Hello Burst Bouters,

Last night I worked late and by the time I realized it, it was 9:00 pm and I still hadn’t done my cardio based Burst Bout and I didn’t eat dinner.  Here’s the worst part: I had to be up at 4am this morning, so time wasn’t on my side.

Luckily, I only had a 20 minute Burst Bout and I had some left over ground turkey and a bag of fresh slaw cabbage.  Without having to think much, I threw the turkey in the microwave and ripped open the bag of cabbage and threw it in a bowl.

I added some olive oil, a dash of red vinegar, salt, pepper and a ¼ cup of low fat plain yogurt.  Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, it's got great fiber content, plus it’s a cancer fighter -- 1 cup contains about 20 calories and 2 grams of net carbs.

Turkey is a super source of high quality protein and is low in fat.  All I did with the turkey was add some salt and pepper and one of my absolute favorites, hot and spicy salsa.  Hot sauce and salsa are both extremely low in calories and contain no fat and will wake up the taste of just about anything bland.

Oh yeah, the best part?  They also provide a nice boost to your metabolism.  Here’s how: when you eat a hot and spicy food, it naturally raises your body heat.  This rise in heat normally makes people sweat a bit, as your body works to cool you off.  This process actually burns calories.  Think of it as some additional fat burning fuel added to your diet mix.

That’s it for this week’s fat burning foods update.  Sometimes you just have to make do with only a few basic ingredients. ;-)

As always, enjoy and keep going.

Your Coach,

James Villepigue

View related posts and other weight loss resources...

Weight Loss Diet Plans and Fat Burning Foods

Top Weight Loss Foods

Extreme Fat Loss Diet Plan

Hey guys, it's time for this week's edition of fat burning foods, where we reveal some of our favorite meals and snacks to help you lose weight fast -- and all this without tasting like dirty cardboard...

That's right... contrary to popular belief, your fat loss diet plan doesn't have to make you feel starved or deprived of great tasting foods.  You just have to experiment a little and find some healthy food combinations that suit your palate.

For example, peep the following post-workout meal I made the other night...

I've got some fresh green beans, fat free cottage cheese and a big ole piece of salmon, topped with pesto sauce (which I certainly did NOT make from scratch, haha).  I had this about an hour after my Burst Bout strength training workout, which ended up being about nine o'clock at night.

The salmon provided a good amount of protein and lots of healthy fat (as did the olive oil-based pesto sauce); the cottage cheese provided my muscles with a slow-digesting casein protein while I slept; and the greens of course helped with digestion of this protein, plus helped to fill me up without costing me many calories.

To prepare the salmon, I drizzled just a tiny bit of olive oil on top, covered with tinfoil and threw it in the oven for about 60 minutes on 325...

A quick tip for those of you who think you can't afford salmon: make it a habit to grocery shop more frequently and buy the lean meats and fish that's just about to expire.  If it needs to be cooked within a day or so, guess what -- they hafta drop the price to get it sold.

You can actually eat like a king and save quite a bit of cash when you take advantage of this...

Oh, and while you'll usually hear me encouraging you to avoid sauces, condiments, seasonings, etc like the plague... one flavor enhancer that I do like to use occasionally is pesto sauce, which is basically basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt and pepper -- so all in all, it's fairly fat loss friendly (just don't overdo it).

Anyways, hope that helps give you some ideas for potential superfoods to incorporate into your fat burning diets.  Let me know in the comments section if you've got any cool recipes you'd like to share.

I'm back tomorrow with this week's last strength training workout, so we'll talk then.  Have an awesome night...

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Here are some related weight loss diet posts and resources for you to check out:  Diets That Work Fast for women who want to lose belly fat and tone up once and for all...

Hello Burst Bouters,

So, today, I wanted to share one of my favorite staple fat burning meals with all of you.  This concoction of deliciousness is not as much a burger as it is steamed chopped turkey over salad.  My wife calls it, “Man Food.”  But I assure you my Burst Bout buddies, that this mix of protein and fibrous carbs is not only incredibly healthy, but it is absolutely awesome in terms of taste.

