The Ultimate Fall Dinner & A Tone It Up Treat

***Drum roll please***

I present to you the...

ULTIMATE FALL DINNER! 

So how did this amazing dinner combination come about... let me give a HUGE thanks to my husband, Sam, who loves to cook (more than I do at least).  Well, it was the Friday of my first full week of work, and I wasn't able to work out very much that week because I getting used to the new schedule.  I came home, and I was craving a heat yoga class at Indigo Yoga (if you ever want to join me, just say the word!) .  I wanted Sam to go with me to try it for the first time, but he said he was going to be busy.  I was confused... it's Friday... what else are you doing?! I thought we were going to yoga and out to dinner??  Then I looked on the dining room table at this new fall centerpiece that definitely was not there when I left... then I saw grocery bags on the counter.  Looks like someone had a dinner planned!  Sam wanted us to have a night in to catch up on life because we barely see each other nowadays since he has night class.  So he planned the following menu:  

An Explosion of Fall Flavors

Spinach Salad with Homemade Spiced Pecans and an Oktoberfest Vinaigrette 

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Chili Soup in Pumpkin Bowls

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

I convinced Sam to come to yoga with me (which was A-MAZING as always), and when we came back he immediately got into the kitchen and would not let me go in at all.  So I waited while the apartment gradually overflowed with the smell of a fall feast.

Dinner was served!  Ta-dah! 

And the dinner tasted even better than it smelled!  

The salad had the perfect combination of flavors with the spiced pecans that have a hint of cayenne pepper and the fall beer dressing.  I enjoyed leftover soup and salad for the next few days, and since then, we have made the salad again and tried the vinaigrette with a different fall beer... it's still delicious.

The soup in the pumpkin bowls was out of this world, especially since the inside of the pumpkin bowl is really soft so you can scrape off the pumpkin and mix it in with your soup like you would if you crumbed cornbread into your stew... or you can just save it for the end like you do a bread bowl

.  

Oh my goodness... the ice cream was like a cold, ice cream version of a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it was really good with some of the spiced pecans on top.  

Here is the centerpiece I was talking about earlier.  The lilies were there when I left, but the bowl of seasonal veggies was not there when left.  Check out those lilies bloom!  They make the apartment smell so clean and fresh.

So I know what you are wondering now... where can I get these recipes!?!?

Sweet & Spicy Pecans ~ MindBodyGreen

Oktoberfest Vinaigrette ~ Adapted from FoodandWine.com

1. 1/2 cup fall flavored beer, such as Sam Adam's Oktoberfest (during Christmas time you can use a Winter Lager!)
2. 2 shallots, finely chopped
3. 2 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries, coarsely chopped
4. 1 tablespoon honey
5.   2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar
6. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7. 1/2 cup canola oil
8. DIRECTIONS
9. In a small saucepan, combine the beer with the shallots, dried cherries and honey and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beer has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard. Whisk in the beer reduction, then gradually whisk in the canola oil. Season the cherry beer vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
10. 
    

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Soup in Pumpkin Bowls ~ Oh She Glows 

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream ~ Vegan Ice Cream Paradise 

Okay, now for my second topic, and most exciting topic!!

A TONE IT UP TREAT

Tone It Up's BIGGEST Promotion Yet!
(Promotion through this Friday Only!)

Words just can't describe how awesome this promotion is so I won't bother with them... instead you just have to watch their Video!  Check it out here on Tone It Up TV! 

If you want to read my review of the Tone It Up Diet Plan (it's more of a lifestyle than a diet plan!), then go here!  If you know that you want to purchase the plan right now... then go here to buy the plan!

They also mentioned the TONE IT UP COMMUNITY!  It's the greatest thing! It's like a Tone It Up Facebook!  You can create your profile, add pics, video, a blog, and so much more.  You don't have to be on the plan to join the community... it's for anyone interested in staying fit, healthy, and happy!  Join today, create your profile, and friend request me!  You can find me under my Twitter name, HealthandHappi.

