Tag Archives: protein powder

WHAT’S IN MY SWANSON VITAMIN box?

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I got my SwansonVitamins.com order today!!!  
Let’s take a look at my goodies…

First, I was so happy to see that these powered probiotics were BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!!!  They are still running this sale, so go now and order HERE!!!   2 for $9.99…  YOU CAN’T BEAT THAT!  This fall I started adding this to my kids smoothies and juice.  They didn’t even know it was in there, and they were getting 
  • Needed support for the kid’s GI and immune function development 
  • 3 billion viable organisms in each serving
  • No added sugar and flavor free 
 
This is a protein supplement I add to smoothies or just mix with water.  
It taste really good and check this out…
  • It’s a hormone-free high-protein nutrition with Aminogen plant enzymes!
  • It boosts overall health and supports lean muscle development 🙂
I have never had frankincense essential oil and I thought this is the perfect season to try it!  Frankincense has a long history dating back thousands of years and has proven to have antiseptic and inflammatory properties.  It was considered an effective remedy for toothaches to leprosy (history.com)
Frankincense was valued greater than gold during ancient times and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed it. It is mentioned in one of the oldest known medical records, dating from the 16th century BC – an ancient Egyptian list of 877 prescriptions and recipes.  Man that’s a lot. 

“They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.  Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.  Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11  The Message

Frankincense was used to anoint new born sons of kings and priests… and it was brought as a gift to the new born baby Jesus.  For the purpose of anointing their king and/or a great first aid to stick in her diaper bag, I know Mary was thankful for this gift!

I’m not sure yet how we will use it, but I will apply it to Christmas day somehow.  Any ideas?  Let me know in the comments below! 
And these are the new products we are trying!
I’ll let you know how I like them 🙂
A few other products I bought:
  • Organic Chia Seeds
  • Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap
  • Jasmine Absolute essential oil
  • Peppermint essential oil – we love this in our homemade toothpaste recipe HERE
  • Texas Cedarwood essential oil… WHAT???  This is a new one for me… and being from Texas, I’m super pumped about it!!!
  • A Beauty Drink Mix with verisol – For me 🙂
  • Policosanol… heart health – Jeremy’s
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid… antioxidant protection, powerful free-radical fighter – Jeremy’s
  • Aged Black Garlic…the benefits of garlic without the stinky breath!
If you have never shopped at Swansons before, you will get a $5 coupon if you click on the links on this post!  It’s a refer a friend program.. and you are my friends… and I absolutely recommend you shop there!!!  Best Prices 🙂
 
 
In a few weeks I will do a HEALTHY KIDS supplement giveaway here on the blog!  Sign up to receive emails so you don’t miss it. 

Smoothie Shopping List

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I realized today when I was shopping at Trader Joe’s that I have a mental smoothie shopping list that I use.  I keep foods from this list in my kitchen so that my family can have a variety of smoothie options available to them.  So I’ve decided to put MY list down on “paper” and share it with you!  With smoothies, I encourage you to be creative!   Some are better than others, but soon you will find combinations you LOVE!  This happens to be my list, so feel free to add other foods to your list.


FRUITS 
bananas
apples
oranges
strawberries
rasberries
blueberries
blackberries
pineapple
mango
papaya
kiwi
dates
*If possible, choose ORGANIC and SEASONAL fruit.  If not, consider frozen fruit.  Also remember that fruit has a lot of sugar, so go easy and leave room for your green friends I list next!
 
GREENS
kale
spinach
parsley
cucumber
 
PROTEIN SOURCE
high quality time-release chocolate protein powder 
organic greek plain yogurt
almond butter
oatmeal
 
LIQUID
water
almond milk (we don’t have much dairy around here)
orange juice
coconut milk/water
and yes, coffee and herbal tea
 
EXTRA GOODIES
coconut oil – click HERE to check out the best coconut oil!  If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you!
honey
bee pollen
flax seeds
hemp seeds
spirulina
mint leaves
cinnamon
ginger
agave nectar
stevia
 



WHY I’M A FAN OF SMOOTHIES:

  1. Blending food takes care of the first step in digestion: chewing!  Food breaks down faster in the stomach.  It’s like a mini-vacation for your digestive system 🙂
  2. Smoothies offer a chance to “eat” food you usually wouldn’t eat.  For instance, I dislike Kale… a lot!  I’ve tried it different ways, it’s just gross to me.  One day I got brave and put a small amount in a smoothie.  Surprisingly I didn’t hate it!  In fact, I kinda liked it.  Slowly I began adding more and more kale.  Now I’m to the point where I crave it.  Yes, I’ve gone there!
  3. Smoothies offer a chance to sneak food to your kids body that they would NEVER imagine eating!  THIS REALLY WORKS!  At first my kids had no idea what they were “eating”, but by this point, they know I put all sorts of stuff in.  Both of my kids like their smoothie different ways, and I adjust them according to their preference.
  4. They are easy.
  5. They are fast.
  6. They are yum.
These are some of my favorite smoothies:
 
 BERRY GOOD SMOOTHIE
 
 
Please share the foods you add to your smoothies!

CHOCOLATE COCONUT PROTEIN SHAKE

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This is what I had immediately following my workout today.  
High quality protein powder.
GOOD.
 
A tablespoon of 
GREAT!!!
HAPPY MOUTH.  HAPPY MUSCLES.
 
And read THIS for the coconut oil review.
 If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you!

 

PRE & POST WORKOUT NUTRITION

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 We work hard during our workout sessions, but this is only the beginning of the process in reaching our goals.  Our body works around the clock – especially while we sleep – building and repairing muscle after a workout.  I want to make sure we take FULL advantage of our workouts by feeding our body appropriate pre- and post workout foods!  Eating smart before and after the workout can give the body what it needs to burn fat, gain muscle and recover to its full potential!  
 
PRE-WORKOUT FOODS…
You want to grab a snack 30-60 minutes before your workout to provide your body with energy it needs to push through and sustain your workout.  
Here are some of my favorite pre-workout snacks from a list that Greatist.com published:
 
  • Dressed Up Oats  Load up on carbohydrates for a longer workout with ½ cup cooked steel-cut oats topped with 1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon shaved almonds.
  • Yoberries A-Go-Go For the perfect blend of carbs and protein, try 1 cup non-fat vanilla bean Greek yogurt — which often packs more protein and probiotics than regular plain yogurt — with ½ cup fresh blueberries.
  • PB Apple  For a quick carb fuel-up, slice 1 medium apple and serve with 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut or almond butter.
  • Fruit and Cottage  Top ½ cup cottage cheese — a low calorie and higher protein option — with ½ cup fresh pineapple, berries, or melon. 
  • Pre-Workout Drink  Muscle Fuel – because sometime it need to be THAT easy!
POST-WORKOUT FOODS
 After a hard workout, our muscles are hungry and we NEED to feed them right to keep our metabolism rocking.  Eat within 1 hour of your workout.  
These are post-workout snacks that I eat and love:
  • Chocolate Almond Shake 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein –  Muscle Gain Protein  – 1/2 a banana, 1 TBSP almond butter, and 1 cup of almond milk
  • Ants On A Log Spread a heap of natural peanut/almond butter over celery and top with raisins. 
  • Black Bean Omelet Four eggs whites, 1 ounce low-fat cheese, and ¼ cup canned black beans — then spice it up with a savory salsa.
  • Green Monster Smoothie Blend 4 cups spinach, ½ cup vanilla bean yogurt, 1 cup almond milk, 1 banana, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter with ice — Claudine Morgan via Iowa Girl Eats.
  • Cottage Cheese Crunch One cup fat-free cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ cup whole-grain cereal, and a dash of cinnamon does a body good.
  • Pita and Hummus One 7-inch pita with two spoonfuls of  hummus adds a little pep back to your step with quick digesting carbs.
  • Egg Scramble Veg out after a hard training session with 2-3 whole eggs scrambled with a handful of chopped onion, spinach, and bell peppers.
  • Protein Bar  Sometimes you need something to grab and go!
  • Post-Workout Recovery Drink –
  1. Helps minimize muscle soreness after strenuous activity
  2. Supplies essential components for muscle repair to optimize muscle recovery
  3. Helps maintain and restore energy supplies during and after physical activity
  4. Contains branched-chain amino acids to support muscle recovery, growth and endurance.
 
If you have any Pre-or Post-Workout Snacks that you eat… PLEASE SHARE in the comments!