Adipokines: The Reason You Can't Lose Weight

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES


There are many people who are trying to lose weight.

However, losing weight today is a much different process that it has been previously.

Factors such as diet and physical activity levels are a lot different today than in previous years.

This could account for some of the changes that have led to the development of “sick” fat cells, commonly referred to as "toxic fat cells."

Today, research shows that fat cells should be considered an endocrine organ similar to your thyroid and pancreas, due to their ability to secrete hormones that could affect metabolism.

Fat cells release many hormones which help regulate energy levels in your fat cells and boost metabolism and fat burning.

However, research also shows that fat cells release pro-inflammatory molecules, which can increase inflammation in your fat cells.

This can lead to resistance of your cells to the powerful hormones that are responsible for boosting fat metabolism.

The following is a list of the top three Adipokines That You Need To Worry About

SAA

SAA is another name for serum amyloid A which is an acute phase protein.

Research shows that high levels of SAA can be associated with increased inflammation and could also play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Doctors use SAA levels to determine the extent of cardiovascular diseases, or to determine if there was a cardiovascular event.

SAA is an important molecule that also has been associated with insulin resistance, obesity, and Type II Diabetes.

It can be secreted by fat tissue (adipocytes) and, in cases of diabetes and obesity, there is an increase in the production and the secretion of SAA.

The problem with high levels of SAA, according to research, is that increased levels of SAA alter the way the body processes lipoproteins (cholesterol).

In fact, it has been shown that SAA promotes the ingestion of HDL cholesterol (your good cholesterol) by macrophages, which reduces the cardio-protective benefits of HDL cholesterol.

Increased levels of SAA could potentially lead to systemic inflammation, heart disease, and toxic fat cells.

IL-6

IL-6 is the abbreviated term for interleukin-6, which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine release by many different cells in your body and your fat cells.

When inflammation is not present, however, roughly 15 to 30 percent of IL-6 released comes from adipose tissue.

There are two different types of fat in your body: adipose and visceral.

IL-6 is released by both fat tissues, however, visceral fat releases roughly three times the amount of IL-6 compared to white adipose tissue.

IL-6 affects many different cells in your body and, according to some research, is the main driving force behind the release of C-reactive proteins from your liver.

There has also been a positive relationship between IL-6 levels (release from adipose tissue) and circulating C-reactive protein levels.

IL-6 cytokines released from visceral adipose tissue could result in increased health risks.

It has been shown that increased IL-6 from intra-abdominal fat (visceral) could impair liver metabolism.

This could lead to an increased release of triglycerides from the liver, which is termed visceral-related triglyceridemia.

Higher triglycerides can lead to heart disease and other chronic diseases.

IL-6 also could increase insulin resistance, which makes it harder for your body to process sugar from your blood, liver, and muscles.

This has the potential to increase inflammation and decrease the release of beneficial hormones such as Adiponectin and Leptin from your fat cells.

Visfatin

Visfatin is a new molecule that has been discovered that could also lead to increased levels of inflammation.

Made and secreted by visceral adipose tissue, research shows, visfatin is a result of adipocyte (fat cells) differentiation.

Adipocyte differentiation is a process where unspecialized cells take on the specialized features of adipose cells, in order to synthesize and store dietary fat.

Research suggests that visfatin could be an inflammatory mediator, and is responsible for the increased activation of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-alpha, MP-9, and IL-8.

Free Your Toxic Fat Cells

Toxic fat cells could help prevent weight loss and increase the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can increase inflammation levels in your fat cells and in your body.

Diet and exercise have been shown to increase weight and fat loss, potentially returning your fat cells back to healthy cells.

However, when your fat cells are toxic, either resistance to powerful fat burning hormones or the secretion of these hormones may be decreased.

By making your fat cells healthy again, you could increase fat loss and boost your metabolism in the process.

My Top 55 Lean-Body Foods to Build Lean Muscle and Lose Body Fat

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about Six Pack Abs
In most of my Lean-Body Secrets Newsletters, I like to provide a healthy snack or meal recipe that not only is delicious and healthy, but also helps to get you closer to that hard-body appearance that everyone is looking for, while also more importantly, improving your health for life. In this article, I'd like to give you healthy food ideas in a different way. This time, I figured I'd just give you some ideas of what I stock my fridge and cabinets with.
Remember, if you don't have junk around the house, you're less likely to eat junk!  If all you have is healthy nutritious foods around the house, you're forced to make smart choices. Basically, it all starts with making smart choices and avoiding temptations when you make your grocery store trip. Now these are just some of my personal preferences, but perhaps they will give you some good ideas that you'll enjoy.
Some of these will be obvious healthy choices, such as fruits and veggies... however, others on this page I think will surprise you!
Alright, so let's start with the fridge. Each week, I try to make sure I'm loaded up with lots of varieties of fresh vegetables. During the growing season, I only get local produce, but obviously in winter, I have to resort to the produce at the grocery store. Most of the time, I make sure I have plenty of vegetables like onions, zucchini,  spinach, fresh mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli, etc. to use in my morning eggs.  I also like to chop up some lean chicken or turkey sausage (make sure to look for nitrate & nitrite free) or grass-fed bison sausage into the eggs, along with some swiss, jack, or goat cheeses (preferably raw grass-fed cheeses when I can find them). 
By the way I'm talking about whole eggs, NOT egg whites.  Always remember that the yolk is the most nutritious and nutrient dense part of the egg, so only eating egg whites is like throwing away the best part... and no, it's NOT bad for you because of the cholesterol... whole eggs actually raise your GOOD cholesterol.  Try to get free range organic eggs for the best quality. Here's an entire article I did on the topic of whole eggs vs egg whites.
Coconut milk is another staple in my fridge. I like to use it to mix in with smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt for a rich, creamy taste. Not only does coconut milk add a rich, creamy taste to lots of dishes, but it's also full of healthy saturated fats. Yes, you heard me right... I said healthy saturated fats!  ...Healthy saturated fats such as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), specifically an MCT called lauric acid, which is vitally important for your immune system.
If the idea of healthy saturated fats is foreign to you, check out my article about why saturated fat is not as bad as you think.
Back to the fridge, some other staples:

• Walnuts, pecans, almonds - delicious and great sources of healthy fats.  Try to get raw nuts if possible as the roasting process can oxidize some of the polyunsaturated fats in some types of nuts making those damaged fats slightly more inflammatory.  Overall, nuts are still healthy even if they are roasted, but raw nuts are optimal. 
• Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and yogurt (grass-fed and organic if possible) - I like to mix cottage or ricotta cheese and yogurt together with chopped nuts and berries for a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon meal.
• Chia seeds and/or hemp seeds - I add these highly nutritious seeds to yogurt, smoothies, or salads for a great nutty taste and loads of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins and minerals. Don't use pre-ground versions of these seeds as the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and prone to oxidation, creating high levels of free radicals if you use pre-ground seeds.  No grinding is necessary to properly digest these seeds. 
• Whole eggs - one of natures richest sources of nutrients (and remember, they increase your GOOD cholesterol so stop fearing them).
• Salsa - I try to get creative and try some of the exotic varieties of salsas.
• Avocados - love them...plus a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients. Try adding them to wraps, salads, or sandwiches.
• Butter - don't believe the naysayers; butter adds great flavor to anything and CAN be part of a healthy diet... just keep the quantity small because it is calorie dense... and NEVER use margarine, unless you want to assure yourself a heart attack.  Most important -- choose organic butter only, since pesticides and other harmful chemicals accumulate in the fat of the milk which is used for butter, so choosing organic helps avoid this problem.  Also, choose grass-fed (pastured) butter if you can find it as it will contain higher levels of healthful omega-3 fats and the fat-burning conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). 
• Nut butters - Plain old peanut butter has gotten a little old for me, so I get creative and mix together almond butter with pecan butter, or even cashew butter with macadamia butter...delicious and unbeatable nutrition!  Using a variety of nut butters gives you a broader range of vitamins and minerals and other micronutrients, and gives you variety instead of boring old peanut butter all the time.
• Leaf lettuce and spinach along with shredded carrots - for salads with dinner.
• Home-made salad dressing - using balsamic vinegar, spices, extra virgin olive oil, and Udo's Choice oil blend. This is much better than store bought salad dressing which mostly use highly refined canola or soybean oil (canola and soybean oil are both very inflammatory in the body).  Here's an article showing why to NEVER use store-bought salad dressings.
• Sprouted grain bread for occasional use -- My personal belief from years of nutrition research is that we're not really meant to consume the massive quantities of grains (not even whole grains) that we do in this day and age... a small amount may be okay, but our digestive systems are still primarily adapted to a hunter/gatherer type of diet with only a very small amount of grains, therefore I try to only have breads and other grain-based foods on cheat days.
• Rice bran - If we're going to have some grain-based food, we might as well have the most nutrient dense part, and rice bran is one of those parts, since it includes the germ of brown rice too. Rice bran is loaded with vitamins and minerals but without the large amount of starch calories that rice has... and it actually adds a nice little nutty, crunchy taste to yogurt or smoothies, or can be added when baking to add nutrients and fiber to the recipe.

Some of the staples in the freezer:

• Frozen berries - during the local growing season, I only get fresh berries, but during the other 10 months of the year, I always keep a supply of frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, etc. to add to high fiber cereal, oatmeal, cottage cheese, yogurt, or smoothies. I also get frozen goji berries sometimes for a little "exotic" variety. 
• Frozen fish - I like to try a couple different kinds of fish each week. There are so many varieties out there, you never have to get bored. Just make sure to ALWAYS choose wild fish instead of farmed versions, as the omega-3 to omega-6 balance is MUCH healthier in wild fish.  Also, as this article shows, there are some possible other health issues with farmed fish.
• Frozen chicken breasts - very convenient for a quick addition to wraps or chicken sandwiches for quick meals.
• Grass-fed steaks, burgers, and ground beef:  Grass-fed meats have been shown to have as high as, or even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than salmon (without the mercury).  Also, grass-fed meats have much higher levels of fat-burning and muscle-building conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared to typical grain-fed beef that you'll find at your grocery store.  I recently found an excellent on-line store where I buy all of my grass-fed meats now (they even deliver right to your door in a sealed cooler) - www.healthygrassfed.2ya.com
• Frozen buffalo, ostrich, venison, and other "exotic" lean meats - Yeah, I know...I'm weird, but I can tell you that these are some of the healthiest meats around, and if you're serious about a lean healthy body, these types of meats are much better for you than the mass produced, hormone-pumped beef, chicken, and pork that's sold at most grocery stores.
• Frozen veggies - again, when the growing season is over and I can no longer get local fresh produce, frozen veggies are the best option, since they often have higher nutrient contents compared to the fresh produce that has been shipped thousands of miles, sitting around for weeks before making it to your dinner table.

