Supplements and Shakeology

With the new year upon us and LOTS of resolutions, I have recently received LOTS of questions about Shakeology and supplements...everyone wants to be healthy and fit in 2013!  So, I have included some of the questions and answers below (from the Beachbody website).  Happy reading! 

Should I continue to take ActiVit^® or other multivitamins along with Shakeology^®?
Because of the way Shakeology is formulated, one shake pretty much covers your body's normal daily requirement for vitamins and minerals. However, if you're following a recommended exercise routine, it's likely that your body is using up those nutrients at a faster rate. For example, if you're doing P90X^® or ChaLEAN Extreme^®—hard-charging routines that burn more calories along with vitamins and minerals—you may need some additional supplementation, like ActiVit. Due to the digestive enzymes in Shakeology, taking ActiVit at the same time you drink Shakeology will help your body better absorb all the nutrients.

Can I take Shakeology and P90X^® Peak Health Formula Vitamins?
If you're using P90X Peak Health Formula vitamins, it's recommended that you take only 1 serving or scoop of Shakeology per day. If you're taking any other supplements in addition to Shakeology and P90X Peak Health Formula vitamins, watch your total intake to ensure that you don't exceed Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for copper, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for copper is 10 mg/day, for magnesium 350 mg/day, for manganese 11 mg/day, and for zinc 40 mg/day.

I already have some Meal Replacement Shake. Should I throw it out and switch to Shakeology?
You don't have to throw it out. Meal Replacement is a high-quality protein shake. Shakeology offers a wide array of nutrients on top of protein. Because Meal Replacement has higher sugar content and less fiber, a good time to use it is around the time you're exercising (Results and Recovery is also good for this purpose). Shakeology is a better option for a meal that's at least 2 hours before a workout or 1 hour afterwards.

Can I take this and P90X Results and Recovery Formula™?
Yes, but not together! Results and Recovery Formula should only be taken during or after exercise, when you've been exhausting your body's blood sugar. At any other time, Shakeology would be your preferred option.

Should I still take an omega supplement?
While the flaxseed and chia seeds in Shakeology provide some omega-3 fatty acids, it is still recommended that you take the Core Omega-3™ supplement to meet your daily requirement.

How about Core Cal-Mag™?
The recommended daily allowance of calcium is 1,200 mg/day for women and 1,500 mg/day for post-menopausal women. Shakeology provides 500 mg of calcium, so it is recommended to supplement with Core Cal-Mag to meet the daily recommended allowance. Due to the digestive enzymes in Shakeology, taking Core Cal-Mag at the same time you drink Shakeology will help your body to better absorb the nutrients.

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays my fitness friends!  

For something yummy & healthy...a new little Shakeology recipe that includes our (improved) Chocolate Shakeology (now available)...enjoy!!

And because I think that my cat is hilarious and he thinks he is a present...

Merry Christmas!!!

Introducing...Chocolate VEGAN Shakeology!!!

I can't wait to try it, I hear it has more of a 'dark chocolate' taste...I don't know if it's true, but that's what I hear!  (and I LOVE dark chocolate)

Minty Shamrock Protein Shake

Since we are rapidly approaching St. Patrick's Day - here's a new recipe for you!

Minty Shamrock Protein Shake
If you're not using Greenberry Shakeology, you don't need to add the peanut butter.  Greenberry is LOADED with veggies & nutrient-dense ingredients.  For some reason, the peanut butter completely "cuts" that "green" aftertaste.  The PB is not needed if you will be making your shake with regular vanilla protein powder.

-1 scoop of Greenberry Shakeology (or a vanilla protein powder of your choice)
-2 heaping tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter (or 1 teaspoon peanut butter)
-2 tablespoons fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (this makes it creamy like ice cream)
-couple of drops of mint extract (play with the amount - too much will clear your sinuses & too little makes the shake blah.)
-2 cups of ice
-Truvia or Stevia sweetener, to taste

Toss the protein powder, peanut butter, pudding mix, mint, ice, and sweetener into a blender.  Blend from medium speed to high, adding water as needed until the shake has your preferred consistency.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving
Per serving:  210 calories, 20 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 2 g total fat, 5 g dietary fiber, 513 mg sodium

From Chalene Johnson's book "PUSH"

Shakeology - article in Businessweek

This is a fascinating article about Shakeology in "Businessweek".  I loved the stuff before and now I really love it.  :)  So, I need (I said "need") to share it with you:


http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-adventures-of-superfood-man-01262012.html


Read it...it's worth 5 minutes of your day!! :)


THEN --- when you want more information about it (I said "when"), go to my site to do your research:  http://www.shakeituptoday.com.

My newest app

I'm so stupidly excited!  I just downloaded a new app for P90X and it's so cool, like for real so cool!  Since I'm starting a new program for it -tomorrow- this is going to be super-handy.  I haven't been this excited for working out in a LONG time.  I mean, I enjoy working out and everything, but I literally can't wait to workout tomorrow - LOL!

It's time - let's get started!

I know the holidays are upon us - but aren't you ready to do this?  I don't plan on putting on weight this holiday season and hopefully you don't plan it either (why start out the year on a bad foot?).  So, let's do the BeachBody challenge!  Here's a video about it:  
So, if you're ready to join me:
1. Go to this link http://www.teambeachbody.com/connect/beachbody-challenge?referringRepId=50511 
2. Scroll down and click TAKE THE CHALLENGE!
3. You will fill out the Beachbody Challenge Pledge and be all signed up for the BIG BEACHBODY CHALLENGE
4. THEN you will be able to choose your Challenge Pack!!!

January is Thyroid Awareness Month!

Okay, I know this isn't THE most exciting topic, but I tried to make it so by putting an exclamation point at the end of my title. :)

*****
I pulled this information from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html.

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone. It is one of your endocrine glands, which make hormones. The thyroid helps set your metabolism - how your body gets energy from the foods you eat.

Millions of people in the U.S. have thyroid diseases. Most of them are women. If you have a thyroid disease, your body uses energy more slowly or quickly than it should. A thyroid gland that is not active enough, called hypothyroidism, is far more common. It can make you gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. That condition is hyperthyroidism. Too much thyroid hormone can make you lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat.

There are many causes for both conditions. Treatment involves trying to reset your body's metabolism to a normal rate.
*****

As many of you know (because it's on my ABOUT tab), I have Hashimoto's Disease (hypothyroidism) which is an autoimmune disease. I'm going to go through some of the things that I do on a daily basis, with the hopes that it might help someone else.

In dealing with this over the past 8-ish years, I have found that I have to make sure that I take my thyroid medicine according to the instructions (sounds simple - but really - it's a science all in itself). For MY medicine, here's what I have to do every day (and I know many fellow hypothyroid friends who do the same): upon waking with an empty stomach, the first thing I do is take my thyroid medicine with a big glass of water. Then, I am not allowed to eat or drink anything for about an hour. After the hour mark, I take my allergy/asthma medicine. Since no vitamins or supplements are allowed for 4 hours within taking my thyroid medicine because they could affect absorption, I drink my Shakeology for lunch. Yes THAT's what is in my thermos everyday...in case you were curious. ;)

Also, I try to be VERY careful about the food that I eat. If it's "bad" for me, I know I will have to work harder to not gain weight from it. So, I TRY to stay away from "bad" food, but I am human after all. :D In addition, I have found that if I stop working out, I will put lbs back on. So, I am very regimented with my workouts as well. I know it sounds like a strict life, but I also know what obesity can do to your health (read my 'GIVING BACK' tab and you'll know why).
I can't lie, it's an uphill battle, especially in the world of weight loss, but good health is sooooooo worth it.

If you think that you might have a thyroid problem, do your homework and figure out what symptoms you have. Next...please see a doctor (they will make you get a blood test or two) and then start taking the necessary steps to control this disease.

Good luck!

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

I get people all the time ask me...what is the Shakeology 3 Day cleanse?  Well, here is what you need to know, are you ready...?

- 3 days (maximum)
- calorie-restricted (800-1200 per day)
- nutrient-dense eating plan
- flushes toxins
- used as a 'jump start' or 'plateau breaker'

Possible results
- weight loss
- feeling cleaner, healthier
- less bloat

Below is an outline of the program. (It is the same for all 3 days.)

Start: One cup green tea
Breakfast: Shakeology (with water and ice only – may add ½ piece fruit)
Snack: One piece fruit
Lunch: Shakeology (water and ice only) followed by one cup green tea
Snack: Shakeology (water and ice only) – can drink this after dinner instead
Dinner: Salad with greens, 3 servings of veggies, 4 ozs of grilled white meat or fish (or tofu, beans, of vegetarian) and 2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing

NOTE: you can eat your salad for lunch instead of dinner if you prefer

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

NO DAIRY (EVEN ALMOND MILK/ RICE MILK)

The cleanse is made to do with exercise, but not INTENSE exercise. Also, it is not recommended to do the cleanse more than once a month. Remember that bodies are different and will have different reactions and results, so it is important to pay attention to how you feel. If you have an adverse reaction - STOP. If you have any medical conditions or questions, ask your doctor.

Good Luck! :)

Holiday Shakeology Recipes - 'tis the season...for chocolate!

It's time for the CHOCOLATE Shakeology HOLIDAY recipes - how can I not post these?

Gingerbread Man
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup skim milk

Minty Mocha Chiller
½ tsp. peppermint extract
½ cup almond milk
½ cup cold coffee

Apple Pie
½ cup diced apples
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup water
½ cup apple juice

Candy Cane Surprise
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
1 cup water

Cinnamon Roll
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup skim milk

Chocolate Pecan Pie
8 pecans
½ tsp. butterscotch extract
1 cup skim milk

Here’s how to make it: For each of these delicious recipes, add 1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology and ice to taste (add more ice for a thicker shake) to the ingredients listed. Mix in blender until creamy.

You’ve got the choices: Fresh or frozen fruit. Regular, skim, almond, or rice milk (the more milk you add, the creamier). And almond butter instead of peanut butter—use whichever you like better. Enjoy!

