As per many reader’s requests, I just filmed a video where I give you all the details of my own personal weight loss journey.

To hear more about…

• What healthy foods I eat all day
• The specifics of my own workout regimen
• Exactly what motivates me
• How I overcome life’s challenges and what strategies I use when things get tough
• The details of my own weight loss journey
• What are some staple items in my kitchen

…listen to the audio interview I did just a few weeks ago here:

http://fitpro.thedsp.info

You’ll also get access to interviews with interview with 10 other top fitness professionals.  People like Joel Marion, Holly Rigsby, Tom Venuto, Vince DelMonte and many many more.

Check out those really great stories here:

http://fitpro.thedsp.info

You’ve probably heard me say this a million times (so I’ll say it again)…

You’ve got to keep your workouts fresh, fun, new and exciting, otherwise there’s no way you’re going to stick with them. They also MUST be realistic and coordinate well with your lifestyle.

Here’s what I mean…

Let’s say someone said to me that the only way to get in shape was to go to the gym at exactly 7am every morning for at least an hour or more. Well, thank goodness that is not the case because 7am is just about the worst time for me to workout (that’s when my son wakes up), the gym is not very easy to get to on most days (did I mention said son is 11 months old?) and I do NOT have over an hour to spend at the gym (I mean, who does, right?).

Now what if someone said that there are an endless number of ways that you can get in shape, at whatever time of the day is best for you and you can do your workouts at a gym, at home or anywhere that is convenient for you? That sounds like something that would actually work right?

Lucky for me, I never have a shortage of fun workouts to choose from to keep my exercise plan new and exciting. Fitness authors from all around the world have been so generous as to share their books and programs with me for my review and when a good one comes my way, I’m always happy to share it with you.

But the last one I got comes with a bit of a funny story…

I received an email from a guy by the name of Scott, asking me if I wanted to read and try out his new fitness program. Sure, why not? I’m always up for something new.

Well, when I opened up the file he sent me, a wave of fear came over me…TACFIT Commando? Who does this guy think I am? GI Jane? He’s clearly never met me…short, petite, new mommy who wears heals at every occasion.

I was actually a little intimidated to say the least. This just didn’t seem to be something I could handle. It looked like something army recruits would be doing, not something little ‘old me could do.

But, hey, I’m willing to try anything once and as long as I didn’t have to perform this in public, who cares how embarrassing or wimpy I looked.

Well, let me tell you, not only was the workout something I could definitely handle, it was super fun, yet challenging at the same time and was all done right in my living room. I think what made it so enjoyable was that it was totally different…a completely new way of training that I’ve never done before (and I did feel a little like a tough momma there for a second…that’s right, don’t mess with me.)

And the best part was I did the entire workout in 30 minutes and didn’t need any equipment at all. How’s that for simple?

Now I’m going to ask Scott if it’s ok if I share one of my workouts with you (and I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes) but until then, take a look at Scott’s TACFIT Commando program here:

http://fitcommando.thedsp.info

The full TACFIT Commando program is available now and to celebrate its debut, they’re doing a special 51% off sale.

http://fitcommando.thedsp.info

Not only that, there’s a special surprise waiting for you on that page to go along with your new kick butt workouts.

Here’s to kicking butt!

There’s nothing like a good piece of corn on the cob at your summer barbeque or your buttered popcorn to go along with your favorite movie, right? Or wrong?

This question seems to be coming up more and more often…

Isabel, are corn and foods made from corn allowable on The DSP?

Well, the answer is yes, BUT there are a few details you need to know first (you didn’t think I was just going to leave it at that, did you?)

It’s been approximated that about 60% of the corn, now in the U.S., is genetically modified (although, I do think this number is higher now). The practice of genetically modifying corn began in an attempt to make corn crops resistant to certain pesticides. This helps the farmer because they are then able to grow a larger crop because it is easier to fight off pests (they can spray the crops with pesticides and get rid of insects without damaging their crop).

Sweet corn has also been genetically modified (now called Bt-corn) so that it produces a poison which kills harmful insects. This means the farmer no longer needs to fight insects with insecticides.

Now although some of these may sound like a good thing (especially if you’re a farmer!), we need to consider how GMO foods respond in our bodies and what kind of long term effects they can have on our health.

Well, because the introduction of GMO foods is still relatively new, we’re in a way being used as “guinea pigs” in a massive experiment (Yikes!). In April 2007, Arpad Pusztai, form the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, UK, announced that experiments had shown intestinal changes in rats caused by eating genetically engineered potatoes (and I don’t know about you, but I’m not happy about anybody trying to mess with my intestines).

This actually doesn’t surprise me. It’s amazing to me how many more people now complain of things like irritable bowel syndrome and other nagging digestive problems. I’m not saying that eating GMO foods is the only cause for these conditions but I’m sure it’s a significant contributor (along with processed foods, but that’s a story for a different day).

Ok, so what if you’re able to get non-GMO corn? (Which it is difficult to know which brands and items are GMO and which are not) where does corn fit into your DSP meal plan?

First, your body reads corn as a grain, NOT a vegetable so if you are to include it into your meals, this will be the grain (carbohydrate) for your meal. So having corn and brown rice would be having 2 grains in one meal. This is not necessarily off limits and not “bad” in any way, just consider if you are someone who is sensitive to grains, you will lose weight faster by greatly reducing the number of grains you eat each day. You may want to take 2 – 3 weeks and follow the “no grain” meal plans in the Diet Solution manual and see if that helps break through any weight loss plateaus and/or helps your digestion.

What about microwave popcorn?

Well even the organic varieties contain preservatives (of course to keep them in the bag) and have been shown to contain the same chemical coating in the bag that is used on non-stick cookware (double YIKES!). I would stay away from this stuff.

How about air popped popcorn?

This is your best bet and can definitely be used as an occasional snack. But notice I said “occasional”. Remember most people lose weight faster by decreasing (not necessarily eliminating) many grains. Snacking on popcorn every day could and most likely will, impede your weight loss efforts.

I hope this information helps you to make a more informed decision at your next barbeque and at your next movie night. Remember, corn is not off limits by any means, just remember you’re looking for the non-GMO varieties and including it as a grain and not a vegetable into your meal plans.

I just finished reading this article about Omega-3s and wanted to send it your way because it’s a great read. As you know, I’m a big advocate of including a lot of Omega-3s into your meal plans and this article confirms why.

http://fishoilforyou.getprograde.com/why-you-need-omega3-fats.html

http://fishoilforyou.getprograde.com/why-you-need-essential-fatty-acids-part2.html

After reading articles like these that explain exactly why you need to include Omega-3s in your diet, I wanted to share a delicious Omega-3 meal with you! So here’s a recipe for Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter.

Ingredients:

• 6 (6-oz.) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
• 6 tablespoons lime butter sauce (recipe below)

Preparation:

• Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).
• Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) for 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

*If you don’t have a grill, you can broil the salmon and use the lime butter sauce.

Lime Butter Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:

• Puree garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Enjoy your super healthy and filled with Omega-3s meal!

As you may have seen in many of my recipes and in my newsletters, I’m quite the big fan of EGGS. But many people freak out when they see how many whole eggs (that’s right…whole) I eat in one week.

“Isabel. Aren’t you worried about getting high cholesterol by eating all of those eggs?”

Definitely NOT. And my friend and fellow fitness author Mike Geary explains it best, in great detail, in the article below:

http://EGGS.thedsp.info

There is a lot of terrible misinformation roaming around about eggs and Mike does an awesome job of clearing it all up in this article.

http://EGGS.thedsp.info