Here’s how I prepared it: I buy a couple of 1lb packs of Shady Brooke Farms 85% lean turkey (I usually have at least two 1lb packages in the fridge, at all times -- it’s good to be prepared!).

My "Burst Bout Turkey Burger" -- not a bad presentation, right?

If you’re wondering why I don’t buy the 99% fat free version, that’s a good question and here’s my answer… I may be a body fat free Burst Bouter, but I’m not as much a fat free food kinda guy.

The 99% lean turkey is incredibly dry and I need to enjoy what I’m eating.  Plus, I don’t mind a little extra healthy fat in my diet.  Okay, so I place the two packages of chopped turkey in a pot and add just a ¼ cup of water to provide the steam.

I then add a ½ cup of Good Seasons self prepared salad dressing -- it’s nothing more than Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Vinegar & 1 packet of the Good Seasons seasoning, which is all herbs and spices… it’s AWESOME and makes for an AMAZING food enhancer.  I just got hungry!  Lol...

Next, I add just a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a little hot sauce if you can stomach it, and a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese -- mmmm!

Now, I wash my hands, but I keep the warm water on, as cool meat will freeze the heck out of those lil puppies.  I let my hands stay under the warm water for a few seconds and then grab the meat and mash it up until it’s texture is almost doughy like.  You might not think this matters, but it really effects the flavor positively.

Finally, I turn the heat on to med/high and cover the pot and let’r steam away for about twenty minutes.  I already have my romaine lettuce, cucumber and some beets ready to go and of course, I’ve got some extra Good Seasons dressing and parmesan cheese waiting for me.

When the meat is cooked, I throw it right on top of the salad and voila, a healthy and great tasting meal in mere minutes.  This style of fat burning foods is what we Burst Bouters are all about!

Enjoy and keep going,

Pseudo Chef James Villepigue

Here are some related diet posts to help you compliment our workouts and lose weight as fast as possible:

Fat Burning Foods -- Bye Bye Belly Fat Lunch

Top Weight Loss Foods

Carb Cycling for Fat Loss

Hey Burst Bouters -- we thought it'd be cool to share some of the fat burning foods we eat throughout the week, just to give you some ideas to incorporate into your own diet plans...

Expect to see some pictures and video footage of the different weight loss "superfoods" that James and I like to build our meal plans around...

We'll also be posting occasional diet challenges, where we'll all join forces and work together to improve the effectiveness of our fat burning diets...

So look forward to those posts in the coming weeks.  And for today, I'll start with sharing what I refer to as my "bye bye belly fat" lunch, which consisted of a chicken salad and large side of sugarsnap peas -- surprisingly filling and very delicious ;-)

The pre-made salad was filled with chicken, spinach, apples, cucumber, a few dried cranberries and some mandarin oranges.  I threw the dressing away, as the salad by itself had plenty of flavor going on...

A couple quick takeaway tips: building your meals and snacks around an assortment of vegetables allows you to still consume a large QUANTITY of food, without taking in many calories...

In fact, it took me way longer to eat this lunch that consisted of (maybe) 400 calories than it would've taken for me to engulf 1,000+ calories worth of greasy pizza or any other calorie dense food(s).

This is a huge psychological benefit.

Next, be careful not to ruin your good intentions of eating a salad... by smothering it with sugary, high sodium dressing and croutons.  I know, I know, that's what generally makes it taste good -- but, with enough creative ingredients mixed into the salad, you'd be surprised at how good you can make 'em taste without using any dressing whatsoever.

And hey, if you're living off fast food right now, by all means... take baby steps.  Use the dressing for now and take it one week at a time.  Minor dietary changes will definitely add up rather quickly... and I don't recommend going for grand slams when it comes to your weight loss diet plan, as that's a surefire way to "strike out."

Anyways, that's what my lunch looked like today.  If you guys have any great fat burning superfoods or healthy diet recipes, you can leave 'em in the comments section below, or email us and we'd be happy to post it for everyone to see (pictures are encouraged, too)...

Talk to ya tomorrow.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Other fat loss diet posts/resources you might enjoy:

Extreme Weight Loss In One Week

Weight Loss Diets

Best Weight Loss Supplement

Let's take a look at some of my best weight loss recipes for women -- and let's talk breakfast, since it's SO important to you losing weight fast and consistent...

Losing weight is one of the biggest desires for women in the United States today (see: weight loss tips for women).

A lot of people say they “want” to lose weight but do you really have the motivation and focus to adjust your nutrition plan to help you actually lose weight?

Every healthy weight loss program needs to have a proper exercise and nutrition plan.  If one is missing then your progress is going to be a lot slower.  And, we all want fast results right?

Nutrition is a long term process, but with proper guidance and a realistic attitude it can be done.  I mean, you’re not going to rock out a 15 pound weight loss in one week, and if you do, expect to gain those pounds back real fast!

In order to achieve your top weight loss goals, here is what a typical day should look like:

6am breakfast

9am snack

12pm lunch

3pm snack

5pm workout session

6pm post workout recovery drink

7:30pm dinner

So many people that I know skip breakfast altogether.  I’m not one of those people though, I don’t know about you but every morning I wake up totally ready to eat.  I don’t spend a lot of time prepping my food though, I like to have something quick and nutritious to power me at the start of my day.

Here are 5 awesome breakfast meals for optimal weight loss that you can prep very easily...

Weight Loss Recipes For Women -- Quick Breakfast Recipes

1. High Fiber Protein Pancakes - Most people think of butter and syrup when they picture a pancake, but this is different.  Instead, mix up the following ingredients and cook them the night before so you have this healthy pancake in the morning.

Just warm quickly on the stove or toaster oven and top with your favorite nut butter:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Egg Whites

• 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

• 1/3 Cup dry Old-fashioned Oatmeal

• 1 tsp Ground Flax Seeds

• 1/8 tsp. Baking Powder

• Sprinkle of Cinnamon

• Olive Oil cooking spray

Directions: Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place on medium heat to preheat pan.  Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and protein powder in a mixing bowl, stirring with a fork or whisk until well-blended.

Add oatmeal, flax, baking powder and cinnamon and mix vigorously for about a minute.  Check pan’s temperature by dropping a tiny amount of water on it.

If the water bubbles/sizzles immediately, the pan is ready.  Using a large spoon or small ladle, spoon a small amount of the batter into the pan, gently spreading it to a pancake shape, if it’s too thick to do this on its own.

Cook on one side until bubbles begin to appear and burst on the top of the batter.   Using a spatula, carefully flip over and cook for roughly the same amount of time. Repeat until batter is gone. Serves 1.

2. Scrambled Eggs with Avocado and Salsa - scrambled eggs really aren’t that hard or time-consuming to make.  People think you have to mix the eggs ahead of time, but you can just quickly stir them a few times while cooking and they’ll become scrambled – Amazing!

I like mixing two Omega-3 Eggs with ½ cup Egg Whites and adding spinach.  Then, top with slices of avocado and fresh salsa.  It’s a quick breakfast fit for a king (or queen).

3. Protein Packed Smoothie - when you’re in a rush you can make this smoothie the night before, or quickly in the morning.  The key thing is to use a single-serve blender unit, like a Magic Bullet, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning a huge, messy blender when you’re done.

We like to combine the following: 1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, 1 scoop Prograde Vanilla Protein, 1 Tbsp Ground Flax, 1/3 Cup frozen unsweetened Mixed Berries, ½ Cup raw Spinach (the spinach adds a neat green color to the smoothie, but it still tastes awesome!  Try it!), and 1 Tbsp Natural Peanut or Almond Butter.

