Fiber.
Stocking up on fiber will do wonders for your abs. High fiber foods are nutrient dense and low in calories. Try these high fiber favorites: raspberries, pear (with skin), artichoke, peas, apples (with skin), broccoli, brussels sprouts, and carrots.

Medicine Ball.
The first medicine balls were created in Persia over 3,000 years ago, made with sand filled bladders and used by wrestlers as part of their conditioning. Today you can get the same rippling abs by incorporating medicine balls into your exercise routine. Do a sit-up holding a medicine ball at your chest then throw it to a partner as you raise your chest toward your knees; or hold a medicine ball with arms straight up in the air as you do crunches.

Reduced Salt.
Too much salt leads to water retention, and that spells disaster for your six pack. Pay attention to the sodium content of your food. Limit salt intake by not eating packaged foods and by putting down the salt shaker.

Oblique V-Sits.
Who really wants a muffin top? You don’t, so incorporate Oblique V-Sits into your routine in 3 simple steps. 1) Lie on your side with legs straight and hands behind your head. 2) Raise your arms and legs simultaneously, while exhaling and squeezing your obliques. 3) Repeat on the other side.

Lean Protein.
Along with fiber, your meals should be packed with lean protein. This will help support muscle growth while controlling blood sugar – all important factors when it come to washboard abs.

Sprints.
The days of long slow cardio sessions are long gone. We now know that short intense bursts of cardio is the ideal way to melt fat. Run 60-90 second sprints in between resistance training sets to really kick your fat burning mechanism into high gear.

No Sugar.
Sure, sugar tastes good, but indulging in it causes your body to store layers of fat. Enjoy fresh fruit, rather than refined sugar. If you really want washboard abs, then say no to sugar.

Hanging Leg Raises.
This is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your abdominals. 1) Hang from pull-up bar with legs fully extended. 2) Exhale and drive your knees up toward your chest. 3) Inhale as you slowly lower your legs back down.

No Grain.
If you’re serious about that six pack then put down the bread basket. Grains are full of insulin-spiking carbohydrates—the perfect combination for fattening you up. Learn to love grain-free meals that center around lean meats and vegetables.

Mountain Climbers.
Here’s another intense exercise that really targets your abs while also burning fat. 1) Get into push-up position. 2) Exhale as you alternately drive your knees in toward your chest, keeping your back flat.

Washboard Abs.
Contact me about my tummy flattening programs that will get you those washboard abs that you’re wishing for. Call or email today to get started

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If it is early in the morning allow yourself about 30 minutes before you start to workout to eat something like ½ of a pink grapefruit.  You can use a packet of Stevia or local honey to sweeten it.

Post Workout Tips
After you have finished a workout your body’s blood sugar has dropped and you are on empty.  If you don’t eat quickly your body will crash.

If you don’t give your body food high in protein in will begin to take protein from your muscles, which is what you don’t want to happen.  So instead, try 1 cup of Trader Joes’ Non-Fat Yogurt or 1 cup of Greek Yogurt like Fage or Oikos.  Add in ¼ cup of Bear Naked Peak Protein Granola.  That will give you about 25g of Protein.

You should eat this about 30-45 mins after your workout.  The next thing you should be consuming is a meal.

Let me preface this article by saying this is not a shot to anyone that runs slow, LOL.  I know you are wondering where I am going with this, so keep reading.  Many of you know the story of the tortoise and the hare.  Like the Hare, it seems that many of us want the results but face either 1 of 2 problems.

1. We want them quickly.  Sometimes overnight.
2. We are disillusioned about the hard work it takes to get the results we want.

1. Did I put this weight on in just 4 weeks? NO
2. Is it safe for me to lose this much weight in so little time? NO
3. Is all weight loss good? NO  (Fat Loss is great, but Muscle loss is not so great)
4. In the past when I lost a lot of weight did I put it back on? YES

My goal for this article is to provide a little education about stress and a lot of encouragement for increasing your coping skills and improving your ability to manage stress. But, before we get into managing stress, first we need to understand it. A friend of mine gives what she calls a “whiteboard talk” on stress – in other words, the key points you need to know. I’ve included a few of the most important ones here. If you’ve already got the background, skip this section. If not, definitely read it – you’ll be glad you did. If you would like more on the subject of stress, send me a note and I’ll consider a more in-depth educational piece for a future newsletter.

Managing Stress

I’ve always believed that we can improve our stress management skills if we only attend to four things: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and prayer. These will remain my top four, but there are others to consider. Here are 6 key ideas for improving your coping skills and your ability to manage the stress in your life.

Start with physical conditioning.  If you struggle with this, then do it first thing in the morning (5 am or 6 am). Get a trainer, attend a class, set goals, listen to great music, find a workout accountability partner, or get involved in a competition.  We just celebrated the completion of our NuBody Boot Camp Spring Challenge and this year’s winner was Kimberly Kraut. She decreased her body fat, increased her pushups (over 140 straight), and drastically improved her core strength all because of her complete commitment to health and fitness.  Kimberly’s “all-in” attitude contributed to her first place achievement and the $500 prize money. But, the longest lasting effect of this level of commitment is the impact it will have on her physical and mental health. That’s the real prize.

Make sound nutritional choices.  Eat like a king or queen in the morning, a prince or princess at noon and a pauper at night. Follow a plan like Racheal Keesee, who has lost over 30lbs on our Nutrition Is Easy program. Plan ahead for trouble zones: air travel, late night hotel arrivals, lunch and dinner presentations that cause you to miss a meal, etc. Pack some meal replacement bars. Research restaurants that offer healthy options. A great idea I heard from a client is to refuse the menu (too many temptations) and order without one. Ask for simple fish, grilled chicken or petite lean steak prepared without oil or butter, lots of steamed veggies, and a side salad without dressing. Request dressings or sauces served in a very small portion on the side (or not at all) and you can’t go wrong!

Get a good night’s sleep. So many adults have trouble sleeping… insomnia, sleep apnea, the list goes on. Nothing lowers our stress threshold faster than lack of sleep. How much sleep do you get? If you are a 5-hour a night sleeper, I challenge you to get 6 or 7. If you are a 10-hour a night sleeper, I challenge you to exercise more. A healthy adult should not need 10 hours a night. Here’s a good rule: go to sleep relaxed and you will wake relaxed. That means turn off the computer 30 minutes before going to bed, disconnect from all electromagnetic waves that can actually disrupt the quality of your sleep, put some lavender on the pillow, read a great book before retiring to bed, take a hot bath, or just listen to some soft, relaxing music. (Now, that’s stress management!)

Create “holy” time.  This is time for YOU.  Read, pray, meditate, listen to great music, but take time to nourish your soul. How often do the words, “I don’t have time to think” come from your lips? Hit the pause button daily and feed your mind with words and music that lift you up. We cope better with the reality of today when we have faith that tomorrow will be brighter.  I like to have “holy” time in the AM before my day starts up, but the bottom line is just get it in.

Learn to say no. Nothing reduces stress faster than turning off the flow of demands you require of yourself. And, while you’re at it, take some time off!  Start small if you have to (half-days, three-day weekends), but be warned! Vacations are addictive.  We all need more  “down” time.  A quiet afternoon, a lazy Sunday, a road trip… It won’t be long before you’re hooked and happier than ever.

Surround yourself with positive people. Research tells us that a strong and loving support system is highly effective in improving our abilities to cope with life stresses. Feeling low or overwhelmed? Phone or visit a friend. Invite a neighbor to go for a walk. Share your life with others and remember the power of laughter – it is the best medicine. Stay connected with the people who lift your spirits. Thank them for the impact they have on your life.

We can’t completely remove stress from our lives. The good would go out with the bad. We need some stress in order to perform at our best. What we don’t need is excess stress – more stress than we can cope with successfully. Most of us struggle with life balance. We are challenged daily by professional and personal demands. The goal is to know our personal threshold for stress and to do our best not to exceed it. For me, the many hats I wear (business owner, leader, trainer, mentor, manager, presenter, coach, etc.) often pull me in opposite directions. Added to this, my role demands that I am “on” all the time for everyone.  So, just like you, I seek peak performance but sometimes exceed my threshold for stress, and I too can suffer the consequences. For me, my back and my hydration levels are my barometer for stress and they will often let me know when my stress level is too high.  If I listen and pay attention, I am fine.  I will go to bed earlier than normal, get a massage, get in a great workout, relax with a good book, or just stop to spend more time with the people I love.  If I don’t listen, it could literally put me flat on my back and force me to slow down.

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Stand: 20 minutes

Makes: 8 servings

1  cup fresh or thawed frozen corn

¼  cup finely chopped red bell pepper

2  tablespoons chopped chives

1  tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1   tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno

1  tablespoon cider vinegar

1  teaspoon olive oil

1/8  teaspoon salt

1/8  teaspoon pepper

Stir together all of the ingredients; let stand at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serving Size:  ¼ cup

Calories                  25

Fat  1g (0g Sat; 0g Mono; 0g Poly)

Cholesterol  0mg

Protein  1g

Carbs  5g

Sugars  1g

Fiber  1g

Iron  0mg

Sodium  1mg

Calcium  3mg

Recipe from Health Magazine June 2010