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Protein Powder Review- Guest Post on FoodsOfApril.com

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Oh by the way I forgot to mention on my blog that I did a guest post on FoodsOfApril.com! It’s a protein powder review.

Here is some of it:

WHEY-BASED PROTEIN POWDERS

Miracle Whey (Peanut Butter Flavor)- The best tasting peanut butter flavored protein powder I’ve ever had! This is Mercola’s line of super healthy cold pressed whey from only grass fed cows! It is a bit higher in carbs than I would like, but very tasty, yow! 3 g F, 12 g C, 4 g sugar, 19 g P

All The Whey (cake batter flavor)- yummmers. This may be my all time favorite protein powder?? Not only is it extremely delicious, but it has good stats: 0 g F, 1 g C, 1 g sugar, 25 g P per serving!

Optimum Nutrition (mocha cappuccino)- not too bad! I like it because it tastes like cappuccino yummm. Sometimes I add it to my morning coffee or soy latte…. ;P 1.5 g F, 4 g C, 1 g sugar, 24 g P

Nectar (Chocolate Truffle)- eh. Whatevz. A little grody but fine. 0 g F, 1 C, 0 sugar, 23 g P

Jay Robb unflavored protein powder – incredible stats: 1 g F, 0 g C/sugar; 26 g P!! Indeed it is tasteless- great for baking and cooking!

Designer Whey in French Vanilla- Very common protein powder. Not as much protein as other powders. 1.5 g F, 2 g C, 1 g sugar, 17.5 g P

Biochem Greens & Whey (Vanilla) PP (I got it at Trader Joe’s)- very nasty! Tastes nastyyy. I thought- wow, what a great way to get in some greens and some protein. But beware it tastes oddly sweet but actually nasty. After sitting on the shelf forever, I finally tossed it!

Biochem Chocolate Fudge- good.

VPX No-Carb in Graham Cracker- Not good for shakes, but awesome with peanut butter and cottage cheese!! Amazing stats too: 0g Fat, 0 g carbs/sugars, 20 g Protein

Isopure in Strawberries and Cream- decent taste. Expensive. Great stats: .5 g F, 0 C, 0 sugar, 25 g P! BUT taste is a little funky.

Isopure Vanilla- pretty good. Great stats: .5 g F, 0 C, 0 sugar, 25 g P

BSN Syntha-6 Chocolate Peanut Butter- I bought this in the hopes of peanut butter tastiness but alas not only did it taste chocolately, NOT peanut buttery but it was too high in carbs to be worth it. Disappointed, I returned it.

Met-RX Metamyosyn Protein Blend (vanilla)- Because of the multi blend “time released” formula, Met-rx Protein Plus is best taken when you won’t have your next protein meal for more than a few hours. Like if you have a long meeting, school, or before bed. However, a straight whey based protein will serve you best in your post workout shake, when your body is ready to handle a large amount of fast released amino acids. Mixability- so so. A bit higher in carbs than I would like.

For the whole post, check it out HERE!

April is a super awesome blogger and awesome young lady whose story is unique because every other woman is trying to only eat lettuce and do cardio because they don’t want to “bulk up” (I would be a millionaire if I got a nickel every time a female told me this!!!)…April, on the other hand, is eating and working hard pumpin some iron baby!!! Okay, maybe not all that, but check her out, she posts daily (what my goal is, one day!), she’s smart, and she wants to look like this!!!! Follow her journey

rippedgirl (source here)

Tags: protein powder
Posted in Miscellaneous, Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 1 Comment »

The Power of Emotions

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Are you constantly frustrated? Disappointed? Overwhelmed? Stressed? Are you ready to change these “negative emotions” into useful tools to create a more rewarding life? It’s all in your mind. You must consider your emotions ACTION SIGNALS, and use the action signals to…take action!! Tony Robbins’ Get The Edge, Day 5: The Power of Emotions is a phenomenal audio CD I have listened to obsessively and finally I have stopped listening to it! But I wanted to share with you the amazing messages he relayed. Maybe they will not resonate with you as much as they did with me, because you are not listening to his voice, or you are at a different stage in your life than I was and therefore the messages are not as relevant to you…but as someone who cares about her readers, I am delighted to pass along to you something I found extremely powerful and useful.

Wow. Okay. I have been wanting to share this with you for a long time, and finally got around to it. This audio CD is INCREDIBLE. My bf has a million audio CD’s and I thought they were totally wacky. Err for dummies. How about you pick up a BOOK?!!? But then…I turned to the other side. One day, I decided to thrown some in the CD player in the car because I was sick of my music and sick of the radio. It was so productive! And luckily some of his CD’s were very powerful!!! When I listened to Tony Robbins’ Power of Emotions CD, it literally was played over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. For what was it?….Two months? Yeah, it’s kind of ridiculous. But I was going through a rough time and really needed the message. As someone who sometimes lets emotions get the best of me, I really found this CD relevant and empowering. Tony Robbins is a best-selling author and a hugely popular motivational speaker for a reason! Really, one of the only motivational speakers of our modern times! He talks about a lot of stuff in the CD, but here are the main points.

We determine our reality. We create our reality. By the meanings that we attach to experiences in life. How we feel at any moment in time is really the result of the meaning we ascribe to an experience, not any inherent scientific quality of an event.

Every emotion serves us, as long as it moves us forward, not backwards. An emotion is not “wrong.” We shouldn’t avoid emotions. When we feel an emotion, we must use this emotion to help us, by following these 6 steps.

1. Identify the emotion/signal- what does this emotion really mean? E.g. are you truly destroyed, or are you just uncomfortable?

2. Appreciate the message the emotion is offering us. E.g I need to change my state of fear. This is a valuable emotion. This means I may need to prepare! That’s a useful message!

3. Get incredibly curious. E.g. What can I learn from this? How can I use this to make my life better? Do I need to change my perception? Or procedure? How do I want to feel? What do I need to do to achieve that?

4. Get confident by remembering that I’ve worked this out in the past.

5. Get certain I can handle this in the future by rehearsing how to use this emotion as a tool of empowerment. E.g. playing out different scenarios so that you know you have multiple ways to deal with this emotion in a positive way.

6. Take action. Do something right away to make the changes that you need to! E.g. don’t let the emotions repeat and stack on top of one another. Use the emotions and make a change!

All emotions, even negative emotions, are ACTION SIGNALS. If you experience something negative, they are like weeds in a garden- pick them out! Don’t be all proud of being so good at picking out weeds, though! Instead, grow huge and deep roots of positive emotions!!!

Practice these 10 emotions everyday and notice you don’t need to use the negative emotions as “action signals” as much!

Love and Warmth
Appreciation and gratitude
Curiosity
Excitement and passion
Determination
Flexibility
Confidence
Cheerfulness
Health
Contribution

What do you think of his take?

Has there been any book or audio CD or speaker or anything that has really resonated with you? Anything that really inspires you? I love inspiration so please share!

Posted in Motivation & Mindset, Reviews | 10 Comments »

Miracle Whey Peanut Butter Protein Powder Review

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Yes, I am a total protein powder whore. I just got a new protein powder in the mail that I ordered. But it is SO YUMMY that I have to tell you about it. No, this is not an affiliate link and I am not being compensated at all for this. Did they hear my prayers asking for a yummy peanut butter flavored protein powder?

Okay, so this is what happened. I was lazily scrolling through other’s Facebook stats update and I saw a post by Michael Boyle, who is one of the nation’s top strength and conditioning coaches. He wrote: “If you use whey protein try Mercola Miracle Whey. I was amazed that something so good for you could also taste so good. And, it’s from grass fed cows. I have never had a whey protein that I even thought tasted Ok, much lesss tasted good. You can check. There are no affiliate links. I just want to turn you on to great ideas and great products.” So I checked it out. Here is what the website said:

1. All-natural, grass fed cows’ whey, NOT pesticide-treated, grain-fed cows’ whey

Compared to grain-fed cows, grass fed cows produce whey that:

Is nutritionally superior to grain fed
Contains an impressive amino acid and immuno-supportive nutrient profile
Is rich in healthy fats–lipolic acid and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid

2. Hormone-free Cows, NOT hormonally-treated cows

Many American dairy farmers inject the hormone rBGH in dairy cows to increase milk production. This hormone has been linked to serious disease and illness, including cancer. Choose whey made from hormone-free cows.

3. Cold processed, NOT heat processed

Most whey is heat processed which:

Makes the whey acidic and nutritionally deficient
Damages the immuno-supportive micronutrients and amino acids
Makes whey inadequate for consumption

Cold processed whey protects the nutrients in their natural state.

4. Acid-free processing, NOT Acid / Ion Exchange Processing

Acid / Ion Exchange Processing is cheaper than acid-free processing, but it denatures the amino acid profiles by using acids and chemicals to separate the whey from the fats.

5. Whey protein concentrate, NOT protein isolates

Protein isolates are proteins stripped away from their nutritional cofactors. There are three problems with that…

All isolates are exposed to acid processing
Your body cannot assimilate proteins in isolated form
Due to over-processing, isolates are deficient in key amino acids and nutritional cofactors.

6. Sweetened naturally, NOT artificially, and low carbs

Most whey products are artificially sweetened making them useless if you have sugar sensitivities, or just don’t want to put artificial sweeteners or flavors into your body.

Your whey should be low glycemic, low carb and should not contain any artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohol, glycerin, fructose, sugar or gluten.

7. Maximum biological value, NOT compromised or damaged

Most whey proteins provide some benefit. But, due to the ingredients, the source of the whey, the concentration of beneficial nutrients, or the type of processing, many whey products simply don’t deliver what they promise.

You want whey that’s guaranteed to retain its maximum biological value — one with all the key amino acids, cofactors and beneficial micronutrients present and intact rather than compromised or damaged, and not missing any amino acids or essential nutrients.

8. Easy to Digest, NOT Causing Digestive Stress

Many whey products contain long-chain fatty acids which are hard to digest and require bile acids to absorb.

You want a whey protein powder with medium chain triglycerides (MCT). These are easily absorbed, digested quickly, and utilized as energy without causing digestive stress.

Ideally, you want a product in which the MCT come from the best source of all — coconut oil.

Here is what they listed as their benefits:

Made from all-natural grass fed cows’ whey, providing more of nature’s nutrients
Is certified free of GMO ingredients, pesticides, and chemicals, protecting you from the damaging effects of chemicals and hormones*
Is cold processed, and never processed with acid chemicals, thereby retaining all its natural goodness
Provides all key amino acids, so you get all the protein building blocks your body needs*
Retains maximum biological value with beneficial micronutrients intact*
Contains the highest concentration of leucine of any dairy product, said to increase energy levels and support building of muscle mass*
Contains water-soluble fiber, which supports healthy blood sugar levels* and prebiotic properties*
Contains 25% or more glycomacropeptides for immune support, high energy, muscle building and recovery after exercise*
Contains MCTs from all-natural coconut oil for easy digestion and fast energy*
Rich in glutamic acid and branch chain amino acids which aid muscle-building and recovery *
Contains all whey microfructures, immunoglobulins and lactoferins, promoting your healthy immune function and healthy flora balance*
No sugar, sugar alcohol or artificial sweeteners added that detract from the positive benefits of whey.
Includes the same immuno compounds that are found naturally in human breast milk — responsible for providing newborns with their immune defense*
Promotes satiety, so compulsive craving for refined carbs and sweets is curbed*
Comes in your choice of six delicious flavors with no aftertaste like some powders on the market. Available in vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, blueberry, banana and peanut butter (made from all-organic peanuts)

So I bought the peanut butter kind, what the heck. I got it yesterday, and already made a few things with it. Delish!! The nutritional stats are not ideal for a wanna-be figure competitor in that it is fairly high in carbs and sugars, at least in comparison to all the other protein powders I use, but c’est la vie. 1 scoop = 40 g = 150 cal, 3 g fat, 12 g carbs (4 g sugar), 19 g protein. It TOTALLY tastes like peanut butter. Not gross at all, not nasty, not disgusting, actually tastes GOOD and FLAVORFUL!!

MiracleWhey

Yesterday night-time-ish I mixed a little bit of the PB PP (peanut butter protein powder) with my (vanilla) casein, some PB2, FAGE 0% yogurt, and xantham/guar gum. Yum! peanutbuttercasein

This morning I made peanut butter oatmeal by mixing the PB PP + oatmeal + unsweetened almond milk + egg whites. Yum! Must I repeat? –> they may not look tasty but it’s yummy! And healthy!!

PB Oatmeal

In conclusion: I like this Miracle Whey peanut butter protein powder. It ACTUALLY, shockingly tastes like peanut butter (YUM). Although a bit higher in carbs than I would like, I will be adding this into my rotation of protein powders

Posted in Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 11 Comments »

Walden Farms

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Walden Farms is a brand that sells syrups, dips, sauces, salad dressings, jams, and other condiments. With “no calories, fat, carbs, gluten, or sugars of any kind!” Wow, what is this array of toxic chemicals I enjoy? Only 20 carcinogens per scoop? YUMMMYYYY.

Okay, I kid, I kid. Well, maybe not. I would be curious what someone like Alan Aragon would say about Walden Farms. What do YOU think about it?

It comes back down to the discussion of what “healthy” or “clean” means. Yes, Walden Farms is not high in calories, fat, carbs, or any of the other elements that may be considered putrid to figure competitors or others trying to lose weight. BUT, when we use artificial “foods” (chemicals) like Walden Farms, are we helping reach our goals of uber-health, or acting in a way directly opposite to our goals? For example, whenever clients ask me nutritional advice, I hesitate to suggest Walden Farms or other non-whole foods. I advocate healthy whole food choices, including green vegetables, lean proteins, etc, etc…yet for myself, I do buy items such as protein powders, Walden Farms, and miracle noodles. Why is that?

Some of you, my lovely blog readers, have experienced the plethora of xantham gum that is Walden Farms. Some of you may have tried a few kinds, and may be curious about certain other products. Some of you may have never tried Walden Farms at all. For those of you who may be wondering about the products, I personally have ordered many. And thrown away many. Let me provide you with my personal review.

Chocolate syrup: yummers

Pancake Pancake syrup: yummers

Blueberry syrup: pretty good

Balsamic vinaigrette: Yummy

Thick n Spicy BBQ sauce: pretty decent

Ketchup: bleh

Mayo Mayo: gross

PeanutSpread Peanut Butter: disgusting & nasty

Caramel Caramel dip: okay

strawberryjam Strawberry fruit spread: Yummy

MarinaraSauce Marinara sauce: Yummy

CaesarDressing Ceasar salad dressing: icky

Posted in Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Sesame Chicken Miracle Noodles Stir-Fry

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Have you heard of Miracle Noodles? They defy nature. I am not sure what to make of them. This comes from their website:

* made of naturally water soluble fiber with no fat, sugar, or starch.
* contain zero net carbohydrates and zero calories, no gluten -made of a healthy natural fiber called Glucomannan.
* wheat & gluten free and kosher.
* Easily absorbs the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.
* are instant and come in a variety of styles
* have shown beneficial effects backed by medical studies for Type II Diabetes, Constipation, Obesity, and Cholesterol!

I mean, I love them. Zero calorie and zero carbs? Can you say love? BUT my brain farts…because…well, how can noodles NOT have any calories? This doesn’t make sense to me. I choose to shrug it off and consume. You have to buy these babies off the internet. This is is my second shipment I have ordered. They arrived the other day.

I decided to make some noodles loosely based off an email the company had sent me/their customers. This is what they sent me:

Rachael Ray’s Hot or Cold Sesame Miracle Noodle Recipe

Ingredients
* 1-2 7oz. bags of Miracle Noodles
* 1/4 cup Tamari
* 1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter or crunchy peanut
butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
* 2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
* 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 3 scallions, chopped
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

Open bag of Miracle Noodles into a colander and rinse with warm
water for a couple of minutes and boil for one minute, pat dry with
a paper towel or small hand towel. Cut noodles with scissors to
make smaller pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy, peanut butter,
vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Add noodles and veggies and
toss to combine the noodles and coat them evenly with sauce.
Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds throughout the salad and serve.

Or you can heat the sauce for a couple of minutes in a sauce pan,
then add noodles and serve hot! It’s makes great leftovers the next
day!!

Well, (a) since I didn’t have all the ingredients (b) didn’t care (c) don’t follow recipes very well (d) wanted to do it my own way, I made my own recipe using:

generous drizzle of Sriracha hot chili sauce (wooo!)
splash of Apple cider vinegar
packet of Justin’s Almond Butter
splash of Bragg’s Amino Acids
splash of Low-Sodium Tamari
dash of Ginger
generous pouring of Roasted Sesame Seeds
Diced Onions
Minced garlic
package of Bean sprouts
package of Coleslaw mix (basically, shredded cabbage)
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Broccoli

I first combined the tamari, vinegar, Sriracha, Bragg’s, and ginger, and stir-fried that with the garlic and onions. Once that had cooked a few minutes, I added the coleslaw (cabbage), beans prouts, broccoli, and chicken. Meanwhile, I was rinsing the miracle noodles with hot water in a colander. Lastly, I added the miracle noodles, sesame seeds, and almond butter. And a little more Sriracha. Yay! This meal is SUPER low calorie. Like, for-real-is-it-this-low-in-calories?-low-in-calories. Because these noodles are “miracle noodles.” What do you think about these miracle noodles? They are quite delicious! If they are indeed zero calorie, they are even more dreamy

Tags: broccoli, chicken, low cal, low carb
Posted in Nutrition / Recipes, Reviews | 6 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Protein Powder Review- Guest Post on FoodsOfApril.com

The Power of Emotions

Miracle Whey Peanut Butter Protein Powder Review

Walden Farms

Sesame Chicken Miracle Noodles Stir-Fry

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