4. High Protein Cereal - Face it, people love cereal because it’s easy to eat and can be healthy.  But, most brands are covered with sugar and full of junk.  I’m not a huge cereal fan but I understand that some people just like it, so why not make it healthier?

Also, with just milk, it doesn’t really pack much metabolism-boosting protein.

So, instead, try this with your normal breakfast bowl: Mix one scoop of Vanilla Prograde Protein with water or milk and pour that over a bowl of your favorite low-sugar breakfast cereal; some of the best options are Bran Flakes (add your own raisins to make it Raisin Bran), Cheerios, Puffed Rice, and Shredded Wheat.

5. Nutty and Berry Greek Yogurt -Most people think of yogurt as just a snack item, but it can be a great breakfast food too.  However, like cereal, some yogurt is really like dessert, instead of a health food.

So, skip all that sugar found in most yogurts and try this: Mix 6 ounces of 2% plain organic Greek yogurt with 2 Tbsp of slivered almonds, 1 tsp ground flax seeds and 1/3 cup frozen, thawed, unsweetened berries.

Enjoy these simple and delicious recipes and remember that breakfast is a super important meal in order to achieve your top weight loss goals.  Breakfast revs up your metabolism, gives you energy for your workout or daily activities and helps you avoid overeating (especially at the office).

Just realize that breakfast doesn’t count if it’s a sugary donut and a huge coffee loaded with sugar and cream.

Your Coach,

Callie Durbrow

Resource related to weight loss recipes for women: Video Reveals Little Known Diet Tips...

Yesterday I did a post on the best high calorie foods to gain weight -- today's opposite day, so we're throwing it in reverse and going back to our main discussion of how to lose weight.  DIET is king in the game of fat loss, so let's discuss the top weight loss foods you should be putting into that mouth of yours...

By the way, you "hardgainers" that complain about not being able to gain weight know that all of the "hard losers" who saw that post hate you, right?  K, just making sure.

As I said in the weight gaining foods post, this list of weight loss foods won't be completely comprehensive... but it'll serve as a very good place to start from.

Those who build their weight loss diets around these fat-burning food choices will be on the right track en route to Fit Town, USA (or whichever of the 120+ countries/territories you're from -- I'm a dork about checking my daily traffic stats, and it's awesome to see that I'm reaching SO many people around the world... kinda surreal, in fact).

Groovy, so let's get to it... and see what types of foods can turbocharge your diet plan...

Top Weight Loss Foods:

PUMPKIN - I wanted to start with something less obvious.  Believe it or not, pumpkin is an excellent weight loss food.  It's high in fiber and we all know that fibrous foods are important not only for GI health -- but in terms of fat loss -- to help promote satiety, keeping you comfortably full longer.

You can get the canned version and throw in some walnuts and sprinkle cinnamon on top... for a great tasting snack that's still very low in cals, but packs a big punch.

GRAPEFRUIT - No, I'm not encouraging you to start a "grapefruit diet."  I am, however, suggesting that a couple servings of this taste bud-tantalizing fruit can help curb your appetite and potentially help to slow down the digestion (and absorption) of other foods... which is awesome, since rapid carb uptake and subsequent insulin spiking will wreak havoc on your waistline.

SALMON - Who doesn't like salmon?  I love this stuff.  And it loves me (and YOU) right back, by boosting blood levels of leptin -- this is the exact effect we're trying to achieve when doing the cheat day concept.  Reread that article if you need a refresher on the importance of strategically "resetting" your leptin levels during a weight loss diet.

EGGS - Boring, right?  Everyone knows eggs should be a staple in your weight loss dieting plan -- not only are eggs one of the very best sources of protein you can get from your diet foods -- but it's also SO important that you're getting a high serving of protein with breakfast.

After fasting all night while you slept, you're setting the stage for lean muscle loss... something you want to avoid at all costs.  It's critical that you shuttle much needed, high quality amino acids to your starving muscles, first thing upon waking.  As an added benefit, protein also helps to keep you full and craving-free later in the day.  Study after study confirms this...

