Lose Fat And Tone Up The Easy And Stress Free Way Using Bodybuilding

By Hugo Rivera, About.com

Photo Credit: Garrett Wilson

By Mercedes Khani¹, IFBB Figure Pro, CFT

How to lose fat, without killing yourself in a tough diet... There are so many stories, so many tales. How do they do it? And who really knows the best way to do it, without it being too hard on you? We all have our jobs, a busy lifestyle and family to attend to.

There is no time for a complicated diet added to your busy schedule. I understand it's hard to take the first step and get started if you don't know what to do. When you see someone who has done it, then you know this person must know the answer.

Being a fitness model, a figure competitor and a personal trainer, I know how to do it and now I am telling you all to learn! Just follow the free schedules and titles below as a guidance to your new lifestyle, to the new you. Are you ready to see the fat melting off, easy and stress-free? Let's go!

Training As Little As 3 Times A Week

You can train with weights as little as three times a week, just 45-60 minutes per session. After weight training² I want you to do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise³ to burn off the fat even faster. You can also do up to 45 minutes of cardio if you're up for it, but no more than that. I will leave that up to you.

Alternatively, you can do your cardio on your days off from the weights. The best time to do it in this case is as soon as you wake up on an empty stomach since research indicates that more body fat is burned when performed on a fasted state since glycogen (stored carbohydrates) levels are low. A walk outside or on a treadmill will get the job done but in reality, you can choose any machine you like. However, do not underestimate the power of walking on the pavement⁴.

There is no need to spend your life in the gym. That is what the commercials tell you on TV, to sell you their 'new innovative' product. But it's really not that hard; actually you will find yourself enjoying doing the exercises. Time flies by as you're occupied and before you know, you're done. You just need to get up and go. I promise that you'll feel great when you're done!

Sample Training Schedule

To spend only three days a week in the gym, and have significant results, here is a great sample schedule to do it. Follow this exact schedule if you like, or feel free to adjust it to your preference if you wish to train other body parts on different days.

Monday: Legs and shoulders, calves
Tuesday: Training off
Wednesday: Back and biceps, abs
Thursday: Training off
Friday: Chest and triceps, abs
Saturday: Training off
Sunday: Training off

Number of Exercises, Sets, Reps

Try to do 3 or 4 exercises per major muscle group (legs, back, chest, shoulders), and 2 or 3 exercises per minor muscle group (biceps, triceps). You can do 1 or 2 exercises for abs and calves. Go for 3-4 sets of about 15-20 reps per set as I have found this repetition range to be optimal for toning and fat loss.

Training Time

On training days, try to train not later than before the 4th meal, so that you have enough energy to train well during the day.

Mercedes Khani's Bodybuilding Diet Advice for Fat Loss and Toning

Instead of talking about what you can not eat, let's talk about what you can eat. There are actually a lot of food items that you can include in your bodybuilding diet plan⁵!

I want you to have six 'meals' a day as eating more frequently will increase your metabolism which in turns helps you to lose fat and will also feed the muscle so that it gets that firm and toned look you are after. Don't worry, you won't have to spend your time in the kitchen cooking all day; some of the 'meals' will be a quick shake or a small snack. You will be eating every 3 hours so that your body becomes more efficient at burning all the calories faster. This is what we want to happen in order to lose that body fat.

I made a great tasting diet schedule for you, which will help you get the results you are looking for. Each meal consists of carbs, proteins and fat sources as you can see in the diet plan below. Feel free to switch the foods from the sample diet below up with any of the other food sources from the same category. Just pick what you feel like having from the table, or follow my sample diet schedule and you will be well on your way to great results. It's easy as that!

Food Preparation

Preferably I want your vegetables to be steamed and I want you to use Pam fat-free cooking spray instead of olive oil or especially butter to cook your food. You can find calorie-free salad dressing in all flavors for a great tasting salad and delicious calorie free marinades for chicken, beef or fish. You can also use fat-free mayonnaise, ketchup, sweeteners, herbs and spices to enhance the taste of your food. Told you this diet would be good!

