Pizza as diet food

About a month ago friend and fat loss nutrition guru Joel Marion released a program called “Cheat Your Way Thin.” It is a system that scientifically teaches you how to use your favorite foods such as pizza, ice cream, pancakes, burgers and the likes to accelerate fat loss. His program works by overriding your body’s starvation protection mechanisms. So when done strategically you can actually lose fast FASTER by CHEATING.

As crazy a claim that may sound, let me assure you, it’s not!

Joel has done his homework. After 6 years and 308 research papers on the regulation of human body weight and metabolism plus years of working with “real life” clients Joel has developed the complete Cheat Your Way Thin system.

Now, when Joel first released the full 7-component package (including manuals, audios, video, workbooks, and checklists) last month, he also ran a special 3-day promotion in which people were able to get the entire package at less than half price.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to thoroughly review the product until just a couple weeks ago, now that I have had the chance to I can say that he has put together a great package.

BUT, check this out:

I just spoke to Joel and he’s agreed to open up that same less than half price 3-day sale again for my readers since we missed it the first time around!

Pretty sweet, huh?

if you want to learn that full system that Joel's clients use to literally eat whatever they want while stripping away fat faster than most "dieters" ever could, you CAN--but don’t pay full price.

In fact, don’t even pay HALF price.

As my subscriber, for the next three days you have the opportunity to grab hold of this ground-breaking fat loss information at LESS THAN HALF PRICE.

Just use the below special link to access the “hidden” page on Joel’s site:

back door to Joels site

Again, do NOT go to CheatYourWayThin.com and pay DOUBLE like everyone else is doing right now. Instead, use this special link:

back door entrance

[[firstname]], if you've ever hit a diet plateau, if you've ever struggled to see the number on the scale change, or if you've ever felt guilty after eating something you "shouldn't have" while dieting, then you owe it to yourself to check out this powerful, game-changing information.

Frankly, I’m excited to share Joel's program with you because I know it’s going to help so many people finally "click" with dieting and fat loss.

Here’s to your upcoming success!


Jason, CSCS

P.S. Get ready to see some powerful testimonials and before and after pictures when you visit the site. Not only is this program scientifically based, but it’s been proven to work in the REAL world with real people time and time again.

Eat Pizza and Lose Weight Diet

P.P.S. One last thing: Attached to the "Add to Cart" Button on the site is a little icon that I want to specifically point out to you--it's a 60 Day, Money-back Guarantee. This way, you KNOW when you click “Add to Cart”, you're protected.

Essentially, you can try Joel’s entire system for a full 60 days completely risk-free. With that kind of guarantee, the only thing you’ve got to lose is your stubborn body fat!

Atlanta Personal Training - Contact me here

Fast Food Fat Loss Failure

There is no question that we live in a busy time and that means we can not always eat what we should. Even a personal trainer in Atlanta, GA I have made a few stops at fast food places to grab a bite to eat.

Think it was sometime in the the nineties that Fast Food companies tried to change their menus. Low fat diets were popular so fast food places tried coming out with lighter and lower fat versions of their sandwiches, tacos and everything else.

That did not go over all that well. You may have seen the "healthier" menus disappear. They were all pulled and replaced by newer options that were bigger, fattier and contained more calories then even before.

This could have been when Triple Burgers and Mega Burgers and tacos wrapped in melted cheese stuck to yet another taco started to take up the majority of the menu boards.

You can still get a grilled chicken sandwich and salads but the dressing and pop that goes with it can easily make your quick snack a 1000 calorie fit body disaster.

There are better choices to be made. And if you plan your day you won't be in a position where you have to gobble a meal down at KFC, McDonald's or Burger King.

Things like:

Low fat cottage cheese

Hard boiled eggs

Fresh fruit and veggies

Raw almonds

Protein bars

Look, the bottom line is simple: A little bit of planning and some smart food choices go a long way to getting that flat stomach you're looking for.

Weight Loss in Atlanta

Recovery Shake March Madness Sale

As an Atlanta personal trainer and fitness coach I feel there are two things you want to know about the Prograade Nutrition sale

1.the better you recover from your workouts the more fat you're going to burn. That's why I recommend Prograde Nutrition's advanced recovery shake, Prograde Workout.

2.to celebrate College Basketball March Madness they are having a sale on this awesome product! Which is great news for you because this delicious shake will help you accelerate your lean tissue growth and fat burning.

A few details about the recovery shake special:

*get 10% off all purchases of Prograde Workout because it is College Basketball March Madness. What better way to celebrate than a sale?

*You can only get the sale with a coupon code. To save the 10% type in the following code at the checkout: NCAA2009 it is UPPER case sensitive so make sure you type just as you see it

*The offer cannot be combined with others from Prograde Nutrition and it ends this Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm EST.

*Prograde Workout is NOT available in stores anywhere. You can only find them online here: Prograde Workout

Look, I'm not kidding about how much Prograde Workout will improve your exercise performance. It tastes great and it's ready to drink in less than 60 seconds.

Yours in health,

Jason, Atlanta Personal Trainer and Strength Coach

PS - Remember, it's 10% off all Prograde Workout purchases this week only. The sale ends this Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm EST.


PPS - Prograde Workout is NOT available in stores anywhere. You can only find them online here: Prograde Workout

Protein Supplement Review Report Card

Beyond The Basics

In This Bodybuilding Supplementation Article:
By The Muscle Nerd, Jeff Anderson

Find out if your protein supplement is:

• primed to build you more muscle
• or is it more likely to play you like a chump

Find out if your protein supplement:

• get's an "A+" on the Muscle Nerd Report Card of supplements
• or if it needs a tutor to make the grade

Find out:

• the EXACT time of day it is best to take your protein supplements to gain more mass

We all know that to build muscle, you need protein, right?

And unless you're stuffing gifted enough to stuff down 10 cans of tuna a day, chances are you've figured out that supplementing with protein shakes is an easy way to get in some great quality protein to build muscle.

But WHICH protein should you be taking?

With so many options, it's hard for the "Average Joe" to see through all the marketing smoke and mirrors and determine the best choice that will fit into their diet and meet their mass-building goals.

Well, look no further...class is in session and the "Muscle Nerd" has the podium!

Contact me here

The "Great" Nutrition Debates part 2

Contact me for private training In the Atlanta Area

The Top 6 Displacing Debates

Part 2

Article By:Dr John M Berardi, CSCS
This is part 2, for the rest of the article visit Part 1

4. Tap Water vs. Bottled Water

Speaking of beverage consumption, people are dehydrated because they drink too little water while drinking too many caffeinated, diuretic drinks (coffee, soda, and alcohol). Dehydration leads to all sorts of health problems for the inactive, not to mention the decrements in athletic performance seen in dehydrated athletes.

But rather than simply promoting the heck out of water consumption, experts will bicker on and on about tap water vs. bottled water. Sure, good quality bottled water is usually a better choice, but don’t be one of these people who stay away from tap water, forget to pick up their bottled water, and simply remain dehydrated.

What to do? Drink sufficient water first; worry about the source later. (Of course, you may want to avoid drinking out of puddles next to pig farms in Uganda.) Put a water filter on your tap or buy one of those filter jugs you store in your fridge and be done with it.

5. Glass vs. Plastic
And how about the bottles the water comes in? That’s right, the glass vs. plastic debate. Just the other day, I was recommending that a group of my athletes pick up some Tupperware so they could whip up all of their meals and shakes in the morning. It’s easy to make a good food choice during the day when you’ve got all your good food with you, pre-cooked, pre-wrapped, and ready to be eaten.

After the talk, one of the athletes came up to me and told me he avoids Tupperware altogether because of the potential leeching of xenoestrogens into his food. When I asked what he uses to store his food in, he told me he doesn’t even preplan his meals. He also told me he needed to lose fifteen pounds and that he was overweight because his nutrition sucked!

Buddy, I agree that glass containers may be marginally better than plastic, but for the love of God, pick up some plastic if it'll help you plan your meals! And this was a world-class athlete! You can imagine how the average guy fares!

