Here’s what he recommends as the top foods you should be eating to maximize your fat loss.

30 ‘Must Eat’ Foods for Looking & Feeling Better

from Dr. Mike Rousell

The 30 Power Foods should be the center pieces of your diet. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, fiber, and phytochemicals (the things that scientists know are good for you but don’t know exactly why yet).

The Power Foods are separated into five groups: Starches (faster acting carbohydrates), Fruits & Vegetables  (and other slow carbohydrates),Proteins, Fats, and the Power food Add-Ons (these don’t fit into any of the previous categories and are commonly added to a Power Food meal).
Starches & Grains

• Quinoa
• Oats
• Yams

Fruits & Vegetables

• Apples
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Beans

Fats

• Avocado
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Flaxseed/flaxseed oil
• Walnuts
• Pistachios

Proteins

• Lean poultry
• Salmon
• Lean red meat
• Omega-3 eggs
• Cottage cheese (with live cultures)
• Milk protein powder

Power Food Add-Ons

• Green tea
• Cinnamon
• Garlic
• Hot peppers
• Cacao (dark chocolate)
• Chia seeds

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author – The Truth About 6-Pack Abs 
I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this…

“because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you…that’s where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is”.

And I replied, “you mean that’s where all of the nutrition is!”

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you’re essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients… it’s not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn’t as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg…

“But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof”

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it’s internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don’t eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.

And here’s where it gets even more interesting…

There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd… high cholesterol is NOT a disease!  Heart disease is a disease…but high cholesterol is NOT.  Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions… it is DEAD WRONG to try to “lower your cholesterol” just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.

If you’re interested in this topic of cholesterol specifically, I have another article listed at the bottom of this page about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are.

In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.

To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study.  However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did.

So I hope we’ve established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body… instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

But what about the extra calories in the yolks?

This is actually a non-issue and here’s why… even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume.  Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall.  In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.

Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don’t compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet.  Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level.  On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people don’t realize that there’s a major difference because they’ve never bought real eggs from healthy chickens… The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids… and just a healthier egg in general.

This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy.  It’s a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their “fat-phobic” mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk… If you want real taste and real health benefits, we’d all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the yolks.

After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites?  NOT A CHANCE!  They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks.  But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.

Another interesting study about eggs…

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts.  The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Oh, one last thing I almost forgot… I personally eat 4 whole eggs almost every day with breakfast, and I maintain single-digit bodyfat most of the year.

Enjoy your eggs and get a leaner body!

Cellulite plagues the backsides and tummies of women all over the world.

Sure, some men are affected by it, but for the most part, women’s biggest fear about wearing a bikini in the summer is the dimply appearance of her butt and thighs or mid-section.

And, women don’t even have to be considered “chubby” or “fat” to have cellulite in the most awkward of places.

Even our beloved, so-called perfectly thin actresses have cellulite that they work incredibly hard to hide.

But why is it that women are mostly stricken with mattress-like backsides and how do we prevent it or minimize its appearance?

What is cellulite?
Cellulite consists of several alterations in your skins normal structure, coupled with circulation issues (fatty areas of cellulite tend to have low blood flow and are cold to the touch), and changes with the fat cells themselves.

If you have cellulite, there isn’t much you can do to abolish it, but you can definitely reduce it’s appearance.

Even Babies Have Cellulite
My first realization about cellulite came when I noticed my 7-month old daughter had a cottage cheese-like appearance to her cute little butt cheeks when they were slightly squished.

At first I was upset – why does she have cellulite? How is this possible? But then I realized my own battles with cellulite were partially out of my control. Females, by virtue of our hormonal environment and body structure are stricken with cellulite from the very beginning.

Normal, healthy, fatty tissue development (growth of new fat cells, not fat cell size) begins in the womb and continues until a child is 18 months old. It then picks up again during puberty.

