6 Ways to STOP Overeating for Good

Food is pleasure. There’s no question that enjoying a beautifully prepared meal is an integral part of a well-lived life. But in looking beyond food as enjoyment and going back to our biology, we are truly designed to eat until we are nutritionally satisfied. Food, like water and breathing, is a part of survival. But if that’s true, then why do so many of us struggle with overeating? For some, eating is less of a “need” and more of a “want” reflex, which brings emotions into the mix. For others, choosing the wrong types of foods leads to the bottomless portion pit. But as we all know, for all of the complexities involved in weight loss, one simple truth remains: calories in versus calories out. So if you’re serious about losing weight, it’s time to put the brakes on and stop overeating for good. 

Eat the real thing: Throw out anything that is sugar free or fat free. Sugar-free, non-fat, low-fat and imitation foods are NOT satiating, meaning you actually have to eat more of them to feel full. Also, because many low or no fat foods are high in calories but essentially devoid of nutrition, your body metabolizes them simply as sugar, which leads to overeating and subsequent weight gain.  

Avoid foods that contain table salt: Ever notice how you can eat an entire bag of potato chips? Table salt is a processed, stripped version of sea salt (which contains over 40 vital nutrients). And because we are designed to eat until we are nutritionally satisfied, nutrient-devoid table salt makes us eat and eat and eat without ever feeling like we’ve had enough. 

Drink water 15 minutes before a meal but never during: You can be eating the healthiest food on the planet, but if your digestion isn’t working properly, you won’t absorb or metabolize these foods optimally. And if you can’t absorb your food, the chances are pretty high that your body will tell you to eat more! Drinking water during a meal interrupts the body’s production of hydrochloric acid and wreaks havoc on your digestion.  And when you do drink water, make sure it’s room temperature. Cold water sits in your stomach until its warm enough to be released for absorption, also slowing down the digestive process.

Check in: If mindless snacking is your problem, tag the emotion that brought you to the cabinet or refrigerator. Picture a TV announcer if you have to: “This calorie consumption has been brought to you by”…your anxiety, depression or even boredom. Tag the feeling before the snacking. If you’re stressed, take a walk or write down what’s stressing you. Can’t take a walk? Maybe this site will help: http://www.calm.com/ The idea here is to give your feelings a place to go that doesn’t involve food. By breaking the stressed – eat food – feel worse chain, you’ll break your mind’s association with food as the “cure” for those feelings.  


Figure out your metabolic type: You might be eating right according to your wife’s Metabolic Type, but there are nine different Metabolic Types, which means that the chances are pretty high that your body’s ideal ratio of proteins to carbs to fats is off. Finding out what’s ideal for YOUR body is the fastest way to eat foods that will keep your unique bio-chemistry in balance (keeping you from overeating both at meals and in between).

Add some healthy fat: I love this coconut milk yogurt as a high in healthy fat snack or dessert replacement. In addition to tasting great, it’s also highly reparative for your gut, helping to maintain a healthy gut balance without dairy.  I also love to add this roasted walnut oil to my salads or even drizzled over meats for an extra kick of healthy fat and anti-inflammatory omega-3s. It adds a unique flavor to more common foods and is incredibly satiating. 

Burn Belly Fat Fast with This Simple Five Step Plan

Warm weather is finally here and everyone has been coming to the gym looking for the same thing: flat abs. I can’t count the number of times I hear, “I feel great everywhere except for this stuff around my belly [insert belly grab here].” And as much as I hate to admit it, there’s not a single ab exercise in the world that will give you the flat, toned, sexy stomach you’re after if you aren’t doing at least four of the following five steps listed here. Why? Because no matter how hard we try to tone those muscles, if you’re making bad nutrition and lifestyle choices, you can do 1000 crunches and still barely see a change in your waistline. So here you have it: 5 steps that will lean out your abs starting NOW.

Cut it out: Dairy, that is. Did you know that dairy stalls the fat loss process? The unique amino acid composition in the proteins of certain dairy products causes your insulin levels to skyrocket (even more than when you eat a piece of white bread). And as we all know, high insulin levels leads = increased belly fat.  The biggest offenders are whey, milk, yogurt and cheese. The least offensive dairy products are organic butter and organic whipping cream (high in fat and lacking in insulinogenic amino acids).

Rev it up: If you really want to see the stored belly fat peel off, add in sprint days on your off days from strength training. Sprint days consist of bursts of high intensity exercise. Done correctly, these days of high intensity training will keep you from the dreaded weight loss plateau.

Write it down: A couple of chips at work, a sample of some chocolate at the farmers market….here and there it ALL adds up. In fact, a study on dieters proved that those who wrote down everything they ate lost twice as much as those who did not. Bottom line: you might be eating more (or worse) than you think.

Throw it away: Pretty simple. If it’s there, you are most likely going to eat it. Get rid of tempting junk food (even if it’s disguised as healthy…Flax Crackers, I’m talking to you) and load up on healthy snacks so you have something nutritious to reach for when you’re hungry. Leftovers from dinner the night before, Prather Ranch or another high-quality beef jerky, organic almonds and turkey slices with avocado are some of my favorite snacks.

Cool it off:  Chronic stress leads to increased cortisol leads to chronic inflammation leads to belly fat. If you’re really serious about fat loss, reduce your overall inflammation. It’s the cause of every disease: cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, the list goes on and on. And a big, poofy gut is one of its greatest signs. To lower your inflammation, avoid sugars (even in the form of grains), cut out all vegetable oils (canola, etc), eat plenty of healthy animal proteins and fats, sleep, exercise smarter not harder, load up on dark leafy greens, stay away from too much cardio, get fresh air and sunlight and reduce your emotional stress.

Implementing this fat-burning plan for even a month will have a profound effect on your abs. With proper exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices, I've seen dramatic results on clients of all ages. So no excuses! Here's to a healthy and happy summer. 

Lose Weight for the Summer! My Top Training Tips for Dropping Fat Fast

Purely from a training perspective, it’s pretty simple: if you want to lose weight for good, you have to put your body through a smart exercise program that builds muscle, burns fat and calories and factors your hormonal response in wisely. Clearly proper nutrition plays a major role in the fat loss puzzle. No matter how hard you train, if you’re eating over-processed, garbage foods, you’ll have a very hard time seeing the results you’re after (and you’ll feel pretty lethargic and bloated in the process). But as confused as we are about eating right, we seem to be almost equally confused about training right. I spend a lot of time in gyms watching trainers put their clients through what essentially amounts to an aerobics class. What’s the result? A lot of sweating and stress for little to no decrease in body fat (and in some cases, weight gain). There is a science to fat loss. There are proven techniques that will get you leaner than you’ve ever been in your life. So toss your notions about long runs and 1000 crunches to the side, and try the following training tips for the next 6 weeks. The results will speak for themselves.

Rev Up Your Resting Metabolic Rate: Want to speed up your metabolism? Regardless of your age or genetics, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be. Focus on workouts that incorporate strength training with anaerobic conditioning (rapid bursts of high intensity exercise) if you want to swap out body fat for lean muscle mass.

Circuit Train with Proper Rest Periods: Go, go, go! might sound great in theory, but if you don’t rest and let your heart rate come down during workouts (what we call rest periods) you’re essentially training your body to be calorie efficient, like a marathon runner or other endurance athlete. What does that mean? If you train hard for an hour with no rest, your body will come to expect that hour of exercise and hold on to existing body fat (for energy) accordingly. Conversely, if you use the science of rest periods to your advantage, you will continually shock your system, increase your Growth Hormone and accelerate your fat loss drastically. Generally, rest periods of around 60 seconds with exercises performed in the 8-12 rep range for 3-4 sets are optimal for burning fat and creating lean muscle mass.

Interval Train: When it comes to fat loss via cardio, it actually is a sprint, not a marathon. In other words, if you really want to burn fat, stick to interval or burst training and leave long runs and hours on the elliptical machine to the other bored folks. According to a study in the International Journal of Obesity, after comparing 16 weeks of sprinting with endurance cardio, the sprinters had a 9.5 % decrease in belly fat whereas the aerobic group increased their belly fat by 10.5%. Most people I talk to don’t actually like long cardio workouts. They just feel like they “have” to do them to burn fat and “make up for” nutrition slips. But as we all know, you can’t burn off bad foods with a long run. And now we know that if anything, you might just be making your pants tighter! My favorite burst training technique is roughly 30s of burst followed by 60-90s of recovery (a moderate pace). Work up to 10 bursts two times a week and you'll see fantastic results!

Two Healthy Dinners That Also Double As Breakfast

The number one question I hear in the gym every week is…what do I eat for breakfast?! With sugary cereals, yogurt and pastries as the most common breakfast foods out there, it can seem daunting to switch to proteins and vegetables for the first meal of the day. But the fact remains: if you want to be healthy, you have to make your breakfast look like dinner. If you read my previous blog you know that a breakfast full of sugar slows down your metabolism, reduces your energy and actually leads to over-eating at lunch and dinner! Conversely, if you eat a breakfast that is full of healthy proteins, fats and vegetables, you speed up your metabolism and actually eat less as the day progresses. So here you have it, two of my favorite gluten-free, dairy-free and vitamin-packed dinners that taste amazing for breakfast the next morning.

Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce
2 Organic Chicken Breasts
3-4 Stalks of Celery, Chopped
3-4 Carrots, Chopped
3 Tablespoons of Dill
I Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Mustard
Champagne or Red Wine Vinegar to Taste
1 Organic Egg Yolk
Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
Garlic (optional)

Fully cook and shred or dice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. In a bowl, combine the chicken with all of the vegetables and dill and set aside. In another bowl, combine one egg yolk with the mustard, salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar. Slowly whisk in the cup of olive oil, making sure to add the oil in slowly. Adjust seasonings accordingly (adding garlic or vinegars to your taste). Once your healthy “mayo” is complete, pour it over the chicken and vegetables and toss gently. Simply scoop a cup of the chicken salad into your butter lettuce cups for a complete and healthy meal. For extra crunch, try adding chopped almonds on top of each lettuce cup.

Basque Style Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

2 White Onions
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
4 Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
4 Ounces of Organic Ham (Use more if you are a protein type)
Basil
8 Eggs
Sea Salt
Hot Paprika

Peel the onions and peppers (removing the seeds) and cut them into slivers. Then chop the tomatoes (also removing the seeds) and garlic cloves. Put the onions and peppers in a pot (with a little olive oil) on medium heat and let them sweat for about five minutes, keeping the lid on tight. Then add the garlic and tomatoes and cook the vegetables together gently until almost all of their liquid has evaporated. While they are cooking, cut the ham into small pieces and chop the leaves from a small bunch of basil. As soon as the vegetables are cooked (and the liquid has evaporated) add the ham and basil into the mixture and stir well. Spread the vegetables into a 1 ½ inch deep, oven-safe dish and make eight small holes in the mixture so that you can fill each one with an egg. Once the eggs are in place, bake at roughly 400 degrees. When the whites of the eggs are set, remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

The Top 4 Worst Breakfast Foods

Most people are indoctrinated in the idea that breakfast food has to be doughnuts, bagels, waffles and juice. These foods are quick, easy and most importantly, sound “normal” as a morning meal. But think back to your last breakfast of cereal and orange juice. Did you feel a little shaky? Need a second cup of coffee? Become ravenous again only 1-2 hours later? It’s a proven fact that a breakfast full of organic proteins and vegetables leads to fat loss, sustained energy and decreased sugar cravings. It might take a little longer to prepare the foods suggested in this blog, but good things are worth the wait. So here you have it, the four worst breakfast foods for your health AND a few great options for fat loss and improved vitality.

Egg Whites – Many people ask for egg whites in an attempt to “cut out the bad fat” from their breakfast. However, studies show that there is no correlation between eating whole eggs and weight gain, heart disease or high cholesterol levels. Because the yolk of the egg contains a tremendous amount of vital nutrients (such as protein, inflammation fighting essential fatty acids, vitamins A and D and calcium) when you opt for just egg whites, you’re left with mostly water and a slight amount of protein. So if you’re serious about getting the most bang for your buck out of the foods you choose, go with the whole egg. In addition to being one of the most complete proteins available, the whole egg is so healthy that some say it’s better to eat an egg than it is to take a multi vitamin!

Skim Milk – In an attempt to “cut out fat” to lose fat, many people choose skim milk over whole milk when it comes to their breakfast cappuccino or bowl of cereal. But remember: healthy dietary fat will not make you fat! Just like stripping the yolk from the egg removes the majority of its nutrients, stripping the fat from dairy products leaves you with what is essentially sugar water. And we all know that eating sugar leads to rapid weight gain! In fact, in 2005, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied the weight and milk consumption of roughly 13,000 kids ages 9 to 14 from across the country. And what did they find? Contrary to what most health magazines would like you to believe, "skim and 1% milk were associated with weight gain, but dairy fat was not." So if you’re going to have dairy in your diet, make it organic and go for the real thing! Did you know they even add powdered, processed milk to skim milk (even the organic brands) to make it look white? The real version just keeps sounding more appealing…

Oatmeal – Or really any type of granola, cereal or grain. There’s no better way to get the dreaded pooch belly than starting off your day with a big bowl of oatmeal, granola or any of the other breakfasts that come in a box. To your body, grains are just sugar. So whether you’re eating cereal or granola or a slice of bread, your body’s hormonal response is the same: you’re eating sugar! Because these foods leave you full but not nutritionally satisfied, you’ll often find that you are hungry again only 1-2 hours after breakfast. So while most people would consider yogurt and granola a “light” breakfast, you’ll actually eat more after that type of meal than you would after a meal containing healthy fat, vegetables and animal protein. So instead of loading up on dessert in disguise at breakfast time, make your morning meal look like dinner and you’ll be on the road to weight loss and improved mental acuity.

Orange Juice – To your body, orange juice is just sugar. Many people ask me if having a fruit juice (even freshly squeezed) is a good way to load up on nutrients at breakfast time. And I always say the same thing: Don’t drink your calories! If you want the nutrients from an orange, eat an orange. Because digestion starts during the chewing process, when you drink (instead of eat) your foods, the sugar content is more quickly transported to your blood, causing an insulin roller coaster than can lead to increased body fat. Instead, start your day with a large glass of high quality water and save room for the good stuff…food! Which brings me to:

Some Healthy Breakfast Options:

Smoked salmon, sauteed spinach and a side of blueberries
Organic chicken sausage and a side of zucchini sauteed in coconut oil
Organic eggs with a side of avocado

And if you don’t have time to cook….

On The Go Breakfast Options:

Hard-boiled eggs (easy to make the night before)
Organic beef jerky with a side of walnuts
Leftovers! Meat balls, turkey burgers or any protein leftover from the night before is a great quick and easy breakfast.

From Flabs to Abs in 5 Simple Steps

The elusive washboard stomach. Everyone wants it but almost no one has it. In a world where 50% of the people in a gym are performing some type of crunch or other ab exercise at any given moment, why is a strong, toned stomach so hard to achieve? The answer is pretty simple: There is no such thing as spot reduction in exercise. If you are making certain foundational mistakes in your nutrition and exercise programs, your body won’t shed the fat necessary to reveal the toned, tight stomach muscles you’re after (regardless of how many crunches you do). So here you have it, my five easy tips for transforming your flabs to abs this winter:

1. Use Big Bang Exercises: If you want a flat stomach, focus on big, high energy movements such as squats, dead lifts, cable pulls and various Swiss ball exercises instead of smaller, isolated movements. Because these big bang exercises recruit multiple muscle groups at once, they burn significantly more calories than a standing bicep curl or any exercise that requires you to sit on a machine. Although it might not look like it to an outsider, that single arm overhead split squat you're doing is actually an ab exercise.

2. Blast The Abs Hard At The End: Make sure you end (not begin) your workout with isolated ab exercises. Why? For starters, the abdominals are very important stabilizers in the body. If you exhaust them at the beginning of a workout, your chance of injury (specifically to your lower back) increases drastically. So, once you reach the END of your workout, blast your abs hard. The reason is simple: Because the rectus abdominis muscle (the one that creates the six pack effect) is composed predominately of fast twitch muscle fibers, it responds to high intensity (aka load) and high speed movements. In other words, doing 100 bodyweight crunches is a complete waste of time when it comes to creating a strong, lean mid-section. Instead, try a Swiss ball crunch (roughly 12 reps) with a weight on your chest, kneeling cable wood chops or a cable rope crunch if you want to effectively condition and tone your abs.

3. Detox The Right Way: You must eat organic food if you want to see a flat, toned stomach. Because toxins are stored in fat, to the degree that you eat non- organic, chemically treated, antibiotic and hormone fed foods, your body fat will increase. Toxins are transported to your liver when you bring in more toxic chemicals from your environment than your body can handle. As a protective mechanism, the body then stores the toxins in body fat to keep it away from your vital organs. In this way, if you are poisoning your liver, regardless of how hard you train, you will have a very challenging time reducing the body fat around your mid-section.

4. Stay Hydrated: Your body depends on water for almost every chemical reaction it undergoes. When you don’t drink enough, your body starts to store water in your tissue, making you look puffy and heavier than you actually are. So in order to avoid excess bloating, drink ½ your body weight in ounces of clean water daily. Tea, juice, coffee and other non-water drinks do not count! They actually dehydrate you or act as food in the body.

5. Cut Out The Grains: Your abs are what you eat. If you’ve been training hard but still have a layer of mush over your abs, there’s a very good chance that the problem lies in your diet. The easiest way to turn your flabs to abs is to cut out grains. Remember: the human digestive machinery was not designed to process grains. As a result, wheat, oats and even quinoa have all been proven to irritate the gut wall, causing inflammation (aka the dreaded pooch belly). So if you’re serious about leaning out your stomach, replace the grains at each meal with dark, leafy vegetables (which pack way more nutrients and health benefits per calorie).

Remember that the body is a system of systems. You can’t simply train one part of your body and expect it to look and function in a healthy way if you aren’t a healthy person! Stick to the foundational principles (eat only organic, drink enough water) and train the abs intelligently if you really want those washboard abs.

Three Easy Recipes to Get More (and different!) Veggies in Your Life

Your parents were right: you need to eat more vegetables. These proven disease fighters are packed with essential phytonutrients and antioxidants that will help improve the way you look, feel and function. Not only do they give you natural energy, vegetables also reduce your sugar cravings, help you lose weight, strengthen your bones, improve your eyesight, reduce your chances of heart disease and cancer and even add a healthy glow to your skin, hair and nails.

I know what you’re thinking. Wow, vegetables sound so great! How can I convince myself (and my family) to eat more of them? First start by trying out some new veggies. Because nutrient variety is the spice of a healthy life, challenge yourself to buy 5 different vegetables the next time you go to the grocery store or farmers’ market. Then try a new recipe (like the ones below) to heighten their natural flavors.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic*: Did you know that bok choy is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat? It’s a great source of antioxidants and is extremely high in Vitamin C, making it an instant immune-booster.

Ingredients: 1 Bunch of Bok Choy, 3 Cloves of Garlic, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Separate and clean the bok choy and cut it into 2 inch sections. Finely mince the garlic. In a wok or frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Once the garlic has softened, add the bok choy and toss until it is crisp-tender (about 1-2 minutes). Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Lemon and Hot Pepper*: One of the world’s healthiest vegetables, Swiss chard has recently been proven to help regulate blood sugar and promote detoxification within the body.

Ingredients: Swiss Chard, 1 Lemon, Red Pepper Flakes, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Stem the chard, wash and drain the leaves and cut them into a rough chiffonade. Sauté them in olive oil for about five minutes, until the leaves are wilted and tender. Remove the cover and cook away the excess moisture. Season the chard at the last minute with a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.


Sautéed Broccoli and Anchovies*: This recipe is especially great for any of you who are looking to get a little extra anti-inflammatory omega-3 into your diet.

Ingredients: Olive oil, 1 Yellow Onion, 1 Clove of Garlic, 2 Olive Oil-Packed Anchovy Fillets (chopped and mashed), Broccoli, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and anchovies and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly browned. Add the broccoli and toss well to mix with the onion and oil. Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Recipes taken from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables and The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook.