1: Deciphering food label ingredients leads to unappetizing results. Take the innocuous-sounding castoreum, which is used to enhance the flavor of puddings, candies, and some frozen dairy desserts. You might be surprised to know that it’s derived from beavers—beaver anal glands, specifically.

2: Many foods get their red coloring—”carmine”—from ground-up insect shells that can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.

3: The greater the number of cheap cuts of meat ground into a single patty, the greater the risk of contamination with E. coli. A standard fast-food burger contains the trimmings of dozens of cows raised around the globe.

4: According to research from UCLA, it takes only two months to lower levels of brain chemicals responsible for learning and memory (like BDNF) on a steady diet of processed foods.

5: Processed food is only as good as its packaging: In the summer of last year, Kellogg’s recalled 28 million boxes of cereal because a compound in the box lining (the company wouldn’t say what) was giving off a foul smell and tainting the taste of the boxed food.

6: The same company that makes metal detectors for airports also sells them to food manufacturers, who use the devices to test processed meats for stray wires, metal shards, and hypodermic needles.

7: The ingredients list for Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups doesn’t include…strawberries.

8: Animal feed given to factory-farmed cows contains rendered roadkill and euthanized cats and dogs, as well as plastic pellets as a cheap form of “roughage.”

9: There are more than 80 ingredients in one Oscar Mayer Lunchables Breaded Chicken and Mozzarella sandwich.

10: The FDA allows 19 maggots and 74 mites in a three-and-a-half-ounce can of mushrooms.

Get Up, Stand Up
Whether you sit or stand at work may play as big a role in your health and your waistline as your fitness routine. In one study researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shutdown in an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up—for example, while talking on the phone.

Drink Cold Water
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that’s 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature. Though the extra calories you burn drinking a single glass don’t amount to much, making it a habit can add up to pounds lost with essentially zero additional effort.

Eat the Heat
It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies boosts your body’s production of heat and the activity of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for our fight-or-flight response), according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. Stock up on chilies to add to meals, and keep a jar of red pepper flakes on hand for topping pizzas, pastas, and stir-fries.

Rev Up in the Morning
Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. It’s no accident that those who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. And the heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over 4 years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly 3 pounds.

Drink Coffee or Tea
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolt can rev your metabolism 5 to 8 percent—about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

Fight Fat with Fiber
Fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30 percent. Studies find that those who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

1. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.
3. Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.
4. Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.
5. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third- grader cannot pronounce.
6. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.
7. Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
8. Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap.
9. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.
10.  It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

1. Avocados
   The cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat in these green health bombs can help keep your body strong and pain free. University of Buffalo researchers found that competitive women runners who ate less than 20 percent fat were more likely to suffer injuries than those who consumed at least 31 percent. Peter J. Horvath, Ph.D., a professor at the university, speculates that the problem is linked to extreme low-fat diets, which weaken muscles and joints. “A few slices of avocado a day are a great way to boost fat for women who are fat shy,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
2. Whole Grain Bagels
   Never mind Dr. Atkins—carbs are the optimal workout food. “Not the simple ones, because they wind you up and drop you down,” says Jackie Berning, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and counselor to sports teams. “You want complex carbohydrates in their natural package, aka whole grains.” A whole-grain bagel is an ideal pre-sweat-session pick: You’ll digest it slowly because of all the fiber, which will deliver a steady flow of energy over time rather than one big burst.
3. Bananas
   Thanks to bananas’ high potassium content, peeling one is a speedy solution to that stitch in your side. While a lack of sodium is the main culprit behind muscle cramps, studies show potassium plays a supporting role: You need it to replace sweat losses and help with fluid absorption. Bananas are also packed with energizing carbohydrates. One medium-size fruit has 400 milligrams of potassium and as many carbs (29 grams) as two slices of whole-wheat bread.
4. Berries
   USDA researchers recently placed fresh berries on their list of the 20 foods richest in antioxidants. Just a handful of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries is an excellent source of these potent nutrients, which protect muscles from free radical damage that might be caused by exercise. Shop for berries by the shade of their skin: The deeper the color, the healthier the fruit.
5. Carrots
   Close your eyes and they almost taste like crunchy candy. Carrots pack complex carbs that provide energy to muscles and potassium to control blood pressure and muscle contractions, says Leslie Bonci, R.D. And a half cup has just 35 calories.
6. Whole Grain Cereal
   Looking for something to nosh before you hit the gym? Raid your cereal stash. The healthiest brands contain endurance-boosting complex carbs and muscle-building protein. Sixty minutes before a workout, fuel up with a 200-calorie snack: ¾ cup of whole-grain cereal with 4 ounces of fat-free milk. “When you eat something before exercising, you have more energy, so you can work out harder and perhaps longer. And you’ll be less likely to overeat afterward,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D.
7. Chicken Thighs
   Skimp on iron and zinc and your energy will flag. Cooking up some juicy chicken thighs or turkey drumsticks is the best way to get more of both. “Dark-meat poultry is significantly lower in fat than red meat yet has all the iron, zinc, and B vitamins that women need in their diets,” says Seattle sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., author of Power Eating.
8. Chocolate Milk
   There’s way more to milk than just calcium. In fact, it’s a damn near perfect food, giving you a lot of valuable energy while keeping your calorie count low, says nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D. The chocolate kind is loaded with calcium, vitamins, and minerals just like the plain stuff, but new studies confirm that milk with a touch of cocoa is as powerful as commercial recovery drinks at replenishing and repairing muscles.
9. Low Fat Cottage Cheese
   Despite its frumpy image, this diet staple packs 14 grams of protein per half-cup serving, along with 75 milligrams of calcium and 5 grams of carbohydrates. That protein is crucial to healing the microscopic muscle tears that occur during exercise, says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, R.D., health education manager at Cleveland’s Fairview Hospital.
10. Cranberries
    This packable fruit delivers a generous pre- or postworkout blast of carbohydrates (25 grams per ¼ cup). Plus, cranberries have proanthocyanins, compounds that help prevent and fight urinary tract infections. Running to the bathroom every 5 minutes definitely isn’t the kind of workout you need.
11. Eggs
    Don’t skip the yolk. One egg a day supplies 215 milligrams of cholesterol—not enough to push you over the 300-milligram daily cholesterol limit recommended by the American Heart Association. Plus, the yolk is a good source of iron, and it’s loaded with lecithin, critical for brain health, says nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D. What does brain power have to do with exercise? Try doing a sun salutation without it.
12. Ground Flaxseed
    “Flaxseed is full of fibers called lignans that promote gut health,” says nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D. Since flax lignans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, they keep you regular. “When you’re trying to do an endurance sport, it can be disruptive to have digestive problems,” she notes. A daily dose of 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed tossed in your cereal nets you fiber without fuss.
13. Hummus
    Complex carbohydrates, protein, and unsaturated fats—all the right elements to fuel activity—meet in one healthy little 70-calorie, 3-tablespoon package. Plus, hummus is often made with olive oil, which contains oleic acid—a fat that helps cripple the gene responsible for 20 to 30 percent of breast cancers, according to Northwestern University researchers.
14. Oranges
    “They’re portable. They’re a fruit you can get year-round. And they’re a rich source of vitamin C,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D., “which helps repair muscle tissue.” One orange has all the C a woman needs each day—close to 75 milligrams. Vitamin C is also key for making collagen, a tissue that helps keep bones strong.
15. Peanuts
    No wonder Mr. Peanut never stops tap-dancing. Female soccer players kicked and sprinted just as well in the final minutes of a game as they did at the start when they added 2 ounces of peanuts a day to their regular diet, says University of Buffalo professor, Peter J. Horvath, Ph.D. The extra fat may help improve endurance by giving muscles energy to burn up front so they can spare muscle glycogen stores later.
16. Potatoes
    Sweat like a pig? Four shakes of salt (about 1,100 milligrams of sodium) and a small baked potato is the perfect recipe for electrolyte replacement. “The electrolytes, sodium and potassium, help maintain fluid balance in and around cells and make sure muscles contract as they need to,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D.
17. Salmon
    Great for heart health, but here’s an added twist: New studies are suggesting that monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats might help lessen abdominal fat. It’s too soon to understand the link, but “this could be particularly good for women working to tone their core,” says nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D.

EAT THIS
Turkey Breast Dinner, 6 oz
[731 calories; 61 g protein; 85 g carbohydrates; 20 g fat (11 g saturated); 1,240 sodium]

• 2/3 cup mashed potatoes
• 1⁄3 cup turkey gravy
• 1 dinner roll
• 1 cup green bean casserole
• 1/4 cup homemade cranberry sauce

1 medium slice pumpkin pie with low-fat whipped cream
[335 calories; 151 g fat (6.5 g saturated); 42 g carbohydrates]

NOT THAT!
Dark Meat Turkey Dinner, 6 oz
[1,279 calories; 62 g protein; 159 g carbohydrates; 48 g fat (22 g saturated); 1,890 sodium]

• 1 cup stuffing
• 2⁄3 cup sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping
• 1⁄2 cup corn
• 1 slice jellied cranberry sauce

1 small slice pecan pie
[450 calories; 21 g fat (4 g saturated); 65 g carbohydrates]

Burn Off the Bird
More food is consumed in the United States on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day of the year. Skip the gym and work off the feast with the family. Here’s how:

• Turkey and Gravy:  55 minutes of touch football
• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy:  4.5-mile-walk with the family
• Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream:   35 minutes of raking at your parents’ place
• Stuffing:   40 minutes of playing with the kids
• Dinner Roll:   30 minutes of dish washing
• Cranberry Sauce:  50 minutes of movie watching

Ingredients
1 cup 365 Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scoops of Organic Cold-Milled Flaxseed
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup Organic Low-Fat buttermilk
1/2 cup Organic Low-Fat milk
1 Organic egg
1 tablespoon Organic butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, flaxseed, protein powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it’s just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Yields 12 – 4 inch pancakes

Nutritional Information

3 pancakes – Calories: 260 | Total Fat: 8 g | Carbohydrates: 35 g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 14 g

I will eat it if it grows on a tree
Or a bush, stalk, or vine. Your goal is to fill your body with as many fat-discouraging nutrients as possible, and the very best sources of them are fruits and vegetables—and nuts too. A study at the University of California at Los Angeles found that the typical normal-weight person consumed about two servings of fruit a day, while the average overweight person ate just one a day. Another study found that eating fruit at the beginning of a meal reduces overall calorie intake by 15 percent. 

Eating from trees will also give you more omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight abdominal fat. Some great plant sources of omega-3s are walnuts and flaxseeds.

Your Plan: Include fruits and vegetables in every meal and most snacks.

Slim-Down Trick: Eat these slimming foods first. You’ll consume fewer calories from other foods, and the fiber will help reduce blood-sugar swings that lead to hunger.

I will eat protein with every meal and snack
Muscle growth is triggered by protein-rich foods. In fact, every time you eat 10 to 15 grams of protein, you stimulate a burst of protein synthesis that helps build muscle. And when you take in 30 grams, that period lasts about three hours. 

”The most important diet upgrade for people who want to lose weight is to eat protein for breakfast,” says Louis Aronne, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In one study, people who started their day with a meal of eggs dropped 65 percent more weight than those who ate bagels.



Your Plan: Aim to eat between 0.54 and one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Base this on your goal body weight. So if you want to weigh 130 pounds, you should eat 70 to 130 grams of protein a day.



Slim-Down Trick: Eat more dairy. Researchers found that people who ate three servings a day were 60 percent less likely to be overweight than those who consumed fewer than that.

I will eat before and after exercise
Here’s great news if you love to eat: You probably need to nosh more. Eating a snack of protein and carbs right before and after working out speeds muscle growth and recovery. Also, fueling up can limit the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone that tells your body to store fat. As a result, you burn more fat during your workout and for the next 24 hours.



Your Plan: Have a carb-and-protein snack 30 minutes before working out and a protein-rich meal after. The longer you wait to eat after exercising, the more your body will break down existing muscle and the less it will build new muscle.

Slim-Down Trick: Drinking a smoothie is a quick and easy way to get a protein boost after a workout.

I will become a salad savant
Salads deliver wildly important nutrients that aid weight loss. A prime example: folate, a B vitamin in leafy greens. A study found that dieters who ate the most folate lost 8.5 times as much weight as those who ate the least.

Your Plan: Consume as many leafy greens as you can. Besides eating salad, add spinach to omelets and quiches.

Slim-Down Trick: Use a dressing made with safflower oil. It contains linoleic acid, which may prevent fat storage.

I will never have the world’s worst breakfast
No, it’s not leftover pizza—it’s no breakfast at all. When you wake up, your body is fuel deprived. If you don’t eat, you lower your metabolism, starve your muscles, and wind up taking in most of your calories late in the day. In fact, regularly skipping breakfast increases your risk for obesity by 450 percent.

Your Plan: Eat 30 to 35 percent of your daily calories early. Match proteins with whole grains, produce, and healthy fats. If you don’t have the time or appetite for a big meal, eat two small ones—have cereal early, then grab a yogurt and fruit to eat at work.

Slim-Down Trick: Have absolutely zero interest in eating in the morning? At least drink a glass of 1 percent milk, which will give you eight grams of protein plus fat-burning calcium.

Move 1

Prisoner Squat
Stand with your hands behind your head, your chest out, and your elbows back. Sit back at your hips and bend your knees to lower your body as far as possible without losing the natural arch of your spine. Squeeze your glutes and push yourself back up to the starting position

Move 2

Hindu Pushups

Begin in a pushup position but move your feet hip-width apart and forward, and raise your hips so your body almost forms an upside-down V. Lower the front of your body until your chin nears the floor. Then lower your hips as you raise your head and shoulders toward the ceiling. Now reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Move 3

Sprinter Situp

Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides, keeping your elbows bent at 90 degrees. As you sit up, twist your upper body to the left and bring your left knee toward your right elbow while you swing your left arm back. Lower your body to the starting position, and repeat to your right. That’s 1 rep.

Note: to increase difficulty keep your heels about 6 inches off the floor

Workout 1 will train you for sustained effort, while the other two will build aerobic capacity and stimulate fat loss. Complete each routine once a week. Also, add one challenge to workouts 2 and 3. You’ll inject variety into your training time as you have more fun and achieve better results.

Workout 1

Step 1: Run 2 miles.
Step 2: Find a hill and run up 50 yards at about 80 percent of your sprinting pace. Walk back to the starting point. Do this a total of 10 times.  If you don’t have a hill, sprint 75 yards and walk back; repeat 10 times.
Step 3: Run 2 more miles.

Each week, add a quarter mile to Step 1 and to Step 3 until you build up to 6 miles total. 

Workout 2

Step 1: Do a 400-yard sprint, timing yourself with a stopwatch. Try to run at the fastest pace you can maintain from start to finish.
Step 2: Rest for the same amount of time it took you to do the sprint.
Step 3: Add in Challenge 1, 2, or 3
Step 4: Rest for 60 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat three times, for a total of four rounds.

Each week, add one round (including challenge) until you build up to eight rounds.

Workout 3

Step 1: Do an 800-yard sprint, timing yourself with a stopwatch. Try to run at the fastest pace you can maintain from start to finish.
Step 2: Rest for the same amount of time it took you to do the sprint.
Step 3: Add in Challenge 1, 2, or 3
Step 4: Rest for 60 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat three times, for a total of four rounds.

Each week, add one round until you build up to eight rounds.

Challenge 1

Perform 1 set of each exercise below, and then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat once, until you’ve done a total of 2 sets of each exercise.

Exercise 1: Alternating Planks
Assume a plank position with your back straight.   Brace your abs as you extend your right arm and left leg. Lower them both–but not your torso–and repeat, lifting your left arm and right leg. Continue alternating until you’ve completed 10 reps on each side.

Exercise 2: Burpees with pushup
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower your body until your palms rest on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Kick your legs backward to a pushup position. Perform a pushup, and then quickly reverse the movement back to a squat. Immediately jumps as high as you can. Land softly, and repeat for 20 reps

Challenge 2

Do 1 set of each of the following exercises.

Exercise 1: Walking lunge
Start with your hands behind your head (as if you’re being arrested). Keeping your torso upright, step forward with your left leg and lower your body straight down until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Push your left heel into the ground, and step forward to a standing position. Then repeat with your right leg. Continue until you’ve traveled a total of 50 yards.

Exercise 2: Bear crawl

Assume a pushup position with your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles. (If this feels more like a lizard position to you, feel free to call it the iguana crawl.) Now move your right hand forward a few inches, and bring your left knee as close to your chest as you can without allowing the position of your torso to change or your lower back to round. That’s the starting position. Crawl forward by switching the positions of your arms and feet, moving your opposite arm and leg with each “step.” Continue until you’ve traveled a total of 50 yards.

Challenge 3

Do 1 set of each exercise. Then rest 60 seconds and repeat. Once you’ve done two rounds, return to your sprints.

Exercise 1: Explosive Stepup
Stand with your right foot on a sturdy step or bench and your left foot flat on the floor. Keeping your torso upright. Push hard off the bench to thrust yourself in the air. Cycle your legs so your left foot lands softly on the bench and your right foot lands on the floor.  Complete 20 reps each leg.

Exercise 2: Bulgarian split squat
Stand a couple of feet from a park bench, with your back to the seat. Bend your right leg and place the top of your right foot on the bench as you place your hands behind your head. This is the starting position. Keeping your torso upright, bend your left leg and lower your body until your left leg is bent at least 90 degrees. Push your body back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. Do 20 reps, and then switch legs and repeat.