A body transformation worth seeing . . .

To say that Lean Eating client, Yano, had a great year would be an understatement.


During the last 12 months he lost 20% body fat and, in the process, won $10,000.00.


Once over 255lbs and pre-diabetic, he’s now 70 pounds lighter, healthy, and extremely fit; and he wants to share his photos, and his story, with you.


Click here to check it out:
>> A body transformation worth seeing . . . <<
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She didn't think she could do it . . .

Carey, 41, is a self-proclaimed rebel.  And, one year ago, she was about as far from "athletic" as a person could be.


Then she joined the Lean Eating coaching program.


Skeptical, she certainly wasn't convinced she could change her body or her life with an online coaching program.


"I’d get that voice that said, 'This isn't who I am, I don't belong in a gym, I can't do this!'" she says.


Fast forward to today; she's 80 pounds lighter and stronger than ever before.


Through the program, she transformed herself from obese and unhealthy - to lean, extremely healthy and fit.


And today she wants you to know something.  She wants you to know that you can do it too.


Check out her story, her pictures, and her message for you:
>> She didn't think she could do it . . .  <<
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Mom shares secret for losing 70 lbs . . .

Married and a mother of five - Patricia, 55 - has been taking care of people for decades.


Like a lot of committed mothers, she "didn't have the time" to lose weight or be healthy.


Instead, she bounced from diet to diet, losing weight then immediately gaining it back.


But when her obesity became a source of embarrassment and she could no longer perform simple daily tasks, she decided it was finally time to lose the fat - for good.


After one year in the Lean Eating program, Patricia lost over 70 pounds and looks fantastic in her svelte, strong new body.


Today - she wants you to know how she did it.


Check out her story, and her pictures.
>> Mom shares secret for losing 70 lbs . . . <<
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Tip #1 Eat Pasta... Carefully

Eat Pasta... Carefullyby Dr. John Berardi

As a God-fearing Italian, I have to admit that I love pasta. But, as a gut-fearing weight lifter and athlete, I definitely have to choose the lower GI, nutrient dense whole-wheat variety. During training phases that require or allow for higher carbohydrate intake (higher volume training) I'll eat one whole-wheat pasta meal per day. During other phases (like where I'm trying to lose fat), the pasta stays on the shelf in favor of a higher lean protein, good fat, and fruit and veggie intake.

SEE ALSO:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.


Order Precision Nutrition now and get $50 off!
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Tip #2 The Sunday Ritual

by Dr. John Berardi

To ensure that good foods will be available when you need them, use the Sunday Ritual. This is performed by setting aside three hours every Sunday to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week. Cook all the meat, chop all the vegetables, measure out all the yogurt and/or cottage cheese, and distribute all the powders. Have them ready and set aside so that you can grab them in the morning and bring them with you regardless of what your day holds in store for you.

SEE ALSO:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.



Order Precision Nutrition now and get $50 off!


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Tip #3 Fish Oil Rules

by Dr. John Berardi

I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss. Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat). Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA).

SEE ALSO:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.
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Tip #4 Revving Up Metabolism

by Dr. John Berardi
I recommend more calories than most do. That's because there's no such thing as a stagnant metabolic set-point. Instead, metabolism chases intake. So, if you want a bigger metabolism, you need a bigger food intake. And if you're worried about fat gain with this approach, just use outcome-based decision making and adjust energy (calorie) intake every two weeks based on your results. Not much 'damage' can take place in only two weeks. So if you end up boosting your metabolism, you'll be thanking me eternally. And if it turns out you're consuming too much, you can just adjust down.
SEE ALSO:
This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.
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Check out these transformations




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Lean Eating 2009 - The Winners
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Lean Eating 2010 - Results So Far
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Holy cow!

But, more important than the "outcome" measure above, are the "behavior" measures.


--- average assignment completion is 75%

--- average workout completion is 68%

--- average nutrition habit compliance is 79%


So we make sure to emphasize, encourage, and track consistency about all else.
 
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Preventing physical breakdown with age

We're all getting older.

In fact, research has demonstrated that the march toward physical decline begins at age 30.

The good news, though, is that by taking the right steps, we can keep our bodies healthy and vital into old age.

And, believe it or not, hormones aren't the most important player in the process.

Health is maintained in our brains.  More specifically, through the prevention of something called neurodegeneration.

So, in today's article, we'll provide a broad overview of the brain as well as share some important ways of preventing neurodegeneration through nutrition.
 
According to author, Dr Bryan Walsh, this may be one of the most important articles you read all year, especially if you want to be lean, healthy, and fit, and for a very long time.

Check it out.

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The Lean Eating Coaching Program is finally open




Lean Eating Program for Women

Summary:

* Expert coaching
* Groups for both MEN and WOMEN
* Nutrition and training recommendations
* 24/7 support
* Fully guaranteed results
* $40,000 in prize money!

HOW TO REGISTER
---------------

Spots are extremely limited, and the program won't run again until July of 2010. So if you're interested in getting in shape the Precision Nutrition way -- with expert coaching from the nutrition experts -- then click the link below to
get yourself a spot . . . .

