Abs Diet

Definition

The Abs diet is a six-week plan that combines nutrition and exercise. It emphasizes 12 power foods that are the staples of the diet. It focuses on building muscle through strength training, aerobic exercises, and a dietary balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. An updated version of the diet (the New Abs Diet) was released in 2010, and there is also a version targeted for women.

Origins

David Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health, developed the diet in 2004. He introduced it in the magazine and in his book The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life. Zinczenko says he grew up as an overweight child and by age 14 was 5 ft. 10 in. (1.8 m) tall and weighed 212 lb. (96 kg). He learned about fitness while in the U.S. Naval Reserve and nutrition from his tenure at Men's Health.
Despite its name, the diet does not specifically target abdominal fat. Exercise helps the body burn excess fat but it is not possible to target specific areas of fat, such as the abdomen. Diet and exercise help eliminate excess fat from all areas. If the bulk of a person's fat is around the belly, then that is where the greatest amount of fat-burning will occur. The Abs diet is designed to provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber for good health, while it promotes building muscle that helps increase the body's fat burning process.

The Abs diet claims it will allow people to lose weight—primarily fat—while developing a leaner abdomen and increasing muscle tone, strength, general health, and sexual health. The diet has two components: exercise and nutrition. There are six general guidelines that are the basic principles of the diet. These are:

• eat six meals a day
• drink smoothies regularly
• know what to drink and what not to drink
• do not count calories
• eat anything for one meal a week
• focus on the Abs diet 12 power foods
The diet strongly recommends its followers eat six meals a day to help maintain what researchers call an energy balance. This is the number of calories burned in an hour versus the number of calories taken in. Georgia State University researchers found that when the hourly surplus or deficit of calories is 300–500 at any given time, the body is most susceptible to burning fat and building lean muscle mass. To stay within this range, Zinczenko recommends the following daily meal schedule: breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack.
Another guideline is to drink smoothies regularly in place of a meal or snack. Smoothies are mixtures of low-fat milk and yogurt prepared in a blender with ingredients such as ice, protein powder, fruits, and peanut butter. Although there are no definitive studies, some researchers suggest that the calcium in the milk and yogurt helps to burn body fat and restricts the amount of fat produced by the body.
A third guideline details what to drink and not to drink. Drinking eight glasses of water daily is recommended. The benefits of 64 ounces of water are that it helps to alleviate hunger pangs, flushes waste products from the body, and delivers nutrients to muscles. Other acceptable drinks are low-fat milk, green tea, and no more than two glasses of diet soda a day. Alcohol is not recommended since it does not help to make a person feel full. It also decreases by one-third the body's ability to burn fat and makes the body store more of the fat from food. In addition, it decreases the production of testosterone and human growth hormone that help burn fat and increase muscle mass.
Although burning calories is required to lose fat, Zinczenko says calorie counting makes people lose focus and motivation. The foods allowed on the diet are energy-efficient and help curb feelings of hunger, according to Zinczenko.
People following the diet are allowed to cheat for one meal a week. The meal should include foods that the dieter misses most, including items high in carbohydrates and fats. This helps prevent feelings of burn-out or frustration that are often experienced when dieting, at least in the early stages.
The last guideline is to focus on the 12 power foods of the diet to help meet core nutritional requirements. The 12 power foods are:

Function

• The primary purpose of the Abs diet is to help people, especially men, develop a lean, flat, and hard stomach—referred to in fitness circles as a “six-pack”—and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. The diet is designed to promote a longer and healthier life by helping prevent cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases. These diseases are more prevalent in overweight and obese people compared to people who maintain a normal or below normal weight. The diet is also designed to promote a healthier sex life in men since some of the causes of erectile dysfunction are obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Benefits

• Excessive fat, especially around the belly, is a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure, high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and other diseases. By reducing or eliminating excess body fat, people can live healthier and longer lives. The health benefits increase when regular exercise is added. People on the Abs diet can expect to lose up to 12 lb. (5.4 kg) in the first two weeks followed by 5–8 lb. (2.3–3.6 kg) in the next two weeks, according to Juliette Kellow, a registered dietitian who reviews diets for Weight Loss Resources (http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk).
  Most diets include cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise as part of a weight loss routine. Studies have shown that people who engage in aerobic exercise burn more calories than people who do strength training or weightlifting. However, additional research indicates that the fat-burning metabolic effects of aerobic exercise last 30–60 minutes, while the metabolic effects of strength training last up to 48 hours. Also, the Abs diet promotes increased muscle mass, which increases metabolism so that the body burns up to 50 calories per day for every pound of muscle. Adding 10 lb. (4.5 kg) of muscle can burn up to 500 extra calories each day.

