Can coffee be super healthy?

Ahh delicious coffee... almost everybody drinks it... some people have 3-4 cups per day or more.  There are apparently more than 150 MILLION coffee drinkers in the US alone.

But most people don't think of coffee as a "health drink".  And it's certainly NOT healthy the way most people make it with loads of added sugar or artificial sweeteners and artificial trans fat laden creamers.

Read my quick article today and you'll see how to make the healthiest cup of coffee that's both healthy AND delicious:

3 tricks to make your coffee super-healthy

Did you not know about some of the health benefits and powerful antioxidants in coffee?  Read this article about the powerful health benefits of coffee.

Enjoy!  Please feel free to send this page to any of your friends or family that love coffee.

Mike Geary
Author of best-seller:  The Truth about Six Pack Abs

How PYY controls your appetite and cravings

What exactly is "PYY" and how does it tame your appetite and cravings?

Well, PYY is a hormone in your body called Peptide YY.  PYY is an important hormone that that controls your appetite and signals you to stop eating. 

PYY has also been shown to increase your leptin sensitivity, which is a good thing.  If you've read my book or a lot of my past newsletters, you already know that leptin is an important hormone that keeps your metabolism humming in high gear!

So how do we increase PYY so that we can control our appetite best when considering the quantity of calories we've ingested?  Great question and surprisingly, I have a simple answer for you...

Proteins and fats increase PYY in your body to a great extent.  Carbohydrates do almost nothing for PYY.

Therefore, if you've been following my advice and eat a nice hearty protein and healthy fat rich breakfast such as whole eggs, veggies, healthy grass-fed meats, and avocado, you'll increase your PYY and control your appetite for the rest of the day so well, that you'll easily control your caloric intake without much effort.

However, if you've ignored my advice, and continue to eat the typical american breakfast of cereals, muffins, toast, bagels, orange juice, and sugar-loaded coffees... your appetite the rest of the day is going to be ravenous and very hard to control as you've done nothing to stimulate appetite-killing PYY in your body.  And just to clarify, high fiber cereals and bran muffins are still total junk and are not necessary nor optimal for good health or fat loss.

If you don't like eggs for breakfast, seek out another high protein, high fat (healthy fat) based breakfast such as a protein meal replacement such as PG Lean with added almond butter and coconut milk for extra healthy fats... this is a great PYY-increasing, appetite-satisfying breakfast if you don't have time to cook. 

...Or maybe have hard boiled eggs and veggie sticks from the night before to take on the road with you if you don't feel like you have time to make eggs each morning.

I hope today's quick tip helps... remember, it's ALL about protein and healthy fats to control appetite and maximize your good hormones, and give you stable energy... on the other hand, those typical carb-dominated breakfasts (the typical american breakfast) just destroy your ability to control your appetite and also keep you on a wild blood sugar ride all morning... not good!

If you haven't already seen this, I highly recommend watching my friend, and fellow nutritionist, Isabel De Los Rios' information packed nutrition video:

So-called "healthy" foods to NEVER eat (if you want a flat stomach)

This video is chock full of great tips to eat healthier and get lean!


Related Popular TruthAboutAbs articles:

Carcinogens in your cereal and bread? (more ammo against grains, as if you needed any more)

2 Ways that corn can KILL you?  (overly dramatic or real issues?)


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

The WORST food to ever eat - if you want a flat belly

What is the absolute worst food for your body?  We're talking foods that cause cancer, diabetes, a fat belly, and lots more damage to your body...

Is it donuts? Maybe french fries or chips? Those trans fats are very damaging to your insides!  What about mac & cheese or pizza? Soft drinks stuffed with high fructose corn syrup? Sugar-loaded muffins, cookies, and cakes?  Or what about foods like pasta, cereals, and breads that most people falsely think are "healthy"?

Hmm ... although all of these foods are at the top of my "bad" list, let's distinguish what is the WORST for YOU specifically...

The worst food ever is ... drum roll please ... ANY food that you personally can't stop eating.  I'm talking about your personal "trigger foods".  You know, that one food that you'll keep eating until you practically make yourself sick.

For some it's ice cream. For others, it's candy, chocolate, or something crunchy and salty like chips or fries.  For me, it used to be cereals years ago... Once I'd have one bowl, I'd be like some crazed addict and need to eat 2-3 more bowls. 

Note - I NEVER EVER keep cereals around my house anymore, as I don't have the willpower to resist them, nor are they a food that hunter-gatherer humans were ever meant to eat in nature (hence the antinutrients in grains).

Whatever it is, if your trigger food is in your house ... chances are you'll come up with dozens of excuses about why it's okay to eat it.

"I'll workout extra hard tomorrow."

Or,

"I ate really healthy earlier today so it's okay to cheat tonight"

Or,

"I don't care ... give me that darn ice cream scooper!"

The key to getting (and keeping a flat belly) is recognizing these trigger foods and keeping them OUT OF YOUR HOUSE all the time!

Seriously. This tip alone can save you thousands of calories every week.

So today's take home message is this: make a list of your top trigger foods and "send them packin'." 

I know that the thought of never having your favorite junk food in your house again may SCARE you to death, but this doesn't mean you can never eat them again. 

The secret is to ONLY eat these favorite junk trigger foods on your cheat day (1 cheat day per week) and NEVER keep them in your house! So this means going OUT to eat on your cheat day, but NOT bringing these foods in your house.  Let's face it... almost nobody has the willpower to avoid their favorite junk foods all week long if they are staring you in the face in your cupboards.

If you eat close to 100% clean 6 days/week, then you can get away with eating your favorite junk trigger foods on 1 cheat day per week.  It works...try it!

In case you missed my email yesterday, make sure to grab this new complimentary 40-page special report below...

FIFTEEN foods that kill belly fat fast (last chance to grab this)


Want some more ideas of the healthy foods that SHOULD fill your kitchen... make sure you've read these 2 articles below:

My top 55 flat-belly foods

7 healthy high-fat foods that help you get lean

Bon appetit!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

18 foods and nutrients to boost testosterone levels

I just read through a great new report that talks all about foods and nutrients to help guys balance their hormones better and also increase those ever important T levels (yes, that's testosterone!)

Although this report is geared towards the men, I think you ladies reading this will also want to make sure to download this report for your man... remember that the benefits of balancing hormones and improving T levels is more than just a better body... it's also more desire in the bedroom too!

