Tropical Shakeology!

Tropical Shakeology Is HERE!!!!  
My shipment arrived on Saturday and I've since had a few opportunities to test it out!  I still am tweaking it to find out what recipe I like best (plus I've been out of Coconut Extract and didn't feel like driving to the store). But here's what I've tried (and liked best) so far.


Tropical Shakeology Smoothie
~ 2 cups water
~ Ice (at least one cup)
~ 1 scoop Tropical Shakeology
~ 1/2 banana
~ 3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
~ 4 frozen strawberries
Blend, blend, blend, blend, blend.....and this is what you get!

As soon as I buy some Coconut Extract, my next Shakeology meal will perhaps be:


Tropical Pina Colada
~ 2 cups water
~ 1 cup ice
~ 1 scoop Tropical Shakeology
~ 1 tsp Coconut Extract
~ 1 cup pineapple chunks (frozen or defrosted)


One more I would love to try is


Strawberry Lemonade
~ 2 cups water
~ 1 cup ice
~ 1 scoop Tropical Shakeology
~ juice from 1/2 lemon
~ 3/4 cup frozen strawberries


The tropical Shakeology is yummy, and very sweet!!!  This new flavor is 100% VEGAN and when you open the bag, it smells like fruit punch bubble gum.  The vegan protein source is raw sprouted brown rice and sacha inchi, and provides 15 g of protein per serving! Tropical Shakeology contains the same antioxidant/super-fruit blend, prebiotic and probiotic blend, digestive enzymes, the same phytonutrient/super-greens blend and adaptogen herb blend as well.  It also contains a fruit powder blend (strawberry, apple, banana, pineapple, and papaya) to give it its tropical flavor.  Tropical Shakeology provides:
Calories - 160 per serving
Protein - 15g
Fat - 1g
Sodium - 70mg
Carbohydrate - 20g
Dietary Fiber - 4g
Sugars - 10g
Cholesterol - 0   
Don't forget all of the benefits of replacing one meal a day with Shakeology.
~ Weight loss 
~ Improved digestion and regularity
~ Reduced cravings
~ More energy
~ Lowered cholesterol
~ Reduced risk for heart disease and other degenerative diseases
~ Improved mental clarity
~ Healthier skin, hair and nails
(Who doesn't want all that?!?)
Try it and see that 100% vegan nutrition is not only, DELICIOUS but truly is the healthiest meal of the day!!
~Cheers!!!

Shake Pops

SWEET TOOTH SATISFIED

True confession time:  I have a massive sweet tooth!  I love sweet treats of any kind....cupcakes, ice cream, cookies.....oh my.  But my biggest weakness?  CHOCOLATE!!!  Mmmmm, yummy!!!  Whenever I go to a restaurant and feel the need to order a dessert (chocolate or otherwise), no one better come near it.  I make it very clear to everyone around me that I do not share dessert!  If they want some, they better order their own!  When it arrives at the table, it's all mine.  Get your spitty fork away from my dessert, ya hear??  

So, with my rigorous exercise and nutrition regimen in place, and because I am working VERY hard to lose weight and be fit, there really is no room for decadent treats.  Woe is me.  Summer is my favorite time for "the bad stuff", too.  Good news, however.  I believe I may have come up with a solution to this problem.  Shake pops!!!  Recently, my awesome Beachbody Coach had mentioned that she wanted to try making Shakeology into frozen popsicles.   I decided to "borrow" the idea and give it a try.  How perfect would this be?  I decided to make one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world into a frozen dessert!

The first thing I had to do was head to the Dollar Tree and buy some popsicle molds.  These particular molds are teensy (probably only 2 ounces each pop), but they will do the trick (I'll just be able to eat more than one)!

Next, I made a blender full of Shakeology.  For this one, I did not use my usual Almond Milk, but opted for 1% milk instead (1/2 cup) - just in case my (nut allergic) child wanted to sample one.  In this case, I was willing to share.  I also used 1/2 cup of water.  For fruit, I added about 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and 1/2 cup of frozen mixed fruit (to include peaches, mango, pineapple chunks and more strawberries) as well as 1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology.

Once blended, I poured the concoction into the popsicle molds.  There was plenty left over too, so I poured the excess into an ice cube tray.  One never knows when one might need to refresh a Shakeology with a frozen Shakeology cube!

Deliciousness in the making!

Next step, is of course, putting the lids on the molds and popping them into the freezer.

So colorful!

A few hours later, the treats were ready!  I was excited.  My assessment?  It tastes a little different than a traditional Shakeology shake (not as chocolaty), plus it's a little grainy (due to the water content).  I gotta honestly say, it's not a sugary, decadent treat, but it's okay.  It isn't a fudgesicle, an ice cream or a naughty frozen dessert, but it will definitely do the trick when sweet cravings overtake me and my self-control is nowhere in sight.  The beauty of Shakeology is that it contains so many awesome ingredients, and it helps to reduce cravings.  I will definitely be tweaking this recipe until it at the utmost of perfection and I will definitely be keeping my readers posted when perfection happens!   