What to do? Plan your meals in advance, storing them in woven baskets if necessary. Buy the best containers you can afford. If you can get the glass versions, great; if not, the generic plastic ones will do just fine.

6 . Free Range vs. Extremely Limited Range Meat
Most weightlifters eat lots of protein and that’s no mistake. One of the best ways to get all that protein is by eating a lot of protein and micronutrient-rich lean meat. Protein supplements are okay to supplement your diet, but real food should be your nutritional mainstay and there’s nothing better than good ol’ fashioned lean meat.

Since eating more protein can increase metabolic rate, improve your weight loss profile, increase protein turnover, accelerate exercise adaptation, and (when replacing dietary carbohydrate) decrease the chance of cardiovascular disease, it should be clear that most people would do well to increase their consumption of lean meat.

So imagine the dismay someone might experience when hearing that the experts are now bickering about the type of meat we consume. Many experts muddy the waters when discussing free range vs. grain fed meat, telling people that grain fed meat (the only kind you can find in many grocery stores in North America) is full of toxins, bad fats, and hormones.

Sure, free-range meat is probably a better choice, although there’s little proof the supposed toxins and hormones actually get passed on to us. But again, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of eating habits that are less than optimal and you’re exposed to all this bickering about lean protein. What do you do? Well, when you’re afraid of the meat you have access to, you shy away from all types of lean meat and reach for another bagel. Bad choice!

What to do? Find the best meat you can by going around to various grocery shops and butchers. Owners of health food stores may also be able to help you locate the best stuff. But don’t be afraid to eat the meat you find in your grocery store — the reports of your impending death are greatly exaggerated.

These are just a few of the displacing debates gaining momentum in the nutrition world. Do your best to get past the marginalia, to get past the differences between all the new programs, and try to discover for yourself the basic principles all the successful programs seem to be built upon. Most importantly, when faced with a choice between two good options, one of which may be marginally better than the other, but both of which would be an improvement over what you're currently doing, just pick one and go with it. You can optimize later, as long as you make an improvement now.

There's no debating that.

SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

And what's more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.

Atlanta area personal and group training.
Weight Loss and Performance Training In the Atlanta area?

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jason@inthegym.info

The "Great" Nutrition Debates Part 1

Contact me for private training In the Atlanta Area

Article By:Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

While displacement foods (unhealthy foods that fill us up, knocking healthy foods out of our diets) are probably at the root of many of our health and body composition crises, what I call "displacement debates" have also become a real problem in today’s information age.

For example, the average North American barely knows what a carbohydrate, protein, or fat is, yet when they hear well-respected experts at the ADA recommend high carb diets and the highly (though not universally) respected Atkins group recommend low carb diets, they get so confused and frustrated they ultimately do little or nothing proactive to improve their health.

This argument is an example of a displacing debate: an academic argument that pushes the more important problems out of the public discourse. For the average North American, following either the ADA recommendations or the Atkins recommendations would go a long way toward improving their health. But instead of suggesting that people just do something, these groups continue to bicker about who’s right at the expense of an ever-growing obesity rate.

Below I’ve presented six of the interesting displacing debates I’ve heard argued lately. Hopefully by discussing them I can put to rest the idea that these issues are of critical importance to your overall health and body composition. I’d like you to understand that these represent small, fine tuning details which are only relevant to a small percentage of the population, if that. On the whole, these debates do more to confuse and paralyze people than to encourage them to take their health into their own hands.

The Top 6 Displacing Debates

1. Fruit is Bad Now?
We all know fruit provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, and low glycemic index carbohydrates, so it should be no surprise that many experts recommend eating a few servings of fruit each day. Heck, this notion has even been turned into a clichéd rhyme:

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

Yet some experts out there actually suggest that fruit might be bad for us! That’s utter nonsense. So, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of eating habits that are less than optimal (for some of you, it might not be so hard to do) and you’re exposed to this debate. What do you do? Well, nine times out of ten, you figure that if there’s a chance fruit is bad for you, you might as well stay away from it — probably better to reach for a Big Mac instead. After all, it does taste better.

What to do? Eat the damn fruit – but, as with everything else, don’t overeat!

