I am super psyched to announce the release of what I consider to be hands down one of the best health and fitness books for the price you’re ever going to find. My new book “50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew” has just launched and it reveals cutting edge tips you won’t find anywhere else.
Ok, maybe you can find some of these tips elsewhere. I won’t claim to have “invented” everything I share in this book. But it did take me nine years and thousands of hours of research and personal experimentation to distill down all the various insights of psychology, motivation, herbal remedies, body hacks, exercise tips, healthy eating strategies for broke and busy people, end more into one simple to read guide.
Do You Wish You Knew…
• How to get your best night of sleep ever? Tip #5 reveals something that modern research has just discovered in the past couple years and normalize your circadian rhythms and help you sleep like a baby your first night using it – Hint: It’s NOT a supplement!
• The root source of all of your behaviors? Tip #15 reveals what this is so when you change this, your entire life will change!
• The top 5 supplements you must take for ideal health? Tip #37 reveals the essential nutrients you’re likely missing that can all be replaced for less than the price of a cup of coffee a day!
• What to do if you have almost no time to exercise? Tip #45 reveals how to cut your exercise time down into half while increasing your fat loss and muscle building results!
The biggest challenges I hear from people when they want to lose weight and start eating better is that they either “don’t have time,” or they hate the taste of health foods and don’t know how to cook. While it’s easy for me as a fitness enthusiast who’s been doing this for years to forget about how hard it can be for someone first getting into “dieting,” I also remember how much I hated eating boring bland foods when I first started out. Fortunately, I quickly started piecing together great tasting meals that were easy to make and tasty. I even created my healthy cooking youtube channel to show off some of my favorite fat loss and muscle gain recipes.
But, finding great recipes that are both good for weight loss AND taste good is always a bit of a challenge. Luckily, Dave and Karine have come in and saved the day. They’ve put together what I consider to be the absolute best cookbook and recipe guide for those interested in getting and staying fit. I really wish I had this weight loss cookbook that I’m about to share with you when I first got started.
Here are some sample recipes:
Fat Loss Cookbook Breakfast Recipe Idea – Apple Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes 1 Serving (4 to 6 small pancakes)
Ingredients
• 6 egg whites
• ½ cup oatmeal (dry)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• Pinch of stevia
• 1 apple, diced finely
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Cooking spray
Directions
1. First heat a frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium temperature. After mixing together all the ingredients in a blender (except for the diced apple), spray some pam (or other cooking spray), drop by spoonful onto the pan.
2. When bubbles start to form, place evenly on pancake some of the diced apple.
3. Let them set in before flipping the pancake.
4. Makes about 4-6 pancakes depending on the size.
Nutritional Facts
(Per Serving)
Calories: 240
Protein: 28g
Carbohydrates: 32g
Fat: 0g
Weight Loss Cookbook Lunch or Dinner Recipe Idea – Quinoa Burritos
Makes 2 Servings Perfect for a snack, spread or sandwich
Ingredients
• 2 small whole wheat tortillas
• ½ cup quinoa, cooked
• 4 egg whites
• ½ avocado, cubed
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• ½ cup salsa
• ¼ cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup black beans
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Directions
1. Cook quinoa and egg whites separately. Then mix with black beans, cilantro and onion.
2. Spead half mixture equally on whole wheat tortillas.
3. Top with salsa, avocado and lettuce.
4. Wrap and enjoy!
This cookbook will not only give you just about every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack idea you could ever need for weight loss, but it’s also filled with nutritional tips and tricks to maximize your results. The money saved from not having to eat out at fast food places and preparing your own meals is worth the price alone. Not to mention you’ll pretty much never need to waste time trying to track down recipes that not only taste great, but will help you get in shape too!
Get More Free Fat Loss Recipe Ideas
Want to try out some more weight loss recipes for free? Dave and Karine are offering this free guide so you can get even more recipes to burn fat. Right click here and save to your computer.