The amount per food item is based on a 120-140 pound female who wishes to lose body fat and add some muscle at the same time to become more toned and firm looking. Add a little more amount per food item if your weight is higher and/or if you are very active during the day.

Meal Timing

I like to train after the 3rd meal and before my 4th meal, so I added some good fats in the meal before my training. If you want to train earlier, try to move your good fats (in this example the almonds) to the meal before your training. They will give you extra energy to train and will make you feel full, especially with a full glass of water to spread out the fibers in your tummy, which the almonds contain.

You don't want the good fats in the meal after your training. Fat slows down the uptake and digestion of nutrients in your body and after training the body needs carbs and proteins as fast as possible in order to start the recovery process. By having a post workout meal that does not include fats, the necessary carbs and protein nutrients will be taken up by the body faster after your training.

IFBB Figure Pro Mercedes Khani

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Mercedes Khani's Sample Diet Plan For Fat Loss and Toning

Meal 1 / Breakfast:
½ cup oatmeal (with cinnamon and sweeteners)
6 egg whites with 1 yolk
Half grapefruit

Meal 2 / Mid-morning:
½ cup fat free cottage cheese
1 Apple

Meal 3 / Lunch:
½ cup (cooked) brown rice with 4 oz. chicken breast, broccoli and cauliflower
Small mixed salad with one full hand of almonds

Meal 4 / Mid-afternoon:
½ packet Meal Replacement Shake
Apple

Meal 5 / Dinner:
1 cup sweet potato
4 oz. salmon
Asparagus and carrots
Small mixed salad

Meal 6 / Pre-bedtime:
1 ½ scoop protein shake


Pick your carbs, proteins and fat sources here if you like to switch from the sample diet:

Good Carbs

• ½ cup (cooked) brown rice


• 3 rice cakes


• ½ cup oatmeal


• 2 slices whole wheat toast


• 1 cup sweet potato

Protein

• 4 oz. salmon (also contains good fat)


• 6 egg whites, 1 yolk (yolk contains fat)


• 4 oz. any fish


• 3 oz. chicken breast


• 3 oz. turkey breast


• 4 oz. lean beef (top round)


• ½ cup fat free cottage cheese

Good Fat

• Any fatty fish


• ¼ advocado


• ½ tbsp. olive oil


• 1 full hand almonds or walnuts


• ½ full hand peanuts or cashews

Free Meal Over The Weekends!

To give you a nice treat, besides the treat of your body changing to the way you want to pretty soon, the you can have one free meal on Saturday and one free meal on Sunday! During this meal, you can eat whatever you want. Try not to go overboard though; it's better not to. That way it doesn't take too many days for your body to get back on the fat-burning track again after the weekend. Also, in this manner, the free meals work to boost your metabolism as opposed to crippling your ability to burn more body fat.

Supplements for Fat Loss and Toning

Experimenting with supplements and fat loss myself, I found that the following supplements really helped me in losing fat, and gaining muscle for that toned fit body at the same time. Besides that, they helped me to feel energetic during the day. Since I want you to feel the same way, here is my recommended list of supplements for fat loss and toning:

• One 1000 mg vitamin C in the morning and one after training
• A good multi vitamin and mineral formula⁷.
• One 400 mg vitamin E after training
• 5 gram L-Glutamine⁸ after training and 5 gram before bedtime (for great recovery)
• 5 gram Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) before training and 5 gram after training (for energy and great recovery)
• 2 servings of fish oil⁹ a day (to help you lose fat)
• 2 to 3 servings of HMB a day, depending on the brand (to help you lose fat and gain muscle)
• 2 servings CLA a day (to help you lose fat)

These are the best supplements in my opinion to give you all the energy and all the nutritional support you need in order to lose body fat and gain muscle for a beautifully toned body. As you can see, there are no magic potions or formulas, but simply some basic proven supplements that will greatly benefit your training and dieting efforts as well as your health.

IFBB Figure Pro Mercedes Khani

Photo Credit: Garrett Wilson

S.O.S. - Need Help; I Have Cravings!

What should you do when the cravings come up strong sometimes? Well, actually there are all kinds of treats to satisfy your cravings without eating something you're not supposed to.

When you want to keep eating 'clean' during the week (so that you can have the weekends free to eat what you feel like in two meals) and you have a big craving somewhere during the week, don't worry. There is a way to jump over this hurdle.

Try any of the cravings control tips below to cut your cravings:

• Have a celery stick dipped in calorie free dressing.



• Have a hand full of almonds/walnuts or ½ hand of peanuts/cashews with 1 glass of water.



• Have some cucumber or a small mixed salad.



• Have a green apple.



• Have some water, green tea, espresso or coffee (with fat free creamer and/or sweetener).



• Watch TV or a movie.



• Go online to read some fitness articles for extra motivation.



• Go outside and take a walk.



• Go shopping. See how smaller sizes fit and look great on you!



• Meet up for social activities with friends, tell them about your new lifestyle. They will support you!

Also try this little trick; If you're craving for example chocolate, look at the back side of the packet and see how many calories per serving (if you're going to have that suggested serving), you're about to take in. 300 calories equals 45 minutes of cardio. Do you really want to make it harder on you and slow down your progress? Imagine yourself in nice low-cut jeans with a pretty top, showing your abs. Besides, it's just a few more days until the weekend is here so let's just put that chocolate bar aside and wait until the weekend.

Enjoy Food, Enjoy Life

Ever see commercials on TV or in magazines of fit people living a happy lifestyle, eating breakfast in the peaceful garden, casually riding a bike or taking a relaxing walk on the beach? They are being portrayed as happy people who appreciate life.

It's true for most fit people, and it could be true for everyone. You appreciate food, your bodies and life so much more now that you focus more on appreciating yourselves instead of only living to eat. This is karma; you give and you take. The energy you put into appreciating and caring for yourself all comes back to you, in a good way.

Appreciating whole foods for your body instead of stressor foods (unhealthy food), enjoying life and having fun attributes to maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle. It even attributes to a happy lifestyle.

To every action there is a reaction. You've made a couple changes in your life to have a great fit and toned body so now you are burning fat, although sometimes it takes a while for you to notice it.

One, you may not see it at first until the results are greater, even though your friends and family will be complimenting you and telling you they see you've lost weight, and two, sometimes the fat has to become looser first inside, until it starts coming off.

This may happen for the first few weeks, but soon before you know it, you will see the fat flying off at a rapid speed. You will be so happy with the results that you won't want to have it any other way. You will choose to keep this way of eating as a lifestyle, a healthy lifestyle that guarantees you having a fit and healthy body for the rest of your life. And you'll do it with pleasure too!

I can't wait for you to have a fit and healthy lifestyle¹⁰ as well! Be sure to make before and after pictures for us all to see when you start this guide to lose your body fat and have a great toned body. Feel free to email them to me. I will be looking forward to seeing those awesome results on you!

Enjoy! Yours in health,

Mercedes Khani


About The Author

Mercedes Khani¹¹ is an IFBB Pro Figure athlete, international fitness model, certified personal trainer and writer. She is the owner of MercedesKhaniFitness.com¹² and is working on her first fitness book.

Fighting The Female Stubborn Area

Tips To Transforming The Female Stubborn Areas In Your Lower Body

By Hugo Rivera, About.com

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In women, the stubborn areas tend to be the buns, thighs, and the back of the legs. Typically, one achieves a very lean upper body displaying incredible abdominal definition before all the fat in the lower body is burned. Consider that another unique trait of us women.

However, don't despair! The tips below will arm you with the information necessary to incinerate the stubborn fat on your lower body.

Tips To Transforming The Female Stubborn Areas In Your Lower Body

1. Watch your diet; if you don’t stick to a healthful eating plan, you will never see the results you desire.

Diet¹ is the most important ingredient in changing the appearance of your lower body. You can lift hard and do cardio², but you will never see the bodybuilding results³ that you desire without cleaning up your eating habits. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be dreadful and boring either; educating yourself on the proper foods to eat leaves a long list of delicious choices. Experimenting and learning the best food choices for your body and activity level will almost always leave you satisfied. Make sure that do not exclude any of the major macronutrients because they all have a benefit to the body.

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are essential to any good eating program. Try surviving without one of them and you are guaranteed to be a miserable person. If you are absolutely starving, eat some fibrous vegetables; nobody ever got fat eating their greens. Last, but not least, don’t totally deprive yourself of everything you love; have a treat on occasion, but don’t make it a regular habit.

2.You must lift challenging weights and do essential lower body exercises; cardio alone will not give you a shapely lower half.

Weight training⁴ is crucial in transforming your lower body. The biggest misconception that women have is that they will become big and bulky if they do any sort of weighted exercises. Wrong! The complete opposite is true; in order to get rid of bodyfat and attain a sculpted lower half, you need to challenge it through a constantly changing weight routine.

I am here to help you and not to scare you, but if you are carrying a significant amount of bodyfat, you may actually slightly increase in size for a short period of time before becoming smaller. This is a common occurrence that scares many females away from the weight room; knowing ahead of time that this could happen and pushing through this brief period of time will be the best thing that you do. Once the body realizes that you are going to continually challenge your lower half, it will adapt and become leaner and firmer.

The best exercises that any woman can choose to do are:

• Squats: Full squats and parallel squats alone will leave you in awe at how much you can change; your entire lower body will feel the effects of this powerful exercise.
  
  Notes:
  I recommend using the squat rack over the smith machine. The squat rack prevents pattern overload syndrome, which can cause chronic injury due to the body constantly recruiting the same muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
  
  
• Lunges: Walking, stationary, and cross-over lunges are guaranteed to make everything feel firmer.
  
  
• Step-ups: After you master the coordination of this exercise, you will notice a difference in your quads and glutes.
  
  
• Dead lifts: Mixing up the different variations of dead lifts will target your hamstrings, a place where many women are blessed with cellulite.

Obviously there are benefits to doing many other exercises for the female “stubborn area,” but I recommend focusing on these four exercises in order to get the most out of your routine.

A few suggested exercises to incorporate into your routine for occasional isolation are:

Butt blaster, leg press, leg extensions, and hamstring curls

Add the end of this article, I will present my personal leg training routine along with some less advanced ones for those of you who are just beginning.

Heather Wojdyla

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3. Cardio should be incorporated into your routine, but not in excessive amounts.

Cardiovascular exercise⁵ is important to any workout regimen as well. The problem is that women think that doing cardio is the key to becoming looking and feeling leaner. Wrong! I highly recommend cardio, but it should be used for putting the final touches on your physique. After you master the diet⁶ and the weight training⁷ program then your cardio should be tweaked.

Start off with only about 3-4 days a week worth of cardio. Some of us may need more and some of us less. A good rule of thumb to go by is no longer than 30-45 minutes at the most. Anything longer than that is actually hindering your progress because then you start releasing too much cortisol (an adrenal gland hormone that is released in the precense of too much stress and whose purpose is to store fat and use muscle for fuel!).

Obviously choose the activity that is most enjoyable to you. By picking a cardiovascular activity that you don’t absolutely dread, you will find it easier to stick to your program. Choose some good music too or a good partner.

I have found the most effective butt-blasting cardio activities to be the:

• Stairmill: This machine hits just about every single muscle in your lower body; even after continued use, you will feel the benefit of this equipment. Focus on squeezing your glutes and hamstrings with each step. You can also alter body positions in order to target certain areas. Step facing forward, sideways, and also change stride length and foot positioning.
  
  Notes:
  Not recommended for someone with knee problems.
  
  
• Treadmill set at an incline: Walking alone is a great cardiovascular exercise; however when you set the treadmill at an incline, you are going to get more bang for your buck. By doing this, you are forcing your lower body to work much harder. Set the machine as high as you can tolerate and at a speed that you can maintain without holding on. When first starting out, this might seem awfully difficult, but work towards a goal in small steps. Walk for as long as you can without holding on and then you can grasp the top of the treadmill in order to gain your composure and repeat for as long as necessary. Concentrate on tightening your lower body each time you take a step; by doing this, your glutes will become lifted and your legs will become more lean and defined.
  
  
• Elliptical: This piece of equipment is definitely going to make you work hard. It is much easier on the joints than running and will help you to reach your physique goals by constantly challenging almost every inch of your body. You can use this machine and stay at a steady state pace or even throw some intervals into your routine.

4. Don’t be afraid to move out of your “comfort zone” and try new things.

If you have stopped progressing and stopped seeing bodybuilding results⁸, it is time to take a risk and change things up. How many times have you seen someone consistently go to the gym, yet look the same month after month? A lot! It might even be happening to you, but you can easily change that. I fully understand the mindset of thinking that certain exercises are bad for you or won’t work for your body type, but how do you really know for sure until you give them a fair chance?

I usually suggest changing your routine every 4-6 weeks depending on your progress. The body adapts to its environment very quickly and constantly needs change. Choose some exercises that you have never done and see how your body reacts; if you don’t like how you are looking or feeling, you can always go back to exercises that are more beneficial to you. The beauty of taking that risk is that you might find certain exercises that take your physique to the next level. You might not benefit from some exercises, but you always have the freedom to stop something if you don’t like it.

I recommend not only taking a risk with your weight training routine⁹, but with cardio¹⁰ as well. Far too often gym goers stick to the same machine day after day because of fear that they won’t see results from another piece of equipment. Hop on another machine and it is almost guaranteed that you will see some results. The human body loves a good challenge and usually rewards you with a changing figure.

Heather Wojdyla

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5. Be patient; the best results never happen overnight

Now that you have some suggestions on how to fight the female “stubborn area,” challenge yourself to try at least one new thing at the gym this week. You might not notice changes right away, but stick with it for a few weeks and then assess your progress. It took time to add the unwanted weight to your figure so it will definitely take time to achieve results¹¹. It is better for you both mentally and physically to gradually slim down; if you attain results slowly, you are more likely to keep the weight off over time. If sculpting a sexy lower half were easy for us women, it wouldn’t be called the “stubborn area.”

6. Last, but definitely not least, ditch the scale! Don’t get caught up in trying to lose pounds; focus more on losing body fat and trimming down areas of your body that you aren’t completely happy with. Who really cares how much you weigh; for example, you can weigh 140 pounds yet look like someone else that weighs 120 pounds. Your body composition is far more important than that meaningless number on that piece of metal or plastic sitting in the bathroom. The scale doesn’t know if you have fat or muscle so why bother playing mind games with yourself. If you absolutely must weigh yourself, don’t do it more than once every two weeks. Use your clothing and the mirror to assess your progress.

Remember, it doesn’t always have to be called your “stubborn area!” Work hard and believe; your lower half may eventually end up being your best asset!

Sample Female "Stubborn Area" Workouts

Beginner Buns and Thighs Routine

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Leg Extensions 2 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Curls 2 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Full Squats 2 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Lunges 2 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)


Intermediate Buns and Thighs Routine

Monday
Leg Extensions 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Curls 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Full Squats 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Lunges 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

Friday
Full Squats (Using Wide Stance) 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Extensions 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Stiff Legged Deadlifts 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Step Ups 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

My Personal Advanced Buns and Thighs Routine

Monday
Leg Extensions 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Standing Leg Curls 4 sets of 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Full Squats (Using Wide Stance) 5 sets of 10-15 reps (1 minute rest)
Hack Squats 4 sets of 10-12 reps close stance followed by 10-12 more reps using a duck stance (1 minute rest)

Friday
Full Squats 5 sets of 8-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Leg Extensions 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Stiff Legged Deadlifts 4 sets of 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
Walking Lunges 4 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)
Step Ups 3 sets of 15-18 reps (1 minute rest)

Note:
Keep in mind that I like variety and therefore my advanced routine gets changed on a weekly basis using the exercises recommended in this article.

About The Author

Heather Wojdyla¹² is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer with a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science/Adult Fitness from the University of Tampa. She has numerous years of training experience and has competed successfully as a natural competitor in various Figure competitions at the State and National level. Heather is currently working on her first women's fitness book.

Preventive treatment curbs eczema flare-ups

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among adults with eczema, otherwise known as atopic dermatitis, "proactive" long-term treatment with tacrolimus ointment applied twice-weekly safely reduces exacerbations of the condition, European investigators have shown.

Conventional "reactive" treatment of atopic dermatitis involves applying anti-inflammatory medication to skin lesions only while they are visible. With a proactive approach, intensive treatment until lesions are no longer visible is followed by low-dose treatment of previously affected skin areas to prevent flare-ups, the researchers explain in the medical journal Allergy.

Dr. Andreas Wollenberg, from Ludwig-Maximilian Universitat in Munich, Germany, and members of the European Tacrolimus Ointment Study Group conducted a clinical trial in which 247 adult patients with atopic dermatitis initially applied tacrolimus ointment twice daily for up to 6 weeks to visible lesions.

Patients who responded well were then randomly assigned to apply tacrolimus or placebo ointment twice-weekly for 12 months. If exacerbations occurred, they were treated with daily tacrolimus until the flare-up subsided.

The average time to a first exacerbation was substantially longer for the proactively treated patients (142 days) than for the reactively treated patients (15 days), the investigators report.

The proactive group also had a lower percentage of days in which their condition flared up, the report indicates, and more of them had no exacerbations .

Proactive treatment with tacrolimus ointment "prevented, delayed and reduced the occurrence of atopic dermatitis exacerbations," Wollenberg and his associates conclude.

From Yahoo health

Easy Tricks for Beautiful Skin

When did choosing skin-care products get so complicated? I want to make sure my skin looks great, but I don’t want to spend hours trying to figure out how (or waste money choosing stuff that doesn’t work). I’m lucky enough to have a team of beauty editors who can answer my questions and steer me to the right products.

My editors are full of useful information, including these quick tips for every skin type:

Got dry skin? I do, and this super simple tip works great for me: Wear a night cream for day. Formulas meant to be applied before bed usually contain the most hydrating ingredients. If you’re seeing flakes or your skin just feels parched, go for the big guns, even in the a.m. (Night creams don’t protect from the sun, though, so you’ll want to follow with a sunscreen.)

Is your skin sensitive? If so (and a reported 40 percent of Americans believe theirs is), you might find that sunscreen stings. To guard against that, smooth on a lotion with antioxidants before you apply your sun protector. It creates an irritation-preventing barrier.

Are you trying to control oily/combo skin? Wash your skin at the sink, not in the shower. The steam from the shower can swell the skin’s top layers, trapping bacteria and oil. Bonus: Sudsing up in front of a mirror ensures you cover every oily prone area; your hair and jaw lines, for instance, often get neglected.

10 Foods That Build Bones

Alaskan King Crab

High in protein and low in fat, the sweet flesh of the king crab is spiked with zinc — a whopping 7 milligrams per 3.5-ounce serving. "Zinc is an antioxidant, but more important, it helps support healthy bone mass and immune function," says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles.

"Several studies have linked adequate zinc intake to increased immunity and decreased incidences of respiratory infection." And you can reap all these benefits by swapping one of your weekly fish meals for a six-ounce serving of crab.

Dried Plums

Also known as prunes, these dark shrivelers are rich in copper and boron, both of which can help prevent osteoporosis. "They also contain a fiber called inulin, which, when broken down by intestinal bacteria, makes for a more acidic environment in the digestive tract," says Bowerman. "That, in turn, facilitates calcium absorption." Enjoy four or five a day to strengthen your bones and boost your energy.

Bok Choy

This crunchy cruciferous vegetable is more than the filler that goes with shrimp in brown sauce. "Bok choy is rich in bone-building calcium, as well as vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron, beta-carotene, and potassium," says celebrity trainer Teddy Bass. Potassium keeps your muscles and nerves in check while lowering your blood pressure, and research suggests that beta-carotene can reduce the risk of both lung and bladder cancers, as well as macular degeneration. Shoot for a cup a day.

Oysters

Shellfish, in general, is an excellent source of zinc, calcium, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, and selenium. "But the creamy flesh of oysters stands apart for its ability to elevate testosterone levels and protect against prostate cancer," says Bass. "They aren't a food most people will eat regularly, but getting five into your diet twice a week will make your weekends more fun."

Bananas

Athletes and performers are familiar with the calming effect of bananas — a result of the fruit's high concentration of tryptophan, a building block of serotonin. But their real benefit comes from potassium, an electrolyte that helps prevent the loss of calcium from the body.

"Bananas also bolster the nervous system, boost immune function, and help the body metabolize protein," says Bass. "One banana packs a day's worth of potassium, and its carbohydrate content speeds recovery after strenuous exercise."

Kiwis

Like bananas, this fuzzy fruit is high in bone-protecting potassium. "They're also rich in vitamin C and lutein, a carotenoid that can help reduce the risk of heart disease," says Bowerman. "I try to eat at least one or two a week after exercising." Freeze them for a refreshing energy kick, but don't peel the skin: It's edible and packed with nutrients.

Broccoli

Our president's dad may hate this cruciferous all-star, but one cup of broccoli contains a hearty dose of calcium, as well as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. And that's in addition to its high concentration of vitamins — including A, C, and K — and the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which studies at Johns Hopkins University suggest has powerful anticancer properties.

"One cup a day will do the trick," says Bowerman. Try cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, or cabbage for variation, as all possess many of the same nutritional qualities. "Broccoli may also help reduce excess estrogen levels in the body, thanks to its indole 3-carbinol content," says celebrity trainer Gunnar Petersen.

Spinach

A renowned muscle builder, spinach is also rich in vitamin K, which has been shown to bolster bone-mineral density (thus protecting against osteoporosis) and reduce fracture rates. Spinach is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and even selenium, which may help protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.

One more reason to add it to your diet: A study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the carotenoid neoxanthin in spinach can kill prostate cancer cells, while the beta-carotene fights colon cancer. "Popeye was on to something," says Bowerman. "Eat one cup of cooked spinach, or two cups raw, four times a week."

Leeks

These scallion-like cousins of garlic and onions are packed with bone-bolstering thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium. Leeks are also rich in folic acid, a B vitamin that studies have shown to lower levels of the artery-damaging amino acid homocystein in the blood.

What's more, "Leeks can support sexual functioning and reduce the risk of prostate cancer," says Michael Dansinger, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and an obesity researcher at Tufts-New England Medical Center, in Boston. "Chop the green part of a medium leek into thin ribbons and add it to soups, sautés, and salads as often as possible."

Artichokes

Lauded for centuries as an aphrodisiac, this fiber-rich plant contains more bone-building magnesium and potassium than any other vegetable. Its leaves are also rich in flavonoids and polyphenols — antioxidants that can cut the risk of stroke — and vitamin C, which helps maintain the immune system. "Eat them as often as you can," says Bowerman. Ripe ones feel heavy for their size and squeak when squeezed.