Deep Sea Deliciousness: A Guide to Edible Seaweed

Deep Sea Deliciousness: A Guide to Edible Seaweed


By Jeanine Natale

As another sultry summer shimmies into full swing, why don't we take a look at a refreshing, versatile, and wonderfully low-calorie/fat-free food that's sure to add an interesting new dimension to light and healthy eating? Yes, seaweed! You've probably seen drifts of this common sea algae floating in the ocean waves, or in tangled clumps along the beach, but did you know it's actually a delicious, nutritious, and surprisingly popular food? If you've had sushi, miso soup—even salad dressing, pudding, or ice cream—odds are, you've eaten seaweed. Heck, you've probably even brushed your teeth with it.

Naturally high in essential nutrients like iodine, potassium, and magnesium, seaweed is becoming more and more available not only in health food or international stores, but also at your local market, and there are different kinds of seaweed used in all kinds of yummy dishes. It's been a staple in the diets of many coastal cultures from Japan to Scotland for centuries, and now the rest of the world is learning how good it really is for you. Five of the varieties you're most likely to encounter are nori, wakame, kombu, hijiki, and carrageenan, also known as Irish moss.



Contrary to many beliefs, seaweed is not fishy or even overly salty in taste or odor. Some varieties, like carrageenan, are nearly flavorless, and can be a versatile ingredient in many kinds of sweet and savory recipes. Each type of seaweed, whether crunchy, salty, chewy, sweet, crispy, or slippery, has its own nutritional fingerprint, but all varieties of this remarkable sea algae offer the health-conscious eater a fat-free, low-to-no-calorie superbundle of essential vitamins and minerals—most notably iodine.



Iodine is perhaps best known as an ingredient added to table salt (ironically, sea salt does not contain iodine naturally). But because many of us would do well to lower our salt intake, seaweed offers an excellent low-sodium delivery system for iodine. Numerous international studies have shown that iodine plays an important role in regulating the thyroid, which helps to keep your metabolism on an even keel. More importantly, according to a 2007 study by the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is one of the world's most preventable causes of mental retardation, and seaweed is one of the most accessible and easily digested sources of this essential mineral. Indeed, seaweed is vegan and gluten-free, and it poses much less danger of causing an allergic reaction than fish or shellfish—two other good sources of iodine—might (although you should keep in mind that seafood is often processed in the same facility as both fish and shellfish). Also gaining much worldwide attention is evidence that a diet supplemented with iodine, as well as vitamins B and E, may help in preventing or lessening the effects of fibrocystic breast disease.



Generally, you'll find your different types of seaweeds available as dried sheets, flakes, or leaves, in prepared packages that usually weigh a couple of ounces each. (Single-serving sizes are typically between 1 and 3 grams, depending on the recipe.) After you moisten, steep, or soak your seaweed in water according to package or recipe directions, it's easy to use, and it retains its nutritional value even when cooked. Here's a quick look at how the various seaweeds add up.

Nori. The most recognizable of the seaweeds, nori comes in crunchy, paper-thin black sheets most familiarly used to wrap sushi. Nori can also be sprinkled in flake form as a yummy topping for soups and salads. A 2.5-gram serving of nori supplies 70 percent of the recommended daily allowance* (RDA) of iodine, 10 percent of the RDA of vitamin C, 8 percent of the RDA of vitamin A, and 1 gram each of protein and dietary fiber, along with trace amounts (6 percent of the RDA or less) of potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, and omegas 3, 6, and 9—and each serving has just 10 calories and only 5 milligrams of sodium.

Wakame. Generally eaten in larger amounts, wakame is a versatile seaweed most often featured as bite-sized bits in miso soup or thin slices in a salad. Usually sold as dried black flakes, wakame quickly turns a beautiful jade green color when soaked in warm or hot water, with a soft, slippery, easy-to-chew texture. Wakame will add a bit more sodium to your dish than nori does (28 percent of the RDA or 660 milligrams in a 10-gram serving), but you'll benefit from its more than 100 percent of the RDA of iodine, 30 percent of the RDA of magnesium, 17 percent of the RDA of dietary fiber, 14 percent of the RDA of potassium, 8 percent of the RDA each of vitamin A, iron, and calcium, and trace amounts of riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, phosphorus, and omegas 3, 6, and 9—and it has just 25 calories.



Kombu. Not quite as visible but essential to many delicious soups or noodle broths, kombu is a seaweed that usually comes in large dried leaves up to a foot long and a few inches wide. Typically, a cook will boil it in soups or stews, then remove it as you would a bay leaf, imparting to a hearty flavor and a decent dose of nutrients. A 3.3-gram serving of kombu has just 5 calories and 4 percent of the RDA of sodium, while also providing more than 100 percent of the RDA for iodine, and trace amounts of magnesium, calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and omegas 3, 6, and 9.

Hijiki. If you're an avid fan of seaweed salads, the squeaky crunch of twig-like hijiki is already a favorite. Hijiki segments look like little dried black twigs about 1 or 2 inches in length, and soaking them in water will make them expand to about twice their size. Eaten hot or cold, hijiki has a springy, snappy crunch that is quite distinctive. A 2-gram serving of hijiki is calorie-free and supplies you with 20 percent of the RDA of calcium and trace amounts of vitamin B, magnesium, and dietary fiber, along with approximately 50 percent of the RDA of iodine.

Carrageenan. The seaweed you hardly ever see but have probably consumed most often is known as Irish moss, listed as carrageenan on that tub of mocha marshmallow ice cream you've been eyeballing. (Alas, it's not there in sufficient amounts to justify your getting to eat ice cream every day. Harrumph.) Carrageenan is mainly added to prepared foods and other products, including pudding, salad dressing, and toothpaste, to make them thick and smooth. Carrageenan can also be found at any health food store in the form of dried flakes or powder that dissolve completely in liquid, for use as a thickening agent for soups and stews, or to make nutritious teas and broths. A 6-gram serving has only 25 calories, and contains approximately 15 percent of the RDA of both protein and iodine, and trace amounts of vitamins A, C, and B12, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

If you're new to the wide world of edible seaweed, it's fun—and not too expensive—to experiment with this versatile and nutritious food. Most small packages of seaweed cost anywhere from $5.00 to $9.00 for a few ounces, with larger (1-pound) bulk quantities costing anywhere from $25.00 or $30.00 up to $60.00 for rare or extra-fine-quality varieties. (The smaller-sized packages will provide more than enough product for your culinary needs and/or adventures.)



There are more than a few different brands out there, so read the labels carefully and go for any brand that clearly states organic origins and farming methods of the product. Most companies that sell seaweed products offer pristine, high-quality growing conditions and ecologically friendly harvests. Again, seaweeds, by nature, are vegan and gluten-free, and are widely used in raw-food and macrobiotic diets.



Here's one of my favorite salad recipes—perfect for summertime when chilled, and bursting with a crunchy refreshing zing when you add slivers of fresh ginger and a touch of rice wine vinegar!



Wakame and Cucumber Salad



For salad:

2 Tbsp. dry wakame seaweed (soak and drain according to package after measuring)

1/2 cucumber, sliced (scrub peel free of wax and leave on)

1 tsp. grated or slivered fresh ginger



For dressing:



1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

A few drops of agave nectar (or 1/2 tsp. sugar)



Stir dressing ingredients together until well mixed, especially if using granulated sugar. Place all ingredients in bowl and toss with dressing. Chill in tightly covered bowl. Yum! Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Crocked Coconut Macaroon Shakeology

Recipe: Crocked Coconut Macaroon Shakeology

At this year's 2011 Beachbody Coach Summit, the Shakeology chefs came out in force with the ultimate recipes they'd developed to shake up their daily Shakeology regimen. In the chocolate category, the winner was Suzy F. She's lost 25 pounds with INSANITY^® and Shakeology, and she actually had to have her dress altered so it wouldn't fall off when she went up to receive her award!