Inside the report you'll also find out about 18 specific foods that can help with Testosterone levels, and also a few obscure nutrients that can assist too... You can grab this new report for FREE here:

18 foods and 6 obscure nutrients to boost Testosterone levels for men  (free report)


On a similar topic, make sure you've read this vitally important article below about how your cell phone can actually reduce your Testosterone levels, and what to do about it to protect yourself:

Can cell phone radiation HARM your Testosterone levels? (important article and protective steps)

And while we're at it, did you know that there are studies that show harm to your bone density in the area of your body that you carry your cell phone?  Read this article to see:

Study on cell phone use and damage to your bones


And because I really want to see you maximize the effects of increasing your testosterone levels naturally, make sure to incorporate the exercise techniques in this article:

2 powerful exercise tips to boost testosterone and growth hormone levels naturally

As always, if you found the information helpful today, please pass this web page onto your friends and family.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

My personal daily fat-loss routine

When I first meet someone and they hear what I do for a living as a fitness author, and see that I'm in good shape... one of the first things that most people want to hear is what I do personally on my daily routines... what do my workouts look like, and what do I eat.

Theory and science is great, but sometimes most people just want to hear examples of what's working for someone else.

So I'm going to keep most of the science and theory out of this and just show you what works for me for a daily routine.

Now I know that I said "daily fat loss routine" in the subject of this email, but in reality, I only focus on a fat-loss routine for certain portions of the year. At other times of the year, I might be focusing on muscle building (usually in the winter).  And at other times of the year, I might be focusing on just maintaining leanness, but not necessarily trying to get leaner.

I'll focus this email on what has worked for me during both fat-loss goals and just maintaining leanness of around 8-10% bodyfat.

Ok, let's get started with mornings...

In the mornings, I've been toying around this year with semi-fasted exercise, which is usually wind sprints at the nearby soccer field 2-3 times/week, or a hike up the mountain behind my house 2-3 times/week.

What do I mean by "semi-fasted exercise"?
Well, you've probably heard a lot of debate in the fitness world about the efficacy of empty stomach morning cardio. Some people swear it's the holy grail of fat loss and others say it can cause too much lean muscle loss, hence lowering your resting metabolic rate.

In my TruthAboutAbs book, you may remember that I said that I experimented with empty stomach morning cardio in the past and it always backfired on me, causing me to lose muscle, which was NOT my goal.  The solution to this is to take about 4-5 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA's) first thing in the morning and this is supposed to prevent the muscle catabolism that would normally occur since your body is breaking down muscle tissue to obtain the aminos it needs for organ function, etc.

However, even taking the BCAA's in the morning, I still would never get a good workout, because I would feel weak without having any calories in me since the night before.  And a weak workout is going to get poor results compared to a workout where you feel strong and energetic.

The solution I came up with was just to drink a concoction I came up with that's only about 60-80 calories, first thing in the morning (but no carbs), and then do my exercise.  This concoction would cause very little, if any blood sugar response, so theoretically should keep me in fat-burning mode. However, it's just enough to give me the energy to get through my morning wind sprints or hike up the mountain with good intensity instead of feeling lethargic.

Here's my morning drink concoction:
* 2 cups of a mixed iced tea (unsweetened) - tea mixture explained below
* 1 heaping spoonful of this Superfoods Cocktail (which has a mix of 76 superfoods in it; I use this everyday and love it!)
* 1/2 scoop of grass-fed whey protein (about 10-12 grams of protein)

I've also been taking about 2-3 grams of BCAA's along with this drink for some extra assurance on preventing catabolism of muscle.

My iced tea mixture is usually made with green tea, oolong tea, and either red tea or white tea. I always have a gallon container of this in the fridge. The oolong tea is purported to possibly have even better fat-burning stimulation in the body compared to green tea. Although I think they both have benefits since they contain different types of antioxidants and other compounds. 

One of the unique compounds that's been identified in studies on oolong tea is the high levels of polymerized polyphenols, which is apparently part of the reason it can aid fat loss.  Here's an excerpt from a Japanese study comparing green tea and oolong tea:

"In the current study, the concentration of total polymerized polyphenols in oolong tea (68 mg/300 ml) was much higher than that in green tea (17 mg/300 ml). These results suggest that polymerized polyphenols might be the major factor in causing the increase of EE (Energy Expenditure) by oolong tea."

This is the type of oolong tea that I've been using daily.

After my morning drink concoction, it's time for either the sprints or the hike...

When I do my morning wind sprints, it's about a 10-minute bike ride to the soccer field, then I do about 15 minutes of intense wind sprints alternated with walking, and then the 10-minute bike ride back home. So it only about a 35 minute workout total.

If I choose to do the hike up the mountain behind my house in the morning instead of the sprints, I usually do about 40-45 minutes, and it's a great mix of ups/downs to keep the intensity variable (and variability of intensity is super important for maximizing the benefit to your heart).

After my morning workout, I make my breakfast, which is usually some form of eggs, veggies, and meat.  I usually make a big omelet with some mixture of veggies such as onions, zucchini, mushrooms, green/red peppers, spinach, and/or jalapeno peppers.  I usually use a grass-fed bison sausage in my eggs too.  But sometimes I use a delicious wild boar sausage that I've found at a local market. I always make sure the sausage has zero nitrates/nitrites.  I also add garlic powder, black pepper, and turmeric to my eggs, both for taste and health benefits.

And of course, I always have some hot green tea, oolong tea, or yerba mate with my breakfast!

These breakfasts are mostly quality proteins, healthy fats, and lots of veggies. If fat loss is my goal I stay away from breads and cereals fully.  If muscle building is my goal, I'll include some sprouted grain bread for extra calories.

On cheat days, even during fat loss cycles, once a week for breakfast I'll make some delicious french toast using sprouted grain raisin bread and topped with fresh berries and grass-fed butter, and I'll have it with chicken and apple sausage, and a couple eggs over easy... mmm, delicious!  And I always have coffee instead of tea on my cheat days and use just a touch of real maple syrup in my coffee... none of that high fructose corn syrup crap...just real maple syrup.

Ok, back to non-cheat days...

Mid-afternoon, my meal usually consists of some mixture of unsweetened greek yogurt (the highest protein yogurt) with some berries, pecans or almonds, and chia seeds for some extra nutrition.  I just use a small bit of vanilla whey protein mixed in with the yogurt to lightly sweeten it without artificial sweeteners or added sugar.  A small touch of water or milk helps the protein mix with the yogurt.

Late afternoon, I'll usually have a piece of fruit along with some nuts (raw almonds are my favorite) and on gym days (which is 3x a week usually) this will be my pre-workout meal about 60-90 minutes before a workout.  If there's no local fruit in season, I might go with celery topped with almond butter for this meal, or hummus with carrot sticks, both super healthy snacks that I love.

I like to do my weight training workouts in the early evening as that's when I feel like I have the most strength.  Usually, my weight training workouts take about 45-50 minutes and are fairly intense and heavy! 

My weight training workouts are most times some form of supersetting barbell squats paired with upper body pulling (pullups or rows) or barbell deadlifts paired with upper body pressing (bench, dumbbell presses, overhead presses, etc) for the main portions of the workouts with accessory exercises after that. 

Sometimes I'll do circuit training, density training, or workout complexes for variety.  And of course, if you know me, you know that I love to mix in the occasionally high intensity kettlebell workout into the mix too.

My girlfriend Nayri has been using John Romaniello's Super Hero workouts lately and she has been loving them! Very cool format to those workouts and a challenge for both guys and gals if you're up for something intense.

When we come home from the gym at night, I make a big smoothie right away, usually with frozen bananas mixed with other frozen berries, raw grass-fed milk, organic cocoa powder, a touch of real maple syrup, a spoonful of spirulina powder, and a scoop of grass-fed whey protein.  This is a great post-workout shake that we love.

About 2 hours after that shake, we cook dinner, and usually have different variations of a healthy meat option, side veggies, and a salad with fresh greens, avocado, sliced beets, and my homemade healthy salad dressing. 

Notice that we don't have any starches generally with dinner... only meat, veggies, and salad.  This strategy in particular has been one of the biggest things that I've seen help people to jumpstart their fat loss results for those that struggle.

Probably about twice a week, we'll have some organic red wine with dinner.  Although some people in the health field don't agree with drinking any alcohol at all, I personally believe there's some health benefits to having red wine a couple times a week. You may also know that I have a very unsided balanced opinion about alcohol, and this article shows my techniques to still enjoy drinking moderately while staying lean and healthy.

For the meat with our dinners, my favorites are either a grass-fed steak, grass-fed burger, game meat such as moose or venison, or some wild salmon!  Occasionally we'll have some sort of chicken, but I try to avoid grocery store chicken (since it's almost all unhealthy birds raised in horrendous conditions).  Instead, we usually get some great free roaming chicken meat from a local farmers market... chickens that actually spent most of their time outside instead of cooped up inside a factory farm without ever seeing sunshine or fresh air.

If you don't know how important it is for animals in our food supply to see sunshine and why factory farms hurt the nutrition of our food supply, read this article

Late night, we usually enjoy some sort of night time tea... most times it's a mix of chamomile and mint tea.  Remember from my book that chamomile tea is one of those special plants with unique phytochemicals that can help you fight against the bombardment of xenoestrogens you're exposed to daily from plastics, pesticides, and other chemicals in your house and our environment.

We usually have the tea about an hour before bed as it helps me to relax and unwind at night.  Then I try my best to get about 8 hours of sleep each night.  I used to only get 6-7 hours of sleep per night years ago but now that I get 8 hours of sleep each night, I can't even begin to explain how much better I feel every single day.  Just the difference in energy is incredible! 

Well, that's about it... a fairly good example of an average day that keeps me and my girlfriend super lean year round.  Things change a bit depending on season, as I'll be skiing a lot in the winter, so skiing and snowshoeing in the winter replaces the hiking and mountain biking that I enjoy in the warm months.

Anyway, I hope you're able to benefit from some of the ideas here today.  I know we're all different and have different exercise and food preferences, but I get so many requests to simply hear what my daily routines are like, that I figured I'd just throw these ideas out there.

Have a great day,


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

51 delicious fat-burning dessert recipes, snacks, and breakfasts

You absolutely HAVE to try some of these delicious high-protein, fat-burning desserts, snacks, and breakfast recipes... and there's ZERO cost to grab this recipe book today from my good friend and dietician, Jayson Hunter!

You'll want to try some of these goodies:
* Chewy "No Bake" Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies that are just 92 calories - p.1
* Yummy Vanilla Cake packed with a body-sculpting 35 grams of protein - p.4
* Guilt-Free French Toast with just 106 calories (perfect for a quick, healthy breakfast!) - p.23
* Velvety Orange mousse packed with an incredible 42 grams of protein - p.14
* Sinfully delicious Chocolate Cherry Parfait with just 1 gram of fat and 31 grams of protein? Yes! - p.16
* The Famous 65-calorie Decadent Chocolate-Covered Coconut Truffles -  p.17
* Go back to your childhood with the comforting Ice Cream Sandwich - but the "healthy" version crammed with 34g of protein and only 3g of fat - p.40
* Ever heard of a hot fudge topping for your ice cream with 28 grams of protein? Well now you have! - p.51

Grab all 51 of these protein-packed delicious recipes here <-- at ZERO cost!

Get ready to enjoy all of these delicious mouth watering recipes while simultaneously killing your cravings and boosting your metabolic rate!

By the way, if you have yet to read this awesome article showing why real butter can actually help you to get leaner, don't miss it!  Yes, there are actually specific compounds in real butter than can help you to get a leaner body.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

How Alex got ripped six pack abs

If you want some inspiration, you've GOT to see the pics that one of my readers, Alex, has sent over.  He's literally gone from "a little bit chubby" to RIPPED six pack abs!

Check out Alex's six pack pics:

Alex's ripped six-pack abs pics (and his story)

As you'll see on that page, I also got Alex to agree to let me do a Q&A with him on exactly how he got such crazy results and transformed his body.  I really think you'll like his story and be inspired by it!

Alex is a great example of somebody that took big time action on his fitness goals and achieved his dream body.  And he tells you all the nitty gritty details of how he got six pack abs here... we're talking nutrition, workouts, motivation, and more!

Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

What's in your gut? How probiotics and prebiotics keep you healthy

Are you aware that approximately 60-70% of your immune system is found in your gut?  It's true and I'll expand on that in this article.

Do you get sick all of the time or are you in stellar health 99% of the time?

For most people, it seems they get sick every couple of weeks.  That's no way to live!

Other people seem to almost never get sick or go years without getting sick.  What's the secret of those that always stay healthy and rarely get sick?

Well, first we have to remember that one of the absolute biggest factors controlling your immune system and overall health is your vitamin D levels (of which you produce most vitamin D from sun exposure).  That's the main reason people get more sick in the winter compared to summer... lack of sun equals reduced vitamin D levels and reduced immunity.

You can read a more detailed article about how your vitamin d levels are affecting your health here.


Another topic we'll cover here is your digestion... Do you get stomach aches, gas, bloating and other digestion problems frequently or never?

Well, there are tons of reasons for the differences in both immunity and digestion issues... including stress levels, types of food intake, sleep quality and quantity, overall general health and fitness levels, our vitamin D levels, and even some factors going back to childhood (such as breastfeeding, the type of diet during developmental years, etc).

What I've noticed for myself personally is that the healthier that I eat as the years go on, the less frequently I get sick, and the less frequently I get digestion problems.

As a matter of fact, my diet has become so healthy over the last few years that I really never get sick at all anymore (I can't even remember having 1 measly cold in the last year), and I also can't remember the last stomach ache I had (pretty much never have them anymore).

