If you are serious about losing weight and getting into great shape you have to stay away from the common trend today of eating dessert instead of breakfast or skipping it altogether. In today’s fast paced world everyone is in a rush and the bad eating habits that come with such a lifestyle is largely to blame for our current problems with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Most will either skip breakfast or grab high sugar foods like donuts, pastries and highly processed boxed cereals all of which can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels and really sabotage your efforts at getting into better shape. By skipping breakfast altogether you set the stage for overeating later in the day as your body tries its best to compensate for the lack of nutrition that it was supposed to get first thing in the morning. A lot of the guilt that people feel for the perceived loss of willpower when they overeat later in the day is simply a manifestation of  bad breakfast choices or from skipping breakfast entirely. Taking that into consideration, a change in eating habits need not be difficult as it is less a matter of willpower, but more a matter of making better selections earlier in the day. A good start with healthy breakfast choices makes it easier to keep on making good food choices as the day goes on. Remember also that:

SKIPPING BREAKFAST OR ANY MEAL FOR THAT MATTER CAN BE JUST AS BAD AS EATING THE WRONG FOODS!

That being said, here are some certain no-no’s for breakfast, foods that you probably should never eat under any circumstances for that matter:

1. Bagels

 Bagels have a high glycemic index, due to the low fiber content and are among the highest calorie breads. You are not much better off with whole wheat or whole grain versions as they are still high in calories and not that high in fiber (you would be better off with oatmeal any day). Adding cream cheese or other spreads, can also increase the calorie count to over 500 calories each!

2. Granola

 Touted as a health food but essentially far too high in sugar- and for the record, honey is not an acceptable source of sugar for anyone serious about getting into great shape.

3. Pancakes Most commercial products consist of wheat are high in calories and have a high glycemic index. Many also have corn syrup and trans fats as ingredients as well and forget about adding maple syrup if you don’t want your blood sugar levels to go through the roof! The only pancakes that you can count on are ones you make yourself with stone ground flours and without added sugars or honey.

4. Pastries

Why desserts have become a popular choice for breakfast is beyond comprehension but croissants, éclairs, donuts, jelly filled pastries and such- high in simple sugars, wheat, all have high glycemic indices and are just about as bad a choice as you could make for the first meal of the day. Instead choose high fiber natural foods like fruit and oatmeal but not the instant kind!

5. Juices

 Juices sound like a good idea, since they come from a natural source, but are not at all natural to the human body. Whole fruits have fiber, which in turn reduces their glycemic index, by slowing it’s the rate of absorption in our body. Juices, however do not have significant fiber levels and the since there is not much fiber present, it elevates blood sugar levels above acceptable levels. You can easily over consume juices, but you would never eat 12 apples at one sitting. However an average person’s realistic serving of apple juice gives your body just about that amount. Some argue that juices are high in micronutrients, such as Vitamin C and other antioxidants but such an argument is ridiculous. You get the same micronutrients in whole fruit, without the insulin rush. So if you want fruit, eat fruit, don’t drink juices. You’ll feel better and look better as well! Besides, the breakfast standard of a glass of orange juice is so processed that all the naturally occurring nutrients (Vitamin C included) are destroyed and manufacturers have to put the vitamins back in so what you are drinking is really dead orange juice product with a vitamin tablet dissolved in it. Not exactly the best first choice for the health conscious. Eat fruit!

6. Sausages & Cold Cuts

 All are highly processed meats and also very high in sodium. You would be much better off eating freshly cooked meat, chicken or fish. I would also add to this category the ubiquitous American breakfast food- bacon.  High in fat, high in calories, high in sodium, not that high in protein, and also high in potentially cancer causing nitrites. It should be noted as well that recent studies have found that processed meats are responsible for increased risk of heart disease so it should certainly be on your stay away list- (read more here.)

7. Muffins

 Another so called health food, but even the bran muffins are far too high in sugars and have too high a glycemic index to be considered as a breakfast food. Skip it!

8. Protein Shakes

Another bad idea that sounds good; you drink a shake and get all the minerals and macronutrients you need for the day, case closed. However our bodies simply are not made for liquid foods, and you find that blood sugar levels still plummet later in the day as well. Which is a great thing if you happen to be in the protein shake manufacturing business- but isn’t that great for the rest of us). At the end of the day a protein shake is really nothing more than a glorified milkshake, and should not be in your diet if you are interested in getting into optimal shape. And forget the magazine ads and articles. Supplement advertising is the main source of income for the magazines in the first place, so it makes sense for them to herald them as the greatest invention since the wheel. Read more on my post on protein shakes here.

9. Cold cereal

All cold boxed cereal, from Kellogs to the whole grain varieties sold by the so called organic companies is junk food with no exceptions (and adding milk only adds to the problems!) The obvious ones like Frosted Flakes are easily spotted as being a bad choice, but popular brands like Wheaties, Healthy Choice and others are also bad examples, as are breakfast bars. It can say ‘all natural ingredients’, ‘organic’ or what not, but there is nothing in our food supply more alien than boxed cold cereals. You will never find a Wheatie or corn flake in nature and in order for any cereal of this nature to survive for prolonged periods they have to be highly processed which not only takes a ways the naturally occurring nutrients, but also creates a food product that our body is not designed to consume. Many of these cereals also have corn syrup and large numbers of unpronounceable preservatives added to them but thanks to extensive marketing boxed cereal is accepted as a staple for many, especially kids and college students, but keep in mind that they are filled with preservatives and all of the vitamins and minerals you see listed are added by machines after the refinement process and will never be absorbed the way your body would from a fruit or naturally occurring food. Moreover they all have a high glycemic index which will go a long way in increasing your insulin levels and increasing your visceral abdominal fat stores. Do not be fooled as well if you see a breakfast cereal in a health food store and assume that it is healthy. Health food stores are about making profit and selling products, not about providing you exclusively with foods that are wholesome, and it would be naive to think otherwise.

