Did you know that there’s ONE solitary hormone that pretty much controls EVERY
other weight loss hormone in your body, and your ability to burn fat altogether?

In fact, when you have this ONE hormone on your side, fat loss truthfully couldn’t get easier.

When you don’t, however, losing even a single pound can become virtually impossible.

The hormone? Leptin. And here’s the unfortunate news: Just about everyone is unknowingly fighting a losing battle with leptin each and every time they attempt to lose weight.

With that said, it’s not very hard at all to see why so many people outright struggle to shed their unwanted body fat, month after month, year after year.

That’s why in the next few paragraphs I’m going to explain to you exactly why and how leptin is limiting YOUR fat loss, and how 6 odd herbs—many of which you probably never heard of before—can actually solve all the problems leptin poses as you attempt to drop those unwanted pounds.

Ready?

First, in order to burn fat, your body depends on these two things:

1) high levels of leptin

2) highly-sensitive leptin “receptors”

Now for the bad news…

Anytime you go on a diet and reduce your calorie intake, leptin levels plummet and fat burning is dramatically reduced.

Why?

Because leptin’s main function is to protect your body against starvation, and in the midst of decreased food intake (i.e. dieting), your body unfortunately views your stored body fat as a huge asset to survival. After all, body fat provides a vast supply of stored energy and warmth, both highly-valued resources when food is in short supply.

You see, when you go on a diet, your body isn’t aware of your hopes for a slim, tight waistline or your desire to drop 20 lbs in time for your high school reunion or summer beach holiday. In fact, the only thing it does know is that your calorie intake is now below “normal”… and to your brain, that’s a big red flag.

The result:
reduced leptin levels and dramatically decreased fat burning. In fact, research has shown that leptin levels drop by as much as 50% after just 7 days of dieting… that puts you at only 50% of your fat-burning potential just one WEEK in to your fat loss plan, and it only gets worse with each passing day.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, with every pound you DO struggle to lose, leptin levels fall even further, making it even more difficult for you to continue to lose fat.

Why?

Because, as mentioned, in the face of calorie restriction, your body views stored body fat as an asset to survival. The more fat you lose, the more “danger” your body senses, and the harder it is to strip away that next pound.

Hello fat loss plateaus!

Now, I hate to continue to be the bearer of bad news, but the scenario I just explained is actually only HALF the problem.

The other unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of people are ALSO suffering from a condition known as “leptin resistance” due to years of high body fat levels and a diet full of processed foods.

Leptin resistance
simply means that even at high levels, leptin is no longer able to properly signal fat burning to your body, dramatically decreasing it’s fat loss effects. That’s a pretty disheartening truth for the fat loss enthusiast, but as Ialluded earlier, there IS something you can do about it.

Let me ask you this:

What if I told you there was a drop-dead simple way to keep leptin levels high as you lose weight, while also increasing your body’s sensitivity to the hormone?

Is that something you might be interested in?

You see, if you could do that, you could essentially keep your body in a fat-burning state all the time… high leptin levels = high levels of fat burning… 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Can you just imagine how much MORE fat you’d burn if your body was no longer limiting your rate of fat loss on a daily basis?

A LOT more.

And here’s the great news: there is indeed a drop-dead simple way to achieve exactly that, Join our Total Loser Fat Loss Boot Camp, sign up to our Personal training services or just simply follow our ONE (Optimium nutrition everyday) Protocol, these can cost as little as £5.99.

Want To Know more????

Call: Paul 07960 231178

email: paulmason@paulmasonfitness.com

Complete Contact sheet @: www.paulmasonfitness.com

Carbs are not the enemy! don’t treat them as such. in fact, they will help you power through your workouts for serious muscle gains!

All fruit is not created equal. Avoid dried fruit whenever you have the fresh version. Dried fruits are loaded with sugars, calories, and unhealthy nitrates

“You have taken the first step towards a healthier, fitter new you 
by getting in contact with Paul Mason Fitness and must already be
excited to see and feel the benefits you will receive through your
new exercise regime. But tight, toned limbs don’t just come from
working out five times a week. Your diet should be as important to
you as regular exercise and it is imperative that you strive for
optimum [health](http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/healthy-eating.html)
whether you are losing weight or body building.

What we need to establish is what your body really needs and what
you think your body needs. It is all too easy to grab a chocolate
bar when you are in a rush and in need of energy but what happens
after the sugar crash? Another chocolate? An energy drink? Not good
alternatives to the natural foods that your body is actually craving.