Besides just keeping fit and healthy in general, I have a little bit of a secret that I believe helps a lot with my immunity as well as digestion, and hopefully this info will help you as well.

One of my major secrets is the heavy use of both probiotics and prebiotics... and this doesn't necessarily mean supplements (although I occasionally use probiotic supps)... rather, I get most of this from regular natural foods.

Probiotics are basically live microorganisms (friendly bacteria and other good microorganisms) that can be ingested in certain fermented and raw foods.  Some probiotics you may have heard of are Bifidus, Lactobacilli, L. casei, etc.

It's estimated that the average person has several TRILLION of these little buggers doing work at any given time inside your digestive system.

Probiotic microorganisms actually like the acidic environment of your stomach and small intestine, and provide a HUGE amount of benefits to you.

Here are some of the benefits that probiotics in your digestive system provide:

*Improve digestion
*Increase your immunity
*Help reduce yeast infections, urinary tract infections, etc
*Reduce chances of diarrhea and/or constipation
*Improve lactose intolerance
*Increase absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
*Increase production of white blood cells to help reduce inflammation, allergies, and other conditions
*and much more important functions

Keep in mind that taking antibiotics kills off a portion of your friendly bacteria living inside of you, so you need to make sure to increase your intake of probiotics if you're ever forced to take antibiotics. 

Personally, I would never take antibiotics unless it was something life threatening that needed to be eradicated. But to be compliant, I have to tell you to do whatever your doctor tells you to do.

By the way, many doctors will prescribe antibiotics a lot of times even if you have a viral infection (which is pointless), and is only doing you harm by killing some of your good probiotic bacteria in your system and potentially allowing another bug to make you ill now that your defenses are reduced (the probiotics are your defenses).

Make sure to confirm with your doc that you really do have a bacterial infection before allowing him/her to prescribe you an antibiotic.  Even in those cases, you should ask your doc if the antibiotic is really required or if you can get better on your own (which is preferred). 

So what foods are good sources of these health-giving friendly probiotics?

A couple major sources are:

*Yogurt - make sure that the yogurt label says that it has live cultures in it. Also, steer clear of yogurts that use artificial sweeteners or are loaded with sugar and corn syrup... Instead, your best bet is plain yogurt (grass fed and organic if possible), and then add your own fruit, nuts, and stevia to "flavor it up". 

*Kefir - similar to yogurt, but more of a liquid form of fermented milk (can have 2-3 billion or more active friendly organisms per serving).

*Aged types of cheese - blue cheese, hard aged cheeses, aged cheddar... all can contain up to 10 billion friendly organisms per serving.

*Kombucha - a type of fermented tea (this has a very strong taste, so consider mixing it with regular iced tea).  There are also other probiotic drinks on the market now in some health food stores... one of which that tastes great I think is called "Kevita".

*Natto, miso, and tempeh - forms of fermented soybean (the ONLY types of soy that I believe are ok in limited quantities) -- remember to avoid processed soy protein, soybean oil, and soymilk as they are some of the most unhealthy foods you can eat... I can't even really label them as "foods"...more like industrial waste!

*Sauerkraut - probably needs to be homemade as I believe most supermarket sauerkrauts are pasteurized, which kills the friendly probiotics.

*other naturally fermented foods

So as you can see, trying to include a variety of these probiotic-rich foods into your daily diet can go a long way towards keeping you healthy, strengthen your immune system and prevent sickness, and also help prevent digestion problems.

The other thing I wanted to explain was PREBIOTICS. If probiotics are the actual organisms, prebiotics are types of foods that you can eat to help stimulate the growth of probiotics within your system.

Soluble fiber is the main prebiotic that can help the probiotics flourish in your digestive system. Oatmeal, oat bran, inulin (not insulin, but inulin...a soluble fiber), and various fruits and vegetables all help to supply you with prebiotics.

There you have it! Probiotics and prebiotics explained.

Also make sure to read this article of mine:

7 powerful tips to never get sick again

Please feel free to share this article with your friends and family.  Share it on facebook or email to your friends!

To your health,

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

Which milk is healthier - cows, almond, coconut, soy or rice milk?

I had a conversation about this topic with a good friend of mine today and it reminded me of how many other people always have this same question...

The problem is that we've established (as you know from the thorough details in my Fat Burning Kitchen ebook) that regular pasteurized/homogenized milk is horrible for you...

We're talking about the regular milk (no matter whether it's skim, 2%, or whole) that you get at the grocery store -- which is almost ALL from factory farms where the cows are kept in horrendous conditions, poor health, and fed the wrong foods.

Even if you find milk that is "organic" at your grocery store, it still has the problem that the homogenization process renders the fat molecules unhealthy within your body, and the pasteurization destroys beneficial enzymes that help the proper digestion of milk proteins and lactose.

But we've also established that raw whole milk from grass-fed cows raised in a healthy manner, fed the correct foods, and treated right, is the ONLY source of healthy cows milk. 

And no, despite the propaganda you've been fed, raw milk is NOT dangerous... not when it comes from a clean grass-fed farm operation certified to produce raw milk and with healthy cows.

I'm living proof of that fact... I've been drinking hundreds and hundreds of gallons of raw whole milk for about 8 years now, and never once have gotten sick from it.  Nor have any of the families and friends I know that have also been drinking it for years.  Certainly, if raw milk was "dangerous", we'd all be dead by now or at least have been sick multiple times by now.  Nope, not once!

But the fact that raw milk is the only healthy milk is a problem for many people because they simply can't find a farm in their area that supplies raw milk.  By the way, you can search your area on realmilk.com to see if any farms deliver in your area.

So I've come up with a possible healthy alternative if you can't find raw milk and want a good cows milk alternative...

First of all, stay FAR, FAR away from soymilk! It's a straight-up junk food. There's an entire article on my website dedicated to this topic of why soy is pure junk...

What about Rice Milk?
No!  Way too much sugar and total carbs and almost ZERO protein. If you want to shoot your blood sugar through the roof, rice milk will do the job, and will pack on the blubber just as fast.

Here's one of the best options I've found...
It's a new "Coconut Milk Beverage" that I've seen recently in the grocery stores here in the US. It seems to differ from the "coconut milk" that you see in cans simply that it's diluted down with water more than canned coconut milk which usually has more of a thick coconut cream consistency. 

Side note:  try the thick creamy canned coconut milk (organic of course) in your coffee for a healthy creamer alternative... delicious!

Now as you know from reading my books and newsletters, coconut fat is one of the healthiest fats you can consume... Yes, it's saturated fat, but research has proven that it is a very healthy form of saturated fat, and is mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) including lauric acid, which supports a strong immune system.

If you want more info about why saturated fat is actually healthy, here are 2 articles on my site to make sure to read:

Why saturated fat is not so bad after all

The truth about saturated fat (written by a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry)


Back to the healthy milk alternatives...