LGN365 is a fitness guide and series of workout routines created by trainer, blogger, and all around great guy named JC Deen who is well known among the fitness community as being one of the most respected sources for no-BS fat loss and bodybuilding information. The name of the program stands for “Look Great Naked 365” because it covers just about everything a person would need to know to burn fat, build muscle, and enjoy an awesome looking body year round.
JC Deen has given me the honor and privilege be one of the guest experts he interviews for the program. So naturally, any program with yours truly is going to be good.
I’ve since got a copy of LGN365 and, even though I would expect nothing less than something spectacular from JC, I was very impressed with how well put together his guide is. Keep reading to find out what I enjoyed about the guide, and to get a no-BS look at if it is the right solution for your physique goals.
Who Is LGN365 For?
To begin with, you can tell this guide is obviously not aimed at the typical “get super huge” bodybuilding crowd, nor is it for the people looking for a “quick fix” to burn 30 pounds in 30 days.
That’s not because it doesn’t contain great information on how to burn fat or build muscle, but this guide is more for those who want to simply… look great naked. More muscle, less fat, and what I would consider an “athletic” looking physique. It’s for people who are busy with other priorities in their lives and aren’t looking to drop everything they have going on to go on a hardcore bodybuilding routine or a radical (and unsafe) fat loss routine for quick but unsustainable results.
That’s because the entire layout of the program is designed so the average person will quickly and easily be able to find out exactly what steps they need to take to reach their goals, but more importantly how they can integrate these steps into their lifestyle so they can maintain their great looking body year round.
What Makes LGN365 Different?
Extremely Effective: While there are certainly many good training programs and diet guides out there, JC has spent a good portion of his life digging into countless hours of research on everything related to body recomposition. He has then tried and tested numerous methods not only on himself, but many clients to find the exact formula that is most effective for the vast majority of people. Combine that with his connections to the world’s top trainers, fitness experts, and researchers, and you’ll realize how valuable it is to have all of that knowledge distilled down into one easy to read guide.
I’ve started to put the workout routines to the test and am currently utilizing his most advanced muscle building routine in the guide. I”ll have an update post on my personal results later.
JC’s Results
Hype-Free: The first thing you’ll notice about the program, and this says a lot about JC, is that it is very “hype-free.” That’s because even though this stuff works far better than most nonsense out there, JC recognizes that overly hyping things up creates unrealistic perspectives in people. Namely, people think in terms of quick fixes instead of lifestyle habits.
What Makes LGN365 Great?
Mindset Focused: If you’re familiar with my work, you know how much I emphasize mindset as playing the biggest role in getting results with your health and fitness routine. Nothing works until you make it work, and JC knows how important the psychology of an individual is in terms of the results they will get. He gives very simple but effective ways to get yourself motivated to not only get started, but stay on track day after day and year after year. This is the missing link in most fitness programs, and by including it, he’s virtually guaranteed you’re going to stick through long enough to see results.
Step-by-step: You’ll know how much to eat including the proper ratio of fats, protein, and carbohydrates including automatic calculators to figure it all out just by typing in your body weight, activity levels, and goals. You learn how to properly read nutrition labels. Exactly what exercises to do with the right amount of sets and reps for both fat loss and muscle gain. You get a breakdown into how JC assesses what kind of program is best for someone. You then get multiple programs to run through the year so your body keeps “guessing” and never adapts to one thing for too long. You even get exercise videos showing you proper form.
Basically, it’s like have a world class trainer right by your side giving you a personal evaluation and setting up all of your training and diet for you. Except in this case, you learn how to do it yourself so you can always adjust and readjust as needed over the course of the years so you’re never left wondering what you should be doing.
This ability to never have to worry about “is what I’m doing really working?” is worth the price of admission alone. So many people who try to piece things together only to end up unsure of themselves and hesitant to invest much effort. But by having everything laid out with a system that has been proven time and time again to get great results, this allows you to leave second guessing behind and get straight to seeing your body start to transform.