Alright, now the staples in my cabinets:

• Various antioxidant-rich teas - green, oolong, white, rooibos (red tea) are some of the healthiest.  One of my newest favorite teas is yerba mate, which is a south american tea that is loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients. I've found some delicious yerba mate mixes such as chocolate yerba mate, mint mate, raspberry mate, etc.
• Oat bran and steel cut oats - higher fiber than those little packs of instant oats, which are typically loaded with sugar.  If I'm trying to reduce body fat and get extra lean, I make most of my breakfasts based on eggs and veggies and bison sausage, but if I'm on a muscle building phase, I increase carbohydrate intake and use more oat bran and oatmeal.
• The only healthy oils I have in my cabinets are virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Macadamia oil may also be a reasonable choice as long as it's not "refined".  But other than that, all "vegetable oils" (which is usually soy and corn oil) are total junk and very inflammatory. Never use soy or corn oils!  Also, always avoid canola oil, as there is nothing healthy about canola oil, despite the deceptive marketing claims by the canola oil industry.
• Cans of coconut milk (loaded with healthy saturated MCT fats) - to be transferred to a container in the fridge after opening.
• Brown rice and other higher fiber rice - NEVER white rice
• Tomato sauces - delicious, and as I'm sure you've heard a million times, they are a great source of lycopene. Just watch out for the brands that are loaded with nasty high fructose corn syrup.  You also want to make sure that the tomato sauce is made with olive oil instead of unhealthy soybean oil or canola oils. Also get tomato sauces in glass jars instead of cans, as canned tomatoes are notoriously high in the dangerous chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA) due to the acidic leaching of BPA from the can lining.
• Stevia - a natural non-caloric sweetener, which is an excellent alternative to the nasty chemical-laden artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine, and sucralose.
• Raw honey - better than processed honey... higher quantities of beneficial nutrients and enzymes. Honey has even been proven in studies to improve glucose metabolism (your efficiency in processing carbohydrates).  I use a small teaspoon every morning in my teas.  Yes, I know that even honey is pure sugar, but at least it has some nutritional benefits... and let's be real, a teaspoon of healthier raw honey is only 5 grams of carbs... certainly nothing to worry about, and a better choice than refined sugar.
• Organic REAL maple syrup - none of that high fructose corn syrup Aunt Jemima crap...only real maple syrup can be considered real food. The only time I really use this (because of the high sugar load) is added to my post-workout smoothies to sweeten things up and also elicit an insulin surge to push nutrients into your muscles to aid muscle recovery.
• Organic unsweetened cocoa powder - I like to mix this into my smoothies for an extra jolt of antioxidants or make my own low-sugar hot cocoa by mixing cocoa powder into hot milk with stevia and a couple melted dark chocolate chunks (delicious!).
• Cans of black or kidney beans - I like to add a couple scoops to my Mexican dishes for the fiber and high nutrition content. Also, beans are surprisingly one of the best sources of youth enhancing antioxidants!  Did you know that black beans and kidney beans have more antioxidants than blueberries...it's true!
• Dark chocolate (as dark as possible - ideally more than 70-75% cocoa content) - This is one of my treats that satisfies my sweet tooth, plus provides loads of antioxidants at the same time. It's still calorie dense, so I keep it to just 1-2 small squares after a meal... but that is enough to do the trick, so I don't feel like I need to go out and get cake and ice cream to satisfy my dessert urges.

Lastly, another thing that's hard to go wrong with is a good variety of fresh fruits and berries. The staples such as bananas, apples, oranges, pears, peaches are good, but I like to also be a little more adventurous and include things like yellow (aka - mexican or champagne) mangoes, pomegranates, kumquats, papaya, star fruit, pineapples, and others. Also, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries (the highest fiber berry) and cherries are some of the most nutrient and antioxidant-dense fruits you can eat.

CHOCOLATE AND YOUR METABOLISM?

Dark Chocolate, Cheat Meals, Cocoa, and Your Metabolism
by Chris the Kiwi

Hey mate

I hope this finds you better than ever and absolutely rocking in your own focus on health and happiness.

Today I wanted to give you my take on my favorite low guilt, high benefit CHEAT MEAL FOOD... chocolate!

Surprisingly Good Companions:

A double espresso over ice, and my current favorite chocolate bar, the Endangered Species 88%. This is the one to beat in my opinion.

This particular food is so good that women’s magazines and ex-girlfriends have been caught reporting that chocolate can be better than sex.

Regardless of your thoughts on that comment – chocolate is YUMMY, and for reasons some of us can’t explain, eating it makes you FEEL good.

Perhaps you did not know is that done right, it is also extremely good for you.

So good that we have a super high-spec high polyphenol cocoa extract in Athletic Greens. It is one of my favorite ingredients (and one of the most potent) in Athletic Greens.

So let’s start with the active ingredient in my favorite cheat meal food, DARK CHOCOLATE, and then we will cover how to EAT it.

Dark Chocolate, and Cocoa

Theobroma Cacao, (theobroma is a Greek derived word which translates to “Food of the Gods”) or cocoa as we commonly call it, has been around for a while, originating in the tropical parts of Central and south America.

Originally used by Mesoamerican peoples (the original cultivators thought to be the Aztecs, though I think many would have used cocoa) for both its taste enhancing benefits and for its stimulating properties (theobromine is in the methylxanthines family, which includes a more famous cousin, caffeine), they also apparently liked it for its mood enhancing effects.

Wooohoooo!

Fast forward a year or five hundred since the Europeans first tasted this puppy and “chocolate” is a major industry all of its own.

When we are referring to cocoa, we are referring to what comes out of the cocoa beans.

Despite what Nestle’s marketing department probably hopes you would think, the terms “chocolate” and “cocoa” are not in fact interchangeable, and is an important point to remember when thinking health benefits.

- Cocoa is fermented and finely ground up cocoa beans, subsequently used in the production of the likes of chocolate via chocolate liquor or cocoa butter. (Cocoa is considered the non-fat part of cocoa liquor).

- Chocolate refers to the finished, generally solid food product made up of cocao, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, emulsifiers etc

- The processing of some types of cocoa can remove a large amount of the polyphenol (anti-oxidant) content, and render a lot of the health benefits null and void.

- Milk chocolate has a very low ratio of cocoa solids (the good stuff) and generally is more heavily processed.

Further, milk chocolate is, quite simply, bad for you, and fattening; it is full of sugar and generally comes with some nasty emulsifiers and additives, and has nearly none of the good stuff (cocoa) and a lot of things that are bad for you.

If you want even the remotest of health benefits, milk chocolates and white chocolates are out. Sorry.

