First and foremost, alcohol is a poison and your body must fight to get it out of your system. It directly impairs liver function thus severely hampering your metabolism of fat. If fat loss is your main goal moderation is a key. I have trained many adults who like there nightly beverage, but they never or rarely lose body fat. I would suggest limiting alcohol consumption to once a week if fat loss is your goal.

When your liver is processing alcohol it will stop all other metabolic functions. It will do so until it rids your body of ethanol toxicity which is the by product of alcoholic consumption. This process leads many times to stubborn fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and syndrome X.

Drinking in excess will also contribute to fat gain not loss. If you think you are going to gain muscle mass while drinking think again! Your liver is to0 busy doing something it does not want to do, process alcohol instead of amino acids. In addition, alcohol reduces testosterone.

We have not even touched on how many extra calories alcohol consumption can add to your daily caloric intake. As my good friend Tom Venuto states, “Those calories add up so quickly.” Think about how much you consume and the caloric value of each drink. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. This is almost twice that of carbohydrates and protein and just under the 9 grams per calorie for fat. Here is an example: consuming 2-3 drinks a day can add up to over 400 calories extra each and every day. Multiply that by one week and you are over 2700 calories extra. That is over a half a pound.

According to studies drinking alcohol increases visceral adipose tissue. This is the fat around your body organs. NOT HEALTHY! Other studies suggest alcohol consumption increases and stimulates appetite. I remember when I went through my Nutrition and Lifestyle Courses, alcohol was an afternoon subject and I recall this sobering thought, “If you really want to piss off your entire digestive system and set your body up for a total metabolic nightmare, drink alcohol before you eat.”

Another item I have learned from Tom Venuto was the simple but often overlooked factor that by doing something everyday becomes habit-forming behavior. The daily routine of consuming an innocent evening drink will lead to the ill affects of alcohol consumption.

Consuming alcohol again stops all fat burning, adds extra calories, increases estrogen level (stubborn fat), increases appetite and makes you more easily persuaded to eat that entire cheese cake.

There are some simple guidelines you can follow that will not only help you stay on the fat burning path, but will encourage better overall health.

Drinking red wine is much better for you then drinking beer. Red wine contains some good things that can benefit your health. On the other hand consuming beer, which contains hops and are highly estrogenic, will lead to more fat gain and harder fat loss.

Try to stay away from extra sweet drinks with added sugars. This will keep your blood sugar from a massive spike while having a drink. Have you ever wondered why are these drinks are so popular?

I would highly suggest that you read my stubborn fat solutions report (If you think you have stubborn fat) and to avoid alcohol for at least two weeks while your detoxify your liver and get started on a friendly fat burning environment.

Follow the European model; eat some fat or protein with your wine. The more food you have in your belly the slower the absorption. It also aids in insulin regulation. Avoid high carbohydrates snack with alcohol. It carries many metabolic problems like insulin elevation and high fat levels in your blood stream.

According to nutrition writer Ori Hofmelker below is a list of good to bad:

Alcohol – Good to Bad

1. Red wine – Best
2. White wine
3. Champagne
4. Vodka
5. Gin
6. Rum
7. Whiskey
8. Cognac
9. Sweet wines
10. Sweet mixed drinks
11. Liqueurs
12. BEER! Worst

Some common problems with alcohol consumption

• Reduced testosterone
• Increased estrogen
• Increased hydration
• Inability to absorb vital nutrients

In summary, I would suggest eating an anti-estrogenic, well- balanced diet and minimize alcohol consumption until you reach your fat loss goals. This will also aid in your quest for a set of six pack abs.

To Get More Information About Fat Loss and Toning Your Abs
Go to: Firm and Flatten Your Abs:

Coach David Grisaffi,
Tacoma Washington

There is a difference in color between teas. This is a by-product of production. Green tea is the same as black tea however black tea is left out to ferment while drying. This process changes the color to black. It is a milder tasting tea and I would assume why it is a bit more popular. Oolong ferments about ½ the amount of time black tea ferments. Green tea is steamed and then let dry to keep the flavor intact. Green tea has nutrient rich properties that other beverages do not possess. It is rich in certain phytonutrients called catechins. This nutrient contains many different compounds but in an average cup of tea it provides about 125 mg of catechins.

Green, black and oolong tea possess health benefits as stated above. The phytonutrients or catechins found in the teas act to eradicate free radicals from your body. These free radicals are believed to be precursors to many health problems in our society. Green tea is however more powerful in this area than the other two, because the amount of catechins in green tea is more then double.

Teas do have a positive effect on reducing high blood pressure. Drinking just one cup a day can reduce your chances of high blood pressure by 80% according to a new Chinese study.

Your heart also benefits from tea consumption. Tea helps keep arteries clear and reduces cholesterol. Both have an enormous impact on longevity. Studies show that drinking 2 cups of tea per day can extend your life by 40%. Now that is worth thinking about.

For the women out there reading this you will also enjoy the simple fact that drinking tea strengthens and increase bone density. This really helps postmenopausal women. Just make sure you get your calcium and vitamin D everyday in addition to drinking green tea.

Now the best part about green tea, or all teas mentioned above in my opinion, is their ability to reduce your belly line. The least appreciate value of green tea is its catechins ability to interfere with fat digesting enzymes in the stomach and small intestines. This results in incomplete digestion of fat lipids.

This leads to fewer fats absorbed by the intestinal tract and more elimination of fat lipids. It has another benefit as a fat storage inhibitor. It also helps the body transfer from sugar burning to fat burning. This improves the belly line as you use more fat for energy. The increase fat burning is contributed to “thermogenisis” or heat production by your body. You can lose over a pound a month just by drinking a cup or two of tea per day. Now couple that with a good nutrition plan and exercise plan and you are in business.

There is evidence that stress and depression are associated with increased abdominal fat. Stress and anxiety plus depression increase the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone aids in the collection of body fat in the abdominal region. Green tea seems to have amino acid, which counteracts cortisols effect. The amino acid is called L-theanine.

The benefits of drinking tea are documented and more studies are in progress to help us understand the great benefits of the wonderful drink. Tea helps with all kinds of ailments and should be part of anyone’s overall health plan. If you want to know more about how to reduce your body fat level and improve your abdominal muscles, look to: