The New Year is underway and everyone is thinking about their resolutions.

The most common?

To get in shape. Today, I’d like to share with you the BIGGEST secret that will help you achieve your fitness resolutions, no matter how big they are.

Whether you’re looking to get a set of six pack abs … or to gain tons of muscle … or just get fit enough so you can be healthy well into your golden years … this secret will make it possible.

What is it? It’s the secret of mindset.

Now before you think to yourself, “oh I’ve heard this already”, hear me out.

Rarely anyone talks about the mental aspect of achieving your ideal body. Yet it’s the MOST critical component.

Because without the right mindset, chances are you won’t accomplish your body transformation goals.

In fact, a slew of new research is PROVING how important your mindset is to your health and fitness.

Harvard University researchers conducted a study involving over 80 hotel room cleaning attendants.

These folks were from seven different hotels. The attendants were split into two groups.

The first group was told how beneficial to their health their line of work was. After all, many of them cleaned at least 15 rooms per day.

This first group was also informed of how many calories they burned each day. Plus, they were given a handout to look at on a daily basis that showed them how many calories each activity they did burned (i.e. vacumming, scrubbing, changing sheets, etc).

The second group was not informed of how many calories their work burned. Also, they were not told that their line of work was in fact very good exercise for their body.

Researchers made sure that the lifestyles of these cleaning attendants stayed the same. Meaning, that they didn’t start changing their exercise or eating habits at home. Also, hotel managers made sure that the attendants all had the same workload.

The result?

The cleaning attendants in the first group (those that were told how many calories they burned, etc) lost a significant amount of weight. In addition to the weight loss, they also lowered their blood pressure, and decreased their body mass index (BMI).

The second group (the ones that weren’t told about the health benefits of their job) showed ZERO improvement.

Weird, huh!?

It just goes to show how important your mindset is.

Another study published in the “Journal of Physiology” decided to test out this mind-body connection theory.

They got two groups of people. One group was given what they were told was an “energy drink.” They were also told that this energy drink WOULD in fact improve their strength and performance while working out.

The second group was given an identical energy drink. However, they were NOT told about the drink’s strength and performance benefits.

The result?

Those in the first group actually DID improve their strength and performance.

The second group however, showed no improvement.

The connection is clear. In order to achieve your best body, you’ve got to have the right mindset.

Otherwise, you’ll be heading upstream, without a paddle.

So how do you get this mindset?

The easiest way is to do visualization.

Imagine every day that you have achieved your ideal body. Get into the feeling of it. Clearly see how good you look.

Look at your definition. Feel how energetic you would feel.

Do this everyday, a few times per day.

And as you eat clean and train hard, imagine that everything you’re doing, day-by-day, is getting you one step closer to your dream physique.

Before you know it, you’ll have achieved a body you love and others envy!

Once you’ve got your mindset down, you’ll also need a good nutrition and exercise program.

That’s why if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you take advantage of your FREE Week of Personal Training .

During this week, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim, execute an exercise program that’s tailored to YOUR body and experience our one-on-one personal training. You won’t be disappointed!

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High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS for short.)

Manufacturers use HFCS in everything — including bread, sodas, soft drinks, juices, “health” bars, candy, salad dressings, jam, ketchup — even beer! The reason is that’s its cheaper to produce than real cane sugar. Plus it’s easier to transport. You already know sugar isn’t good for you or your fat loss efforts. But HFCS takes things to a whole new level. Mainly because its hidden in foods you think DON’T have sugar. As you already know, eating sugary foods spikes your insulin levels. Constantly elevated insulin leads to things like obesity, heart disease and diabetes. But the sugar in HFCS isn’t the only reason you want to stay away from it. It can directly affect your health. For example, HFCS is bad on your liver.  In one study published in the Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, rats were given HFCS in their diets. The result? The rats developed livers similar to those of raging alcoholics! In short, HFCS caused the rats to show signs of cirrhosis of the liver.

Bottom line: Whether your goal is health, fitness, a better body or all of the above, you’ll want to avoid HFCS at all costs.

Here’s a few starting points:

Check the label. No matter what you buy at the grocery store, make sure you check the label. If it indeed contains high-fructose corn syrup, it will be in there (probably towards the end).