ZOMBIE jeans!

Zombie Jeans???

YES, I have zombie jeans!! I’M PSYCHED ABOUT HAVING ZOMBIE JEANS!! It’s taken a while, but persistence pays off. What are zombie jeans you ask? You know how you have those jeans that you can no longer fit into anymore…but you keep them with the hopes that you will resurrect them from the dead? Well, I had FIVE pair of ‘dead’ jeans which are now ‘undead’ = ZOMBIE JEANS! Now you understand why I am so excited about having them. (You probably thought I was excited about having old, ugly, torn up jeans, didn’t you? – I’m not quite that literal.)

If you’re wondering how I did it, well, here it is: Shakeology*, one time per day, EVERYDAY, and a TurboFire/Chalean Extreme** hybrid workout. I’m not doing the hybrid listed on the official website, more of my own thing. Here's how it went down...

I started out doing the TurboFire program. I completed the full 12 weeks! I felt so accomplished! It REALLY got me going, but unfortunately my body is slow to respond to things (I blame my hypothyroidism, it makes me feel better to blame something ;) ). I knew I was doing it right though. My cardiovascular endurance was off the charts! Also note I have asthma, so this is really saying something.

Beginning in week 13, I started Chalean Extreme. I’m still in “Burn Circuit” currently, which is phase 1 of 3, and I plan to do this program for the full 12 weeks like I did with TurboFire. However, to kick it up a notch, I am adding some of the HIIT workouts from TurboFire to my program.

HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training, in case you were wondering. This is the super-high intensity, training like an athlete, type of workout. This is serious stuff…but it is fun to do!  It has taken me about 15 weeks, but it is paying off and now, I have zombie jeans!! Where I was teetering on needing to go up a size (UGH), those jeans are almost too big. My old ones fit perfectly again. Feels good to be back on my game!

*visit my nutrition page for more information on Shakeology
**visit my fitness programs page for more information on both TurboFire and Chalean Extreme

SUPERYUM! More Shakeology recipes...

We're talking CHOCOLATE Shakeology today!  Here we go:

Choconana
1 banana
1 cup water

Choco Cherry-Licious
1/2 cup black cherries (pitted)
1 cup vanilla almond milk

PB and J
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup water

Almond Mocha Chiller
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup cold coffee

Chocolate Minty
1 tsp. mint extract
1 cup water

Here’s how to make it: 
For each of these delicious recipes, add 1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology and ice to taste (add more ice for a thicker shake) to the ingredients listed. Mix in blender until creamy.

You’ve got the choices:Fresh or frozen fruit. Regular, skim, almond, or rice milk (the more milk you add, the creamier).  Enjoy!

Hypothyroidism - what to look for and what to expect

Hypothyroidism is a condition/disease where your body is lacking the sufficient amount of thyroid hormone. The problem with this condition is that the thyroid is in charge of your metabolism. When you lack thyroid hormone, your metabolism slows. You can see how this plays into weight loss...right? When someone is hypothyroid, it is EXTREMELY difficult to lose weight. Where one person can lose 2 pounds in a week, you may only lose .5 of a pound.

This actually happened to me just last week, I was thrilled with losing 7 pounds over the last 2 months drinking Shakeology and increasing my workouts. Then my friend tells me 'oh, I've been doing the same thing, I'm down 15 pounds'. UGH! This is where your 'will' to lose weight has to be the strongest ever. You CAN do it, you have to work REALLY hard at it, and it's WORTH IT!

Maybe you're unsure of whether you are hypothyroid. Some of the signs of hypothyroidism are:

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido
Constipation
Depression

You may have just a few of these symptoms or you may have many of them, each person is different. For me, I had many of the symptoms, but I kept coming up with other excuses for them. Then, once I started losing my hair, I high-tailed it to a Doctor! Lo and behold, I found out that I have a version of hypothyroidism called Hashimoto's Disease (a disease where the body attacks the thyroid, because it thinks it is something bad).

If you think you may be hypothyroid, you must visit your DOCTOR asap. You can see your regular doctor, but it's even better to visit an Endocrinologist. He/She will do the proper blood tests so you will know, once and for all, whether it's your thyroid that's wreaking havoc on your life. Good luck!

Underactive Thyroid and Food

Being hypothyroid for the past ~8 years, I have done quite a bit of my own research on what foods I should and shouldn't eat. More foods than you realize may affect how thyroid medication is absorbed, so it is important to know the potential effects of different foods BEFORE you eat them. I am including a link to this article because these are the foods that most individuals agree on. There are others out there, that I will bring up another day, that are more controversial (soy, for instance).


http://www.livestrong.com/article/255372-healthy-foods-for-an-underactive-thyroid/


It is important to remember to take your medication everyday (synthroid for me). I take mine first thing in the morning with a giant glass of water on an empty stomach. Per the directions: I wait one hour before eating anything (which makes for a hungry workout!!) and avoid vitamins, minerals, and supplements for at least four hours. This is why I drink my Shakeology for LUNCH not breakfast - better to be safe than sorry!

In case the doctors haven't convinced you already