Abs building food!

Why food affecting abs building

Many people have the wrong concept that abs building is all about the numbers of crunches, sit-up done. Its WRONG!
Its takes training to increase strength, build endurance and develop your abdominal, but to see the definition in your abdominal is almost entirely the result of low body fat levels.
In another words, if you can't see you abs, its not an issue of "muscle development" at all. You simply have too much body fat covering up the ab muscles.

So diet is as important as the abs exercise to build define abs lines, so please stick to diet if you want great abs!

Almonds and Other Nuts (With Skins Intact)

These delicious and versatile nuts contain filling protein and fiber, not to mention vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. They're also a good source of magnesium, a mineral your body must have in order to produce energy, build and maintain muscle tissue, and regulate blood sugar. "A stable blood-sugar level helps prevent cravings that can lead to overeating and weight gain," says David Katz, MD, a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine. But what makes almonds most interesting is their ability to block calories. Research indicates that the composition of their cell walls may help reduce the absorption of all of their fat, making them an extra-lean nut.

Try for: An ounce a day (about 23 almonds), with approximately 160 calories. An empty Altoids tin will hold your daily dose perfectly.
Superpowers: Build muscle, reduce cravings
Fights: Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure

Eggs

You won't find a more perfect protein source. Eggs are highly respected by dietitians because of their balance of essential amino acids (protein building blocks used by your body to manufacture everything from muscle fibers to brain chemicals). We like them because they keep our hands out of the cookie jar. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that when people ate eggs in the morning, they felt less hungry throughout the day than when breakfast consisted of complex carbohydrates like bagels. "The protein and fat in the egg may be contributing to the feeling of satiety," says lead researcher Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, PhD.

Try for: One egg a day, unless you have high blood cholesterol, in which case you should check with your doctor first. (One egg packs about 213 milligrams of cholesterol.)
Superpowers: Build muscle, burn fat
Fights: Obesity

Leafy Greens

Their cancer-preventing carotenoids won't help shrink your waistline, but their low calorie count definitely will. One cup of spinach contains only about 40 calories, while a cup of broccoli has 55 calories and satisfies 20 percent of your day's fiber requirement. Most leafy greens are also a good source of calcium, an essential ingredient for muscle contraction. In other words, they help fuel your workouts.

Try for: Three servings daily. Keep a bag of prewashed baby spinach in your fridge and toss a handful into soups, salads, pasta dishes, stir-fries, and sandwiches. When you get sick of spinach, reach for a bunch of arugula, broccoli rabe, or broccolini, a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale.
Superpowers:Neutralize free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process)
Fights: Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

Dairy Products
(Fat-Free Or Low-Fat Milk, Yogurt, Cheese)

People who get their calcium from yogurt rather than from other sources may lose more weight around their midsection, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity. The probiotic bacteria in most yogurts help keep your digestive system healthy, which translates into a lower incidence of gas, bloating, and constipation, which can keep your tummy looking flat.

Try for: One to three cups a day of low-fat or fat-free yogurt. Choose unsweetened yogurt that contains live active cultures. Add a handful of fresh chopped fruit for flavor and extra fiber.
Superpowers: Build strong bones, fire up weight loss
Fights: Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

Berries

Most are loaded with fiber, every dieter's best friend. The more fiber you eat -- experts say that it's best to get between 25 and 35 grams every day -- the fewer calories you absorb from all the other stuff you put in your mouth. That's because fiber traps food particles and shuttles them out of your system before they're fully digested. Berries (and other fruits) are also high in antioxidants, which not only help protect you from chronic diseases like cancer but may also help you get more results from your workouts. "Antioxidants help improve blood flow, which can help muscles contract more efficiently," says Dr. Katz.

Try for: At least half a cup daily, or about 30 calories' worth. Don't limit yourself to the usual suspects, like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. If you can find them, add boysenberries, gooseberries, and black currants to the mix for excitement.

Superpowers: Protects the heart, enhances eyesight, prevents cravings, and improves balance, coordination, and short term memory
Fights: Heart disease, cancer, obesity

Soy

Soybeans are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and protein. Plus, they're incredibly versatile. Snack on dry-roasted soybeans, toss shelled edamame into soups, and slip a spoonful of silken tofu into your morning smoothie. Liquid soy also makes a good meal replacement: A study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that overweight subjects who drank a soy milk?based meal replacement lost more weight than those who consumed a traditional dairy-based diet drink.
Try for: Twenty-five grams of whole (not isolated) soy protein daily. A half cup of steamed edamame contains about 130 calories and 11 grams of protein. Four ounces of tofu (94 calories) contain 10 grams. Choose whole soy foods over products packed with "isolated soy protein" -- the latter may not provide all the benefits of whole soybeans.

Salmon

Seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These uber-healthy fats may help promote fat burning by making your metabolism more efficient, according to Kleiner. An Australian study showed that overweight people who ate fish daily improved their glucose-insulin response. Translated, this means that seafood may help slow digestion and prevent cravings. If that doesn't hook you, consider this: Seafood is an excellent source of abs-friendly protein.
Try for: Two four-ounce servings per week. Wild salmon, though pricey, contains more omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised. (If it doesn't say wild, it's farm-raised.) If seafood's not your thing, you can get your omega-3's from flaxseed (grind and sprinkle on your cereal) or walnuts.

Avocado

Superpower: fights fat
If there were an Academy Award for Flat Abs, the monounsaturated fat in avocados would be the Meryl Streep of nutrients, winning nods year after year. Dieters who consumed monounsaturated fats lost more stomach bulge than those eating the same number of calories but less of the fats, a study in the journal Diabetes Care finds. And a study in the journal Obesity reveals that when monkeys ate trans fats, their waists were 30 percent bigger than those of simians eating monounsaturated fats.
How it works
Blood sugar peaks can signal your body to store fat around your midsection, but monounsaturated fats stop the spikes, thwarting fat accumulation. Half an avocado contains 10 grams of the healthy fats. Dip veggie slices in 1/4 cup guacamole for a flat-ab snack.

Green tea

Superpower: revs metabolism
Everyone has a six-pack in there somewhere. Unveil yours by melting the fat covering it up. Drinking three cups of green tea a day may kick up your metabolism and erase 30 calories daily, a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows.
How it works
The compound ECGC in green tea makes it easier for your body to fry fat. The extra burn can help you shed about 3 pounds a year, simply from sipping.

Top 10 cellulite-busting foods

Eat your way to smoother skin

Suffering from bumpy “orange peel” skin on your legs, butt or tummy? You're not alone – cellulite affects over 90 per cent of post-adolescent women. While there is no quick – or definite – cure for cellulite, by addressing its fundamental causes through your diet you can greatly reduce its appearance and pave the way for smoother skin. Here are our top 10 foods for giving cellulite the heave-ho.

Cellulite-busting food 1: Berries

To help keep skin firm and taut and disguise the appearance of cellulite, try adding some vitamin C to your diet to help boost your skin's collagen levels. Berries are a particularly good source of vitamin C, as well as being extremely high in the antioxidants necessary for fighting toxic waste, which can slow down the lymphatic system and accumulate in cellulite-prone areas.

Cellulite-busting food 2: Asparagus

Asparagus is another food with circulation-boosting properties. On top of this, asparagus is a great stress reliever due to its abundance of folic acid, which can help to stabilise a stressful mood. As prolonged levels of stress can increase fat storage on the body, adding foods such as asparagus to your diet can help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite-busting food 3: Avocados

While anyone fat, thin, young or old can suffer from cellulite, ageing does tend to increase the visibility of cellulite due to the loss of elasticity and thinning of skin. Therefore, try eating foods rich in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) which can help to strengthen skin and keep it supple and elastic. Avocados are a particularly rich source of EFAs, as well as being high in many essential nutrients.

Cellulite-busting food 4: Oily fish

Another top food for keeping the skin in good condition is oily fish, which is high in skin-strengthening omega-3 fatty acids. As an added bonus, the fatty acids present in oily fish are also good for reducing inflammation and boosting the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, making them a good choice for keeping cellulite at bay.

Cellulite-busting food 5: Dark, leafy greens

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are rich in an antioxidant called lutein, which research has shown is good for helping the skin to retain its moisture and elasticity and increase its lipid levels - all good news for those suffering from cellulite. On top of this, leafy greens are nutrient-rich and are good for the circulation and detoxification.

Cellulite-busting food 6: Ginger

One cause of cellulite is poor circulation, so eating foods such as ginger that boost blood flow can help to improve its appearance. As well as being good for circulation, ginger is also good for detoxification and strengthening the lymphatic system, which can help with the circulation of lymph fluid and toxins that can accumulate in fat pockets under the skin, contributing to the bumpy appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite-busting food 7: Cranberry juice

A sluggish lymphatic system is one of the primary causes of cellulite, so those wishing to reduce its appearance should try boosting their intake of cranberry juice, which is noted for its abilities to cleanse the lymph system. This powerful juice helps to emulsify stubborn fat deposits in the lymphatic system so that they are more easily flushed out the system.

Cellulite-busting food 8: Bananas

Bananas are a rich source of potassium, which is helpful for reducing cellulite in many ways. Firstly, potassium helps to reduce water retention which can be a leading cause of cellulite. Furthermore, potassium can help to support the lymphatic system and ensure it works efficiently at circulating fluid and cleansing the body of impurities.

Cellulite-busting food 9: Whole grains

Whole grains are packed with fibre, which is an essential for keeping your body running smoothly. Fibre helps speed up the process of detoxification and clear out waste products that can build up in your system, often leading to cellulite. Eating whole grains also helps to keep the heart healthy and boost circulation to cellulite-prone areas.

Cellulite-busting food 10: Papaya

Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the best ways to detox the body and reduce the appearance of cellulite, and papaya is a particularly good choice of fruit. Papaya is not only rich in potassium - one of the most important nutrients when it comes to battling cellulite - but it is also high in antioxidant beta-carotene, which can help prevent damage to body tissue.

Credit from www.realbuzz.com

Get fit or get skinny?

Many of my friends are asking me about slimming down... but again... Its very much depend what kind of slimming u're looking at? toned up? muscular? bamboo stick thin? anorexia skinny?

Still as Heavy, Mass vs Fats

I always emphasize... Am not skinny as you thot, am more of toned or rather muscular.. my thighs and arms are big but a little firm... I still have tummy but its firm and there's line... My view about slimming is to toned up and get fit.. I can't help anyone who is aiming to gauge their weight losing by looking at the KG lost.. Am still heavy as I am... am weighing at average 62kg, standing at 165cm. My BMI is acceptable but more towards the borderline case to overweight.. but am wearing a UK10, US S, manage to squeeze into a size 27", as compared to my more than 75KG weight, 32" waistline, UK 12 in the past...

Many people slim the wrong way, like I did in the past... on hunger strike... yup yup, weight drop... no exercise needed, my weight drop till 59 before.. but wat happen next, bounce back once I go back to my normal diet... Well, I do have to admit my normal diet isn't normal anyway, I eat alot...

Sharing weight loss methods

People love to ask me how I lose weight, but when I share my methods... They will give me tat "give up" face.. Remember: No Pain No Gain! U wan it, u do it... It is true that most of us gain weight easier as we age, and shedding weight seems much harder in all ways... By nature, metabolism begin to slow down as age catch up.. 1st to do, lock the metabolism... build muscle! muscle lead to higher metabolism rate.. Dun skip meals, don't starve, when u begin to starve urself, after your body had burn off the calories intake, it will target on burning of your muscle instead of fats. As always, by going on starvation, we got so excited over how much KG lost we achieve, But again, focus on the right thing, dress size.. Dress size will never went wrong. Instead of looking blindly at the KG loss, look at how much your dress size drop. Always remember, people will only believe in what they see, you can't be walking around with a weighing machine to prove to people that you had slim down.

So what about muscle loss.. muscle weigh 3 times heavier than fats. Almost every of my slimming post, I wrote that. When a body get toned up, even if it still stick to the same dress size, the weight goes up, but doesn't mean that you are fat, it means u're fit and stronger. Why build muscle? because muscle is firm and it definitely look better than boney or flabby body. Most importantly, Muscle boost up your metabolism. U need metabolism to fight fats, stay healthy, stay fit and stay young.

Health vs Slim

Yes, I do admit that I was fat before and now I actually dislike the past me... I have enough of bullshit that people tell me, they don't mind about looks, health is more important den looking good. Trust me, when u're fat, you're no way near healthy range, so don't bullshit. Slim down to stay healthy and looking good is a bonus. Slimming down is not unhealthy, its about how u do it.. Its just like when u tell me that you are doing detoxing but eating all the toxic food at the same time, It don't make sense at all! How to get rid of toxic when u are inputting toxic at the same time? Do it right... no hunger strike.. As u diet, you realized that your body adjust to the food you eat, your appetite become smaller, u won't feel hungry easily.

Cutting down on Carbo, even to the extreme of no carbo diet.. Please don't tell me, without carbo will DIE! If will, many people is dead by now... For your little knowledge, every food contain carbo, its about the quantity. No Carbo diet is no rice, noodle, bread, flour, yam, potato. However, at times, healthy carbo are to be consumed, like, potato, brown rice, whole meal bread, whole meal pasta, but of cos, don't over-eat, especially for potatoes. People telling me no carbo = no energy, well, I intake my energy from other sources, I had alot of meats, prefer the white meats, like chicken, fish especially, I do take beef too.. I will try to skip pork, because I always find it difficult to remove the fats on porks. Lamb a No No too, cos I hate the taste of it... Sashimi is my best love.. and when I hav craving, trust me, I'll go cold storage and grab a whole BBQ chicken to feast.. haha... and of cos, veg is the best friend of dieting... I hate veg, but I grew to enjoy it when I start taking salad.. choosing the salad dressing is an art, I don't usually go for thick dressing, I love vinaigrette dressing.. and try to have variety of veg, beet roots, pumpkin, avocado, lettuces, red cabbage, beans, tomatoes, etc, choose as many colour as possible. And not forgetting fruits, which have high water content too.. No Durian please!!! I heard Mango is good but I still try to play safe and skip it.

Lastly, have plenty of water, I myself fail to follow this rule, mainly becos I hate going to the toilet too often... even thou I noe water is good, I tend to forget.. Else I think my diet will be better. I'll touch on the goodness of water intake in my future posts.

To conclude, If you hate yourself, change it! If you can't change or not willing to change, then accept who you are, don't blame others for making fun of your appearance, don't even feel ashamed of your figure, don't even get affected by how others judge you. If you can't accept yourself, how others accept you.