Avoid “low-fat” foods. Surprisingly, most health and low-fat foods are laden with HFCS. This is because since they’ve removed the fat, they have to make it taste good. The answer? You guessed it. HFCS!

Drink only water. 99.99% of all soft drinks, sports drinks, juices, etc. WILL contain HFCS as the main sweetener. Not only that but these are a source of empty, useless calories that will go straight to those hard-to-lose areas. Stay on the safe side and drink good old H2O.

Eat minimally-processed foods. Chances are that if it comes in a box or bag (or some other kind of packaging designed to make the food last longer) then there’s a VERY good chance there’s HFCS in it. Instead, stick with foods that haven’t been processed (Hint: if it’ll go bad in 2 – 3 days then it’s a good bet that it’s minimally processed.

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, staying clear of high-fructose corn syrup will help tremendously.

Do it for your fitness and your health.

One more thing …

If you want to transform your body once and for all, then make sure you claim your FREE Fitness Consultation (an $87 value).

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit that’s tailored to YOUR body.

This will help put you on the path to end yo-yo dieting … help maintain and keep your healthy wait … and burn fat from those hard-to-scuplt areas that make you self conscious.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To get started, click here.

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Want a slimmer waistline in a few weeks’ time?

It’s certainly possible. And easier than you may have hought.

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, most of the advice you’ve probably heard is completely wrong.

It’s not surprising. There are quite a few myths out there when it comes to getting a flat stomach.

For example:

• “You’ve got to do 100s of crunches to lose that belly”
• “You need to diet (i.e. starve yourself)”
• “All you need is XYZ brand’s diet pill.”
• “Do hours on end of traditional low-intensity cardio, like walking on the treadmill.”

The truth is that it’s not that complicated to lose your abdominal fat.

Here’s all you need to know:

Eat right. This means eating properly to fuel your body, boost your metabolism and burn more fat. Avoid all junk foods, including fried foods, soft drinks and heavily processed foods. Stick to foods that have one or two ingredients max. That means good protein sources (like chicken, fish and eggs), plenty of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, etc.) Also, try to eat 4 – 6 small meals evenly spaced throughout your day.

Train with weights. This one’s a given. Train 3 – 4 times per week. Focus mainly on compound movements. This means the “tough” exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, etc. These are effective at building muscle and priming your metabolism to burn fat like nobody’s business. Plus, these kinds of exercises are more functional and will provide the strength you need to go about your day-to-day life.

Do cardio smartly. Once you’re eating healthy and working out with weights, it’s time to add in a little cardio. But not the kind of cardio you see everyone else at the gym do. The goal isn’t to see how long you last walking on the treadmill. Instead, you’re going to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Simply put, this means alternating between all-out exertion and resting. For example, if you’re on the treadmill, you’d warm up for the first 2 minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 1 minute. Then rest the next minute. Do this for 9 more sets of 1 minute exertion followed by 1 minute rest. Doing cardio this way burns more calories in less time, since you’re “upping” the intensity factor.

So there you have it. Follow these three tips starting today and you’re bound to lose some belly fat before Summer’s out.

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails.  Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

• Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
• Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

• Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.
• Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

• Beans:  Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans are great choices.
• Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh and veggie burgers for a change.
• Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Most people in the U.S. eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal—focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store

In general, healthy eating ingredients are found around the outer edges of most grocery stores—fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, whole grain breads and dairy products. The centers of many grocery stores are filled with overpriced, processed foods that aren’t good for you. Shop the perimeter of the store for most of your groceries (fresh items), add a few things from the freezer section (frozen fruits and vegetables), and the aisles with spices, oils, and whole grains (like rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).

Cook when you can

Try to cook one or both weekend days or on a weekday evening and make extra to freeze or set aside for another night. Cooking ahead saves time and money, and it is gratifying to know that you have a home cooked meal waiting to be eaten.

Have an emergency dinner or two ready to go

Challenge yourself to come up with two or three dinners that can be put together without going to the store—utilizing things in your pantry, freezer and spice rack. A delicious dinner of whole grain pasta with a quick tomato sauce or a quick and easy black bean quesadilla on a whole wheat flour tortilla (among endless other recipes) could act as your go-to meal when you are just too busy to shop or cook.

Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:

Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables:

• Garlic, onions, carrots and celery are great recipe and soup starters.
• Frozen corn, peas, carrots and berries for recipe additions and smoothies.
• Dark greens for salads and salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts and seed

Fresh and dried herbs and spices

Fats and oils—liquid vegetable oils (olive, canola, sunflower, corn, and peanut) for cooking. Specialty oils like sesame oil, walnut or pistachio oil or truffle oil for adding flavor.

Unsalted nuts—like almonds, walnuts and pistachios for snacking

Vinegars—such as balsamic, red wine and rice vinegar for salads and veggies

Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta and soups.

This article is taken from http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

• Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness—then it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.
• Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart.  Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking.  As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.
• Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet.  The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation.  Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

• Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only an occasional indulgence.
• Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms and start small.  Visual cues can help with portion sizes—your serving of meat, fish or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. A teaspoon of oil or salad dressing is about the size of a matchbook and your slice of bread should be the size of a CD case.

Healthy eating tip 3: It’s not just what you eat, it’s how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
• Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet—they are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal, and be your first choice for a snack—aim for a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases.

The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits. Some great choices are:

• Greens: Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Be adventurous with your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.
• Sweet Vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or yams, winter squash, and onions.
• Fruit: A wide variety of fruit is also vital to a healthy diet. Fruit provides fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

Avoid: Fruit juices, which can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute with water. Canned fruit is often in sugary syrup, and dried fruit, while an excellent source of fiber, can be high in calories. Avoid fried veggies and those with dressings or sauces—too much unhealthy fat and calories.

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

• Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.
• Make sure you’re really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran, don’t necessarily mean that a product is whole grain. Look for the new Whole Grain Stamp. If there is no stamp look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat,” and check the ingredients.
• Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains, like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined grains such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Body fat comes in two varieties. There’s subcutaneous fat, a noticeable layer of fat that lies just below the skin, and then there’s visceral fat, which is buried beneath the muscles. Visceral fat is the more worrisome variety because it surrounds vital organs and is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into blood cholesterol.
Visceral fat can go largely unnoticed because it’s not visible to the naked eye. In fact, the only effective way researchers can locate visceral fat is by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic waves to take a picture of the inside of the abdomen. Researchers can use this picture to estimate the amount of visceral fat a person is carrying.
What Causes Visceral Fat?
Your genetic makeup is between 30% and 60% responsible for the amount of visceral fat you carry. Nevertheless, research shows that both your diet and your level of physical activity contribute to your level of visceral fat. People who consume large amounts of saturated fat and people who perform little or no physical activity are likely to have high stores of visceral fat.
Short of talking a physician into performing an MRI on your abdomen, how do you know how much of this unhealthy fat you have? Check your waistline. A trim waistline is a good indicator that you don’t have a large buildup of visceral fat.
Getting Rid of Visceral Fat
Research shows that people whose diets contain polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats have less visceral fat. Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils, as well as in fish. Also, just exercising moderately—doing things such as walking, swimming, or playing tennis—on most days of the week will help you prevent visceral fat from accumulating. What’s even better is that doing regular bouts of vigorous exercise can markedly reduce the amount of visceral fat you already have.
Building muscle—through weight lifting or other resistance exercises—will help, too. Muscle burns calories and helps you maintain your metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the bigger your body’s engine, and the more likely you will be to burn fat
Once adipocytes get the signal from hormones and release fat into the bloodstream, they shrink just like a balloon that you let air out of. When they shrink, so does your body fat. But if you eat excess fat once you’ve shrunk your adipocytes, chances are it will find its way right back to the adipocyte, and once again you’ll gain fat.
No matter how much physical activity you do, adipocytes never shrink so much that they disappear entirely. Like a balloon that you let all the air out of, you’re always left with some remnant. The only way to totally remove adipocytes from your body is with a surgical procedure such as liposuction or excision. But even with these procedures, if you go back to eating excess fat, you’ll put all the fat back on.
The physical activity recommendation for improving health is to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week.

Article was taken from http://www.womenfitness.net/visceral_fat.htm