2. Raw? Organic?
Speaking again of fruits (and vegetables), it’s recommended that the average person consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a bare minimum. I recommend 10-15 servings per day. Yet most North Americans (athletes included) consume far less than the standard recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables.

However, rather than simply recommend more fruit and veggies (no matter how you can get them, for any fruits and vegetables are better than none), experts spend their time fighting about canned fruits and veggies vs. raw fruits and veggies. And then they fight about raw fruits and veggies vs. organic fruits and veggies! Sure, I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they probably have a higher micronutrient count, but let’s face the facts: any fruits and veggies are better than none!

So again, imagine you’re someone with a lifetime of bad eating habits and you’re exposed to all this bickering. What do you do? Well, you'll probably avoid the fruits and veggies, wait for the experts to finish dueling it out, and reach for a Snickers bar instead.

What to do? Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they’re organic or not. Once you’ve done that, worry on.

3. Raw Milk vs. Regular Milk
What about milk? In my opinion, it’s not necessary, doesn’t always "do the body good," and should be minimized in the diet (although I see no need for total elimination unless you’re lactose intolerant).

However, if we could simply get more people to drink milk instead of sugary soda, we’d have less obesity and disease. But instead of focusing on healthy behaviors, experts will bicker on and on about regular milk vs. raw milk. Of course, all this does is serve to draw negative attention to milk and away from the other healthy decisions people could be making.

Sure, if it were possible to get raw milk that was guaranteed aseptic, it would be better than processed, pasteurized milk. But faced with the confusion, what do you, the hypothetical sub-optimal eater, do? Well, nine times out of ten, you avoid both kinds of milk and drink another Coca-Cola instead.

What to do? Limit milk, and drink calorie-free beverages like water and green tea instead.

Part 2 to come...

SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

And what's more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.

Atlanta area personal and group training.
Weight Loss and Performance Training In the Atlanta area?

Contact me here
jason@inthegym.info

What You Should Know About Tea

by Ryan Andrews

Nowadays, pretty much everyone has accepted that tea (especially the green kind) confers some tremendous health benefits.

Indeed, as recent as two years ago, you could hardly find green tea in most grocery stories, convenience stores, or restaurants.

Now, the stuff is ubiquitous. Anywhere you turn, if you want a green tea, you can find it. You can even find it in some fast food restaurants.

So in this newsletter, we'd like to talk about tea - what it is, why it's good for you, and what benefits it offers.

What is tea?

Tea is a beverage made by steeping leaves, twigs, or buds of Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, in hot water for 1 to 5 minutes.

The fermentation of a tea determines its color. White tea is the least fermented form. Black tea is the most fermented form.

Interestingly, when the tea is fully dried, fermentation stops, and that's how tea leaves retain their color (white, green, black) once dried.

So how does a tea leaf go from its natural state to your tea cup? Well, the leaves undergo fermentation, and are then heated and dried. During this process, flavor enhancers such as herbs, spices, fruits and flowers can also be added.

Note: when the label describes the tea as “herbal tea,” it’s referring to a beverage that contains only fruits and/or herbs with no actual tea leaves. So don't get duped. Most "herbal teas" contain no actual tea.

Tea contains no calories and is a rich source of phytochemicals as well as a specific group of chemicals called methylxanthines (e.g., theophylline, caffeine, etc - although the methylxanthine content is much lower than in coffee and other caffeinated beverages).

How tea works in the body
Tea offers a host of health benefits, which will be outlined shortly. Many of the beneficial effects of tea are due to the flavonoids it contains.

Flavonoids belong to a grouping of chemicals that have strong antioxidant properties and can reduce free radical damage (free radicals produce what we call "oxidative stress" and can contribute to chronic disease).

When thinking flavonoids, think of catechins, specifically EGCG. The catechins are one type of powerful flavoniods that occur naturally in tea. And many believe it's these flavonoids that contribute most of the benefits associated with tea.

In addition to the flavonoids, as mentioned above, tea contains methylxanthines (caffeine is a methylxanthine). The caffeine content in tea is lower than that of coffee and does not have an abrupt effect. Prospective jitters and withdrawal symptoms are unlikely.

