I’d like to start off the day with a real sweet post.  Today, sugar gets its time in the spotlight as I present the facts on the effects of sugar and its artificial twin in regards to safety and weight gain.  Are artificial sweeteners safe?  Should I use them?  Let’s shed some light on this very controversial topic and try to set the record straight.

In recent history, people’s penchant for the sweet stuff (sugar) has garnered enormous profit to industry producers as well as the medical community that treats the illness and diseases it creates.  This makes finding accurate information on the effects of artificial sweeteners dubious at best.  At least we can all agree that sugar, as it is typically presented, is highly addictive, destroys insulin metabolism, corrupts the immune system and is arguably the single greatest cause of health impairment and degenerative disease on the planet.  So why all the fear mongering over artificial sweeteners?  Why aren’t we more concerned about getting rid of sugar itself?

Artificial sweetners certainly have their share of critics in the health industry but what is the source of their bias? Can they lay claim to supportive scientific research?  Usually these critics fall short in that regard and fail to weigh the facts thouroughly before offering their judgment. Their arguments tend to be based on hearsay and conjecture, rather than on an actual experience of intolerance or scientific fact.  Certainly some people may be to intolerant to some of these substances, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without weighing the evidence first.

Why don’t we just eat natural whole foods?

Many opponents of artificial sweeteners will claim they are unnatural and therefore unsafe.  However, they are often much safer than many common natural foods, and are definitely safer than luncheon meat, refined breakfast cereals, pasteurized milk and 99% of most sugar sweetened junk food.  It is certainly not biologically necessary to consume artificial sweeteners but if you include high levels of “natural” sugars in your diet, such as fructose and sucrose, you may consider replacing them with artificial options from time to time.

Consuming too many refined sugars contributes to the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs), which are known to accelerate aging in the body and increase biological age.  Artificial sweeteners do not.  AGEs produce free radicals, deplete glutathione, damage mitochondria, stiffen arteries and damage proteins such as albumin, collagen and hemoglobin.

Examples of Common Articial Sweetners

• Sucrolose (Splenda)

Sucrolose is calorie-free and 600 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose), which is why a little goes a long way as a sweetener.  The body cannot break down or absorb sucrolose.  Thus, around 98% of it exits the body (via urine) and the remaining 2% is “biotransformed” into other substances by the body and quickly eliminated.  More than one hundred studies have been conducted to determine the biological fate of sucrolose in animals and humans, all of which demonstrate its safety.  An additional 40 environmental studies show it is safe for plant and aquatic life.  It is not carcinogenic and has no negative effect on reproductive performance or the nervous system.  The Allowable Daily Intake (ADI) of sucralose is 15 mg/kg of bodyweight/day.

• Acesulfame Potassium

Acesulfame Potassium is a non-caloric sweetener and is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar.  It is often combined with other sweeteners to enhance flavor.   Although it is absorbed from the GI tract into the bloodstream, it is not metabolized and is excreted from the body unchanged within 24 hours.  Numerous studies have confirmed the safety of its use.  It is not carcinogenic, is safe to consume during pregnancy and is not damaging to DNA structures.  The ADI is 15 mg/kg of bodyweight per day.

•   Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)

Aspartame is around 20 times sweeter than sugar.  Unlike sucrolose, aspartame can be absorbed into the bloodstream.  Its broken down into 3 constituents: aspartic acid, methanol and phenylalanine and provides 4 cal/g.  The main concern with aspartame surrounds methanol.  Our bodies produce methanol naturally when we digest food, at about 10 mg daily. Most aspartame sweetened beverages contain about 55mg/liter.  In detailed studies conducted to determine how ingestion of aspartame influences plasma levels of methanol, it failed  to alter blood levels or produce any adverse effect.

If aspartame is exposed to heat, it is broken down into a substance called diketopiperazine.  Animal toxicity studies show that even if all the aspartame were converted to diketopiperazine in a beverage, the amount would be well below the established ADI for this substance (3,000 mg/kg).  However, this metabolic by-product still remains suspect as a causative agent for adverse reactions in a small percentage of aspartame consumers.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, you need to decide if artificial sweeteners are right for you.  This post was only intended to open your eyes to some of what’s out there.  There are many more sweeteners and many more in development.  There will no doubt be many more studies regarding their use and safety.  Keep up to date, stay informed and always weight the facts.  In a nutshell, if you don’t want to use artificial sweeteners, then don’t. Personally, I use them almost daily to help control my sugar intake and satisfy my insatiable craving for Diet Coke. I’ve never had any adverse reactions and am currently enjoying the peak of health and fitness in my own life.

I know that for many people, choosing a whey protein supplement can be an intimidating and confusing ordeal. Usually people rely on a recommendation from a friend or from someone they believe to be an authority in the matter. This can have many negative consequences if you (the consumer) aren’t educated with the knowledge to exercise good judgement on your own behalf. I’m sure your friends have your best interests in mind, but if they aren’t in tune with right knowledge they may unknowingly lead you down the wrong path. Surely your neighbourhood supplement dealer will tell you the truth – right?

Although there are many supplement dealers and producers with good business scruples, there are many that do not. With outragous marketing strategies and rediculous product claims it’s hard to know whats real anymore or who to even trust. Before I shed some light on this subject I’d like to reference my last post where I tried to get across the importance of protein to our bodies and why consuming whey protein isolate (WPI)  is probably your best choice.  For those who still feel that they are already getting enough protein from ”food” sources, here’s a few more points to consider:

When compared to commercially prepared meats and solid tissue proteins WPI:

• is easier to digest and much lower in fat
• is less time consuming and more convenient to prepare; when consumed in a shake (liquid form) it offers faster and more thorough absorption.
• provides a higher biological value  (110-159) than any other protein.
• poses no risk of contamination (E. coli, salmonella, parasites, various pathogens, antibiotic residues, prions, pesticides, dioxin, DDT).
• is extracted without heat (no damage); cooking degrades and denatures protein
• has an alkaline pH; cooked animal flesh acidifies the blood (i.e. canned fish, hamburger, wieners, hard boiled egg, medium well steak).
• outperforms cooked animal protein or soy’s immune enhancing and gut healing benefits associated with specific whey peptides

The Best Whey

The main advantage of whey relates to its purity, high biological value (BV) and how its peptides are formed and isolated by extraction without the need for heat or acid-treatment. This preserves the integrity and biochemical properties of the protein fractions. WPI by definition contains no less than 90% protein. If it contains <90% protein, it is classified as a whey protein “concentrate” (WPC). Concentrates provide less than 90% protein but not less than 35% protein, so disparity between various concentrates can be enormous. In addition, the percentage of protein present in any given whey protein does not depend on any particular method of filtration or extraction, nor does it guarantee quality, peptide range or the bioavailability of the peptides (just because the peptides are listed on the label doesn’t mean they are biologically “active”).
 

Competition in the health food industry for shelf space can be fierce, so instead of advancing the value and quality of their own products, some competitors attack the value and quality of other name brand whey proteins. First, they may challenge the price of the competition. when evaluating these claims as a consumer, always ensure the comparison is on a gram to gram basis. For example Brand X is 4 kg and Brand X2  is only 3.5 kg. The containers may appear identical but obviously Brand X contains more product volume.

Another common form of comparison relates to percentage of protein per serving. To determine the percentage of protein per serving in any whey protein, divide the serving size in grams into the number of grams of protein provided by each serving (divide the larger number into the smaller and multiply by 100).

Example Whey Protein Label

In this example, divide 29.4 into 23 and multiply by 100 to determine the percentage of actual protein per serving (23 ÷ 29.4 = 0.7823 x 100 = 78.23 or 78). This particular whey protein is approximately 78% protein. In its purest form, it may have started out as a whey protein isolate (90% protein), but due to added flavors, sweeteners and/or thickening agents the final protein percentage of the whole powder mix will generally be less than whatever protein was added to the mix. The cleanest source of whey you can buy is unflavored and unsweetened and has no thickening agents added (but trust me, most people don’t like it). The end product in this example provides only 78% protein; however, compared to eating a piece of organic turkey breast on the basis of weight gram to gram, it is still considerably higher.

 The War Rages On . . .

Competitors may attack the amino acid content, including the percentage of BCAAs, or the amount of glutamine, alanine and cysteine listed per 100gm. Some may claim their product has a superior Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) or a higher Biological Value (BV). The only way to verify this is through actual research on animals or humans using their product, in its exact form. If they cannot demonstrate evidence of this, then any references they provide are almost always based on borrowed studies, using whey protein- peptide micro-fractions, which may or may not be similar to their own.

Another cause for debate is important to mention. Several products on the market include a mix of different proteins from different sources in addition to whey, such as casein, egg, soy, wheat, hemp or buckwheat. They claim the mixture provides a better amino acid profile and therefore is superior to whey in an isolated form. I disagree. Most, if not all of these alternative source proteins are denatured through methods of extraction, which employ heat, pressure or acidic chemicals.

They are also cheaper to buy because they cost less to manufacture and because they have lost market share value due to popularity of WPI. Thus a mix consisting of inferior proteins damaged by heat and chemicals (including low-quality whey protein concentrates high in lactose) but sold at the same price as a WPI can yield tremendous profit to the manufacturer. Or they may sell the same quantity for less which motivates the consumer to buy based on getting what they think is an equal or even superior product for less cash.

 Suppliers guilty of this infraction often use complex terminology and fancy terms in their marketing strategy which they themselves invent to persuade unsuspecting consumers that their special mixture of various proteins (proprietary percentage of course) based on synergy, or amino acid variance or speed of release into blood is superior to whey protein alone. Which would you prefer, a bar of pure gold or an alloy of gold consisting of gold and several other cheaper metals?

The Choice Is Yours

Now that your are a little more knowledgeable in what to look for ( and out for) in a protein supplement get out there and try it for yourself. I’m sure you’ll feel stronger and more energized. I’m not suggesting whey protein is a magic bullet to solve all your energy problems, rather I believe it to be a missing link in the diet of many people. Getting your protein intake in check is just the first step (nutritionally) in getting the most out of your body and your  life.

Do you have uncontrollable cravings for sweets, breads and fatty foods? Have you lost motivation to complete simple tasks? Have you recently felt depressed ? Feeling like you’re always drained of energy ? Are you struggling to keep off belly fat? Do you suffer from the flu/colds often and does it seem to take forever to recover? Do you have an under-active thyroid ? Are you just plain fed up with how your body looks in spite of exercising  5x/week?

If this sounds like you, you’re certainly not alone. One likely problem is that you may NOT be consuming enough low-fat, high quality protein. This is especially true for a lot of women. From my nutrition program I’ve analyzed  the diets of countless women over years, including clients, friends and family, and it’s clear that most do not meet their required protein demands. One reason for this is simple. Unlike most men, most women aren’t attracted to protein rich foods like pork ribs, steaks, roasts or chicken wings. Instead, they opt for carbohydrate rich foods like potatoes, pasta, rice and  bagels which are not only low in protein but, create an internal acidic environment and contain very little water. The implication of eating this way all day will cause blood glucose levels to be elevated for most of the day (especially if these foods are consumed at bedtime). This can cause glucose intolerance over time, resulting in inflammation of the joints, elevated serum cholesterol, high triglycerides, obesity and depression.

Why is protein so important anyway?

Glad you asked. First you need to understand that 1/5 of your body is made up protein. Second only to water, protein is the most prolific substance in the human body (for some it might be third, after fat). The cells in our body are basically little protein factories, manufacturing building blocks of protein that we require to support our optimal function and structure. Protein is also a component of all body tissues including collagen, muscle, keratin, elastin, connective tissue, bone, cartilage and connective tissue. Dietary  protein provides our body with amino acids that in turn are used for repairing and building body tissue. Amino acids are also important in sustaining immune system health and acts as a hormonal, enzyme and  neurotransmitter regulator. Unfortunately, protein cannot be stored in the body, therefore must be consumed in adequate quantities and at the right times.

How much protein do I need?

This might be one of the most debated topics in fitness today but I’ll offer you some recommendations to determine your daily protein requirements. Basically, your lean body mass, the amount and intensity of exercise that you perform will determine your protein needs. First you need to calculate your LBM (lean body mass). If you’re mostly inactive, simply multiply that number by 1 gram. If you are active and mostly engage in only moderate aerobic activity, multiply by 1.5 grams. For those who engage in resistance training and aerobics (which most of you should be) multiply by 2 grams. That’s all there is to it.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a good idea to consume all your required protein at once. Bloating and gas are but a few of the symptoms that protein overconsumption can cause. Try dividing the number you got by 4 or 5 (or how ever many meals you eat) to establish your intake per serving. Consuming this quantity and quality of protein with a reasonable amount of  lower-glycemic carbohydrates, you will help stabilize your blood sugar, prevent excessive muscle atrophy as you age, raise your metabolism, stimulate the release of glucagon (fat-burning hormone) and cause a dopaminergic response in your brain which brings you up!

What are the best dietary sources of protein?

There are many dietary sources to obtain protein from, but not all protein is created equal. For example, canned tuna  provides about 25-30 grams of protein. But unlike fresh tuna, the canneversion is very denatured and extremely acid forming. Commercial red meat such as sirloin is about 72% fat and provides no omega-3 fatty acids. A large egg provides 6 grams of high-quality protein, but is 67% fat and loaded with arachidonic acid, a fatty acid noted for its pro-inflammatory action! Nuts & seeds are all high in fat. Legumes, lentils and beans are all high in carbohydrates.

Without a doubt, the best choice and the highest quality protein available is whey protein isolate. For those who may be unfamiliar with whey protein, allow me to enlighten you. Whey is the thin, watery part of milk that separates from the curd after coagulation, as in cheese-making. Whey is mostly sugar (lactose) and water, and contains <1% protein, but these
proteins, referred to as “whey peptides”, are the finest highest quality proteins known in the world, provided they are not damaged by heat.

Everyone can benefit from the healing and immune system benefits that it delivers but it is even more important if you’re athletic or enbrace active living. Whey protein contains a wide range of dynamic proteins known as “whey peptides” that contain the highest available  protein source — higher than soy, seafood,chicken, pork or even eggs. Whey protein, when carefully processed,  is much “cleaner” than commercially available animal source proteins. It is more resistant to free radical damage, exposure to  infective microorganisms,  parasites,  or pathogens. Of course it also mixes well in a beverage and tastes great. Drink as a shake after workouts, as a snack or as a full meal . You can augument your effort by including additional antioxidants, EFA’s and or a vitamin-mineral supplement into the mix.

Many consumers are confused by the choices out there and things get even muddier with the perpetual media hype and marketing nonsense that surrounds these products.  In another post I’ll go into detail about how to choose the best protein supplement and outsmart the sometimes unscrupulous nutritional supplement industry. For now, I hope you realize the importance of protein and take a good look at your current diet. You might be surprised at how low in protein your diet actually is. When you seek wellness you need to cover all bases and wouldn’t it be great if you could significantly impact your life by just giving your body a little more of what it needs?

 Of the many factors that influence how long an individual will stick to a particular diet regimen, a lack of results may be the biggest. The fact is most diets simply don’t yield the results that people are looking for to warrant the sacrifice. In the initial stages a typical dieter will give it everything that they’ve got for a week, two weeks, three weeks or more. Maybe the first week goes well, second week is a little bit slower and by the third week they didn’t lose anything. The forth week they continue to diet and exercise and they still didn’t lose anything. What do you think is going to happen? That person’s going to say, “Screw this! I’ve only lost four pounds so far and I have to do this until I lose 30 pounds? It’s just completely unrealistic.” People will just end the diet because they’re not seeing a return on their investment.

Your return is the results that you’re seeing whether you’re looking in the mirror and you’re seeing positive change, is there change physically in your body? Is there change when you step on the scale? Is there a change when you wrap that measuring tape around your waist? If there’s not, it’s disheartening, it’s discouraging and people simply aren’t going to follow through with a program that is not getting them the results that they’ve after. Who can blame them for giving up the fight. If I was spending 12 hours a day on my business and I never made a dime, then I probably wouldn’t continue in that line of business or with whatever I was doing for very long. Dieting is no different. It’s not that you “just don’t have what it takes”, it’s that NO ONE is going to continue to work hard with no pay off.

For for 99% of dieters, the type of programs that they’re doing are the type of programs that will cause them to plateau after a very short period of time, where they end up not getting the results that they want to achieve. These include diets that exclusively restrict or recommend excess consumption of a particular nutrient ( carbohydrate, fats or protein). Although these approach can work well short term if done correctly ( and under expert supervision), most will receive little benefit and may likely damage their metabolism in the long run. In light of this, people still want the quick fix and unwittingly adopt the fad diet approach as the only way to eat. They lose some weight initially, quit the diet because it’s not sustainable, put the weight back on, go back on the diet and the merry-go-round continues. This is the plight of the modern dieter.

Like any pursuit in life, you need to prepare thoroughly for the challenges ahead if you are to reach your goals on schedule. This means establishing baselines, reasonable timelines, measurement tracking systems, identifying behavioral limitations, food preparation strategies and a host of other criteria to determine the right path for you. I have found that most of my client tend to struggle with the food preparation part. It is often difficult to build new habits but by having a plan from the beginning and making gradual changes at your own pace things will be much easier.

Don’t expect optimal results from a fat loss program unless you’ve completed the following preliminary checklist:

•  Have you clearly established a specific goal (the exact amount of weight you want to lose by the end of the program)? Did you write your goal down to review daily?
• Have you calculated your calorie and macronutrient needs for each day based on the specific recommendations from your trainer and activity levels?
• Did you decide how often you will prepare your meals (daily, biweekly, or weekly)? Twice weekly is recommended.
• Did you plan out the entire first weeks menu? It is best to do this meal by meal and then make any adjustments or substitutions as you see fit during the week. Having a plan in place is fundamental to success. Be prepared.
• Did you set-up an optimal meal-time schedule based on your daily availability? For example, 7am breakfast, 10am mid-morning snack, 12:30pm lunch, 3pm mid-afternoon snack, 6pm dinner. Meals should be spaced 2-3 hours apart.
• Did you go grocery shopping for all the food items needed to prepare your first week of meals?
• Do you have a method for logging and tracking your actual daily food intake for future reference?

Most people may not realize that this much thought and preparation is necessary and those that do, seldom fullfill the obligation. Most take a haphazard approach to attaining thier fitness goals, or worse perform completely random workouts and expect consistant and measurable results.

That leaves only the small minority of people that understand that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail . . . . . Get things right from the start and set the bar high for yourself. Track and measure your progress every step of the way. Set realistic deadlines but be flexible enough to change them as your body changes. Inplement strategies for overcoming plateaus you face along the way and begin realizing the lean and toned body you had envisioned to keep you motivated for now and forever.

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Many people aspire to change their appearance through diet and exercise, but the intention can sometimes be misplaced.  You see, not everyone has what it takes to succeed at such an endeavour. The most important thing you have to embrace before embarking on a body transformation is your readiness for change.

I’ve always loved the popular 80′s slogan “You’ve got to want it!”  Although it was used to sell supplements, it really rings true for most things in life that are worth having. The problem is, it’s not enough to just want it. If you’re not ready to do the work necessary to accomplish your goals then improvements in your body composition, health and physical performance will continue to elude you. I’m now going to offer a checklist of attributes that you must possess before you attempt to make real, sustainable changes in your body. If you meet these criteria, then you may just be a candidate for a physical transformation.

You Should Attempt A Physical Transformation If . . . . . .

 
1.  You are willing to do at least five hours of physical activity each week.

2. You can accept responsibility for the way your body is today and understand that, while your old habits don’t make you a bad person, they still need to be changed.

3. You are ready to spend less time with people who offer little or no social support for your goals while spending more time with those who do offer support.

4. Your work environment presents significant barriers to you exercising and eating well, and you would consider speaking to your employer about changing some of these conditions or you are  willing to find new employment.

5. An expert presents some information on diet and exercise that contradicts what you currently believe, and you maintain an open mind and give it a try.

6. You have accepted the fact that you’re in worse shape now than when you were younger because you are far less active than you used to be.

7. You can accept that your workouts, at times, will be hard and that you will need to tolerate high levels of discomfort.

8. You often look in the mirror and feel frustrated, upset,or humiliated because of how your body looks.

9. You often feel run down and tired, and understand that the source of these feelings are your poor lifestyle choices

10. You are currently taking medications for heart disease, high blood pressure, or Type II diabetes that you didn’t have to take when you were younger.

11. You are willing to join a gym today.

12. Someone told you that you’d need to throw away all the foods in your cupboards today and go shopping for different foods that are more appropriate to your goal,you would do it.

13. You are willing to wake up in the morning a bit earlier and stay up at night a bit later to accomplish your goals if needed.

14. You are prepared to make a detailed log of the foods you eat, chronicling how much you ate and when.

Congratulations if you agree that you can adopt most of these habits. You clearly have things on track and the right minset for success. You’ve either realized your body’s potential or are on the road to a successful physical transformation. Way to go! If you’re not that far along yet, if you can agree to all of these terms with the utmost honesty, then you are ready to begin your journey. 

If most of these points don’t apply to you then you’ve got a tough road ahead. In fact, it doesn’t look like you really want to change at all. Is this true? Are you simply toying with the idea of improving your physical activity habits and eating habits? If so, you’re not really ready to make a change. With each passing year that you avoid good activity and nutrition habits your risk for disease increases. Not only that, you’ll progressively gain fat, lose muscle, and look much older than your actual age. These are the consequences of remaining indifferent to the weight you’ve gained, physical inactivity and bad eating habits. Are you ready to deal with these things? Don’t stay indifferent any longer. Take an honest look at how you’ve changed (on the inside and out) and admit that you could use a tune-up. 

If this sounds like you, step outside of your shell and seek out some people who are exercising, eating well, getting results, and having fun doing it. Clearly, millions of people out there are following a healthy lifestyle and loving every minute of it. But thinking that they never had difficulties to overcome like you do, is a mistake. At some point in time each and every one of them had some old set of unproductive habits to discard. Once this was accomplished, they could easily get into the zone. And you can, too. What are you waiting for?

In my last post, I pointed out why you can’t rely on exercise alone to lose weight.  It is clear that your food choices have a significant impact on your weight and need to be properly managed.  This can be difficult for a number of reasons.  Maybe you’re too distracted with other areas of life.  Maybe you have been taught bad eating habits.  Maybe you are so busy catering to your loved one’s needs that you overlook your needs.  Whatever the reason, most people can agree that their kitchens are stuffed with foods that aren’t healthy or productive for weight management.

You see, it’s human nature that when food is in your possession or readily accessible, it will eventually be consumed.  Even if you don’t want to or know that you shouldn’t eat it, you eventually will.  The convenience factor is too high to be denied.  So how can you fix this problem?  If you want to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods that aren’t part of your healthy nutrition program and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices.  I’ll offer some simple strategies to help you take out the garbage and make your kitchen more diet friendly.

Your Kitchen Makeover Checklist

1. Low-fat eating does not mean healthy eating.  Foods that are labelled as “low-fat” usually contain large amounts of added sugar ( so it’s palatable).  It also means the food has undergone further processing which can degrade its quality.  Fats in whole foods also help in the digestion and assimilation of the key nutrients that reside within the foods.

2. Grocery shop more often. There is no doubt that nutritious food spoils fast.  Food that can be frozen or stored for months is certainly an attractive alternative.  These foods (with the exception of frozen fruits and vegetables) are usually heavily processed and don’t offer anywhere close to the nutrient potency of their fresh counterparts. Try to shop every three days or so.  If you don’t live close to a whole food market then consider starting a garden. Fresh food tastes better and is better for you.

3. Don’t buy food in bulk or economy sizes.  If you have a large family or hate grocery shopping then chances are you’re shopping at Costco and buying all the boxed food and sauces that you can fit in your cart to prepare for the next Great Depression.  This is a common practice of  “routine eaters”.  Those who eat only three types a food all year round.  They can go to the grocery store and mindlessly buy the same things year in and year out. Where’s the variety? You need  spectrum of nutrients in your diet and your can only acquire these with a spectrum of food choices. Don’t tell me that buying in bulk is cheaper. I just bought fruits and vegetables for five days for under seven dollars; and I’m an over 200 pound man. Fresh food can be affordable if you take the time to look around.

4. Get rid of the follwing items from your fridge and freezer:
   
    Packaged sauces                                                          Baked goods
    Juicy steaks or sausage                                                 Frozen dinners
    Margarine                                                                      White bread or bagels   
    Fruit juice                                                                      Mashed potatoes or pasta
    Take-out or restaurant leftovers                                      Soft drinks 

5. Get rid of the follwing items from your pantry:

    Potato or corn chips                                                        Fruit or granola bars
    Chocolates or candy                                                       Soft drinks
    Regular or low-fat cookies                                               Regular peanut butter  
    Instant foods like cake mixes and mashed potatoes         Bread crumbs, croutons, and dried bread products
    Alcohol

6. Make sure you have  most of these foods in your fridge/ freezer:

    Extra-lean beef                                                               At least four varieties of fruit
    Chicken breasts                                                             At least five varieties of vegetables 
    Salmon                                                                          Flax seed oil
    Omega-3 eggs                                                               Water filter
    Packaged egg whites                                                     Sweet potatoes
    Real cheese

7. Make sure you have  most of these foods in your pantry:

    Whole oats                                                                     Extra virgin olive oil
    Quinoa                                                                           Vinegar
    Whole-grain pasta                                                           Green tea
    Natural peanut butter                                                       Protein supplements
    Mixed nuts                                                                      Fish oil supplements
    Canned or bagged beans                                                 Green foods supplements

8. Don’t hesitate to throw out leftovers or foods you’ve received as gifts. No one hates to throw away food more than I do, but if it’s garbage for your body, then it’s garbage, throw it away!

What To Do Next. . .

If you have most of these already in check then you’re already ahead of the game. You may just need to refine your habits a little bit. Either way, never approach any diet or exercise plan without implementing most (if not all) of the points on this checklist. Your results will reflect your diligence.

If you don’t have these things already in order then you’re not doing very well in the kitchen department. I don’t care how much you exercise or how many supplements you use. You’d have a better chance at winning the lottery than winning the battle to improve your body composition if you eat this way. Because you’re in need of  serious help, you’ll need to execute some immediate action. Here’s what you need to do:

Get rid of all the foods listed in #4 and 5. Put everything in a bag and leave it out for the local sanitation crew to deal with. You could also make donation to your local food bank.

Go shopping and buy as many things from # 6 and 7 as possible.

Smile, because you’ve just taken the most imoportant step in transforming your body and life.