The coveted 6 pack. Everyone wants one. But are they hard to achieve? Well they can be, but with commitment and dedication everything is achievable.
The key though is not performing hundreds of crunches and sit ups or buying the latest "six pack device". Instead it revolves around your diet and the type of training you perform.
Firstly if you have a great deal of body fat over your stomach you will never see a 6 pack. In order to lower body fat you need get your diet in check. I recommend John Berardi's Precision Nutrition. This is a great program and has been proven to work time and time again by fitness professionals as well as clients the world over.
Secondly comes the training required to lower body fat and gain lean muscle mass. Well I have said it before and I will say it again. There is nothing better for lowering body fat than performing full body resistance training followed by an interval session. The intervals can be performed on any piece of cardio equipment, outdoors or my favourite by performing barbell complexes. I took the ides for complexes from Alwyn Cosgrove. Using a fixed weight on one barbell you would complete 6 reps of 6-8 exercises with no rest. Then you would have 90 seconds rest and repeat 4-6 times. Trust me when I say this but it is a killer workout and will get you in shape in no time.
Give this a go and let me know how you get on. Remember get your diet in check 90% of the time and perform 3 strength sessions and 3-4 interval sessions and you will have the best set of abs to get yo the beach with. Enjoy.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Can Fish Oil help you lose weight
Hy guys, here is another article I have written on the benefits of fish oil for weight loss.
Check it out.
Fish Oil seems to be one of the recent buzz words within the area of health and fitness at the present time. However does the research back up all the hype?
Well there seems to be some quite promising scientific studies coming out of late that show positive effects.
There is a long list of benefits established from taking fish oil. These include:
Reduction in heart attack risk
Reduced inflammation
Increased cardiovascular health
Increased brain function
All these benefits are scientifically proven in the literature.
Can Fish Oil help Fat loss?
As I have said previously there seems to be a buzz about fish oil as a superfood. A recent study from Australia, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigated the effect of taking fish oil (with a high component of DHA) or sunflower oil with either exercise or just on its own. The exercise component of the study consisted of walking for 45 mins at 75% max heart rate, 3 times per week.
The authors of the study found that when fish oil was taken without exercise the male subjects lost no weight however when they combined the supplementation with the exercise component they did in fact lose a significant amount of fat.
The mechanisms behind the fat loss, in combination with fish oil and exercise, are yet unknown but as the studies are completed to find this mechanism ,we will surely know once and for all how truly effective this product is for the use in helping individuals lose weight.
The quantities used to elicit fat loss range from 2-5 grams of EPA/DHA per day. A product with a higher ratio of DHA to EPA seems to be more favourable. Secondly the best time to take your fish oil is with food so the fish oil is not oxidized as energy.
I hope this helps in giving you an understanding of the advantages of fish oil supplementation. Even if you see no fat loss, the other benefits associated with the product are well known and in my belief everyone should be consuming fish oil as part of a healthy diet.
Check it out.
Fish Oil seems to be one of the recent buzz words within the area of health and fitness at the present time. However does the research back up all the hype?
Well there seems to be some quite promising scientific studies coming out of late that show positive effects.
There is a long list of benefits established from taking fish oil. These include:
Reduction in heart attack risk
Reduced inflammation
Increased cardiovascular health
Increased brain function
All these benefits are scientifically proven in the literature.
Can Fish Oil help Fat loss?
As I have said previously there seems to be a buzz about fish oil as a superfood. A recent study from Australia, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigated the effect of taking fish oil (with a high component of DHA) or sunflower oil with either exercise or just on its own. The exercise component of the study consisted of walking for 45 mins at 75% max heart rate, 3 times per week.
The authors of the study found that when fish oil was taken without exercise the male subjects lost no weight however when they combined the supplementation with the exercise component they did in fact lose a significant amount of fat.
The mechanisms behind the fat loss, in combination with fish oil and exercise, are yet unknown but as the studies are completed to find this mechanism ,we will surely know once and for all how truly effective this product is for the use in helping individuals lose weight.
The quantities used to elicit fat loss range from 2-5 grams of EPA/DHA per day. A product with a higher ratio of DHA to EPA seems to be more favourable. Secondly the best time to take your fish oil is with food so the fish oil is not oxidized as energy.
I hope this helps in giving you an understanding of the advantages of fish oil supplementation. Even if you see no fat loss, the other benefits associated with the product are well known and in my belief everyone should be consuming fish oil as part of a healthy diet.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Cardio For Fat Loss
Here is an article I published over at Ezine articles. Its a simple yet effective program to help you shift that unwanted fat.
"I walk into the gym and get on the treadmill. I hit the start button and set an incline of 5% and walk at 3.5mph while watching the big screen TV on the wall".
Does this sound like you? Then you are not doing what it takes to lose fat efficiently.
Fat loss comprises of 3 main factors. Get them right and you will shift those unwanted pounds.
They are:
1: A well balanced diet
2: Strength Training
3: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
Today I am going to discuss the effectiveness of HIIT. For years we have seen the people in the gym spending all their time slogging away for an hour on the treadmill or bike at a low intensity. They look the same as they did when they joined two or three years ago. Well whats the problem, they will tell you they work in the "fat burning zone" so why is it they don't lose weight?
Well the fat burning zone is an intensity were the main fuel for exercise is fat, however is that the most efficient. The answer is a big fat no!
There is a more efficient way to burn fat. It is using HIIT. So what does this involve? Well this is when you exercise as hard as you can for a short period of time (15-45 seconds) and then have a recovery period (60-120 seconds) at a lower intensity.
This type of training allows you to burn more calories in a shorter period of time as well as increases the amount of calories you can burn after the exercise period.
Here is an example workout for an indoor bike:
Warm up: 5 mins easy intensity
30 seconds hard intensity
90 seconds easy intensity
Repeat intervals 6 times. Then finish with a 5 minute cool down at an easy intensity
Patterson, Stephen "Cardio For Fat Loss." Cardio For Fat Loss EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Cardio-For-Fat-Loss&id=973279
"I walk into the gym and get on the treadmill. I hit the start button and set an incline of 5% and walk at 3.5mph while watching the big screen TV on the wall".
Does this sound like you? Then you are not doing what it takes to lose fat efficiently.
Fat loss comprises of 3 main factors. Get them right and you will shift those unwanted pounds.
They are:
1: A well balanced diet
2: Strength Training
3: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
Today I am going to discuss the effectiveness of HIIT. For years we have seen the people in the gym spending all their time slogging away for an hour on the treadmill or bike at a low intensity. They look the same as they did when they joined two or three years ago. Well whats the problem, they will tell you they work in the "fat burning zone" so why is it they don't lose weight?
Well the fat burning zone is an intensity were the main fuel for exercise is fat, however is that the most efficient. The answer is a big fat no!
There is a more efficient way to burn fat. It is using HIIT. So what does this involve? Well this is when you exercise as hard as you can for a short period of time (15-45 seconds) and then have a recovery period (60-120 seconds) at a lower intensity.
This type of training allows you to burn more calories in a shorter period of time as well as increases the amount of calories you can burn after the exercise period.
Here is an example workout for an indoor bike:
Warm up: 5 mins easy intensity
30 seconds hard intensity
90 seconds easy intensity
Repeat intervals 6 times. Then finish with a 5 minute cool down at an easy intensity
Patterson, Stephen "Cardio For Fat Loss." Cardio For Fat Loss EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Cardio-For-Fat-Loss&id=973279
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
When Gourmet Meets Nutrition
When Gourmet Meets Nutrition,
Part 1
by Dr. John Berardi, CSCS
First published at http://www.t-nation.com/
Sometimes "health food" is just plain awful. And it's this simple fact that drives some folks away from eating healthy altogether.
While I lament this fact, I have to admit I feel most sorry for those poor folks who decide to lower their heads and keep at it — those who keep eating miserable tasting food because they want to lose weight or accomplish some other health or physique-type goal.
And I feel sorry for them because they don't even know there's a better way.