VEGGIES - Sorry, but I couldn't pick just one.  I mean, they're all so good, right?  Okay, so it's probably a rare occurrence that you find yourself salivating over the thought of a celery stick... but there are so many reasons you should be loading up on veggies all day, every day... that it'll make your head spin.

Let's not even worry about discussing all the internal benefits you'll receive from eating a large variety of vegetable foods throughout the day... and let's just think about the fact that you can eat as much of [most all] of these as you want, without ever having to worry about counting carbs/calories.

That reason alone can be your weight loss savior, since most people let themselves get so hungry that they end up losing control and binging unexpectedly, which totally cancels out all the clean eating they may have done the prior however many hours/days...

You MUST have veggies on hand and snack on 'em throughout the day, just to keep yourself full and to allow you to go "through the motions" of putting food into your mouth often, despite being on a weight loss diet plan.  Capiche?

WATER/GREEN TEA - Not technically a food, but I recommend you start thinking of it as one... water in itself will help your body to "operate smoother" and free it to become more efficient at fat-burning (to be very non-sciency about it).  Keeping with the obvious theme, sipping water around the clock will also help you to feel fuller and sidestep the munchies.

Green tea, as we all know, has been linked time and time again with pro-weight loss effects, via multiple mechanisms... although, some studies indicate that you need to drink a LOT of it each day to get maximum fat loss benefits.

Obviously, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the top weight loss foods... but again, it's a very good start and if you sprinkle in other lean meats, fresh fruits, healthy fats and low-fat dairy products... you'll be cooking with gas and well on your way to a top level diet plan.

Go ahead and list your best weight loss foods and snacks in the comments section below.

Remember, dieting doesn't have to be painful or uncomfortable when you're smart about it.  Having said that, a "little" bit of huger sensation will NOT kill us, contrary to we've all come to think. ;-)

Stay focused.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Related weight loss article: Top Weight Loss Supplements

Continuing on with our weight gain diet tips, let's take a look at the best high calorie foods to gain weight, fast.

As I mentioned in the last post -- How To Gain Weight The Healthy Way -- traditional, highly aggressive bulking phases should be a thing of the past.

Rather than stuffing your face with as many not-so-nutritious choices as you can possibly handle each day...

I strongly encourage you to follow a more moderate caloric surplus that's built around nutrient-rich whole, natural muscle building power foods.

So what exactly are these high calorie, lean weight gain-friendly super foods?

Here's what I recommend -- at least as a starting point...

High Calorie Foods To Gain Weight:

PROTEINS:

BEST - fish, such as: salmon, tuna, cod, trout, sardine and whiting...

DECENT - chicken, turkey, rabbit, pheasant, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, lobster, shrimp, crab, eggs, almonds, walnuts, any seeds...

OKAY - cheese, soybeans, lentils, beef, lamb, ostrich, pistachios, natural peanut butter, almond butter...

AVOID - sausage, ham, bologna, bacon...

CARBS:

BEST - berries, cherries, apples, oranges, avocado, grapefruit, peaches, apricots, watermelon, kiwis; whole wheat bread/pasta, brown rice, granola, plain oats; all veggies, but to list a few - broccoli, cabbage, peppers, brussels sprouts, zucchini, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, artichoke, etc...

DECENT - dehydrated fruits, grapes, bananas, honey...

OKAY - melons, but who likes those anyway *YUK*...

AVOID - white bread, white rice, white crackers, baked/processed (all flour-containing foods) and sweetners...

FATS:

BEST - salmon, sardine, mackerel, cold pressed olive oil, almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds...

DECENT - low fat milk, butter...

OKAY - the skin off chicken/turkey, fat from beef/pork/other red meats...

AVOID - hydrogenated vegetable oils...

Don't consider this list of high calorie weight gaining foods to be totally comprehensive... but it IS a great start, and I think those who build a muscle building foundation around these food choices will stand an excellent chance for steady gains in lean body weight.

I should make the disclaimer that I'm NOT a nutritionist and this is simply knowledge that I've accumulated over the years through lots of studying.  I'll try to get a top notch nutritionist to do some guest posts soon, 'cuz I want TopFatLossTrainer to be your "one stop shop" for anything fitness-related...

In the comments section below, let me know what I missed -- are there any calorie-dense power foods that you've used to add weight with success?  If so, be sure to list 'em for the benefit of everyone reading this.

And if you guys (and gals) want to see some cool recipes that include these foods, I'll try to post some recipes in the coming blog posts...

For a strategic way of gaining lean weight, but without all the nasty fat coming along with it, try this on for SIZE (literally): high calorie foods to gain weight and lose fat...

Keep it clean.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Keeping with the Navy SEALs workout theme we've been rocking this week, I wanted to touch on the importance of water intake during this period of intense training.  But first, in case you missed any of the prior posts, here they are in chronological order:

Navy SEAL Workout - in this article, we talked about the requirements to look for in any potential SEAL workout you're considering.

SEAL Workout - mind over matter training, and the importance of goal setting, visualization, breathing and more...

SEAL Training - a comprehensive 9-week Category I workout designed to whip you into shape fast, while avoiding injury and overtraining...

Navy SEALs Training - an advanced 7-week Category II workout for accelerated SEAL trainees...

Okay, now back to today's "water training" post... well, the "out-of-the-water" water training I should say...

We all require water for survival.  This is true whether you’re partaking in a SEALs style workout or not.  We all require water to live, and amazingly enough, few of us, even athletes, get the recommended daily intake of water!  In order of importance, for our survival, we need oxygen, water, food, and sleep.

As a SEALs workout trainee, you've probably heard "protein, protein, protein."  But did you know that the protein in your body cannot function properly without the proper amount of water?

It's true.  It requires enough water to properly fold into its three-dimensional shape.  We also need water for our cells to continue to live.  If a cell is deprived of water, it dies.

We are constantly losing water from our bodies.  This happens through sweat, urination, tears, and even evaporation.

Dehydration occurs when we are losing more water than we are consuming, and the results can be very harsh.

So what can happen if you don't drink enough water?  There are many technical/medical terms that could be tossed around here, but essentially you will experience a dry mouth, dry nasal passages, dizziness, weakness, heart palpitations, the inability to sweat, heat exhaustion, confusion, heat stroke, and even death.

If you think you’re going to be able to partake in a SEALs workout and make it through the entire session being even partially dehydrated, you’re dead wrong!

Think about working out for just a minute.  The outer part of your body starts feeling hot - hot to the point where you are sweating.  But if you used a thermometer, and took your temperature, it would still be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is because when your body starts heating up, the water inside your body starts working to control and maintain the internal temperature - just like the cooling system of your car.

As a SEALs workout trainee, if you are not getting enough water, you won't be able to run long distances or optimally perform during your PT sessions; muscle function will be severely affected and you will not lift nearly as much weight with the same intensity that you can when you are hydrated.

So, how much water do you need? Since you are constantly losing more amounts of water than other people, due to the above average intense SEALs workout routines, you can't really go by the "eight glasses of water a day" rule.  You have to go by what your body tells you.

Pay attention to the frequency and color of your urine.  Urine should be very light colored, as opposed to dark.  If it is dark, you need more water.

Also, if you are losing weight through sweat, you probably need more water.  But, remember, even if you’re not feeling thirsty, it doesn’t mean that your body needs to be rehydrated… In other words, you can still be dehydrated even if you’re not thirsty!

Also, remember that water comes in many forms.  It can also be obtained by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, fruit juices, tea, and coffee (decaffeinated). Remember that caffeine promotes water loss, so if you are drinking a caffeine drink with the hopes of replenishing water loss, you are fighting a losing battle.

If you are a SEALs workout trainee or any kind of athlete who partakes in high intensity workouts, do yourself a huge favor be mindful of your water intake.  To keep your body hydrated, carry a bottle of water with you.  You’ll find that this is one of the greatest ways to keep your body functioning at optimum levels.

