The New England Journal of Medicine looked at more than 350,000 people found that those with belly fat have a higher risk of DYING compared to their peers without a spare tire. Why? Because belly fat is metabolically and biologically active. Belly fat functions as an endocrine organ producing hormones and other chemical messengers and toxins that affect appetite, insulin action and that increase inflammation and make it difficult for your other organs like your kidneys, liver and heart work properly. For instance, visceral fat is located close to the vein that carries blood to your liver. The hormones and toxins that belly fat produce gets in that vein and is carried to your liver. One effect is that it causes your liver to produce more LDL cholesterol, which can collect in your arteries oxidize and become inflamed leading to swelling that narrows the arteries, restrict blood flow, strains your heart and leads to heart attacks and strokes. Belly fat also PRODUCES glucose, or blood sugar, which causes your body to produce insulin with eventually leads to type 2 diabetes.

Exercise won’t help, low carb diets won’t help, calorie restriction will not help and low fat REALLY won’t help.

It is not a big secret, trick or gadget. Nothing will work that does not get rid of the foods that actually make dangerous visceral fat. You will lose that fat belly by eliminating the foods that block your hormonal signals that say you are full and that addict your brain, foods that changes your brain chemicals so that it addicts you to that food. It is truly easy to drop the fat once you take those foods out of your diet. Luckily if you are reading this, you have removed sugar and flour! Bravo!

1 lb. lean bottom round beef roast
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. celery, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 C. carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 C. tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/2 to 1 C. water or broth

Brown meat on all sides, then add garlic and onion and cook until soft. Stir in other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3-4 hours. Add more water or broth if necessary. Serve 1/4 of the meat with 1 C. veggies and sauce. Makes 4 servings.

1 serving = 1 protein and 1 vegetable

Free sugars are defined as sugars added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer…or those naturally present in fruit juices, syrups, and honey.

Sucralose has a short history, conflicting evidence regarding its toxicity, and is not broken down by enzymes, meaning that whether it is absorbed through our intestine or excreted, it will likely be done so intact.

Many more of the studies which found sucralose to be safe were designed to test the genotoxicity of sucralose, meaning they tested to see if sucralose acted upon our DNA. Sucralose, according to the studies, is not carcinogenic or genotoxic, but that doesn’t mean it is not toxic in any other regard. In fact, one study found that sucralose at levels of 500 mg/kg was hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic–it accumulated in amounts sufficient enough to cause lesions in the liver and the kidneys.

It’s important to note that 500 mg/kg is far more sucralose than a human would consume in a day, about 34g for a 150-pound adult (or 680 packets of Splenda), but if sucralose accumulates in the liver and kidneys, as this study demonstrates, then a similar effect could build from years of habitual use as opposed to occurring in one month, as happened in the study.

I tell my Skinny Girls to drink green tea every day. But any type of tea is great. Rhodiola Rosea is an herb that you can drink as a tea that has fabulous fat burning, energy boosting, and brain enhancing power. Rhodiola contains an active compound called rosavin that has been proven to burn fat. It stimulates an enzyme, called lipase, which breaks down fat that is stored in belly tissue. Rhodiola also increases the sensitivity of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are known for increasing focus, memory, pleasure, and improving mood. It has also been shown to help fight food cravings.

Nothing is going to be better for you than being in control over your behavior and getting sugar and flour out of your diet, but supplementing with Rhodiola can give a healthy benefit to your new Skinny life.

Sugar makes you stupid. Rats who ate an omega-3 deficient diet were slower at completing a maze, and those who drank a fructose solution, instead of water, were the most stupid of all.

Strangely, omega-3s seem to have a pretty impactful role in the metabolizing of sugar. The rats who had a diet without omega-3s had higher triglycerides, glucose, and insulin levels, and showed a decrease in synaptic activity, which is critical for learning and memory. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get omega-3s naturally and the American diet does not provide much. This is why The Skinny Coach Solution recommends omega-3s as part of the program. The research shows that omega-3s protect our brains from the harmful effects of fructose.

No one will tell you not to eat sugar more quickly than the Skinny Coach, but did you know that I also highly recommend omega-3s? New research has shown that rats who have eaten a diet high in omega-3s were faster in solving a maze; in fact, without omega-3s a decrease was shown in synaptic activity. Bottom line, the mice were slower.

1 T. olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1 can (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in juice
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. capers, drained and chopped
4 C. zucchini, sliced
2 T. fresh lemon juice

In a skillet, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Evenly season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Add salmon to skillet and cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn salmon over and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until opaque throughout. Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving 1/4 C. juice. Chop tomatoes.

Transfer salmon to plate; cover with foil to keep warm. To same skillet, add onion and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes with reserved juice and heat to boiling. Cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring. Remove skillet from heat and stir in capers. Steam zucchini, then toss with lemon juice. Place each salmon filet over 1 C. zucchini and top with 1/4 of the sauce. Makes 4 servings.

1 serving = 1 protein, 1 vegetable and 1/4 fat

“Wayne and I are both looking great AND feeling great. Some of the clothes I couldn’t even get into when I started this are now too loose. To be honest, I never really expected this degree of success. And Wayne is really impressive: not only is he thinner, but he’s much more active. He’s stepping up for yard chores I figured he’d never do. The “makeover” is extending into our whole lives!”

-Becky and Wayne are a married couple in Riverside.

Did you know that women underestimate their daily consumption of calories by a lot? Considering that most women on a diet should eat between 1200-1500 calories, stop and guess by how many calories women underestimate? Women underestimate their daily consumption by 700 calories! If you are on the Skinny Coach diet you do not need to do this, but if you are not, then track your calories for 28 days and see what you are really eating.

Done with not wearing a bathing suit because you are too fat? Fill out the Sugar Addiction Quiz and find out which foods are shutting down your fat burning cells, making it impossible to lose weight.

Omega-3s!  Omega-3s from fish and other marine sources help prevent heart disease, dementia, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis and boosts immunity, eye health, and lung function. They also increase IQ, especially in children and babies. Americans consume about 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day on average, but 90% come from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA.) ALA comes from plant sources like vegetable oils or flaxseed. We don’t need ALA; we need eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to reap the benefits listed above. You should also know that DHA is the most important fat in your brain and is more powerful than EPA. Be sure to look for a supplement that has 3 times more DHA than EPA, that has been independently tested to ensure that it is free of toxins such as PCBs and heavy metals like mercury and lead, and that has been 3rd party tested to contain the amount of omega-3s that they claim.

Fat has 9 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for protein or carbohydrates. But all fat isn’t the same. AGAIN – it is not calories in calories out. Saturated fat that is found in whole milk, butter, full-fat cheese, and fatty cuts of red meat makes your body produce less leptin and more ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone that quells appetite and gherlin stimulates appetite. But unsaturated fats, like that in olive oil and avocados, helps regulate your appetite by producing more appetite-suppressing leptin and LESS appetite stimulating ghrelin. UGGG

1 mango peeled
½ c. onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded
¼ c. cilantro
¼ cup red bell pepper

Wash and dice all ingredients, combine and refrigerate fro at least 2 hours to let flavors meld.

1 c = 1 fruit