So here's to keeping it healthy as the weather cools off and you enjoy the fall flavors and to keeping it fit with Tone It Up!  I have other exciting things to share with you in my next post... like my new favorite organic sunless tanning lotion and a chickpea "tuna" salad similar to the chickpea "chicken" salad in my previous post.  So get excited and stay tuned!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami

Question of the Day:  What are some of your favorite fall recipes?? What keeps you motivated? Things like joining the Tone It Up Community and being able to talk to people in similar situations or with the similar goals? 

Chickpeas & Changes

Hello Friends! 

Wheww... It's been quite a couple of weeks for me.  I FINALLY finished the CPA exam process, celebrated that, started my career as an auditor, got the 72 hour stomach flu (on my first day of work- horrible timing), and I spent this past weekend recovering.  So needless to say, my life has kind of turned upside down as I adjust to the working world after being in school for the past 18 years of my life (I'm starting that 18 year count at kindergarten).  And the other half of my family.... Well, Sam is crazy busy with his second year of law school, and Major has a new dog walker to let him out during the day.... So talk about Changes!

I also have a newfound chickpea recipe to share with you that I absolutely love because it's so delicious and easy.

Soooo considering all of that, I just had to title this post... "Chickpeas & Changes."

So now that I am a part of the corporate world working in an office and being surrounded by free donuts on Fridays (I have a huge sweet tooth by the way) and team lunches, I know it's going to be much more difficult to keep it healthy. So here some of my thoughts on how I'm going to keep it healthy...

1.  Work out in the mornings.  That means I'm at the gym around 5am.  If you do it in the morning, then you don't even give yourself a chance to make up an excuse not to do it after work.  Plus, you are more awake and more productive during the day, AND you make better food choices.

2.  Continue having my Vega Sport Performance Protein and Boku Superfood smoothie for breakfast.  I like the Vega Vanilla Protein with almond milk, frozen blueberries and goji berries, half a banana, and a handful of ice. I love the Vega Protein Powder because  it has 5,000 mg of BCAA's (branch chain amino acids) and glutamine which support muscle cell repair, exercise performance, reduces soreness, and more.  It also has digestive enzymes which aid in digestion. And I talked about why I loved the Boku Superfood in this post.

The smoothie is green because of the superfood and it 

didn't have blueberries, otherwise it's a more purple color.  Go frogs! 

3.  Make and take healthy snacks to work.  This way you are not tempted by the unhealthy snacks lingering around the office. I will probably take fruit and snacks from my list of Traveling Snacks, and I hope to make some healthy snacks like the granola that I've talked about and maybe some healthy cookies too!

4.  Take my lunch and NOT eat out every day.  I love eating out because it gives you a chance to get out of the office and get to know your co-workers a little better, BUT it can do a number on your health and bank account.  But you can still make your lunch and find a place outside or go to a Barnes & Noble that  has a Starbucks and pick up a magazine and enjoy your lunch that you made.  I like being in control of what goes into my meals and the only way you can do this is if you make your own lunch.  I usually put my snacks and lunch together the night before so if I'm running late in the morning, I still have a healthy lunch.   And this is where my new favorite chickpea recipe comes in!!

Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

2 celery stocks

2 scallions (green onions)

2 Tbsp Veganaise (or Mayo)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 

Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp white vinegar (optional)

Dash Paprika (optional, but it's yummy)

Directions: Roughly chop the celery and scallions.  Put everything in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes the consistency of chicken salad.

You can put the chickpea salad on a sandwich (with Ezekiel bread) or in a wrap (I like spelt tortillas) with avocado, tomato, and lettuce, or enjoy on top of a bed of greens with salad dressing (I prefer Amy's Honey Mustard Lite Dressing.)  By the way, spelt is better for those who have a gluten intolerance.  I don't have one, but sometimes I just want something a little lighter than whole wheat.  This is a great lunch idea! If you decide to take the salad, just put the dressing in another smaller tupperware and add it on right before you enjoy so the salad greens don't get soggy.

