, but its important to avoid these fats when you can. It is really hard to say no to a cookie especially on a cheat day, but try to remember that these things are usually trans fat bombs.
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100244915&gt1=31007

JW

Abs diet Foods

I have had a couple of questions about what the Abs diet is and why it works. I will do my best to answer those questions in this post. The Abs diet is based upon some basic science. Protein will be the bulk of your diet. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are next and then carbohydrates. You can eat as much or as little of any of the foods on this list but if you look closely you will find that protein is the key ingredient to the diet then fats and carbs. The recommended foods are as follows:

Almonds and other nuts - get raw Almonds or lower sodium nuts.

Beans and legumes - I like black beans, watch out for sugar coated beans like baked beans or high fat beans like refried beans

Spinach and other vegetables - Just eat vegetables, you can't go wrong. Spinach and Broccoli are very powerful in the nutrition and benefits they provide.

Lowfat Dairy - lowfat cottage cheese, lowfat milk, reduced fat cheese, lowfat yogurt...you get the idea.

Instant oatmeal - get the plain kind, not the stuff loaded with sugar. Add fruit to flavor

Eggs - There is a lot of conflicting evidence about the health benefits of eggs. Some say the cholesterol content is too high and some say it doesn't matter. I like to use one whole egg supplemented with egg whites when I cook myself a serving. This way I get the benefit of the egg without the worry of to much cholesterol.

Turkey and other Lean meats - I get the 4% fat beef when I shop. I also eat a lot of Deli turkey (low fat, high protein). Other good meats are chicken breasts, tuna, salmon.

Peanut Butter - Eat all natural peanut butter to avoid added sugar.

Olive Oil - cook/substitute with this oil whenever possible - high in mono and poly unsaturated fat (heart fuel) and low in saturated fat. Canola and Peanut oil are decent alternatives if olive oil won't work. Avoid butter when you can and Margarine always (Margarine is Trans fat).

Whole grains- These carbs are loaded with vitamins and are low on the glycemic index. That means energy all day and no crashing late in the day from a high glycemic index meal.

Extra Whey protein - If you work out you want to build muscle. Plus, protein requires more calories to digest.

Raspberries and other berries - Good, low in calories, full of antioxidants that protect you from aging, cancer, etc.


If you eat these foods 6 days a week for every meal (make sure to eat breakfast it is very important) you will lose weight, you will be healthier, and if you work out you will get faster and stronger. There is no calorie counting, just eat.

I will talk about why these foods work to make you healthy and lean in my next post.

JRW

Exercise of the Day- Bicycle Crunch

Exercise: Bicycle Crunch
Target Muscle: Abs











1- Lie with your back flat against the floor and your hands placed behind your head.
2- Bring your shoulder blades off the mat into a basic crunch.


3- Lift your legs off the mat and place one leg in a 90-degree angle and the other leg in a 45-degree angle.
4- Move your legs in a bicycle motion, like you are pedaling, bringing your left one up to a 90-degree angle as the right one moves back into a 45-degree angle.
5- Meet your right knee with your left elbow as it comes closer to your upper body. As your left knee comes close to you, meet it with your right elbow.

Tiff

Recipe #6 Pizza Snackers

These things taste great!! They make great quick meals for children and adults.


Ingredients (bold indicates power food):
1) Multigrain English Muffins or
Arnold Select Multigrain Thins

2) Hunts garlic, oregano, basil tomato sauce/paste













3) Turkey Pepperoni
4) Black Olives
5) Lowfat mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
1) Split the muffin or thin in half and spread the tomato sauce on the open side of the bread.
2) Sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese, Pepperoni, and olives
3) Bake at 400 until cheese is melted (about 5-10 minutes)
4) Eat!

JRW

Exercise of the Day #7- Lateral Raises

Exercise: Lateral Raises

Target Muscles: Lateral Deltoids (shoulders)

This exercise can be done with dumbbells or exercise bands.

1- Begin with your arms down to your sides

2- With your elbows slightly bent begin raising your arms straight out to the sides until they are level with your shoulder. (reference picture above)

3- Now slowly return your arms to the starting position.

Tiff

Recipe #5 Brazillian Chicken Tacos

This one is made from the "Bodacious Brazilian Chicken" Recipe on page 145 of the Abs Diet book. I have added a few ingredients to make it a little more exciting. In case you don't have the Abs diet book yet I will include a revised Brazilian chicken recipe.

Ingredients (bold indicates a power food):
1 Lemon
2 Limes
1 Avocado
1 can black beans (Kroger sells great canned organic black beans cheap)
Monterrey Jack/Colby cheese (or a lowfat alternative of your choice would be good)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
6 oz of frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cloves minced garlic (I buy minced garlic in the seasoning section of the grocery - saves time but you have to guesstimate proper amounts to use in recipe)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 lb boneless chicken tenderloins
Salsa - choose your own heat (I use Pace Picante medium)
8 oz Pico de Gallo (I get the fresh made grocery store kind usually found in the produce section. It should have tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, cilantro, etc.)
Kosher salt
multigrain/whole wheat tortillas (look closely at the ingredients. The cheap ones usually have trans fat hidden in the ingredients list)

Preparation:
1. Grate the zest of lime and lemon into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and lime into the bowl. Do not add seeds or pulp.
2. In the same bowl, Mix in about 1 clove garlic, the tomato sauce, 6 oz of OJ concentrate, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and mix it all together.
3. Add the chicken, cover with saran (or any brand of polyvinylchloride wrap) and incubate in the refrigerator for 2hrs.
4. Meanwhile, make guacamole: cut the Avocado in half and remove the pit. Spoon out the meat of the avocado into a bowl and throw the skin away. smash and stir the Avocado into a paste.
5. Add in about 2-3 oz pico de gallo, about 1 clove garlic, juice of one lime, and stir. Salt the mixture to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
6. Once the chicken has fully marinated, put it on the grill at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the center is no longer pink. Continue to baste the chicken with the marinade until the final 4-5 minutes of grilling.
7. Cut the chicken into chunks or shred the chicken.
8. Microwave the black beans (with water in can) for 1 minute or until hot.
9. spread a small amount of water across a tortilla and microwave for 30 seconds
10. Fill the tortilla with black beans (strain the water), chicken, cheese, guacamole, Salsa.
11. Eat like a taco or burrito depending on how much you put on the tortilla!


JRW

Exercise of the day #6- Inner/Outer Thigh Extensions

Exercise: Inner/Outer Thigh Extensions
Target Muscles: Inner and Outer Thighs

-Tie an exercise band around a pole or to a sturdy object.

(If you do not have great balance make sure there is something close by that you can place your hand on to help balance you)

Exercise 1 - Inner Thigh: (Picture #1 above)
-Tie the band around the leg closest to the band(the band should be on your side)

-Make sure you stand far enough away from the other end of the band to give you a challenging resistance.
-With your leg straight and slightly in front of you (just enough to move it past the other leg)

-Cross the leg with the band crossing in front of your standing leg until you can not go further and then return to the starting position.

Exercise 2 Outer Thigh: (Picture #2 above)

-Leaving the band tied to your ankle turn and face the opposite direction(the band should now cross in front of your standing leg with about the same resistance)

-Move your leg with the band straight out to the side until you can not go further (the band should cross in front of your standing leg) and then return to the starting position.

Tiff