You see, every day, there are people out there eating healthy, easy-to-make meals that might easily be found in gourmet restaurants. Meals that could impress the most discerning foodie. Meals that could fool a first date, a reluctant spouse, or picky-eating kids. Meals that just plain taste good. Meals that, when planned and eaten consistently, can improve and even completely transform your body.
And how do they do it?
With the principles of what I call "gourmet nutrition."
Traditionally, the worlds of gourmet cooking and healthy nutrition have been at odds. The gourmands have sacrificed all (including nutritional value) at the altar of flavor and the "artistic presentation of food."
And the nutritionists have sacrificed all (including flavor) at the altar of physiology and nutritional value.
Yet flavor and nutritional value are not mutually exclusive. I prefer to think of them as absolutely reconcilable. And by using the principles of "gourmet nutrition" you can create meals that both taste great and are healthy, too.
To this end, a "gourmet nutrition" meal must conform to the following:
It must taste great.
Simply put, to be considered "gourmet nutrition," meals must taste great, and not only to your weightlifting friends. They must taste great to everyone from chefs, to foodies, to guys and girls whose idea of "gourmet" includes chocolate-mint flavored protein shakes.
It must contain lean, complete protein.
Protein is the building block of muscle. And even if you don't want to build more muscle, you definitely want to preserve the muscle you have for as long as you can. This helps to keep your metabolism revving, improve your fat loss profile, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. And that's why I encourage you to eat a lean, complete protein source with each gourmet meal.
It must be low in sugar and processed carbohydrates.
Sugar isn't always the demon ingredient it's made out to be, but there are valid and strong reasons to limit sugar and processed carbohydrates in your diet. These types of carbohydrates (when ingested outside the workout window or in the absence of complete meals designed to slow digestion and absorption) digest too quickly, leading to erratic blood sugar, energy levels, and hormonal responses — none of which do your health or physique any favors.
It must prioritize healthy fats over bad fats.
Whenever possible, the goal of every health-conscious individual should be to eliminate the nasty trans fat we hear so much about. But even beyond avoiding trans fats, it's important to keep our saturated fats in check while prioritizing healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. Gourmet nutrition means eliminating trans fats while balancing out your saturates, monos, and polyunsaturated.
It must control calorie intake and density.
One of the major reasons many people gain fat as they age (aside from lack of exercise) is the fact that their daily meals are often too high in calories. Indeed, many popular food choices can be quite calorie dense. And this means that even though you don't feel like you're eating a lot of food, you're packing in too many calories with each meal. To this end, "gourmet nutrition" meals should be designed with calorie density and portion control in mind. This helps you avoid sneaking hundreds of extra calories into your diet with each meal, unknowingly.
It must include fresh, natural, additive-free ingredients.
In general, the fresher the ingredient, the better it is for you — and the better tasting. So, when choosing your meals, ask yourself if you've ever seen what you're about to eat growing in the ground or running around on a farm somewhere. If the answer is no, you're about to eat processed food. Ditto for anything that comes in a box or plastic container.
Please understand it'll be next to impossible to avoid all processed foods. In fact, there may be some processed foods that you want to include in your diet. That's okay. Really, you just want to make sure your daily diet draws mostly on fresh, whole foods.
It must offer you carbs only if you "deserve" them.
You've probably read all about high carb vs. low carb dieting. In myopinion, this high vs. low carb debate is a little misunderstood. As the body handles carbs best when it's in an exercised state, the best carb strategy is this: eat carbs only if you've earned them.
Have you exercised? If so, you've earned a higher carb meal. Have you exercised a lot? If so, you've earned even more carbs. However, keep this in mind; if you haven't exercised, your carb intake should probably be lower. Therefore "gourmet nutrition" means having two categories of meals — higher carb meals (for when you've earned them) and lower carb meals (for when you haven't).
Post Workout vs. Anytime meals.
My meal classification strategy uses the distinction between post workout and anytime meals. Why does this classification exist? Well, research shows us that the body handles carbohydrates best during and immediately after exercise. From this, we know that it's a good idea to consume most of our daily carbohydrates during and after exercise (Post Workout). Likewise, if we haven't exercised, it's best to avoid higher carb meals during this time — instead focusing on proteins, good fats, and fruits and veggies.
