by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author -- The Truth about Six Pack Abs

A surprising way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat...

I bet you didn't know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very unique phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.

Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat...

Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, plastics, cosmetics, etc can react with your hormones and make your body store excess abdominal fat.

These harmful chemicals are known as xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body. Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for both men and women. So if you thought this article was just for the guys, these chemicals can wreak havoc in the body for both guys and gals.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).

So here's where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy...

One of those cool tricks that I teach my clients that hire me for nutritional counseling is the use of cruciferous vegetables to help fight against stomach fat.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, cabbage, etc. contain very specific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds...

And by fighting against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!

So there you go... just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli and cauliflower!

Note: Kashk, a flavorful Persian yogurt-like dairy product, is widely available at Middle Eastern markets and can be substituted with labneh (strained yogurt).

Directions:

STEP 1

Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, or until it is soft and deep golden brown, about 25 minutes; as the onion starts to brown, reduce the heat and stir more often. Add the garlic and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 1 minute. Transfer about one-third of the mixture (about 1/3 cup) to a small bowl; reserve it for garnish.

STEP 2

Add the chickpeas, broth and 2 cups water to the pan. Stir well to blend in the onion mixture and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Add the lentils, turmeric, salt, pepper and 2 cups water. Return to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chickpeas and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. At this point you can refrigerate the soup.

STEP 3

Boil 4 cups water in another medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and the linguine. Cook uncovered over high heat until just tender, checking about 2 minutes before the time on the package instructions. Drain the linguine, reserving the cooking liquid. You should have a scant 2 cups cooked pasta.

STEP 4

Meanwhile, mix 2 teaspoons each of the dill, cilantro and green onion; reserve as garnish.

STEP 5

Mix the remaining dill, cilantro and green onion and divide in two parts. Divide the spinach in two parts.

STEP 6

Reheat the soup to a simmer. Add one part of the spinach and one part of the herb mixture. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add one-half cup of the pasta cooking liquid and cook until the spinach is very tender and the soup takes on a spinach flavor, about 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid and return to a boil.

STEP 7

Just before serving, bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the remaining spinach and add the cooked pasta. Cook uncovered until the spinach just wilts, about 1 minute, adding more pasta liquid by tablespoons if the soup is too thick. Stir in the second part of the herb mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning.

STEP 8

Reheat the onion and garlic mixture reserved for garnish in a very small skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add the dried mint, stir and remove from heat.

STEP 9

Ladle the soup into a tureen or into bowls. Garnish each serving with a spoonful of kashk and with the onion-garlic mixture and the reserved herbs and green onion. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Each serving:

430 calories; 17 grams protein; 66 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams fiber; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 10 grams sugar; 272 mg sodium.

Yield: Serves 4

by Eric Metaxas, BreakPoint.org

A thirteen-year-old girl named Anni is seated at the piano on the stage at Carnegie Hall. She is wearing a neat white dress, and she's playing brilliantly. The crowd applauds enthusiastically.

That was one month ago. Three years ago, it was a different story. Then, Anni was huddled in a jail cell in China. She was kept there overnight without food, water, or even access to a toilet. The Chinese government had locked her up as retaliation for her father's activities protesting China's repressive policies.

The story of how Anni got from there to Carnegie Hall is a miracle - one that teaches us how much God values every human life.

Anni's father, Zhang Lin, is a nuclear physicist who was himself sent to prison. To get his daughter out of China, he contacted my friend Reggie Littlejohn, founder of Women's Rights Without Frontiers. Reggie, along with U.S. Representative Chris Smith and others, succeeded in bringing Anni and her sister to the U.S. Praise God. Reggie and her husband took the girls in, to raise as their own daughters.

But this is far from the whole story. You see, if the Chinese government had had its way, Anni would never have been born. Anni was a second child at a time when China's One Child policy was in brutal effect. Millions of Chinese women were forced to undergo abortions for the "crime" of expecting a second child.

Anni escaped this fate thanks to the courage of her parents. As Reggie posted at the Women's Rights Without Frontiers website, "Family planning police came daily to pressure Anni's mother to abort her. Anni's father was able to get permission for Anni's birth only after a long and difficult struggle."

Without their courage, "Anni could easily have been one of the 400 million lives 'prevented' by China's One Child policy of coercive population control, Reggie notes. "Or she could have been selectively aborted because she is a girl, as happens to so many second daughters in China."