In today’s society, with all the junk food and excessive calories, some children are in a constant state of fat cell growth and potentially new fat cells.

Fatty tissue near the skin consists of two layers separated by a facial layer. The more external layer is called the areolar layer, which is formed by globular and large fat cells (adipocytes) arranged vertically; here the blood vessels feeding the fat cells are numerous and fragile.

The deeper layer is called the lamellar layer and the cells are fusiform, smaller and arranged horizontally; the vessels here are larger.

The second layer increases in thickness when a person gains weight, mainly due to the increase in fat cell volume which presses against the outer, areolar layer, making it more pronounced.

In women, the outer areolar layer is thicker and the skin covering it is usually thinner which is the case right from birth (and explains my daughters dimply butt cheeks).

As a woman ages and gains more body fat from an increase in the inner lamellar layer, it makes the fat cells in the areolar layer more visible.

Female hormones can be evil
When women start to hit puberty, the battle with thigh cellulite commences. The femoral region of a woman (the back of the upper thigh) is very responsive to her very unique hormonal profile.

Estrogen increases the response of thigh fat cells to anti-lipolytic alpha receptors (preventing fat breakdown and loss) and stimulates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that stimulates fat growth.

This can occur in the gluteal region and abdomen as well, but is usually localized to the back of the legs.

Prolactin (the breast-feeding hormone) is another hormone that makes cellulite more visible because it increases water retention in the fatty tissue, which makes each cell look larger and more lumpy.

So, most women are going to have some issues with cellulite, just because they are women.

Insulin makes cellulite more visible
One of the greatest influences on cellulite appearance is the blood glucose-regulating hormone insulin. Whenever you eat carbohydrate, your body releases insulin to manage the influx of glucose (from carbs) into your bloodstream.

In an ideal world, your muscle cells recognize this insulin and invite the glucose into muscle cells to be used for energy or stored for later use (as glycogen).

However, in the case of most sedentary people, insulin sends the carbs to fat cells to be turned into fatty acids and stored as triglycerides (called lipogenesis). This makes fat cells in the lamellar layer bigger, causing fat cells in the areolar layer to be squished out and more visible.

Unless a person is a constant exerciser or exercises incredibly hard every day, high carb diets will cause your body to produce more fat. Insulin also stops your body from using fat as fuel and can cause your body to store more water, pushing cellulite out for the world to see.

Change your lifestyle, smooth out cellulite

Of all the things under our control with respect to cellulite, there are two major things we can change to minimize its appearance…

[continue reading here to find out]

I was reviewing some research for a project we’ve been plugging away at over here…

…and came across a very cool new study published just last month about boosting fat loss:

Protein choices targeting thermogenesis and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar;93(3):525-34)

First, some background …

Protein increases metabolism more than carbohydrates and fat.

So when you eat protein with a meal, what’s called the “thermic effect of feeding” increases to digest, breakdown, and metabolize the food.

- – - – -

Note from Stephen:

Think of the “Thermic Effect of Feeding” (or “of Food”) as the calories burned in the mechanics of consuming (i.e., biting, chewing and swallowing) food and in the biology and chemistry of processing (i.e., digesting, transporting, metabolizing [yeah!] or storing [boo!]) food.

In general,

• Fats have a Thermic Effect of about 3%
• Carbs, around 10%
• Fibrous vegetables, about 20%
• Proteins have a Thermic Effect of about 30%.

- – - – -

Combine that data with the fact that protein helps fill you up more and you’ve got a win-win for weight loss.

This study also measured the effects of supplemental proteins – whey, casein, or soy – on metabolism, satiety, and blood sugar. These 3 were compared to an equal-calorie carbohydrate feeding.

The results …

All proteins were “better” in this case than carbohydrate in terms of the metabolic increase.

Looking specifically at the different types of protein – the whey protein caused a significantly greater increase in metabolism than both casein and soy.

On the flip side, casein and soy were reported as more satiating than the whey … but, more important than any of this scientific mumbo jumbo is that the whey was more “liked” compared to the others.