Dark Chocolate, specifically high cocoa content dark chocolates of 80-85% cocoa or more, with their higher ratios of cocoa and lower ratios of sugar (and no dairy!) are IN.

Here is why we love cocoa!

NOTE: a bit of science below, hopefully it is not tough reading. If you want to skip to the good stuff, the “how to eat chocolate” part, feel free to skip down a little. I marked the page like this.

Here we go:

Active Ingredients

The active ingredients in cocoa include methylxanthines – caffeine, theophylline and theobromine (with theobromine being by far the dominant stimulant in cocoa), dopamine, serotonin (as well as tryptophan), anandamide and phenethylamine.

That is all before we even discuss the amazing antioxidant content, dominated by flavonoids and the flavanols epicatechin and catechin (like those in green tea) and oligomeric pro-anthocyanidins (OPC’s, stronger in cocoa than in grape-seed extract) in particular.

Known Benefits of Cocoa (when I say known it means the literature backs this up)

Of the many health benefits reported in the scientific literature, the most commonly mentioned are anti-hypertensive and anti-thrombotic effects and overall cardio vascular benefits, thought to be attributed to the anti-oxidant effects of the flavanols and procyanidin content. These include directly lowering of blood pressure, reduction in hypertension, increase in HDL (good cholesterol), decrease in LDL, and improved endothelial function (the functioning of the lining of blood vessels).

All good stuff. There is more….

Diabetes: Proanthocyanidins in cocoa appear to combat the effects of diabetes mellitus, including the reducing the progress of diabetes induced cataracts, and in one study even showed a dose dependent effect on the prevention of hyperglycemia in obese mice.

Mice are mice, people are people, and we all know that we can avoid type two diabetes by smart eating choices but still, all good stuff. And yes, there is more….

Perhaps most exciting to me, being in the “I hate chronic inflammation” camp, are some recent studies suggesting potent anti-inflammatory effects of cocoa, again thought to be by the sexy procyanidins content, which have also been shown to modulate immune response.

Cocoa extracts have further been shown to repress inflammatory responses in the brain while improving blood oxygenation to the brain – which shows interesting potential for cocoa flavanols to be used for neuro protective benefits with maladies such as dementia and strokes. Yes, still more…..

Sooo...between heart health benefits, immune benefits, and anti-inflammation benefits, it should be obvious that the anti-oxidants pack a pretty serious punch in cocoa extract, above and beyond fighting free radicals. The anti-oxidant content of cocoa is awesome, and the cocoa extract used in Athletic Greens provides a nice chunk of the anti-oxidant punch in that product. (It also adds to the taste)

Yay for cocoa! It should be noted that studies have shown that the processing of some types of cocoa can trash the anti-oxidant content so pick your source wisely.

There also seems to be good early indication that the antioxidant effects of the polyphenols might be directly linked to cancer prevention, as they seem to selectively inhibit growth of cancer cells in in vitro studies⁠.

For the antidepressant effect, similarly, there is indication polyphenols are responsible for the effects, but it is not yet clear how.

I have my thoughts.

Stimulation, Mood, and “I Feel Happy When I Eat Chocolate”

As mentioned above, cocoa has a mild stimulatory effect. While cocoa does have caffeine in it, it is there in tiny tiny amounts compared to theobromine (it is nearly 8 to 1 theobromine to caffeine).

So it is the theobromine that is giving the stimulant boosting effect found with cocoa, or specifically, cocoa heavy dark chocolate. Yes, dark chocolate can wake you up, if taken in sufficient amounts.

When it comes to the mood enhancing benefits, it is where the research is a bit of a mine field.

While some of the polyphenols now seem likely, many of the mood-enhancing benefits were originally thought to be attributable to the phenethylamine content.

I used to think so too, especially since I can’t even pronounce phenethylamine, so it seemed the obvious intelligent answer.

However, it has now been shown that orally ingested phenethylamine barely makes it past the gut, and results only in tiny increases in brain levels of this mood enhancer (which we can make ourselves too, by the way). So while this surely plays a part, there must be something else to it.

My thought is pretty simple. It does make people feel better. So whether the mechanism is the mild stimulant effect, some chemical effect that has yet to be conclusively proven, or the endorphins released when you eat chocolate from the taste and the pleasure, of well, eating chocolate are what cause people to feel happy when eating chocolate... the cause is a moot point.

If you feel happier when eating chocolate, and you can do so on occasion without crapping on your health, then eat it and enjoy!

Next...

There are enough positives shown from the cocoa content to more than justify the inclusion of this food in your diet in the form of dark chocolate.

Dark, Cocoa Laden Chocolate, which had no anti-nutrients or auto-immune problem causing ingredients like dairy, and other than the small amounts of sugar is generally not nearly as bad for you as it tastes, being so wonderfully delicious to eat.

Which brings us to the fun part... Eating it.

The HOW To Eat Chocolate

If you have skipped down to here, welcome back!

Number 1: always always always make it dark chocolate

Number 2: darker is better. The higher the cocoa content, not only is there less room for crap (generally sugar if avoiding milk chocolate, which we are doing) there is more goodness from the higher cocoa content. Start at 70% if you have to, but aim to get over 85% as soon as you can

Number 3: organic is better, cleaner, less likely to be contaminated. If you can get it, go for fair trade too

Number 4: since poor processing of the cocoa can destroy the majority of the anti-oxidants, be careful in who you select for your dark chocolate fix. We were super careful with our cocoa extract in Athletic Greens for exactly this reason

I give my current favorite chocolate bar a bit further below (see pic).

Though you may think that you will find it bitter, and it is bitter compared to the sugar laden milk chocolate varieties, you will be surprised how much your taste buds move or have already moved after a period of clean eating such as following my Food for Fat Loss guidelines .

If, however, you still think you will find it too bitter, and don’t want to eat dark chocolate by itself, try playing with it as follows (fun for taste too, even if you are already a dark chocolate fan).