The flavored "coconut milk beverages" do have some added sugar, but still only have 9 grams of carbs per 8 oz, which is less sugar than a glass of cows milk.

But they also have an unsweetened version, which only has 1 gram of carbs.

The only problem is that this "coconut milk beverage" only has 1 gram of protein too.  This is one place where this milk lacks nutritionally.

So here's my solution... get a good quality vanilla whey protein, preferably grass-fed whey protein (sweetened with stevia instead of typical artificial sweeteners) and mix 3-4 scoops of whey protein into the entire half gallon carton of "coconut milk beverage"... possibly in a blender and then transfer to a new pitcher or container of some sort.

Now you have a milk alternative that's high in healthy fats (MCTs in this case) and also quality protein, with only 1 gram of sugar per 8 oz serving!

I still won't give up my raw whole cows milk for this (since I do have access to a good raw milk farm)... but this coconut milk mixture would be one of the only options that I would actually drink if I couldn't get my good raw milk.

What about almond milk?
Actually, I don't have a problem with almond milk as long as it's not heavily sweetened with added sugars or artificial sweeteners.  I've seen almond milk brands that have unsweetened versions and only has 1 gram of sugar per 8oz, just like the coconut milk.  These unsweetened almond milks are actually pretty tasty... I think a bit better tasting than the coconut milk drinks in my opinion.

The only problem with almond milk is that it is very low in protein similar to the coconut milk drinks. 

Adding the whey protein to almond milk would make a great mixture too and make it more balanced as a good healthy milk alternative.  I actually think the best tasting mixture might be to try mixing unsweetened almond milk with unsweetened coconut milk and then blending in a few scoops of vanilla whey protein in the blender to the whole mix.

By the way, one of the best whey proteins out there is this raw grass-fed whey protein with ZERO artificial sweeteners.  This is the brand that I use personally.

Feel free to pass on this email to friends and family that may be interested in today's article on milk.




Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

Foods that KILL high blood pressure?

Whether you currently have high blood pressure or not, make sure you're eating these 5 powerful foods to help control your blood pressure, even in the future.  Today's article is written by guest author Frank Mangano, and I couldn't agree more...  Heart disease and stroke are still 2 of the biggest killers in our society, so it is vitally important to take care of your cardiovascular health.


The 5 foods described in this article contain powerful phytochemicals that help to manage your blood pressure.  There are dozens of others too, but these are a great starting point to make sure you're including in your diet:

5 Foods that help reduce high blood pressure <-- are you eating these?


Another interesting article for you:

Grow younger with this special type of fat?

I'll be back soon with more Lean-Body Secrets.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

Healthy high protein ice cream recipe

Ice cream is not usually something thought of as healthy, but you can honestly make pretty healthy (and high protein) versions of ice cream if you get a little creative.

I just saw this delicious looking high protein, low-sugar ice cream recipe today and I had to share it with you... I'm going to try it myself today:

High protein peanut butter ice cream recipe  (easy and fast to make)

This is the type of dessert or snack that can even support your fat loss metabolism, since it it very low in sugar and high in protein.  This can also help to balance blood sugar and reduce cravings for sweets!  And that healthy ice cream recipe uses absolutely ZERO artificial sweeteners or added sugars (only uses natural stevia).

And we're not even done yet with awesome healthy ice cream recipes.  Check these out below:

8 more healthy high protein ice cream recipes 

These healthy recipes even help to support your fat burning metabolism! 

Enjoy some delicious ice cream and control your cravings and blood sugar!

 If you liked today's recipes, please email or share this page with any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy them.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

A link between sunscreens and belly fat -- bad news

As you've probably noticed, I've run a series of articles in this newsletter about various places that you are being exposed to dangerous chemicals that can negatively affect your hormones... whether it's xenoestrogens in foods, cosmetics, lotions, or environmental chemicals...

But this one is a bit more sinister and not many people understand the risks with excessive use of chemical sunscreens.  Read below to discover the shocking truth:

A link between sunscreens and belly fat  (and the solution)

If you're a man in today's world, it's almost impossible to avoid the bombardment of xenoestrogens (from pesticides/herbicides in our food supply, plastic containers with BPA, the water supply, environmental toxins, canned food linings, lotions and self care products).  

On top of that, we also have a major issue with excess exposure to phytoestrogens because of the deceptive mass marketing of soy as a health food in the last decade.

This entire issue of both xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens has caused a feminization of men on a grand scale, where Testosterone levels in men have been decreasing steadily over the past few decades, and estrogen levels have been increasing in men. 

Not good!  This can cause a LOT of problems for men, not only in the bedroom, but with increased rates of gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), reduced fertility, reduced muscle, and excess body fat.

I've been really excited about this new product that my buds at Prograde have just come out with... read below to see the 6 unusual herbs that have been proven to help boost T levels and create a more favorable T to estrogen ratio in men:

6 unusual herbal substances that boost T levels and fight estrogenic exposure
Read the whole page and you'll see that there are legitimate studies to back up the power of these 6 ingredients in helping you to "get your mojo back", increase muscle, reduce body fat, and all of the other benefits with boosting T levels and creating a better T:E ratio in men.

Aside from the 6 nutrients talked about in the page above, here are some other tips to help fight against xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens that you may be exposed to, and help maximize your T levels and T:E ratio...

1.  Make sure to eat a lot of this specific class of veggies that helps to fight against xenoestrogens.

2.  Drinking a few cups of green tea each day can help fight xenoestrogens, and also a cup of chamomile tea each night can help fight the effects of xenoestrogens.

3.  Don't carry your cell phone in your pants pocket, as the EM radiation is shown to decrease T levels in men, along with risks of testicular cancer, reduced fertility, etc.

4.  Avoid chemicals such as BPA in certain plastics and canned food linings, as these are strong xenoestrogens.

5.  Eat organic food as often as possible to avoid the xenoestrogens from pesticide and herbicide residues.

6.  Train with heavy weights on big exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, weighted pullups, etc as these exercises with heavy weights can help to boost your T levels.

7.  Make sure to incorporate these 2 exercise "tricks" to boost Testosterone levels and Growth Hormone naturally.


If today's article was helpful, please fwd this on to your friends and family.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

2 indirect ways that corn can kill you?

I know that title may sound a bit shocking, a little absurd, and almost impossible...

And of course...eating some corn flakes, corn bread, or tortilla chips on occasion is NOT going to instantly put you on your death bed (although they're NOT helping you get lean either!)

But, hang with me for a minute, and read this entire article below, and I will show you at least two indirect ways that corn CAN kill...

2 Indirect ways that corn can KILL you

Please share this article with your friends and family.

If you enjoy these newsletters, please do me a favor (and your friends a favor), and go to this page and click "share" for facebook to tell your friends about my health and fitness newsletters, so they can benefit from these as well.

