I really hate the taste of regular yogurt. There was only one low fat vanilla yogurt that I really loved. I later learned that it contained a lot of high fructose corn syrup which isn’t good for losing my belly fat. I started to hunt around for other alternatives. Greek yogurt was the top alternative.  I noticed that regular yogurts are still high in sugar and fats but I noticed less in Greek yogurt.

Benefits of Greek Yogurt

• It is higher in protein than regular yogurt

• It is lower in carbohydrates than regular yogurt

• It is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt

• It has less sodium than regular yogurt

Greek yogurt does have more of a tart taste, but the different flavors offset the sour taste. One brand that I really enjoy is Voskos Greek Yogurt. My favorite flavor is Honey Vanilla Bean. I have found these in Ralph’s grocery stores so far in my neighborhood.

There are other flavors but so far I’ve only seen the fig newton flavor and I haven’t been brave enough to try that flavor yet. It just sounds so disgusting! Although I did have a woman tell me that it tastes great. I didn’t take her up on that tidbit of information.

Voskos Greek Yogurt is a non-fat yogurt that is gluten free, all natural with live and active probiotic cultures and helps to regulate digestion. If you are wondering where you can buy Voskos Greek Yogurt in your neighborhood, you can find out at the link above. You can also check out the other flavors as well.

I also found another greek yogurt that is less tart and has more protein. Chobani is a great alternative to the tart taste of Voskos.

Strawberry Chobani ingredients

The vanilla flavor has less sugar and more protein

Vanilla Chobani ingredients

Let me know in the comments below if you are aware of any other great brands of greek yogurt as I’m always on the hunt for yummy, healthy foods.

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Subscribe to My Blog via Email
Prograde Nutrition

Article reposted from Prograde Nutrition

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

For some [horrible] reason, today’s breakfast has turned into a sugary, processed-carbohydrate, empty-calorie, fat-promoting mess.

This is not a breakfast of champions

Typical breakfast foods that most people now eat include:

•    Skim Milk and a Sweet Cereal
•    Toast and Jam
•    Bagel and Cream Cheese
•    “Breakfast Bar”
•    Pancakes and Syrup (usually sugar-free/artificially flavored)
•    1 Egg with Toast

In most of these meals (other than the one with the egg), the primary ingredient is fast-digested carbohydrate, which does nothing to help you lose weight or have the energy you know you should have in the morning.

Rather, instead of eating whole balanced food for energy, people today rely on coffee (often with fat-free creamer and artificial sweetener – you don’t get more artificial than that), which is not good at all for long-term health or body composition.

In order to have the body you’ve always wanted and the health status that others are jealous of, you need to know what you should eat for breakfast. These types of foods will help you feel good, curb cravings throughout the day, and allow you to have lots of energy for exercise and other physical activities you enjoy doing (which helps you look better in your clothes).

So, we’ve created 3 Top Ways to improve your breakfast and make your body a happy, healthy, fat-burning machine.

1.    Add High-Quality Complete Protein

Most breakfasts are sorely lacking in protein – and no, oatmeal does not have enough protein in one bowl.  This is even despite numerous studies showing that including protein in your breakfast meal, such as having 2 or more eggs, keeps you feeling fuller, and prevents hunger much better than having simple carbohydrates (like a bagel). Higher-protein meal plans are also well-studied for their ability to promote greater fat loss and a quicker metabolism than less protein.

So, at your next breakfast, ensure you include a complete protein choice on your plate such as:
•    Eggs  – 2 eggs a day actually keeps the doctor away. Eat them scrambled with fresh spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms and a side of fresh fruit and your day is going to be great! Or poach or boil them for a quick meal on the go.

•    Whey protein – mix a scoop of whey protein with milk or water and pour this over your favorite bowl of low-sugar cereal. Or, add whey to your blender with flax seed oil, almond milk, and berries, for a high-protein smoothie. You can also add a scoop of whey to plain oatmeal after cooking to give it a boost.

•    Natural nitrite-free sausage – enjoy this with fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, or toasted Ezekiel sprouted-grain bread for a satisfying meal.

•    Organic cottage cheese – mixed with fresh pineapple or tomatoes is a perfect start to your day!

•    Organic plain Greek yogurt – combine this with organic fresh or frozen berries and slivered almonds gives you a perfectly balanced meal.