Keep Going!  And if you're willing to go REAL hard like a true SEAL/marine/spy/insert other real life bad-asses... grab this training system today: SEALs Workout

Your Coach,

James Villepigue CSCS

What's up party people?  I just got some really good questions about maximizing your diet plans, so allow me to knock 'em out like a Mike Tyson opponent in the late 80's (by the way, that's the first time I've ever felt old in my life... next thing you know, I'll be referring to the days when I walked uphill in 4 feet of snow both ways to and from school... jeez, just call me gramps).  On with the questions...

***************************************************************************************************************

Dear Brad,

Again, I would like to thank you for all of your insight that you have given throughout your website.  I have started trying out the cheat/fast day concept a couple of weeks now and I love it!  I am going to try out one of your Inner Circle workout plans starting tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to giving it a try.  I have a few questions that I'd like your opinion on in several topics.

Before coming across TFLT, I was reading several programs which included The Diet Solution Program and The Truth About Abs.  In both of these books, they highly stress eating organic foods and staying away from certain foods.

Since I'm currently in college, it is practically impossible to eat only the foods they are stressing to eat, but I feel that organic is the way to go, at least in the future.  What is your opinion on the whole organic topic, especially for someone with a college student budget?  Have you ever looked into these fat loss diet programs?

Another question I've come across pertains to the cheat/ fast day strategy.  Would it be ok to change your cheat days to where they do not fall on the same day of the week after week.  I usually try for Saturdays as my cheat days, and Sundays for fasting.

I was wondering what I should do if I got invited to go do something Friday and made that my cheat day instead for that week.   Just changing it by one day, would that make a major difference?

I really appreciate everything you've done, and I am really looking more into pharmacy now for not as much the actual pharmacy career, but as a foundation of knowledge to help me learn more about how the human body works.

Thanks for taking your time with all of my questions.

Your Friend,

Trey Hernandez

***************************************************************************************************************

Those are both excellent questions, Trey.  I'll take the easy one first-- yes, it's totally cool if you want to switch your cheat day from week to week.  In fact, it's recommended.

Basically, I want you to use the cheat day not only to bump leptin levels and boost metabolic rate, but also as a 'get outta jail free card' that allows you to enjoy social activities without ruining your extreme fat loss diet.

I hardly ever have a cheat day land on the same day each week, although I DO recommend aiming for a minimum of three days in between repeat cheats (unless you're super advanced and using multiple fast days per week to offset things).

Okay, now for the more complicated question...

Are Organic Foods Really Better for You?

First off, I should define exactly what foods qualify as being "organic."  Requirements are set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the main things to understand are that crops must be grown without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, radiation and so forth.  In addition, animals cannot be given growth hormones or antibiotics, nor can they be kept completely indoors.

Apparently, anything stamped with an organic label is supposed to be greater than 95% organic ingredients, per the inspection peeps.

After defining exactly what constitutes an organic food, it's clear that the absence (or at least greatly reduced quantities) of pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones would be of benefit, right?  I mean, we can assume that even small traces of these chemicals ingested throughout our lifetime could predispose us to developing cancer, other illnesses/conditions and even antibiotic resistance.

But I should note that some of my research showed a potential downside that most people would never think of-- because crops are not being protected with man-made chemicals, they produce their own natural pesticides in order to survive.  Guess what, these aren't so hot for you either...

What about nutrition value of organic foods as compared to non-organic foods?  The studies I've looked at are fairly inconclusive, but the general consensus is that organic foods may provide more of some important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Another benefit of going organic is simply for the good of society as a whole.  Less chemicals in play leads to less pollution in the air, water and of course, the foods we eat.

In a nutshell, buying organic foods SHOULD give us more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff.

But is it really worth the extra money to go organic, especially if you're on a tight budget?  Here's the bottom line-- if you can afford buying organic, go for it.