Please note that this rule is a general rule of thumb that works well for most as a starting point. Now, I should mention that some people are actually able to tolerate higher carbohydrate intakes outside of the Post Workout period. These individuals generally know who they are. They're often naturally very lean, and sometimes very skinny.
If you don't fit into that category, you're best off consuming carbs only in the two to three hours after an intense workout, or at least using that as the starting point for some trial and error, slowly introducing carbs outside that window and measuring the results.
So there you have it — 8 criterion for designing "gourmet nutrition" style meals — meals that both taste great and can help improve your body. And now that we've defined this criterion, I'd like to share with you some wicked recipes that personify "gourmet nutrition."
The Popeye Fruit Smoothie
The Protein Shake
Popeye Fruit Smoothie (Post Workout)
Servings
1 large or 2 small
Prep Time and Cooking
TimePrep time: 5 minutes
Prelude
Spinach is a super-food high in anti-inflammatory nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and alkaline potential in the body. (No wonder Popeye ate it to boost his strength.) As a result, we try to include spinach in many of our meals, including our shakes. And while spinach doesn't seem like it'd be a great smoothie ingredient, this shake tastes awesome as raspberries, goji berries, and cashews lend their unique flavors to the mixture.
Ingredients
1 cup raspberries (frozen)
1 cup spinach
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup cashews
2 scoops Vanilla Low-Carb Metabolic Drive
2 tablespoons fresh goji berries
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a countertop blender. Blend on high until mixture is a smooth consistency.
Variations and Options
If you're lactose intolerant or wish to avoid dairy, replace the 1 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk with 1 cup of lactose-free yogurt and either 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk or 1 cup of water and 1/2 scoop protein. Alternatively you can substitute with non-cow's milk dairy (i.e. goat milk, yogurt, etc.)
For a major vitamin boost, add up to 3 cups of spinach to the recipe.
If you can't find goji berries, you can substitute with goji berry juice or raisins.
Eggs Benedict
Breakfast
Eggs Benedict with Grilled Onion (Any Time)
Servings
1 large or 3 small
Prep Time and Cooking Time
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Prelude
Eggs benedict is a high carb, high fat breakfast tradition; delicious but not so friendly to the waistline. So with this recipe, we've decided to cut the carbs, replacing the English muffin with grilled onion slices. We also decided to cut the fat with a low-fat Hollandaise sauce. The net result is a veggie-packed breakfast that's not only delicious, it's nutritious, too.
Ingredients
Eggs Benedict
Olive oil cooking spray
3 onion slices (1/4 inch thick each)
5 oz (140 g) smoked chicken breast low-fat deli meat
3 cups spinach
3 tomato slices
1.5 oz parmesan cheese (grated)
3 whole omega 3 eggs (individually poached or fried
Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of Splenda
pinch of chili powder
Instructions
Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and gently place the 3 whole onion slices in the pan.
** Tip: The onion slices are in place of an English muffin, so it's important not to break them.
Cook until the bottom is nicely browned and then gently flip each slice. Cook until onion is nicely browned on both sides.Carefully remove from pan and set aside.
While the onions are cooking, whisk all hollandaise sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to a small saucepan and gently heat until mixture is warm but not boiling and set aside.
Once onions are done, re-spray pan and add the spinach. Cook until spinach shrinks to at least half its original size. Remove from pan and set aside.
Place three onion slices individually on a plate. Put a tomato slice on top of each onion slice. Place 1/3 of the chicken, spinach, and cheese on top of each onion slice. Top with an egg and garnish with hollandaise sauce.
Variations and Options
Post Workout Option: Add two slices of whole grain toast or any Gourmet Nutrition oatmeal recipe.
For a meat variation, substitute chicken with 2 oz (70 g) of lox or 5 oz (140 g) of turkey ham
For a cheese variation, substitute parmesan cheese with slices of havarti or aged white cheddar.
For a veggie variation, substitute the spinach and tomato with other vegetables such as sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or red peppers. For a sauce variation, replace Hollandaise sauce with fresh home-made Pesto (recipe provided in Gourmet Nutrition V2).
If you'd like to avoid Splenda, you can replace it with a small amount of Stevia.
Dr Berardis new Gourmet Nutrition book is out now to buy. It features over 120 delicious recipes and its a Bragain.
Part 1
by Dr. John Berardi, CSCS
First published at http://www.t-nation.com/
Sometimes "health food" is just plain awful. And it's this simple fact that drives some folks away from eating healthy altogether.
While I lament this fact, I have to admit I feel most sorry for those poor folks who decide to lower their heads and keep at it — those who keep eating miserable tasting food because they want to lose weight or accomplish some other health or physique-type goal.
And I feel sorry for them because they don't even know there's a better way.
You see, every day, there are people out there eating healthy, easy-to-make meals that might easily be found in gourmet restaurants. Meals that could impress the most discerning foodie. Meals that could fool a first date, a reluctant spouse, or picky-eating kids. Meals that just plain taste good. Meals that, when planned and eaten consistently, can improve and even completely transform your body.
And how do they do it?
With the principles of what I call "gourmet nutrition."
Traditionally, the worlds of gourmet cooking and healthy nutrition have been at odds. The gourmands have sacrificed all (including nutritional value) at the altar of flavor and the "artistic presentation of food."
And the nutritionists have sacrificed all (including flavor) at the altar of physiology and nutritional value.
Yet flavor and nutritional value are not mutually exclusive. I prefer to think of them as absolutely reconcilable. And by using the principles of "gourmet nutrition" you can create meals that both taste great and are healthy, too.
To this end, a "gourmet nutrition" meal must conform to the following:
It must taste great.
Simply put, to be considered "gourmet nutrition," meals must taste great, and not only to your weightlifting friends. They must taste great to everyone from chefs, to foodies, to guys and girls whose idea of "gourmet" includes chocolate-mint flavored protein shakes.
It must contain lean, complete protein.
Protein is the building block of muscle. And even if you don't want to build more muscle, you definitely want to preserve the muscle you have for as long as you can. This helps to keep your metabolism revving, improve your fat loss profile, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. And that's why I encourage you to eat a lean, complete protein source with each gourmet meal.
It must be low in sugar and processed carbohydrates.
Sugar isn't always the demon ingredient it's made out to be, but there are valid and strong reasons to limit sugar and processed carbohydrates in your diet. These types of carbohydrates (when ingested outside the workout window or in the absence of complete meals designed to slow digestion and absorption) digest too quickly, leading to erratic blood sugar, energy levels, and hormonal responses — none of which do your health or physique any favors.
It must prioritize healthy fats over bad fats.
Whenever possible, the goal of every health-conscious individual should be to eliminate the nasty trans fat we hear so much about. But even beyond avoiding trans fats, it's important to keep our saturated fats in check while prioritizing healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. Gourmet nutrition means eliminating trans fats while balancing out your saturates, monos, and polyunsaturated.
It must control calorie intake and density.
One of the major reasons many people gain fat as they age (aside from lack of exercise) is the fact that their daily meals are often too high in calories. Indeed, many popular food choices can be quite calorie dense. And this means that even though you don't feel like you're eating a lot of food, you're packing in too many calories with each meal. To this end, "gourmet nutrition" meals should be designed with calorie density and portion control in mind. This helps you avoid sneaking hundreds of extra calories into your diet with each meal, unknowingly.
It must include fresh, natural, additive-free ingredients.
In general, the fresher the ingredient, the better it is for you — and the better tasting. So, when choosing your meals, ask yourself if you've ever seen what you're about to eat growing in the ground or running around on a farm somewhere. If the answer is no, you're about to eat processed food. Ditto for anything that comes in a box or plastic container.
Please understand it'll be next to impossible to avoid all processed foods. In fact, there may be some processed foods that you want to include in your diet. That's okay. Really, you just want to make sure your daily diet draws mostly on fresh, whole foods.
It must offer you carbs only if you "deserve" them.
You've probably read all about high carb vs. low carb dieting. In myopinion, this high vs. low carb debate is a little misunderstood. As the body handles carbs best when it's in an exercised state, the best carb strategy is this: eat carbs only if you've earned them.
