The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years. ~Thomas Jefferson

The time just before dawn contains the most energy of all hours of the day. This has helped me become an early riser and an early doer….

When I wake to see that it’s light out already, I feel like the world has started without me. ~Terri Guillemets

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

For sales professionals and sales leaders, getting an early start on the day can lead to more sales and increased productivity over the course of a month, quarter, and year.

Here are 7 tips on how to wake up earlier and get more done before 12noon:

1. Make small changes. Start the process waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal for 1 full work week. Then cut back another 15 minutes the next week until you have reached the ideal time you wish to wake.

2. Go to sleep earlier. Follow the same process as in #1. Plan to go to bed just 15 minutes earlier than your normal time for one full week and then cut another 15 minutes the following week.

3. Put your alarm clock on the other side of your room. Make it so that you must get up and walk to the alarm clock to turn it off. Do not hit snooze.

4. Get moving right away. Don’t think about going back to bed. Get out of the bedroom and get your day started.

5. Have a reason to wake up early. Plan to accomplish something early in the morning that’s important and it will help you wake up.

6. Use the extra time in a positive way. Don’t wake up early and just waste that extra time. Use it to get some of your most important tasks completed for the day.

7. Review your progress. Review each week all that you get done in the early morning and take a look at your accomplishments. Be sure to celebrate the many things you get done from waking up earlier.

If this article was helpful for you, please share it below, thank you for your support.

“To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Post written by Jeremy Ulmer. Follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Without the right amount of energy and the ability to manage stress, sales results will suffer. There is nothing better to increase energy and manage stress than exercise. Within our sales coaching programs, we are often asked for support outside of just sales to achieve incredible results. Often, fitness and working out, is a topic that pops up.

In my own experience, I have found working out consistently to be one of the most essential ingredients to great success in sales.

Here are some tips to help you make exercise a daily habit:

1. Schedule Your Workout. Find a time of day that will work for you. Determine whether that is in the morning, afternoon, or evening. If you plan a time to workout, it will increase the odds that you will follow through.

2. Remind Yourself. Place the event on your gmail or outlook calender so it reminds you 30 minutes before the event or leave a post-it note on your desk.

3. Baby Steps Are Good! Start small. If you over do it, you will risk burnout and quitting your new workout routine.

4. Make It Fun! If you find you hate running on a treadmill, guess what, that probably won’t change and soon you will not be working out at all. Find something you enjoy to do!

“After just 25 minutes of exercise, your mood improves, you are less stressed, you have more energy, and you’ll be motivated to exercise again tomorrow.” – Jasper Smits, PHD

5. Get Moving and Go! Just get started and take action. Don’t sit around debating whether you are going to workout or not, just get to the gym.

6. Rest. Many people overtrain their bodies and do not see the progress they want to see. Be sure you are getting the rest you need to recover.

7. Do Not Miss A Scheduled Workout Unless There Is An Emergency. It’s easy to say, “No problem, I’ve been working out pretty steady, I’ll just skip today.” But that will make your workout habit formation harder. Consistency is key, so do not to skip a single scheduled workout day. If your plan is to workout 3 days per week, 4 days per week or more, just stick with whatever your goal is.

If this article was helpful for you, please share it, thank you.

Stress is the trash of modern life – we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life. ~Terri Guillemets

Post written by Jeremy J. Ulmer. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Identify Your Work Stress. Before you can eliminate or reduce stress, you must know what you are dealing with. Write down all the stresses that you deal with on a daily and weekly basis. Then create a top 10 list of all the things that cause you stress and determine which items you can eliminate from your list.

Shorten Your Scheduled Meetings. Consider cutting many of your 60 minute meetings to 30 minutes and your 30 minute meetings to 15. With a shorter time frame to work in, you will be forced to be more productive.

Stop Procrastinating. Allowing work to pile up will stress you out. Plan time to get things done and off your desk.

Get Organized. Disorganization can cause a significant amount of workplace stress. Block time to get things organized.

Always Be On Time. Being late will cause a lot of stress at work or in your life. Learn the habit of being early, and this type of stress will disappear.

Stop Trying To Control Everything. Trying to control situations and people does not work. In fact, when we are in the state of trying to control, it just creates more stress at work and in our lives. Learn to let go of situations that are out of your control. The only thing you can control is yourself.