5.  Force myself to take time to unwind.  I'm not the best at slowing down.  If I have things to do, I want to get them done right then.  My body does not like stress and if I get too stressed or if I overwork myself without giving myself time to relax, my health takes a hit.  Which is why I think I got the stomach flu.  I had been stressed all summer about the CPA and I finally finished that, and then a few days later, I started the new job. All of that added up and just hit my body... in a bad way... at a bad time.  So I learned the hard way that sometimes you just have to STOP.  Your "to-do" list will still be there when you get back.  My "me time" is usually during my workout, but I also need to give myself more relaxing "me time."

Speaking of unwinding, I took this peaceful picture while I was in my car the other day.  

Not the safest thing in the world, but, I will say, my car was stopped while I took the pic.  

Makes me happy.

These are just a few thoughts that I have for keeping it healthy in the corporate world, but I'm sure I will have many more to come.  And as I find things that work for me, I will be sure to let you know.

On another note, I'm sad to say that my post frequency is going to take a hit, which makes me so sad!!  I'm probably looking at once every week and a half or two weeks.  I'm working at a computer all day so it's tough to come home and look at a computer.  My eyes just crave a break.  BUT I want you to know that I still am thinking about you, and I still want to share all my healthy and happy tips with you.  When I think of things that I want to blog about, I write them down.  I keep a list.  And I'm still going to share everything that I write on this list with you...just less frequently.  SO to sum it up, you will still get all of the info that I want to share, it will just come over a longer period of time.  Yes, this makes me sad because if I could blog to you every day, I would. :)

Well, that is it for me.  I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing fall weather.  Perfect weather for getting outside and getting active! I plan on making this recipe for pumpkin cookies that I recently found.  If they are a success, I will definitely share the recipe with you.  Until next time... Have a great week!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami

Question of the Day: How do you stay healthy in the working world? 

Try Something New

"Everyone has a 'risk muscle.'  You keep it in shape by trying new things.  If you don't, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day." 

~Roger Von Oech

I'm a fan of trying new things... new food, new movies, new music, new workout routines, etc.  You never know if you are going to like something until you give it a try.  So in the spirit of being adventurous, I wanted to tell you about a few new things that I have tried lately.

TEA TIME 

In the evening, about an hour or so before bed after my dinner has settled and right when I'm starting to crave something sweet, I have a cup of tea.  I just realized... does that make me sound old?? Oh well, I like it, and it works. :)

It's so soothing, and I know I will love it even more as it starts to get cold outside.  It just warms your belly and makes you sleep like a baby! And a bonus... it totally kicks any sugar craving you have.  If you still want something a little sweet, you can add a dash of milk (I prefer almond milk) and agave nectar or honey to your tea.

As a result of this new thing, I just had to organize the tea drawer. Check out some of the teas!

Aveda's Comforting Tea is one of my favorites.  Yes, Aveda the salon, and where I get my hair done.  I know you wouldn't think to get tea there, but they actually have a lot of really good organic products and their tea is one of my many favs!  The tea is 100% organic and you can buy it loose leaves or in tea bags.  It has a hint of licorice flavor.

FOAM ROLLER

Another new thing, is my love for the foam roller!  I finally bought my own foam roller to have at home. My muscles are always craving a good massage to release the tension, BUT I am definitely not going to pay for a massage once a week... which is why spent $15 to get a foam roller!  I should just call it my masseuse from here on out.  It's my on-call 24-7 masseuse... how nice is that! This video shows you the great ways you can release tension using the foam roller.  It really is like a deep tissue massage.  

When I was trying to find an instructional video, this was the first one I clicked on... and you will not believe who is in it... Katrina from Tone It Up!  It's from 2007, so it was before her Tone It Up days.  She goes through all of my favorite positions with the foam roller.  And speaking of Tone It Up... have you checked out the Tone It Up Fat Burning System yet?? I have been incorporating a lot of things from the plan into my lifestyle, and I'm loving the results.  