Have you exercised? If so, you've earned a higher carb meal. Have you exercised a lot? If so, you've earned even more carbs. However, keep this in mind; if you haven't exercised, your carb intake should probably be lower. Therefore "gourmet nutrition" means having two categories of meals — higher carb meals (for when you've earned them) and lower carb meals (for when you haven't).
Post Workout vs. Anytime meals.
My meal classification strategy uses the distinction between post workout and anytime meals. Why does this classification exist? Well, research shows us that the body handles carbohydrates best during and immediately after exercise. From this, we know that it's a good idea to consume most of our daily carbohydrates during and after exercise (Post Workout). Likewise, if we haven't exercised, it's best to avoid higher carb meals during this time — instead focusing on proteins, good fats, and fruits and veggies.
Please note that this rule is a general rule of thumb that works well for most as a starting point. Now, I should mention that some people are actually able to tolerate higher carbohydrate intakes outside of the Post Workout period. These individuals generally know who they are. They're often naturally very lean, and sometimes very skinny.
If you don't fit into that category, you're best off consuming carbs only in the two to three hours after an intense workout, or at least using that as the starting point for some trial and error, slowly introducing carbs outside that window and measuring the results.
So there you have it — 8 criterion for designing "gourmet nutrition" style meals — meals that both taste great and can help improve your body. And now that we've defined this criterion, I'd like to share with you some wicked recipes that personify "gourmet nutrition."
The Popeye Fruit Smoothie
The Protein Shake
Popeye Fruit Smoothie (Post Workout)
Servings
1 large or 2 small
Prep Time and Cooking
TimePrep time: 5 minutes
Prelude
Spinach is a super-food high in anti-inflammatory nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and alkaline potential in the body. (No wonder Popeye ate it to boost his strength.) As a result, we try to include spinach in many of our meals, including our shakes. And while spinach doesn't seem like it'd be a great smoothie ingredient, this shake tastes awesome as raspberries, goji berries, and cashews lend their unique flavors to the mixture.
Ingredients
1 cup raspberries (frozen)
1 cup spinach
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup cashews
2 scoops Vanilla Low-Carb Metabolic Drive
2 tablespoons fresh goji berries
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a countertop blender. Blend on high until mixture is a smooth consistency.
Variations and Options
If you're lactose intolerant or wish to avoid dairy, replace the 1 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk with 1 cup of lactose-free yogurt and either 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk or 1 cup of water and 1/2 scoop protein. Alternatively you can substitute with non-cow's milk dairy (i.e. goat milk, yogurt, etc.)
For a major vitamin boost, add up to 3 cups of spinach to the recipe.
If you can't find goji berries, you can substitute with goji berry juice or raisins.
Eggs Benedict
Breakfast
Eggs Benedict with Grilled Onion (Any Time)
Servings
1 large or 3 small
Prep Time and Cooking Time
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Prelude
Eggs benedict is a high carb, high fat breakfast tradition; delicious but not so friendly to the waistline. So with this recipe, we've decided to cut the carbs, replacing the English muffin with grilled onion slices. We also decided to cut the fat with a low-fat Hollandaise sauce. The net result is a veggie-packed breakfast that's not only delicious, it's nutritious, too.
Ingredients
Eggs Benedict
Olive oil cooking spray
3 onion slices (1/4 inch thick each)
5 oz (140 g) smoked chicken breast low-fat deli meat
3 cups spinach
3 tomato slices
1.5 oz parmesan cheese (grated)
3 whole omega 3 eggs (individually poached or fried
Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of Splenda
pinch of chili powder
Instructions
Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and gently place the 3 whole onion slices in the pan.
** Tip: The onion slices are in place of an English muffin, so it's important not to break them.
Cook until the bottom is nicely browned and then gently flip each slice. Cook until onion is nicely browned on both sides.Carefully remove from pan and set aside.
While the onions are cooking, whisk all hollandaise sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to a small saucepan and gently heat until mixture is warm but not boiling and set aside.