Talk to you soon,

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Are these 20 harmful chemicals found in your burgers?

Check out the videos on the article page below to see over 20 hidden chemicals that may be lurking in your hamburgers, and how you can avoid them:

20+ harmful chemicals lurking your burgers?

I hope these videos shock you into never wanting to eat fast food again.  In my opinion, fast food in general shouldn't even be classified as real "food", especially considering all of the pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and preservatives that are lurking in fast food meals.

Important health issue:  If you missed this before, this article below is a must-read, and is one of the most misunderstood aspects of our health these days... it's also vitally important to understand why you get sick, why risk of cancer has increased, and more:

Serious health issue: your skin pigmentation, vitamin D, and your latitude
And if you have a couple more minutes, I'd also suggest that you make sure to read this article below:

The missing link destroying your health silently - vitamin D deficiency

PS - if you liked todays articles, please share this page with any of your friends, family, or co-workers that would enjoy it.  Feel free to post the link to this page on facebook, twitter, etc.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

A sinister health problem - the area you live, your skin pigmentation, and vitamin D

This is an important article and video below that shows how the area that you live could be harming your health.  The video also shows how this relates to our skin pigmentation and could cause a problem quietly brewing inside your body:

Is the area that you live harming your health through Vitamin D deficiency?

Also, if you missed the article the other day, make sure to read about how problems in our food supply could be causing you to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

On an unrelated note...

If you remember from a newsletter a while back, I warned that although I love most of Prograde Nutrition's products, there was one particular product that I recommended NOT using, and that was Prograde Lean, because it contained artificial sweeteners (and I'm strictly anti artificial sweetener).

Well, my complaint about that product didn't fall on deaf ears... Prograde has changed the formula and come out with a new and improved Prograde Lean meal replacement that is naturally sweetened with stevia!

It has coffee and chocolate flavors, and supposedly the coffee flavor is surprisingly good.  And it has either 8 grams (coffee flavor) or 11 grams of fiber (chocolate flavor) per serving, along with a whopping 35 grams of protein!

My boys at PG tell me that they're having a 10%-off sale until tomorrow on the entire store if you want to try out the new Prograde Lean.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Is vitamin D deficiency destroying your health?

Today's article will probably shock you.  Most people don't realize they are deficient in this vital substance that regulates almost everything inside your body.

And although you're probably aware what this nutrient is, there's a very important aspect I cover in this article that almost nobody is talking about...

The missing link destroying your health?  

Please read this article in full, as it is very important to understand the EXACT reasons why you are probably deficient in vitamin D and don't even know it.

If you missed this article last week, make sure to read about the new study that shows why high-fructose corn syrup can actually be WORSE for you than plain sugar (keeping in mind that sugar is bad too).  You'll get a laugh out of the end of this article too!

Talk to you soon,

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

3 Major Fat Loss Mistakes

I've got a brand new article for you today from our favorite physical therapist, Dr K, guest author... Make sure to avoid these 3 MAJOR fat loss mistakes if you want to get truly lean for life:

3 major fat loss MISTAKES to avoid


Great points from Dr K in that article!  I'm always amazed at how many people I see at the gym pumping away for hundreds of situps and crunches thinking that their stomach fat is "melting" away or something like that... but they're just wasting time in reality... time that could be better spent on exercises that actually trigger a metabolic change, like squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc. 

Also, you may have missed Dr K's other recent article, which was quite a shocker to most people:

The 7 WORST exercises to NEVER do

Enjoy the articles!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

New study shows high fructose corn syrup worse than sugar

You've heard the debates about which is worse, high-fructose corn syrup or plain sugar... and you've also probably seen the ridiculous propaganda campaign that the Corn Refiners Association has been spreading trying to make you think that HFCS is "natural" and "no worse than sugar".

But now a new study has emerged that might shock you.  Make sure to read this whole page, as it even shows exactly why HFCS does make you fatter than plain sugar!

New study shows HFCS does make you fatter than sugar

And I also have something on that article page that is going to give you a good laugh... you'll see what I mean on the site!

Share this article with your friends to spread the word on the new studies on HFCS.

Also, I just wanted to give you one last reminder that this is your last chance to check out the new ShapeShifter Body Redesign system for the launch week special.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

Unique Home Workouts - the ShapeShifter System

You've got to check out these super-unique new home workouts that my friends Adam and Ryan just released today... these guys always blow me away with how different and innovative their exercises are...

Check out Adam and Ryan's new weird "ShapeShifter" workouts




What is the ShapeShifter?
Well, we're talking innovative bodyweight training programs fully integrated with no-nonsense diet and lifestyle lessons. One of their beta testers of the "ShapeShifter" lost 8.5 inches off her body in only 6 weeks--without setting foot in a gym! The exercises were all done at home.  And every inch that she lost was fat!

That's the secret of their body "RE-DESIGN" system. They've arranged the program in a day-by-day format that removes fat off your body fast while maintaining or even adding muscle in EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACES for the most impressive VISUAL impact... hence, re-designing your body in 6 weeks!

And that's what getting in shape is all about, right? Changing your shape. I mean, there's no point working your butt off in the gym if no one notices!

And that's exactly what usually happens with generic exercise and diet programs. You might lose weight and simply end up with nothing more than a smaller version of the same flabby body. But NOT with the ShapeShifter!  With this, you will lose body fat while reshaping your body.

Get the Shapeshifter system now (re-design your shape)

This is by far one of the best bodyweight training programs I've ever seen.  It's also one of the highest quality and most innovative programs I've seen in a long time, period.

If you try out the ShapeShifter program for the next couple of days during this 51% off launch special, you'll also get some killer bonuses that I don't think you want to miss...

Get started on re-designing your shape (no gym needed)

Have fun with this...  These are awesome workouts to add to your arsenal for a lean chiseled body!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

3 counterfeit foods that have deceptive health claims

Whenever I go to the grocery store, I always have to shake my head at how deceptive so many food labels are... no wonder so many people are confused as to what foods are healthy and which are not. 

In today's article, I show you 3 examples of foods that have been manipulated from their natural state and transformed into processed "counterfeit" foods.  Shockingly, the food manufacturers try to claim that these foods are "healthier" than the original natural version.  Don't be fooled!

 3 "counterfeit" foods that are deceptive

Last thing for today:

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to try out the new Prograde Fusion protein/fiber tasty drink concoction that helps to satisfy your appetite and control cravings between meals.

I'm excited about this new product, and the origin of the idea came from when I was doing a cutting cycle and needed something to control my appetite mid-day between meals and late night when the cravings might creep in.  So I talked to my boys at PG about maybe producing something like this... and a year later, voila!

PG Fusion has 24 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and only 2 grams of sugar (and ZERO artificial sweeteners)... but it tastes like a delicious fruity drink. 

Heck it might sound crazy, but the next time I'm having cocktails with friends, I might try a Fusion mixed with vodka or rum...

I'm not recommending alcohol obviously, but if I'm hanging out with friends and going to have a cocktail anyway (let's face it, most of us aren't willing to give up alcohol entirely), we might as well get 24 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber with it too!

By the way, on this topic, here is an article I did that explains how to stay lean and healthy if you don't want to entirely give up alcohol.


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

The 3D Metabolic Exercise Method for Flat Abs

I've got a special Q&A piece for you today that shows you all about a new exercise technique called "3D Metabolic Exercise" from my good buddy, Dr. Kareem.

**The 3D Metabolic exercise method for flat abs**

Mike:  Hey Dr. K!  Most of my readers come to me because they want an honest source on health
and fitness... aka "The Truth" -

A couple weeks ago, I shared with everyone why I think your Metabolic Abs program is one of the most cutting-edge and effective fat loss workouts out there, but I'm not sure everyone is clear about your method.  What is 3D metabolic exercise and why does it work so well?


Dr. Kareem:  Awesome to be here, Mike.  Thanks for having me.

Before you fully understand what 3D Metabolic Exercise is, let's just take a peek at the problem that this method was designed to solve:

Most workout programs either take too long to do, require a gym membership, or recommend unrealistic diet expectations to help you get six pack abs.  By definition, if you can't follow something, it can't work.

3D Exercise is basically the fastest way to lose fat and build six pack abs.  By working your body in real-life ways, in all directions at once, you are simulating the same demands that take place in daily living, but with greater resistance and intensity.  This allows the carryover effect from exercise to be that much greater.

Metabolic exercise is a strategic balance between your three energy systems in your body.  You have your ATP-PC energy system, Anaerobic energy system, and Aerobic energy system.  When you work all three for a specific amount of time/workout, and you work them in a specific sequence, you get much better results.

Finally, we combine 3D movement and our metabolic protocols with ‘Neuro Fat Loss' techniques.  Basically, we reposition your body for better alignment of your joints and muscles.  In turn, your posture improves, but so does your strength.  With a better muscle strength to length ratio, your body moves more fluidly and accepts muscle growth more readily.

  
Mike:  Can your 3D Exercise method be done at home and if so, how much equipment is required?


Dr. Kareem:  These workouts can absolutely be done at home.  That's where I do them... or when I'm traveling, in a hotel room or hotel gym. There are a few pieces of equipment I use in the videos, but I also
provide you with household equipment suggestions if you're working out in your home and need some advice there.

I have clients who do just the bodyweight version of every exercise and they get GREAT results.  I find that I do this if I'm in a hotel room and don't have a great place to exercise.  It's my ten minute back up plan
when I'm in a pinch, because it consistently gets me some of the best results out of anything I do, no matter how long.

If you don't have a lot of time, I totally get it.  I've been there too.

Each workout is 10 minutes.  There are 5, meaning that you will exercise 5 days/week for 10 minutes/workout.  That's a total of 50 minutes of workouts per week.  Less than one hour!


Mike:  10 minutes a day is fast.  That's one of my favorite aspects about Metabolic Abs training, is the speed.  Sometimes you just want to grab a really quick workout and know it's super effective.


Dr. Kareem:  Thanks Mike!  I want to bring up another point... A lot of older adults out there are afraid to participate in an exercise program that is intense.  Age alone isn't a reason not to do an intense fat loss
program, but it's always wise to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program if you have any conditions that would warrant his/her approval or if this is your first time exercising.

For your information, my current oldest client in Ab Strength Guide is an 84 year old woman.  My youngest is an 8 year old boy, who does bodyweight only.  It doesn't matter - they're both getting great results.

The key is that you choose an exercise program that is adjustable by intensity, duration, and range of motion.  Then, you simply work to progress all the time.  Once you are able to hit a certain level of intensity,
your results show up nearly instantly.  It's really funny how we hit a "tipping point" with so many things in life, ya know?


Mike:  Totally.  I think the same thing is true with nutrition.  A lot of people don't have a clue how to start eating healthy and clean until they do.  It takes a few days or weeks to find where you can get the
best deals on everything, but then you're all set.... When you look back, it's hard to imagine eating any other way.  ...all the while, you're just getting leaner the whole time.

That said, one thing that caught my attention that you just said was that you've created a workout method where your client can self-adjust the level?


Dr. Kareem:  Now, that's the really cool aspect of Metabolic Abs Training. In the beginning, just learn the movements and how to ‘feel' an exercise in the right place.  This, alone, will produce an outstanding result if you're just starting out, especially because of how dynamic each movement is. Your body will naturally balance out, and fat will shed right off once your body is in balance.

As you become more experienced, or if that's where you are right now, your intensity increases, and the results do as well.  At my record lowest bodyfat of 7.5%, I was using these workouts on a regular basis, b/c I can depend on them to get me insane results every time.


Mike:  Shifting focus, completely, there's something really cool I'd like to share with you:

In addition to getting you six pack abs, these workouts were designed to reduce joint pain if you have any.  That's one of the reasons that I love referring you to the doc.


Dr. Kareem:  Thanks Mike.  You know I consider you a mentor to all of us with your exercise program design for fat loss.  That said, I used these exact workouts in my own personal transformation.

I used to have extremely severe pain in most joints of my body before I got leaner and in better shape.  I don't have great genes, but I'm a big believer in taking advantage of your body's full potential. Metabolic Abs Training will help you do that.


Mike:  It certainly will.  I know I get a crazy sweat when we work out together.  It's been a lot of fun... you can definitely see changes going on all the time.  It's really cool how we just come up with stuff back and forth.  I remember not too long ago we were talking about how men and women are still confused
about exercising for fat loss - would you mind explaining this in your own terms for everybody?


Dr. Kareem:  Sure, I'd be happy to.  A solid fat loss workout is proven to work with both genders.  Here's the deal, as I know you explained in an article before, we are all human beings. Our bodies secrete different amounts of testosterone and estrogen, depending on whether we are male or female, but we both have...
well, both.

If anything, it stands to argue that a woman who wants to lose fat will have to build a little bit of muscle first if she doesn't have a whole lot of meat on her body.  Otherwise, she'll never raise her metabolism.  I know you've talked about this before, but it's your muscle to fat ratio that ultimately dictates your metabolism.


Mike:  Thanks for the interview Dr. K!  It's always great chatting with you about health and fitness.  Make sure to check out this special video presentation Dr. K put up for you:

Dr. Kareem's Method Explained --->  3 Odd methods to get a flat belly


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

How to redesign your body - FREE 6-day plan

I've got a killer gift for you today from a couple fitness pros that I've spent time with quite a bit over the past couple of months... Adam Steer and Ryan Murdock.  These guys have some of the most unique and innovative exercise techniques I've seen out there... really cool stuff!