SUNBUTTER

For the first time, last week I tried SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER!  Oh wow.  I never thought to look for sunflower seed butter instead of just your regular peanut or almond butter, but I have seen it mentioned a few times on other blogs so I had to give it a whirl.  And I'm glad I did! It's superb!  On toast, by itself, on top of a rice cake with honey, or my favorite... with a banana.  Sunflower seeds are loaded with benefits so I definitely recommend adding this one to your repertoire of nut butters.  But, as with any nut butter, 1-2 Tbsp is an appropriate serving.  It has good fats that your body needs, but it is still fat, so don't go crazy.  Here is the brand that I found near all of the other nut butters at Central Market.

WORKOUT SHOES

My new workout shoes! I wanted something that wasn't very constricting on my feet.  The whole "running barefoot" movement with the Vibrams has taken off, but I just can't go there yet.  I have read about a lot of injuries from people doing too much too fast with those shoes.  But I do believe, that a less constricting shoe (a shoe that provides you with free movement) helps to build the muscles in the foot.  After suffering from an ankle injury and surgery a few years ago from playing basketball, I am still trying to rebuild those muscles in my feet.   So I opted for the Nike Free Hyper TR.  So far, I love them!

CROSSFIT

With my full-time auditing career about to begin in 7 days (still cannot believe that!), I had to re-evaluate my workout routine.  It needed to be fast, but effective.  I wanted my to get my heart rate up but also build muscle too.  So this week, Sam and I started CrossFit.  What is CrossFit?  

I have only done 2 workouts so far, and I love it.  I'm so sore today after yesterday's workout, which was 30 clean and jerks as fast as you can.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but wheww... I was sweating and my muscles were dead afterwards.  It only took about 45 mins with the warmup, workout, and a little extra abs.  Exactly what I was looking for!  There are many CrossFit websites that will give you a WOD (workout of the day), which tells you what to do that day.  If you can find a CrossFit gym in your area, that is what I recommend.  I would liked to have joined one of the CrossFit gyms nearby, but the times just didn't work out my work schedule.  So we just do the workouts at LA Fitness early in the morning, and sometimes we have to adjust the exercises if we don't have the proper equipment.  But, the CrossFit main website is really helpful in that it provides you with substitutions if you don't have the necessary equipment.  I'm really excited to see the results from CrossFit, so I will keep you updated!  I have to show you this other CrossFit video too... it's really motivating.

That's all I have for today!  I know it's been a while since my last post, but guess what... my LAST CPA exam is THIS Friday!  Ahhh, I thought it would never get here.  Let's just hope it goes as well as all of the others.  So you probably won't hear from me again until after that.  In the meantime, have a great week and if you're feeling up to it... try something new, you never know what might come of it. 

With Love, Health, and Happiness, 

Cami

*** One last thing!  Remember my post about Healthy Living Blogs, which is basically a directory for healthy blogs all over the world. Well, they just started a segment called "Friday Features" where they feature a few of their blog members.  AND I was one of them!  They asked me several questions you might be wondering, like how did I come up with the title of my blog, what is something "shocking" about me, and more.  Go here to check out my interview with Healthy Living Blogs. It was very exciting to be featured on such a great website.  Thanks Healthy Living Blogs!  

A Jumble of Healthy & Happy Thoughts/Tips

Good morning!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I mentioned in my last post that I have a few stories/ lessons to share with you from my weekend in Boston, MA.  So let's just cut to the chase shall we... but a couple pics from the trip first...

I made a new friend.  :)

Our view overlooking the bay.  So pretty! Just begging to be run on. 

Me and Sam!  Yes, my shirt says "made with love"... like this blog! 

 Now onto LESSONS FROM THE TRIP!

1.  A great way to explore a new city is to run/ walk through it for your morning exercise!  


Our hotel was right along the Boston shoreline so what better way to check out everything along the pier than to just run all around it.  We ran Saturday morning, and we had a Texas size Boston dinner the night before, but that wasn't stopping me from getting in some morning exercise and sharing it with my Mom & Dad.

We stopped for a photo op before the run... I promise we got sweaty. 

My Mom with a glamorous finish! 