How Milk May Ruin Tea
Interestingly, milk has long been added to tea to neutralize tannins (which are the most bitter components of tea) and reduce their acidity - leading to a smoother taste.

However, research has indicated that casein in milk will negate many of the beneficial components of tea. So don't ruin your tea by adding milk. Order it straight up. And if you don't like the flavor, mix your regular tea with a mint or herbal tea.

JB's favorite is a mixture of loose green tea leaves and a bag of mint or pear flavored green tea.

Loose Tea vs. Bags
Tea is commonly packaged in “tea bags” for convenience. Among tea experts, this tea is known as “dust,” due to its poor quality.

The tea in bags is considered a waste product left over from sorting the higher quality loose leaf teas. Furthermore, tea in bags may be prone to oxidation and not steep as well due to the restricted form of the bag.

Now, if you enjoy tea that comes in bags – don’t stress – it can still offer similar benefits. However, we encourage you to try loose tea (or some combination of loose and bagged) to see how you like it.

If you're new to loose tea, check out these infusers below or even a tea press. They'll help you avoid picking leaves out of your teeth!

Tea Infuser A

Tea Infuser B

Tea Infuser C

Tea Press

The shelf life of tea varies based on the degree of processing. Black tea has a longer shelf life than green tea. The shelf life of herbal tea is usually the shortest.

To prevent oxidation, tea should be stored in an air-tight container and placed in a dry, cool and dark location.

Tea Temperature

Recommended water temperatures for steeping tea are as follows:

White tea: 140-165 degrees
Green tea: 170-180 degrees
Oolong tea: 190-205 degrees
Black tea: Above 200 degrees

Don’t get stressed if you don’t feel like breaking out the thermometer every morning. Bring water just short of boiling. That will usually do the trick.

Note: The more fermented teas require higher water temperatures. When water temperatures are too low, the leaves can be devoid of oxygen and the taste can be bland and flat.

Supplements and Extracts

While we're not against using green tea supplements, we want to make sure you don't go getting too happy with green tea extract consumption.
Case reports have been published indicating that a very high consumption of these extracts can induce liver damage. This has yet to be validated in well-controlled studies but it's worth thinking about.

Here's some additional info on this:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/me...ead.php?t=6771

The Benefits of Regular Tea Consumption

Now, let’s outline some of the benefits attributed to regular tea consumption.

Note: These benefits were outlined at the 2007 "Tea and Health" symposium, a conference in which tea researchers world-wide got together and provided some definitive answers on what tea does and what it doesn't do - at least, according to what we know today.

We'll list these benefits by category...

Tea and body composition

• Green tea increased 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation
• 3-months of tea consumption decreased waist circumference by 4.5%

Tea and cardiovascular health

• Tea increased lipid oxidation
• Tea improved blood vessel function
• Those who consumed 3 or more cups of black tea per day had a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• Drinking 6 or more cups of black tea per day was associated with decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides
• Those who drank a cup or more of black tea daily had a 44% reduction in the risk of heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers
• Those who consumed tea during the year prior to a heart attack were up to 44% more likely to survive following the cardiac event
• Japanese men and women who consumed just over 2 cups of green tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22 - 33%
• 5 cups of black tea per day reduced LDL cholesterol by 11% and total cholesterol by 6.5% compared to placebo beverages
• Those who consumed 4 cups of tea per day had a 69% lower risk of atherosclerosis
• Tea restored blood vessel function in those with coronary artery disease
• Tea helped to prevent atherosclerosis
• Tea enhanced dilation of blood vessels
• Regular tea drinkers had a 65% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure

Tea and cancer

• Tea inhibited oxidative damage
• Tea decreased the growth of abnormal cells and inhibited uncontrolled cell growth
• Drinking tea combated free radical damage
• Tea boosted the immune system
• Tea helped prevent prostate cancer
• Those who drank tea had a reduced risk of skin cancer
• Tea assisted in the regression of oral cancer
• Tea drinkers had decreased ovarian cancer risk