Today, Reggie says, "We are so proud of Anni. She is flourishing, both as a pianist and as a top student. Her story is an example for all those who struggle against the odds. Through our help and her own hard work, Anni is a witness to the hope of a new beginning and to the beauty, brilliance, and infinite value of Chinese girls."

Anni herself gives all the credit to God - both for her birth and for all her accomplishments. "God did a total miracle, because I never could have made it without His help," Anni says. "Winning the competition to play in Carnegie Hall was 1 percent me and 99 percent God."

I'm telling Anni's story this week because we're coming up on a tragic anniversary: the 44th anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe v. Wade decision. Anni is a reminder of what we lose every day, in America, in China, and all over the world, when a small life is snuffed out. We lose children who might have become pianists, medical researchers, farmers, soldiers, artists, and moms and dads themselves.

We'll never know what the world has lost thanks to the millions of children who were killed through abortion. But you and I can work to save other babies - all of them with great value in God's eyes. Children just like Anni.

About The Author:

Eric Metaxas is a co-host of BreakPoint Radio and a best-selling author whose biographies, children's books, and popular apologetics have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

by Dr. Meg Meeker

1. You are the most important man in her life.

Your daughter takes her cues from you, her father, on everything from drug use, drinking, delinquency, smoking, and having sex, to self-esteem, moodiness, and seeking attention from teen boys.

2. She needs a hero.

All it requires is that you be a man, a real man, which means a man of courage, perseverance, and integrity. You were made a man for a reason. You were made a man to be a strong, loving husband and father. So listen to your instincts, and do what's right. Be a hero.

3. You are her first love.

Daughters adore their fathers or hate them -- sometimes they do both simultaneously. Your daughter yearns to secure your love, and throughout her life she'll need you to prove it. At the beginning of her life, she will feel your love. At the end of the her life, you will be on her mind. And what happens in between is up to you. Love her extraordinarily. This is the heart of the great fathering.

4. It's your job to teach her humility.

Teaching humility will demand more of you as a father. It doesn't make sense unless it is modeled. If you live humbly, she will get it. Remember, she is a dry sponge following you around, waiting to see what you think, feel, and do.

5. Protect her and defend her, no matter what.

Every day she gets the wrong messages loud and clear. You need to speak louder and clearer. And your voice is the only voice she really wants to hear.

6. Pragmatism and grit are two of your greatest assets.

Fathers reach immediately for solutions while mothers yearn to understand and empathize. Your daughter needs you to be that voice of reason and pragmatism.

7. Be the man you want her to marry.

The man you see at the end of the aisle will undoubtedly be a reflection of you -- be that good or bad. It's the way it is: women are drawn to what they know, and you are the man who will teach your daughter about men.

8. She needs you to teach her who God is.

Your daughter needs God. And she wants you to be the one to show her who He is, what He is like, and what He thinks about her. The fact is, your daughter is eager to hear what you think about God - and chances are she will embrace your beliefs.

9. She needs you to teach her to fight.

As a father, your job is to provide your daughter with a moral compass, to be the voice of reason when she talks about feelings, and to show her the power of will that allows you to live with the outcome of moral reasoning.

10. She needs to stay connected to you -- always.

All your daughter needs is for you to spend time with her. Think of yourself as your daughter's base camp. She needs a place to stop and settle, to reorient and remember who she is, where she started, and where she's going. She needs a place to rest and get reenergized. You are that place.

Being a hero to your daughter sounds daunting, but it actually can be quite easy. Protecting her and teaching her about God, sex, and humility doesn't require a degree in psychology. It just means being a dad.

Adapted from Meg Meeker's New York Times bestselling book, 'Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters'.

by Jordan Sok

In early engagement, when I first began thinking about the idea of "two becoming one," I pictured it like the process of combining chocolate chips with cookie dough. In other words, the following equation:

Something Incredible + Something Incredible = Something Super-Duper Incredible.
Yeah Right.

Now when I think of the idea of "two becoming one," I picture it a bit more realistically – like welding two metals together. Here's the accurate equation:

Something Hard and Stubborn + Something Hard and Stubborn = Ouch, That Hurts

By "ouch, that hurts" I mean whatever metal being welded would feel like if it had feelings. Like "Oh, dang. This burns. I'm melting. I'm dying."

But really, that is basically what both Brandon and I secretly screamed in the beginning months of marriage. And honestly… sometimes we still do.

I think most married people probably started out like me in the beginning – we picture something amazing and then the pain catches us by surprise.

Before I go any further with this buzz-kill blog, let me reveal that there is a second part of the equation. It goes like this:

Ouch, That Hurts + Time + Turning it to God = Something Even More Super-Duper Incredible

And guess what?