And at the end of the day, compliance is most important.

Regardless of how wonderful something may seem on paper, if it’s not going to be used, it’s not very effective anyhow.

Mohr Results Bottom Line:

Protein should be part of every single meal. Each type of protein has unique benefits and properties, but if you’re looking for that metabolic “boost” — whey seems to have the greatest punch in that department AND it scores high in the ‘likability’ scale.

Click here for the
whey protein source
we recommend here at 29Again

I then felt a little pressure from my assistant Amy DiBari, her sister and long-time client of mine, Heather Harvison, Diana Farley, and several other Maryvale alums.

So guess what …

Our first School of the Month is Maryvale!

All you have to do is let us know you’re an alumna of Maryvale, and you get the month of May FREE.

(No, it’s not buy-one-get-one-free or anything like that. There’s nothing you have to buy.)

Our goal? To show off why we were cited in last month’s Women’s Health in an article called, “Your Best Body: Get Toned in Less Time,” and to get you to brag about us to your circle of influence once we deliver more than you ever expected!

Here’s your side of the deal:
* Actually show up two times a week. (We can’t help you get results if you’re not here.)
* Like Us on Facebook
* Agree to have your picture taken and (possibly) published.
* We’ll ask you for honest feedback along the way to help us improve.

That’s it. Again, there’s nothing you have to buy.

Get started by calling Amy (Class of ’92) at 410-429-7029 right away.

When you step into 29 Again Custom Fitness in Timonium, one of the first things you may notice is the bottle of Prograde Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) featured prominently on the front table.

It’s not there as a prop. It’s my own personal supply I keep on hand as part of my pre-workout nutrition. I also keep a bottle at home.

Here’s a recent article from Registered Dietitian, Jayson Hunter, on why BCAAs are so important to your results …

It has been known for many years now that you need enough of all eight essential amino acids to be able to produce quality lean muscle, which speeds up your metabolism.

Research is now indicating that the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) isoleucine, leucine and valine are the most important and main drivers of new muscle growth.  BCAAs are absolutely necessary as the building blocks for new muscle growth and repair, but they also provide energy to the muscles.

These 3 amino acids also help your body burn fat, improve your recovery and reduce your muscle soreness.

What was once just thought of as a muscle building supplement is now a vital tool for those that want to lose weight and build new lean muscle at the same time.  This isn’t just for bodybuilders.  BCAAs are for any man or women looking to get in better shape and lose weight.

Here are a few reasons why Branched Chain Amino Acids can help you reach your weight loss goals

I discuss the power of your hormones when it comes to weight loss and how you can manipulate them to your advantage through certain types of foods and nutrients.  Ball State University researchers found that when strength training is combined with BCAA supplements that cortisol levels were reduced.

This is powerful because when your cortisol levels are elevated these things below start to happen.

•    Your appetite increases
•    Fat storage increases
•    Protein stored in your muscle is broken down
•    Your insulin becomes more resistant
•    Your body uses glucose (sugar) less efficiently

High cortisol levels also lead to leptin resistance which when this happens the leptin resistance encourages higher cortisol levels.  It becomes a vicious circle with weight gain being the result.

It is important that you feed your muscles the energy it needs because it can be challenging at times to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.  Generally you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat so a calorie restricted diet is the method used.  There is a fine line with this though because if you restrict too much your body will go into your existing muscle and break down the protein in them to use the branched chain amino acids for energy.

The easiest way to prevent this is by supplying your body with a consistent infusion of new BCAAs.  If you are in a calorie or energy deficit the BCAA supplement you take can supply your body with the energy it needs so that it does not have to go into the muscle and break it down to get to the BCAAs in your muscle.

This third reason is some very early science, but may be the most promising and powerful research with branched chain amino acids.  There is something called nutrition partitioning that is very interesting and even mind boggling to some people.