Tea and immune function

• Tea boosted natural resistance to microbial infection

Tea and oral health

• Tea inhibited the plaque forming ability of oral bacteria

Tea and bone health

• Although caffeine intake has been suggested to be a risk factor for reduced bone mineral density, research indicated that drinking tea does not negatively affect bone mineral density
• Older women who drank tea had a higher bone mineral density than those who did not drink tea

Tea and kidney stones

• Those who drank tea had a lower risk of developing kidney stones

Tea and neurological decline

• Drinking tea resulted in a reduced risk of Parkinsons disease

Tea and spouse selection

• Those who drank 5 cups of green tea each day had a more attractive spouse (are you still paying attention to my article? This one has yet to be confirmed by research - but you never know).

Tea Recipes

When talking to folks who don't consume enough tea, their excuse is usually that they don't like the taste. However, this excuse is fairly lame.

Just like with other healthy meals and drinks, you've gotta be a little creative. To this end, here are a few recipes that can make including tea in your diet a delicious proposition:

Mint Chocolate Shake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with mint
1 cup ice
2 scoops chocolate whey protein
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp flaxseed oil or vanilla flavored fish oil
1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Instructions:

Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.

Pour tea in the blender and add 1 cup of ice.

Add to the blender, protein, yogurt, oil, and chocolate.

Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Nutrition Information:

Makes 1 large 593kcal shake (22fat, 36carb, 61 protein) or 2 small 296kcal shakes (11fat, 18carb, 30 protein).

Blueberry Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strongly brewed green tea with berry flavor
1 cup of water
1/2 cup Old fashioned large flake oats
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp pure honey
1/4 cup low fat milk or soy milk
1 scoop vanilla protein
1/4 cup frozen berries

Instructions:

Prepare green tea by steeping for 5 minutes or using tea press/infuser. Allow to cool.

Pour tea and 1 cup water into a pot.

Bring pot to a boil on high heat and add the oats.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed (approx 7-10 mins).

Remove from heat and stir in flax and honey.

Combine milk and protein in a blender and pour over oatmeal.

Add frozen berries.

Nutrition Information:

Makes 1 large 472kcal serving (10fat, 60carb, 35 protein) or 2 small 236kcal servings (5fat, 30carb, 15 protein).

------------------------------------------------------
Note: for 120 delicious, physique-friendly recipes like these, pick up a copy of our new Gourmet Nutrition - The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover.
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Also note that if you purchase a copy of our highly acclaimed Gourmet Nutrition cookbook anytime between

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Now you can eat delicious food yourself while helping feed

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------------------------------------------------------

Final thoughts
Most benefits are seen with around 3 – 4 cups of green or black tea per day. So make sure you start there there.

In the research, regularly steeped tea was used in most trials. To this end, be careful with pre-bottled teas as they may have excessive amounts of added sweeteners and degraded beneficial compounds. Therefore they may not offer the same benefits as regularly stepped tea.

For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, Gourmet Nutrition, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

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Great fat loss and nutrition recipe

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

Pan-Seared Salmon with a Citrus Mint Sauce

There are limitless possibilities for cooking and flavoring salmon. Here is an out of the ordinary twist that combines citrus and mint to compliment that ever-gratifying crispiness of seared salmon. For this recipe, prepare the sauce first so that you can serve the salmon when it's hot and crisp. And don't forget to add a nice helping of veggies to this dish. Try some grilled asparagus for an extra special treat. Now on with the show . . .

Part 1: Citrus-Mint Sauce

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice squeezed from ½ fresh pink grapefruit

½ pink grapefruit, cut into sections for serving
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of Splenda (equivalent to 1 tsp sugar)

Make sure to remove all of the membrane from the grapefruit sections. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, shallot, and Splenda in a medium bowl. Mix well, and then gradually stir-in the olive oil, mint, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while cooking the fish.

Part 2: Pan-Seared Salmon

Two 8-ounce salmon fillets, without skin
1 tbsp Smart Balance butter spread or coconut oil
Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel, and then season both sides of each fillet with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

Heat the butter or oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add fillets to the skillet and cook until edges are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets. Gently flip the fillets with a spatula and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is firm yet tender and moist, and the flesh has become opaque with a slight translucence.