Something Even More Super-Duper Incredible > Something (just) Super Duper Incredible

So fellow young married couples, and maybe even more seasoned couples, let's drop the panic. The end result of our union can actually be more awesome than maybe what weoriginally envisioned marriage to be.

It just takes a longer route to get there. And it definitely isn't painless.

What do I mean by "ouch, that hurts"?

I mean that just like metal that is being melted to fit with another metal, marriage breaks down areas of your life that have never been broken down before. And that process is painful.

It hurts when you realize that you can't spend your time the way you used to and compromises have to be made.

It's hurts when you are at the end of a bad day at work, but you are expected to come home and love someone else when you just want to be left alone.

It hurts when your spouse has done something to offend you, and you are expected to forgive them.

It hurts when you see things in your spouse that scare you, but you remember you made a promise to be committed to them for the rest of your life.

It hurts when you want love and attention from your spouse that he/she isn't able to give you in that moment or chooses not to.

It hurts when you have to admit you are wrong.

Two becoming one is not chocolate chips and cookie dough.
It hurts.

So is marriage even worth it?
Absolutely.

That is, if your definition of "worth it" is to end your life more holy than it started. If that's true, then while there is definitely pain ahead, there is also growth and A LOT of joy.

Not a "he gives me butterflies" joy. That's not real joy- that's just happy feelings.

And butterflies go away pretty soon after the honeymoon when you fall in the toilet in the middle of the night because your sweet husband forgets to put the toilet seat down. Or you find his gym socks on the kitchen table. Or he keeps trying to scratch the "itch" inside his nostril…

Oops, I think I'm ranting…
Anyway, that's not joy.

I'm talking about the "becoming less selfish, more giving, and more like Christ" kind of joy.
And THAT is a fulfilling joy.

But you don't get there overnight. In fact, the ironic thing is you never get there completely. But when you follow the entire second equation, remembering the process takes time and involves turning your pain to God, you constantly get closer.

You learn what it means to love your spouse when he leaves the toilet seat up or she clogs the shower drain with her hair.

You learn how to show grace when your spouse says something hurtful.

You learn how to serve your spouse when you're tired.

You learn how to be fulfilled in the love of Christ despite the amount of attention he/she gives you.

And despite the hard, painful moments, it's one joyful, fulfilling life.

So pick your head up, young married couples. Just like metals, you have to be melted before you are completely fused together.

But after the heat cools, the finished product is unbreakable.
Chocolate chip cookies taste good, but as time passes they get stale.
A marriage submitted to God can only get better.
Give it time, give it to God, and embrace the melting process.

About The Author:

Jordan Sok is a 20-something writer, Christian and newlywed. Her personal blog encourages her readers to "embrace the awkward," because the way she sees it, a lot of "awkwardness" is simply feeling uncomfortable because something is out of the norm. And maybe that is a good thing. ...

By Jeff Goins

"One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination."
- John C. Maxwell

The other day, someone commented on a Facebook post of mine in which I promised them a "shortcut" to success. They said, there's no such thing. That made me wonder.

Really? There are no shortcuts in life? Only the hardest working people in the world win? It's a popular belief, which should be reason enough to question its validity.

But let's explore this idea.

Let's say there are no shortcuts and everyone is as successful as they absolutely deserve to be. Does that mean Bill Gates, who makes about $11 billion per year (or $1.3 million per hour!) works 54,000 times harder than the average American worker who earns $50,000 per year?

How is that even possible?

Look. We all want to believe hard work pays off. And it does. But at a certain point, you can't work any harder. You have no more time than anyone else. So what do you do? You have to learn how to work smarter.

And that means learning from someone who's already been there.

You need a guide

For years as a writer, I struggled to get noticed. I blogged and nobody cared, tried to write books no one would read, and failed to motivate myself to work. I wanted a publisher but didn't know anyone in the industry and didn't have any readers to show for my work. I was stuck.

What I needed was someone to show me another path. It didn't have to be a shortcut. I was just tired of the long road to success — because it was leading nowhere — desperately wanted to know what was missing.

In any great story, there is a point in the journey when the hero meets an obstacle he cannot overcome. This is the moment when the guide arrives. This is the essence of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey: you cannot succeed without someone wiser to show you the way. Frodo needed Gandalf. Luke needed Obi-wan. And you and I need a mentor.

Sure enough, in my own journey, that's what happened. I met a handful of people who acted as guides in helping me become an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. My dream became a reality within a matter of 18 months. But this wasn't because I hustled — it's because I found a guide.

And you know what? I didn't work any harder in those 18 months than I did in the previous seven years. But I did work smarter — not because I was any smarter, but because someone showed me a better way. I met the right people, connected with the right networks, and practiced my craft in the right way. In other words, I found a shortcut.

But maybe you don't like thinking of success this way. I certainly don't. It's embarrassing to admit I got a little lucky, that I was in the right place at the right time, that it wasn't just about the hustle. But that's the truth. And I think we need to acknowledge this reality.

How to find a mentor

How do you find a guide, or in today's terms, a mentor? It's not as easy as we'd like. First of all, mentors tend to be busy people. So getting in front of one will take work. People move around so much these days, and so many things, including our careers, are constantly changing. It stands to reason, then, that your mentor will not just be one person, but a team of people.

In my book, 'The Art of Work', I call this an "accidental apprenticeship." The idea here is that if you pay attention to your life and the people who are in it, you will find there are those around you right now whom you can learn from. In that sense, the best mentor is the one that's right in front of you.

Still, you'll want to be intentional about getting into a relationship with this person. So there are a few steps I recommend following that have worked well for me and that I've seen others emulate, as well:

Make your first ask a small one. In other words, don't lead with, "Will you mentor me?" Instead, ask for a few minutes of their time, offer to buy them lunch/coffee/whatever.

Make it all about them. Ask them to tell their story. Ask specific questions about choices they made in their own success journey and why. In other words, flatter them to death. Nobody is immune to this kind of treatment, and it certainly beats the awkward alternative. Come prepared with questions, and try to talk as little as possible. If you show up informed and interested, you will be both engaging and memorable.

Take notes. When you meet with this person, write down everything they say. Honor their wisdom by capturing as much of it as possible. I recommend using a notebook and pen over a phone, just so that it's clear you're not checking your email or texting your buddies.

Follow up. This is perhaps the most important and most often overlooked secret to getting into relationship with influencers who can eventually become part of your team of mentors.

I meet with a lot of people and even tell them how important this is and still see on average about 80% of people never follow up. What I mean by this is a simple thank-you email for the person's time, or even better: a copy of the notes you took to show that you really did listen and take to heart their wisdom.

Become a case study. Hands down, this is the best thing you can do to earn the attention of an influencer. And if you do this consistently over time, you will get people interested in mentoring you.

Take some piece of advice this person has given you (or published in a book, blog post, etc.) and apply it. Demonstrate that this stuff works and tell the world about it. The reason this works is fairly obvious: you're making the mentor look good.

Again, this goes back to making it about them. Don't offer empty flattery; just show that you're someone worth investing in. Do this enough times, and people will be lining up to give you their time, attention, and ideas. Because the truth is nearly everyone wants to help someone who is going places, so they can feel responsible for that person's success.

Is this really how it works?

I realize this may come off as manipulative or even sound a little unsavory. So allow me to address a few potential objections:

Objection #1: Don't influencers just want to help people out of the kindness of their hearts?

Well, maybe. But they're busy. And so when push comes to shove, they're going to invest in people with promise, not takers who seem to make everything about themselves. Your best bet is to be remembered as the ambitious person with lots of questions who was eager to learn, not the know-it-all who was more interested in herself than the person with experience.

Objection #2: Are mentors so egotistical that the whole thing has to be about them?

No, they're probably not all ego. But we all love to feel important and valued once in a while. And when seeking someone's help or advice, appeal to this side of them, not their more noble generous side. As you earn their trust, you will see more of this side. But in the beginning, assume they are only interested in helping themselves. And make it worth their while. I'm sure many influencers are very kind and generous people. But it's better to lead with humility than arrogance.

Objection #3: Do I have to be so strategic? Can a relationship be an end in itself, and not a means to get something out of people?

Of course, a relationship can be an end in itself. But the truth is most of us, whether we admit it or not, want something out of a relationship. And that something could just be love or acceptance or maybe even guidance. Just because you want something from someone doesn't necessarily cheapen how you approach them.

And in that regard, yes, I do think you have to be strategic. Many of us are extremely busy. So if you don't make intentional space for people to guide you, then you will likely drift through life, disappointed and disillusioned as you watch others succeed in things you wish you could achieve.

My advice? Don't be so strategic it stifles the relationship. But be intentional with your time and focus it on those who will give you a return on your investment. I guarantee you this is how your would-be mentors are thinking.

Avoid the scarcity mindset

My friend Mary told me when she was first starting out as a writer, she asked an author out to lunch. "How do you get published?" she asked. The person wouldn't tell her. She said those were her secrets and that Mary would have to find out for herself.

That day, Mary vowed that if she ever made it as a writer, she'd share everything she learned with other aspiring authors. A few years later, I called her asking for advice, and she made good on her promise.

Shawn Coyne, long-time New York editor, told me a similar story. Back in the day, nobody in publishing shared anything. There were no guidebooks on how to be an editor. He had to figure it out all on his own. Once he did, instead of hoarding his knowledge, he decided to share it in a book, blog, and podcast. And this refusal to succumb to the scarcity mindset changed everything.

When we let go of our perceived scarcity and embrace our actual abundance, it changes so many things:

• Scarcity kills our creativity. Abundance expands it.
• Scarcity makes us afraid. Abundance makes us brave.
• Scarcity pushes people away. Abundance attracts.

It can feel a little risky to embrace this mindset, this idea that there are guides out there who will help you and opportunities for success yet to be uncovered. But it is a much better way to live than to assume the alternative: that everyone is out to get you and there is no way you'll succeed.

And once you do experience this abundance, you will have an opportunity to help others, which is one of the greatest rewards of success. This is why I feel so responsible for helping other writers make their own journey towards getting published.

Of course, I tell them it will take hard work. But I also teach them the rules of the game and how to improve their chances of success. You can't just work harder. You have to work smarter. Stop trying to manage your time, as my friend Rory Vaden says, and instead learn how to multiply it. Finding the right guides to help you is an integral part of that process.

The three shortcuts to success

So how does this work? Well, keep in mind that I teach this stuff to hundreds of students at a time over the course of a couple of months, but the following are the main highlights:

Shortcut #1: You can get to where you want faster if you follow in someone else's footsteps.

Find a guide or mentor you can learn from and emulate, even from afar. This is the difference between those who continuously struggle and those who find a faster way to succeed. Humble yourself and trust that there are those out there who want to help you.

Shortcut #2: Invest in opportunities that grow your capacity.

In other words, don't waste years trying to figure things out. Instead, sacrifice time and money to accelerate your learning. That might mean taking a course, hiring a coach, or working for free for a certain period of time in exchange for experience.

Shortcut #3: Change your location. When opportunity is sparse, move.

That might mean moving across town to a co-working space where more people are connecting in person. It might mean ponying up to go to that industry conference where all your peers will be. Or it might even mean relocating to a place where there are more people doing what you want to do.

The point is geography matters. And chances are there's an opportunity closer than you realize. You just might have to move towards it before it will come closer to you.

Do these things, and you will see your luck increase. I promise. You can't just sit around and wait for things to happen - for those mentors to come find you or for opportunities to fall in your lap.

Luck, of course does happen on occasion, but it's better to look for luck than wait for it. Because luck is often hiding in the hard-to-reach places that most people are too timid to approach.

Who knows? Maybe as you scan the horizon for the right opportunities, you just might see a shortcut.

About the Author:

Jeff Goins writes books and helps writers get their work out into the world. He's the bestselling author of four books, including The Art of Work. Jeff also authors a weekly newsletter with free tips on writing and creativity.

by Michael Josephson
www.whatwillmatter.com

Years ago, Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben introduced the New Year rituals of Rosh Hashanah by holding up a long, coiled ram's horn. Pointing out the twists and turns, he used the shofar as a metaphor for life. "No one's life," he said, "is straight and predictable." Twists, dips and bends, as well as ups and downs are inevitable.

How we adjust and adapt to unplanned and often unwanted events is as crucial to successful living as good planning. If we become too fearful or frustrated, we will experience more sadness and grief than necessary. Yet if we accept and expect detours and even disasters, they can make us stronger and add richness to our lives.

There is comfort and wisdom in recognizing the uncertainties of life and understanding that all our actions and experiences - successes and failures, moments of joys and grief, pride and shame - interact to create the outer curves and inner texture of the horn that will produce our own unique soul music. They have made us what we are.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said that the most profoundly redeeming qualities of life are found not in moments of pure happiness or pleasure, but in the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle. The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard put it another way: "Life must be understood backward, but lived forward." Thus, we need to regularly remind ourselves to learn from the past without being overwhelmed by it.

As if to prove the inherent beauty of an examined life, the rabbi ended his sermon by blowing into the small end of the shofar to create a timeless and piercing form of music. Thus, he called on his congregation to celebrate their humanity by letting go of bitterness and resentments arising from old hurts and unmet expectations and eagerly moving toward the future.