Stop Multitasking. Doing multiple tasks at the same time might seem productive, but in reality it slows us down from completing tasks, reduces the quality of work, and creates stress. Learn to single-task and get more done.

Cut Out Negative People. You know who they are. They can drag you down and create more stress. Surround yourself with other positive minded people and you will feel less stress.

Simplify Your Work. Look for ways to make your tasks more streamlined and simple.

Give Back & Help Others. Whether you volunteer for a charity or just make an effort to be more compassionate to those around you, you will notice it lowers your own stress levels. Try it out for a day and see how you feel.

Take Mini Breaks. Studies have show that concentration levels decrease 25 to 30 minutes into a task. If you don’t take any breaks, your focus and productivity will drop. Plan and enjoy mini-breaks during your work day.

Exercise! This is hands down #1 in my book and it works like magic. Exercise reduces stress and helps prevent it. Also, a healthier and fitter person is better equipped to handle stress. The key here is to be consistent and make working out a habit, just like brushing your teeth.

If this article was helpful for you, please share it below, thank you!

Want to take your sales results to the next level? Check out our sales coaching programs, sales seminars, and sales coaching seminars or contact us to learn more about how we can help you or your organization.

Why I Take The Stairs Everywhere I Go

After reading that Bruce Lee, one of my youth idols, always took the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, I started doing the same. When an opportunity to get a workout presents itself, no matter how small, I take it. For example, a 10 minute walk 3 times per day is equal to one 30 minute walk.

With this philosophy in mind, even if I only walk a few flights per day, that is added exercise. And although I always work out religiously, this small change is important because it forced me to look for ways to integrate exercise into my daily life. This might include parking further away from the entrance to a store, choosing to walk or bike instead of driving, or jumping on a pull up bar on a running path for some chin ups or hanging leg lifts.

When I started to make choices like this, I noticed enhanced awareness around all aspects of my health and fitness. Challenge yourself and take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator for one month and see what happens for you. This simple change can have a significant impact over time. Below are some further benefits:

1. It’s a free workout that you can integrate into your day easily. You don’t need a gym membership. Even if you only have a 20 minute break, what would happen if you climbed up the stairs in your office building nonstop during that time every day?

2. It all adds up. Even if you only climb one to two flights at a time it will all add up at the end of the day, week, month and year.

3. Climbing is good for your heart, lungs, and muscles.

4. It actually can save you time. Often when I see an escalator next to a set of stairs, I beat the people taking the escalator as I walk up the stairs. What about when you are traveling and you have heavy bags? Bonus time! I take it as a challenge and get even more of a workout when I choose the stairs. Give it a try!

5. Exercise is proven to reduce stress and release endorphins. Even if it is just a mini exercise, it helps and all adds up!

6. Weight loss will result from the extra calories burned. Depending on how many stairs you climb per day, you could shed anywhere from five to ten pounds in one year just from making this simple change.

7. Gain confidence by improving your health. It feels great to be healthy and this small step (pardon the pun) can make a significant impact on your health.

How To Make A Homemade Protein Shake

One of the best ways to get protein into your system is to make a homemade protein shake. The recipe below will produce 2 to 3 servings.

You can make this homemade protein shake anytime, however, I prefer to have one serving first thing in the morning and the second serving around 10:00am. I have added various other ingredients to this homemade protein shake, so that it will act as two complete meal replacements as well.

Here is my homemade protein shake recipe that will produce 2 to 3 servings:

• 1 cup of frozen spinach (yes, spinach, the taste is very subtle and it will give you your greens for the morning)
• 1 slice of ginger root to taste (peel the ginger first)
• 1 lemon (just the juice)
• 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup of walnuts or almonds (5 grams of protein)
• 1 small spoonful milled flax seed (2 grams of protein)
• 2 hard boiled eggs and 4 eggs whites from hard boiled eggs (22 grams of protein)
• 2 scoops of whey protein (I prefer chocolate for this shake) (50 grams of protein)
• 1 handful of ice
• 1 cup of skim milk (you may need a little more or less milk depending on how thick you like your drink) (8 grams of protein)
• 1 cup of old fashioned/unsweetened oatmeal (you can cook it first with water and then add it, or put it in dry) (10 grams of protein)

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender on the highest setting, pour, drink, and enjoy!