... because when they're gone, they're gone.
 
Here's the link to the registration page:
 


Lean Eating Program for Women

3 KEYS TO BODY TRANSFORMATION
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Recently I've talked a lot about change. Reason is, I see SO many people on the verge of making big changes who, for a number of reasons, miss the chance. And they end up hating themselves for it. Literally.

The problem is that we're all expected to be able to change on a dime, in an instant -- but we're not really taught how to do it.

I've spent years studying this phenomenon, because when I started coaching, I quickly realized that it was as important as the training and nutrition, if not more so.

It's actually a lot simpler than it seems. Here's what you need to know -- the 3 Keys to Body Transformation.


Lean Eating Program for Women


-JB
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Lean Eating




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Making Healthy Eating Work - Food Preparation Strategies

 Making Healthy Eating Work -
Food Preparation Strategies
by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS


So what’s the problem? Where’s the disconnect? Why is it so hard for them to make the change? Well, unless they really don’t want to change, the two biggest impediments to their success are:
1.Their habits — or their ingrained set of day to day food and activity related actions — remain poor because they don’t have a conscious, logical plan for changing them.


Habits are more powerful than momentary desire. Habits are more powerful than information. Habits are more powerful than guilt. And only a concerted, conscious effort to override habits will lead to success.



No, no, this ritual doesn’t include lamb’s blood or any special Kool Aid. The Sunday Ritual is performed by setting aside 3 hours or so every Sunday (any day of the week will do but Sunday is easiest for most) to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week. 

Next, once the meal plan is laid out, add up exactly how much of each food you’ll need over the 7 days and go pick those foods up at the grocery store.

Finally, once you’ve got all those groceries home, it’s time to start cooking for the week. Some people choose to prepare all their meals for the week on Sundays (excluding shakes). Others prefer to figure out which meals will be easy to cook just prior to meal time and save them for later, preparing only the meals that will need to be eaten during work hours or during busy times of the day when food prep becomes difficult.


So, if it suits your lifestyle, use the Sunday ritual to get these meals ready for the week. Cook all the meat, chop all the vegetables, measure out all the yogurt and/or cottage cheese, and distribute all the powders. Have them ready and set aside so that you can grab them in the morning and bring them with you regardless of what your day or your boss holds in store for you.

Rather than preparing all their food for the week on a single day, some people prefer to do a little food preparation each day. That’s what the Breakfast Ritual is for.


Of course, as with the Sunday ritual, think about what your day will hold under both the best conditions (i.e. home from work early and a relaxing evening ahead) and the worst (i.e. unexpected deadline, all nighter at work, long day at work and soccer practice for the kids) and act like a boy scout — be prepared.


Here’s another idea for you. If you don’t want to bring several full meals that you’re unlikely to eat, another great option is to bring some homemade snacks with you. Things like homemade protein/energy bars are a fantastic alternative to the mostly crappy, store bought, sugar laden, artificial ingredient containin’, protein bars.

Strategy #3 — Have Others Cook For You

If you love the idea of having 5-6 ready made meals always available yet can’t see yourself using the Sunday or the Breakfast Rituals above or buying all the Tupperware, there are a number of options at your disposal.

First, you can hire commercial food preparation services to do all the cooking for you. If you’re anywhere near a metropolitan area, you’ll be able to find dozens to choose from. The two biggies nowadays are Atkins At Home (Atkins Diet) and Zone Nation (The Zone Diet). The Atkins At Home company delivers 3 meals and 1 snack to your door by 6 AM each morning. The cost of this is between $35 and $40 per day. Alternatively, the Zone Nation company delivers 3 meals and 2 snacks to your door by 6 AM each morning for the cost of $35-40 per day, just like the Atkins company. I hear good things about both services.


Here’s another tip. Pick 4 restaurants in your immediate area (2 fast food places, 1 medium-priced restaurant, and 1 higher priced restaurant) that prepare meals in a way that conforms to your nutritional plan and have them prepare the food for you when necessary. Of course, you’ll have to do a little research on your potential eateries by collecting hard copies of their menus or visiting their web sites (if they’re online).

If you’re looking for a few examples, here ya go. Dave Thomas’ Wendy’s makes a couple of tasty chicken salads and a chili that you can eat when on the go. Even McDonalds is offering healthier meal selections — I’m lovin’ it. 

Choose healthier fast food meals that conform to your meal plan when you don’t have much time or much money for a meal and choose a medium-priced restaurant like TGI Fridays (US) or Kelsey’s (Canada) for a better quality menu to provide you with a solid daily lunch. TGI Fridays, for example, has a great list of Atkins-friendly selections.


Of course, if you don’t have the resources to entertain strategy #3 and pay others to cook for you, consider the fact that if you use the first two strategies to effectively build a lean, muscular body, you might just be able to convince attractive members of the opposite sex to take over for you. However, getting them to drop them off at your place by 6 AM every morning is a trick I’ll teach you in a later article.


In order to make the Sunday Ritual and the Breakfast Ritual work, it’s important to pick up a few items — nutritional support systems, if you will. Here’s what we recommend picking up before you start using either of the two Rituals:
  • A good countertop grill. Since you’ll most likely need to cook relatively large batches of lean protein, it’s important to have a quick way of doing this. If you’ve got a great backyard grill that you can use year-round that’s great. If not, pick up a Foreman or Hamilton Beach grill and you’ll be all set.
  • A good cooler in which to store and carry your meals for the day. Coleman makes a few good ones. Before buying one, however, make sure there’s enough room to carry a few meals and a few shaker bottles.
  • 5 small Tupperware-type containers. These containers will be for storing and transporting your daily meals. Make sure they are small enough to fit into your cooler but large enough to accommodate a full meal. Your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
  • 5 large Tupperware-type containers. These containers are for storing larger quantities of food. For instance, if you chop your veggies for the week or cook all your chicken breasts for the week, store them in one of these. Again, your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
  • 3 Rubbermaid Chuggable drink containers — 1L size. These containers are for your liquid supplements. Be sure to choose the blue top variety as these are far and away the best drink containers out there. Most others leak.
Follow the guidelines in this article and you’ll be able to display the adaptability necessary to move from nutritional novice to "seasoned" nutritional veteran.
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.



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Balancing Out Those Dietary Acids

by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS


You see, when a food is ingested, digested, and absorbed, each component of that food will present itself to the kidneys as either an acid-forming compound or a base-forming one. And when the sum total of all the acid producing and the base producing micro and macronutrients is tabulated (at the end of a meal or at the end of a day), we're left with a calculated acid-base load. If the diet provides more acidic components, it will obviously manifest as a net-acid load on the body. And if it provides more basic components, it will obviously manifest as a net-base load on the body.

Since I already noted that a net acid load is bad, let’s discuss why.





While there are a number of disease states that induce severe metabolic acidosis, we're talking a sub-clinical rise in acidity here. Therefore, your doc probably won't notice the problem. But that doesn't mean that you're in the clear. Your cells will recognize the problem.

So what's wrong with this low-grade chronic metabolic acidosis?
 
• Hypercalciuria (high concentrations of calcium in the urine). Since calcium is a strong base and bone contains the body's largest calcium store, metabolic acidosis causes a release in calcium from bone. As a result, osteoclastic (bone degrading) activity increases and osteoblastic (bone building) activity decreases. The net result of these changes is that bone is lost in order to neutralize the acidic environment of the body. The calcium that was stored in the bone is then lost in the urine along with the acid it was mobilized to neutralize. This creates a negative calcium balance (more calcium is lost from the body than is consumed) and bones get weak. (2,3,4,6)
• Negative nitrogen balance (high concentrations of nitrogen in urine). Glutamine is responsible for binding hydrogen ions to form ammonium. Since hydrogen ions are acidic, glutamine acts much like calcium to neutralize the body's acidosis. Since skeletal muscle contains the body's largest glutamine store, metabolic acidosis causes muscle breakdown to liberate glutamine from the muscle. The amino acids from this muscle breakdown are then excreted, causing a net loss of muscle protein. (2,7)
In addition to bone and muscle loss, other consequences of acidosis include:
• Decreased IGF1 activity (4)

• GH resistance (4)
• Mild hypothyroidism (4)
• Hypercortisolemia (4,5)

Interestingly, low-grade metabolic acidosis seems to worsen with age. Many have speculated that this is due to an age-related decline in kidney function (and acid excretion). Of course, osteoporosis and muscle wasting are unfortunate consequences of aging. While it's too early to tell, perhaps some of the bone and muscle loss evident as individuals get older is a result of diet-induced acidosis. This means that employing a few simple acid-base strategies may help slow osteoporosis and sarcopoenia.

So the big question is this – who’s at risk?
 

How have we gotten so far off track? Well, the shift from net base producing foods to net acid producing foods comes mostly as a result of displacing the high bicarbonate-yielding plants and fruits in the diet with high acid grains. In addition, most of our modern energy dense, nutrient poor selections are also acid forming. Finally, high protein animal foods tend to be acid producing as well.
 

• Add more vegetables - regardless of the final tally. Everyone can always benefit from more vegetables in the diet. Many bone specialists are now recognizing that the most effective way to improve bone health is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables, in addition to all of their other benefits, are powerful acid-neutralizers.
• If you're eating a big meal that's going to be a net acid producer (such as one that contains a large amount of protein and/or grains) and don't want to add more basic foods, consider adding a small amount of glutamine to this meal. Exogenous glutamine supplementation has been shown to neutralize acidosis.


• A cheaper alternative to glutamine supplementation is either sodium or potassium bicarbonate supplementation. You can add sodium bicarbonate (in the form of baking soda) to your beverages including your protein shakes, which probably are a bit on the acidic side (see milk above). A small 2-5g dose of baking soda would be sufficient to neutralize the shake. An alternative to baking soda is alka-seltzer.


• Adding sodium to foods can increase the base potential and reduce the acidity of the meal although a high salt diet isn’t necessarily recommended.

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