If you can't, consider trying to buy only those items that are known to have the highest levels of pesticides, like peaches, apples, ALL berries, spinach, green beans and potatoes.  Of course, dairy products would be where the hormones and antibiotics come into play...so again, you can pick and choose only the items that you consume a lot of, that are within this "higher amounts of bad junk" category.

And if you absolutely can't afford to buy any organic foods, don't sweat it.  Just do your best to use common sense when preparing your meals and snacks (wash all fruits and veggies thoroughly, etc).

If you're a parent, especially of newborns and younger kids, I do highly recommend shucking out the extra coin to go organic as often as possible.  When the brain is in development, it's a lot more susceptible to potential harm from these chemicals.  Also remember that, while a tiny trace of a pesticide may not harm a 200-lb adult, it could still have a substantial impact on a 20-lb child.

That's sorta the skinny on organic foods and how to go about deciding if they're right for you.  Just do your best, be a smart shopper and don't stress too hard if you can't justify the cost right now.  When the time is right or when you find some good deals, start with just one or two organic food items and build from there.  It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach.

If you have any other questions about organic foods or the cheat/fast day approach, hit me up like a left hook.  Speaking of which...just for fun, how much money would it take for you to take a punch in the face from Mike Tyson (the old, freakishly ferocious Tyson, not the overweight crackhead Tyson)?

I think I'd start considering it at about $100k.  What about you?

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Posts related to Are Organic Foods Really Better for You:  Carb Cycling for Fat Loss | Diets

Hey guys, Brad here, and it's time to settle this debate once and for all.  I'm talking about the battle of the spreads--peanut butter versus Nutella, to be exact.  Here's a question I just received the other day...

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Hey Brad,

What are your thoughts on nutella, I’ve never really tried it because I love peanut butter myself, but I know a lot of people who like it and eat it regularly that are in good shape.

Thanks,

Ross

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Cool, so for this battle of the spreads, let's look at the nutrition label and point out a few things for each:

Alright, so the nutrition label for Nutella is on the left and the nutrition label for peanut butter is on the right.  I selected a random "peanut butter with omega-3, creamy" for this example.  For simplicity, I used a one ounce serving size for each spread and highlighted the most important stats.

By the way, I used http://nutritiondata.self.com to get my little paws on these labels.  Awesome, now that props have been handed out, let's get nutty...

To start with, if you look at the ingredients list (not shown here) and pay close attention to the first thing listed, you'd notice that PEANUTS are numero uno for pb; whereas, SUGAR comes up first on the list of Nutella ingredients.

Remember, ingredients are listed in order of importance, meaning that which comes up first is the main ingredient and that which comes up last is used the least.

Anything that has it's main ingredient listed as sugar is probably not going to fare so well, assuming we're looking for lean body-friendly foods.

You can see from the labels that Nutella has 15 times the sugar content in this particular example.  That's un-good.

But the case for Nutella only gets worse--peanut butter dominates the protein game as well, having 350% more of this crucial muscle building macronutrient per one ounce serving.

And peanut butter puts the final nail in Nutella's coffin by offering more healthy fats per serving.  So even though in this example, peanut butter has slightly more calories...the calories are of much higher quality than those from Nutella.

The one potential positive for Nutella is that, like my boy Ross says, people claim it tastes great.  I can't back that up, since I've never tired it either...but even if it edges out pb in the taste bud department, it's still a landslide victory for peanut butter.

My final verdict: peanut butter smokes Nutella like a cigarette.

Remember though, you should be eating natural peanut butter and NO reduced fat crap (we want the healthy fats and you should be aware that the reduced fat varieties simply add in more sugar, which defeats the whole purpose of eating peanut butter in the first place).

I should end by noting that Nutella, due to it's high sugar content, would be a good treat to consume immediately post-workout (along with protein), to spike insulin and shuttle the protein to your starving muscles.  So no need to toss it in the garbage just yet...

Keep those questions coming.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - For all the best diet plans, go here: Diets