As a contrast to bitterness or big flavors:

- With a double espresso – the movement from the extra bitter espresso to the considerably less bitter dark chocolate will make you smile. You also get a double stimulant hit from the caffeine in the coffee and the theobromine in the cocoa and if you keep the number of pieces to one or two, all for about 4 grams of sugar... Where do I sign?

- With a glass of red wine – I find the big bold reds the best wine companions, (such as shiraz or cabernet sav). I have no idea why these taste so good together but they do

- With some super strong green or black tea – similar to the espresso, this contrast is excellent, you are also going to be in anti-oxidant heaven.


As a contrast to sweetness:

- Eat your chocolate with a bowl of berries

- Eat it with some ice-cream (on your cheat day only, and only if ok with dairy). I know this Kiwi guy who has been known to use dark chocolate pieces as a scoop with his full fat ice cream, on occasion.

- Melt some dark chocolate down on low heat and pour it over some strawberries, then put the lot in the fridge for a few hours. Bring these out at a party and I guarantee you extreme social points. These are also a great way to slowly bring the family over to dark chocolate-ness

Dark Chocolate Strawberries - Not a dark chocolate hard sell (photo credit: tomkellyphoto)

The WHEN:

Post workout is an ideal time for eating your dark chocolate, with the improved nutrient partitioning effects post exercise helping minimize the impact of the sugar.

People who are already lean, if you have a piece or two a few times a week, it doesn’t concern me in the least, especially so if you do it post workout.

Cheat meals – Sorry, the sugar content is still there, so if chasing fat loss, I recommend cheat days only. Bear in mind that the calorie content of dark chocolate is high, and concentrated. I am more worried about the sugar than the calories, unless you are doing it often.

This however, makes it awesome for an overfeeding event, or for going large on a cheat day, where you will feel satisfied, probably quite happily sick if you really get stuck in, and not do too much damage to yourself.

NOTE: if you wake up feeling a bit down and depressed, I have found a wake up stack of acetyl-l-carnitine, a double espresso, two pieces of dark chocolate, and the all important walk outdoors in the sun can do wonders. Not suggesting you swap in a regimen of stimulants and chocolate, nor am I recommending a replacement for aggressively going after happiness in all elements of your life, but your neurotransmitters and endorphin levels will thank you.

For its inherent goodness via the cocoa content and the limit with high cocoa content chocolate on things that are bad for you, dark chocolate gets two Kiwi thumbs up.

A comment on life and eating cleanly:

Feel like you are absolutely going to go off the rails with your eating? Whether you are lean or not I would MUCH rather you went off the rails intelligently and had some Dark Chocolate, than went wild with something that was going to tear your gut into pieces, or cause your insulin levels to go beserk. (Just remember to get back on the clean eating bike afterwards).

In fact, I encourage you to do so. Dark chocolate is yummy, and if the cocoa content is high enough, it is surprisingly good for you.

So get out there, and enjoy.

For my dark chocolate lovers, my current favorite dark chocolate is the Endangered Species 88%, though I also really love some of the Theo chocolates (I also love their mission and approach, if you are in Seattle, well worth a factory tour visit).

If you are starting someone else off with a push towards dark chocolate, then I recommend you make it 70% for the newbies, and build up towards 85% plus from there.

So... What is your favorite dark chocolate bar at the moment? And what is your favorite way to eat it?

“100% Focus on Happiness”

That is my mantra, and it starts with phenomenal health.

4 HEALTH FOODS THAT CAUSE FAT AND CRAVINGS

#1: Fruit Juices

Most of the world is fooled into thinking that downing fruit juices is a great way to be healthy and lose flab. But the fact is, this just isn’t true. Grape juice, orange juice, pineapple juices, apple juice—they all almost instantly spike your blood sugar levels and cause cravings for more sugar. Even worse, processed juices are stuffed with High Fructose Corn Syrup and Crystalline Fructose which cause even more powerful cravings than regular ol’ sugar. Eat fruit instead. The fiber in whole fruit slows down the release of insulin and holds cravings at bay.

Tip: Diet soft drinks and diet waters with artificial sweeteners cause even more cravings than fruit juice! Buyer beware.

#2: Whole Wheat Grains

Many people think that most whole wheat breads and pasta are good for them. But the truth is, most of these foods are stripped of all their natural fiber and nutrition. Therefore, these “complex carbs” act just like sugar in your body and they get quickly stored as fat. Look for sprouted grain versions of these foods. Even “whole wheat” bread isn’t good unless it says 100% Whole Wheat on the label.

#3: Healthy Cereals

Take a look at most cereal boxes and you will see two things: (1) Some advertising claiming how healthy it is and (2) a TON of sugar in every serving! And, most people eat two or three servings in a bowl. Then they wonder why they’re hungry an hour or so later.

Check the labels and stick to cereals that have a lot of natural fiber and lower sugar. Even equal amounts of fiber and sugar will help reduce cravings. What’s more, natural oatmeal is a great choice with a little cinnamon, stevia and a couple blueberries. It’s loaded with fiber with some good fats and proteins.

#4: Most Yogurts

Yogurts tend to be packed full of craving-causing sugar. I’m talking about 20 or more grams in a little tiny container. This is definitely a diet food that will cause your belly to bulge. Alternative: Look for Greek yogurts. They tend to have ½ the sugar and double the protein4 HEALTH

14 CELLULITE SMOOTHING SUPERFOODS

14 CELLULITE-Smoothing Superfoods

First off, I want to make it clear that getting rid of cellulite does NOT require yet another diet of rabbit food and endless hours of leg lifts and bum squeezes.
You won’t have to stop eating out… or say no to your favorite foods all the time… or even bother counting calories. But let’s start with the basics…

What Is Cellulite?

