A Surprising New Way to Burn Fat Quickly

I just finished reading an eye opening weight loss report on CNN. The reporter personally tested two of the best selling weight loss products in America and wrote an honest review. I was so shocked by the result of test after I finished reading the report because she revealed some of the hidden secrets in weight loss industry that the pubic will never know.

I strongly recommend you read the report because it will tell you how to really lose weight instead of losing your money on those products that won't work! Here is what the report says:

Health and Diet writer Karen Simpson recently put an emerging diet trend to the test. We had to see for ourselves what this diet was all about. Karen spent four weeks testing the effects of America's newest super-food combined with a Colon Lipo. The results were surprising.

The benefits of the Acai berry diet removed all of our initial skepticism. We found the diet not only helps with weight loss, but it seemed to boost energy levels according to Karen.

Washington, D.C (West Coast News) - Losing weight often feels like an impossible challenge. We have evaluated numerous fad diets over the years. All too frequently their results are just shy of painfully disappointing.

The reason for why most diets fail, in our opinion, is that they impose unrealistic restrictions on how you live your life. Some advocate eating tons of protein others emphasize carbohydrates. In either case, you're left with having to make rather drastic changes to the types of food you eat and when you eat it. In this special report, we take an in-depth look at an emerging and promising weight loss trend that we believe is a game changer, and it won't break the bank.

You may have heard of the enormously popular Acai berry in the news. It's a completely organic berry found deep in the Amazon rainforest of South America. Alone the Acai berry offers many benefits primarily due to its high anti-oxidant content. Combine it with a powerful Colon Lipor, and you've created a fat burning machine. If you're skeptical, you're not alone. When we first learned about this weight loss combo, our diet fad radar went off right away.

Nevertheless, as we began to investigate the countless success stories reported by people from all around the globe, we decided that this weight loss trend was worthy of a closer examination. Moreover, we found it of particular interest that these people had not significantly changed their current lifestyles.

Ella Regan from San Francisco, California was reported to have lost 46 pounds in 3 months while being on the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo combo diet.

In the story on her blog she states,
"I couldn't believe how easy it was. I didn't change my diet or my daily routine, but the fat melted off like it butter. I love this stuff! Finally a diet that just works."

For the West Coast News test, it was inevitable that I was to be the guinea pig for this diet since I was about to get married. I wanted to lose 10 pounds for my wedding. In order to try the Acai Berry and Colon Lipo diet, I ordered two products. First, I got a FREE TRIAL of Lean Spa. Although there are many Acai berry offers available, I chose Lean Spa, since they are one of the most credible and trustworthy suppliers on the market.

The Free Trial bottle of Lean Spa was delivered in a few days from ordering and with surprisingly inexpensive shipping. Lean Spa is one of the most concentrated and purest acai products on the market. It was our shared opinion that this would give me the most accurate results for my test.

Here is what Lean Spa claimed on their website:

•    4 Times More Weight Loss Than Diet and Exercise
•    Boosts Energy
•    Rich in Antioxidants
•    Promotes Cardiovascular and Digestive Health

Although we were pretty skeptical, we wanted to find out for ourselves if this product could actually do everything that it claimed. Most of the success stories talk about combining Acai berry with a colon cleansing products to achieve maximum weight loss. The idea behind combining the products is that while the Acai Berry encourages weight loss and increases energy; the Colon Lipo helps rid your body of toxins and allows your body to work and burn calories more efficiently. I chose Colon Lipo to test.

Here is what Colon Lipo claimed on their website:

•    Helps Eliminate Bad Toxins That Have Built Up Over the Years
•    Removes "Sludge"From the Walls of the Colon
•    Helps Get Rid of Gas and Bloating
•    Helps Regulate the Metabolism

The Colon Lipo product like Lean Spa offers a free trial backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Putting the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo to the Test

Both the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo arrived within 4 days of having placed my order online for the free trials.
The bottles I received contained a month worth of highly concentrated pills, which worked out perfectly as I was to follow the supplement routine for 4 weeks time and document my progress.

The Test: A Four-Week Combo Diet Using Lean Spa and Colon Lipo

1.    Take one Lean Spa pill per day (in the morning)
2.    Take one Colon Lipo pill per day (in the evening)

My Results:

Week One:

After one week on the diet using both products I was surprised at the dramatic results. My energy level was up, and I wasn't even hungry. A welcomed side effect of the Acai Berry diet is its power to curb the appetite.
I honestly felt fantastic.

Best of all, I didn't even change anything about my daily routine. On Day 7, I got on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes. I had lost 3.5 lbs. But I still wasn't convinced, since they say you lose a lot of water weight at the beginning of any diet. I wanted to wait and see the results in the upcoming weeks. But it sure was looking up! I now weighed less than 120 pounds for the first time in years!

Week Two:

After two weeks of using both supplements, I started the week off with even more energy, and actually sleeping more soundly than before. I was no longer waking up during the night and tossing and turning because my body was actually able to relax (this is a result of getting rid of the toxins, I think). Plus I still managed to lose another 7 pounds, putting me at an unbelievable 10.5 lbs of weight loss, in just 2 weeks.

I must admit that I am starting to believe that this diet is more than just a gimmick.

Week Three:

After 3 weeks, all my doubts and skepticism had absolutely vanished! I am down, 2 full dress sizes after losing another 3.5 pounds. And I still have a ton of energy. Quite often, around the third week of other diets, you tend to run out of steam. But with the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo diet my energy levels don't dip, instead they remain steady throughout the day. I no longer need that cat nap around 3pm in the afternoon! I am even noticing that my stomach is digesting food so much better. No bloating or embarrassing gas after I eat.

Week Four:

After the fourth week, my final results were shocking. I lost an unbelievable 18 lbs since starting the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo diet! Actually everyone at WestCoastNews is kicking themselves for not having volunteered to be the guinea pig. Using the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo in week 4 I lost 4 more pounds. The results are consistent! But to be honest, I really didn't have much more than that left to lose. I am definitely going to continue taking the Lean Spa afterwards because it has so many antioxidants and vitamins that makes my skin look unbelievable.

I couldn't be any happier with the results.

I Lost 18 lbs in 4 Weeks, No Special Diet, No Intense Exercise.

In conclusion, if you are a little doubtful about the effects of this diet, you need to try it for yourself; from our own test, the results are real. We at West Coast News had our doubts initially, but we were quickly turned into believers. After conducting our own study, we are pleased to see that people really are finding success with the diet.

You can reach your weight loss goals with the Lean Spa and Colon Lipo combo diet.

Tricks to increase fat-burning hormones

Strategic overeating during this holiday season can allow you to enjoy your holiday parties without sacrificing all of the calorie-rich foods, and when done right, can even help you get leaner instead of fatter this holiday season.

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The Most Important Hormone You've Never Heard Of   
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It’s name is Leptin (derived from the Greek word leptos, meaning “thin”), and it’s without a doubt the most important hormone you probably never heard of.

You see, leptin was only first discovered just over 10 years ago, and as far as weight loss is concerned, that’s extremely recent.

Leptin’s function? To communicate your nutritional status to your body and brain.

Leptin levels are mediated by two things. One is your level of body fat. All else being equal, people with higher levels of body fat will have higher leptin levels than those with lower levels of body fat and vice versa.

Because leptin is secreted by fat cells, it makes sense that under normal conditions there is a direct correlation between leptin levels and the amount of fat you are carrying.

Unfortunately, when you’re attempting to lose fat and begin to restrict calories, conditions are anything but “normal” and the body responds accordingly by lowering leptin levels.

This is because the second mediator of blood leptin levels is your calorie intake. Lower your calorie intake and leptin will fall, independent of body fat.

So, yes, you can be overweight and still suffer from low leptin levels – just go on a diet.

So what happens when leptin levels fall and why the heck does it matter?

Again, under normal conditions leptin levels are normal and the brain gets the signal loud and clear that nutrition intake is adequate. Metabolism is high and the internal environment of the body is one very conducive to fat burning.

Until you start dieting.

Go on a diet and leptin levels quickly plummet (by 50% or more after only one week), sending a signal to the body that you’re semi-starved and not consuming enough calories.

This puts the breaks on metabolism and creates a hormonal environment extremely conducive to fat storage. Thyroid hormones (hormones extremely important to metabolism) respond by taking a dive and the abdominal fat-storing stress hormone cortisol skyrockets measurably.

HELLO belly fat.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the appetite stimulating hormones ghrelin, neuropeptide-Y, and anandamide all hop on board to make your life even more miserable.

You don’t have to remember any of those names, just remember that when leptin drops, you get seriously hungry.

Despite having a pretty good reason for its reaction, it’s pretty ironic that our bodies are primed for fat loss at every other time except when we are trying to burn fat.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could maintain high leptin levels and a body primed for fat burning while dieting? It would seemingly solve all of our problems.

But in order to do this, we’d have to somehow keep leptin levels high as we attempt to lose those extra pounds.

“HOW ABOUT “SUPPLEMENTING” WITH LEPTIN?”

A couple of problems here: First, leptin is a protein based hormone, which means that it can not be taken orally (otherwise, it would simply be digested). So that rules out a leptin pill.

This leaves the method of “supplemental” leptin administration to injection. And leptin injections DO indeed work, reversing the metabolic adaptations to dieting and “starvation” even while continuing to restrict calories.

In 1996, Ahima et al. used leptin injections to reverse starvation-induced neuroendrocrine adaptations in mice.

“Well, that’s nice and all, but I’m human.” Point taken; research with rodents doesn’t always correlate to similar findings in humans, however…

In 1999, Heymsfield et al. performed a double-blind placebo controlled study analyzing weight loss over a 24-week period in 73 obese humans. Subjects either injected daily with leptin or a placebo (i.e. bogus alternative). At the end of the 24-week period, the leptin group lost significantly more weight than the placebo and a higher percentage of fat vs. muscle.

In 2002, Rosenbaum et al. administered low-dose leptin to subjects (male and female) who had dieted to a 10% decrease in body weight. During the diet period, thyroid hormone levels, 24-hr energy expenditure, and other metabolic markers substantially decreased. The result of the leptin replacement therapy?

“All of these endocrine changes were reversed…”Thyroid output and daily calorie burn increased back to pre-diet levels.

In 2003, Fogteloo et al. showed that leptin injections “tended to reduce the decline of energy expenditure associated with energy restriction, whereas the tendency of energy intake to increase back to baseline levels in placebo-treated subjects was largely prevented in subjects treated with leptin.”

Yeah, that’s a mouthful. Let me put in simple terms: not only did the leptin group experience less of a decline in metabolism, but they were also less hungry, allowing them to more easily stick to the prescribed diet.

In 2004, Welt et al. reported that leptin given to a group of women with thyroid disorder immediately raised circulating concentrations of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

In 2005, Rosenbaum and company were at it again, again showing that energy expenditure and circulating concentrations of T3 and T4 all returned to pre-weight-loss levels with regular leptin injections.

So, as theorized, keeping leptin levels high during a diet does indeed solve our dilemma by avoiding the negative metabolic (and perhaps behavioral) adaptations that calorie restriction perpetuates.

The problem?

Daily leptin injections are far too expensive, costing thousands and thousands of dollars per week. So, we can pretty much forget about supplemental leptin as a solution (which is probably moot anyway considering that not too many people are going to voluntarily plunge a needle into their skin daily).


A REAL Solution

Now that we know that leptin injections aren’t going to save us, let’s talk about the possibility of manipulating your body’s natural leptin production.

And I’ve got good news – this can indeed be done, and without involving needles or thousands of dollars. In fact, we’ll swap the injections and mounds of cash out for two things I can guarantee you’re absolutely going to love: more calories and more carbs.

We know that leptin levels decrease by about 50% after only one week of dieting, but fortunately, it doesn’t take nearly that long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake.

In fact, research has shown that it only takes about 12-24 hours.

So, the answer to the fat loss catch-22? Strategic high-calorie, high-carb CHEATING.

By strategically cheating with high calorie foods (and yes, even stuff like pizza, ice cream, wings, cookies, burgers, fries, etc), you can give leptin and metabolism a major boost mid-diet which sets you up for plenty of subsequent fat loss when you resume your reduced calorie eating regimen.

This means greater net fat loss week after week, and ultimately, a much more realistic, maintainable way to bring you to the body you truly want and deserve.

So what’s so special about carbs?

Well, leptin, carbohydrate and insulin have been shown to have very strong ties.

Calories alone don’t get the job done, as research shows that overfeeding on protein and fat has little effect on leptin.

In order to get a strong leptin response from overfeeding, there needs to be plenty of carbs in the mix. In fact, the relationship is SO strong that research conducted by Boden et al. at the Temple University School of Medicine shows that leptin levels will not fall even in response to all-out fasting so long as insulin and blood sugar are maintained via IV drip. That’s CRAZY.

Because of this carbohydrate/insulin-leptin relationship, it makes sense that foods combining both carbs and fat (like pizza, burgers, cookies, ice cream, etc) work best for reversing the negative adaptations caused by dieting because of the BIG-TIME insulin response they produce.

THIS is why strategic cheating with your favorite foods is so powerful. THIS is why you truly can use your favorite foods to lose fat faster than you ever could with restrictive dieting. THIS is freedom.

Essentially, it’s everything “typical” dieting isn’t.

With regular dieting, come week two, you’re screwed.

With strategic cheating, you can literally use ANY food you want to *ensure* that you never go a single day without a body primed for fat loss.

The cheat or not to cheat? I think the choice is clear.

Enjoy, and have a great day!

Mary
Certified Nutrition Specialist

Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipe

My NEW Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipe -- High Protein, Low Sugar, and Full of Chocolately Goodness!

If you've been a subscriber of my Lean-Body Secrets Ezine for some time, you know I'm a nut about chocolate, but I ALWAYS find ways to make healthy versions of chocolate recipes that are low in sugar, higher in fiber, and higher in protein... so you can still enjoy chocolate, but stay lean at the same time! 

My chocolate recipes give you ways to actually NOURISH your body with high nutrient density instead of fattening your body with typical chocolate treats.

In fact, I've become well-known for some of my uniquely healthy chocolate recipes, including my famous healthy chocolate fudge recipe, and my more recent, healthy chocolate pudding recipe.

This new recipe of mine I don't really know what to call, but I guess you could say that it's similar to pudding also, but also similar to a chocolate cheesecake taste!   But instead of typical puddings and cheesecakes loaded with sugar and calories, this recipe is high in protein, has a decent dose of fiber, antioxidants, loads of vitamins, minerals, and more...

PLUS this recipe is lower in carbs and sugar than pretty much any other chocolate desserts out there!

Geary's High-Protein, Low-Sugar Healthy Chocolate Dessert

The quantities here will make about 4-6 servings, so adjust appropriately if you don't want leftovers. To make this healthy chocolate dessert, first mix together in a bowl:

• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (choose either the 2% or the full fat -- remember, don't be afraid of fats, as they help balance hormones and provide satiety which lowers appetite overall... Greek yogurt is MUCH higher in protein than normal style yogurt, and also tastes creamier!)
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese (I passed on the fat-free and chose the part skim... I also was able to find ricotta from grass-fed cows at Whole Foods)
• 1 scoop of chocolate protein -- I like to use this grass-fed raw whey protein, and sometimes I mix and match with chocolate hemp protein or this amazing new protein I found recently, Boku Super-Protein (this protein is from sprouted brown rice and has an incredible amount of naturally-occurring calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin A)
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp raw cocao nibs -- these pieces of 100% pure cocao add tremendous nutrition to the recipe and also a great crunchy chocolate taste (nibs are harder to find than cocoa powder, but can be found at most health food stores or specialty food stores)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup almond slivers
• 2 Tbsp each of chia seeds and hemp seeds (optional, but adds TONS of nutrition and a nice nutty taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Loose Weight with This Multitasking Side Dish

For slimmer hips, skip the baked potato and make yourself a bowl of this for your next side dish: barley salad. Barley is rich in beta glucan, a soluble fiber shown to reduce cholesterol. And now, new research shows that this special fiber may help with waist management, too!

Beyond Cholesterol Control
Barley actually has up to twice as much beta glucan as oats have. And a study found that getting 3 to 5 grams of beta glucan every day from barley can lower harmful LDL cholesterol between 9 and 15 percent in people with high cholesterol. Not too shabby. But the unexpected bonus in this study? The beta glucan helped decrease hunger, so people ate fewer calories overall.

Get a Grip on Hunger
How does barley banish blubber? Researchers suspect that beta glucan and other barley fibers expand in your stomach, so you feel full faster and end up eating less. And working this grain into your day is a snap. Start your day with barley cereal. For lunch, toss barley into soup, stew, or even salad. And use barley in place of rice at dinner.

Those who do not believe that barley would be healthier than brown rice as most barley available in grocery stores is not a whole grain. They can stick with oatmeal for breakfast, and brown rice in daily soup. Or they can try this amazing soup diet.

The diet is simple: A day before starting out, cook up a big batch of our basic soup. Then, each night of the week, mix two cups with extra ingredients to create a totally new soup, from Southwest Chili to Greek Fish Stew, in 20 minutes or less. These diet dinners are all family-friendly, so you don’t have to prepare two separate meals each night. For breakfast and lunch, you’ll stick to your food plan . When you need a snack, dip into your vat of veggie soup. Or if you’re craving crunch, fill up on as many cucumber slices, celery sticks, zucchini wedges, and bell pepper strips as you please. And twice a week, have a 100-calorie treat.

The Causes Of Obesity

With daily focus in America on weight, health and obesity, there is one question that gets ignored: what causes obesity?

There is no simple answer.

Basically, a person becomes obese when more calories are consumed than he or she can burn. This is called “calorie imbalance.” Beyond this simple definition, the factors that cause obesity are varied and many.

Calorie imbalance has many things that affect it. What causes this imbalance varies from one person to another. We also know obesity is more than just over-eating. Genetic, environmental, psychological, and other factors seem to play big roles in causing obesity.

Here are some factors that have been attributed to obesity:

1. Weight Gain During Certain Periods
A person commonly gains more weight during the following periods of life: between 12 and 18 months of age, between 12 and 16 years of age, adulthood when a person gains in excess of 60% of their ideal body weight and women, during pregnancy.

2. Genetic Factors
Heredity is linked to obesity. Studies of adopted children show that adopted children tend to have weights closer to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.

3. Environmental Factors
Environment also strongly influences obesity. This includes lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and level of physical activity. The tendency to eat high-fat foods, to use labor saving devices coupled with a sedentary lifestyle are causes behind obesity.

4. Psychological Factors
Many people eat when they are stressed, bored or angry. Over time, the association between an emotion and food can become firmly fixed.

Depression and stress can also lead to obesity and are leading causes of eating disorders. Studies show most overweight people have no more psychological problems than people of average weight.

Most eating disorders can also be traced to behavioral or psychological difficulties. Up to 10 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight loss programs have binge eating disorder. This disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.

5. Age
Metabolism slows down with advancing age. As you get older you do not require as many calories to maintain your weight as you did when you were younger.

If you know about these factors you are in a better position to cope with the life cycles and manage your weight without getting into the problems of obesity.

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