Here is some information that I have been wanting to share for a long time.  I hope this can address some of the nutrition and supplement questions that many of you have been asking me, and perhaps be useful to those who are interested in making some positive dietary adjustments or body transformations.  In conjunction with working out regularly and a healthy lifestyle, this program has improved my body and my life.  Whether you want to gain muscle mass,  increase muscle tone, lose weight, or if you are active in the gym and exercise or not,  I'm sure you can benefit - as I have - from fueling your body with many of the foods and supplements that can enhance overall health, and that can give you the energy, motivation, willpower, confidence, and inspiration to be the best YOU that you can be. 

The following "diet" could probably be more appropriately referred to as an eating program or structure that burns fat, builds muscle, prevents disease, restores the body, and increases quality of life.  It is a simple, sensible approach that also assists in promoting weight loss, strengthening bones, lowering blood pressure, fighting cancer, improving immune function, and fighting heart disease.  Consisting of 12 different basic foods/food groups, this diet has helped me achieve and maintain impeccable health along with great results from my exercising and bodybuilding/contouring efforts in the gym.


                                                                  

The Abs Diet (©Men's Health July/August 2004)

Guidelines: 

Eat Six Meals a Day
Keep yourself from getting hungry by eating snacks (increases metabolism and fat burning)
Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day
Try to diversify your food at every meal and include a combination of protein, carbs, and fat
Don't drink alcohol

"The Power 12"

1.  Almonds and Other Nuts
     - Building muscle, fighting food cravings.  Fights against:  Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, cancer

2.  Beans and Other Legumes (including soybeans, chickpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans)
     - Building muscle, helping burn fat, regulating digestion.  Fights against:  Obesity, colon cancer heart disease, high blood pressure

3.  Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
     - Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process).  Fights against:  Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

4.  Dairy Products (fat-free, or low fat mild, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese)
     - Builds strong bones, firing up weight loss.  Fights against:  Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

5.  Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
     - Boosting energy and sex drive, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood-sugar levels.  Fights against: Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

6.  Eggs
     - Building muscle, burning fat.  Fight against:  Obesity

7.  Turkey and Other Lean Meats (lean steak, chicken, fish)
     - Building muscle, improving the immune system.  Fights against:  Obesity, mood disorders, memory loss, heart disease

8.  Peanut Butter (all natural, sugar free
    - Boosting testosterone, building muscle, burning fat.  Fights against:  Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease

9.  Olive Oil
     - Lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system.  Fights against:  Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

10.  Whole Grain Breads and Cereals
       - Preventing your body from storing fat.  Fights against:  Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease. 

11.  Extra Protein (Whey) Powder
       - Building muscle, burning fat.  Fights against:  Obesity

12.  Raspberries and Other Berries (and other fruits, especially apples and grapefruits)
       - Protecting your heart, enhancing eyesight, improving memory, preventing cravings, anti aging.  Fights against:  Heart disease, cancer, obesity, aging
                  

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The following are examples of the foods and snacks I currently eat on a regular basis (and some of my favorite and easy ways to prepare them) - in no particular order - in keeping with the list above:

Oatmeal with fresh raspberries, blueberries, or apples sweetened with Splenda
Peanut butter on whole grain flax bread
Fage 0% Authentic Greek Yogurt
Grapefruits, oranges, pineapple, green apples, red apples, bananas, blackberries
Pure pomegranite and cranberry juice
Almonds & raisins
Active Greens Organic Food Bar
ZonePerfect bars
Pure Protein bars
Low carb protein shakes
Whole grain muffins (apple, raisin bran, cranberry, or blueberry)
Green apples with fresh lime juice, or cinnimon and honey
Pitted prunes
Cottage cheese
Tuna fish with olive oil, pepper, basil, and celery seed
Chicken: roasted, grilled, or sauteed with garlic, olive oil and lemon
Grilled Chicken/spinach/radicchio/endive salad with broccoli, cabbage, garbanzo beans, rasins, balsamic vinegar and toasted sesame oil
Beets, turnips, parsnips (boiled)
Broccoli and asparagus sauteed in garlic and olive oil
Fennel salad with olive oil and pepper
Cold beet salad with dill, parsley, olive oil, plum vinegar and rasins
Spinach, radicchio, and endive salad with lemon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and shaved provolone cheese
Red cabbage salad with toasted sesame oil
Kale sauteed with onion, shallots, and garlic
Kale steamed with sesame oil and lemon
Brown rice
Garbanzo bean salad with fresh parsley, olive oil, and dill weed
Low sodium or fresh roasted turkey slices, or with Muenster or American cheese on whole grain bread
Egg white omelets - plain or with spinach and Feta cheese

Of course I variate from this list, cooking and seasoning the foods differently to add interest depending on what I am in the mood for, but basically it is exactly what my diet consists of.  I don't eat red meat frequently; howerver,  there are occasions - maybe a few times a year - when I feel like having maybe a Bison burger or Filet Mignon.  One day a week -  usually Monday - I have a cheat day, and believe me, I make it count!

In addition to my list of foods above, for years I have been taking supplements to help sustain optimum health and physical well-being, to promote and increase anti-aging, and to rejuvenate and renew my body on a cellular level.  My program is as follows:

Berry Green Probiotic
Green Vibrance Super Food
Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Omega 3-6-9 pure fish oil
CoQ-10
Organic Flax Seed Oil
High Potency Multivitamins
Ascorbyl Palmitate
DHEA
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Vitamin D
Glucosamine & Chondroitin with MSM
Purified or distilled water

Some very high concentrations of Anti-Oxidants can be found in the following additions to my diet everyday:

Green Tea
White Tea
Prunes
Cocoa (mixed in yogurt)

Natural antibiotics occur and are extremely high in these foods that I try to incorporate into my diet everyday:

Onions
Shallots
Garlic




* If you are interested in more specifics on the Abs Diet program and book, go here.