Did you know that your body has a ‘burn fat’ button, and with one simple command, your can direct you body to dump pounds of fat? Well it true – but most people push the ‘pack on the fat’ button instead.

We were meant to eat protein, and that is how it still should be. Our genetics haven’t changed in the last 10,000 years, but our diet sure has, and now we have the biggest obesity epidemic the planet has ever seen.

When we increase protein intake, our bodies shed fat. When we increase fast carbs, our bodies hold on to fat.

When protein intake goes down, your body anticipates starvation and to help you survive, it stores fat and doesn’t let go. It’s just a simple survival mechanism.

So how can our bodies still react as if we’re starving, with all this food around? We are eating more calories than we need, but as I have said many times, TOTAL CALORIES DON’T MATTER! Like I point out in my book, Cracking Your Calorie Code, it’s the type of calorie and the timing of that calorie that makes all the difference.

All those low-protein junk food and breads that we eat give our bodies the ‘fear of starvation’ reaction and puts us into the ‘store fat’ mode.

So what is the ‘Burn Fat’ button?

Simple: Eat more protein. But is that really easy? After all, we aren’t hunting game anymore like we were 10,000 years ago.

Yes, if you know how to do it,  it’s pretty easy to turn your diet into a high-protein fat dumping routine. Here are a few of my favorite tips and food swaps:

1. Add a couple scoops of protein powder to your favorite juice or even water. Make sure it’s all natural though, sweetened with Stevia, Xylitol or Erythritol. Any other sweetener is either toxic (artificial) or sugar. Don’t compromise here either, because sugar makes you store fat and artificial sweeteners makes your fat cells toxic so they can’t empty out.
2. Eat more meat. Make sure it’s grass-fed if it’s wild, free range/organic if it’s white, and wild if it’s fish. Other meats are also toxic to your fat cells and will make it harder for them to release fat.
3. Limit the bread. If you must have bread, switch to Julianbakery.com and order the “Smart Carb #1” or the “Cinnamon Almond Raisin.”
4. Omelets, and scrambles, etc. are fantastic protein sources. Check out the recipes on the Hard Bod Cafe for some ideas.
5. Greek yogurt, if you get the right brand, is another super fat burner. Follow the “Yummy Tummy Yogurt” recipe on the Hard Bod Cafe to maximize fat burning.
6. Get more ideas from the Hard Bod Cafe! This page is designed for a high protein plan, so you really can’t go wrong.
7. If you are a vegetarian, it will be more challenging to eat high-protein, but it’s still doable. Vegans have an even harder time with this, but raw vegans find it easier to stay lean because they are staying away from the baked stuff. Some good resources for vegetarians are www.runningraw.com and www.vegetarianmenu.net.

P.S. I know, I may have offended some vegans here with my picture at the top, but hey it’s pretty funny, and laughter also burns fat.