Cellulite is usually found in places where we store stubborn fat – the thighs, bum, backs of the arms and stomach. It is those areas of skin that look lumpy, kind of like cottage cheese or the surface of a golf ball.
But really, cellulite is just a fancy name for fat pockets that push against the connective tissue underneath your skin.  If the connective tissue doesn’t hold in the underlying fat, it creates that lumpy look.
Your body composition (muscle to fat ratio), genes, gender, skin thickness, age and lifestyle, all influence whether or not you have cellulite and how much you have.
Cellulite affects women more than men because of the female hormone estrogen and a woman’s tendency for thin skin. Estrogen tends to increase fluid buildup in fatty tissue and along with the thinner skin, the superficial fat shows through more easily.
Most women and even teen girls have some cellulite and, as I said before, even “skinny” people can have cellulite.
So, no matter what the cause of your cellulite, if you’re exasperated by your dimply bits, read on to find out how to conquer them once and for all.
With that in mind, let’s dive into a few sneaky tricks that smooth cellulite fast, from my friend and female fat loss expert Sue Heintze, of IdealBodiesOnline.com…

Sneaky Trick #1: Eat Cellulite Smoothing Superfoods

Mom was right – you really do have to eat your fruits and veggies every day.
What she may not have told you is that fruits and veggies help supply the antioxidants that fight free radicals.
Antioxidants are sometimes called “free radical scavengers” because they come along and mop up the mess made by free radicals.
They also prevent future damage by providing a layer of protection for the cells and tissues in your body, just like a thick coat of wax protects your furniture and your car’s finish.
When it comes to choosing fruits and veggies for their antioxidants, go for the bright colors!
Carrots, squash, tomatoes, broccoli, peaches, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, berries.
Citrus fruits like oranges, limes and lemons are awesome too. Along with berries, these citrus fruits contain lots of vitamin C to help build collagen (which supports healthy skin). Dried fruits are excellent sources of antioxidants too, especially prunes, figs, apricots and dates. Just be sure not to overdo it because many fruits are high in sugar.

Sneaky Trick #2: Take Out The Trash

Supposedly, your body is a wonderland. John Mayer coined the phrase in a popular song. However, with today’s ‘on the go’ lifestyle of convenience, most people’s bodies are more like a toxic wasteland than a wonderland.
You’ve probably heard the term free radicals before.
To get a little technical for a moment, a free radical is a molecule that has lost one of its electrons and become extremely unbalanced. It attempts to restore its balance by stealing a vital electron from another cell. Within the body, this can cause unnecessary damage.
Free radicals cause cell damage, disease, and premature aging. Toxins produce these harmful free radicals – which are treated like poison in our bodies.
Your lymph system is what flushes toxins from your body. Free radicals put a lot of pressure on your lymph system and make it sluggish. This sluggishness creates fibers that bind to the walls of fat pockets, making them thicker. This extra pressure squishes your fat further upwards and creates the appearance of cellulite.
Some of the leading causes of free radicals are: cigarette smoke, stress, alcohol, charred food, pesticides and internal inflammation caused by eating the wrong types of foods.
Certain foods lead to increases in pro-inflammatory hormones. Refined sugar and processed foods (things in boxes), are among the worst. The body treats preservatives, colors, additives and other chemicals in foods as toxins. They trigger an immune system response, which leads to inflammation. As a rule, all processed foods contain chemicals and increase inflammation.
Eating foods you are allergic to (or have intolerance to) also triggers a response from the immune system, causing more inflammation. Many people (without even knowing) have intolerances to wheat and dairy products, so these are good foods to test removing from your diet. (If you feel the same after 4 weeks you can add them back.)
Your body is constantly replacing and repairing free-radical damaged cells, but with the way the majority of people abuse their bodies these days, these free radicals are out of control and are a major cause of premature aging, disease and… yes, it can increase cellulite.
So, what do we need to be aware of?
Cigarette Smoke. You’re not gonna make me explain this one are you? Ok, in brief, there are approximately 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds of which are toxic. The ingredients in cigarettes affect everything from the functioning of internal organs to the efficiency of the body’s immune system. The effects of cigarette smoking are destructive and widespread.
So c’mon, give up the ciggies – and avoid second-hand smoke too.
Stress. There’s no way to completely eliminate stress from our lives – in fact, some stress is a good thing; it keeps us on our toes and makes us take action. But it’s good to be aware of how too much stress affects your body. Some signs that stress might be an issue for you: anxiety, insomnia, impatience/anger, headaches, high blood pressure and other diseases, etc.
Regular exercise, a good diet, massage and relaxation techniques will alleviate stress even when you’re not able to eliminate the source.
Charred Food. You probably cover your nose when you have to walk through a cloud of exhaust or cigarette smoke, or when you smell trash burning from a distance. Well, the same toxins in those fumes are also found in grilled and charred foods.
High Sugar Foods. You know the culprits here – chocolates, cakes, donuts, sodas, juices and so on. Sugar produces insulin — and insulin increases fat storage and the production of those dastardly free radicals.
Processed Foods. These contain additives and preservatives, and usually are high in fat, sugar and salt, which only contribute to fat gain and increase the toxic overload in your body.
Trans Fats. Margarine is sometimes called a “twisted sister” because of its awful combination of saturated fat and trans fat. Stay away from it.
Did you know more trans fats are used in commercially baked goods than in any other food? Do your baking at home so you can have control over the fat content.
An important note: just because a label says “low-fat” doesn’t mean there is no trans fat. Always read labels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website says you should look for the following in labels if you want to avoid trans fats:
If the ingredient list includes the words “shortening,” “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “hydrogenated vegetable oil,” the food contains trans fat.
Alcohol. Alcohol increases free radicals and can boost fat storage as well. Again, don’t panic, because you don’t have to be a tee-totaller – but you MUST be careful of both the type of alcohol you consume, the quantity and what foods you consume it with. A few glasses of red wine a week are fine. Two a day and you’ve got big trouble.
Obesity-Causing Environmental Chemicals. We’re going to get into these a LOT more in the next blog post, but the bottom line is that scientists have discovered that there are certain chemicals hidden in foods and beverages, and chemicals that seep into our foods and drinks from the packaging materials they are stored in, that alter the regulatory systems that control our weight. In other words, we’re getting fatter, and getting more cellulite not just from the calories in food but from chemicals within the food and chemicals we encounter in our environment. Pretty scary stuff. (By the way, make sure not to ever use any type of plastic cookware in a microwave. The intense heat can cause chemicals from the plastic to enter your food. Science is showing that these chemicals can disrupt our endocrine systems and even lead to added body fat including cellulite.)
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4 CELLULITE SOLUTIONS EXPOSED

