Is "whole wheat" harming your body and making you fat?

Today's article is a MUST-READ if you indulge often in wheat-based foods such as cereal, muffins, pasta, crackers, bread, etc.

We're going to take a look at how wheat foods, and yes, even so-called "healthy whole wheat" is currently being linked to all of these health problems -- increased body fat, visceral fat in the abdomen, increased diabetes and heart disease risks, acne and other skin problems, IBS and acid reflux, increased caloric consumption, addictive behavior, accelerated aging, and more...

Is "whole wheat" harming your body?


Please make sure to read this article in full, as I bet you will view that bowl of cereal, whole wheat sandwich, plate of pasta, morning bagel or bran muffin in a totally new light after reading this. 

But you'll also see my conclusion at the end of this article that I don't think this means all of your favorite wheat foods need to be entirely eliminated.

Please make sure to share this important article with all of your friends and family...they will thank you!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Are eggs as bad for you as cigarettes? (flawed study)

Oh boy... here we go again!  Another example of junk science and clueless "researchers" that clearly don't understand one thing about nutritional biochemistry.

In case you missed the headlines, several popular news websites published an article last week with headlines claiming that eating eggs is just as bad for you as smoking for your health and gives you clogged arteries.  I refuse to even link to these flawed articles, because they were the biggest heap of garbage I've seen in journalism in years!

But let's dig in and see why these articles and this supposed "study" were 100% flawed...

The first problem with this supposed "study", is that it was not really a study at all... it was actually a SURVEY based on people's self-reported habits.  This is drastically different from a controlled clinical study, in which all variables are accounted for and controlled.

The major problem with this "study" (survey) is that there is absolutely no control over isolating variables.  For example, even though egg yolk eaters self reported that they ate more egg yolks than non egg eaters or egg white eaters, there's no control to tell us whether they also did other things that were the real culprits of their artery problems, such as a lifetime of eating trans fats (quite likely), smoking, drinking excessively, drug use, a high sugar intake or high intake of inflammatory breads, refined oils, or stress levels.

Or what about the fact that the average person that doesn't really care about their health probably eats those eggs with waffles, pancakes, fake maple syrup (corn syrup), breads, or other health-deteriorating refined grain foods such as sugary cereals, bagels, or muffins, all of which are known to negatively affect your triglyceride and LDL levels, as well as pack on body fat through disrupting blood sugar and insulin balance.

I mean, we aren't talking about the types of people that read this newsletter and most likely eat their healthy egg breakfast with loads of veggies, avocado, and grass-fed organic sausage, washed down with some antioxidant-rich green tea.  Hmm, are you starting to see the flaws with this "study".

In addition, since egg yolks have been so wrongly vilified over the years, and the majority of the population still falsely thinks they are unhealthy, it's quite likely that egg yolk avoiders are also the types of people that exercise more, drink more tea, avoid sugar and trans fat, or eat more vegetables, just simply because they are health conscious... In that example, it isn't the fact that those people avoid eggs that's leading to their good health...it's the fact that they exercise more and eat more veggies, teas, and other antioxidants, and avoid sugar and trans fat.

Yet these so-called "researchers" who don't know a thing about nutrition clearly did not discuss those factors.

My friend, and well respected nutrition author and researcher, Mark Sisson (author of The Primal Leap), recently pointed out a few real studies (not surveys) that show the healthfulness of whole eggs..

Here's what Mark had to say...

"For fun, though, let’s look at what some other studies have found with regards to the artery-clogging capabilities of whole eggs:

Egg consumption and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Two eggs daily did not impair endothelial function (the flow of blood through the arteries), nor did it increase total or LDL cholesterol. Overall, eating two eggs a day elicited no change in cardiovascular health when compared to eating oatmeal (a cardiologist’s pride and joy).

Daily egg consumption in hyperlipidemic adults – effects on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk. In patients with high cholesterol, eating several hard-boiled eggs a day had no effect on endothelial function.