To get a better understanding of what your body requires to function
in your own unique lifestyle and to take a fresh new look at foods
and healthy eating, try looking in to a [nutritionist](http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/).
Not only do they cover a huge range of different topics, they are specially
trained to help you as an individual find the right balance when it
comes to health.

For more information on how to find a nutritionist in your local
area, click [here](http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/).” or contact Paul Mason for details of our clininc at the White rooms Lymm or Cottons Spa Knutsford.

Paul: 07960 231178

E:  paulmason@paulmasonfitness.com

These 7 shocking Fatty (but healthy) super-foods can actually help you to burn body fat faster!

The anti-fat propaganda is still alive and well in this country despite all the evidence about the benefits of eating healthy fats and people still dont fully understand that eating fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat.  In fact, it’s absolutely imperative to get enough healthy fats in your diet to keep your hormones balanced, blood sugar under control, and prevent cravings. So  here are the magnificent 7!  examples of “fatty” foods that can actually HELP you to get lean…

1.  Super Dark Chocolate (at least 72% cacao content or higher) – It might not be a secret anymore, but yes, dark chocolate (NOT milk chocolate) can be a very healthy food, even though it is calorie dense.

However that dark chocolate can actually HELP you to burn off more body fat,  if you’re the type of person that has a sweet tooth and likes to eat a lot of sweet stuff.  Just 1 or 2 small squares of dark chocolate can satisfy your sweet tooth for only 30 or 40 calories as opposed to 500 calories for a bar of chocolate or a peice of cake.

Also some brands of dark chocolate that are in the mid 70′s in % cocao content or higher, can have a fairly high ratio of fiber content (I’ve seen some brands have 5 grams of fiber out of 15 grams of total carbs per serving), and relatively low sugar content compared to the amount of healthy fats.  In fact, that’s one of the “tricks” I use to select a good quality chocolate… I look for more total fat than total carbs (or about the same number of grams of each).

The importance of that fact is that it means many dark chocolates will not greatly affect your blood sugar and will have a fairly blunted blood sugar response compared to other “sweets”.

In addition, dark chocolate is also very rich in healthful antioxidants, including a powerful compound called theobromine which has been shown to help lower blood pressure and have other health benefits.  The fat content in a good dark chocolate should come solely from the natural healthy fats occuring in cocoa butter and not from any other added fats.  Any chocolates with added fats or other additives will generally not be as healthy.

The reason to choose dark chocolates with at least 72% cacao content is that the higher the % of cacao, the lower the % of sugar.  However, this does mean that any chocolate over 80% cacao content will generally start to get a more bitter taste and have very little sweetness.  If you like this type of taste, then the higher % cocao, the better. Otherwise, a good 75% dark chocolate is in my opinion an almost perfect combination of lightly sweet with a rich chocolate taste.  Just remember to keep those daily quantities of chocolate small as it is calorie dense!

You can also reap the benefits of the antioxidants and fiber without all of the calories by using organic unsweetened cocoa powder in your smoothies or other recipes.

2.  Coconut milk, coconut flour, and coconut oil –  Coconut milk and oil are great sources of a super healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), including a component called lauric acid, which is a powerful nutrient for your immune system, and is lacking in most western diets.  In addition, MCTs are readily used for energy by the body and less likely to be stored as bodyfat compared to other types of fats.

Along with coconut milk and coconut oil as healthy fat choices, we’ve also got coconut flour as a healthier flour option for baking. Coconut flour is an extremely high fiber flour alternative (almost ALL of the carbs in this flour are fiber and not starch!).  Coconut flour is also VERY high in protein compared to most flours and is also gluten free!

Just beware that if you’re going to use coconut flour for baking, it absolutely NEEDS to be mixed with other flours as it sucks up moisture like crazy… mix coconut flour with almond flour and quinoa flour in equal parts, and adding slightly more liquid ingredients than the recipe calls for.

3.  Grass-fed free range butter — yes, delicious smooth and rich BUTTER (real butter, not deadly margarine!)… It’s delicious, contains loads of healthy nutritional factors, and does NOT have to be avoided in order to get lean.

There’s a lot of confusion about this topic… in fact, I just saw a TV program recentlythat was talking about unhealthy foods and one of the first things they showed was butter.  It just shows that the majority of the population has zero idea that butter (grass-fed only!) can actually be a healthy part of your diet.

In fact, there’s even ample evidence that REAL butter can even help you to lose body fat for a couple of main reasons:

a.  Grass-fed butter is known to have high levels of a healthy fat called CLA, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties, and also has been shown to help burn abdominal fat and build lean muscle.

b.  Grass-fed butter also has an ideal balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids (unlike conventional grain-fed butter) which helps fight inflammation in your body, and can help balance hormones.

c.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also contain MCTs, which help to boost your immune system and are readily burned by the body for energy.  The healthy fats in grass-fed butter also help to satisfy your appetite and control blood sugar levels, both of which help you to stay lean!

If you have a hard time finding a grass-fed butter at your supermarket, Kerrygold Irish butter is one of my favorites, and even though the label doesn’t clearly state “grass-fed”, the cows are 100% grass-fed on lush green pastures in Ireland. It’s one of the richest butters in color that I’ve seen, which indicates high levels of carotenoids.

4.  Whole Eggs, including the yolk (not just egg whites) – Most people have been led to beleive that egg’s especially the yolks are bad for you, some know that eggs are one of the highest quality sources of protein.  However, most people don’t know that the egg yolks are the healthiest part of the egg… that’s where almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found in eggs.

In fact, the egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids.  Also, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.

Just make sure to choose free-range organic eggs instead of normal battery fed eggs.  Similar to the grass-fed beef scenerio, the nutrient content of the eggs and the balance between healthy omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (in excess) is controlled by the diet of the hens.

Chickens that are allowed to roam free outside and eat a more natural diet will give you healthier, more nutrient-rich eggs with a healthier fat balance compared with your typical batery farmed eggs (that came from chickens fed nothing but soy and corn and crowded inside “egg factories” all day long).

5.  Grass-fed organic beef (NOT the mass produced beef!) – I know most people think that red meat is unhealthy for you, but that’s because they do not understand how the health of the animal affects how healthy the meat is for consumption.  Keep this in mind — “an unhealthy animal provides unhealthy meat, but a healthy animal provides healthy meat”.

Typical beef that you see at the shop is raised on grains, mainly corn (and to some extent, soybeans). Soy and corn are NOT the natural diet of cattle and therefore changes the chemical balance of fats and other nutrients in the beef.  Grain-fed beef is typically WAY too high in omega-6 fats and WAY too low in omega-3 fats.  In addition, the practice of feeding cattle corn and soy as the main portion of their diet upsets their digestive system and makes them sick… and it also increases the amount of dangerous e-coli in the meat.  This is not the case with grass-fed meat.

On the other hand, grass-fed beef from cattle that were raised on the type of natural foods that they were meant to eat in nature (grass and other forage), have much higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fats (that most people already eat way too much of) compared to grain fed beef.

Grass fed meats also typically contain up to 3 times the Vitamin E as in grain fed meats.

In addition, grass-fed meat from healthy cattle also contain a special healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in MUCH higher levels than grain-fed meat.  CLA has been proven in scientific studies in recent years to help in burning fat and building lean muscle (which can help you lose weight!).  These benefits are on top of the fact that grass-fed meats are some of the highest quality proteins that you can possibly eat… and this also aids in burning fat and building lean muscle.

Grass-fed meats are a little harder to find, but just ask your butcher or find a shop and they usually have cuts available.

?
6.  Avocados — Even though avocados are typically thought of as a “fatty food”, they are full of healthy fats!  Not only is this fruit (yes, surprisingly, avocados are actually a fruit) super-high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants.

Also, in my opinion, guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious food toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it’s also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods.  Try sliced avocados or guacamole on sandwiches, burgers, eggs or omelets, on salads or with fish, or as a delicious side to just about any meal.

The quality dose of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building.  Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal.  Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that fat burning!  I personally eat anywhere from a half to a full avocado DAILY and it only helps to keep me lean.
7.  Nuts:  Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Macadamias, etc –  Yes, this is yet another “fatty food” that can actually help you burn belly fat!  Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in fat loss.

Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body (adequate healthy fat intake is vitally important to hormone balance) as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you’re consuming a high-fat food.  My favorite healthy nuts are almonds, pecans, pistachios, macadamias, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.

Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.

Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.

One of the little “tricks” that I’ve used with clients when trying to cut down body fat is to have them eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or pecans about 20 minutes before lunch and dinner.  This ends up being a perfect time to control your appetite before lunch or dinner and helps you to eat less overall calories on that meal.

I hope you enjoyed this lbrief insight at some of the healthiest “fatty” fat-burning foods you can possibly eat.  I could list a host more, but wanted to give you a few of my favorites for now.  Enjoy!

Stay Fit, Stay Well

Have you tried surviving on cabbage soup or eating nothing but protein? Most people have tried all sorts of elaborate diets but end up either putting on more weight, having extreme cravings or feeling so sick that they just can’t continue.

We all know that diets are tough to stick to – mainly because they are BORING and the non-diet food tastes better, right?

The solution is simple. Make your weight loss food taste amazing and not boring – that way you can stick to it long term and vastly increase your results. You will find it much easier to stay on track.

My Optimum Nutrition Everyday Protocol is not a diet at all really, just a set of sensible principles that are based upon common sense and backed up by scientific research.

After cutting out man-made food and just eating natural and fresh food for at least 21 days, you will feel amazing and look different too. You will feel less bloated, energised and have no cravings, not to mention some impressive fat loss.

It will leave you feeling like you have much more energy and more confident. Give it a go and keep it clean.

The cook book has recipes for breakfasts, starters, salads, soups, mains, curry’s, sides, sauces and desserts. Over 80 Pages of weight loss food that never tasted so good.

Try these tasty recipes and then order at

www.paulmasonfitness.com

The research behind the headlines

by Iona Taylor (RD)

Did you see the headlines recently, that “ready meals have been found to be healthier than TV chef recipes”? Many of the new reports didn’t scratch the surface of the research, which was published by the British Medical Journal[i] (http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e7607). So what did the study actually investigate?

The structure of the study compared 100 main-meal recipes randomly chosen from best selling recipe books from TV chefs, and 100 own-brand main-meal ready meals randomly chosen from Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys. Computer software analysis calculated the nutritional composition of the recipe meals. Nutritional information for the ready meals was already available.

The study deliberately excluded recipes and dishes which would be consumed as side dishes, and ready meals which took longer than 15 minutes to prepare.

The meals were scored against the Food Standard Agency traffic light system, which gives foods red (high), amber (medium) and green (low) for sugar, fat, saturated fat, salt, and calorie content. The World Health Organization also has nutrient goals for preventing diet-related illness, which were compared with the meals.

They found that recipes were more likely to categorised red (high) for fat, and slightly more likely to be categorised red (high) for saturated fat than ready meals. The majority of both ready meals and recipes were given a green (low) sugar content. Ready meals were more likely to contain higher levels of salt than the recipes, although were also likely to have a higher fibre density.

It is worth bearing in mind that several of the recipes had salt as an optional extra flavouring, which wouldn’t have been reflected in the overall meal analysis. Also, the recipes and ready meals were selected randomly, but there may be individual recipes or meals which do not follow the same trends. The study authors also pointed out that of course we may not eat ready meals, or cook TV chef meals, on a frequent basis, and that the rest of our diet has the potential to balance out our nutrient needs.

Iona comments the results of this study don’t actually surprise me. If you’ve ever seen a TV chef throw the oil bottle around, chuck in some butter cubes or add a liberal stream of thick cream, you should be under no illusions that their meals may not be so healthy! When health professionals encourage people to make their meals ‘from scratch’ it’s so that you know what is going into your meal. If your recipe contains a high level of salty, fatty or sugary ingredients it likely won’t meet foods standards agency levels for green, even if you do make it from scratch! If you want Healthy Nutritious and great tasting recipes try Paul Mason’s The ONE plan cookbook available for download at http://www.cheshirepersonaltraining.com/the-one-plan/                                    

On the other hand, a ready meal can be a good freezer stand-by, for us living our busy lives. Not only are retailers becoming wise to people demanding low-fat, good quality, convenience food, but it is also portion-controlled, crucial for any health-conscious eater.   Of course the even better (and often cheaper!) option would be to make your own healthy meals and keep a few portions at the ready in the freezer! But if you do have an occasional ready meal, choose wisely – and maybe add vegetables or a salad to help fill you up.

Dietitians can help individuals and families plan their food intake to meet their health needs, including finding and adapting recipes, weekly meal planners, and learning how to choose healthier convenience foods. Iona holds clinics at the White Rooms and the Cottons.

For more information about the services Iona is able to provide, or to book an appointment, please contact Paul Mason on 07960 231178 or paulmason’paulmasonfitness.com