2.  You have to live life.  Allow yourself to experience the culture's cuisine (even if it's not on your diet).

Speaking of our Texas size dinner on Friday night... we went to this teeny tiny authentic Italian restaurant.  I kept it vegan for my main course which was spaghetti with marinara and grilled veggies but I did enjoy some seafood for the appetizer.  Sam indulged and ordered a whole grilled lobster.  I wish I would have taken a pic of that thing, it was huge.  For dessert, I allowed myself to enjoy what is apparently a Boston classic called Mike's Pastry.  Oh my gosh, so worth it.  You have to see some pictures of these pastries... out of control. Keep in mind we had several desserts from which I took a couple sample bites of each... these aren't all mine, haha.

There was a line out the door!

Holy Cannoli!  That bite you see in the pic... that was mine. :-)

Not your ordinary lobster tail.  Pastry filled with fluffy creamy goodness. 

Now that you are probably drooling, back to lesson #2.  During the weekend, I also indulged with a few bites of New England clam chowder and some fried calamari.  But, my favorite thing by far was... the lobster roll that I mentioned in my last post. Apparently, the lobster roll is a New England thing, and it's good thing I don't live there b/c I don't think you could keep me from eating it.

To sum it up, you can still experience the culture without having to feel miserable at the same time.  Just be aware of your portions and what you are eating.  I tried only a bite of a couple different pastries, I split the lobster roll with my mom, I didn't eat the whole bowl of New England clam chowder (only a few slurps), and I had probably a handful of calamari.  During breakfast and lunch, I kept it vegan with a bar from home or a banana and peanut butter, and I always had my stock pile of snacks on hand.

My Traveling Snacks

A sweet trail mix (sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds & dried berries)

A salty trail mix from Costo (rice crackers w/ nuts) mentioned in this post 

Vega Whole Food Energy Bars & Vega Whole Food Vibrancy Bars 

Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion To-go Packets
Packages of Plain Instant Oats (you can always find hot water somewhere) 

Single Serving Nut Butter Packets

Pop Chips

Gluten Free Pretzels 

Clif Bars

The nut butter packets are my life saver! There are 8 different flavors.  You can get classic peanut or almond butter.  Or you can go crazy, like me, and get honey almond, maple almond, non-dairy chocolate almond, hazelnut, or peanut butter! One of these little packets and a banana and I'm good to go! Thankfully, you can find bananas at most hotel continental breakfast or a Starbucks.  With the packages of oats, you can just let them soak in hot water for a few minutes.  You can find hot water on the plane, in your hotel room if it has a coffee pot, or at the continental breakfasts.  Then you can top your oats with some sweet trail mix and maybe mix in a little peanut butter for some flavor... there you go! 

3.  Bad sugars really are addicting. 

Even though I allowed myself to enjoy the pastries and some wedding cake and maybe a couple other sweets that I wouldn't normally eat at home, I still paid the price.  I'm not talking about gaining weight or anything like that, I'm talking about the relapse of my sugar addiction.  I LOVE sweets.  But after going cutting out refined, processed, unnatural sugars over 7 months ago.... my sugar cravings were practically gone.  I could look at luscious dessert and not even crave a bite and if I did take a bite, then I just needed one or two and then the craving was gone.  But after just these few days of eating processed sugars, my craving was back and I brought it home with me, and now I'm trying to detox my body of all those addicting sugars.  I don't regret trying the sweets at all.  It's just that this weekend proved to me that bad sugars really are addicting.  If you are curious about the effects certain types of sugar have on our body and if you want to know the difference between a "good" and a "bad" sugar, then check out one of my first blog posts... Sugar Isn't So Sweet.

4.  Don't stress about not being able to work out for a day or two.

I have to remind myself of this one a lot when I'm traveling or when things just get really busy.  Working out is one of the best stress relievers.  However, if it stresses you out trying to figure out when and where you can work out while you are traveling, or if you get even more stressed trying to squeeze a workout into a busy day... then you are just defeating the purpose.  You should be relieving stress with your work outs, not causing stress.  So just allow yourself to miss a day of exercise and relax.  Just try to be more conscious of what you eat during that day (watch your carb, sugar, and fat intake) and push yourself extra hard during your next work out. 

So those are just some things I thought about while on my trip that I wanted to share with you.  