Practical: Practicality is another thing that sets this program apart. It doesn’t just tell you the “ideal” thing to do leaving people feeling like it would be next to impossible to actually fit the recommendations in with their lives. Instead, JC is a realist. He knows the everyday challenges people including himself face, and he doesn’t give overly restrictive rules. This includes having things like multiple workout routines that fit into a variety of schedules and how to stay on track while eating out a restaurants.
Expert Interviews: The expert interviews really rounds out the program. JC ties up any loose ends by bringing in others, like myself, to explain things like how to create habits that stick, how to prepare fast healthy meals, and how to sort through all the conflicting information floating around out there in the fitness advice world.
When it’s all said and done, anyone going through the guide will have all the tools to ensure they will be successful in reaching their physique goals.
Is LGN365 The Best Fat Loss and Muscle Gain Guide Out There?
I myself, and even JC wouldn’t say anything is the “best.” There are many great programs out there that are effective for fat loss and muscle gain and it all depends on the individual and their circumstances. But very few programs can match the caliber of LGN 365. If I had this program when I first started, I would have saved myself a lot of obsessive worrying about things that ultimately don’t make a whole lot of difference and instead would have been able to focus only on what I knew was essential for my goals.
That being said, if you’re not able to invest at least several days a week to training in the gym and tracking your food intake, this probably isn’t the guide for you. Because it follows a proven template of what will work for either fat loss or muscle gain based on real world testing, just randomly following bits and pieces of the system probably won’t yield as good of results as JC’s clients. So, you’ll want to make sure you’re really committed and that your lifestyle allows for you to take some time and energy to learn and apply the system.
If you are committed and able, then I’m confident this program will give you what you need to look great naked 365 days a year. I don’t recommend a lot of courses and programs, so I’m staking my reputation on this one by both including myself in it and recommending it here. That’s how much I believe this guide will benefit my readers. So if you’d like to look great naked all year round, click the link below to find out more:
It doesn’t get much easier (or tastier) than this!
Getting Raw Greens To Taste Great
I have a confession… I HATE raw dark leafy greens like spinach. Despite their numerous health benefits, I had the hardest time finding a way to make greens like spinach taste good.
If I decided to cook spinach, I’d end up with a slimy nasty mess. And if I kept it raw and made a big salad, it was time consuming, boring, and something I would have to force myself to eat.
So what’s a health fanatic to do? Well, I developed a super ninja tactic that turns any leafy green like spinach into a downright delicious meal, all in about a minute. Using this technique, I’ve unlocked the secret of how to make spinach taste great and I actually look forward to chowing down on a bunch of greens.
Granted, I may just be weird for not liking spinach and perhaps you love raw greens. But either way, when you learn how to make any healthy food like spinach taste better, you’re far more likely to eat healthier on a regular basis.
But before we get to the recipe, let’s cover briefly why you should be making an effort to get a crap-ton more dark greens and spinach into your diet.
Health Benefits of Spinach and Dark Leafy Greens
Chlorophyll – Chlorophyll, the pigment that give greens their green color, is a wonder compound all in its own. Chlorophyll can increase the production and quality of red blood cells, has been associated with reduction in cancer, it prevents free radical damage (aging), detoxifies heavy metals, helps fight infection, provides magnesium, and does more than could possibly be listed here. All-in-all, eat more greens!
Cancer Protective – The abundant flavonoids in spinach have been linked to protecting against cancer. Leafy greens are some of the most powerful cancer fighting foods on the planet.
Nutrient Dense – Spinach and other leafy greens are constantly ranked as some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. That means you get a lot of nutrition without a lot of calories. This is particularly important for fat loss as the fiber in these greens can fill you up while the vitamins and minerals can nourish you so you don’t feel deprived even if you’re eating less calories.
Bone Strength – Spinach is one of the richest sources of vitamin K which works to keep the bones strong.
Quick and Easy Sixty Second Spinach Salad Recipe
See video above for the basic run-down of how to make the salad.
The basic recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
6-8oz of leafy greens, spinach was used in this video
1/2 teaspoon of unrefined salt
Toppings of choice (dried fruit, berries, garlic, chopped cucumber, etc.)