Check out their site below and grab a free copy of their 6-day "body redesign" program.  You're gonna love this!  Instead of just losing weight and ending up with a thinner, but still flabby body, this is all about re-shaping your muscle while losing body fat.

Grab your FREE 6-day "body redesign" program here

Inside this resource, you'll find cool info such as:

• a NEW technique, called "ShapeShifter 3D Strength", for super-charged fat loss
• a simple food mistake that could be keeping you soft and flabby
• small physique changes that make a BIG visual impact on how you look

FREE 6-day plan to lose fat and redesign your body

Enjoy!  I really think you'll like Ryan and Adam's stuff!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
TruthAboutAbs.com | BusyManFitness.com | AvalancheSkiTraining.com

Are sunscreens harmful to your health?

If you listen to some clueless news reporters, you would think that being out in the sun without sunscreen on for even just 1 minute is going to instantly give you cancer and lead to your death.  Yet, for eons, our ancestors spent at least 10x more time out in the sun than the average person in the modern world.

And more info is surfacing lately about possible health risks with heavy use of sunscreens (carcinogenic, estrogenic effects).  In fact, did you know that underexposure to the sun is as big of a health threat as overexposure to the sun?  It's true...

Read today's article to see the gory details on this...

The TRUTH about sun exposure and sunscreens

I have another good article for you below that shows a unique way to ingest a natural nutrient that gives you "internal sun protection"...

Unique natural nutrient that gives you internal sun protection

Please pass these articles onto your friends and family to help protect their health!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

What about lecithin, dextrose, and maltodextrin?

After the announcement yesterday about the new tasty protein/fiber drink mix, Prograde Fusion, I had some friends ask me why I would personally drink something that has dextrose, maltodextrin, and lecithin in it when I'm so strict about sugars and soy products.

Good question, and a fairly easy answer too...

First of all, let's talk about the dextrose.  Yes, this is basically just sugar, and most of the time, I try to avoid refined sugar.  However, the amount of sugar in this new Prograde Fusion drink mix is only 2 grams per serving, which is pretty miniscule.  Remember that you could easily down about 30-40 grams of sugar in some of the popular "sports drinks", so 2 grams is basically negligible.

Plus, when you combine only 2 grams of sugar with 24 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, it makes that 2 grams of sugar completely a non-issue, and will have almost ZERO effect on blood sugar. 

Also, although I may be extremely strict about avoiding some things such as artificial trans fats, I don't believe in being super-militant about a couple grams of sugar or tiny amounts of things I might normally avoid.  Sure, something that contains 40 grams of sugar I might save for a cheat day, but tiny amounts like 2 grams is nothing to worry about.

Same thing goes for the maltodextrin... yes, it's a processed carbohydrate and will effect blood sugar and insulin response, but not 1 gram!  In fact, some post-workout shakes can have 50 grams or more of maltodextrin or similar fast acting carbs, which after a workout, has benefits and helps to speed nutrients into the muscle cells for recovery.

So while I might sometimes choose post workout drinks that contain high amounts of maltodextrin, the purpose of the Prograde Fusion drink mix is NOT for post workout, but rather for appetite control and amino acid balance between meals or any time that you need to control cravings, and 1 gram of maltodextrin is nothing to worry about.

As for lecithin... yes, it's derived from soy, and as you know, I'm fairly anti-soy in most cases.  But that's mostly referring to heavily refined soybean oils or highly processed soy proteins (and other soy junk foods like soy milk), both of which I recommend staying away from as the article above explains.

But when it comes to tiny amounts of lecithin, it's not something I'm concerned about, and may even have benefits.  This article here shows why added lecithin is nothing to worry about, unless you're strongly allergic to all soy derivatives.

Again, with all 3 of these ingredients (lecithin, dextrose, maltodextrin), if the amounts are miniscule, such as in Prograde Fusion protein/fiber drink mix, this is nothing I would worry about. 

Remember that this week is your chance to try out the tasty new PG Fusion as they have a 10% off sale on the whole store to celebrate the release of this new product.

Enjoy!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer

My protein and fiber drink mix to burn fat

If you've read my Fat-Burning Kitchen ebook, then you know that one of the dozen or so tricks that I used during my 23-day cutting cycle was to use a special protein/fiber drink concoction during specific times of the day to control cravings, preserve lean muscle, and keep my metabolism high. 

Here's an excerpt from the book that describes this:

"When you're doing an accelerated fat burning cycle, protein and fiber are easily 2 of the most important things that you need adequate amounts. Both of them help you to keep hunger under control, and a high protein intake during the cutting cycle can help to prevent catabolism, so you don't lose lean muscle.

This was another of my secret weapons that I used each day... what I did was concoct my own protein/fiber drink mixes and have 1 drink each day at a time when I needed to control hunger but didn't want or didn't have time for a full meal. I either used these drinks in the afternoon on non-training days to keep satisfied or I used them at night to keep appetite under control and get an extra dose of fiber and protein."

When I wrote this section, I was at the time buying the protein and fiber ingredients separately and mixing them myself each day.  My good friend Jayson Hunter, who is head of R&D for Prograde Nutrition, told me to tell them what I was looking for and he could probably formulate something exactly like what I was looking for, but with an even better taste.

So I told Jayson that this was what I was looking for:

1.  A drink that has about 20-25 grams of protein per serving.
2.  This drink should also have at least 3-4 grams of fiber per serving
3.  And it should also be lightly sweetened with stevia (no artificial sweeteners!), and very little sugar, if any.

Well, over a year later, Jayson and Prograde just recently introduced the brand new Prograde Fusion, the exact type of protein/fiber drink that I was asking for.

PG Fusion contains a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving, 3 grams of fiber, and only 2 grams of sugar!  Only 145 calories total per serving, most of which comes from the protein!  And it tastes like a delicious sports drink but without all of the crappy added sugars that most sports drinks have.

These are the 2 main times when I think this drink is PERFECT:

1.  In the middle of the afternoon to hold off your appetite and cravings until dinner, but still give you an added jolt of protein and fiber to help keep your metabolism burning high.

2.  Late night, just when those late night cravings start to come on and you want to grab some junk food.  But instead, just grab this protein/fiber drink and your cravings will go away without doing any damage to your waist. 

Since this product was just released last week, Prograde is having a 10% off sale on the entire store to celebrate the release of this new product.  Give it a try and see what you think! 

Check out the new Fusion protein/fiber tasty drink here  (and save 10%)

This is probably my favorite new product and very handy to help quell those cravings at key times throughout the day...   And MUCH healthier than those crappy sugar-laden sports drinks!


Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer