Recently by Curtis Ludlow

The Lemonade Diet, also known as the Master Cleanse Diet, is a relatively simple program that has gained popularity recently. Several well known celebrities, Beyonce for instance, claim that it helped them lose weight.

Just remember, following the program can pose problems of its own.

There are three major components of the "lemonade" diet including Ease In, The Lemonade Diet, and the Ease-Out. The ingredients necessary must be followed precisely in order for the program to work right.

The first part of the program eases you into the routine and prepares your mind and body. Your stomach will adjust to receiving less food and you will be mentally prepared. The first part consists of 3-days, on the 1st day you can eat fruits and vegetables, removing meat and processed foods from your diet. On the 2nd day you can only drink fruit and vegetable juices, if you do not have a juicing machine create a broth. The third day entails drinking two liters of fresh squeezed orange juice with a tablespoon of maple syrup and water to fill.

The main part referred to as the Lemonade Diet is an intense process that will be challenging. There are three steps that need to occur on a daily basis. The 1st step is about preparing your lemonade for the day. As soon as you wake up go into the kitchen and prepare your "meals."

Here is the Recipe for the Lemonade Diet

You will need to gather 14 tablespoons of hand squeezed lemon juice, three 1-liter reusable bottles, 14 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper, and two liters of water. Place seven tablespoons of the lemon juice into a 1-liter bottle and repeat with a second bottle. Do the same with the maple syrup, add the cayenne pepper and fill it with water. Fill your third bottle full of water as you will need to drink it throughout the day to give your body the illusion you are full.

The second step of the diet entails drinking the lemonade and water throughout the day. When you feel hungry take a swig of the lemon mixture and follow it with several drinks of regular water. You need to drink the entire two liters of lemonade at the end of the day.

The hardest part of the diet is the third step, which is salt water flush. In essence, you drink salt water to induce several bowel movements to cleanse your system. Mix one liter of room temperature water with a teaspoon of sea salt. It is easiest to drink the solution in one gulp, but be sure to stand by the sink as your reflexes may sink in halfway through. After drinking the mixture you can go about your night until a bowel movement occurs - typically within 60 minutes of drinking the salt water. It is important to perform the flush in the evening because you will be on the toilet for a while. You must be near a toilet for several hours after the first movement. When you reach the point where you can go 15 minutes without eliminating, you are safe.

The time frame for which people stay on the lemonade diet depends; some do it for as little as three days while others can go up to two weeks. Whenever going on such a diet always consult with your physician if you have prior medical conditions.

The ease-out steps are an essential process to prepare your body for regular food again. It is critical that you change your eating habits afterwards and it's important to remember that this diet, like all diets, will slow metabolism.

That's right.

You will be losing muscle during this diet and muscle is your metabolic engine. If you started the diet with a 200 horsepower engine, you will finish the lemonade diet with a smaller engine. The longer you stay on the diet, the smaller your engine will get. So don't do this for weight loss. If you choose to go on this diet, do it to flush your colon, not as an attempt to lose fat.

How to ease back into eating real foods:

1. On the first day drink three one liter bottles of orange juice with two tablespoons of maple syrup in each.
2. On the second day drink fruit and vegetable juice or broth.
3. On the third day re-introduce your body to fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. On the fourth day you can eat anything, but be sure to include live products.

If you choose not to follow the ease-out process prepared to become nauseous and possibly sick.

Tired of walking around with those extra pounds on your body?


For many women, a slow metabolism is part of the problem when they try to lose weight.

You may have tried many diets, personal trainers, and all kinds of exercise videos. However, with these simple tricks to rocket launch your metabolism you'll finally lose those pounds, feel better and look great.

Frequent, Small Meals

Some people eat 1-2 big meals each day. This can elevate your leptin levels and put your body in starvation mode.

Not good.

Eating every couple hours is a great way to rev your metabolism. Just be sure to eat healthy foods and don't overeat. Eat enough so your stomach feels comfortably full.
 

You are being lied to.

Everyday you purchase food items that you think are good for you. You probably base your decisions on the food labels themselves. The problem is that there it is very difficult to monitor and enforce misrepresentations about food claims that restaurants and food manufacturers make.

Here are the top 7 lies they don't want you to know about:

1. "carb smart," "net carbs," "carb free lifestyle," and "minimal impact on blood sugar."

Many people purchase items with these labels thinking that "carbs are bad". Lables will often say that they're carbohydrates will have "a minimal impact on blood sugar". But remember, they still provide calories that can contribute to weight gain

2. "Low fat": Most foods may be described as "low fat" if there are no more than 3 grams of fat in a standard serving. Standard servings have been established by the FDA to reflect the amount of food that is typically consumed. Since restaurants often serve foods much larger than the standard serving, a "low fat" food may actually contain large amounts of fat.

For example, ice cream may be called "low fat" as long as there are no more than 3 grams of fat in a standard half cup serving.

However, you are usually offered portions several times larger than the standard serving size. So a 2-cup serving of "low fat" ice cream may contain up to 12 grams of fat!

Also, keep in mind that even a small-sized serving of "low fat" main dishes like hamburgers, pizza, or sandwiches, can have more than 3 grams of fat per serving.

And remember, "low in fat" does not always mean "low in calories."

3. "Light": "Light" is commonly used to mean many different things. It may describe a food's taste, color, or texture, or it may indicate that the food's calorie, fat, or sodium content has been significantly reduced.

Labels must clearly indicate what "light" is intended to convey. If the meaning is not clearly explained, you should seek clarification. If "light" is used to indicate a reduction in calories, fat, or sodium, information about those nutrients must be provided upon request.

4. "Cholesterol free": "Cholesterol free" claims are very popular on, but can also be very misleading. Keep in mind that:

"Cholesterol free" does not mean "fat free."

Foods like meat, poultry, and seafood contain cholesterol -- even if they are fried in "cholesterol free" oil.

Also, saturated fat and trans fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood:

"Cholesterol free" foods may contain saturated fat. The FDA only allows foods that are low in saturated fat to be described as "cholesterol free," but watch out -- most do not comply with this requirement.

The FDA allows foods with significant amounts of trans fats to be called "cholesterol free." To avoid trans fats, limit foods prepared with vegetable shortening or partially hydrogenated oils.

5. "Sugar free": Some foods, especially desserts, may be described as "sugar free." But keep in mind that "sugar free" does not mean "calorie free" or "fat free." If a food described as "sugar free" is not low-calorie or reduced-calorie, the menu must say so.

6. "Healthy": Food described as "healthy" must be low in fat and saturated fat and may not be high in cholesterol or sodium. However, there are no limits on the amount of sugar or calories that a "healthy" food may contain.

7. "Heart" claims: Claims like "heart-healthy," "heart smart," and "heart" symbols imply that a food may be useful in reducing the risk of heart disease. When such claims are made, the food must be low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and must not be high in sodium. But keep in mind that most vendors will not always comply with these restrictions.

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Have you ever seen someone doing hundreds of crunches in an attempt to get a smaller waist line, or to burn fat solely around their midsection?

Have you ever done this yourself?  Well, I'm here to tell you that spot reduction (attempting to burn fat in just that one little --or big-- spot on your body that you are unhappy with) does not work.

If spot reduction did work, chewing gum would give you a skinny face, right?  What you really need to do is to focus on what does work. If you want your body to burn fat around your midsection, then the latest ab crunch device isn't going to do it.  

What you need is to tap into the fat reserves of your entire body. To do this you need to do three things consistently right.  Here they are:  

1. Have a concern for muscle.

What I mean by this is that you will need to perform some strength training exercises.  Within the framework of your personal transformation program, you must work to maintain the muscle that you already have.  This is important to you because muscle is a metabolically active tissue.

A metabolically active tissue requires significant calorie expenditure to maintain itself.  The bottom-line is that when you have more muscle, you burn more calories, and you can potentially burn more fat.

2. Eat the "right foods", in the "right combinations".

Ideally, you want to eat a small meal every 3 ½ hours that contains a lean protein, fibrous carbohydrate, and starchy carbohydrate.  Doing this will keep your blood sugar levels stable, which will give you more energy, and burn more calories, paradoxically. It will also keep you satiated and you will never feel like you are "dieting" or depriving yourself.

3. Perform interval strength training for 12-20 minutes per day, ideally in the morning, at a "high intensity" level.

An interval training program is any program that alternates high and low intensities of exercise.  "High intensity" is relative to the individual. A professional athlete might have to sprint uphill for 30 seconds, whereas a grandmother may be performing a "high intensity" interval by doing five body weight squats.

The interval training method has been conclusively proven to be the most efficient way to elevate your metabolism and keep it high all day.  

Remember, you must take action if you expect to see and feel physical changes in your body. Reading this article will have been a waste of your time, UNLESS you DO SOMETHING about what you just learned.  

So what are YOU going to do?

Blaming anyone other than yourself is giving your power away.  You must examine your beliefs about what is possible in your life. Develop a strategy to acquire your goal or find someone who already has a proven strategy to attain a similar goal.  

You must accept 100% responsibility for who you are right now. You are not limited to your current state -- you can change anything and everything as long as you first accept who you are at this moment.

All change happens in an instant. It happens the instant you decide that you are fed up and NOT going to "settle" for anything. Never settle for anything less than you can be. Make up your mind right now and set a physical fitness goal for yourself.

Make your goal challenging, yet attainable. Set a deadline for its achievement. Think of the real reason why you want it and take action now! 

Get up and move!

Photo Credit © Suprijono Suharjoto | Dreamstime.com

These 7 exercises can be included in your fitness training program to get a flatter stomach.

Total body exercises and workouts are a great to get a tight tone stomach.

THE TRUTH IS, EVERYONE HAS ABS

The problem is that many people have too much fat in the abdominal region to see their abs.




INSTRUCTIONS:

Perform the exercises quickly and with control. This will build total body strength.

When you combine this with a nutrition plan designed to burn fat, this workout will help you get a flat stomach fast.

Before you start exercising, you need to warm up your muscles with dynamic stretching for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pick one of these exercises and perform 10-50 reps.
 
Do one flat abs exercise after every set in your strength training program.

After your workout, cool down with static stretching for 5 to 10 minutes.

Many people have a fitness goal that they want to achieve.

You can achieve your goal if you follow these four simple steps.

1. Focus

Focus on one goal at a time, one month at a time.

To achieve a goal you will need to establish a new habit.
This will require consistent, attentive, new behavior.

One key is to make your new daily habit easy to achieve.

For example, if your goal is to get more consistent with your exercise routine
and you are currently exercising 3-days a week, set a goal to exercise an
additional 2-days per week and decide the times and days that you will exercise.

If your goal is to start an exercise program and you're currently inactive,
set a goal to walk for 10-minutes everyday at __ am/pm.

Another example, if your goal is weight loss and you are currently not eating any
vegetables, set a goal to eat something green at dinner.
 
That's all.
 
No mention of quantity.
By this definition, if you eat just one leaf of spinach everyday
for 30-days, you have succeeded with your goal.

Make your goal easy to achieve.

2. Write

Write down how you plan to achieve your goal.

What will you do everyday to guarantee your success?

What will be the daily "trigger event" that will put you on autopilot,
causing you to start your new daily habit pattern?

For example, last year I set a goal to go to a networking event everyday for
7-consecutive days and introduce myself to 20 new people - everyday.

My "trigger event" was eye contact.

If I made eye contact with anyone within arms reach,
that was my trigger to speak to that person.
It didn't matter if I said "Hi" or delivered a reinterpretation of the Gettysburg address.

If I opened my mouth and stuttered, it counted.

The beauty of this system is that it takes thinking out of the way.
Goal achievement becomes automatic.

Now, if your goal is to eat something dark green or colorful (vegetables)
with dinner every night, your "trigger event" might be to remove a package
of frozen-mixed-vegetables (they're more nutrient dense than "fresh") and
prepare them for cooking as soon as the evening news comes on
or when you start to prepare your meal.

Decide what your daily goal and "trigger event" will be.

And remember, hoping is for sissies.
Make stuff happen.

3. Tell

Tell other people what your goal is.
However, only tell people who will support you and check up on you.
Downers and haters will try and pull you down. Don't let 'em.

I invite you to write your 30-day goal and your plan to achieve it in the forum
at http://bootcampfx.ning.com
You can post your results everyday.

Did you do what you planned to do for that day?

Make a choice and post your goal for everyone to see.

We will help you and hold you accountable.
Your daily goal should be simple and it should be easy to measure.
For example, if you set a goal to exercise for 10-minutes everyday,
at the end of the day, you either did or you did not.

This leads us to the final step.

4. Report

Record and report your results daily.

There is tremendous power in this. If you write your results for
just yourself to see, you will change for the better.

If you post your results for everyone to see, you will create ultimate life change.
You can record and report your results in the forum.

Write YES if you accomplished your daily goal and NO if you did not.

You CAN change your body and life. Start thinking more about how and why
you will succeed and less about any so called obstacles.

If you truly decide to succeed, nothing can stop you.

Decide to succeed.

Contact curtis.ludlow@gmail.com for
assistance in setting up your 4-step plan.

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Americans consume five times as much food dye as they did 30 years ago

Europeans are using pumpkin, annatto, and strawberry coloring for their foods.

We are using the synthetic petrochemicals; Yellow #5, Red #40, and Blue #1.

What's the problem?

These dyes have been linked hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning difficulties, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children.

Not good.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has issued a petition to have these dyes banned from foods in the U.S. However, it will probably be several years until they are out of our foods.

What should we do about this? Photo Credit © Lorna | Dreamstime.com

Roger C. Parker has published 38 books and counting.

He is known as the best-selling 32-million dollar author.

When asked about how he does it, how does he publish so much and get so much done, he said it is really quite simple.

It just takes planning and ritualistic behavior.

According to Roger, just 30-minutes a day is all it takes to write a book and get published.

And so it is with exercise and weight loss.

I'm here to tell you that it takes less than:

   1. 30-minutes a day to get lean and in shape.
   2. 30-minutes a day to have more energy.
   3. 30-minutes a day to get rid of stomach fat and have tone shapely thighs that you are proud to show off, not ashamed of.

Occasionally, I workout in a space about the size of a phone booth with nothing but a couple chairs and a bottle of water.

It takes me 15-20 minutes to complete my workout.

You see, we all have the same number of hours available to us everyday.

What counts most is how we use those hours.

If you give yourself an hour, that hour will create better, more productive, more fulfilling hours for yourself and everyone around you.

When you give time to yourself first, everyone wins.

You deserve your "me time".

Enjoy it and let the people around you wonder how it seems like you have an extra hour everyday.

Photo Credit © Iris Schneider | Dreamstime.com

Justine was fifteen pounds overweight and she had the bad habit of eating a McDonalds breakfast burrito everyday.

Yes, that's right.

Everyday she would wake up, go to McDonalds, and eat an entire breakfast burrito just for herself.

I've heard that an apple an day keeps the doctor away, what do you think a breakfast burrito a day would do to you?


Here is what happened.

She just moved to San Francisco.

She sold her car and now walks everywhere.

Also, she no longer eats the breakfast burrito everyday.

What do you think happened?

Get this, in just three months, having made no other changes, she has lost 15 pounds of fat.

You heard that right.

She has lost fifteen pounds just by changing two habits.

Quite simply, this is proof of the power of a daily ritual.

What if you adopted a new empowering ritual and got rid of a disempowering one?

Would that positively affect your body and life?

It absolutely would affect your life positively.

So I advise you to develop habits and rituals that have a big R.O.I. (Return on investment)

Ask yourself these questions:

   1. What one negative habit must you get rid of, that will change your body for the better, forever?
   2. What one positive habit must you develop, that will transform your body positively for the better, forever?

Get clear about these two habits and do something to change your body.

Justine did it without even trying.

She just replaced a burrito with a bowl of oats and started walking.
What would happen if you made two changes?

Make a decision and take the first step now.

Photo Credit © Christy Thompson | Dreamstime.com

1. 
   

On a recent trip to San Francisco, while I stood gazing upon the Golden Gate bridge, a man calling himself Arnold spoke unto me.

He told me that his people have become obese and defiled themselves with fast food, fad diets, and fraudulent quick fixes.

Then he told me to transcribe his words.

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