Approximate amount of total protein:  97 grams of protein

Amount per serving based on 2 servings: 48.5 grams of protein

Amount per serving based on 3 servings: 32.3 grams of protein

This homemade protein shake recipe makes 2 to 3 servings.

Be sure to consult with a professional about how much protein in-take is right for you.

Weird Tips to Lose Your Stomach Fat

How To Gain At Least 17 Pounds of Rock Hard Muscle & Slash Your Body Fat In Under 16 Weeks Without Over Priced Supplements & Spending Your
Entire Life In The Gym.

How To Make A Green Drink in 5 Minutes

This is my simple version of a green drink. I would encourage trying my green drink once per day in the morning for 5 days in a row and see how you feel! Remember, this is not a complete meal, so eat oatmeal (old fashioned/unsweetened) and a protein source to round out your breakfast.

Here is my simple green drink recipe that will produce 2 servings:

• 1 cup of frozen spinach
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
• 1 slice of ginger root to taste (peel the ginger first)
• 1 lemon (just the juice)
• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup of walnuts or almonds (optional)
• 1 small spoonful milled flax seed (optional)
• 1 stick of celery (optional)
• 1 handful of ice
• 1 cup of water (you may need a little more or less water depending on how thick you like your drink)

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender on the highest setting, pour, drink, and enjoy!

How To Make A Green Drink

Weird Tips to Lose Your Stomach Fat

How To Gain At Least 17 Pounds of Rock Hard Muscle & Slash Your Body Fat In Under 16 Weeks Without Over Priced Supplements & Spending Your
Entire Life In The Gym.

How To Get 6 Pack Abs is one of the most misunderstood topics being discussed on the internet! I have decided to compile some of the best information I have seen on getting 6 pack abs into this one article for you to learn from.

You might also want to check out: The Six Pack Abs Workout ebook guide

How To Get 6 Pack Abs: 5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat and Get Six Pack Abs

by Mike Geary

1. Many so-called “health foods” are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that can actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat… yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.

2. Ab exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are actually the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We’ll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.

3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I’ll tell you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.

4. You DON’T need to waste your money on expensive “extreme fat burner” pills or other bogus supplements. I’ll show you how to use the power of natural foods in more detail below.

5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks… they’re all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that “ab contraption”… they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you’ll learn some of their secrets and what really works below.

The Fitness Success ebook, The Truth About Abs

How To Get 6 Pack Abs: The Top Fat Loss Secrets for Flat Six-Pack Abs and a Lean Stomach

An interview by Geovanni Derice with Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently by a fitness professional from NYC, Certified Personal Trainer, Geovanni Derice. The interview is below and I think you’re going to like it… I reveal some of the hardest hitting strategies for getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat to uncover those flat six pack abs that everyone wants.

“GD: Welcome Mike to our 4-ever-Toned Fitness Journal. For those who do not know you, please tell us a few things about yourself and how you can help our readers with their fitness and health.

MG: Thanks for having me, Geo. Well, to go back a little, I have been heavily involved in fitness and sports for about 17 years now, ever since I was a teenager. Being involved in sports in high school got me interested in strength training and conditioning.

At that point, once I started feeling more energetic, getting stronger, and looking better, I was instantly hooked for life. I’m 33 now and still addicted to the way living a healthy and fit lifestyle makes me feel energetic, confident, strong, and youthful on a daily basis.

I decided earlier in my 20′s that I wanted to make the commitment to help other people experience the excitement of being fit and getting in the best shape of their lives, especially since we’ve reached an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, etc. That’s why I became a fitness professional. It just gives me so much satisfaction to help others, who have struggled for years to get in good shape, and show them that it can be done, and it can be fun in the process.

I’ve expanded over the years from just reaching local individuals with personal training, into being able to help people all over the globe achieve their fitness goals with the reach of the internet. I only hope that my passion for fitness inspires people to take action and improve how they look and feel for life.

GD: Now Mike, there’s so many things out there as to what works and what does not work… if you had to pick 3 things that work time and time again to get flat lean abs, what would they be?

MG: The first and most important thing to get control of in order to lose your belly fat and get flat abs is cleaning up your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is king when it comes to losing body fat so that you can see your abs.

There’s so much confusion these days about what a healthy diet that promotes fat loss really is… after all, we are bombarded by conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not, and you have all of these gimmicky diet books about low carb, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, atkins, south beach, liquid diets, and hundreds more. There’s so much conflicting info, that the average consumer doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to eating for fat loss.

