Abs! They're less of a workout than you think.

I was stretching in the sauna the other day and over heard a work out bud and a trainer talking about fitness competitions. The trainer started talking about different tricks competitors use to get an extra edge. One that stood out in particular was using preparation H on your abs. "Preparation H's active ingredient is phenylephrine, a natural vasoconstrictor, which means it constricts blood vessels. By constricting blood vessels, excess water is removed from under the skin. This in turn creates the illusion of a tighter, more fit body." (The Daily Beast) This may work as a quick fix but what about having lean abs all the time? I often tell people when they ask me how I got my abs, that it's 90% diet. I'm not going to go into diet specifics in this post but more about toxins and how the consumption of too many toxins can prevent you from having the abs that you dream about. Let's start by asking what are toxins? Toxins are chemicals or poisons that are known to have harmful effects on the body. The issue with this is that toxins can be found in everything. Food, water and even air. Your probably asking, What does this have to do with abs? The answer is the liver. The liver has many functions but I'm going to discuss two of the largest,  ridding the body of toxins and the processing of triglycerides. 95% of fats in your diet are triglycerides; this includes fats from foods and carbohydrates. (I will discuss in depth carbohydrates aka carbs in a later post) But for now, all you need to know is that  unused carbohydrates convert into triglycerides. The liver can only process a limited amount of triglycerides and the rest is stored through out the body. A large reason why the liver can't process triglycerides is because it is spending most of its time ridding the body of toxins. Now, its not possible to eliminate all toxins because as I said, they are everywhere but it is possible to minimize the consumption of toxins thus giving the liver more time to process triglycerides (fat). Ways to minimize toxins: eat organic or locally grown foods, drink filtered or purified water; tap water even in NY can contain bleach, fluoride, ammonia, and many other harmful toxins. And be careful with plastic bottles The BPA's (BPA stands for Bisphenol-A. BPA is a synthetic estrogen found in many water bottles canned goods and liquid infant formula. Also, it can be found in clear polycarbonate plastics and tough epoxy resins which are found in products such as glasses and and computer and cellphone casings. When ingested, it is found to increase disorders such as chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity, and resistance to chemotherapy.-Wiki Answers) from the plastic can contaminate the water you drink. Try to avoid using highly chemical products on your skin and hair as well as using strong chemical cleaners. Probably the biggest toxin the liver has to process is Alcohol. Reduce consumption and you will definitely see results. I know it isn't easy or in some cases possible to follow all of these but implementing some of these small changes along with exercise  can make a big difference.