10. Instant Oatmeal

 Since instant oatmeal is refined, even the plain variants are not as good as old fashioned oatmeal. The refining process removes a lot of the fiber, to make it cook faster, and so its glycemic index goes up. The flavored varieties are even worse and are loaded with sugar. Convenient as those instant containers may be, convenience should never be more important than making the best food choices for your body so get the non instant varieties- it is much better for you and is an excellent start to your day!

For more information on healthy eating for weight loss, download a free copy of my Naturally Intense Breakfast Guide below.

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™. Visit Kevin’s official website at www.naturallyintense.net

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Post tags: breakfast, diet, diet tips, health tips, healthy eating, junk foods, weight loss

As Little As One Drink Of Alcohol A Week Can Significantly Reduce Fat Loss

Here is the common statement- if you eat well and exercise regularly having a drink once a week or so isn’t going to affect your weight loss that much. Unfortunately, having worked with hundreds of people over the course of almost two decades I can tell you from personal experience that it will. In fact my observations over the years have borne out that by having as little as one drink of alcohol a week is more than enough to reduce your weight loss by over 60-70% as compared to those following the same dietary plan and exercise regime. More important is that for those final pounds to come off those that consistently had as little as one drink a week were never able to attain flat and rippling abdominals while those that did not drink were consistently able to do so while following the prescribed dietary and exercise protocols. Working with the individuals that indulged I was also always able to tell whether they were drinking or not as their performance in the gym was noticeably reduced if they consumed alcohol for well over 48 hours after consumption. Why does alcohol have such a negative impact on weight loss and performance- the standard idea is that alcohol is high in calories and to lose weight one must at all times burn more calories that you are taking in- but in reality this has nothing to do with why alcohol has such a negative effect as even low calorie alcoholic drinks are problematic. The real problem is that alcohol works to reduce the amount of fat your body is able to burn while increasing your appetite and lowering your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after your last drink.

After having a drink or two here is what happens to your body that you may not be aware of:

• A some of the alcohol consumed is converted into fat.
• Your liver converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
• The acetate is released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
• The alcohol raises levels of the stress hormone, cortisol which also acts to increase muscle breakdown.
• The alcohol also reduces testosterone levels.
• The alcohol intake will increase your appetite thus making it more likely that you will overeat without being aware of it.

How Alcohol Inhibits Fat Loss

As we said earlier conventional thought is that beer bellies are caused by the excess alcohol calories being stored as fat- but studies have found that on average less than 5% of the alcohol calories you drink are converted by the liver into fat. Rather, the main problem with alcohol is that it reduces the amount of fat your body is able to burn for energy. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade in half hour intervals. Each drink contained less than 90 calories and fat metabolism was measured both before and after consumption of the drinks. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation which is the rate at which your body burns fat was reduced by 73%[1],!

Instead of being stored as fat, the tendency for your liver to convert alcohol into acetate. Acetate is used by your body as an alternative fuel source- one that replaces fat as a primary fuel source when it is present and available in your system. So when acetate levels rise your body burns more acetate and consequently significantly less fat. In the study it was found that blood acetate levels were 250% higher than normal and this sharp increase in acetate goes a long way in inhibiting fat loss.

Alcohol Makes You Eat More

The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie foods creates an even bigger problem as alcohol works to stimulate your appetite. The word aperitif is French in origin and refers to the alcoholic drink taken before meals to increase your appetite and has been a tradition for hundreds of years. A Canadian study showed that an aperitif increased calorie intake far more than a carbohydrate-based drink [2]. Many other studies have validated this and the bottom line is that you will always eat more when you consume alcohol with your meals.

Alcohol Reduces Testosterone Levels

As if it wasn’t bad enough, not only does too much alcohol inhibit fat loss, but it also decreases testosterone levels. Studies have shown that one bout of high alcohol consumption drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [3]. Even more alarming is the fact that it was found that the damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [4]. The testosterone reducing effects of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle and thus are unable to achieve the levels of muscular development and fat loss required for a lean and sculpted physique. A 1993 study showed conclusively that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than those who abstain from alcoholic beverages [5].

Can You Have Maximum Weight Loss And Still Drink Occasionally?

Having alcohol with a meal will increase your metabolic rate, but will also reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy — far more so than high protein, high carbohydrate, or high fat meals [6]. A drink once in a blue moon might not do that much but it is important to understand that if you really want to maximize your fat loss and muscle building efforts to create a truly lean and sculpted physique, alcohol is more of a liability than an asset. It isn’t always easy especially in many social situations, but at the end of the day it is important that we understand fully the consequences of our actions rather than pretending that a drink or two a week won’t make much of a difference.

References
1. Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936
2. Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372
3. Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93
4. Heikkonen, E., Ylikahri, R., Roine, R., Valimaki, M., Harkonen, M., & Salaspuro, M. (1996). The combined effect of alcohol and physical exercise on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and cortisol in males. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 20, 711-716
5. Kvist, H., Hallgren, P., Jonsson, L., Pettersson, P., Sjoberg, C., Sjostrom, L., & Bjorntorp, P. (1993). Distribution of adipose tissue and muscle mass in alcoholic men. Metabolism, 42, 569-573
6. Raben A, Agerholm-Larsen L, Flint A, Holst JJ, Astrup A. (2003). Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 91-100

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Contrary to popular belief natural carbohydrates like rice eaten in moderation will not make you fat.

Carbohydrates & Weight Loss- Low Carbs Are Not The Answer

Part 2 of 2- See the first post here: Carbohydrates & Weight Loss- A Low Carb Diet Isn’t The Answer

Mention the word weight loss and most people think of cutting their carbs. The truth is that carbohydrates are not a food group to be severely restricted if you are trying to lose weight as carbohydrates are necessary for so many metabolic functions in our body. Carbs are broken down into glucose which is the primary fuel source of the cells in your body, including your muscles and your brain. Without adequate consumption you will feel fatigued and  experience a noticeable loss of energy. You will also have a difficult time concentrating since your brain will  literally be low on fuel and your body will be forced to burn off valuable muscle to fuel itself. Not a good thing at all. So we have established the importance of carbs as our body’s primary fuel source and thus negated the idea of taking too many of them out of our diet. Now we are going to look at where the problems can arise.