Effect of a high-saturated fat and no-starch diet on serum lipid subfractions in patients with documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Obese patients with heart disease ate lots of saturated fat, zero starch (including zero grains – sound familiar?), and tons of vegetables, and saw massive weight loss without any negative effects on their blood lipids. Once upon a time, I had access to the full study (it was freely available at the website for the Mayo Clinic, who’s since taken it down…wonder why), and I remember seeing that they ate three or four eggs a day. If egg yolks were bad for all heart disease patients, these guys would have felt the effects."

Very interesting huh! 

Of course, if you've read my newsletter for a long time, I'm hoping that you already knew all of this, and you would have rolled your eyes upon seeing these egg yolk bashing articles knowing immediately that they were junk science.

With that said, I'm hoping that you've already read my article below, and even if you have read it already, please pass it along to your friends and family, who are most likely, more confused than ever about eggs.

Why egg yolks are healthier for you than egg whites

Unfortunately, most of the population has still not gotten this message, as I just recently observed this past weekend while traveling, and watching multiple people each day order egg white omelets instead of real omelets.

Well, at least YOU know the REAL truth, and you can continue to nourish your body with all of the powerful nutrients found in egg yolks... and of course, always make sure to seek out pasture-raised eggs, or at least eggs from hens that were fed a diverse diet of something other than corn and soy.  Even the eggs from hens with flax or algae meal added to their diet are an improvement on standard corn and soy fed chicken eggs.

Please fwd this email to all of your friends and family to help them better understand true nutrition instead of the junk science that the media likes to keep putting out there.

Lastly, make sure to continue to educate yourself on nutrition by making sure you have a copy of my Fat-Burning Kitchen book.

Also, make sure to follow what highly-respected nutritionist Isabel De Los Rios teaches here:

4 foods to NEVER eat - if you want a flat stomach

Talk to you soon,

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

These painkillers can harm your fat loss and muscle building

A couple friends recently were over my house and asked me if they could grab a painkiller for a headache (aspirin, tylenol, aleve, etc), and they were shocked by my answer...

I told them that I apologize, but I don't have any painkillers in my house... that I never use painkillers, and haven't used one in at least 10 years... that I don't think they are healthy, nor natural in any way for your body.  I think they were a little shocked, but they were also concerned because they didn't know that painkillers could have any negative effects in your body.

You can read this article about 5 of the most dangerous painkillers and 12 herbal alternatives that are much safer and healthier.

What about effects of pain killers on your fat loss and muscle building?

Here's an excerpt from well-respected author (and very detailed science writer) Ori Hofmekler, and his book, Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat... "...This inhibitory effect of cortisol on AA release may partly explain why anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisol have a suppressive effect on muscle gain. The enzymes that synthesize prostaglandins from AA are called COX1 and COX2. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are all COX inhibitors. Anti-inflammatory drugs, including over-the-counter NSAIDs, have been known to inhibit AA actions. Athletes and bodybuilders who take anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers should be aware of the potential inhibitory effect of these drugs on muscular development."

Now I know that might sound a bit overly scientific for some people, but the message is clear... painkillers can inhibit muscle building efforts, and as you know, muscle regulates your metabolism and your ability to lose fat.

That's just one reason that I personally avoid drug-based painkillers.  I also think that common sense should tell us that they simply aren't natural, and anything not natural will have some sort of side effect, which is why pretty much every drug has a list of negative side effects.

Read this page below to see natural alternatives to possibly harmful painkillers:

The 5 most dangerous painkillers --and 12 healthier herbal alternatives

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

How to use sprinting to get six pack abs

First off, I wanted to give a huge congratulations to all of the amazing Olympians and their super human feats!  It's been so much fun watching this year's Summer Olympics.

I'm also yet again amazed at the accomplishments of Usain Bolt, the "worlds fastest man" with his world record breaking 100-meter sprint.  How cool is that to be able to say that you are the world's fastest human being...Just crazy!

It's been interesting to observe the physiques of the different athletes also.  Which physique do you think is best?  In my opinion, at least for the men, the sprinters and the gymnasts have the best overall physiques, with impressive strength, muscularity, and leanness, and an overall healthy look.

I've talked about this in the past, but it's interesting to observe the physiques of the 100-meter sprinters vs the physiques of the long distance runners.  The sprinters are just so powerful looking, yet lean, ripped, and healthy.  They're muscular, but not too muscular like some oversized bodybuilders frequently look.

Personally, I know I'd rather look like a sprinter than a bodybuilder.  And I'd definitely rather look like a sprinter than a marathoner!  By the way, have you seen the ripped six-pack that Usain Bolt has... yes, from sprinting!

Compare a sprinters physique with a long distance runners physique or a long distance bicyclist's physique and pretty much every man I know would rather look like the sprinter and not the long distance runner or biker.

I know I've said it a thousand times before, but there's no arguing that sprinting builds an awesome body!  It's not surprising since sprinting is one of the best exercises for inducing growth hormone and testosterone release...both important hormones for being strong, lean, and ripped.

Considering the impressive physiques of the gymnasts too, imagine the physique that a combination of sprinting and gymnastics would create.   But the cool thing is that you can create this type of physique yourself too if you just mix in sprinting, bodyweight exercises, and weight training all into your routine on a regular basis.

So we've established that sprinting will build a much more impressive, stronger physique than long distance running, but what about health benefits?

Well, this might surprise you, but sprinting is MUCH better for your health too.  Long distance running and other long duration cardio increases free radicals in your body and accelerates aging.

You can read this article on why long cardio accelerates aging, and which types of exercise actually make you more youthful.

Sprinting is one of those exercises that actually helps you stay youthful... Not only because it builds lean muscle, and therefore keeps your metabolism revving high 24/7, but also because of the growth hormone (also called the "youth hormone") releasing benefits of sprinting!

Another aspect we didn't mention yet where sprinting kicks the crap out of long distance running is for the benefits for your heart.  Long distance running typically only trains a very narrow heart rate range, which doesn't actually do much to improve the strength of your heart.

On the other hand, sprinting mixed with rest intervals takes your heart rate range all the way from resting heart rate up to near maxed out levels, and trains your heart to recover fast, while training it through a very wide heart rate range, which is quite different from long distance running.  I know when I do 50-100 meter wind sprints, my heart rate will shoot up to 160 bpm, while my resting heart rate is in the low 50's!  Scientists are becoming more aware recently that "heart rate recovery" is one of the most important aspects to look at when it comes to heart health.

Now with all of that said, is sprinting for everyone? 

Definitely not!  Let's face it... some people are just too far out of shape to even try sprinting... they would likely pull a muscle, injure a tendon or ligament, or something else.  But almost anybody can eventually work up to sprints... heck, just watch the TV show, "The Biggest Loser", and even some of the contestants that start out at 400 lbs end up being able to do full sprints by the final weeks of the show.

Even if you can't do full out sprints right now, you can still use the concept of interval training and widely varying your heart rate throughout a workout instead of working at the same heart rate the whole workout.  Over time, you can experiment with higher levels of intensity that are approaching more of a full on sprint.

When I do wind sprints, I sprint so hard that it's actually impossible to do any more than 10-15 seconds during each sprint.  And I keep most sprints somewhere between 50-100 meters each in order to maximize intensity and therefore maximize GH release.

You can read below about the exact sprint routine I've used on and off for the last few months that really helped me to lean out whenever I needed to drop fat.  I also talk about what I did nutritionally before and after these sprint workouts to max out the fat loss effects:

A sprint routine that will get you into single digit bodyfat

Enjoy the rest of the Olympics!  And good luck with your own Olympic body!

PS -- if you liked todays article, please share this post on to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer