Top 10 Reason to Strive For A Great Set of Abs

1. Abs attract the opposite sex! In one survey, 32 percent of women said that abs are the muscles most likely to make them melt. (The next closest was biceps at 17 percent!)
2. Abs ward off illness! Study after study shows that the people with the largest waist sizes have the highest risk of life-threatening disease.
3. Abs help you sleep! Upper-body obesity is the most significant risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that makes you snore, inhibits good sleep, and put you at risk for heart disease.
4. Abs improve your sex life! Studies show that a strong stomach with less belly fat gives you increased stamina, better erections, and increased appearance of length!
5. Abs keep you strong! A United States Army study showed that more than any other muscle group, a strong midsection affects the functioning of the entire body.
6. Abs instill confidence! A lean and muscular body makes you feel good about the way you look--and makes others feel good about you, too.
7. Abs beat back pain! Millions of Americans suffer back pain each year, but studies show that even small improvements in abdominal strength can eradiate back pain for good!
8. Abs prevent other aches and pains! A strong stomach absorbs stress and strain from physical activity, saving your joints and keeping you injury-free.
9. Abs keep you young! The Powerfoods (think ABS DIET POWER 12) in the plan have been shown to slow the aging process--and keep you in your prime for life!
10. Abs help you win! If you play golf, basketball, or any sport that requires movement, the core muscles in your torso and hips will give you the speed, power, and stamina to conquer any foe!



Fitness

Power 12
Feel free to eat along as you read

By: David Zinczenko

Abs Diet


The Diet
The Guidelines
Power Eating
The Workout
Veggie Tales

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The Power of Food
The Power 12 are the foods that will propel you toward your goals. They have been proven to do one or more of the following:

Builds muscle
Helps promote weight loss
Strengthens bone
Lowers blood pressure
Fights cancer
Improves immune function
Fights heart disease

Here's an easy way to remember what's good for you. The first letter of each food group spells: A.B.S.D.I.E.T.P.O.W.E.R 12
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1) Almonds and Other Nuts
Eat them with skins intact.

Superpowers
Building muscle, fighting food cravings

Secret weapons
Protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folate (in peanuts), fiber, magnesium, phosphorus

Fight against
Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, cancer

Sidekicks
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados

Impostors
Salted or smoked nuts. High sodium spikes blood pressure.

These days, you hear about good fats and bad fats the way you hear about good cops and bad cops. One's on your side, and one's going to beat you silly. Oreos fall into the latter category, but nuts are clearly out to help you. They contain the monounsaturated fats that clear your arteries and help you feel full.

All nuts are high in protein and monounsaturated fat. But almonds are like Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest: They're the king of the nuts. Eat as much as two handfuls a day. If you eat 2 ounces of almonds (about 24 of them), it can suppress your appetite--especially if you wash them down with 8 ounces of water.

For a quick popcorn alternative, spray a handful of almonds with nonstick cooking spray and bake them at 400 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle them with either a brown sugar and cinnamon mix or cayenne pepper and thyme.


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2) Beans and Other Legumes
Including soybeans, chickpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans.

Superpowers
Building muscle, helping burn fat, regulating digestion

Secret weapons
Fiber, protein, iron, folate

Fight against
Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

Sidekicks
Lentils, peas, bean dips, hummus, edamame

Impostors
Refried beans, which are high in saturated fats; baked beans, which are high in sugar

Most of us can trace our resistance to beans to some unfortunately timed intestinal upheaval (third-grade math class, a first date gone awry). But beans are, as the famous rhyme says, good for your heart; the more you eat them, the more you'll be able to control your hunger. Black, lima, pinto, navy--you pick it. They're all low in fat, and they're packed with protein, fiber, and iron--nutrients crucial for building muscle and losing weight. Gastrointestinal disadvantages notwithstanding, they serve as one of the key members of the Abs Diet cabinet because of all their nutritional power.

In fact, if you can replace a meat-heavy dish with a bean-heavy dish a couple of times a week, you'll be lopping a lot of saturated fat out of your diet and replacing it with higher amounts of fiber.

3) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
Superpowers
Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process)

Secret weapons
Vitamins including A, C, and K; folate; beta-carotene; minerals including calcium and magnesium; fiber

Fight against
Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

Sidekicks
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts; green, yellow, red, and orange vegetables such as asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans

Impostors
None, as long as you don't fry them or smother them in fatty cheese sauces

You know vegetables are packed with important nutrients, but they're also a critical part of your body-changing diet. I like spinach in particular because one serving supplies nearly a full day's vitamin A and half of your vitamin C. It's also loaded with folate--a vitamin that protects against heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer. Dress a sandwich with the stuff, or stir-fry it (continued below...)

with fresh garlic and olive oil. Broccoli is high in fiber and more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than almost any other food.

If you hate vegetables, hide them. Puree them and add them to marinara sauce or chili. The more you chop, the less you taste, and the easier it is for your body to absorb nutrients.

4) Dairy Products
Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese.

Superpowers
Building strong bones, firing up weight loss

Secret weapons
Calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium

Fight against
Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

Sidekicks
None

Impostors
Whole milk, frozen yogurt

Dairy is nutrition's version of a typecast actor. It gets so much good press for strengthening bones that it garners little attention for all the other stuff it does well. Just take a look at the mounting evidence that calcium is a prime belly-buster. A University of Tennessee study found that dieters who consumed between 1,200 and 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day lost nearly twice as much weight as those taking in less calcium. Researchers think the mineral probably prevents weight gain by increasing the breakdown of body fat and hampering its formation.

Low-fat yogurt, cheeses, and other dairy products can play a key role in your diet. But I recommend milk as your major source of calcium. Liquids take up lots of room in your stomach, so your brain gets the signal that you're full. Sprinkling in chocolate whey powder can help curb sweet cravings.

5) Instant Oatmeal
Unsweetened, unflavored.

Superpowers
Boosting energy and sex drive, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood-sugar levels

Secret weapons
Complex carbohydrates and fiber

Fights against
Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

Sidekicks
High-fiber cereals like All-Bran and Fiber One

Impostors
Sugary cereals

Oatmeal can propel you through sluggish mornings, and you can down a bowl a couple of hours before a workout to feel fully energized by the time you hit the weights, or at night to avoid a late-night binge. It couldn't be easier to prepare--just add water. Buy the unsweetened, unflavored variety and use other Powerfoods such as milk and berries to enhance the taste.

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, meaning that it attracts fluid and stays in your stomach longer than insoluble fiber. It also works like a bouncer for your body, showing troublemakers the door. For example, soluble fiber helps remove LDL cholesterol from your circulatory system.

Another cool fact about oatmeal:
Preliminary studies indicate that eating oatmeal raises the levels of free testosterone in your body, boosting your sex drive and enhancing the body's ability to build muscle and burn fat.