The second thing that works time and time again, is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach fat.

In order to really get lean, the workouts should have a high intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves.

For the third thing, let’s talk about actually training the abs specifically. When it comes to training the abs, if you want real results, I always recommend forgetting about the crunches and situps for the most part. They are ok for someone that is really deconditioned, but most people that already have some training under their belt need a much better stimulus for their abs than crunches. Crunches are one of the abs exercises that actually provide the least amount of resistance, and remember that resistance is what develops and tones the muscles.

I provide a ton of great abs exercises in my book, but one of THE highest resistance exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but NOT the way you see most people at the gym doing them). The key to doing these and actually working the hell out of your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. Almost nobody ever does this right. To be honest, the majority of people cannot do this at first, but I provide some strategies in my book as to how to progress to doing these correctly.

GD: What are people doing wrong when it comes to developing the coveted “6 pack abs”?

MG: Well Geo, I know this sounds funny to most people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing wrong to get those flat 6-pack abs is… are you ready for this?

They spend entirely too much time focusing on training their abs! WAY too much time spent on abs exercises. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Remember, having a flat and visible six pack of abs is all about getting down to a low body fat percentage. In order to do that, your workouts must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal environment in your body, and increasing your metabolic rate. That just does not happen when you focus too much time training a small muscle group like the abs.

Instead, you must use the majority of your time focusing on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That’s what stimulates your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will get you truly lean and sporting a flat sixxer!

GD: Which exercises are the top exercises that people need to do if they are to get maximum defintion with their midsection?

MG: When it comes to developing the abs themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging abs exercises, as well as some good floor abs exercises like lying leg thrusts (all described and illustrated in my book).

However, maximum definition in the abs and midsection comes from losing bodyfat, and the most effective exercises featured in my program for that goal are various forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or kettlebell exercises that almost nobody ever does in normal gyms), squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises and calisthenics. If you want great looking flat abs, focus on those instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!

GD: When it comes to diet Mike, people really have tried millions of ways to get one thing… and that is fat loss. What recommendations have you used to successfully help your clients lose body fat and keep it off?

MG: I have included a fully comprehensive discussion of this topic in my book, which accounts for almost half of the book, but I’ll try to make some nice simple generalizations to get people started on the right path immediately. The most important thing is that your diet is as natural and unprocessed as possible. It almost always comes back to the overprocessing of food that makes it unhealthy, and makes it totally wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body.

For example, why eat refined grains, when you can eat whole grains (even better are sprouted grains, as I usually recommend limiting grain foods overall for best results).

Why eat refined sugar, when you can get natural sources of sugar from a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why eat highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the modern diet), when you can eat natural sources of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, coconut milk, organically raised meat, and so forth.

The point is to not fall for some gimmick like extremely low carbs (although I do believe in a fairly reduced carb intake as that is a big problem for most people), low fat, super high protein, or any other combination that has you focusing on one macronutrient vs. another.

Your body needs all macronutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Trying to cut an entire food group out just works against what your body needs. I get into much more detail on this vitally important topic towards losing body fat (especially that stubborn stomach fat) for life in my book.

GD: Thank you very much Mike for sharing with us all of this great information.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this interview and plucked several nuggets of info to get you motivated and started on showing off your flat abs shortly. If you don’t already own a copy, be sure to pick up a copy of my Truth about Six Pack Abs book and discover the entire system I’ve developed for ridding yourself of that extra ab fat for good!

Free Fat Loss Tips Presentation

How To Get 6 Pack Abs: The Shocking Truth about Dietary Fats and Saturated Fats

You’ve been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let’s look at some facts below…

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health “experts”, and the mass media.

To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally.

On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.

In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.

I cringe every time I hear so called “health experts” recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.

All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, and one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.

For example, if these so called “health experts” that admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?

Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?

Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases?

What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake.

Well, the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc. These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with.

Take note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily caloric range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals).

Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat.

Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.

Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils.

Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.

Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content.

Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.

Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.

High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.

Nuts (any and all – walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content.

However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid.

NEVER cook with flax oil!

The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed.

The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I’ve found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it’s very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food.

These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else.

Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say “virgin” or “cold expeller pressed”). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.

Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn’t even pass as real food in my opinion!
Homogenized milk fat – Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body.

Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

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