The Link Between Modern Refined Carbohydrates & Weight Gain

As I mentioned earlier in my previous post refined carbohydrates are usually made from white flour products and have a high glycemic index. This means that they cause huge spikes in insulin levels. The body then tends to over compensate for this spike so you experience a sugar-high followed by a sugar low that creates a sense of urgent hunger causing you to gravitate toward similar foods that elicit the same response. (Sound familiar).  The pancreas then has to work overtime making insulin to store glucose and triglycerides and depending on your genetics; this can set the stage for adult onset diabetes. This up and down experience with blood sugar levels also gives rise a condition known as hypoglycemia. One of the unfortunate side effects of hypoglycemia is again that urgent and unbearable hunger and a need to eat much more calories than the body needs. The  result- you get fat.

Eating too many carbohydrates is so easy with today’s low fiber refined carb sources it can indeed make you fat. When you ingest excess amounts of carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels increase triggering your pancreas to release insulin, like we said before. Insulin controls where blood sugar is stored. Some of it is used for energy, and some is stored in the muscles as glycogen (the stored form of sugar). Since your body can store only a certain amount as glycogen, the excess is stored as fat. Insulin also prevents existing fat from being used as energy.  Having continuously high insulin levels means  continually storing the carbohydrates as fat while keeping the fat you already have. These two aforementioned factors are the among the main reasons  two thirds of the population of the US is overweight!

The Refined Carbohydrates-Trans Fat Link

Note also that most of the refined carbohydrates today are made with trans fatty acids. There is a great deal of research that has shown that trans fatty acids (usually listed as partially hydrogenated oils) can elevate your bad cholesterol levels and increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. There are also some studies that suggest that it may damages blood vessels. Crafty manufacturers don’t list it but fortunately legislation is being passed to force them to do so. What carbohydrate sources contain trans fatty acids you ask? You may not like the answer- French Fries, donuts, potato chips and even crackers. You can find them by reading the ingredient listing, if you see partially hydrogenated oil listed put it down.

The Dangers of Refined Carbohydrates Like Soda & Juices

The other reason carbohydrates is given a bad rap is the other deadly sinful indulgence of the average American- soda and fruit juice. We all know (I hope) that soda is bad but so are ‘100% natural juices’. Again here you have a large amount of carbohydrate in the form of  corn syrup and table sugar with no fiber- so you can drink it forever whereas you could never eat the dozens of fruits used to make one bottle of fruit juice because of their fiber content. I should also mention the relationship between simple sugars and mucus formation. The biochemical name for mucus is mucopolysaccharide which means “mucus of many sugars.” Mucus  is basically formed through the linking together of sugar molecules. If you have a condition, such as asthma in which mucus is part of the problem, you can do yourself a lot of good by minimizing your intake of simple sugars and refined foods.

Some Useful Carb Strategies for Weight Loss

Here’s what you need to do to keep your carb intake form affecting your waistline:

• Educate Yourself. Get a book or chart detailing the glycemic index of the foods that you eat along with their macronutrient and fiber makeup.  

• Eat only fruits and vegetables with a relatively low glycemic index of under 50- (all fruits are not created equal).  

• Avoid processed and refined carbohydrates

• Check labels for high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, and partially hydrogenated oils.– and stay away from them!

• Make sure that the carbohydrates that you eat are in as natural a state as possible .

• Eat only carb sources that are high in fiber -(since fiber is not digested if you eat a food with 15 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fiber you are only really getting 7 grams of carbs.)

• If you have to eat things like cold cereal pasta or a bread product make sure it has over 3 grams of fiber per serving and is low in simple sugars- (that eliminates a lot on the market but if you look hard enough you can them out there)

• Remember that milk contains a significant amount of sugar.– and stay away from it! You also don’t need it for its calcium. Milk is also a poor source of calcium in comparison to foods such as kelp and sardines. Trust me– you don’t need it!

• Don’t eat a lot of carbohydrates and a lot of fats at the same time. Fettucine Alfredo, donuts and French Fries are all exercises in weight gain.

• Consume an adequate supply of water at all times.

• Eat 5 to 6 small meals daily,  always eating before you get hungry! If you wait until you are starving you are going crave  everything that is bad for you!
Now everyone is different based on activity levels and body composition, and as such each individual must determine exactly how much carbohydrates that you need. If you feel sleepy after a carb meal- you’ve eaten too much.  Remember this is not a natural process and feeling sluggish after a meal isn’t something to enjoy, it’s a hint that you are doing something wrong. Spread out your carbohydrate intake throughout the day, taking in most of it earlier in the day and eating less and less as the day winds down. Keep in mind the adage,

“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.”

Even though carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced diet the idea is not to overdo it and if you stick to only natural sources, you’ll find that it really isn’t that hard!

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, fast foods, health tips, healthy eating, junk foods, weight loss

Carbohydrates and weight loss- not an either or proposition

Carbohydrates and Weight Loss- You Don’t Need Low Carb Diets

The era of the Atkins type low carbohydrate diets for weight loss are mercifully over, however many persist in the belief that dropping their carbohydrates is still a viable way to lose weight. It is important to acknowledge that even the most dedicated among us cannot diet strictly by severely restricting their carbohydrate intake for a prolonged period of time- our body simply is not designed for such long term deprivation of an important fuel source and as many who have tried it can attest- you will eventually succumb to overwhelming food cravings, overeat and regain all of the weight lost if not more. There are no secrets nor are there any magical ways to lose weight safely and efficiently. Proper weight loss must follow a sensible and realistic progression towards lifestyle change and must incorporate a comprehensive exercise plan that is both practical and possible in the long run. That being said contrary to popular opinion, you can indeed eat an adequate supply of naturally occurring high fiber carbohydrates and still lose weight the problems start when we substitute modern refined carbohydrates for natural ones.

