, or is it Really Good for Weight Loss?by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer   http://www.TruthAboutAbs.com

We all know by now that soda (aka “pop” in some areas) is one of the most evil things you can put in your body… the nasty chemicals, the gut-fattening high fructose corn syrup, and a myriad of health problems caused by this carbonated cocktail worshipped by those that don’t care about their health or body.

Since you’re one of my subscribers, I know that you actually do care about your health and the appearance of your body.

Surprisingly, many people falsely believe that “diet” soda is in some way a good thing for losing body fat.  In fact, I hear people all the time proudly state that they eat so healthy and only drink diet soda.

So let’s set the record straight…

There is NOTHING even remotely healthy about drinking diet soda. In fact, I’ve even seen several studies that showed dedicated diet soda drinkers got even FATTER than their regular soda drinking counterparts.

Here’s some findings from an 8-year University of Texas study that I had read…

An excerpt from the study author:

“What didn’t surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity,” Fowler tells WebMD. “What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher.”

“There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day,” Fowler says.

Ok, as if we didn’t already know how bad regular soda was for us, and now they’re showing us studies that diet soda makes us even fatter than the already bad stuff!

There’s a lot of complicating factors as to why this occurs…

One reason is that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas create a negative hormonal response in the body that increases fat storing hormone production and increases cravings for more sweets and refined carbohydrates in the time period after consuming the diet drink.

Another reason is that people may subconsciously think that because they are drinking a diet soda, that gives them more leeway to eat more of everything else, hence consuming more calories overall.

I’ve said this all along, but the bottom line is that if you’re serious about your health and body, soda of any kind (and artificial sweeteners in anything for that matter!) should be avoided at all times, except for very rare occasions when you can’t avoid them.

Another article I did about artificial sweeteners explains more of the problems with them and good substitutes

So what is a good alternative to diet sodas?

The best alternatives are good old water with lemon or unsweetened iced teas… you have plenty of options with teas - green, white, black, oolong, red… be creative in making your iced teas and you’ll enjoy it more. Plus you’ll get a more diverse array of antioxidants.

I just add a little of the natural non-caloric sweetener stevia to my iced teas and I love them. I get my stevia here.

If you don’t already have a copy of the Truth About Six Pack Abs program, read below…

Recent TruthAboutAbs Reader Review

“Hi Mike,

A few months ago I bought your Truth about abs ebook with my wedding in mind. Anyway, I was procrastinating getting started and kept putting it off. Then, a few weeks ago I finally got started on your program. I had previously been going to the gym doing the boring machines and the tedious running etc etc.

After reading your book, one day, I picked up a pair of free weights, a medicine ball and got to work… I’m amazed, I’m more than amazed, I’m totally blown away!! I now refuse to work out on machines anymore; I do HIIT on the rowing machine instead of running (I HATE RUNNING).

I work out 4 times a week for 30-45 minutes and I have seen the biggest results EVER! I feel fantastic, I’m starting to lose this ugly big belly, I’m developing and defining my arms, shoulders and back and butt! And all of this, really after only a few weeks of your method of training. I haven’t even worked through the whole book yet, or all the exercises yet and as I discover them I work them into my routine!

Thank you for a wonderful book and product. People are still a bit skeptical when I tell them about the weight training and other workout methods you use, but I know I’ll win them over when they see my results!

Regards from South Africa,

-Libby

Don’t be lazy… be like Libby, and get results!

See more reader reviews of the TruthAboutAbs program here and get started.

If you are unsure if the Truth about Abs program is right for you, visit the page for frequently asked abs and fat loss questions about the program

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com

Below is an article contributed by Mike Geary, the founder of http://www. TruthAboutAbs.com .  I thought this was an important topic to share with you because the reality is that most people simply don’t realize how dangerous their excess abdominal fat really is to their health.

The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat - It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that “beer belly” appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There’s just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for “miracle” fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can’t spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn’t work that way.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I’ve actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I’ve spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it “in the trenches” with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution… all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.
Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork… it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It’s really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS.

Don’t waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem at…

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/ 

Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

When I came across this posted article, I had to share it with you. I will not take credit for Larry Jensen’s post, nor make any money from this information, but it was so well written that I just had to pass it on. Here is his article in full.

Fish Oil As An Anti-Inflammatory Agent and How It Can Help You?
By Larry Jensen

Years ago, when grandmothers forcefully spoon-fed cod liver oil to their sick grandchildren, people thought, “that taste will make him sicker.” Now, scientists have discovered that grandma may have been on to something.

Cod liver oil, and all fish oil for that matter, contains an essential fatty acid known as Omega-3. Omega-3 is actually a collective term for a family of these fatty acids, with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) labeled as the most important to note.

The Omega-3 in fish oil is actually famous for its ability to decrease heart problems, high blood pressure, and cerebrovascular problems. But another use for it that’s severely underrated is the use of fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent.

The Inflammatory Process

To understand how exactly fish oil works as an anti-inflammatory agent, you should first take a look at how the inflammation happens in the first place.

When you get hurt, your body releases a variety of chemicals that react and bind with cylooxegenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). When this happens, chemicals known as prostaglandins are released. These prostaglandins are the ones responsible for the manifestation of the signs of inflammation such as redness, pain, swelling and tenderness.

Inflammation happens in all types of injuries, including cuts, burns, contusions, and so on. Generally, an inflammatory response is good for your body because it helps it heal. However, when it becomes a chronic event, then it can do more harm than good.

A good example of an inflammatory disease is Arthritis. Arthritis comes from the Greek word arthro meaning joint and the suffix -itis meaning inflammation. Hence it is loosely translated as the inflammation of the joints. The type of arthritis depends on the cause. For example, Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by autoantibodies called Rheumatoid Factors that attack the joints.

The Role of Omega-3 in the Inflammatory Response

When you take in fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent, you also take in the Omega-3 that it contains. Omega-3, particularly EPA, races against the other chemicals released during an injury to bind with the COX-1 and COX-2.

When EPA successfully binds with the cyclooxygenase, it still results to a release of prostaglandins. However, the prostaglandins released from this binding are about 2% - 50% less active as compared to normal prostaglandin. Now, this is good news for those who have problems with chronic inflammation. That’s because it means that the attacks would be weaker, and would come less frequently.

Another way by which Omega-3 interferes with the inflammatory process is by binding to a receptor known as the GPR120. This receptor can be found on macrophages - a white blood cell that engulfs cellular debris, bacteria, and other disease causing microbes.

When GPR120 is activated, it sends signals that stop the inflammatory process. Although inflammation is caused by a variety of reasons and therefore has several different forms, the GPR120 acts on them all. Hence, Omega-3 is said to be effective for almost all kinds of inflammatory processes.

Fish oil may not be your first choice for your inflammatory problems, but it’s something that you should think about. First of all, fish oil is completely organic; hence it doesn’t cause any side-effects. And aside from being an anti-inflammatory agent, fish oil also gives you other advantages such as an immunity boost, protection from heart problems, and mental clarity.

Using fish oil as an anti-inflammatory agent may not be a miracle cure to all your inflammatory problems, but it certainly is a promising aide to any drug.

Larry Jensen has become an expert in the field of research and writing about Natural Health remedies including herbs, homeopathic remedies and others. He not only writes about his findings in his research, he uses these health products that he recommends. Visit his web site http://www.omega-three-dosage-amount.com Larry truly believes in the products he recommends.

With all the internet promises of gettin that flat stomach-the 6 pack abs-it seems to me to be more a question of what do you eat instead of what exercise is best. Any fitness plan absolutely must include a sensible diet plan. We can exercise our butts off and still have a big belly… Sure you may just have lots of abs muscles ….hidden by extra pounds of flab in the middle.

What do you want? Muscles or a flat belly or both. Doesn’t take rocket science to know  doin 100s of belly exercises will build ab strength. I know . I did it….and still had a 44? waist.  Can’t  stuff  the wrong high glycemic foods,sugar treats ,cakes candy, two 850 calorie  triple cheese burgers and too much of the wrong fats down our throats and expect  all those exercises to get a flat belly. Starving , for me , is out of the question. I love to eat. So, what to do?

How about following a pretty sensible plan of moderation. Eat less and move more. The list of activities is as long as your imagination. If you want muscles and a flat stomach, I’d recommend Click Here!. Used it and worked great for me.