Before serving, whisk the citrus mint sauce to recombine, and drizzle it over the fish fillets. Serve immediately garnished with grapefruit sections.

Serves two.

Nutritional information

	Per Serving
Total Calories	529	k/cal
Protein	46	g
Total Carbohydrates	12	g
Fiber	0.13	g
Sugars	8	g
Total Fat	33	g
Saturated	5.3	g
Monounsaturated	16	g
Polyunsaturated	9	g
Omega-3	4.2	g
Omega-6	3.2	g

Tip: When is salmon cooked just right?

Cooking your salmon until it's 'flaky', as commonly suggested, can result in overcooking. Here's how to cook it just right: use a paring knife to peek inside the middle of the fillet. If the flesh is translucent, it is undercooked. If it is opaque and slightly flaky but still juicy, it is ready to serve. It is overcooked when the flesh falls apart and looks dry.

Food Fact: Are all omega-3's created equal?

Plants provide a form of omega-3's called alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Flax seeds are one of the best sources of ALA. But it's becoming clear that some of the best health benefits come from docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in fatty marine fish, like salmon and mackerel. DHA is particularly beneficial, and contributes to better body composition, brain health, stress relief, and has even shown potential in preventing dementia. Granted, some ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is low, particularly in men.

What's the lesson? Go ahead and eat your flax, but don't skip the fish!

Want more great tasting recipes designed to get you real results?

If you want to build the body you never thought you could have, start eating the meals you never thought you could eat! Get over 100 recipes and a no-nonsense nutrition plan that will show you how to make it work in the new ebook written by Dr. Berardi and Dr. Williams, Gourmet Nutrition.

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Weekly Health and Nutrition Tips

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Nutrition Tips of the Past Weeks

Fiber Facts Shoot for about 40-50g of mixed fiber per day, but no more. The absolute lower limit is 20g per day. Your main fiber sources should be (in order of importance): vegetables, beans, nuts, fruit, and grains (like oatmeal). If you eat 1 oz of mixed nuts, 1 apple, 2 cups of kidney beans, and 2 cups of mixed vegetables each day, you'll be getting 41g of fiber. Also, a small amount of supplemental fiber is okay. You can get soluble fiber from psyllium, guar gum, and apple pectin, and insoluble fiber from flax seeds.

Eat Fat, Lose Fat To lose fat, sometimes you have to eat fat. Monounsaturated fats and certain polyunsaturates actually speed up the metabolic rate. Lipid researchers believe that the best of the fat burning bunch are the highly unsaturated omega 3s called EPA and DHA. A diet supplemented with omega 3-rich fish oil promotes losses of body fat with simultaneous gains in lean mass.

The Organic Debate
The average person should consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a minimum. Athletes probably need even more - I recommend 10-15 servings per day for each of my athletes. Expert often spend too much time arguing about organic vs. regular fruits and veggies. I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they have a higher micronutrient count, but any fruits and veggies are better than none! Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they're organic or not. Once you've done that, worry on.

The 10% Factor

If some people eat one food not on their plan, their failure to be perfect sets in motion a psychological chain of events that leads to frustration and the inability to get right back on the plan. The all-or-nothing mentality sets in and BAM, they're back to nothing. But it doesn't have to be this way. 100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible. So allow yourself the extra 10% wiggle room. This will allow you the freedom to eat a few extra things not on your menu without the guilt and subsequent crash.

Revving Up Metabolism

I recommend more calories than most do. That's because there's no such thing as a stagnant metabolic set-point. Instead, metabolism chases intake. So, if you want a bigger metabolism, you need a bigger food intake. And if you're worried about fat gain with this approach, just use outcome-based decision making and adjust energy (calorie) intake every two weeks based on your results. Not much 'damage' can take place in only two weeks. So if you end up boosting your metabolism, you'll be thanking me eternally, if it turns out you're consuming too much, you can just adjust down.

The Sunday Ritual

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

Eat Pasta... Carefully

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

Fish Oil Rules

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

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