I have been on the hunt for a protein powder that I like to have every day and have it not be something I need to hold my nose and down the hatch it goes. I used to have egg protein powders and it just got 'old'. I was getting sick of the same old thing and figure I reach out to some new companies. I contacted Chanda at Complete Nutrition and asked for some samples. Well she hooked me up! I got all kinds of pre-workouts and intra-workout powders along with some high protein samples.
They have some nice flavors of protein other then vanilla and chocolate. They have chocolate malt, milk chocolate, cookies and cream, s'mores and banana cream. Now my personal opinion that I would never have again are the chocolate malt, the banana cream and the s'mores. They just made me wanted to gag right away. They might be good in a baked item like a waffle or a pancake or some protein muffins, but by itself, NO WAY!
The so-so one was vanilla bean while the best ones were the milk chocolate and the cookies and cream. The cookies and cream has little tiny bits of real cookie crumbles in it and the milk chocolate tastes like REAL milk chocolate that I had when I was a kid. They are both delicious by themselves! I cannot wait to make them as a protein pancake or into some protein muffins.
For a 2lb tub of protein powder isn't a bad deal at all! My total came out to just over $32 + free shipping. I end up paying more for a 2lb tub at a local supplement store so I think this was a good deal and I already know I am getting a good protein powder that I have already taste tested. Most supplement stores don't have all the samples for their flavored protein. It's one of those 'you get what we have' type of things, which I am not all about. If I see a flavored protein powder I don't want to buy the whole tub and then hate the flavor and then it be a hassle of bringing it back, if the store lets me.
So, if you are on the hunt for a good protein powder hit up Chanda Schoh at Complete Nutrition a 540-548-1700. They also have other products as well on their website www.completenutrition.com
Monday, June 9, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Little hiatus! I'm back!
Well it has been a while since I've posted in my blog here. A lot has happened to me and my exercise has been very limited. Since my last post I have cut back on my lower body day and my pain level rose greatly to a 10 (you know those little smiley face charts in the hospital to gauge the pain level you have) and being a stay at home mom was very rough with this disease going on in my right femur. I had to cut out cardio and leg day which was hard for me because that cardio helped a lot with my weight loss and my stress level and hormones.
Since I stopped my cardio sessions my hormones have been going crazy! I've been breaking out more and my menstrual cycle has been way off and irregular. I have been feeling a lot more bloated and just blah. Not to mention my stress level has been high due to this whole operation.
So I talked with the surgeon and was scheduled right away for surgery for a core decompression. That was now 2 weeks ago today. I have no pain in my right hip and have a little limp when I walk (although I'm not suppose to put any weight on it though.... but shhh don't tell ;) ....) I still use my walker or crutches if I need to go out to a doctors appointment or something. But no weight bearing for 6-8 weeks (down to 5 weeks now).
As far as working out, I can do upper body and I've been doing some lower body that doesn't put any pressure on my right leg. Tube bands or deflated rubber/tire bands are a great, great way to get in a workout if you can't make it to the gym or are limited like I am. There are many variations to work your back, arms, chest and of course nutrition plays a huge part into weight loss or maintaining mass. And the weather has been amazing! Spring has sprung and the days have been in the 60's and it just makes you feel fresh and want to get outside and run and play and take in that fresh air.
So if you are reading this and are in a similar predicament and are scared about not being able to workout or think that if you are recovering from an operation, there's no excuse NOT to workout or eat healthy. Yea we all like to go to comfort food when we are injured or recovering from surgery or a fall because it makes us feel good and it does exactly what it is named; it comforts us. Put down those Oreos (those new limited time Oreos, the marshmellow creme, mmm omg those are good haha!! I only got one package and after that I was done with them. Moderation is key!!!) or ice cream or pizza and focus on eating clean, lean foods. As I said in a previous post, clean eating doesn't have to be boring. Play with flavors and expand with that. If you feel like you need to cheat have some small and in moderation. Have some dark chocolate 70% or more has great antioxidants and you won't have that guilt afterwards AND it'll cure that chocolate craving. If you are craving something salty, eat some homemade kale chips (I provided a recipe in a previous post).
Since I stopped my cardio sessions my hormones have been going crazy! I've been breaking out more and my menstrual cycle has been way off and irregular. I have been feeling a lot more bloated and just blah. Not to mention my stress level has been high due to this whole operation.
So I talked with the surgeon and was scheduled right away for surgery for a core decompression. That was now 2 weeks ago today. I have no pain in my right hip and have a little limp when I walk (although I'm not suppose to put any weight on it though.... but shhh don't tell ;) ....) I still use my walker or crutches if I need to go out to a doctors appointment or something. But no weight bearing for 6-8 weeks (down to 5 weeks now).
As far as working out, I can do upper body and I've been doing some lower body that doesn't put any pressure on my right leg. Tube bands or deflated rubber/tire bands are a great, great way to get in a workout if you can't make it to the gym or are limited like I am. There are many variations to work your back, arms, chest and of course nutrition plays a huge part into weight loss or maintaining mass. And the weather has been amazing! Spring has sprung and the days have been in the 60's and it just makes you feel fresh and want to get outside and run and play and take in that fresh air.
So if you are reading this and are in a similar predicament and are scared about not being able to workout or think that if you are recovering from an operation, there's no excuse NOT to workout or eat healthy. Yea we all like to go to comfort food when we are injured or recovering from surgery or a fall because it makes us feel good and it does exactly what it is named; it comforts us. Put down those Oreos (those new limited time Oreos, the marshmellow creme, mmm omg those are good haha!! I only got one package and after that I was done with them. Moderation is key!!!) or ice cream or pizza and focus on eating clean, lean foods. As I said in a previous post, clean eating doesn't have to be boring. Play with flavors and expand with that. If you feel like you need to cheat have some small and in moderation. Have some dark chocolate 70% or more has great antioxidants and you won't have that guilt afterwards AND it'll cure that chocolate craving. If you are craving something salty, eat some homemade kale chips (I provided a recipe in a previous post).
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Been busy but with reason
So I haven't really been posting much on here because I have been busy with my 2.5 year old daughter and with the holidays I have just been on a baking spree. I love to bake little goodies for my close family as gifts. It is easier then going out to the packed mall and trying to figure out what each person would like for a present. And they family loves seeing what I have baked because it is always something good.
But my hip has started to bother me again recently to a point where I cannot put any weight on it. This happened to me last year when I started jogging and doing sprints. It however went away. But now it has come back fierce and I haven't been to the gym because of this. It has been hurting for over a month and I thought it was just hip flexor strain. It seemed that the stretching has made it worse however so I went back to the doctor and had an MRI done. Come to find out the results of the MRI showed signs of Osteonecrosis. It is a condition where there is limited to no blood flow in the bone so the bone starts to deteriorate and become fragile. That is what is causing the pain I am having. It usually occurs when people have had been on steroids/prednisone in the past and also having one of the following diseases listed; Lupus SLE.
Even though I cannot put any weight on my right leg, per orders of the doctor, I can still work out my upper body. But since the pain has worsened I just haven't had the energy to get up every morning to go to the gym. I have pain from getting out of bed until I go to bed at night and with a 2.5 year old it is hard not to put any pressure on it while walking or even getting up to attend to my daughter. I take a day at a time, that is all I can do. No excuses.
But my hip has started to bother me again recently to a point where I cannot put any weight on it. This happened to me last year when I started jogging and doing sprints. It however went away. But now it has come back fierce and I haven't been to the gym because of this. It has been hurting for over a month and I thought it was just hip flexor strain. It seemed that the stretching has made it worse however so I went back to the doctor and had an MRI done. Come to find out the results of the MRI showed signs of Osteonecrosis. It is a condition where there is limited to no blood flow in the bone so the bone starts to deteriorate and become fragile. That is what is causing the pain I am having. It usually occurs when people have had been on steroids/prednisone in the past and also having one of the following diseases listed; Lupus SLE.
Even though I cannot put any weight on my right leg, per orders of the doctor, I can still work out my upper body. But since the pain has worsened I just haven't had the energy to get up every morning to go to the gym. I have pain from getting out of bed until I go to bed at night and with a 2.5 year old it is hard not to put any pressure on it while walking or even getting up to attend to my daughter. I take a day at a time, that is all I can do. No excuses.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Love/hate relationship with brown rice
I like to eat healthy and keep out the 'white' foods like white bread and white rice. But I just cannot stand eating brown rice. I feel like I am eating cardboard and there is no flavor to it no matter how much chicken brother I put in it. I do however looove my Jasmine and Basmati rice. I found that I can have both of my favorites. Lundberg makes this Jasmine brown rice and Basmati brown rice. The bags that I bought are both organic, gluten free and GMO free. So I cooked it up one night with some homemade, salt free chicken stock and while it did have a bite to it (it was fully cooked), I could actually stand to eat a full serving. Of course, it's an acquired taste but it made me feel satisfied and I was able to get my carbs in with rice without the guilt.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
New workout split
So after taking a week off, thanks to the Thanksgiving Holiday and mother nature not being very cooperative this month, I have changed my workout schedule to a more flexible and easier way to work out. It is a Push, Pull, Leg workout split. A Pull day is when you workout your back and biceps, a Push is your chest, shoulders and triceps and Leg is all in its own. It is a 3 day split and the 4 days in between it is rest day. It doesn't have to be a rest day although, it can be something active like cardio, yoga, plyometrics or just a light active day.
example.....
M: Push
T: Active rest
W: Pull
Th: Active rest
F: Legs
S: Active rest
S: Push
M: Active rest
T: Pull
W: Active rest
Th: Legs
F: Active rest
S: Push
S: Active rest
And it would just continue to cycle on. This is going to be different for me since I am so used to do each body part on a single day. But this way it'll be more effective because I won't be training a muscle that was just being used to assist in the muscle group I used that day, for example when doing bicep curls with DB my main focus is the bicep but my tricep is also in assistance to make the ROM. With this split I am also giving each muscle group a 72 hour rest period for it to be used again. I hope this helps with your next training program if you are looking to switch it up. Remember it is best to switch up your training program every 4-6 weeks or else your body will get used to it and you won't see any gains. Keep the body guessing!
example.....
M: Push
T: Active rest
W: Pull
Th: Active rest
F: Legs
S: Active rest
S: Push
M: Active rest
T: Pull
W: Active rest
Th: Legs
F: Active rest
S: Push
S: Active rest
And it would just continue to cycle on. This is going to be different for me since I am so used to do each body part on a single day. But this way it'll be more effective because I won't be training a muscle that was just being used to assist in the muscle group I used that day, for example when doing bicep curls with DB my main focus is the bicep but my tricep is also in assistance to make the ROM. With this split I am also giving each muscle group a 72 hour rest period for it to be used again. I hope this helps with your next training program if you are looking to switch it up. Remember it is best to switch up your training program every 4-6 weeks or else your body will get used to it and you won't see any gains. Keep the body guessing!
The Best Almond Ice Cream ever!
Many failed attempts at making my own almond milk ice cream without the cream and the egg yolks to get the creamy texture, and in the end it just became as hard as a rock and not very enjoyable. Then I found this at my local Big Y grocery store and while the ingredients aren't all too bad, there is no dairy and is gluten free. Once I got home I tried it and WOW...I mean, I think I found something better tasting then my Ben & Jerry's Froyo raspberry with chocolate bits. Impossible right? Nope...this stuff tastes amazing and I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing. There was also chocolate and vanilla but this stuck out and I do love my candied pecans.
This definitely would be good for a flexible dieter like myself. And if I wanted some ice cream without that crazy dairy bloat, this would be ideal for me.
This definitely would be good for a flexible dieter like myself. And if I wanted some ice cream without that crazy dairy bloat, this would be ideal for me.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Homemade Nutrigrain Bars
I love Nutri-grain bars but I hate how fast I go through them and all the junk ingredients in them. My daughter loves them and they are good as part of her breakfast or a snack. So I made my own with whole and REAL ingredients.
Homemade "Nutri-grain'' bars
1 c. ground almonds
1 c. ground oats
1 cup white whole wheat flour (i used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. + 2 T unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. coconut oil (you can use a light, fruity oil instead)
2 t. salt
Filling:
low sugar/no sugar favorite jam
or
take 12-24 dates, puree them into a paste.
(what i did was use both the dates and an all natural strawberry jam, the consistency was perfect)
First you want to make the dough. Mix the dry ingredients together, make sure there is no lumps. Mix the wet ingredients until well blended and then pour that into the dry ingredients and mix. The dough will be a bit sticky. Make the dough into a ball and wrap in saran wrap and put it in the fridge for 45 minutes or overnight. In the meantime make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350*. Split the dough ball in half and roll both sides out to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
put filling on top of one side and then flip the other rolled half on top, carefully. Push down the edges so the filling doesn't pop out in the oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool before cutting. You can store this in a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks or you can freeze them. This batch makes about 12 bars, depending on how big you cut them.
Homemade "Nutri-grain'' bars
1 c. ground almonds
1 c. ground oats
1 cup white whole wheat flour (i used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. + 2 T unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. coconut oil (you can use a light, fruity oil instead)
2 t. salt
Filling:
low sugar/no sugar favorite jam
or
take 12-24 dates, puree them into a paste.
(what i did was use both the dates and an all natural strawberry jam, the consistency was perfect)
First you want to make the dough. Mix the dry ingredients together, make sure there is no lumps. Mix the wet ingredients until well blended and then pour that into the dry ingredients and mix. The dough will be a bit sticky. Make the dough into a ball and wrap in saran wrap and put it in the fridge for 45 minutes or overnight. In the meantime make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350*. Split the dough ball in half and roll both sides out to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
put filling on top of one side and then flip the other rolled half on top, carefully. Push down the edges so the filling doesn't pop out in the oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool before cutting. You can store this in a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks or you can freeze them. This batch makes about 12 bars, depending on how big you cut them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)