Dressing of choice (coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, dried spices, salsa, etc.)
Directions:
1. Add a pinch of salt to spinach and crush down with your hands.
2. Add toppings as desired. In the video, I use salsa, dried “Italian spices,” and a little bit of curry powder.
3. Mix the wet toppings like the salsa with the spinach and enjoy!
This recipe is great not only because it improves the flavor of the spinach, but also because it condenses it down into a much smaller size making it easy to eat quickly. Now you can easily get in 8 – 16 ounces of spinach in a single sitting or all in a matter of about 5 minutes. Try to eat a regular spinach salad with a pound of spinach and see how long it takes you!
Variations of The Sixty Second Salad
1. Use Kale, Romaine Lettuce, or any other dark leafy green in place of spinach.
2. Add coconut oil for enhanced fat loss.
3. Use healthy homemade sauces like greek yoghurt combined with onion soup mix for a “onion spinach dip.”
4. Get creative and add in whatever spices, flavorings, and sauces you can think of.
As a special free gift to my readers, Dave Ruel and Karine Losier has provided a free pdf ebook with 7 great fat loss cooking tricks to download including some great home-made salad dressings to use on the sixty second spinach salad. Just right-click this link or the image and save to your computer.
What Is Hypothyroidism and Do You Actually Have It?
Hypothyroidism is one of the most common reasons people give for not being able to lose fat. While it can be scoffed at as merely an “excuse” for not following a proper diet or exercise program, it is nevertheless a very real condition that is relatively common.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. It is usually characterized by having insufficient T4 (thyroxine) and raised TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which has increased in order to raise T4 levels. While this is a simple explanation, it is extremely insufficient to cover the wide range of thyroid problems as there are many variations of hormone imbalances that could be responsible for an under active thyroid.
Difficulty losing weight is the most notable symptom of an under performing thyroid, but some other common symptoms include constipation, sensitivity to cold and cold skin, fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, and decreased immune function.
Home Test For Thyroid Insufficiency
A simple home test that can be done is something called the “Barnes” test. It is done by taking your temperature under the tongue first thing in the morning. 97.2-98.2 is considered normal. If you find your temperature falls below this, that may be a sign of under-active thyroid. Menstruating women should only take this test the 2nd or 3rd day after menstruation begins.
The Best Supplements To Increase Thyroid Function Naturally
Perhaps you’ve done the Barnes test or ideally gone to a Dr. and determined your thyroid function isn’t what it could be. While drugs are a potential fix, they doesn’t always address the underlying root cause of a thyroid condition.
Luckily, there are many great natural things that can be done to boost thyroid function safely, and improve health at the same time. The great thing about these supplements is that they are safe and effective for anyone to take regardless of their thyroid health.
Natural Thyroid Booster 1 – Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is quite possibly my favorite herb to take for overall health and healthy weight loss. It is an adaptogenic herb which means it helps the body cope with stress, reduce cortisol levels (another cause of abdominal weight gain), and improve the thyroid function. It is safe, affordable, and the extract has been shown to be highly effective both in reducing cortisol levels and in subjective experiences of increased energy. Given that it helps not only the thyroid but the adrenals as well, it makes an excellent all around “must-have” tonic herb that everyone can take.
Iodine is the most important mineral for thyroid function. Without enough iodine the body cannot produce enough T3 (thyroxine) a thyroid hormone. While it’s been said in mainstream medicine that iodine deficiency is usually not a problem, the work of researchers such as Dr. David Brownstein and Dr. Guy Abraham have shown that supplementing with higher doses of iodine is not only safe, but very effective in treating many thyroid conditions.
Considering that in many Asian countries the intake of iodine rich sea vegetables is much higher than in other countries and they don’t suffer ill effect, it leads me to believe that increasing iodine can be beneficial and prudent when done through quality sea vegetables like kelp or dulse. Taking Lugol’s or Nascent iodine is another option, but one I recommend a bit more caution with as it can be too powerful for some.
Dose: 2-4 tablespoons of kelp or dulse, or 1mg iodine and work up to more a day.
NOTE: Iodine works with other minerals like zinc, magnesium and selenium. Adding in a few brazil nuts for selenium can help assist the functioning of iodine in the thyroid. Magnesium is an extremely common deficiency and I suggest taking 200-400mg a day.
What better way to improve the thyroid than to take an actual thyroid? It may sound strange, but taking glandulars (the glands of an animal) has actual been shown to improve the same gland in the body. The reasons for this could be many, but the take home point is that freeze-dried bovine thyroid could be beneficial for those needing a boost to their own thyroid function. It’s also worth noting that our ancestors would have eaten the organs and tissues of the animals they ate. This obviously goes without saying, but this supplement choice is not vegan friendly so if that’s an issue, stick with the other options as this isn’t necessary.
Coleus Forskohlii contains an active compound called forskolin which has been shown to improve thyroid function and increase fat breakdown with little to no side effects. It increases thyroid hormone production as well as stimulates the release of the thyroid hormones. It is also useful for other conditions such as cramps, high blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and for improving blood flow to the brain.
10-30 mg a day.
Getting Tested For Your Unique Supplement Needs:
While I can offer general advice for addressing various deficiencies, getting objective analysis of your own needs is often the best course of action. Getting a test done to determine any potential nutritional deficiencies can help you find what you’re low in, and avoid wasting your money supplementing on things you don’t need or worse yet, getting too much of something and throwing things off-balance.
Check out http://spectracell.com and schedule a mineral analysis to find what you may need to supplement with.
Top Foods and Diet Tips For Thyroid Health
A healthy diet is one of the most critical aspects of a health body and healthy glands. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to improve the diet to boost thyroid function. These things include what we can add in, as well as things to look out for and minimize.
Natural Thyroid Booster 5 – Coconut Oil
Using coconut oil in place of vegetable oils and other fats can not only offset the negative effects of those oils, but provide its own benefits. In fact, this fat can actually help you lose fat! Well if you’ve been following the natural health movement in recent years, you’ve probably already heard about the benefits of coconut oil. If not, check this out.
Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides which have been shown to reduce fat and improve insulin sensitivity.
Dose: 1-3 tablespoons a day.
Bonus Natural Thyroid Booster – Goji Berries
While goji berries aren’t directly a “thyroid boosting food,” their indirect benefits make them incredibly worthwhile. They’re rich in antioxidants, are associated with longevity, and are powerful adaptogenics which help bring everything back into balance. You’ll see that I’m a big believer in adaptogens as they work with the body rather than forcing it to do something like a drug does. This means over time they help correct disorders and are safe for anyone to take regardless of their specific health concerns.
Whether or not a person suffers from thyroid problems, taking more foods like goji berries can have a huge impact on overall health and well-being.
Foods To Watch Out For
Goitrogens – Goitrogens are found in foods like the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts) and are best limited for those suffering from hypothyroidism. That being said, so long as these foods are cooked that will significantly reduce the level of goitrogens.
Soy – Soy also has a negative effect on thyroid function. It’s best to be reduced or eliminated.
Vegetable Oils – The oxidation caused by vegetable oils like canola, sunflower, and soybean oil can reduce tissue response to thyroid hormones.
Overcoming Weight Issues
A sound diet and exercise program are the best bets to overcoming weight issues for anyone regardless of their thyroid health. The problem however with typical recommendations to “eat less, exercise more” is that, when a person has a underactive thyroid, simply eating less won’t do. They must take the necessary steps to boost thyroid function, and engage in a diet that doesn’t cause metabolic shutdown.
You can also just follow the healthy eating and lifestyle tips found in my free survival guide which will give you a good start.
Getting Professional Help
If you’re truly worried about the health of your thyroid, please seek the professional care of an integrative physician. You can find a physician through acam.org or ICIM.
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Reader Comments: What are your favorite natural thyroid or metabolism boosters?
