3 big "fat" LIES about fats

I just read this article from famous nutrition author (and a good friend of mine), Jon Benson.  I still can't believe in this day and age how many people out there are confused about dietary fat (especially saturated fat).  Jon sets the record straight with this great article:

3 Big "fat" LIES about fat
by Jon Benson
author - EveryOtherDayDiet
Let me ask you a question:

If saturated fat causes heart disease,
don't you think that cultures that got...
oh, say... 60-70% of their calories from
saturated fat would be dropping dead?

I mean, wouldn't it stand to reason that
the vast majority would suffer clogged
arteries, massive heart attacks, strokes...

Right?

Sure. That would be the only logical
conclusion... IF saturated fat caused
heart disease.

Fortunately for you and me, it doesn't.

In fact, the cultures that eat the MOST
saturated fat (the Inuit, the Masai, the
Rendille, and others) have the LOWEST
incidence of heart disease.

The Masai do not even have a term for
it in their native language, and they
consume over 65% of their calories
from pure saturated fat.

Say whaaaat?

Listen:  The "lower your fat" mantra has
just been a matter of convenience (and
profit) for the powers that be.

The grain industry has profited like a big
dog from the USRDA's ridiculous "food
pyramid" -- and "MyPlate" is not much
better, trust me.

The truth is you should lower your CARBS,
especially refined carbs, wheat, and corn...
and, yes, "healthy grains."

You don't need 'em -- at least you don't need
60-freaking-percent of your calories coming
from them, as the government suggests.

What you need is a healthy BALANCE.

Okay, here's the 3 big "fat" lies:

Lie # 1. "Fat causes heart disease."
If logic isn't enough, how about science?
Volek et al demonstrated how a LOW-fat
dietplan increased harmful fats in the
blood 300% more than a high, saturated
fat dietplan.

High-fat dietplans have consistently out-
performed low-fat dietplans when it comes
to increasing LDL particle size.

The size of your LDL is the key, not the
quantity of your LDL... and this is the one
thing everyone agrees causes plaque to
build in your arteries: Small-particle LDL.

If there is "a" cause of heart disease, it's
glycation. This is where a protein molecule
bonds to a glucose molecule and becomes
something akin to Frankenstein.

Glycated molecules are behind the nasty
accumulation of plaque... and guess what?
Sugar (carbs) is the catalyst for glycation,
NOT fat.

Lie #2. "Fat makes you fat."
This has been refuted in over 200 studies
that I could find at a 'glance', let alone in
real life. My dietary fat intake is well over
30%, and has been as high as 65% while
maintaining single-digit bodyfat.

Caution: With high fat dietplans, you must
lower your carbs to under 50-70 grams a day.

Lie #3. "Low-fat products are better for you."
90% of the time, this is blatantly false. Most
"low-fat" products that are, by nature, high
in fat, have added sugar -- and sugar is
the devil when it comes to health and bodyfat.

Now, naturally low-fat foods, like veggies
and so forth, are, of course, highly recommended
along with foods with naturally occurring fats.

Here's to a prosperous and healthy 2012!

Check this out here to see more LIES you've
been told about your food.

-Jon Dana Benson

---------

Thanks Jon.  Great article!

FYI - Jon's beginner plans (the Primer and the Lifestyle Plans) are relatively carb-friendly, but both he and I suggest that you ween yourself from those plans within six to eight weeks and give the Ultimate Plan a shot.

This plan emphasizes organic foods, grass-fed protein sources (if possible), and lower carbs... and yes, you still get to eat your favorite foods during the week using Jon's "Carb Interval" approach to dietplans. 

This is the best of both worlds. You get plenty of carbos to workout from the sources you enjoy the most, while limiting the radical quantity of unhealthy carb sources (grains, processed foods, etc.) most days of the week.

See all about Jon's unique Carb Interval approach here.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

This chemical turns men into "girly men" - BPA

If there's one message I try to keep hammering home in this newsletter, it is the danger present in some of the harmful chemicals that we are exposed to in our food supply, our cleaning supplies, our environment, as well as lotions, shampoos, etc.

As you know, one topic I talk about often is how we are being bombarded by chemicals known as "xenoestrogens" in our new modern chemical-laden world, and the harm to BOTH men and women with these chemicals.

Read this new article to protect yourself from this potential harm:

This chemical turns men into "girly men" (how much exposure are you getting?)

As you can see in that article, we are exposed to this chemical in some weird places, included that shiny paper receipt that you get from almost any store when it touches your skin, or touches your food (yes, even common receipts are one of your exposure points).

Also, if you missed this article, you can read here how you are exposed to this harmful chemical in canned tomatoes as well as bottled drinks.  You NEED to know what to watch out for to protect yourself from these harmful "xenoestrogens".

And although we should always do our best to avoid exposure to BPA and other xenoestrogens, some exposure is going to happen anyway, as these chemicals are all around us.  There is a specific class of vegetables that can help fight against xenoestrogens and belly fat.

PS - if you thought today's articles were beneficial, please share this page with any of your friends, family, or co-workers to help protect their health too.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

The REAL reason Paula Deen got diabetes

If you've been following the news lately, I'm sure you've seen that celebrity chef Paula Deen (known for her notoriously unhealthy dishes) has announced that she has type 2 diabetes, and has known about her condition for at least 3 years, while continuing to promote her unhealthy recipes on her show.

She's been taking some serious heat in the media for all of the sudden partnering with a pharmaceutical company that sells diabetes drugs as opposed to her promoting a healthy lifestyle instead.

I'm always amazed that type 2 diabetics decide to take dangerous drugs as opposed to just changing their eating habits and lifestyle.  Remember that type 2 diabetes is 100% reversible simply by eating a very healthy low carbohydrate nutrition plan and exercising regularly.

I couldn't help but catch part of Ms Deen's show the other day where she said they'll be trying to show how to modify some of her recipes to be better for diabetics.  The problem is that they seem to be clueless on what changes you actually need to make for a diabetic.

First of all, I think it's ridiculous that she tried to blame her type 2 diabetes on "genetics"... sorry, but humans aren't programmed to get type 2 diabetes, and even if you have family history of type 2 diabetes, eating right and avoiding excessive carbohydrates will prevent it 100% of the time ... people get type 2 diabetes by abusing the blood sugar regulation system in their bodies for years and years with excessive amounts of carbohydrates, particularly too much sugars, corn syrup, and refined grains.

Ok, so back to why their modifications for a diabetic made no sense...

One of the things that they kept saying on the show was how they could reduce the butter, sugar, or egg yolks in a recipe.  Now you can see how confused they are about nutrition... Reducing the sugar is a good thing, but what does butter or egg yolks have to do with type 2 diabetes?  In fact, NOTHING at all!

Type 2 diabetes is COMPLETELY about excessive carbohydrates throughout one's life... not dietary fat or cholesterol.  So why did they keep talking about reducing the butter and egg yolks in recipes?  Just shows how most of society is confused about nutrition.

In fact, the butter and egg yolks in a baked product are in most cases the healthiest part of that product, while the sugar and flour are the ingredients that CAUSE diabetes!  You can read this article to see more of the health benefits of grass-fed butter.

And as you can see, the Deen crew obviously hasn't been reading my newsletters, so they don't understand that egg yolks are actually the healthiest part of the egg!

The point here is that reducing the sugar and refined carbohydrates is what she really needs to do to reverse her diabetes...not reducing butter or egg yolks!

In fact, I think Paula could easily reverse her type 2 diabetes in as little as 6 months by simply eating more healthy fats, more proteins, and less carbohydrates, while getting all of her carbs from veggies instead of grains and sugars. Add some healthy spices like cinnamon too which are known to help control blood sugar... and throw in some reasonably intense exercise along with that reduced carb nutrition plan, and she'd be good to go!

Want to know something else that fights type 2 diabetes and controls blood sugar...

Read this article for another nutrient that fights diabetes


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Does jogging make you fatter?

As you probably know from reading my book and a lot of my articles, I'm not a fan of steady pace "jogging" in terms of health benefits... in fact, I've even read about a few emerging studies that have shown heart scarring on people that do long distance jogging at the same heart rate frequently (marathoners for example).

Remember that it's ALL about heart rate variability, as opposed to training at the exact same heart rate all the time.  That's why highly variable interval training, bodyweight training, kettlebell training, wind sprinting or hill sprinting, and weight training are all such great forms of exercise... besides the muscular component and metabolic stimulus, they all employ a high degree of heart rate variability, which is what you want for the strongest possible heart.

Read this article to see why "jogging" may even make you fatter.

One interesting thing to note from that article is how your body burns less calories the more frequently that you run, as your body becomes more efficient at it.

Also, take note of the high potential for joint injury from "jogging", as opposed to exercises like kettlebells, weight training, or bodyweight training that can all make your joints stronger when done correctly.

And another major aspect that this article talks about is the reduced metabolic rate as you lose lean muscle from excessive jogging.

On a related topic, make sure to read my article on 5 reasons why treadmills and ellipticals are a WASTE of time for the most part, and my top 10 best alternative workout styles.

Also, read this new article about the ONLY good use I've found for a treadmill.  This is actually a GREAT workout!

I hope you are kicking butt in your 2012 fitness goals!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com

This "sweet" food can help you fight belly fat

About 3 weeks ago, I sent a newsletter recommending a new healthy ice cream product that I've really been enjoying personally, and it's a high protein, high fiber ice cream formula called FitFreeze, that also tastes incredible!

Well, according to my help-desk staff, while a lot of people really enjoyed this new healthy ice cream alternative, a few others questioned the ingredients and if they are truly "natural" or not.

Also a few other people were wondering if I actually use FitFreeze myself, or if this was simply an "advertisement". Well, the answer to that is YES, I love this stuff, and I've even made 2 batches of it since Christmas.  Hey, I'm not gonna lie...I love ice cream, but I pretty much never buy regular ice cream because of the high loads of sugar. I usually only enjoy ice cream once per month as a treat out at a restaurant, but I don't bring ice cream in my house usually since I might be tempted to eat too much of it at once. 

But FitFreeze has allowed me to enjoy a serving of ice cream each night after dinner without having to worry about loading up on massive amounts of sugar in regular ice cream, or the nasty artificial sweeteners that are in typical "light ice cream".  FitFreeze, on the other hand, is naturally sweetened with zero-calorie stevia, while also having 15 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving!  There's not a single ice cream at the grocery store that can claim that.

Now to answer the question about whether it contains truly "natural" ingredients...

Although there are a few minor ingredients added for texture and extra fiber that might not sound "natural", it doesn't mean that they aren't technically natural. According to the food scientist that helped develop FitFreeze, the product does indeed qualify to be labeled as "natural", and any minor ingredients such as polydextrose or cellulose gum that may sound questionable are in such small quantities, that it is irrelevant.

Personally, to answer those that questioned a few of the ingredients in FitFreeze, I have no problems at all with the FitFreeze formula... My main goals are to avoid ingredients with MAJOR issues such as hydrogenated oils (trans fats), refined omega-6 oils (inflammatory), harmful artificial sweeteners, or added sugars or high fructose corn syrup.  And FitFreeze doesn't contain any of those harmful ingredients. 

And the cool thing is that you can customize Fitfreeze by adding your own extra ingredients to the vanilla or chocolate flavors that they currently sell. Since you mix FitFreeze in the blender before freezing, you can add a few extra healthy ingredients in you want to customize.

For example, during Christmas week at my mom's house, I made a batch of chocolate FitFreeze and added a little bit of banana and peanut butter to make a chocolate-banana-peanut-butter ice cream. It was great! And just this week at my house, I made the vanilla FitFreeze with some added frozen organic black cherries and raw walnuts to the blender to make a Vanilla-cherry-walnut ice cream... mmm, delicious!

Lastly, my help-desk told me that a few people also complained about why they had to pay shipping despite the offer being for free samples of FitFreeze.  Geez, cut them a break... they would go out of business if they shipped thousands of cartons out without at least covering their shipping costs. I think it's completely fair for them to charge for shipping if you want to try out the free samples.  After all, this is a unique product and isn't something that you can find in any store.

You can try FitFreeze free samples here for only S&H.

If you want to read my initial post about FitFreeze, you can read here the delicious details about this healthy lean-body ice cream.

I think you'll enjoy this new high protein, high fiber ice cream as much as I have!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

How to lose your lower abdomen fat (stubborn fat)

I've got something really cool for you today... it's a 14-day sequence to lose significant amounts of lower abdomen fat, and these are some powerful techniques!  And it focuses on what's been termed "stubborn fat".

You can grab this report (with no email opt-in required to get access) here:

The Stubborn Fat Protocol: Your 14-Day Sequence to Lose Your Lower Abdomen Fat

This is a BRAND new report that you are going to LOVE... and it contains some extremely powerful techniques for getting rid of lower abdomen fat in a smart and scientific way.

I met the author, Shaun Hadsall, at a fitness conference last summer and I was instantly intrigued in some of the methods that Shaun told me he was experimenting with.  And one other thing... Shaun doesn't preach a good game and then not take care of himself...the dude is ripped, so you know he follows his own advice.

Make sure to check this out here:

How to lose significant lower abdomen fat in 14 days
Enjoy!  And please pass this email on to your friends and family and help them improve their health and body in 2012!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Quick "on-the-go" fat-burning breakfasts

I just had a conversation with a good friend of mine who said she needs options for FAST "on-the-go" healthy breakfasts, because she doesn't have time in the morning to make a full omelette and veggies breakfast.

This is a problem for a lot of people and most people end up resorting to a cereal breakfast or bagel or toast breakfast, which is NOT good if you're looking to get truly lean and healthy.

Remember as I've talked about many times before that studies consistently show that people that eat cereal or other carbohydrate-based breakfasts such as bagels, toast, or muffins typically struggle more with bodyweight (and blood sugar, cravings, etc) compared to those that eat more of a protein and healthy fat based breakfast.

As you know, I tend to favor having eggs and veggies (and avocado) as my breakfast of choice.  But as my friend asked here, she doesn't have time in the morning to make an omelette breakfast. 

So what are the best choices so that you don't have to resort to cereals, bagels, and other carb-based breakfasts that will make you fatter, cause your blood sugar to go crazy, and have you craving more carbs the rest of the day?

Here were my suggestions for FAST, but healthy options that will help your goal in getting lean and also controlling blood sugar:


Option 1.  On your way out of the house, grab a piece of fruit (an apple, orange, pear, or bag of berries) and a ziplock bag of almonds, pecans, or walnuts.  Go with raw nuts if possible to prevent the polyunsaturated fats from oxidizing as can happen in roasted nuts.  But even roasted nuts are a better option compared to cereals or bagels.

You might want to get a little extra protein to go with this breakfast too, so try to swig down a quick glass of a quality whey protein (preferably raw grass-fed whey) before leaving the house.


Option 2.  Another quick option for a healthy blood sugar stabilizing breakfast is to make a quick protein and berry smoothie.  If you need to get out of the house quick in the morning, it only takes a minute to blend up a smoothie, put it in a to-go container and head out.

Try to mix in some frozen berries for extra fiber and antioxidants as well as some nutrient dense chia seeds and/or hemp seeds for extra nutrition.  Some organic unsweetened cocoa powder adds helpful blood pressure lowering antioxidants.

Unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk makes a great base for the smoothie, and you can try either a whey protein, or a mix such as Prograde Lean (which as 35 gms of protein and 8 gms of blood sugar controlling fiber).


Option 3.  And yet another great option for a FAST and healthy breakfast "on-the-go" is simply to grab a couple hard boiled eggs and veggie sticks (and maybe some hummus too).  You can't go wrong with this nutrient-rich breakfast as it's the perfect breakfast to get super lean and keep your blood sugar and appetite 100% controlled.

There you have it... 3 perfect options for fast "on-the-go" lean body breakfasts!  Rotate all 3 of these ideas if you need variety each week.

Want more tips for a leaner body in 2012?  Check out my buddy Rob's advice here:

3 Simple and quick "tiny belly" tricks

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer