A Festivus for the rest of with us!

It’s that time of year again....... A Festivus for the rest of us!

Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions

Most people fail keeping there new year’s resolution, because in most cases they are too drastic and unrealistic.

If you're like the majority of people who make New Year's resolutions, your goals are probably related to health, weight loss, and fitness. Here are some simple strategies to help turn those resolutions into reality.

choose Realistic Resolutions

Picking New Year's resolutions that are not realistic for you is just setting yourself up for failure. Your chances of achieving your goals are much better if they're realistic. Of course, it's always fun and inspiring to dream, but try breaking your ultimate goal up into more manageable, realistic goals that could lead you to it.

Don't Take on Too Much

When choosing your resolutions, don't try to change many different things at once. You'll burn yourself out and won't accomplish any of your goals, leaving you feeling disappointed and defeated. Instead, focus on a few key goals and the steps you need to take to reach them.

Write Down Your Plan

Write out your plan for achieving your goals. Writing down your resolution and the steps you're going to take can be very motivating. It will help you make your goals specific, not vague, and will force you to commit to your resolution.

Set Small, Attainable Goals

If you have a really ambitious New Year's resolution, such as losing weight, running a marathon, make sure that you have smaller, attainable goals with measurable results along the way. They'll help you track your progress and prevent you from getting bored or discouraged. For example, if your resolution is to lose 25 pounds total, your first goal could be to lose 1-2 pounds every week. An added benefit of setting smaller, attainable goals is that even if you don't meet your ultimate goal, you'll still have achieved other accomplishments along the way.

Make Your Goals Known

Telling friends and family members about your goals means that people will be holding you accountable and supporting you along the way. Your goals will also seem more real if you talk about them, rather than keeping them to yourself.

Keep a Journal

Tracking your workout or diet in a journal is a great way stay motivated. Even if no one else sees it, it can help hold you accountable. It's also a good place to record your goals. When you hit a rough patch in your training, you can go back and get inspired by how much progress you've made. Reviewing your positive steps will also make it harder to go back to your old habits. You can use a simple notebook to keep a journal..

Use a Schedule and Get Organized

Deciding to go workout when you feel like it isn't going to work for most people. Look at your weekly schedule and figure out when you're most likely to have the time for training, or whatever activities are going to help you reach your goals. Get everything you need to help accomplish your resolutions, so you can't come up with easy excuses.

Cut Yourself Some Slack

You're going to experiences some setbacks on the road to achieving your resolutions. Don't let one or two slips make you give up. Think of setbacks as opportunities for growth and don't beat yourself for not being perfect. It’s only a failure if you don’t try again!

Try to stay positive and get back on track.

Star of the Week

Dear Mervmail Readers,

We've all been deeply impacted by the tragedy in Newtown.  I find myself feeling helpless - yearning to find some way to help.

In thinking about that...I had this thought:
Kindergarteners around the country are honored to be the "Star of the Week."

The Stars of Sandy Hook Elementary, the teachers, and administrators

will be forever in our hearts.  Their lights, The Stars of Newtown can continue to shine upon us!  
Please join me in leaving your front porch lights on.  It's a simple way for us all to spread light into darkness across our nation.  House by house, town by town,
city by city, state by state, country by country...we can spread light, peace, healing and support.

Please forward this message to your friends and family - let's bring light across our nation and the world!
It's a sign of unity, healing, support and love!

Optimism

·         "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

·         Helen Keller

Destination

·         Don’t confuse your path with your destination, just because it’s stormy now, doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for sunshine.

·         Unknown

Goals are like the stars

·         "Goals are like the stars: They are always there. Adversity is like the clouds: they are temporary and will move on. Keep your eyes on the stars."

·         - Byrd Baggett

The controller

You are the controller of your own life. Take responsibility for your words, actions and choices. And then adjust them to enable you to move in the direction you wish to go.

responsive to change

·         "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. " - Charles Darwin

Do the unexpected

·         Do the unexpected. If you stand pat and never put yourself out there, you will never know. Sure it's easy to be comfortable, it's easy to stay in the same place, but you are a living being which requires growth in order to truly live. Don't hold yourself back any longer with the many excuses. Be bold and confidently go in the direction of your dreams.

 

 

Obtaining a six pack

OBTAINING A SIX PACK

When it comes to making changes in your physique, you must get clear on what you want, and be honest with yourself from the beginning. Think about the small incremental improvements that could be made on a daily basis, and eventually visualizing those daily efforts stacked up…making your goal a reality. When weather is improving, many people are searching for ways to trim up. When it comes to obtaining what you want, there are a couple main issues that arise. I am talking about the balance between how much emphasis should be placed on work done in the kitchen, and how much focus you should place on the gym. You will find very strong opinions on both ends of the spectrum, and since most trainees want a set of chiseled abs… the argument comes up repeatedly.

One commonality I have witnessed among numerous people seeking the best path to obtaining a “six-pack” is an initial desire to do whatever it takes, but their plan is clouded and invariably I see the same people often discontinuing their pursuit only days later. The challenge they were facing may have seemed too difficult in the moment, and they give up… feeling like an overall failure. When people want to know how they can get ripped abs, one of the first questions they ask is what exercises they should do, or how many crunches does it take?! Well, asking those questions first is a futile approach, and will only lead to unnecessary frustration.
The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t require perfection, but a balanced, manageable approach to consistent efforts on a daily basis toward hard work in the kitchen and gym.

When it comes to the diet, there is no magic formula or potion for getting ripped. The fact of the matter is… it comes down to calories in vs. calories out, how many times have you heard this? Well that’s because it’s true! I would recommend being objective in your approach and keeping track of your diet in order to guarantee you create the proper calorie deficits. A rule of thumb for determining your calorie needs for losing fat is to multiply your bodyweight by 12 - 13 and that number will give you a place to start. You can tweak that number as you notice changes and make further progress. In addition, there are a couple strategies I like to implement when cutting up that initially seem small, but make huge differences.

5 Steps To Follow

1.      Set up a plan - Like I’ve stated before, establishing a routine that fits your lifestyle is critical. It’s crucial not to be too rigid in your pursuits because life is unpredictable; being flexible yet persistent is the key to long term success.
 

2.      Take food with you - Humans have evolved from a life of scarcity… the body is pre-disposed to hold on to every ounce of energy you feed it. Fat is stored as energy reserves when the body needs it in times of survival. When you starve yourself, the body is apt to hold on to the fat, while slowing your metabolism. Supplying your body with food on a consistent basis will get your metabolism firing, and allow you to use more fat as a source of energy. (It will also keep you from seeking out the nearest vending machines!)
 

3.      Drink more water - Make it a habit to drink a large glass of water immediately upon waking in the morning. This will kick start your metabolism and start the rehydration after a night of sleep. With proper hydration levels, it will be easier for the body to utilize fat for energy.
 

4.      Limit alcohol consumption - The dehydration effects, disruption of hormones, empty calories, etc, of excessive alcohol will have negative effects on your progress. Moderation is key though; a glass of wine with dinner won’t hinder your progress.

5.      Shop the perimeter - The produce, meats, dairy, and extremely perishable products are all found around the perimeter of the supermarket. You will naturally consume for satiating foods, and it will keep you away from the processed calorie-dense junk in the middle aisles. Doing this one action consistently can have a dramatic effect on your physique.

 6. Make it easy - Don’t be afraid to eat out sometimes. Most restaurants have options that will keep you on track such as lean meats, or fish with steamed rice and veggies are a great choice. Also, a cheat every now and then can actually help you in the long run by further stimulating your metabolism and fat-burning hormones. Satisfy your craving, but always keep it within reason. Remember chicken breast can make you fat… if you eat too much of it!

7. While it is true… making sure your diet is in line should be your number one priority to getting lean…and staying lean. It is worth mentioning that having the right personal approach to abdominal training can be very effective. Having a strong core is so crucial to maintaining correct form in the gym, which can lead to fewer injuries in the future when doing other exercises. The abdominals are just like any other muscle group, so working them will

...And Finally

I would say that it’s easy… but then everyone would be walking around looking like extras from the movie 300 but of course we know that isn’t the case. It is however, a very manageable strategy to start getting ripped and as soon as you see the changes taking place, I guarantee you will make it a part of your lifestyle. If you’re honest with yourself, have a plan for what you want, and follow my suggested strategies in the kitchen and gym you will get what you want and much more!

 

Daily routine

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
John C Maxwell

Healthy Fat Facts

People are not unhealthy because they are fat, they are fat because they are unhealthy..."

In your diet you are expected to consume one serving of healthy fat per day. As opposed to trans and saturated fats, the healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) actually protect your heart and support your overall health. It is important to include a mix of good fat and omega-3 packed foods in your diet while reducing the processed, packed foods containing bad fats. Use the list below to help gauge the types of fats in your diet.
 

Some examples of healthy fats include:

Monounsaturated –

Olive, canola, sesame oil

Avocados

Olives

Nuts and Nut butters

Polyunsaturated –

Corn and safflower oil

Sesame, pumpkin, chia and flax seeds

Salmon, tuna, trout

Soymilk and tofu

Some examples of bad fats include:

Saturated –

High-fat red meat (beef, lamb, pork)
Whole-fat dairy products

Butter and Lard

Trans –

Packaged snack foods (chips, crackers, cookies, doughnuts)

Margarine

Fried foods

Candy bars

 

natural fat burners

·         Eat nature’s natural fat burners: Add cinnamon, grapefruit, and asparagus. Studies have shown these foods to have natural fat burning effects on the body.

 

 

Success and Failure is not final

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Start

·         "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

·         Joe Sabah

 

Resetting your attitude

"What you want to achieve you can, by resetting your attitude and developing habits that reinforce what you want to achieve in your life."

 Margaret Stockley

Get Lean

In-Depth Effective Tips To Get Lean!!!

Everyone wants to lose fat, but most people mistakenly indicate “weight loss” as their goal.  I will explain, this is not necessarily the same thing; Due to gain of muscle mass, you can actually drop body fat percentage, while in fact weigh more . Reducing body fat and improving one’s body composition is a common goal for both serious athletes and the general fitness enthusiasts. With such a strong interest in “battling the bulge”, fat loss has become a huge industry, with new fad diets, weight loss plans, abdominal toning products, and fat burning supplements popping up on the market every day!
Unfortunately, despite all of the attention directed at this subject, obesity is still on the rise. The purpose of this article is to outline some basic and effective principles for attaining permanent “fat loss” and a transformation of your physical appearance.
We are inundated with so many different diet and exercise programs and there are so many weight loss myths floating around that it becomes difficult to know what to believe. Let me assure you that proper nutrition and exercise (along with certain lifestyle changes) are STILL the solution to losing fat permanently and getting that lean, cut-looking physique. The following 3 Fat Loss Tips will help you achieve your “Fat Loss” goals.

Tip #1: Don’t Starve Yourself

Cutting too many calories, pushes the body to conserve calories rather than burn them. It also forces your body to break down muscle tissue to fuel its vital operations. But muscle tissue is the key to your metabolism (the speed at which you burn calories).
When you go on an extremely low calorie diet, your body goes into starvation mode. This leads to several negatives consequences, including fewer fat-burning enzymes in your body, lower levels of fat burning hormones, muscle wasting, greater appetite, and low energy. The bottom line is that it’s physiologically impossible to achieve permanent fat loss on a “starvation” type diet.
In the short term very low calorie programs may get you some results, but in the long run they can actually make you fatter. You will almost certainly regain additional body fat once your diet ends! Don’t trust a diet plan that recommends the same calories for everyone. If you are more active you will need more energy.

Tip #2: Increase Calorie Deficit by Exercising

This ties in nicely with the first principle. The key to long term fat loss is to focus on burning the fat, not starving the fat. To metabolize more body fat while only cutting calories slightly below maintenance, you will need to burn more calories by increasing your activity level. I know it sounds obvious, but you would be surprised by how many people look for ways around this, and search for quick fixes in order to avoid putting the extra effort into getting results!

Resistance Training

Your physical activity plan for fat loss should focus primarily on resistance training with weights. Whereas you will burn fat as a fuel source during cardiovascular, resistance training will not only metabolize body fat during your workout, but it will stimulate your body to continue eating up your fat stores after exercise as well. This is sometimes referred to as the double-reducing effect, or “after-burn”. This effect is caused by raising your basal metabolic rate: essentially, weight training boosts your metabolism!

Muscle Equals Metabolism

Not only will strength training get you “Jacked”, but the more lean tissue you have on your body, and the more active your muscle tissue becomes, the higher your metabolism is. This is why I say it’s a mistake to focus on losing weight, rather than reducing body fat. Muscle weighs much more than fat, but because it is also much denser it takes up less space on your body. So think about “reshaping” your body, rather than shrinking it. This will leave you cut AND jacked, rather than just skinny and soft.

Circuit Training

Circuit training involves a single set of each exercise one after another, with minimal rest between sets. An effective way to increase your metabolism in a circuit training workout is to perform a series of exercises alternating between lower body, upper body, and core movements. This can be accomplished using minimal equipment, or by performing bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups, dips, and abdominal exercise variations.

Interval Training

Interval training involves alternating periods of low intensity cardiovascular activity with higher intensity sprint intervals. This not only burns more calories in a shorter amount of time, but it will help to stimulate and preserve your hard-earned lean muscle tissue. An example of an interval training workout could be alternating periods of jogging for 4 minutes and running hard for 1 minute, repeating these intervals for a 20 minute workout.

Tip #3: Changing Your Eating Habits

Exercise alone won't make you leaner. You can still gain fat due to poor eating habits. Here are some important nutritional habits you can adopt to help you lose body fat while maintaining your lean muscle tissue:

Eat More Often

This may sound contrary to your objective, but by eating more frequently your metabolism is increased and your portion sizes will be smaller. Controlling portion size is absolutely essential to reducing your body fat. View it as throwing wood chips on the fire (your metabolism) all day long to keep the flames high, rather than smothering it with a log once a day. Try to eat 5 to 6 smaller healthy meals or snacks throughout the day. Eating every 3 hours will help regulate your blood sugar levels and keep your metabolism roaring.

Consume Good Fats

Fat is a misunderstood nutrient. Many people still believe that all fats are “bad”, and think that eating fat makes you fat. However, not all fats are created equal and consuming the right type of fat is not only essential for good health, but it will aid in the metabolism of even more body fat. The good fats are called essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and include the Omega 3, 6, and 9 oils. Foods containing these healthy fats include fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil, among others. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are common sources and are popular in supplement form as well.

Stay Hydrated

Water is the most important nutrient, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. You need it to flush the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy, or when it processes protein. To stay well hydrated, let water and green tea be your main beverages. Fruit juices, sodas and other beverages contain calories and often have added sugar. Therefore, avoid juice, pop, and sports drinks and focus on drinking plain water and green tea instead. A good guideline for water intake is to drink one liter for every fifty pounds of your bodyweight per day.

Avoid Refined Starch and Sugar

Sugar is the enemy if your goal is to lose fat! Sugar contains empty calories (minimal nutrient value), which provide a quick release of energy without actually feeding your body, and then a rapid energy slump soon afterwards. Sugar also interferes with fat loss, because your body will prefer to metabolize the sugar before getting into using fat stores. By including foods high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats you can control this rapid fluctuation in blood sugar. Foods rich in fiber help control blood glucose and insulin levels. Reduce consumption of most processed, low-fiber breads, cereals, breakfast bars, potatoes, and pasta.
Following these basic suggestions will help you lose body fat, increase your metabolism, and improve your health!  

 

enjoy the journey

Point is to enjoy the journey...no matter where in it you are, this is YOUR life! I can remember being miserable and unhappy because I didn't look like "the magazine photo" or I ate something I shouldn't have. I wasted valuable time focusing on what I wasn't rather than all that I am doing or have done. I am not at my goal yet and I refuse to let a day go by that I don't make a better choice for me because that is what ultimately makes me feel good! Changing my habits, one meal, one workout, one day at a time. And just so we are clear...you will never look like "her" or "him"...you can only look like you!

Love yourself...you only get one you! ;)

feedback

You only learn from feedback; the faster and more often you fail, the more rapidly you learn and succeed.

no tricks

You ARE worth it! ;)

reward

Reward yourself. Having big goals is awesome. But you gotta set smaller milestone goals, too, goals that you can reach and reward yourself for by doing something cool. And then when we hit that big goal – get yourself that prize. Savor the moment and THEN set the next big goal to achieve.

Habit

Focus on changing specific habits rather than the final outcome or goal. You'll get there!

A new day

·         Today is yesterday's tomorrow! Whatever bad choices you may have made yesterday don't matter today. Start fresh and make new better choices today! Like drink more water...pass on the doughnuts...don't participate in the office potluck...eat more fruit...go for a walk...go to the gym...love yourself! ;)

TOP TEN FOODS FOR FAT LOSS AND BODY COMPOSITION

TOP TEN FOODS FOR FAT LOSS AND BODY COMPOSITION

Use these ten foods in your diet to support fat loss and get the physique you desire. Assuming you are training regularly, including these foods in a high-protein, relatively low-carb whole food diet will help you get and stay lean, while feeling energized and motivated throughout the day.
These ten foods will help you lose fat because they support your body to do one or more of these five things:
•    Increase the body’s use of fat for energy, shifting it to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
•    Decrease chronic inflammation and improve the sensitivity of cells to insulin so that blood sugar from carbohydrates is used for energy or stored as muscle glycogen and doesn’t turn into fat.
•    Improve the body’s internal detoxification system to enhance elimination of waste products and toxins that slow the metabolism.
•    Support tissue repair and increase the body’s resting metabolic rate so that more energy is burned when food is broken down.
•    Improve the endocrine response to food—there are many effects of this, including lower insulin and cortisol, better elimination of excess estrogen, and higher leptin, which blunts feelings of hunger.

#1: Cold Water Fish: Salmon, Whitefish, Mackerel, Sardines & Anchovies

These cold water fish are high in the omega-3 fats that improve insulin sensitivity and decrease inflammation. The effect is of getting the majority of dietary fat from omega-3 fats is fat loss and improved body composition. For instance, a recent study of healthy adults showed that taking 4 grams of omega-3s a day for 6 weeks significantly increased lean mass and decreased body fat. Other studies have shown an association of a better body composition in people who eat more than 5 servings of cold water fish a week.

Take Away: Get the majority of your dietary fats from foods that are high in omega-3 fats. Cold water fish is a great place to start, and grass-fed and wild meats can increase your intake. Eat a serving of one of these high-protein sources at every meal.

#2: Nuts: Walnuts & Almonds

Nuts are high in antioxidants, protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and research shows that supplementing the diet with them can significantly improve body composition. They not only increase the metabolic response to eating, but they increase feelings of satiety and blunt hunger—the hormone leptin has been found to be higher in people who eat nuts daily.

Walnuts may be the healthiest nuts because they are typically eaten raw with the skin on, which increases their antioxidant content. Almonds also top the list of fat burning nuts because of their high protein and fiber content, and they contain a lot of vitamin E that supports detoxification.

Take Away: Eating a serving of nuts a day in conjunction with a high-protein, low-carb diet can produce significant fat loss and help you feel satisfied.

#3: Whey Protein

Whey protein, which can be found in dairy products and taken as a supplement, is a super food for body composition because it enables the body to repair tissue and burn fat. It also enhances the body’s internal antioxidant system by increasing something called glutathione.

Research shows that exercise performance and fat loss are enhanced when the body’s glutathione levels are higher during strength training. For example, in one study that had men take 22 grams of whey protein daily in conjunction with a strength training program had them lose more body fat than a group that only strength trained and didn’t supplement with whey.

Take Away: Supplement with whey protein daily to increase your metabolic rate, antioxidant status, and support tissue repair.

#4: Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries & Raspberries

 

Besides being delicious, berries are great for fat loss because they contain fiber, antioxidants, and have been shown to blunt the amount of insulin the body produces in response to eating them with high-carbohydrate foods. Raspberries, in particular, contain a unique antioxidant called ellagitannins that have been shown to improve the brain’s sensitivity to leptin, making you feel less hungry.

Take Away: Get multiple servings of berries daily. Throw in a serving of the superfruits mango, pomegranate, and tart cherries for variety—all three convey similar benefits as berries and food scientists have called them all “anti-obesity” fruits.

#5: Avocados

A recent review of foods that can treat obesity and prevent diabetes wrote that the “avocado has tremendous antioxidant capacity,” and has been shown to completely eradicate chronic inflammation related to high body fat in mice. Adding avocados and pomegranates to the diet of the mice allowed for them to lose fat and have better insulin sensitivity over time.

Take Away: Selectively include avocados in your diet. Depending on other fat intake, eat them a few days a week. One avocado contains 250 calories, 10 g of fiber, 15 g of monounsaturated fat, 4 g of protein, and 20 essential nutrients.

#6: Broccoli & Cruciferous Vegetables

 

The cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower help the body clear excess estrogen—both naturally occurring and chemical estrogens such as BPA. By a variety of mechanisms, compounds in these veggies can interact with the genes involved in estrogen binding, while clearing estrogen from the body.

In addition, research shows that the high fiber content of these veggies will delay carbohydrate absorption, favorably modifying the glucose response. Their inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, thus making them an ideal fat loss food. Dark green vegetables usually have a large antioxidant content as well.

Take Away: Shoot for multiple servings of cruciferous vegetables daily. Broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, arugula, radish can be eaten raw, added to salads, or steamed. Raw food are better for fat loss, but the key is to eat them daily, so if cooked is more palatable, go for it.

#7: Eggs

Eggs are an excellent protein source and they also provide a nice dose of choline, which protects the liver from accumulating fat and is the precursor to the energizing neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Increasing acetylcholine levels can increase growth hormone, which is a potent fat burner. Plus, eggs are very filling, and you get a nice boost in metabolism on account of the thermic effect of  their high protein content.

Incorrectly feared due to their cholesterol content, eggs haven’t been found to elevate serum cholesterol. The body actually uses the cholesterol to produce testosterone and other androgenic hormones, and it improves the integrity of muscle cell membranes. One study showed that eating 12 eggs a week didn’t increase LDL cholesterol at all, and when exercise was done, the high egg intake improved the participants’ ratio of good to bad cholesterol to the same degree as a group that ate no eggs. 

Take Away: Eat eggs a few days a week to increase your protein and choline intake. Avoid eating them daily because this has ben shown to cause intolerances.

#8: Coffee & Green Coffee Extract

There is compelling evidence that coffee increases your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories, and it can help shift the body to burn fat rather than glucose for energy. In addition, we know coffee enhances the body’s defenses against reactive oxygen species, can help modulate blood sugar, and may even reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The fat loss effect of coffee drinking hasn’t been studied extensively, but one study showed drinking 500 ml of coffee daily for 4 weeks produced 2.5 kg weight loss in overweight subjects. Perhaps more effective, green coffee extract, which comes from the bean before roasting and can be added to any beverage, has been shown to produce significant fat loss: One study compared the effect of giving participants a high-dose green coffee extract (1050 mg), a low-dose (700 mg), or a placebo for 6 weeks and found that the large dose resulted in an average 8 kg loss in body weight and a 4.4 percent drop in body fat—very impressive. The low dose and placebo produced no changes in body composition.

Take Away: Using green coffee extract and drinking coffee can help you lose fat in conjunction with a healthy diet. They aren’t a weight loss solution, but a nice addition to a complete fat loss diet. Green tea provides similar benefits as coffee if it is your beverage of choice.

#9: Kimchi

Kimchi, a fermented Korean food made from napa cabbage, onions, garlic, and fiber, has been shown to aid digestion, improve insulin sensitivity, and produce fat loss. A recent study showed that overweight subjects who ate 100 grams of kimchi at every meal for 4 weeks produced significant fat loss and decreased body fat by 1.5 percent. Blood pressure and blood sugar control were both lower by the end of the study.

Take Away: Include kimchi and other fermented foods in your diet daily for better health and fat loss. Get kimchi at an Asian food store or Whole Foods.

#10: Vinegar

Vinegar aids the body in storing carbohydrates as muscle glycogen rather than storing them as fat. In addition, studies show eating vinegar as a seasoning with meals can improve pancreatic function, and lower the insulin response to carbs. Even if you just add vinegar to your salad or cruciferous vegetables, it can lower the insulin response to your whole meal, leading to a more moderate elevation in blood sugar.

Take Away: Balsamic and white wine vinegar are some of the most delicious vinegars, but you can add any kind to your meal daily and get the fat loss benefits.