Belly Fat Busters

Can you believe there is only one week left in January? That's right, the month is almost over and before you know it summer will be here. You know I'm right. For those of you who have made the resolution to work out and get in the best shape of your life, don't forget that nutrition is more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss. If you want results fast, there are certain foods you should eat that help melt belly fat. If you want it keep it little in the middle, incorporate the following foods in your daily diet.

• Protein Powders - These amino acids can be found in many forms. Try thinkThin meal replacement bars which contain 20grams of protein per serving, are gluten-free and have 0 grams of sugar! The best think of all is that they taste amazing.

• Apples- They are packed with fiber and have the ability to fill you up and alleviate hunger pangs.

• Avocado - excellent source of fiber as well as mono-saturated fats. Your heart will love the healthy fats and it does wonders for the skin.

• Green Veggies - Packed with vitamins and minerals, these superfoods are also loaded with fiber to fill you up with fewer calories!

• Green Tea -  Rich in antioxidants, which speeds up metabolism. Drink plain for the best results. It raises the rate of burning calories about 6 percent.

• Fish - Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids is one of my favorite choices. They help regulate stress chemicals that lead to fat abs.

Just remember, balance is everything. Never deny yourself something, just eat it in moderation. If you have to lose weight in a short amount of time, I would suggest you eliminate some items to get the weight off faster. Until next time, stay focused on your goals.

**Giveaway**

Please join be as I guest blog on Sandra's Easy Cooking, Friday, January 27th. We're talking getting healthy and I'm giving away 2 cookbooks to help you on your mission.

xoxo,

Chef Ameera

Trim in the Kitch

As we all know, its Summer, or what I like to call, "beach body season". It's that one time of year where having the perfect physique truly matters. Although an active lifestlye helps to keep your love handles at bay, a healthy diet plays a huge role in shedding any extra pounds you may be holding on to. For those of you trying to maintain your beach bod for the remainder of Summer, you should definitely consider buying any one of these products to help you stay fit and healthy. Haven't started your "get fit" regimen yet? Don't fret! Start off slow and ease in by changing your diet habits. It may be hard at first, but it's well worth it. Remember, a healthy wholesome diet and a great workout regimen are the keys to reaching your physique's true potential.

P.S.
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The Simpsons gave me the BEST Diet advice

Everyone is familiar with the hilarious antics of the Simpsons cartoon. But the best diet advice I had ever learned was from one of their episodes. It was the episode where Homer Simpson had received a serious health scare and was prompted by his doctor to change his eating habits. The lovable and rotund Homer is a junk food addict so the fruits and veggies spiel was not enough to stop him from eating foods he wasn't supposed to. The doctor told him, that he cannot eat foods that leave a greasy residue on surfaces that he rubs them on. As a result, throughout the episode Homer and Bart were rubbing food products on windows, papers, pretty much anything they could find (which I don't recommend you do) however, take that concept and run with it. Anything that you wouldn't rub on your face, don't eat it! It ends up on your face anyways. Or anything that you wouldn't massage into your own skin, don't consume. It's really your call, what you put into your body. The lesson I pulled from Homer was to be able see and process what you are putting into your body before you eat it. If you do your body will thank you!!!!

Operation Slimdown

So in shedding our winter layers of thickness, the LA Girls DO Cook team has devised a plan of attack! We call it our "Calendar of Comestibles". Comestibles means articles of food. Basically, it is a calendar of designated food allowances! For example, Monday is a free day where we can eat sensibly but it is pretty much free reign as far as cuisine. Mondays are hard enough to manage without curbing food preferences right? But remember, portion size is key on this day! Proteins eaten are to be no bigger than your fist. Anything larger is unnecessary. Fast food (ie.McDonalds etc) is off limits at all times).

Tues is pescatarian day. Pescatarians are able to incorporate fish into their diet, but red meats, poultry etc, are not consumed.

Weds is juice day. All meals are in juice form. You do not have to purchase a top of the line juice in order to do this, but if you are gung ho about the process, (which you should be for the sake of results) we recommend a Breville juice fountain Elite. It is about $300 but it is an investment in yourself. The beauty juicing, is that you control the elements that go into your meal. Do not add artificial sweeteners! Agave is the best thing to add if you want a kick to your juice. Organic elements are best, and believe me, your body WILL thank you for it.


Thursday is Vegan day. Vegans do not eat animal products ( like milk, cheese, meat) Many people think that they are limited in their choices for vegan cuisine, but it cannot be further from the truth!!! We must admit that we were on the skeptical side, but there are soooo many accommodating restaurants. A personal fave would have to be Veggie Grill! Delicious. Not all items are vegan, but the staff can help you and the taste combinations are explosively good. You would never know that you are NOT eating meat unless they told you!!! Another good one to try is Lotus Vegan. Until you become grounded in my techniques in vegan cooking skills, there is nothing wrong with eating out to take out the guess work and consult the staff on ways to prepare meals.

Friday is Vegetarian day. I find vegetarian day easy to accomodate by finding recipes and strategies on creating dishes! Its is also delicious, and you can really taste the foods that are not over shadowed by red meat flavors.

Saturday and Sunday are the weekend (as you know) & especially with summer coming up, we don't want to feel deprived as we're sure you probably don't want to either. Try to stick to chicken and fish on the weekends (again in controlled portions). Lots of deep green leafy veggies, and stay away from sugary juices. DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES!!! DRINK WATER! That is the only hard and stead fast rule of the weekend. Drink water with every meal, when you wake up, you can't have too much water! If you go out and have some drinks fine, but really try to make a conscious effort to stick to water.

Well that is what our week is looking like in terms of dietary matters. Can't wait to drop the weight! In no time, pictures will be posted, and the journey of our transformation will be posted for the world to see. Feel free to post your responses and your progress as well.