What exactly is cellulite?
Cellulite is simply “fat pockets” that occur when connective tissues underneath the skin do not hold in the underlying fat, which pokes out causing dimples like you would see on a golf ball.
However, it is important to remember that cellulite is simply normal fat. It looks bumpy because this fat is pushing through the connective tissue that usually keeps the fat distributed evenly beneath your skin.
Cellulite occurs in most areas around the body where the skin is thinnest. Places like the thighs, legs, and buttocks of women. Your total percent of body fat, your age, and your genetics all combine to determine if you will have cellulite or not. Basically, there is a big genetic component to having cellulite, so if you do not like it you can blame your parents. (But there are ways to overcome your genetic predisposition.)
Cellulite affects women more than men because of the female hormone estrogen, and a woman’s tendency for thin skin. You see, estrogen tends to increase the fluid buildup in fatty tissue and women tend to have thinner skin than men so their superficial fat shows more easily if it pushes through the surrounding connective tissue.
It is estimated that 85% of all women have some cellulite regardless if she is heavy or thin. Even women under 100 lbs can have cellulite!
<<< CELLULITE CURES? THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
Before I reveal several new and exciting cellulite solutions, it is important to mention techniques that plain DO NOT WORK. Here they are so you don’t waste your time and money:
1. SOME CELLULITE CREAMS: There are countless creams available as supposed cellulite treatments. However, the scientific research does not support most of them. Generally speaking, slathering gobs of cellulite cream onto your skin and expecting it to do something is nothing but wishful thinking. These creams only absorb into the top layer of skin, not to the deep layers of connective tissue where cellulite is found.
After all, your skin is specifically designed to keep things from “soaking in” to your body. It is a protective mechanism. Otherwise, anything that touched your skin would be absorbed and circulate throughout your body.
Thankfully, this does not happen.
Thinking that a cellulite cream is going to work by absorbing into your body is kind of like spreading pudding on your belly and expecting it to “soak in” to your stomach and make you full.
If you are set on using a cellulite cream, look for one that contains both caffeine and theophylline. There are some studies that indicate these ingredients MAY have a positive effect on cellulite by causing fat cells to shrink.
2. LIPOSUCTION: A lot of people are under the impression that liposuction is a cellulite cure. But that is not the case. The fact is, liposuction can make cellulite look worse!
You see, liposuction is designed to suck away the fat that is deep down beneath the skin. But cellulite is generally to close to the surface for liposuction to help.
Therefore, by sucking away deep-fat, your surface fat could “cave in” and make your cellulite look much worse. Besides, liposuction is extremely expensive and, like all surgeries, can be dangerous.
3. MESOTHERAPY™: This cellulite treatment was originally developed in France and involves a series of injections directly into the small pockets of cellulite fat. These injections contain a solution of homeopathic medications that supposedly break down and dissolve fat so it can be excreted by the body.
The problem is, there are no scientific studies to back up this procedure and there is a lot of skepticism surrounding it in the medical community. The other problem with mesotherapy is you have to get a LOT of injections, which can have side effects and problems. Mesotherapy is also very expensive with individual sessions costing hundreds of dollars. Until further research is done, I would stay away from this procedure.
4. LIPODISSOLVE™: Lipodissolve injections, also called injection lipolysis, is a technique, similar to mesotherapy, where a combination of substances, including vitamins, enzymes and phosphadatidylcholine, a natural substance derived from soy, is injected into fat-pockets to help break apart the cellulite fat-pocket.
Again, there is no scientific research (to my knowledge), to show that lipodissolve injections are effective. Furthermore, it is recommended that you get two to four treatments every week for six to eight week intervals to see results. This can be very expensive and injections can be painful.
Common side effects include local pain, minor burning sensations for a few hours, temporary bruising, along with itchiness and soreness for one to two days after treatment.
Some patients may feel a few bumps under the skin, which will dissolve within two weeks and the injection areas may experience tenderness and swelling for 48 hours.
Anyway, those are the four techniques I DO NOT recommend at this time. New studies may prove differently in the future, but in the mean time… stay clear.

3 HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT CAUSE FLAB

Most people blame weight gain on the chocolate shakes or burgers they have been eating. And while consuming those foods will undoubtedly add inches to your waistline, new information shows that there may be chemicals within the body that are also to blame.
Obesogens. They are endocrine disruptors and they are natural and man-made chemicals that alter the regulatory system that controls your weight. Obesogens increase the amount of fat cells you have while at the same time decreasing the amount of calories you burn. In addition, they change the way your body manages hunger.
New research studies are being conducted on the effects of obesogens on the body. To understand what obesogens are and how they are making people fat, you first need to know how these chemicals work.
Obesogens interfere with the body’s natural hormones. Hormones are responsible for just about every function in the body, including metabolism and fat burning. Obesogens disrupt hormones by either copying their natural action or by preventing them from functioning properly.
When Obesogens mimic hormones, it can cause an influx of reactions as the body tries to compensate for too much hormone. When Obesogens block hormones form functioning properly, those hormones cannot do their job, which in turn affects systems in the body. Again, this includes metabolism and fat burning.
These chemicals cause the body to store more fat. What’s worse, they can actually alter cells in the body, reprogramming them to become fat cells. Some obesogens interfere with the production of leptin and prevent it from being released into the body. Leptin is the hormone that send the signal to your body that you are full. Without it, you are likely to overeat.
Obesogens can make the liver become resistant to insulin. When this happens, the pancreas go into overdrive trying to produce more insulin. The excess amount of insulin in the body results in energy being converted to fat.
Wonder where these hormone disruptors are hiding? Unfortunately, they are everywhere.
Foods
If you’re not eating fresh, whole foods, you’re probably consuming obesogens every day. These hormone-disrupting chemicals can be found in just about every grocery store aisle, thanks to high fructose corn syrup. As you know, this artificial sweetener can be found in everything from drinks and snack foods to breads and condiments. High fructose corn syrup, one of the main sources of Obesogens, is so sweet that it interferes with insulin levels and hunger levels.
This is what happens…..
-Obesogens make the liver resistant to insulin
-The pancreas start making more insulin
-Hunger increases and you eat more
-The excess insulin turns all that extra food into fat
Tap Water