Not only does this great plan Click Here!“>click here
work very ,very well but they even give you meal plans so that you can balance exercise and diet.

Dave Todd
www.tnbhealth.com

P.S.don’t wait…go get it done Click Here!

 When I look around at all the active people where I live, I never see an old skateboarder…
most of em are young  and nimble  and seem to fall without pain…well most don’t  seem hurt…
Pains me just to watch…because I remember pain from  slipping in the tub, falling backwards
out onto the sink back first….yeeeooo that one hurt

 Did live in Huntington Beach, California, but got laughed off a surfboard so many times that I gave it up. 

 But there are many different ways to get enough exercise without that “young” person,carefree
and maybe even reckless activity…don’t mean to offend any of you 66 year old skateboarders or surfers…
and if you are still riding a board then”good on ya”

 Then there was  fall out of the back of my parked pickup and cracking several
ribs when I managed to find a big rock with my left side. My wife said “sure you didn’t land
 on your head? course she wasn’t feeling the pain…

 For me, the best place to fall is in the water…in a pond-Whitehall Pond outside Boston
comes to mind-or in a pool or in the ocean. The ocean  has always been one of my favorite
 places to visit and fall around in the surf.

 Of all the beaches, some of my favorites are Surin beach Phukett  Thailand, Wiamea Bay,
Hawaii and Cranes Beach, Ipswitch, Massachusetts. I have body surfed those places and lived to
tell you about it. Never got the hang of regular surfboarding, but I like the heck out of body
surfing…

  My latest body surfing was lots of exercise and lots of calories burned ,tireing and a whole lot of fun.
And that was last year when I turned 66. Staying active is an incredible boost for the whole body.
Playing in the water 3 days in a row was a great workout and fun… I will do that again..

 Do you wish you could be more active outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight? Would you like to be
in good enough shape to do stuff like that?here’s how I stay in shape
Dave Todd
www.elderly-exercises.com

  when the rain started…  

  My wife and I got a little silly on a walk the other day-great exercise these daily walks-
we both started singing” Singin’ in the Rain”. Don’t normaly do that, but that day we were
getting such a “wonderful feeling” by stretching our legs after dinner.

 Yah, I know it was probably just the endorphins kicking in from the effort that made us do it.
Still walking does not have to be a chore or a big bore. So, we  ”get happy again” sometimes
when we are doing our daily constitutional…
 
 And it does make a corny little story…But, the main point is exercise can be made fun…
while at the same time helping with body image,self-confidence, and the many health benefits
like better blood circulation,lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, etc…

 So if you want to get some of these same benefits, and have some fun doing it
just click exercise
   

more later,
Dave Todd
www.elderly-exercise.com

Good to be back from months on the road-trip to the USA for 6 weeks,2 weeks in Phuket, and Krabi,Thailand and another 2 weeks in Pattaya and Koh Chang Island.

Ate my way across the USA from Boston to New Orleans to The Grand Canyon to Las Vegas to San Diego to San Francisco to Middletown California where there are good friends.

All this traveling put stress on my 5-6 meals per day plan- yes I did eat some junk food and candy- but many healthy snacks helped me keep a reasonably decent body image. When I lost from 268 pounds down to my present 235, it gave me a new self image that I like … In the RV we rented, the cooler stored fruit and low cal snacks and my wife is a great cook so we had some terrific meals…like sitting in the Grand Canyon parking lot having a hot Tom Yum spicy  shrimp soup on a cold , snowy day…

Now back in Thailand, we have regular meals and decent exercise that I have learned through
Click Here!

Living here has been an incredible experience.

Living in the mountains away from the pollution of the city has certainly been a plus for the health of my wife and me. We enjoy the cooler temperatures ,clean air, friendly people and being able to take a post meal stroll around the 50 Rai(20 acres).

http://www.forsalebyownerthailand.com has more of the property information

Yesterday, I posted 3 pictures of a healthy place to live smog free and close to nature. Our home has 5 ponds, 2 wells and 10 holding tanks. We need lots of water for our 100+ fruit trees and we have been an organic farm for 28 years.

The Teak wood came from another house nearby that was sold for its great looking wood. We have 2 great looking Teak wall hangings 1meter by 3 meters  that were hand carved.

We plan to sell this house furnished,ready to move in and we will include all the outdoor tools.