Once onions are done, re-spray pan and add the spinach. Cook until spinach shrinks to at least half its original size. Remove from pan and set aside.
Place three onion slices individually on a plate. Put a tomato slice on top of each onion slice. Place 1/3 of the chicken, spinach, and cheese on top of each onion slice. Top with an egg and garnish with hollandaise sauce.
Variations and Options
Post Workout Option: Add two slices of whole grain toast or any Gourmet Nutrition oatmeal recipe.
For a meat variation, substitute chicken with 2 oz (70 g) of lox or 5 oz (140 g) of turkey ham
For a cheese variation, substitute parmesan cheese with slices of havarti or aged white cheddar.
For a veggie variation, substitute the spinach and tomato with other vegetables such as sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or red peppers. For a sauce variation, replace Hollandaise sauce with fresh home-made Pesto (recipe provided in Gourmet Nutrition V2).
If you'd like to avoid Splenda, you can replace it with a small amount of Stevia.
Dr Berardis new Gourmet Nutrition book is out now to buy. It features over 120 delicious recipes and its a Bragain.
Top 5 Fat Loss Tips
Here is a great article from Mens Healths Craig Ballantyne. Craig is famous for his Turbulence Training workouts. He is great at helping people shift unwanted fat in just three intense sessions per week.
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS Turbulence Training
Men's Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss secrets. Since most times the magazines just don't have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I'd give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn't send to the magazine).
Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during yourfat-loss workouts.
Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it's obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.
I have no interest in you trying to train in your "target heartrate zone" for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.
Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educatedtrainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your "fatburning heart rate zone").
If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.
Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that's why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.
Alwyn Cosgrove calls this 'afterburn', and I call it 'Turbulence'.By any name it gives you the same results - maximumimprovements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).
Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength trainingworkouts.
In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.
This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.
Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.
I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possiblebecause cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.
Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a largeamount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.
But please note: I don't use low-intensity, fast pedaling'spinning' intervals as I'm convinced that the hard, resistancebased intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients onlycycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.
I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to dointervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.
Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency
Okay, so this isn't really a secret to anyone that has read aboutfat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.
Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you'll see your body composition improve rapidly.
If you need more nutrition help, then you'll love the newTurbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
See below for more details...
Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts
My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts areefficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym inunder an hour.
Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase
- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal trainingschedule:
a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity
b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)
If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.
If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.
c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you doin each workout.
Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of twoweeks, then return to a normal training schedule.
But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!
The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.
Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...
1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)
2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)
3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)
4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)
5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)
6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)
7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)
8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)
9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)
10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)
11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)
12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS Turbulence Training
Men's Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss secrets. Since most times the magazines just don't have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I'd give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn't send to the magazine).
Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during yourfat-loss workouts.
Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it's obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.
I have no interest in you trying to train in your "target heartrate zone" for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.
Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educatedtrainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your "fatburning heart rate zone").
If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.
Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that's why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.
Alwyn Cosgrove calls this 'afterburn', and I call it 'Turbulence'.By any name it gives you the same results - maximumimprovements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).
Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength trainingworkouts.
In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.
This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.
Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.
I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possiblebecause cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.
Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a largeamount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.
But please note: I don't use low-intensity, fast pedaling'spinning' intervals as I'm convinced that the hard, resistancebased intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients onlycycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.
I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to dointervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.
Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency
Okay, so this isn't really a secret to anyone that has read aboutfat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.
Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you'll see your body composition improve rapidly.
If you need more nutrition help, then you'll love the newTurbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
See below for more details...
Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts
My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts areefficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym inunder an hour.
Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase
- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal trainingschedule:
a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity
b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)
If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.
If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.
c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you doin each workout.
Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of twoweeks, then return to a normal training schedule.
But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!
The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.
Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...
1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)
2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)
3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)
4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)
5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)
6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)
7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)
8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)
9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)
10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)
11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)
12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training
New Blog
Welcome to my new blog. This blog will be dedicated to helping everyone shift that unwanted fat once and for all. I will give updates on my training as well as articles and nutritonal advice about how best to lose fat and get the body of your dreams.
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