In other exciting news, I must share with you one of my new favorite things... CHEESY OATS!  Sam ate these 2 days in a row last week.  They taste like creamy mac n' cheese and only take 15 mins to make!  You can have them plain or put fun toppings on them like salsa, avocado, veggie burger, chips, etc. Check out the recipe and topping ideas at Oh She Glows.   

Not the best pic in the world, but I wanted to show you how cheesy they look! 

And one last health tip for you before I go...

[source]

High-Fructose Corn Syrup might be rebranded as "Corn Sugar." Makers of HFCS are currently working with the FDA to allow the name change.  I'm not sure when or if this will actually be allowed by the FDA, but just in case, watch out for "Corn Sugar" and "High Fructose Corn Syrup" when reading food labels. For a little more information check out this article at MindBodyGreen.

Things are picking up for me as my LAST CPA exam gets closer, only a couple more weeks.  I haven't been able to post as often as I would like, but my goal is at least once a week so hang in there with me!

Have a great day!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,

Cami

Thought of the Day: Try something new for your cardio session this week.  I did basketball court suicides yesterday for my cardio.  I haven't done those since high school!  It definitely got the the heart rate up and a sweat going.  What do you like to do for cardio?

Healthy Living Blogs & A Healthy Tip

I have to tell you about this amazing resource! Healthy Living Blogs is a website that provides you with a list of blogs from all over the word that promote healthy living.  

So what kinds of blogs can be a part of the website?  Any blog that focuses on health! So whether you are a blog reader or a healthy living blogger you can benefit from this site!  Blog readers... you can easily find healthy living blogs in your city or any city that interests you.  Healthy living bloggers... add your blog to the list simply by following these few steps to become a HLB Member.

My blog was just added to HLB (check it out!), and I am so excited to be a part of this great website!  I have really enjoyed searching around the site.  I have found so many other amazing healthy living blogs to follow, and I hope that you can find other blogs that interest you.  There are so many bloggers out there that can provide you with healthy recipes, exercise tips, inspiration, and much more!

On another note, how was your Labor Day Weekend??  Did you do something active and fun?!  I can't believe summer is almost over, but I'm excited to pull out my fall wardrobe with scarves and sweaters and start enjoying some of those yummy fall foods!  As you know, I was in Boston, MA for Sam's sister's wedding this weekend (Congrats Sarah!).  It was such a great weekend, and I have a couple little stories/lessons from the weekend to share with you in my next post.  So stay tuned!  Here's a little teaser...

Let me introduce you to... the lobster roll... I ate it, and I loved it.

[source]

I was writing this post while watching Jackie Warner's new show on Bravo, Thintervention.  It's one of my new favorite shows!  I definitely recommend adding this to your list of "shows to TiVo."

[source]

So while watching this show and writing this post, Jackie reminded me of a great health tip that I must share with you!

Add a dash of lemon juice to your water.

It's that simple!  By doing this you will burn 

75-100 more calories a day since it speeds up your metabolism, helps detoxify 

your liver, and aids in digestion. If you have morning tea or coffee, instead opt for 

hot water + lemon juice. 

So to wrap it up... check out Healthy Living Blogs, try adding lemon juice to your water, and tune in to my next post!

Happy belated Labor Day!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami

It's a Protein Party!!

[source]

You are cordially invited to A PROTEIN PARTY!!
When: Now
Where: Right here!
Why: Because I want to fill you in on my discovery of my favorite protein powders, for now, until I discover more of course.

So the last time I talked about protein was way back in May when this whole blog was just getting started, and I talked about The Protein Myth.  (Warning: That blog post was before I learned how to make blog posts pretty, and I have to admit it's a little boring, but informative!)  I promise to spice this post up a bit for you!

[source]

So I have been really into protein smoothies lately, specifically for breakfast.  It's a great energy booster for the day.  Sam and I are working on getting to the gym around 5am (yikes I know!) because that is what time I will have to be there to get a good workout in before work, which starts October 6th... ahh!  We have yet to be at the gym at 5am, but we are gradually working towards it!  Anyway, I wake up and go, and I might eat a handful of almonds on my way.  But after the morning workout, I'm hungry, and I need some good fuel for the day.  So the protein smoothie is the perfect thing!

I have tried so many protein powders, and I'm really picky about the taste, texture, solubility, etc.  BUT I have finally found the winners of my search for delicious and effective protein powders!  So I must share them with you! Here we go...

1.  Boku Super Protein & Boku Super Food 

Tone It Up introduced me to Boku, and I'm so glad they did!  Boku is a great company that uses very high-quality organic ingredients in their products.  The Boku Super Protein is a raw sprouted brown rice protein.  "Raw" and "sprouted" are both really good things because that means that the product hasn't been cooked enough to destroy many of the nutritional enzymes, and sprouting actually enhances the nutritional power of the grain and benefits the digestive tract. So to put it simply, "raw" and "sprouted" means more nutrition for you!  Side note: This is a big reason why I love Ezekiel products!  


Now, let's talk about the Boku Super Food.  So what exactly is a super food?

Fancy Definition of Superfood: "a natural food regarded as especially beneficial because of its nutrient profile or its health-protecting qualities"  (According to the Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English) [source]


Not-So-Fancy Definition of Superfood: "Imagine a superfood -- not a drug -- powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. Did we mention that there are no side effects? You'd surely stock up on a lifetime supply."  (WebMD) [source]

Basically, superfoods are really good for you, and by putting a scoop of Boku Super Food in your smoothie (or just shaking it with milk, juice, or water), you easily get your daily dose of superfood!  Now, that's a lot easier than going out and separately buying all of the superfoods and trying to consume them in a day.

Okay finally... So what's in my smoothie??

1 scoop Boku Super Protein
1 heaping scoop Boku Super Food
1/2 banana
1/4 cup blueberries
Handful of ice cubes
Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened Almond Milk - I just eyeball this, but it's usually enough milk until it covers most of the ingredients in the blender.


If I'm really hungry, I throw in 1 Tbsp peanut butter, which makes this smoothie more like a meal.  Without the peanut butter, this smoothie is around 290 calories.  With the peanut butter around 390 calories.

If I opted for another breakfast option like oatmeal or granola and missed out on my smoothie in the morning, then I will either have this smoothie for lunch with the peanut butter, or as a snack without the peanut butter.  But, you can also just shake a scoop of protein powder and super food in water or juice as a perfect snack, and that way you are still getting your superfood and healthy protein for the day, but it's not as filling as the entire smoothie.  Plus, at work you don't usually have the ability to whip up a smoothie in a blender for your afternoon snack.  So this way, you can just take a bottle and shake up your snack!

You can also make Tone It Up Protein Pancakes with the Boku Super Protein... they are so good and good for you!  You can enjoy these pancakes on the Tone It Up Fat Burning System too!

Protein Pancakes from Tone It Up 

You can order Boku products online and join the Boku Bucks Program so that you can earn rewards as you buy more protein.

So there is protein powder option number one!  Next up...

2.  TRUEProtein Vanilla & Chocolate Pea Protein 

I know I know, right now you might be saying to yourself... PEA protein??? As in the peas that roll around all over your plate and are impossible to eat with a fork??  Yes! Well, kind of... It is made from the vegetable that you are thinking of, the pea, but there are many different types of peas.  It's called Pea Protein Isolate because they isolate the protein.  Here is their web site's description...

"Gemma Protein Isolate Powder is extremely high in Leucine, Arginine, and Glutamine, along with a balanced amino profile. It is clean tasting for a Pea Protein, and mixes extremely smoothly with a lighter texture than Whey powders.  Gemma Protein Isolate is derived and isolated from peas and its natural protein fraction, which possesses a low level of denaturing and is very soluable (mixes very well).  Gemma is NON-GMO, low allergenic and gluten free.  As dairy prices continue to rise, vegetable-based products like the new Gemma Protein will begin to change the protein industry."

Although this product's ingredients isn't as "red carpet worthy" as Boku's, it still provides the protein benefits.  Since I am vegan about 98% of the time and I exercise 6 days a week, I need to make sure I am getting enough protein, and good sources of protein.  I really like the Boku Super Protein because of its quality ingredients, but it is a little pricey for now ($35 for 30oz, 20 servings).  Since Sam and I are both into the protein smoothies and protein pancakes, then that would be like $70+ a month for the both of us if we just used the Boku Super Protein.  With Sam in law school and me about to start work... we had find another protein alternative to add to our protein repertoire.

I really like the taste of True Protein's Pea Protein.  It blends really well in a smoothie and just shaken in water or milk.  It's really creamy.  I order the "NATURAL Premium" Chocolate and Vanilla Flavors.  The Premium Flavors are pre-sweetened with Stevia (a natural low-calorie sweetener derived from the stevia plant).  

And you will NOT believe how much it costs! TRUEProtein doesn't advertise and relies on word of mouth.  Also, TRUEProtein doesn't use any fancy packaging, labels, etc.  Ultimately, this keeps their costs WAY down.  If you order 1 lb. of a flavor I just mentioned in the free food grade bag it costs a whopping total of $6.09.  Or you can go crazy and order the protein in the plastic jug with a scoop for an extra 75 cents! Even at this affordable price, it's still great quality!  It's gluten free and non-genetically modified.  I just trade off between the two proteins.  Monday I will have Boku and Tuesday TrueProtein, and so on. 

This is my favorite smoothie to make with this protein, it tastes like a creamy banana peanut butter shake!

1 scoop of Chocolate or Vanilla Protein

1 scoop of superfood

1/2 banana

1 Tbsp peanut butter

Handful Ice cubes

Enough Almond Milk to cover.

This smoothie is around 360 calories.  Also, this vanilla powder shaken with orange juice and some ice cubes is really good too!  And quick!


Okay, and last but definitely not least... 

3.  Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion

You can buy this in the jug or in individual, single serving packets.  I have found it at Central Market and Whole Foods.  I really love the chocolate flavor of this, it's a delicious silky flavor and texture.  It has BOTH protein and superfood all in one!  It has a little less than half of the protein than the previous products, 10 grams per serving. I haven't tried this just shaken in water, but it says that you can do that.  Here is my Amazing Meal smoothie...

1 packet (or scoop) of Amazing Meal

1/2 banana

1/4 cup berries (I like blueberries)  

Almond Milk 

Yum!! You can also get creative with this and add it to Overnight Oats or regular oatmeal to give your oats even more of a nutritional punch.  Check out this yummy recipe...

Chocolate Protein Vegan Overnight Oats (VOO)

from Oh She Glows  

1/3 cup oats

1 Tbsp chia seeds or ground flax seed

2 Tbsp Amazing Grass Chocolate Powder

1 cup almond milk

1 chopped banana

Optional Toppings: Unsweetened Coconut or 1 tbsp nut butter

Directions:  Mix the oats chia (or flax) seeds, and chocolate powder in a small bowl with a whisk.  Pour in milk and whisk until clumps are gone.  Place in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.  Add chopped banana.

*** For all of the smoothie recipes, you can substitute water for milk if you want a lighter smoothie, and you will probably need a little less water than milk.  That will reduce the calorie count by around 60-70 calories if that is something you are watching.  

So there you have it! My grand list of protein powders!  I am sure I will eventually discover more that I like, and if I do, then I will keep you up to date... but for now, I'm enjoying all of these!  

I hope you had a great weekend!  This weekend I tried a new restaurant and split a PB&J Monte Cristo for dessert... oh my gosh there are no words to describe the tastiness of this dessert.  It was fat free of course (just kidding!), but sometimes you just have to treat yourself, or else you will go crazy! 

I am headed out of town for the weekend for Sam's Sister's wedding (Congrats Sarah!), so you probably won't hear from me again until next week.  In the meantime, have a super week... summer will be gone before you know it, so get outside, move around, and just enjoy life!  Happy Monday! 

With Love, Health, and Happiness,

Cami

Question of the Day: Do you have any protein powders, meal supplements, bars, etc. that you enjoy?? If so, I would love to hear about it so leave a comment!