•    Natural peanut butter – paired with sprouted-grain bread.  Two tablespoons of natural peanut butter provide 8-12 grams of complete protein and plenty of healthy fat.

2.    Embrace Fiber

Another important aspect missing from most breakfast plates is fiber. And no – whole wheat bread is not a good source of fiber. Neither are specialty fiber breakfasts bars that are so loaded with sugar that any fiber they do contain (usually from wood pulp) is not worth it. High-fiber meals are more satiating and filling than low protein. Fiber is also associated with lower rates of cancer and diabetes.

Here are ways to include body-beautifying, belly-filling fiber into your breakfast:

•    Beans – add 1/3 cup of beans to a breakfast egg burrito made with a sprouted-grain wrap, or toss with scrambled eggs and add 5 grams of fiber to your plate.

•    Berries – organic berries are a great addition to oatmeal, smoothies, low-sugar cereal, and yogurt, and can add 2-3 grams of filling fiber.

•    Oatmeal – the problem with most oatmeal is all the added sugar, but 1/3 cup of oats has 3 grams of fiber and no sugar! It’s perfect paired with eggs, organic cottage cheese or whey protein for a complete meal.

•    Sprouted-grain bread with nut butter – found only in the freezer section of your grocery store.  Sprouted-grain bread has 3 grams of fiber per slice, and nut butter has ~2 grams for a total of at least 5 grams of fiber to start your day.

•    Fresh Fruit paired with a higher protein dish (yogurt, eggs) – one apple provides about 5 grams of fiber, ½ a medium grapefruit provides 6 grams of fiber, and 1 kiwi provides about 2 grams of fiber.

•    Ground Flax Seeds – toss a tablespoon or two in with your breakfast protein smoothie, or add to hot cereal.  Two tablespoons have 8 grams of fiber, and can help balance your hormones while lowering your bad cholesterol levels.

•    Avocado – this “skinny” fat food is great on eggs. When cut in half, it packs in a whopping 5 grams of fiber and plenty of healthy monounsaturated fat that help promote a flat belly and a healthy heart.

3.    Include Vegetables

Unless you have a vegetable omelet, most breakfast dishes include little to no vegetables at all. However, vegetables are low-calorie, nutrient-dense and prevent many, many diseases that inflict us today. As one successful weight-loss client told me, “You can eat as many vegetables as you can fit in your body and you’ll still lose weight.”

Try these easy ways to add more vegetables to your meal and make your breakfast perfect:

•    Spinach – add spinach to your eggs while cooking or stuff a large handful in with your favorite smoothie; it may make your smoothie green, but it also makes it thicker and more satisfying without ruining the taste.

•    Tomatoes and cucumbers – add chopped to a bowl of organic cottage cheese for a crunchy, high-fiber breakfast.

•    Baked squash – gourds such as acorn squash and butternut squash are delicious vegetables to include at breakfast. Just sprinkle with cinnamon once cooked and eat with eggs and you’ll be in breakfast heaven.

•    Potatoes – no, potatoes are not evil, and yes, they can help you lose weight. Have a small side of homemade hash browns cooked with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, along with your favorite protein item, and you’re adding at least 2 grams of fiber, and plenty of hunger-fighting, fat-burning nutrients to your diet.

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde Nutrition

Article by: By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD via Prograde Nutrition website

Once you become a parent, you want only the best for your child. In turn, if something is dangerous or potentially deadly for them, you’ll make sure they’re never exposed to it no matter what it takes.

Parents of active children in sports or competitive events, must especially be careful because there are many sports nutrition products on the market that may be good for adults, but are not good whatsoever for kids.

For example, the same energy drinks that may give parents a boost each day, can be extremely harmful for their children.

                          Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Some drinks are better than others for active children

According to a new report on Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for children, released in the June 2011 Pediatrics journal, energy drinks loaded with stimulants have been linked to a number of horrible side effects in children, and should be avoided.

Side effects such as high blood pressure, anxiety, and insomnia, in addition to more serious effects such as heart rate disturbances and cardiovascular events.

In most cases, the amount of caffeine, and some of the “energy-boosting” herbal products found in popular energy drinks is inappropriate for a child’s developing nervous system and cardiovascular supply.

In a study comparing caffeine intake in boys and men unhabituated to caffeine, only the boys experienced a depression of heart rate, and increased motor activity and speech rate.

Experts recommend that adolescents and children do not exceed caffeine intake of more than 100 mg/day or 2.5 mg/kg/day, respectively; while science has showed us that children are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine on their normal physiological functioning.

But yet parents may give, or even encourage, their children to have these drinks to give them a “competitive edge.” What they don’t realize is that this “edge” could kill them.

A better choice for kids is a non-caffeinated sports beverage – one high in nutrients that an active, healthy child really needs – nutrients like protein for muscle repair and growth plus sustained energy, electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat, and carbohydrate for muscle energy.

Children are growing constantly, and benefit from quick energy in a liquid form that they can consume easily between school and sports. But this energy should not come in caffeinated or herbal stimulant form.

A beverage that mixes easily in water can be drunk on the run, and will not over-elevate their blood sugar levels (from excessive carbohydrates), and leaving them ravenous and irritable for balanced whole food later, is the best choice.

An ideal sports drink should contain beneficial protein, hunger satisfying fiber, and necessary electrolytes, so it provides growing children with the right type of nutrients to support a healthy, active lifestyle without dangerous or deadly side effects.

Make sure you read labels carefully and avoid giving your children something that could really ruin their game instead of making it better.

This article is really helpful for me as I have very athletic children and I only want to provide them the best ways to stay hydrated during intense sports games. I just ordered Prograde Fusion Sports Energy Drink so I look forward to juicing up my game as well.

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde Nutrition

If you’ve ever wondered EXACTLY what you should eat on a day-to-day basis to blast off your fat, well, look no further.

Registered dietitian Jayson Hunter has made available to you 12 powerful meal plans designed specifically for optimal fat burning. Even better, he told me he wants me to make sure I get them to YOU.

So I’ve made them available for immediate safe and secure download here.

These 12 Lose Your Belly Fat Meal Plans will help you:

• Have great energy all day long

• Feel full and satisfied

• Fuel your body with powerful and healthy nutrients

• Boost your metabolism and burn fat

Best of all, they don’t cost you a single cent. They are my gift to you.

These fat blasting meal plans are created by a registered dietitian with over ten years of experience. Please make sure you download them and put them to use immediately. If you want to burn your fat off that is.

Get your free download below:

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Subscribe to My Blog via Email

Coffee Lovers Delight With An Iced Raspberry Mocha!

If you love coffee and want a delicious way to make it nutritious then look no further. This sweet and creamy coffee drink is powered by Prograde Nutrition protein packed Prograde Lean!

Brew 1 cup of coffee (Hazelnut, regular is fine, as is decaf)

4 ice cubes

1 3/4 scoop Prograde Lean Chocolate Flavor Meal Replacement

2 tbsp. pecans (or almonds)

1/4 c frozen raspberries.  Blend.  Enjoy!

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde Nutrition

Eucerin is partnering with LIVE! Regis And Kelly’s Run Across America with Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes! The Eucerin Skin First Express is traveling alongside to promote a skin savvy nation and the importance of overall skin health.  The Eucerin Skin First Express includes stations to take the Skin FIRST Pledge, FREE samples, full product displays, a dermatologist and a video station to record skin wisdoms and tips.

Daily Skin Balance Lotion is designed to enhance skin’s health with a unique, patent-pending technology with provitamin B5, glycerin and pH buffer. It helps to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and natural defenses, while providing 24 hour moisturization, and helps balance the skin’s natural pH level. It is lightly fragranced and has a non-greasy, lightweight, fast absorbing formula intended for daily use.

The suggested retail price is $9.99 for the 13.5 fl oz body lotion and $5.59 for the 2.7 fl oz hand crème.

For more information, please visit Eucerin’s Facebook page where you can obtain free samples and keep up with the Skin First Express as it travels across America! I’m enjoying my free sample so grab yours…

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde Nutrition

Suffering from Belly Fat?
By John Romaniello

Like many people, you probably suffer from regional fat storage issues. That is, while you store fat over your entire body, it’s probably most noticeable in certain areas, and it’s from these areas in which we struggle most to lose fat. You know–the problem areas.

These problem areas are influenced heavily by your hormonal environment, and where you store that last bit of fat is determined by which of your hormones are most out of whack (and yes, sometimes it’s quite a few of them).

Today I’m going to talk to you about belly fat specifically.

One of the things that has been talked about quite a bit in fitness media lately is the relationship between belly fat and a hormone called “cortisol.” To put it simply, the higher your cortisol levels, the more belly fat you’re likely to have.

By the same token, if you have a good deal of belly fat, it’s reasonable to assume that you have high cortisol.

Having high cortisol is detrimental for other reasons, but for our purposes, let’s focus on the fact that cortisol is keeping you not-so-little in the middle.

Rather than just suffer through this, the obvious solution is to try to lower cortisol levels and resultantly lower belly fat. And I’ll tell you, lowering cortisol is a LOT trickier than you might think.

I’m sure you’ve seen the late night TV ads trying to sell you anti-cortisol pills. Even if they worked (they don’t), it’s a hormone like cortisol can’t be fooled by a little pill.

Besides, wouldn’t it be much more effective to find a solution without taking expensive pills? Something that is also going to help you burn fat overall?

Well, that’s actually possible.

You see, I’m big on using certain hormones to tame other hormones. Essentially, you CAN actually fight hormones WITH hormones. Clever, I know. It’s just a matter of finding which hormones work well against one another. When it comes to cortisol (and belly fat), you need look no further than Growth Hormone.

Also known as Human Growth Hormone or simply GH, growth hormones is produced in the pituitary gland and is responsible for growth (obviously) among other things. More specific to this writing, growth hormones is actually one of the most effective things in the world to offset cortisol.

Put simply, if you want less cortisol, just make more growth hormone.

Just tell your body to do it. Make a few calls.

Okay okay, it’s not that simple…but I have some really good news.

Did you know that there are certain types of training that are actually exceedingly effective at producing growth hormone?

It’s true–indirectly.

You see, growth hormone is normally produced and released in response to something, and in the case of training, GH is released as a response to the production of something called lactic acid. Lactic acid is a waste byproduct of some of the chemical and metabolic processes that happen during exercise.

So, if you do exercise in a specific way, you can produce MORE lactic acid, which will then produce tremendous amounts of growth hormone as a result. That growth hormone surge will also help to work against your high cortisol levels. And as we’ve established, that will absolutely assist you in getting rid of your stubborn belly fat.

Of course, you’re wondering: how to I do it!? It’s easy. While lactic acid is produced in most forms of intense exercise, there is an unusual style of exercise that can actually produce even MORE lactic acid than is generally possible with other types of exericse. Appropriately (and not-so-cleverly) called “lactic acid training,” this type of training uses slow lifting speeds and fast lowering speeds.

The reason for the structure is that lactic acid is primarily produced during the “concentric” or positive/lifting phase of an exercise, and not so much during the “eccentric” or negative/lowering phase. To take advantage of this and produce more lactic acid, we simply–with apologies to Bing Crosby–accentuate the positive and (almost but not quite) eliminate the negative of each rep on all of our exercises.

To quantify it a bit, for each rep, you’d lift it over a period of about 4 seconds, and lower the weight extremely quickly, but safely.

If you were squatting, you’d drop down to the bottom position relatively quickly, and push slowly back to the top. In an overhead press, you’d lower the dumbbells quickly but safely, and press them back over your head over a period of 4-6 seconds.

Performing exercises with these extended concentric movements is going to create a tremendous amount of lactic acid, which in turn is going to prompt your body to produce fantastic amounts of growth hormone. And that growth hormone is going to help you manage cortisol and fight belly fat.

And if all THAT wasn’t enough, lactic acid training is also just a great fat loss training methods, so you’ll lose fat overall.

If you want to fight your cortisol issues, you need growth hormone. And for that you need lactic acid training. Utilizing this method, you’re one step closer to fighting off your belly fat for good.

———————————————

John’s got it all mapped out for you – the “good” hormones
and the specific exercises that work against the “bad” hormones
that cause the problem area fat storage.

And in his new program Final Phase Fat Loss 2.0, provides you with
specific types of exercises and workouts to combat:

1. Estrogen and lower-body fat (combatted
with “Density” training and Testosterone)

2. Insulin, and your “love handles (combatted with
“Dynamic” training and IGF-1)

3. Cortisol and belly fat (combatted with specific
“Lactic Acid” training and Growth Hormone)
If you struggle with “problem area” fat storage, this is
THE program to set you for fast results just in time for Spring!

>>> FinalPhaseFatLoss2.com <<<<   < ————- End Problem Area Fat StorageI hope you picked up some helpful tips in John’s article!

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde Nutrtion

I entered a community chili cookoff this past weekend in my beautiful city of Santa Clarita, CA. I have been perfecting this chili for the past year anticipating this contest so I could enter and WIN. It was my 1st time entering and I was hoping to possibly even win for the name of my chili.

I have even better news… I won for MOST ZESTIEST Chili! I was so thrilled to win and decided to share my healthy, zesty chili recipe with you.  Drum roll please…. My award winning zesty chili recipe:

Mouth- Watering Citrus Explosion Chili

2 lbs Lean Ground Turkey
2 packets Lawry’s Chili Seasoning
2 cans Diced Tomatoes seasoned w/garlic, oregano, basil
1 cup of water
1 can Kidney Beans (50% less sodium)
Tone’s Citrus Grill Seasoning (I have only found this at Sam’s Club)

Cook Ground Turkey & Drain excess grease
Rinse off kidney beans in a strainer for less sodium (more healthy)
Mix all ingredients and add citrus grill seasoning to your liking.

I add A LOT!  I should measure it out one day.

My family likes a lot of citrus seasoning so I tend to add a lot until it’s really flavorful.

ENJOY!

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts
Prograde

My fitness trainer, Holly Rigsby is offering a New Year’s Sale along with her New Year’s Fitness Challenge. I have participated in 2 of her fitness challenges and it’s great to have support with other participants in her Club FYM. When you feel discouraged and not motivated to push forward, this group of women really help to keep you on track.

New Year’s Transformation Challenge
begins January 10th

Registration Opens this Friday, January 7th via Club FYM…

Even more exciting …

~ The ultimate body shaping resource for Moms is ON SALE! ~

You can guarantee your your fat loss, body shaping results just like the amazing moms featured as success stories did with the

Step by Step Fit Yummy Mummy Transformation Kit Complete with Follow Along Workout Videos and Mapped Out Meal Plans!

This one of a kind KIT goes on sale from Tuesday, January 4th through Friday January 7th!

This 12 Week Total Body Transformation Kit Includes:

~ Follow Along DVDs
12 weeks of brand new, never before released 15 minute workout DVDs - she has created a Phase 1 and Phase 2 series so anyone of any fitness level can follow along with these workouts with fat burning intensity that matches their needs. You will receive a total of 6 Workout DVDs

~ UnZap Yourself DVD
She will walk you through how to overcome your Transformation’s Top 2 Obstacles ~ No Time, No Energy. Outlining matter of fact solutions to make sticking to your transformation with ease and enjoyment!

~ Continuous Success Audio CD
She outlines the exact Plateau Busters and Strategies for Ongoing Results

This is an 8 Disc Set that is shipped right to your door…plus she is giving you the following instantly downloadable resources:

Downloadable Fat Loss Tools

~ Meal Planning Guide
12 weeks of body shaping meal plans and recipes making supportive eating simple! This guide actually has over 100 pages of the top fat burning foods, step by step meal plans and dozens of recipes to make meal planning simple!

~ Success Handbook
A step by step transformation handbook to guide not only outline the must have fat loss strategies, but also guide you week by week through your body shaping experience

~ 12 Weeks of Coaching Calls
Each week receive a new motivation/accountability coaching call right to your inbox that you can listen to on your computer or download as an MP3 file and listen on your favorite player at your convenience.

And More!

~ MP3 Intervals Soundtrack
~ Printable Workout Logs
~ Online Videos

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts

Do you want to survive the holiday pounds that greet you every morning at the office or at holiday parties? I received this great holiday survival checklist with a point system to maintain your weight or to even lose weight during the holidays.

This webinar video from Prograde Nutrition shares great ideas to help you with your weight goals. You will be surprised at what you should really stay away from during the holiday season. Be sure to print out THE CHECKLIST and watch the video below.

Naomi Trower AKA
FatLossMama
Quick Mom Workouts