Precautions

• Overall, the Abs diet is healthy and poses no known dangers. Some of the items listed in the 12 power foods can contain high amounts of sodium, such as canned and frozen vegetables, instant oatmeal, and peanut butter. People who want to limit salt intake or who have high blood pressure may want to avoid these foods. Since exercise is a main component of the diet, people with arthritis or back, knee, or other joint problems should discuss the diet with their physicians before starting exercise. People who are allergic to peanuts or nuts should avoid foods containing these products.
  The diet does not address whether it is suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Menus in the book do not have meatless options.  
•  However, 8 of the 12 power foods do not contain meat or animal products. All of the protein required in the diet can be obtained by adding more beans and legumes and by replacing meat with soy protein sources, such as tofu or meat substitutes that are high in protein.

Risks

• Since the diet includes a rigorous and regular exercise program, people with heart disease or other health problems should consult their physicians before going on the diet. Men with erectile dysfunction should discuss their condition with their physicians, urologists, or endocrinologists. Also, one of the 12 power foods is nuts, so people with peanut or other nut allergies should eliminate or modify the nut component of the diet.

Research and general acceptance

• There is no specific research that proves the Abs diet delivers on what it promises: fat loss, muscle gain, increased sex drive, and six-pack abs. It is also unclear whether the diet will help people maintain a healthy weight once the initial weight is lost. The book contains many anecdotal stories of success, but there are no scientific studies that document the claims.
  Zinczenko, along with fellow author Matt Goulding, also published a popular book called Eat This, Not That! There are a variety of titles in this series, which educate readers on making healthy food choices in restaurants, the supermarket, and at home.

Resources

• Zinczenko, David. The New Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2011.
  Zinczenko, David, and Ted Spiker. The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2005.
  ———. The Abs Diet Get Fit Stay Fit Plan: The Exercise Program to Flatten Your Belly, Reshape Your Body, and Give You Abs for Life! Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2005.
  ———. The Abs Diet 6-Minute Meals for 6-Pack Abs: More Than 150 Great-Tasting Recipes to Melt Away Fat! Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2006.
  ———. The New Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2010.
  Aceto, Chris. “Build Muscle, Stay Lean! Open Up Our Nutritional Toolbox and Head to the Job Site: Your Kitchen Table. This State-of-the-Art Diet Plan Will Help You Add Muscle Without Gaining Fat.” Muscle & Fitness (November 2006): 110–14.
  ———. “Protein & Carbs: Carbohydrates and Protein Have Been Misunderstood For Years. Here Are the Top 10 Myths That Plague Your Diet—And Your Physique.” Muscle & Fitness (September 2005): 100–104.
  Donnelly, Allan. “Critical Condition: Need to Get Ripped in a Hurry? Mark Dugdale's Fast-Track Nutritional Overhaul Will Help You Drop Body Fat in Five Easy Steps.” Flex (October 2006): 216–20. Horn, Beth. “M & F Blueprint: 6 Weeks to a Six-Pack; Build Awesome Abs With This Step-By-Step Training and Diet Program.” Muscle & Fitness (May 2002): 142–45.
  Zinczenko, David. “Abs Diet.” Men's Health (Jul–Aug 2004): 154.
  ———. “Eat Right Every Time.” Men's Health (Jan–Feb 2005): 130.
  ———. “7 Days to a 6-Pack.” Men's Health (September 2004): 158.
  “The Abs Diet.” http://www.absdiet.com (accessed August 7, 2012).
  Truex, Leslie. “The Abs Diet.” Livestrong.com. http://www.livestrong.com/article/488677-the-abs-diet (accessed August 7, 2012).
  U.S. News & World Report. “The Abs Diet.” http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/abs-diet (accessed August 16, 2012).
  Zinczenko, David. “The 7-Day Abs Diet Meal Plan.” Men's Health.com. http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/abs-diet-weekly-meal-plan-recipes (accessed August 16, 2012).
  Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plz., Ste. 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040, (800) 877-1600, amacmunn@eatright.org, http://www.eatright.org.
  Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, 10th Fl., Alexandria, VA 22302, (703) 305-7600, Fax: (703) 305-3300, support@cnpp.usda.gov, http://www.cnpp.usda.gov.
  Ken R. WellsStacey Chamberlin

A Personal Trainer's Top 7 Super Foods

We all are what we eat. What we eat most of the time will have a lot to do with how good we feel and how good we look. You want your staples to be healthy, nutrient dense foods. I get a lot of questions about what I eat (that I am supposed to eat), so these are a few of my favorite foods — what I think are "super foods." Obviously, if you are allergic to something on this list, such as eggs, they won't be super foods for you:

1. Farm fresh (or pastured) eggs: Don't confused these with "free range" or "omega-3" eggs from the grocery store. (These are both fairly misleading labels, Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma has more details.) The good news is that these awesome eggs are readily available at most farmers markets for less than what you'd pay for fancy eggs at the grocery store.
Pastured eggs are from healthy chickens living their lives as chickens ought to — not force fed a vegetarian diet (they're omnivores), not confined to small and dirty spaces 24 hours a day. As a result these eggs have a very different fat profile (and different color yolks) than grocery store eggs. (For the "omega-3" eggs in the grocery store, they just supplement the diet of, but supplementation doesn't actually undo terrible living conditions) They naturally have lots of omega-3 eggs, no sugar, and lots of protein.

2. Tart cherries: These are little, tasty recovery powerhouses. They're packed with a lot of antioxidants — especially anthocyanins  — that research has shown to reduce inflammation, and improve recovery from exercise. (Anything that improves recovery improves results, because it is only exercise plus recovery that equals results, not exercise plus more exercise.) I love them in my post workout recovery shakes. I use a handful of frozen tart cherries, a bit of ice, protein powder, a bit of Greek yogurt and water in a blender. Just remember you want tart cherries, not just cherries.

3. Grass-fed beef: Grass-fed beef is like the salmon-of-the-land because of its high omega-3 content. Grass fed beef it also much lower saturated fat content (compared to corn-fed beef), and it's also packed with something called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that's been shown to increase muscle mass and decrease fat.

It's odd that in the 21st century "grass-fed" beef is "special" since nature designed cows to eat grasses, and not the stuff that is now "normal" — corn, antibiotics, etc. Prior to the 1970's corn-fed beef was a special treat because corn was so much more expensive than almost-free grass — it was what you got at a fancy steakhouse. Huge government subsidies, which you and I pay for, made corn super cheap, and have made corn as the norm an economic possibility. Just like with eggs, grass fed beef is usually cheapest at a farmer's market.


4. Spinach: These tasty and healthy greens are packed full of beta carotene, lutein, vitamins C and K, iron, and magnesium. Besides all of that it goes great with pasture raised eggs, and cooks up fast.

5. Coconut oil: Saturated fat, especially coconut oil has gotten an undeserved bad rap. We've been led to believe (with no supporting evidence) that eating this healthy oil will make our hearts explode. The opposite seems to be true. Coconut oil has MCT's (medium chain triglycerides) that seem to help boost metabolism, and lauric acid (lowers cholesterol levels, and has anti-bacterial properties. In addition, when compared to so-called healthy soybean oil, it seems to increase fat-loss
In addition to being healthy, it's also great for cooking whereas most vegetable oils (like olive) are not because it is so heat stable. Make sure you get virgin coconut oil for maximum benefit.

6. Cauliflower: I first started to like cauliflower because it was a great stand in for potatoes for things like mashed cauliflower. Then I started researching it and found out that it's as good for you as it is tasty and versatile. Cauliflower is packed with antioxidants, vitamin K, fiber, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

7. Shrimp: You've got to love protein that you can cook up in two minutes. Shrimps (I like to call them "scrimps") have vitamin-D (stronger bones and immune system), selenium, and B12 (for energy), and pack lots of protein in a low calorie package. I love them with a little bit of minced garlic, sauteed in coconut oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper, with a side of wilted spinach. You can cook the spinach in the same pan as the shrimp, just don't let the shrimp over cook — spinach usually takes longer. That's a three super food dinner! Super fast and super tasty.

——
Josef Brandenburg is a Washington, D.C.-area certified fitness expert with 14 years of experience and Co-author of the international best-selling book Results Fitness. 

30 Reasons Why You Should Have More Sex

30 Reasons Why You Should Have More Sex

1. It boosts your immune system.
2. Intercourse lowers your blood pressure.
3. It counts as actual exercise. 
4. Sex actually reduces your risk of dying from a heart attack.
5. Orgasm has the power to reduce pain.
6. It helps you sleep better.
7. It makes you closer to your partner.
8. It makes you look younger.
9. It combats mental fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
10. It trumps money in the happiness factor.
11. Along those same lines, sex costs nothing.
12. It will give you a literal energy boost.
13. It’s an exercise in creativity.
14. It can boost your self-esteem.
15. Sex ramps up your libido.
16. It helps you bond with your girls.
17. It heightens your senses.
18. Reduce your man’s risk of prostate cancer.
19. Celebrate your lady parts.
20. Help keep your man focused on you.
21. Regular sex has powerfully positive effects on women’s long-term health.
22. Sex helps keep your menstrual cycles regular.
23. It helps increase flexibility.
24. The more sex you have, the longer you’ll probably live.
25. It helps you feel connected.
26. It can actually give you swagger.
27. It feels good.
28. It helps you let loose au natural.
29. It helps you get outside of your comfort zone, in the best way.
30. It’s fun.

These are some uses of Cucumber

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!