Our Weight Loss Problems Come From Refined Carbohydrates

When it comes to the refined carbohydrates of today, our bodies still have yet to come to terms with the changes in food supply brought on by the industrialization of our food supply and our bodies are not designed to handle a large influx of carbohydrates at one time. You see in nature, all carbohydrates are very high in fiber and thus you really can’t consume too much of them at a time. However with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the 19^thCentury to support an ever growing population we found a way to refine naturally occurring carbohydrates and to stretch the supply and in the process we were able to make once fibrous carbohydrate foods ‘light and tasty’ by removing significant amounts of the naturally occurring fiber during the refinement process. In doing we changed the glycemic index of the naturally occurring carbohydrate and created a product that our body does not really recognize. By changing the glycemic index of  carbohydrate food source not only does this affect the way that it is processed metabolically in our bodies, but it also makes it ridiculously easy for us to consume large amounts at one time.

Modern Bread As An Example Of A Healthy Carbohydrate Source Made Into An Unhealthy Food Product

Consider the eating habits of the average human before the coming of refined carbohydrate foods such as doughnuts, boxed cereals, packaged cookies and the host of refined flour products of today. Bread for example has been a staple in the diets of many cultures for thousands of years, however with the development of steel milling, the flour of today isn’t the stone ground flour of old, filled with fiber and much needed omega-3 and protein from the wheat germ. The combination of a higher fiber content, the healthy fats and interestingly enough, the larger surface area of stone ground flour served to slow the processing of the sugars in our body and thus there were no unhealthy insulin spikes from eating products made from these forms of stone ground flour. Today’s flour is so finely refined that the fiber content is significantly lower or non-existent even in the so called whole wheat varieties and the wheat germ and healthy fats are removed.

Bread Isn’t The Problem- Our Refinement Process Is The Problem

This is done to extend the shelf life of modern flour as the oils contained in wheat germ quickly spoil. The finely ground powder is also far more appealing than the course yellowish flour that our forefathers consumed, but sadly the increased surface area exposed to our digestive enzymes from such finely milled flour products increases the rate of conversion into glucose thus giving us an unnatural spike in our insulin levels as a consequence. Add to this the fact that breads were made mainly of only water, yeast and flour and you can see clearly that the multi-ingredient products that we see on the supermarket shelves are not in any way related to the breads that we have eaten without health problems for the past several thousand years- no matter how much they label it as ‘healthy’, ‘organic’ or ‘all natural’.

Before our food industrialization, and the slew of junk food carbohydrates that it spawned, metabolic diseases were nowhere near as prevalent as it is today. In non industrialized societies type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are very rare indeed and we can thank our modern technology for our current state of affairs.

Continued here in Carbohydrates and Weight Loss-  You Don’t Need to Be Afraid Of Carbs

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, fast foods, health tips, healthy eating, junk foods

Changing your diet is difficult but not impossible if you understand the dynamics behind our behavior.

Changing Your Diet Forever- Why Is Change So Hard?

Mark Twain once said that quitting smoking was the easiest thing in the world- as he had done it several hundred times himself. Unfortunately, the same applies to changing your diet and taking steps to ensure that you are eating healthy and able to attain and maintain a healthy body weight. Most people reading this can attest to the fact that most attempts at dieting and changing your eating habits result in only short term weight loss and that in time most of the weight lost is regained as you revert to your original eating patterns. The percentage that is often quoted from a very old study on the subject places dieting failure at about 95% and while the study may be somewhat antiquated, the fact remains that according to the World Health Organization figures there are over 1 billion overweight people on the planet today- more than ever before. At the same time more people are attempting to lost weight than ever before and most diet plans, supplements and products profit from the high failure rate as it creates a large number of repeat customers. So why is it so hard for us to change our eating habits and lose weight? Most of us are at least somewhat aware of what not to eat- but the change usually proves to be almost impossible, but it is indeed doable if you understand the mechanics behind our inherent struggles with change.

Changing Your Diet- Understanding The Patterns

The first key to changing your diet is an understanding of your food consumption patterns. If you foster an intimate, objective and non-judgemental understanding of your behavior in the course of time if you are patient enough you will be able to change it. Contrary to what many gurus would have you believe, simply resolving to never eat unhealthy foods again is not the answer for the majority of the population, nor does the answer lie in following every new fad diet and weight loss program that the media marketing machine trys to make a part of our collective popular culture. If that were the case then everyone would be successful in their attempts at weight control and somewhat sobering, the entire weight loss industry wouldn’t need to exist after everyone was successful after following the trendy diet of the day, used the weight loss supplements being advertised or followed the in vogue exercise program featured in the magazines and infomercials.

That certainly is not the case and every bonafide expert in the field would agree with my observation over the past two decades as a professional helping people with their weight management is that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle permanently. For this to happen there must be an unrelenting commitment to a change. One that is completely divorced from the destructive and self loathing perspectives that somehow there must be some form of atonement for failures to stay on track.

It is human nature to believe that when a ‘wrong’ is committed a period of guilt is required, followed by penance of some sort. Unfortunately, this very idea of eating the wrong foods as a ‘sin’ of some sort is a reality with regards the way most people perceive their dietary slips. The individual falters, eating something that falls into the category of forbidden and goes into a downward spiral of self hatred and disgust. This self inflicted flagellation is followed by a resolve to either exercise more, diet harder or employ some extreme method to compensate for the ‘damage’ done by their indulgence. (Sound familiar?) As familiar as it sounds it remains a major obstacle to long term success.

How Guilt & Quick Fixes Make Changing Your Diet Even Harder

Physiologically speaking, there isn’t anything that you can do compensate for a slip in your diet. Nothing at all. What is done is done and any attempts to try to undo the past are simply wasted exercises in magical thinking. This way of thinking can lead to eating disorders and an overall pathological relationship with food and has little to do with attaining a healthy mind and body. Instead the slips must be looked upon as what they are; learning experiences that teach us more about ourselves as every slip holds the information necessary to help you avoid their continued recurrence.

The popular but limited idea of getting into shape for summer or for some upcoming event or vacation doesn’t permit a transition towards this way of successful thinking. There is a popular weight loss slogan that life is too short to slim fast but like so many advertising mantras it has no foundations in reality. No one ever became overweight overnight and we have to readjust to the reality that permanent change happens over the course of years, not weeks or months and that the idea of getting into shape has to be a long term day by day process rooted in taking care of yourself- not just looking great in a swimsuit. Nothing worth achieving in this life comes quickly and controlling your eating habits is no exception. It takes practice and and it takes patience.  On a personal note, while many look at my physique today and the steadfastness by which I am able to not indulge in processed foods of any kind, they overlook the fact that it took the better part of two decades to be able to get there,  and without the slips and failures I encountered along the way, I would never have learned the invaluable lessons that allow me to be where I am today.

Understanding The Dynamics Behind Learned Behavior

The other important factor is an understanding of the dynamics behind learned behavior. When you decide, for example, that you are no longer going to eat unhealthy foods, your new attitude only serves to supplement your original behavior where eating unhealthy foods were acceptable. Behavioral psychology has found what many of us in the trenches have learned through objective observation. Namely that the very habits that we seek to change resurface because they are not fully forgotten. As long as new and old ways of thinking coexist as opposing impulses they will always be in competition unless steps are taken to disarm the undesirable attitudes.

Disarming those attitudes requires a fundamental change in perception, a change that comes again with time and patience. It is only when you are able to enjoy foods that are good for you that you will be able to break the cycle. Again, it does not happen overnight but a constant diet of natural unrefined and wholesome foods would eventually lead you to the conclusion that you don’t need added salt, sugar and fatty foods to enjoy your eating experience. Over time your taste buds adapt and if you engage in a well executed exercise plan that increases your caloric and nutritional needs, you will find yourself eventually craving foods that are good for you. You new ‘comfort food’ would be foods that make you physically make you feel better and not junk foods that create only a passing mental illusion of comfort while wreaking havoc on your body.  The temptation to indulge in the foods that you wished to avoid therefore would fade into the background, a temptation that over time would simply be forgotten.

Eating Well Has To Be A Way Of Life

This is the same progression that allows me to maintain my diet all year round without any exceptions whatsoever, and the one that has worked unfailingly for innumerable individuals that I have been honored to work with over the years as a personal trainer. I know that many of you are asking yourselves how could you possibly stay on a diet of only healthy foods long enough to get to a point where the old habits are pushed aside. Taken by itself it would be a daunting task, but if you take small steps large tasks are easily accomplished. Finally on a spiritual level, you will be opening the doors to a whole new way of perceiving the world. One where limits are constantly being re-evaluated and where the seemingly impossible task of breaking free of the perpetually destructive cycle of weight loss and weight gain becomes very much a reality for you to enjoy.

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

Learn more about his personal training services at www.naturallyintense.net

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The Dangers Of Visceral Abdominal Fat

In the olden days body fat was considered to be mainly a storage mechanism for our bodies in order to have an easily accessed supply of energy in the event of food shortage or prolonged periods of activity. However we know today that there are different kinds of fat- visceral (surrounding the abdominal organs) or subcutaneous (fat that lies between the skin and the abdominal walls).  The cosmetic considerations aside, several  studies show that  high visceral fat levels increase risk factors for insulin resistance, which sets the stage for type 2 diabetes. (Some research suggests that the deeper layers of subcutaneous fat may also be involved in the development of insulin resistance (in men but not in women).

Visceral Abdominal Fat Plays A Major Role In Developing Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease

These fat cells in the abdominal area are not merely inert storage mechanisms- in fact they are very much biologically active. In a way you should think of fat as an organ onto itself, as it is able to produce hormones and other substances that can have a profound effect on our health. One such hormone secreted by fat cells is leptin. Leptin is usually released after a meal and sends a signal to your brain for you to stop eating. Another hormone produced by visceral fat cells is the hormone adiponectin, which is thought to influence the response of our cells to insulin. Although scientists are still learning more everyday about the roles of individual hormones, it is clear that excess body fat, especially visceral abdominal fat seems to disrupt the normal balance and functioning of these hormones. Thus our body doesn’t secrete insulin the way it should (insulin resistance) and our we overeat because our leptin levels are disrupted by the increased presence of visceral fat.

Visceral Abdominal Fat Creates Chronic Inflammation & Increase Cancer Risks

Another finding that has researchers looking at the link between abdominal fat deposits and increased risk of metabolic syndrome is the role of cytokines. Visceral fat produces these immune system chemicals (namely tumor necrosis factor and interleukin y6) that can bring about an increase in insulin resistance, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic inflammation. Research also shows that there are other biochemicals coming from visceral abdominal fat that appear to have negative effects on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and the body’s blood clotting ability. The alarming news is that the dangers of increased visceral abdominal fat don’t end at heart disease and diabetes, studies have found that a waist to hip ratio higher than 0.85 was linked to a 52% increase in risk for colorectal cancer among women.

Visceral Abdominal Fat Hampers Daily Activity & Brain Function

Another study on atherosclerosis done at Wake Forest University in North Carolina found interestingly enough that even among people of normal weight, those with higher waist to hip ratios had just as much difficulty performing the daily tasks of everyday life as those that with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).  Apparently having a big belly seems to make simple tasks such as getting out of bed and performing routine household chores far more difficult! More shocking was a study presented at an annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience which found that older people with bigger bellies had on average worse memory and less verbal fluency, and that was even when adjustments were made in the study to take diabetes into account.

How Do I Get Rid Of Visceral Fat?

So how do we combat this nefarious form of fat around our waists? Simple, exercise in conjunction with healthy eating are the most universally accepted and proven methods of reducing visceral abdominal fat. The great part is that by making healthy eating and exercising a regular part of your life not only will you reduce your risk of developing potentially fatal diseases, but you will look and feel better in the process as well!

Related Articles: High Intensity Training Reduces Visceral Abdominal Fat

Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. Get a copy of Kevin’s award winning free weight loss ebook here and visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. 

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Post tags: abs, body fat, health tips, healthy eating, obesity, weight loss

The 'Biggest Loser''s competitive weight loss approach may be entertaining, but it is certainly not a healthy precedent for weight loss.

The Biggest Loser- A Bad Example For Weight Loss

Over the past several years weight loss themed reality shows like ‘The Biggest Loser’ have become increasingly popular but are such shows really helping promote weight loss and a healthy lifestyle? In the ‘Biggest Loser’ the objective is of course to have the contestants lose as much weight as possible and has made these goals very much a matter of entertaining the public rather than trying to show healthy and realistic methods for long term weight loss that anyone can apply.

Weight Loss Is Only Effective When Done Slowly

The benchmarks are ridiculously unrealistic and for that matter, dangerous. Much is made over the fastest 100 pound weight loss- some poor soul lost that much in seven weeks, whereas in my two decades of helping people lose weight long term it takes at least nine to twelve months to lose that much weight safely and keep it off. The most weight lost in a week on the show was 34 pounds, which while may make for compelling television viewing, sends a really bad message to the public in terms of weight loss as studies have shown that individuals who lose weight quickly run the risk of gallstones, mineral deficiencies, loss of muscle tissue and reduced bone density. The safe rate of one to two pounds of weight loss per week might help someone stay healthy and keep the weight off long term, but it would only get them kicked off the show for not losing weight fast enough.

Competitive Weight Loss Sends A Potentially Harmful Message To The Public

Many of my colleagues in both the personal training, nutrition and medical fields agree that the idea of competitive weight loss is a dangerous one that does little to educate the public on how to lose weight safely and effectively. In my own personal training practice I have always been steadfastly against the use of Before and After photos in my marketing campaigns as it sets the stage for highlighting unrealistic weight loss figures and takes away the importance of the individual focusing on achieving their own goals through lifestyle modification rather than trying to make the numbers on the scale go down.

The Dangers Of Too Much Too Soon

Needless to say there have been hospitalizations on the show- and numerous instances where contestants suffer cramps, exhaustion and stress fractures from the high workloads. This type of programming isn’t inspirational, its voyeuristic- watching someone who is significantly obese try to complete strenuous exercise activities and work out five to six hours a day while following remarkably restrictive diets. It also sets the stage for the idea that to lose weight you need to do extreme things like exercise every day for hours on end while starving yourself while studies are increasingly showing that you can actually make more progress following low volume high intensity training which calls for no more than a half hour of exercise a week.

The Biggest Loser Is An Unrealistic Portrayal Of Weight Loss In Real Life

But there is another side of ‘The Biggest Loser’ that most viewers don’t see. The screening process alone requires that potential contestants camp out for hours on end in line for a chance to audition for the show. Being able to spend eight hours in line for anything is more than most would attempt but it ensures that the contestants, while obese are far more determined than most members of the general population. They are further screened to make sure that there is a ‘Wow factor’ by choosing contestants that are truly obese. It wouldn’t be half as entertaining to watch someone that was 10 or twenty pounds overweight on the show and so they opt for most of the contestants to be severely obese.

Fast Weight Loss Is Seldom Long Lasting & Potentially Dangerous

Research has shown definitively that if you lose weight and then regain it you significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many former Biggest Loser contestants have regained some or all of their weight and it isn’t surprising given the unrealistic amount of exercise and the severity of the diets. No one takes into consideration the fact that these individuals actually made their health problems worse by going through such an extreme weight loss process as entertainment, cleverly packaged to look like it is meant to be some form of public service is the end goal at all cost.

I have seen for myself more and more people feeling like they are failures since their weight loss isn’t as fast or as spectacular as the contestants on the ‘Biggest Loser’ and I have to constantly remind them that weight loss more of a marathon than a sprint and that their modest losses of one to two pounds a week is not only phenomenal but safe, healthy and more likely to be permanent. If you want information on weight loss, you don’t turn on the television in prime time and you have to keep in mind that entertainment is just that no matter how well packaged it is. At the end of the day slow and steady wins the race, without starvation diets and without spending hours every day exercising to exhaustion.

Kevin Richardson is the creator of the Naturally Intense High Intensity 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here!

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Slow down to lose weight!

Want A Simple Way To Lose Weight- Eat Slowly!

Over my many years of studies in both traditional Easter medicine and traditional Japanese martial arts, the idea of eating your food slowly has been a recurring theme for weight control and optimal health. I think everyone is familiar with how often children are admonished to chew their foods slowly, and now thanks to recent research we know that this age old health tip does indeed have merit.

In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, seventeen healthy male adult volunteers were observed to see whether eating the same meal at different speeds would bring about  any differences in hormonal response. For the study, volunteers were given a serving of ice cream and made to eat the same amount at different speeds. Blood samples were taken to measure both insulin and gut hormones and what they found was that the volunteers released more hormones that made them feel full when they ate the ice cream in 30 minutes as opposed to five minutes. The two particular hormones released glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY are key components to signaling feelings of perceived satiety and fullness and thus leads to eating less.

Several Studies Confirm That Eating Slowly Decreases Caloric Intake & Risk Of Being Overweight

Several other studies back this claim, including a very large scale survey published in the British Medical Journal. For this survey 3287 adults (1122 men, 2165 women) ages ranging from 3 to 69 years old participated in reports on cardiovascular risk from 2003 to 2006. The results found that those who self reported consuming their foods quickly and eating until they were full had three times the likelihood of being overweight when compared with others that ate at slower paces. Another randomized study of 30 women published in the American Dietetic Association found that participants reported greater feelings of satisfaction and consumed less calories when they ate at a slower pace compared to when they ate quickly.

Our Fast Food Mentality May Be Doing Us More Harm Than We Know

The ancient wisdom of eating slowly and enjoying your foods can indeed help you eat less and thus should be considered a simple and effective method of weight control but it also raises some questions about common practices that might be contributing factors to our obesity epidemic. Given the ever increasing numbers of children that are overweight in the United States and the small alotment of time given to children for lunch breaks in public schools one cannot help but wonder just detrimental this practice is to the health of our children. For adults the idea of eating on the run and for that matter the whole idea of fast food and rapid eating may be more of a problem than we think. So eat slowly and enjoy your meals!

Related Articles:

Controlling Your Eating Habits

Best Way To Lose Weight- Eat A Healthy Breakfast!

NYC Personal Trainer Kevin Richardson is the most sought after personal trainers in New York City, a lifetime drug free bodybuilding champion and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™. His high intensity 10 minute workouts have been helping people get better results in less time for the past 19 years! Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here!

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Post tags: diet, diet tips, eating tips, fast foods, fat loss, flat stomach, weight loss

Having A Low Body Fat Percentage Doesn't Mean You Are Healthy!

Nowadays the gold marker by which all health and fitness levels seem to be measured seems to be body fat percentages. Ask just about anyone that is seriously into their fitness regime what their body fat percentage is and nine out of ten times they can tell you exactly what it is. When I started out as a personal trainer, some 18 years ago, I kept calipers as part of my training kit and was very dedicated to measuring my clients on a regular basis. One day my coach came to me and asked me why I had the calipers and the clipboard and I answered that the training manuals said that it was key to measure body fat percentage as an indicator of progress. He laughed and gave me some of the best advice I ever got as a trainer and said that if a client can’t look in the mirror and see the differences themselves in their body, then I am not doing my job! He added that at the end of the day, a change in numbers means nothing when they still have a sizeable layer of fat obscuring their midsection. To this day I don’t use body fat testing as a tool in the Naturally intense System of Deit & Exercise, and in this post I wanted to explore the various ways of testing available on the market to toady as well as why in the end it is really how you look that matters, not just the numbers.  

Body Fat Measurements- BMI Examples

Body fat testing can serve a useful purpose to some degree in that it helps give some idea of how much body fat and how much muscle you are carrying at any given time, a reading that the scale or simple Body Mass Index estimates sometimes cannot give. I remember when I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and weighed in at a hefty 220 lbs at a height of 6 feet even.  I was told that I was significantly overweight and would have to lose at least 30 to 40 lbs before I could get in. My BMI was 29.8, which gave me a reading saying I was in the higher end of the overweight chart and almost at the point of being obese. I couldn’t tell you how funny that was as I had a body fat level of 6% at the time, with my abdominal muscles rippling and not an ounce of fat really visible on my frame and when the recruiter saw what I looked like under my clothes, he said not to worry about it, and that I would be fine. To this day at 225 lbs and at a body fat level of 5% or lower I am just about listed as being obese, which really highlights the limitations of the BMI scales. (To be fair- it is a noted fact that an athletically built human being’s measurement cannot be used to determine BMI using traditional methods.)

Body fat is a bit more reliable, but again, there are always limitations based on the method used to define it. There are many ways to measure your body fat, some being more accurate than others, but at the end of the day, it isn’t the number that matters, but the changes in the numbers as you keep on measuring using whatever method you choose.

The Simple Tape Measure Method

With tape measure and caliper testing, people who are muscular can get numbers 3 to 5 percent higher than their true percent body fat percentages. This is because they don’t have a lot of fat inside their muscles, so their measurements may be lower than this tape measure test indicates.

Conversely, if a person is skinny but doesn’t have much muscle, this body fat test may yield a number 3 to 5 percent lower than his or her true percent body fat. Though they look thin, unfit skinny people really have more than the usual amount of fat inside their muscles, which you can’t see from the outside. So, what’s the bottom line? For many people, this tape measure test is quite accurate, it puts you in control, it can be done frequently and it costs nothing.

Bioelectrical Impedance Testing

Bioelectrial impedance testing is a fairly common method and is being used more and more in scales that you can have at home. The way it works is that a small electrical charge is sent through the body. The greater the resistance (measured in ohms), the more fat is present, because fat interferes does not conduct electricity as well as muscle does. The lesser the resistance, the more muscle tissue is present, because lean tissue is highly conductive due to its high water content. It can be off by quite a wide margin, as to be accurate hydration levels have to be exactly the same each time as well as the amount of food in your stomach and intestines. The test also tends to overestimate percent body fat in very lean individuals, (sound familiar?)  and underestimate body fat in obese people.

Additionally the handheld devices only measure fat levels in the upper body- sending a current through one arm and out the other arm, while and digital scales only measure fat levels in the lower body- current goes up one leg and down the other). Both types models won’t take abdominal fat storage into account, so you’re not getting a full picture of the fat level of your entire body at any time.

Skin Fold Caliper Testing

With the skin fold testing, calipers are used to pinch certain parts of the body and then determine the body fat percentage based on the assumption that the amount of fat stored at these various sites is proportional to a person’s overall body fat, thus by measuring several sites, total body fat may be calculated. It is a pretty reliable test, if the same person performs it each time (it is a skill and there can be wide ranges in reading from different people performing them, as it does take some practice to master.) However there are limits. Some people just don’t pinch easily- and it is hard to get reading from them. Others have such high body fat levels that the calipers cannot open wide enough to pinch accurately and the tests will thus underestimate their levels.

The Golden Standard- Hydrostatic Testing

This can be a pretty involved  (and expensive) process, bordering on the extreme for most. Hydrostatic testing for years has been the golden standard, where you are completely immersed in water and then asked to blow as much air as possible out of your lungs. Not exactly a great way to spend and afternoon, but it does give a very precise reading, but is far more involved for most people (myself included) and while more accurate than the caliper tests or simple measurement estimations based on taking measurements from various parts of the body, it still has some degree of error, especially when it comes to athletes- who tend to have higher bone densities than the rest of the population and thus can read to have a higher fat percentage than is actually true. Differences in bone densities based on race also can throw readings off to a degree as well.

There are other methods that are being used more and more, from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (Cat Scans), Near Infrared Interactance and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. All seeking to find more and more accurate ways to measure body fat. Most are way too expensive and time consuming for most as part of a regular regime to record someone’s progress outside of a clinical setting.

What Is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage

Personally, I shy away from the whole idea, as with the Naturally Intense System of Diet and Exercise, a healthy body fat percentage is attained when you can look in the mirror and see very little evidence of fat on your body- end of story. The numbers and the charting means very little to most of us if we don’t look great with our clothes off. That being said, there are some standards that you should know to start off with, in terms of what is healthy and what is unhealthy.

 The American Council on Exercise and says men’s body fat should be 6-25%, and women’s should be 14-31% while the American Dietetic Association recommends that men have 15-18% body fat and women have 20-25% body fat.

Healthy male athletes might be as low as 5-12% body fat, and healthy female athletes could be as low as 10-20%.

Body Fat Is Not The Only Indicator Of How Good You Will Look Or Good Health

One of the reasons that I stress that the mirror is more important than any reading you may have, no matter how accurate the method used, is that where you hold your body fat is more important than what your percentage is. For example, my experience has been that two people can have exactly the same body fat percentages and look as different as night and day. Some people can have rippling abs with 15% body fat whereas others have to go as low as 6% to start seeing real definition in their stomach areas.

More importantly the risk of fat related conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers is determined by where you hold your body fat. Fat around the abdominal area holds the greatest risk for potential health problems, while fat around the hips and thighs for women seem to be relatively harmless with respect to these health problems.

Although two people can have the weight or the same body fat percentage, that doesn’t mean they face the same health risks. Where body fat is located can place a person at far greater risk for fat-related health conditions such as: cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and even certain types of cancers.

It is important, for health and well-being, to not only know your body fat percentage but to also pay attention to where that fat is located. Fat around the abdomen may present the greatest risk for health problems. In contrast, fat around the hips and thighs is most common in females and seems relatively harmless with respect to these health problems. So don’t get too hung up on the numbers.

NOTE: If you liked my blog post and are able to forward it to a friend, or give me a Stumble thumbs up or review, Digg it and add it to a few other social networking sites or link it to your blog, I would very much appreciate it!  Thanks for reading!

Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here! Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. Visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. 

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Post tags: body fat, body fat percentage, body fat testing

Will Bread Make You Fat?

Common question: Will bread make you fat? One that I get asked over and over, and of course no one food can make you fat, but there are certain foods that can contibute easily to and increase in your weight and that seem to correspond to an overall decrease in performance and possibly have a detrimental overall effect on your health. This two part piece will explore the issue and I will detail my theories on wheat products in general. I hope you find it to be of use. 

One of the first things that my personal training clients get is a dietary guide with a caveat of sorts, warning them to stay away from certain foods. Highlighted on that list are all wheat and bread products. It is a commonly accepted fact that consumption of bread and wheat products is an absolute no-no for anyone trying to get into and maintain really optimum condition, and so it doesn’t come to many as a surprise. It seems pretty cut and dry, bread and wheat products equals getting fat and holding excess water, but I have to be honest with you and say that it isn’t that simple.
You see the foundation of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise has always been a return to the foods that we as a species have been consuming for thousands of years over the modern post industrial revolution foods that dominate our food supply today. Before the push for more and more quick and easily stored mass produced foods to support the ever growing numbers during the huge manufacturing and population boom of the late 18th century, there were no epidemic level mortality rates from Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact all of the ills that we take for granted as just another sign of aging are really simply a byproduct of eating modern food products. Products that either contain ingredients that are foreign to the human body, or made in a way that disrupts the natural biochemical ratios of the micro and macronutrients in our foods. A disruption that ultimately wreaks havoc with the way that our body has been designed and adapted to over the course of our hundred thousand plus years of existence.
Bread, then falls into a bit of a questionable category, as it has been around for almost as long as civilization has existed, providing a convenient source of both carbohydrates, micronutrients, fats and some protein to millions over the centuries without any ill effects. It is still eaten daily by many in cultures where modern processing has not yet found a foothold, and those populations seem untouched by the idea that it is somehow bad for your health.  True bread does not grow on trees, nor is it a non processed food in the purest sense of the word, but just like rice, the human body learned to adapt to it over the course of the thousands of years that it was consumed. This process, called micro-evolution is one that occurs over a long period and one glaring problem with modern foods is that they simply are too new to our body to learn how to adapt to it. Perhaps over the course of several thousand years we will be able to consume high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils with no problem whatsoever, but I for one don’t want to see what humans would look like at that time.

The problem with modern bread is twofold- number one- it is not made in the manner that traditional bread was made, (and don’t be fooled into thinking that the so called organic breads on the market are any better, because 99% of them are not) and the ingredients that it contains. In PART 2 I will detail exactly why bread today is not what we think it is, and why even the organic brands are suspect. Keep on reading!

Lose weight, build real muscle and get Superfit training only 10 minutes 3 times a week! That’s the slogan and the 100% guarantee of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™ created by visionary NYC personal trainer, internationally renowned natural bodybuilder and fitness expert, Kevin Richardson. Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here!

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Post tags: bread, carbohydrates, diet, diet tips, eating tips, weight loss