Nutrient partitioning allows your body to burn fat and build muscle at the same time.  In relation to the BCAAs they take energy from the stored fat cells and provide it to the muscle to be used for new growth.  There have been some studies done with mice at the University of Illinois showing these results and the researchers are giving credit to the BCAA leucine content of the diet as the reason for this result.

The research has shown us how beneficial BCAA supplementation can be with achieving weight loss and building lean muscle to speed up your metabolism, but how do you apply this to your daily routine?

It is actually simpler than you think.  Yes, you can try to eat lean protein foods, which you should be doing anyways, but 99% of you will not consume enough protein through food to get in the leucine, iso-leucine, and valine you need to see the benefits research has shown.

This is where BCAA supplementation comes in to complement what you are already doing and providing a therapeutic dose that allows your body to achieve the research results explained above.

How To Use Branched Chain Amino Acids

• Take 3-5 grams with Breakfast
• Take 3-5 grams before your workout
• Take 3-5 grams before bed

If you already consume a whey protein shake before your workout then you don’t have to take the 3-5 grams of BCAAs before your workout.

BCAAs are a cheap insurance to enhancing your weight loss and speed at which you build new lean muscle. Prograde BCAAs provide 1gram of these essential amino acids per serving and there are 100 servings per bottle.  It is suggested that you follow the guidelines listed above to speed up your weight loss and build new lean muscle.

My wife’s a busy physician, so I don’t have the luxury of being an old fashioned, Ward Cleaver kind-of-dad who reads the newspaper (remember those?) and sips coffee while my wife gets the kids ready for school.

I’m usually in a rush just like you.

I start most mornings with a protein shake including:

2 scoops (46 grams) of protein powder (Truth in advertising: Although I usually use and recommend Prograde products – specifically Varsity, Icon EFA and BCAA – I get an amazing deal – cuz’ I’m such a rockstar – with a supplier I can’t name here)

1 tablespoon of Greens + (an all-natural blend of 29 nutrient-rich superfoods, sea vegetables and herbal extracts)

1 really heaping tablespoon of Maca, sometimes nicknamed “Peruvian ginseng, and, as such, I use it for it’s adaptogenic properties – not for the reason other 50-year-old guys need to use it.

1 cup of frozen fruit (typically low glycemic fruits like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)

A handful of organic baby spinach leaves (I can’t get enough spinach!) And, no, it’s not yucky. If you use just a little, you can’t even taste it.

If you’re keeping up with me on Facebook and Twitter, you know I’m a big fan of NutsOnline.com. (That picture is from the last order I made there.) I make sure I through in a teaspoon or so of two or three of these options (each of which you can get from NutsOnline.com – Did I mention I get most items delivered in under 36 hours?!) …

• Spirulina
• Kelp
• Chlorella
• Chia seeds
• Hemp protein powder

Then I top it all off with a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cacao nibs.

This all takes just a few minutes each morning, and I’ve already had more servings of veggies and fruits than most people get all day.

What’s in your shake?

Once we discuss your goals, we’ll formulate your Right Start Body Blueprint. The Right Start Body Blueprint is a scientific plan combining your goals, the results of your Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Musculo-Skeletal Screens (MSS), Health History and Exercise History.

(The Right Start Body Blueprint is also available without membership for a fee of only $99.)

For example, if you want to lose a lot of weight and you’re fairly new to exercise, you’ll probably need a Triple Platinum Membership (3/week for 12 months) to help reverse all the years of bad habits.

Use this handy Weight Loss Calculator to find out (1) How long it will probably take you to lose a certain amount of weight safely and permanently, or (2) How much weight you can lose (again, safely and permanently) within a certain amount of time.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/weight-loss-calculator

If, however, you’re having shoulder aches (for example) although you’ve been released from physical therapy, you may simply need a Gold Membership (1/week for 3 months) for thorough post-rehab and ensure you learn techniques to keep you pain-free.