• 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tsp. rum extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 oz. frozen Thai coconut meat
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 cup ice

Place ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Makes 1 serving.
NOTE: If you're feeling a little "sticker shock" from the calorie count and fat grams, remember that coconut contains some of the healthiest, most heart-smart fat out there. But if you want to reduce the calorie count to 359, just cut the amount of coconut milk, meat, and oil in half.

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid!

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid!

By Denis Faye In their continued quest to be a relevant source of information regarding the American diet, the USDA retired their food pyramid earlier this month, replacing it with MyPlate, the new, improved—not to mention circular—representation of how they think the general public should eat. The recommendations really didn't change from the 2010 food pyramid revamp, but it's progress nonetheless, I suppose. It may have taken them 19 years, but the government has finally figured out that average Americans tend to eat on round plates, as opposed to triangular ones.



The new graphic features a plate filled with equal portions of veggies and grains, smaller but still substantial portions of fruits and proteins, and a small(ish) serving of dairy. While these portion sizes haven't changed, MyPlate is an improvement on the old recommendations based primarily on the plain, clear language featured front and center on the main page of the Web site, right below the graphic:
Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals—and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For you Beachbody^® types, this is all no-brainer intel, but if you walk down to your local mega-box store and have a look at all the folks pulling elastic-waisted pants off the plus-size racks, you'll see visual evidence that Americans just don't know how to eat. So good for the USDA for using simple, basic language to point out universal truths.

In defense of the USDA

If you spend much time in the food blogosphere, you know that the USDA's latest educational effort has many detractors. Complaints are probably best summed up by the blog Fooducate:
"With all due respect, the USDA should not be the government body dishing out (pun intended) nutrition advice . . . It's not a good idea to have the same organization that promotes agricultural and food production and sales be the one telling us what's healthy to eat."
While this is a valid point, I think we should save the conspiracy theories for Elvis, JFK, and the UFOs. Big Agra might have played a role in making MyPlate closer to McPlate, but I think a far more oppressive special interest group at play here is the American people in general. For example, let's look at the USDA's continued insistence that we need up to 8 servings of grains a day. In truth, while grains are a perfectly acceptable source of carbs, fiber, and other nutrients for 90 percent of the population, they pale nutritionally when compared to vegetables. However, if the government came out and told consumers they'd be better off with more salads and fewer sandwiches, Americans just wouldn't have it. We love our bread, so my guess is that the USDA keeps the grain numbers up in order to keep us from ignoring the recommendations completely. A telling sign of this is the bright red italic, large-font message plastered all over the MyPlate Web site: "Key Consumer Message: Make at least half your grains whole grains."
Half? Really? I haven't had a refined grain in about 2 weeks. There's no need for refined grain in a healthy diet—and I don't think the USDA put this plea in there to appease Big Agra, which profits from grain sales whether consumers eat the bran and husk or not. This "Key Consumer Message" has the distinct ring of a negotiation you have with a 6-year-old when you're trying to get him to eat his broccoli. It was put in there to appease those Americans who refuse to accept that Pop-Tarts^® aren't a complete nutritional source.
Another complaint a lot of people have is the continued importance placed on dairy in the recommendations. I'm prone to agree, but in defense of the USDA, the site does plainly feature the section, "For those who choose not to consume milk products."

Where they screwed up

Warm fuzzies aside, I do think the USDA could have done a few things differently. As I mentioned earlier, their treatment of grains was a little off. Also, their handling of protein leaves a lot to be desired. It assumes that consumers eat meat. While there is an informative section on the vegetarian diet, I'd rather see a more integrated approach to plant-based nutrition. For people who regularly eat meat and just want a few nonmeat protein options, MyPlate offhandedly recommends beans and nuts, and that's about it. In a way, this is decent advice, because combining these two foods with all the grain you're supposed to eat will give you all the amino acids you need to have complete proteins, but a more effective path would have been to create a whole separate nut-and-bean portion equal to the grain portion. With the guaranteed complete proteins this approach would introduce into the user's diet, he or she could reduce the meat protein portion to a healthier level.
Another notable absence from MyPlate is education on healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats, save a vague message stating, "Oils are NOT a food group, but they provide essential nutrients. Therefore, oils are included in USDA food patterns." Given the vast amount of research that indicates the health benefits of good fats, not to mention the fact that some fatty acids are ESSENTIAL to human health, the USDA might want to think about giving fat its own food group. Under this umbrella, they could stress the importance of foods like olive oil, avocados, and, most of all, super-nutritious nuts and seeds.
Some of you might note that I've just suggested adding two additional food groups to MyPlate, thus further complicating an already complex topic to educate people on. I concede that I understand why the USDA sugar-coats (literally!) their nutritional advice, with a little refined flour here and a little ham there, but that doesn't mean they need to dumb down their message. As long as information is presented clearly to them, humans are capable of understanding remarkably complex issues, be they delivered via circle or triangle.
Case in point? The University of Michigan's Healing Foods Pyramid (http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/index.htm), which offers the nut/bean and fat portion changes I suggested, plus several others, in a concise, understandable way. It breaks down food choices into weekly and daily needs; stresses the importance of hydration; and even includes space for "accompaniments," a euphemism for "junk food."
The USDA could learn a thing or two from these college kids. They should certainly spend a little time on the Healing Foods Pyramid before coming out with their next round of nutritional suggestions. I applaud the USDA for trying to do the right thing by the American public, but maybe it's time to step up the game a little and assume we can handle a little tough nutritional love. Next time, let's spend a little less time worrying about the shape of the plate and a little more time figuring out what should go on it.

Day 2.. PLYO.. need i say more!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!  I was dieing.. but in a good way.  I know that there is noway but up now.. simple statements for today.. OUCH!!!


My arms hurt from the workout yesterday.. my armpits hurt.. and my triceps.. But that's a good thing..  Looking forward to Wednesdays workout.

Day 1..

I started today with the devotion to complete day 1.  Yes I did it.  I felt great getting it done.  I wasn't surprised by how bad off i am.  I mean really my pushups are so weak.  I am on my knees but I keep telling myself that means that at the end of this transformation I will be amazed at how well i did. 

My pullups are very weak as well, but I knew they would be.  I will work on them and look forward to seeing how much I will improve. I will take my 30 day pic and 60 and then the big 90 day pics.

When I talked to Tony at the summit he said to make sure that I do at least 22 workouts a month.  that's every mon-fri!!!  I can and will do that.  I know that there will be days that I don't want to do my workouts but will push to do them anyway.  I also know that there will be days i don't have as much power as i want.

Today my arms were shaking and I was really looking forward to the lawnmowers and  heavy pants.. My upper body was so weak.  I just kept shaking my arms out.  Laughing at myself but feeling great that I was accomplishing a goal of mine.  I know that the dive bombers will be a chore.  They are my evil nemesis.  I hate them. I tried P90X before but wasn't ready and let it beat me.  I still remember the feeling of the dive bombers breaking me and so they are the goal.  I want to kill them.

The other good part about this workout is that i get to have my results and recovery after the workout.  I love it.  Time to order more.  I seemed to have drank it with the other workouts too.. :)  I did drink my shakeology this morning and it is really filling me up.  I make mine with a scoop of chocolate shakeology, 1/2 banana, PB2, and ice.... love it!!!!!!!!!!

Gaining Mass with P90X

Gaining Mass with P90X^®

By Steve Edwards

"Don't want to look small!" —Lou Ferrigno in Pumping Iron

Guys have a thing for mass. It's hard to explain, really, but boys seem to grow up wanting nothing more than to be big. Guys want speedboats and trucks, and they want to look like the Hulk^®, regardless of what their wives may think of green skin. If this sounds like you, here's the article you've been looking for: customizing P90X for mass.

Even if mass is your only goal, make sure to read the other articles in the series on customizing the X. (See Related Articles at the end of this article.) The principles discussed in these articles will be put to use here. To look like the Hulk, you don't need to be a physicist who's accidentally exposed to gamma rays, but you do need to consider science as we know it, particularly the question, "What is mass?"
What is mass?
Because many of our Success Stories, not to mention Tony, aren't exactly skinny, we must begin by defining mass—something most of you are looking for more of. Physics-related talk about inertia, gravity, and force aside, as we're using the term here, mass simply means size. As in the root of the word massive. A program targeting mass is concerned with one thing: muscle growth (from here on in referred to as hypertrophy), and a lot of it.
In a training cycle for mass, we should target hypertrophy even at the expense of other fitness goals. P90X is not a system designed for mass. It's designed for overall fitness, which means that ultimate gains in targeted areas, like speed, strength, flexibility, and muscle growth, are compromised to provide a program that improves all your body's physical energy systems during one 90-day effort. We feel that this is the preferred training system, because it addresses the big picture. But if your picture is quite literally being bigger, you'll need to read on.
Foundation
You've read about the capacity for improvement throughout this series, so here's where I tell you to do a round of P90X as it's designed before embarking on a mass-specific program. It's healthier, sure, but it's more than that. Training all of your body's energy systems until they're running efficiently increases your body's ability to do, well, anything. And "anything" includes looking like Lou Ferrigno. Once you've done a round of the X and aced your Fit Test, the foundation has been laid. You're ready to start gettin' big.
Resistance
Tony loves the word specificity. He often uses it when referring to exercise movements, but we're going to use it to refer to the equipment you'll need. With mass as your goal, you'd better acquire specific resistance equipment. The simplest form is weights; however, mass can also be created by using other forms of tension, like resistance bands. The bottom line is that if mass is your goal, you'll need to have more weight available than you've been using. Body weight and plyometric movements can be used effectively for strength training, but strength and hypertrophy are not synonymous. To make hypertrophic gains, you're going to need to find ways to make your body fail at a given number of repetitions. You'll want an array of weights and bands, and some extra devices like ankle and wrist weights, or a weight vest, to add resistance to all the movements you're doing.
The difference between size and strength
As we touched on last time (see "Sore, Hungry, and Slow: 3 Signs That Show Your Program Is Working" in the Related Articles section below), hypertrophy training simply increases the size of the muscle. Strength training increases the efficiency of the muscle. Large muscles have a greater capacity for strength. Absolute strength is the ability of the muscle to use all of its muscle cells for movement. People in sports dependent on strength-to-weight ratios target high muscular efficiency in their training, whereas those in sheer size-dependent sports will focus more on hypertrophy. Most sports are somewhat dependent on both size and strength, which are ideally improved during different cycles of training.
Periodization
The periodizational concepts that have been discussed in previous articles need to be explained here before a mass schedule is created. Remember that a standard schedule would look similar to this:
Foundation phase (Power 90^® or what you did pre-X) + block 1 + transition/recovery + block 2 + transition/recovery + block 3 + recovery = peak (final Fit Test)
The difference here is that we're going to structure an entire training cycle based only on hypertrophy. This means we won't be setting up a peak phase. Over a long period of time, you'll want to teach your muscles how to function more efficiently. We'll get to this at the end.
For now, we'll just say that there's still a periodizational approach to consider. You'll still adapt, gain, and plateau over time, so we'll need a structure to keep this happening. But the structure will be dependent simply on rep schemes (the number of repetitions that you target to bring you to failure) and progressive overload. The blocks of our 90-day schedule will each target a different number of repetitions, which you'll want to aim for to induce failure. But because we're not changing the schedule much, and thus creating less Muscle Confusion^™, we won't need such frequent recovery phases.
Progressive overload
Hypertrophy is all about creating progressive overload. To create muscle growth, you must keep stimulating the muscles during each workout. This requires that you add weight as necessary to create failure at similar points in time. (We use reps as a reference point but the actual measure is force over a given amount of time.)
Recovery
The more we can focus on hypertrophy, the more muscle we'll gain. Since we only have so much energy to expend, this means we should spend less time working on other areas. This is where you'll see the biggest differences from the traditional P90X schedules. When you're not training for hypertrophy, your entire focus should be on preparing your body to create more hypertrophy. Therefore, the P90X mass schedule will have a lot of active recovery and flexibility work and very little intense cardio. This means we'll spend more time recovering during each training block and taking fewer periods focused solely on recovery.
Putting it all together
Before we get to the schedule, here are some general things to consider. The first is pacing. Instead of following the kids in the videos, target your rep scheme (and push pause when necessary). Do each set to failure, or as close as you can get, without exceeding your targeted number of reps by more than a couple. If you lack enough weight to induce failure, try slowing down the movements so that you're holding your contraction long enough that you're fighting the pump. The force over time equation only works if you're pumped silly. With this in mind, do not use the pause button simply to increase the time between exercises. You want to be pumped through the entire workout. No pump = no growth.
A good way to choose the resistance for each movement is to use enough so that you can only do the lower number of your targeted rep scheme. Once you can do the higher number, it's time to increase the resistance.
Do your repetitions slowly and with control. Speed is for power, not size. Focus on perfect form and only add weight when you can do each rep with great form.
When you're done, you're done. You don't need to finish an entire workout if you're struggling. Once you lose the ability to move the weight or do the move in strict form, stop the workout. Any further training would only create more breakdown than you could recover from and increase your risk of injury.
Your diet
You won't be burning as many calories as you would during the Classic schedule of the X. If you eat the same amount, you may gain more mass, but you'll also gain more body fat. This might or might not be acceptable, so pay attention and adjust your diet as necessary. If you want mass, then you need to eat enough for your body to put on weight.
Block 1, phase 1
Weeks 1 through 3

• Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
• Day 2: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
• Day 3: Legs & Back
• Day 4: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus (from P90X^® Plus)
• Day 5: Back & Biceps
• Day 6: Yoga X
• Day 7: Off

Targeted number of reps: 8 to 12 (focus on 10 to 12)
Block 1, phase 2
Weeks 4 through 6

• Day 1: Chest & Back
• Day 2: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
• Day 3: Shoulders & Arms
• Day 4: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus
• Day 5: Legs & Back
• Day 6: Yoga X
• Day 7: Off

Targeted number of reps: 8 to 12 (focus on 8 to 10)
Recovery Block
Week 7

• Day 1: X Stretch
• Day 2: Yoga X
• Day 3: Core Synergistics
• Day 4: Kenpo X
• Day 5: Yoga X
• Day 6: X Stretch
• Day 7: Off

Block 2, phase 1
Weeks 8 and 9

• Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
• Day 2: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
• Day 3: Legs & Back
• Day 4: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus
• Day 5: Back & Biceps
• Day 6: Yoga X
• Day 7: Off
• Day 8: Chest & Back
• Day 9: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
• Day 10: Shoulders & Arms
• Day 11: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus
• Day 12: Legs & Back
• Day 13: Yoga X
• Day 14: Off

Targeted number of reps: 6 to 10
Block 2, phase 2
Weeks 10 and 11
Same schedule as weeks 8 and 9
Targeted number of reps: 4 to 8
Block 2, phase 3
Week 12
Same schedule as weeks 8 and 9
Targeted number of reps: 4 to 6
Final note: This is an entire cycle of training based only on hypertrophy. To have an athletically efficient physique, you should do other training cycles that target different goals. Even if your only goal is hypertrophy, training these other systems properly will improve your body's physical systems and increase your capacity for muscle growth, as well as the speed at which you can add or shed muscle and fat. So while you can tweak and reuse this basic structure over and over, it will also benefit you to get back to basics and do P90X Classic from time to time.

P90X® Results and Recovery - Tub

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Recipe: Frozen Shakeology^® Pops

By Sandy Carter (and her daughter)

Ready for a frosty treat that's as healthy as it is delicious? Try this recipe for frozen Shakeology pops. They're simple to mix up and freeze, and best of all, there's no guilt—just icy-cold choco-peanutty refreshment!

• 1 serving Chocolate Shakeology
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. peanut butter (all-natural is best)
• 1 cup ice (more or less to taste)

Place ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Pour into 4-oz. pop molds and freeze until solid. Makes 4 pops.
Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
91	8 g	1 g	8 g	3 g	<1 g

^†With Home Direct, you'll receive this item every 30 days, shipped directly to your door and billed to the credit card used today. You may cancel at any time.

Order your today!  (click banner above to be redirected)

which melon do you prefer?

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Make Mine Melon!

By Denis Faye There's nothing bad about melons. They're yummy, they're super good for you, and they're one of the most social foods around. No self-respecting summer picnic would be complete without a big ol' watermelon. In fact, Americans purchase 3 billion pounds of the big green yum-balls annually. Everything else on the checkered tablecloth might be a nutritional nightmare, but nestled between the ambrosia and the macaroni salad you'll always find those big slices of sweet pink vitamin C-packed goodness, secretly supplying hungry partygoers with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

In truth, I probably don't need to explain why you should be eating everyone's favorite summer fruit, 'cause you're gonna eat it either way, but we're all food nerds here, right? So let's take moment and learn a little more about melons.
Melonology 101You can buy melons in the grocery store year-round, but they're in season in America in the summer, so save your consumption for that season, and make sure you buy local. There are a couple of reasons to do this. First, once a piece of fruit is picked, it starts to lose nutrients, so not only do melons shipped from Central America tend to be mealier in texture, they're also less nutritious. Second, imported melons are more expensive.
You can store a melon at room temperature for a few days. Refrigerating it will help the nutrients last longer, but you lose flavor, particularly with cantaloupes. Once you've cut it open, all bets are off. Seal that melon and store it in the fridge. It should last about a week.
And even though you're probably not going to eat the rind, give your melon a good washing before cutting it up, so you can avoid any dirt, residues, or pesticides (if it's not organic) that might get into the flesh when you cut it.
While the watermelon is arguably the rock star of the melon world, having recently been rated the second healthiest fruit around by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (behind guava), it's just one of dozens of melon varieties. Let's discuss a few.
WatermelonActually, the watermelon is the only melon that's not a member of the Cucumis genus. It's a member of the genus Citrullus, which totally matters, right? Anyway, why did the CSPI go nuts for watermelons? They're loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, as well as potassium and magnesium. More importantly, they're loaded with carotenoids, pigments existing in plants that give them their vibrant colors. Carotenoids also have beneficial effects on those who eat them, including protecting cell walls from free radicals, improving your immune system, and helping to maintain reproductive health.
One of the most prominent carotenoids in watermelon is cardiovascular-system-enhancing lycopene, which is usually associated with tomatoes, even though watermelon contains a much higher concentration by volume.
Haters sometimes criticize the watermelon for its lack of fiber. While this is true, it's fairly irrelevant. This fruit is incredibly water- and nutrient-dense, meaning you get a lot of vitamins and minerals for very few calories. One cup, which works out to about a pound of fruit, is only 49 calories.
Furthermore, I defy you to show me anyone who's ever gotten fat from eating watermelon.
Picking a good watermelon is easy. As is the case with all melons, once it's been plucked from the vine, it stops ripening, so don't buy it hoping it'll improve. According to The World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, there are two tricks to identifying a ripe watermelon. First, the "ground spot," where it rested in the dirt, should be yellow. If it's green or white, it's probably not ready. Seedless watermelons sometimes don't have ground spots, so this doesn't apply to them. Second, give it a thump. If it responds with a dull thud, that's good. It if sounds hollow, put it back.
On a final note, if you're concerned about the genetic modification factor when it comes to seedless watermelon varieties, don't be. They're hybrids, meaning they're a cross between two types of melon. No genes are manipulated in the making of this summer treat.
Cantaloupe My grandmother used to say, "Cantaloupe—'cause we're already married!"
Bwahahahahaha! [Wipes tear from eye.]
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's talk about the fruit the CSPI ranked as the eighth healthiest fruit. The cantaloupe, as we know it, is actually a muskmelon. Real cantaloupes are grown in France and rarely make it to the states. Whatever you want to call them, they're packed with vitamins C, A, B3, B6, and B9, as well as potassium. Unlike watermelons, they have a little fiber, a little over 1 gram for a 56-calorie, 1-cup serving.
They're also a good source of carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which you'll also find in carrots. Are you seeing the pattern here? Remember how I said carotenoids are pigments? Cantaloupes and carrots are both orange. Watermelons and tomatoes, with their lycopene, are both red.
Cool, huh?
Cantaloupes stop ripening when picked, but unlike watermelons, the tap test should sound hollow. They should have a subtle, fruity smell. If a cantaloupe smells too strong, it's probably overripe. Also, the side opposite the stem should be slightly soft. Other than that, there should be no bruises or odd spots.
The only real downside to cantaloupe—and it's a weird one—is that people with latex allergies sometimes react poorly to them, so look out for that. Who knew?
Honeydew Although they're still yummy, honeydew melons fare poorly from a nutritional standpoint when compared to their pink and orange brethren. That 1 cup of cubes has 61 calories and 1 gram of fiber, but the vitamin C is only about half that of cantaloupe, and there are also much lower amounts of other micronutrients, although there's still a pretty good amount of potassium.
The carotenoid that gives honeydew its green hue is zeaxanthin, which promotes eye health. You'll find even more impressive amounts of zeaxanthin in almost all leafy greens.
You determine whether a honeydew's ripe the same way you find a good cantaloupe. Hollow tap, fruity smell, and no soft spots.
Casaba Although it's less well known, I thought I'd mention the casaba, because of the special role it plays in the melon world. While nowhere near as nutritionally dense as the melons we've discussed previously, the casaba still features a nice little hit of vitamins C and B6, plus some potassium. Casabas also tend to have slightly more protein and fiber and less sugar than other melons, which gives them less of a glycemic load. In other words, they might be considered a "low-carb" fruit.
Though not as flavorful as some other melons, casabas have a long shelf life, which is convenient. The ripeness smell test doesn't really apply here, as they have no aroma, so look for color instead. The outer skin on a ripe casaba will be bright yellow.
Which melon is right for you? The answer? Any of them. However, if after reading all this, you're stuck as to which melon to pick for your next BBQ, I have an idea: Buy one of each! Chop them up, mix them up, and you have a colorful, nutrient-rich fruit salad that'll kick that picnic into overdrive. With any luck, Cousin Millie and Grandma Bertie will finally get the message that you don't need mayo and refined sugar to make food delicious.

Avoid Summer Weight Gain

8 Ways to Avoid Summer Weight Gain

By G.D. Rossen As the summer vacation season approaches and millions of people start planning trips, among the most popular ways the recreation-starved choose to spend their hard-earned vacation time and harder-earned cash is on cruise ships or at all-inclusive tropical resorts. The cruise industry alone saw more than 10 million passengers depart from U.S. ports last year, while tropical über-resorts with names like Sandals^®, Breezes, and Couples beckon with enticing promises of warm sands and days of leisure. (We won't touch on what Hedonism Resorts^® beckons with.) What these vacation destinations all have in common is cocoon-like protection in a safe, microcosmic version of the locale you're visiting, committed to relaxation and fun. But they share something else too. As all-inclusive vacations, they offer near-continuous access to all the food you can eat, which makes them appeal to instincts honed by our famine-fearing ancestors—instincts that tell us that if there's food available, it's time to chow down. Cruise ships in particular have gained notoriety as being fat factories on the seas. Like the average American waistline, every year, the ships grow larger and larger, adding more and more dining rooms and buffets, each enticing travelers to gorge as they lounge in the tropical sunshine.

And while in this era of shrinking paychecks and cost-conscious consuming the idea of all-inclusive vacations sounds like a smart vacation shopper's dream come true, this all-you-can-consume kind of vacation carries with it risks for the health-minded vacationer. So if your goal is to keep from overindulging while at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise, and you can't depend solely on your willpower to keep you on the straight and narrow, here are eight ways you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest without derailing your healthy eating and exercise plan.

1. The opposite of mountain climbing (or beware the buffet). Mountain climbers have been known to explain their passionate need to tackle a given peak by saying "because it's there"; vacationers at an all-inclusive often defend their face-first dives into mountainous buffets with the same motto. Just because something is there doesn't mean you have to have it. That said, we're all human, and something that seems "free" or "paid for" is enticing and alluring . . . especially when it's bathed in cream, salt, sugar, cheese, etc. So when mealtime rolls around and a buffet sprawls before you like pirate booty waiting to be plundered, make sure you start with the salad. That's right, a simple green salad, and while you're at it, try light dressing or no dressing at all. Salad fills up space in your stomach while it provides you with vitamins and roughage, the latter of which is noticeably lacking in many buffet-style foods. Just remember, the more salad you eat (at, say, 50 calories for a cup and a half of salad without dressing, or 100 calories for a cup and a half with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette), the less room you'll have for starchy, fatty, salty Fettuccine Alfredo (which can weigh in at 700 calories per serving and up—often way up). The result is that in addition to keeping your arteries clearer, you're gonna feel a lot better in your swimsuit when you're lounging on the Lido deck.

2. Be the captain of your table. While cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts have embraced the "more is better" philosophy, offering sometimes a dozen restaurant options to their captive diners, the tourism industry has also been among the most responsive to working "heart-healthy" and lower-calorie options into their menus. You just have to use them. Vegetarian choices are usually available at every meal, as are sugar-free desserts and low-salt options. On cruises in particular, many ship kitchens pride themselves on accommodating guests' special dietary requests. And since both cruise ships and beachside resorts boast waterfront settings and nautical themes, fish dishes are virtually always available on the menu, which can make for healthier dining choices, especially when grilled.
3. Beware the pink parasols. Okay, let's not go overboard. If you drink alcohol, your vacation most likely won't be the time you choose to cut it out of your diet. But the amount of calories in some alcoholic drinks can be truly astounding. Daiquiris, margaritas, mai tais—resort favorites all—generally carry high-calorie loads, and basically any drink sweetened with syrups or sugar is getting into Candyland as far as calorie count goes. Also, alcohol has that special ability to lower your resistance, impeding your better judgment. The bottom line is that drinking can make you consume a surplus of empty calories, both directly (the alcohol itself) and indirectly (the poolside French fries or grande platter of nachos you order when the alcohol obliterates your resolve). So before you find yourself paddling over toward the swim-up bar (because hey, how cool is that, having a swim-up bar?), have a strategy in place. Maybe your strategy will involve using low-cal mixers (i.e., rum and Diet Coke^®) or alternating between an alcoholic drink and a nonalcoholic low-cal or no-cal drink (i.e., sparkling water on ice with some lemon or lime). Or if a cold beer is more to your liking, enjoy a light beer instead.

4. Then again, it is vacation! So eat . . . then hit the gym. Sure there's temptation on vacation. That's why it's a vacation. And you don't want to be so mindful of your menu that you don't have fun. (After all, would you go to Switzerland and not try the chocolate, or visit New Orleans and not have beignets?) So if you embrace the dining options to their fullest, or feel you're deserving of your vacation drinks (especially since someone else is driving [the ship]), you should also embrace the many, many exercise options that are available. Fully outfitted gyms are de rigueur in all major resorts and ships, and the hour you spend on an elliptical machine could see you burn off 600 calories. The hardest part is incorporating the workout regimen you embrace at home to this new environment where hedonism is encouraged and rewarded. (Few gyms are emptier than those on cruise ships.) So here are a few exercise options.
5. Exercise easy . . . Opportunities for easy, "I've got a hangover and can't get too out of breath"-type exercise are plentiful at resorts and on cruise ships. Sure, they may not be challenging enough to be featured on the cover of an outdoorsy-lifestyle magazine, but remember that embracing the many slower-paced vacation-style exercise options around you is better than not moving at all. For instance, you might want to take a morning walk before camping out on the nearest chaise lounge for the day. Walking on an even surface at 3 miles per hour will consume around 220 calories an hour, and even a modest (or stumbling) 2-mile-per-hour walk burns around 170 calories. So the paths around the resort, or even off-property if that's both safe and viable, provide for strolls that let you enjoy the warmth, soak in the atmosphere, and not atrophy on a poolside lounge chair. Likewise, most cruise ships boast tracks around the upper decks where passengers can walk or jog to their heart's delight (jogging can burn 360 calories and up an hour). Even the much-maligned game of shuffleboard can burn 150 or 200 calories an hour. Yes, it's a ridiculous pastime. Yes, it is associated with Miami Beach in the 1970s. But the idea is to move, rather than only bake in the sun while downing nachos and beers.

6. Or exercise hard core . . . Rock-climbing walls are now present on many ships and at some resorts, and provide an extremely calorie-intensive workout due to the intense physical demands of clinging to a faux-rock face with feet and fingers (burning as much as 100 calories in a brief 10-minute climb). Never rappelled down a climbing wall before? No problem. Whether you have or not, if your resort has a rock wall, they have staff on hand to teach you how to use it, generally offering courses geared for climbers of different experience levels. Climbing walls involve intense use of muscles and balance, and you'll certainly feel it the next day. Likewise, many cruise ships, when they pull into port, offer challenging onshore athletic activities, like kayaking, which can burn 340 or more calories per hour.
7. Sleep with the fish—or just exercise with them. Nowhere are water sports more readily available than at beachside resorts and on cruise ships. Snorkeling burns around 350 calories an hour, and provides a calming view of the world you may not normally get. Surfing is another activity that's perfect to try on your resort-bound vacation (some megaships also offer surf pools or surf parks to let passengers surf while still on board), and surfing can burn 200 calories an hour. Of course, swimming is one of the most effective exercises around, and swimming around ocean or pool for an hour could easily burn 400 calories or more.

8. Dancing (does the limbo count)? Yes, cruise ships and resorts are romantic places where music fills the warm night air, so embrace the music and dance! Dancing is one of the best forms of cardio exercise, so whether you prefer to slow dance in the moonlight (a gentle waltz burns 120 calories or more an hour) or party down to some disco (while burning more than 270 calories an hour), rest assured that what you're doing is good for you. Dancing also has the distinction of being one of the more enjoyable forms of exercise—just one of the reasons that Hip Hop Abs^® and Turbo Jam^® have helped so many people improve their health and conditioning. The point with all these exercise options is to move, and whenever possible, to embrace the concept of Muscle Confusion^™, which forms the basis of the P90X^® fitness regimen. Keeping your body moving in a variety of ways, continually forcing it to adapt, results in effective muscle toning and fat-burning.

Shakeology vs. Body by Vi

Comparison of Shakeology to Body Bi Visalus (Courtesy of Awesome fellow TBB Coach Meridith Brooke Ellis)

Cost
Body by Vi- $49.00-$249.99 per month, depending on which “level” of program you buy.
Shakeology- $89.95-119.95 per month

Servings
Body by Vi-They recommend taking 2 shakes per day plus their brand of snacks (not included in price)
…
Shakeology-One shake per day. We want you to eat real food.
This is not a “diet” but a lifestyle change. “Real” food is important.

Cost per serving
Body by Vi-$1.50 each. $3.00 for two shakes daily. Up to $8.30 per day if you buy their higher end package. Remember-snacks cost extra.
Shakeology-$3.50-4.10 per day

Supplements
Body by Vi-20 supplements worth
Shakeology-38 supplements worth

Guarantee?
Body by Vi-30 day money back
Shakeology-30 day money back

Diabetic friendly?
Body by Vi-Yes but no evidence of low glycemic index mentioned
Shakeology-Yes. In addition to being lower in sugar, we are low in the glycemic index.

Artificial sweeteners? Refined sugars?
Body by Vi-Yes-sucralose. Google sucralose and the arsenic connection for more information about how bad this stuff is for you.
Shakeology-Not a one!

Multiple flavors?
Body by Vi- No,only their sweet cream flavor
Shakeology-Yes,Chocolate (my favorite!) and Greenberry. Other flavors are currently being trialed.

What can you add to it?
Body by Vi-Their brand of mix flavors plus milk, fruit
Shakeology-Whatever you want! Peanut butter, fruit, milk, almond milk. Soy milk, water, coffee, peppermint flavor, vanilla flavor, sugar free jello pudding flavors-the possibilities are endless!

What about digestive health?
Body by Vi- Prebiotics included. 100% dietary fiber included. (Just be aware that if you eat something later that is high in fiber, you may end up gassy with diarrhea as too much fiber can cause this, in addition to cramping.)
Shakeology- Prebiotics/probiotics included. 12% of dietary fiber included. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to get your 100% daily fiber intake or if you have difficulty, you can add fiber to the shake.

Nitty gritty nutrition
Body by Vi- Fat in grams 1g
Sugar- <1 gram*
Carbs- 7 grams*
Calories-90 calories*
Sodium-75mg
Protein-12g
Shakeology- Fat in grams <0.5g
Sugar-11 grams*
Carbs-19 grams*
Calories-140 calories*
Sodium-95mg
Protein-15g

Calories
Body by Vi-90 calories plus what you add
Shakeology-140 calories plus what you add

Caffeine free?
Body by Vi-Not sure
Shakeology-Yes!

Proteins
Body by Vi-“High quality” “Tri-sorb” protein
(This is a term that they invented. Whey protein is whey protein point blank. When you start changing molecules, you can no longer call it a protein. This is a marketing gimmick.)
Shakeology-High quality whey protein

Ingredients
Body by Vi-“not as many, sometimes less is more”
**The above quotes are from link #2 below.
Contains Milk and Soy
Lactose and Gluten free
23 vitamins/minerals
Vitamin A Vitamin C Calcium Iron Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Biotin pantothenic acid Phosphorus Iodine Magnesium Zinc
Selenium Copper Manganese Chromium Molybdenum, FibersolTM, AminogenTM, Soy Protein Isolate, Digestive Resistant Maltodextrin (from FibersolTM),Whey Protein Hydrolysate,Whey Protein Concentrate, DiCalcium Phosphate, Sunflower Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Caseinate, DiMagnesium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Soy Lecithin, Mono and Diglycerides, Patented Protease (from AminogenTM), DiPotassium Phosphate, Sucralose, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Acetate, Chromium Amino Acid Chelate, Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Amino Acid Chelate, Biotin, Vitamin A Palimate, Niacinamide, Potassium Iodide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Pantothenate, Cyanocobalamin, Manganese Sulfate, Cholecalciferol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Phytomenadione and Folic Acid.
Shakeology-70+ high quality ingredients
23 vitamins/minerals
Various fruit extracts (acerola, camu-camu, pomegranate, bilberry, blueberry, acai, Goji, Cordyceps, Rose Hips, Maitake, Reishi, Citrus bioflavonoids, Gingko), Whey protein, Chromium, Hydrilla, Apple pectin, Flax seed meal, Chia seed meal, Blue green algae, Spinach powder,oatgrass, wheatgrass, Barley grass, Grape seed extract, cinnamon, natural vanilla flavor, chocolate powder, cocoa powder, xanthum gum, ,guar gum, pea fiber. Also contains an enzyme blend to assist digestion (amylase, papain, cellulose, lactase, lipase, protease, and bromelain)
(Greenberry)
Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) 5000 IU 100%
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 180 mg 300%
Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) 200 IU 50%
Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate) 15 IU 50%
Vitamin K1 (as phytonadione) 40 mcg 50%
Vitamin B1 (as thiamin HCL) 1.5 mg 100%
Vitamin B2 (as ribofl avin) 1.3 mg 77%
Vitamin B3 (as niacin) 5 mg 25%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCL) 2 mg 100%
Folic acid 200 mcg 50%
Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) 6 mcg 100%
Biotin 90 mcg 30%
Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate) 5 mg 50%
Calcium (as dicalcium phosphate) 500 mg 50%
Iron (as ferrous fumarate) 4.5 mg 25%
Phosphorous (as dicalcium phosphate) 250 mg 25%
Iodine (as kelp) 52 mcg 35%
Magnesium (as oxide) 80 mg 20%
Zinc (as zinc oxide) 6 mg 40%
Copper (as copper oxide) 0.8 mg 40%
Manganese (as manganese amino acid chelate) 2 mg 100%
Chromium (as chromium amino acid chelate) 60 mcg 50%
Molybdenum (as sodium molybdate) 30 mcg 40%
Whey protein (isolate) 15 g †

PROPRIETARY SUPER-FRUIT BLEND: 2075 mg †
Acerola powder (fruit), Camu-Camu powder (fruit), Pomegranate
powder (fruit), Bilberry powder (fruit), Blueberry powder (fruit),
Lycium (Goji) powder (berry), Açai powder (berry), Cordyceps,
Maitake powder, Reishi powder, Citrus biofl avonoids, Rose Hips
powder (fruit), Schisandra powder (berry), Suma powder (root),
Gingko powder (leaf).
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value**
PROPRIETARY FRUIT POWDER BLEND: 1500 mg †
Banana powder, Carrot powder, Orange powder,
Pineapple powder, Raspberry powder, Strawberry powder.
Maca powder (root) 1000 mg †
Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) meal 1000 mg †
Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) powder 1000 mg †
Flax (seed) meal 700 mg †
Chia (seed) meal 500 mg †
Chlorella 350 mg †
Spirulina 350 mg †
Hydrilla 300 mg †
Apple fi ber powder 250 mg †
Astragalus powder (root) 200 mg †
Blue green algae 200 mg †
Spinach powder 200 mg †
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) 150 mg †
Pea fi ber 150 mg †
Quinoa (sprouted) 150 mg †
PROPRIETARY NONDAIRY 150 mg †

PROBIOTIC BLEND:
Bifodobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus
acidophilus DDS-1, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei,
Streptococcus thermophilus.
PROPRIETARY ENZYME BLEND: 130 mg †
Amylase, Papain, Cellulase, Lactase, Lipase, Protease, Bromelain.
Ashwagandha powder (root) 100 mg †
Barley grass 100 mg †
Kamut grass 100 mg †
Oat grass 100 mg †
Wheat grass 100 mg †
Stevia 75 mg †
Amaranth (sprouted) (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) 50 mg †
Grape seed extract (seed, 95% proanthocyanins) 50 mg †
Green tea decaffeinated extract 50 mg †
(leaf, 50% polyphenols)
Holy basil powder (leaf) 50 mg †
** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
† Daily Value not established

OTHER INGREDIENTS: Fructose, xantham gum, natural strawberry and raspberry fl avors, guar gum, natural vanilla fl avor, and cinnamon powder.
Shakeology is gluten free and caffeine free.

Links to check out:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071226172658AAlRm88
http://my-body-by-vi.com/weight-loss-product-comparisons-to-the-body-by-vi-challenge/weight-loss-protein-shakes-challenge-beachbody-shakeology-vs-visalus-body-by-vi-shape-nutritional-shake/

The first link brings about some great points, whereas the second link is full of opinions of that person who also happens to sell Body by Vi.

**Food for Thought:
FACT: The RDA for calories is 2000kcal/day. We all know that in order to lose weight you need to burn more than you take in. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU GO EXTREMELY LOW IN YOUR CALORIC INTAKE! When you go below 1200-1300 calories per day, you put your body into starvation mode, thus shifting your metabolism to SLOW DOWN and burn calories more slowly. If you were to take in just two “Body by Vi” shakes (without additives) daily plus a regular meal (let’s assume that meal is around 350 calories), plus two 100 calorie snacks, you’ll only be taking in 550 calories. Why is it so low in calories? They simply aren’t offering you the fuel you need to get through the day. By skimping on glucose (essential for your brain to function) and other carbohydrates (4 calories per carb), they can offer you lower calories. Offering a 90 calorie shake sounds good on paper, but in practice this simply does not make sense. By reducing your carbohydrate intake, you will essentially cause your body to begin burning proteins instead of carbohydrates like it is supposed to. Why is this bad? The main source of protein that your body will have will not be an adequate amount of protein found in a BBV shake. Instead your body will begin to degrade the proteins in your muscle. Because your body is not supposed to use its own proteins for fuel, large waste protein byproducts are made which must then be flushed out of your body. These waste protein byproducts are known as “ketones” and require a great amount of water to be flushed out. Because of this fact, you will start to urinate a lot, excreting a great amount of water weight. If you do not properly hydrate, then you will easily become dehydrated. After a few days, you’ll be fatigued and cranky. This is because: 1. Your body won’t be getting the energy it needs to run properly. 2. You’ll be dehydrated. (Fatigue is a symptom of dehydration.) 3. You’re in starvation mode.

What I like about the shakeology is the design of the program. It’s easy. You drink one shake a day and make healthy choices. You can make the shake how YOU like it. You get to eat REAL FOOD-not a processed snack made by a company to sell. Fruits and vegetables are encouraged. It’s up to YOU. You are encouraged to exercise while on shakeology. THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL OR POWDER THAT CAN TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF! It comes off with hard work, behavior modification, and patience. Any program that promises you instant results may cause you to initially lose a few pounds, but as time goes on you’ll gain the weight back and only end up losing money.

Again the choice is up to you. If you do not wish to use Shakeology in your plans to lose weight, then that’s ok. Beachbody coaches are not here to “push” products. We inform you of what we have available which has helped us and may help you. You make the choice that best suits your lifestyle and goals. Please contact your Beachbody coach for further information!

Spinach Stir-Fry

Recipe: Spinach Stir-Fry




Here's a great vegan/vegetarian dish (depending on which stock you use) that makes a great side dish for an Asian meal. If you want to kick up the portion size, this tasty stir-fry could serve as the main course—or even the entire meal. Popeye would be proud.

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. soy sauce, regular or low-sodium

1 10-oz. bag spinach

1 12-oz. container firm tofu, cubed

Dash chili oil (optional)





Mix the stock, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce in a big bowl and add the tofu. Marinate for 30 minutes. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Place tofu mixture in wok and heat until marinade steams and tofu is warmed through. Add spinach and toss gently over heat until spinach wilts. Great on top of brown rice! Makes 3 servings.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories Protein Fiber Carbs Fat Total Saturated Fat

99 12 grams 2 grams 8 grams 4 grams < 1 gram

GET IN SHAPE FOR SUMMERTIME IN NO TIME!

Attitude is Everything

Attitude is Everything




For years, Marvin Towler earned $15 an hour as a kickboxing and martial arts instructor. Making ends meet was a struggle. "I love teaching fitness," he explains. "But existing paycheck to paycheck was a constant stress. It's no way to live, especially when you have kids."

Though fitness was his passion, Marvin often considered leaving the industry. But to do what? "I was willing to work hard," Marvin says, "but never really trained to do anything else. I was out of answers." Then a solution came to him—in the mail.



"I was honored with an invitation to teach kickboxing at a Breakthrough to Success seminar in Scottsdale," Marvin recalls. That's where he met Team Beachbody® Coaches Milan and Kevin Jensen. "I knew about Beachbody," explains Marvin, "I'd ordered P90X from an ad in a fitness magazine a few years before." He was only too pleased to be recruited by the Jensens. It was September 2008 and suddenly Marvin had a plan for earning extra income in the field he loved.



A little more effort, a lot more achievement

By January 2010, Marvin still had more potential than business. "Everything was in place, except my attitude," admits Marvin. Overwhelmed with the duties of parenting and work, he was slow to take action with his business. "I didn't give the opportunity the time or attention it needed to take off." Then, coming home from a family trip, Marvin felt something inside him shift.



"I was done, fed up with the same old struggle. Then it occurred to me that committing to my business wasn't something I HAD to do. It was something I WANTED to do. Just like that, my attitude changed." So did his actions.



He called his Coach, Kevin, who recommended the Game Plan. Marvin jumped in with both feet. He says, "I adopted Ralph Waldo Emerson's mantra, 'Do the thing and you will have the power!'" He attended every corporate event and immersing himself motivated him to work even harder. "I took on the 90 Days to Diamond Challenge," he smiles.



Success in 90 days—or less

Just 80 days later, the day he arrived in LA for Coach Summit 2010, Marvin had gone Diamond. And the rewards kept coming. "I qualified for the Success Club cruise. It was incredible. It was also my first vacation since 1993." But there were more challenges to come for Marvin.



Thankfully, after finding so much success as a Coach, Marvin found it easier to handle life's obstacles, too. "Shortly after going Diamond, I went through a difficult break-up. I moved from California across the country, to New Jersey. I had to leave my local network, but it gave me the chance to reconnect with old friends."



Marvin brought his buddy Ron Crocker to Team Beachbody, and Ron went Diamond in only 51 days. "He's in qualification for One Star Diamond Coach, just seven months into the business," beams Marvin. "Now we have two Fit Clubs going at the Jersey shore!" And things keep getting better for Marvin.



Good fortune is contagious

These days, the good fortune Marvin has brought into his life has spread to people around him, too. "One of my Coaches, Justine Petersen, is now in the TurboFire infomercial. Plus, she was featured in Carl's blog!" Marvin's children reap the rewards of his business, too. "Now, with my flexible schedule, I can be there for my girls," he says. It's a wave Marvin intends to keep riding.



"I'm Star Diamond now and I plan to be 5 Star Diamond or better by the end of 2011. I want to achieve 10 Star by Summit 2012. And I am committed to building a strong Hispanic Team." And these ideas are modest compared to his long-term goals. "Most important, I want to open Ireland as a market! I have lots of family there," he explains.



Now, more than ever, Marvin is a huge proponent of personal growth and development. He recognizes that there will always be challenges, but now has a strategy for rising above them. "You gotta let go of the No's and keep it moving. Put in the effort; what you get out of it is success. The growth of my business is the perfect barometer of that."

YUM!! Would you make this no-bake Chocolate Banana Cream Pie? A special thanks to Amber for sharing her recipe:


1 ready-to-use reduced-fat graham cracker crumb crust (8 oz.)

2-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk

1 pkg.(4-serving size) JELL-O Banana Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding

3 Scoops Chocolate Shakeology



Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix & Shakeology. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended.

Spoon pudding mixture into crust. Top with banana slices

Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.

.

Shopping List for cheap!

Today I went to get my groceries and it was so much easier with the shopping list that beachbody made for me. I am doing the Turbofire Inferno and it has a 5 day meal plan that I am following.  I am ready to kill it.  It cost me $50 for the week and no planning all done.  Isn't that great!!!!  I love it. 

I hate grocery shopping and spending the money and then not eating 1/2 of it or knowing what to make with the healthy food I bought.  Does anyone else do that.  I think i am going to eat good all week but then when i get home to cook i don't know what to cook.  Because i hadn't planned it out.  I dont have what i need to make what i want.  There is always something. I know its my fault.  I am not a planner so making it hard to eat right.  but now i am going to be just fine.  Thanks Chalene!!  You made it so easy for me!!!

Here is an article about this entire concept!

9 Ways to Eat Healthily (and Cheaply)


By Joe Wilkes

By now, most of us know what we should be eating—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fish, among other foods. But anyone heading off to the supermarket with a shopping list of the best recommendations for a healthy diet is in for a bit of sticker shock. Over a 2-year period, a recent University of Washington study tracked the costs of "nutrient-dense" foods (foods high in vitamins and minerals and low in calories) and "energy-dense" foods (foods high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals—aka junk).* The nutrient-dense foods rose in cost by almost 20 percent while the cost of junk food declined. The study found that getting your average day's worth of 2,000 calories from the junk side cost $3.52, while getting your 2,000 calories' worth from nutrient-dense cuisine would cost $36.32. Since the average American spends about $7.00 a day on food, you can see where the rise in obesity might come from.



Other studies have shown similar findings. While the percentage of Americans' incomes spent on food has decreased dramatically over the last few years, the obesity rate has risen even more dramatically, as has the incidence of type 2 Diabetes, an obesity-related disease. And the obesity rate has grown the most in the most impoverished sectors of society, further emphasizing the connection between the rising costs of nutrient-dense foods, the declining cost of junk food, and the rise in obesity rates. If you've checked out what a nice piece of Chilean sea bass with a side of asparagus costs compared to the latest offering from your local fast food joint's dollar menu, it's easy to be tempted by the dark side—especially if your budget is shrinking more than your waistline.



It is possible, however, to eat healthily and still have some money left over. Even on the tightest budget, you can do a little legwork and research to make the most nutritious choices for you and your family. And even if you're fortunate enough to have the cash to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as my grandfather would say, "There's no point putting your paycheck through your stomach." (And he lived to be almost 100 . . . but that was before the advent of dollar menus.) Here are nine tips for getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.

1.'Tis the season. Eating seasonally is the best way to get the most delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. When harvest time comes around for your favorite fruit or veggie, the market is usually glutted, and following the time-honored supply-and-demand curve, the prices of those fruits and veggies plummet. And not only is it cheap to eat fruits and veggies that are in season, it's the best time to get the most flavor for your money. Most fresh fruits and veggies sold in the off-season are either shipped from faraway lands or produced in greenhouse factories and don't have nearly the rich flavors produced by Mother Nature. It's a good time to stock up, eat what you can, and freeze or can the rest for a rainy day. If you're fortunate enough to live in a community with a decent farmers' market, it pays to get to know the men and women who are selling the produce. They can let you know when the best time to buy the best stuff is and give you a preview of what's coming up harvest-wise so you can plan your menu accordingly.

2.The big freeze. Speaking of freezing and canning, these are great ways to save money and still have your nutritional needs met. Not only are frozen and canned foods way cheaper than fresh foods, in many cases, they're more nutritious. Fruits and vegetables are usually preserved within hours of harvest, when they have their maximum vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables can take days, or even weeks, to make the journey from the field to your table. Add to that any time spent lingering on supermarket shelves and in your fridge's crisper drawer, and suddenly fresh doesn't seem so fresh anymore. And in many recipes, frozen or canned might even be better than fresh. A pint of fresh off-season blueberries can cost more than $5.00 while a one-pound bag of frozen blueberries can cost less than $3.00. And the frozen berries will be a lot better in your morning smoothie. Any chef will tell you about the virtues of canned tomatoes over fresh ones when making your favorite pasta sauce. The only thing to be wary of is the sodium and sugar content in many canned goods, or frozen veggies that come with high-calorie sauces or other not-so-healthy ingredients in not-so-healthy amounts.

3.Shop around. Smokey Robinson was right: It does pay to shop around. Check out the supermarket circulars that keep getting stuffed into your mailbox. Every week, your supermarket advertises "loss leaders," including fruits, veggies, lean meats, and fish. Their hope is to lure you into the store with these bargains that they don't make so much money on and tempt you to buy extra high-profit stuff while you're there. But if you stick to your list, you can fill your cart with the loss leaders and save a ton of money. Plus they'll usually be items that are in season, because these are cheaper for the store to buy. Also, signing up for your supermarket's club or rewards cards can help save you money. It's better to monitor sales and promotions rather than clipping coupons, because coupons generally apply to processed, less healthy foods, although you can sometimes find good coupons for canned and frozen produce (like the tomatoes and berries we just talked about).

4.Get to know your grocer. And your butcher, your produce manager, etc. Find out on which day produce is delivered to the store, so you get maximum freshness for your dollar. Ask the store's butcher how soon before the printed expiration date they place meat, poultry, and fish on the "buy it fast!" discount shelf. These items are still fresh enough to consume, and if you cook or freeze them as soon as you buy them, it's no different from having bought full-priced cuts and leaving them in your refrigerator for a couple of days. Only your pocketbook knows the difference!



Another tip? Many butchers will custom-grind for you at no additional charge. If a package of factory-ground turkey breast costs $6.00 a pound and a whole turkey breast costs $2.00 a pound, why not buy the whole breast and ask your butcher to grind it for you? You'll save a lot of money, and you'll actually know what went into the turkey burger you're eating.

5.Think outside the big box. Instead of always going to the big-box supermarket chains, check and see whether there are any farmers' markets and/or food co-ops in your area. The food will be fresher, cheaper, and hopefully not as coated with pesticides, waxes, or other unsavory elements. It's a good way to save money while supporting your local community's resources. Here you can get organic produce for the same price or cheaper than traditionally grown produce. It's also worth it to check out how your state defines "organic." Organic food is great, but if you're trying to save money, traditionally grown food isn't any less nutritious than organic; it may just need a little more scrubbing.

6.Start your own farm. If you have a yard, start your own vegetable and/or herb garden. With a little online research, you can find out what grows well and easily in your neck of the woods. And if you're an apartment dweller like me, you can get a lot out of a container garden. I have big pots on my balcony that keep me in tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs all summer long. And if you don't have a balcony, you can grow small pots of herbs in your kitchen—decorative, tasty, and economical!

7.Plan ahead. Take some time on Sunday to plan out your menu for the week for all your meals and snacks. Find out what's in season and on sale in your area. If you can only make one shopping trip for the week, front-load your menu with fresh ingredients and stock up on canned and frozen items for the latter half of the week. One of the areas where my budget always falls apart is not having either some kind of plan or the ingredients I'll need to make dinner; I end up grabbing takeout or having food delivered—either of which can tend to be unhealthy and expensive. Just by planning ahead and not wasting money on spur-of-the-moment restaurant meals, you might find you have a lot more money to spend at the grocery store, which means you won't have to cut as many corners for the meals you prepare.

8.Tap into tap water . . . not your wallet. Instead of spending big money on bottled water, try switching to tap water, which is subject to a lot more regulations than bottled water and isn't shipped in from Fiji or Norway, making it good both for your health and for helping to reduce your carbon footprint. And it's practically free! Plus it's a lot better for your waistline and your wallet than multiple trips to the soda machine. If you're concerned about impurities or don't like the taste of your local tap water, consider getting a simple, relatively inexpensive filtration system—one that either attaches to the tap itself or is located in a separate pitcher. Ounce for ounce, it'll still be cheaper than bottled, and just as good for you.

9.Take your vitamins. Here's the easiest, most economical way to help ensure that you meet your basic nutritional needs: Take a good multivitamin and fish oil supplement. They'll help you get many if not all of the same nutrients you'd get from whole-food sources (often without spending nearly as much money)—and fish oil supplements are especially good for those who don't care for fish.

*Don't confuse "nutrient-dense" foods with "high-density" foods, which is a common term for "energy-dense" foods. High-density foods aren't always unhealthy but your diet should consist of mainly "low-density" foods which have few calories per volume, generally due to the presence of fiber. Foods in their natural state tend to be low volume. Processed foods tend to be high volume.