Pesticides affect a lot more than just the insects they are designed to control. These powerful chemicals seep deep down into the soil and remain there for years. As they accumulate, they find their way into our faucets and show up in our drinking water. The main obesogen in tap water is called atrazine. It is a pesticide that is banned in Europe but not in the United States. Atrazine slows thyroid hormone metabolism. Another source for obesogens found in your faucets is called tributylin. This fungicide is used to paint the bottom of boats to prevent fungus growth. When ingested, it stimulates the production of fat cells.
Water Bottles and Cans
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been shown to increase insulin resistance in animal studies and is most commonly found in the lining of cans and sports water bottles. BPA is a synthetic estrogen that is used to harden plastics. Even though it has been banned from some plastics, such as baby bottles, it is still present in many others.
Non-Stick Pans

Animal studies have shown that individuals who are exposed to Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) early in life have an increased risk of developing obesity later in life. This chemical is used to make items non-stick. Although this is found mainly in Teflon products, it is also used to create the lining inside of microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes.
PFOA’s also interfere with thyroid glands. When the thyroid gland is not functioning properly, it cannot regulate the hormones that are responsible for controlling weight.
Shower Curtains
Phthalates, the chemicals found in shower curtains and air fresheners, can lower testosterone and slow down metabolism. This can cause you to gain weight and also reduce your muscle mass. Phthalates are also found in vinyl flooring and the shrink wrap used on meats at the grocery store.
Now that you know about obesogens, try some of these tips to avoid them:
1. Buy wild fish. Steer clear of canned fish such as tuna.
2. Use a filter on your tap to keep out the atrazine and other chemicals that accumulate in your water. Make sure it is a granular activated carbon filter.

3. Use aluminum water bottles. If you opt for plastic bottles, check to make sure it is BPA free. Most plastics that contain BPA have the number 3 or 7 on the bottom. Try to avoid these and stick to ones with the numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
4. Eat fewer canned foods. Aside from the obesogens found in the lining, canned foods are high in sodium, preservatives and artificial ingredient. Stick with natural, fresh or frozen foods to lose weight and improve your health.
5. Throw out those non-stick pans. Opt for cast iron or metal cookware.
6. Don’t buy pre packaged meats. Purchase fresh cuts of meat straight from the butcher if possible. Be sure to purchase meats that produced without hormones and ask for brown paper wrap instead of plastic.
7. Don’t use air fresheners. To freshen the air in the room, open the windows. Create your own natural scents to infuse into the room. Boil some cinnamon sticks, make a homemade room spray with fresh squeezed citrus juice and lemon oil or use dried spices and herbs to make your own potpourri

13 SNACKS THAT CAUSE FAT

The first thing that may strike you as strange in this photo is the Slim Fast drink mix. You may be wondering why this Slim Fast product is along with the other “bad snacks.” Well, if you look at the ingredients the very first ingredient in this product is sugar! In fact, this “weight loss drink” has 10g of sugar, just 2g of protein and is stuffed full of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors and very questionable ingredients if you are interested in losing belly fat.
The next thing I would like to point out is the Weight Watchers chocolate chip soft cookies. Their first ingredient is enriched wheat flour, and the second ingredient is sugar, but this supposed “health product” also contains partially hydrogenated oils/trans fats which research has shown has all sorts of negative effects in the body, including increasing the risks for certain cancers.
Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-Up product is a hoot. Many parents across America are giving this product to their children thinking that because it has the word fruit in the name of the product it is healthy, but it’s not. This product contains 7g of sugar per roll, but even worse is that it contains partially hydrogenated oils, corn syrup and a lot of food dyes. You would be way better off providing fresh fruit to your child instead of one of these “belly fat bulgers.”
Hunt’s Sugar Free Gelatin may sound great because it is low in sugar, but it contains artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils (trans fats).
Ritz Crackers contain partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup and enriched flour which make them a very unhealthy product. Doritos Cool Ranch potato chips contain MSG, which is definitely not at the top of my list of ingredients to get a slim belly.
Special K “candy bars” contain sugar and partially hydrogenated oil as their first two ingredients. And later on down the label, they throw in high fructose corn syrup as a kicker. Stay away from this bar for sure. Not to mention that it has 3.5g of saturated fat. What is ironic is that the Snickers candy bar has almost the same ingredient profile as the Special K protein meal bar.
The Atkins Advantage chocolate peanut butter bar has almost 6g of saturated fat and 12g of fat overall, plus they pack 240 calories in this little bar that won’t satisfy your hunger for long.
Rolo chewy caramel candy contains both high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (trans fats).
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups contain a whopping 13g of fat and 20g of sugar per package.
Snicker’s Marathon Energy Bar contains high fructose corn syrup.
Cool Ranch Doritos are not cool because they have MSG and partially hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fat.)
Each bag of peanut M&M’s contains 25g of sugar! Like most candies, these are not a good choice.
The Snickers candy bar contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fat) and 20g sugar.