Give it a try and let me know how yours turns out!


~Cheers!

Drinking the Green!

Happy St. Patty's Day one and all!!!  Everyone is Irish for the day today, right?  


This morning, I believe a little leprechaun showed up at my house, whispered in my ear and told me to get in the mood to have a Greenberry Shakeology.  Let me just say, I like Greenberry, but I LOVE Chocolate more.  In my opinion, Greenberry is more of an acquired taste and not my normal "go-to" flavor; however, I do enjoy it as a change of pace every now and then.  Greenberry has a fruity (and obviously berry) flavor, and when mixed properly is very delicious.  If you can get past the fact that you're drinking something green, you're good to go.   


So today, I am raising my glass of health and deliciousness in honor of St. Patrick, the Irish, and all things green!  

Mango-Nana Greenberry

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

1 banana

1 cup water

1 cup ice (or more - to taste)

1 serving of Greenberry Shakeology

Blend for a few minutes in the blender!

Grab a glass, pour it in, and drink it!

~Don't forget your green straw!!!

Here's to a Happy Heart!

It's Valentine's Day.  Love is in the air, right?  Live, laugh, love and all that good stuff!  But, how can you live a fulfilling life, laugh a lot and love with all your heart if your heart is literally broken or on it's way to being broken? Of course, we all know that when you eat a crappy diet, or smoke, or don't exercise or all of these combined, your heart is breaking (and you are dying).....I know, sad, right?  Why are people so reluctant to do something about it?  As Americans, we're always looking for a quick, easy fix (or a pill) for what ails us.  Hard work is just, well.......too much work, right?  I say "Get off your mushy butts, America and DO SOMETHING"!!!  Here's some fantastic news for those who want better nutrition and don't know where to turn.  Shakeology  is here to save the day (or at least your dietary woes)!!  What's Shakeology, you ask?  Well, in one word - AWESOMENESS - and it's one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world (next to diamonds and my Keurig coffee maker).  It is a delicious, vitamin/mineral packed powerhouse meal replacement/supplement.  Go to the Shakeology page of this blog to see more information or check out my website. 

Participants in a 90 day independent study were asked to do two simple things:
1.  Exercise moderately (as in 3 times a week, nothing too too rigorous)
2.  Replace one meal a day with Shakeology

The results of the study were astounding!  People in the study reported that using Shakeology

 ~gave them the feeling of being full and satisfied,
~had lots of energy
~gained mental clarity
~lost weight
~reduced appetite
~reduced cravings
~improved digestion. 

The most stunning facts were those of heart related nature.

~Those on Shakeology were found to have reduced oxidative stress (a risk factor for degenerative diseases) by 90% (bet the pharmaceutical industry can't say that about any of their products!)
~People lowered their total cholesterol by 30% and their "bad" cholesterol by 38% (hello, cholesterol lowering medication, what do you have to say about that?)
~They reduced their cardiovascular risk factors by 24%

Forgive the corny reference, but Shakeology is very near and dear to my heart - ha ha!  My husband comes from a long line of heart disease sufferers.  People who have dropped dead suddenly from heart attacks at or around the age of 60.  I'm pretty sure we don't want that same fate for him.  Of course, none of us knows when our time ultimately is up, but you can bet we will do everything we can to prevent a preventable early demise.   Shakeology is our insurance that our hearts and health will be protected and (hopefully) last as long as they should.  

Beachbody and Shakeology studies aside,  here's some other good news and positive numbers happening in our own home........

~Both of us dropped our total cholesterol by more than 30 points
~My husband's MD told him to "continue to do whatever you're doing" as he is healthier than he's been in his adult life
~Our skin is better than ever before (smaller pores and no more zits!)
~I've suffered from a "sensitive stomach" most of my adult life......not anymore!!
~We've both lost weight
~At Halloween, there were 3 giant bags of candy sitting in the house for weeks.  I didn't break into it once.  That's saying something
~Random friends we've run into (and haven't seen in a while) are wondering what we're doing, why we look younger, what's our "secret".

So here it is, everyone.  My FAVORITE "go to" Shakeology recipe (which just so happens to be their Valentine recipe too)!!

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

(with banana for good measure)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Cold Water

1/2 Cup Frozen Whole Strawberries

1 Scoop of Chocolate Shakeology

1/2 Cup Ice (this is key)

(1 banana - optional)

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend for a few minutes!  The banana adds a creamy, frothy texture and makes it more like a milk shake!  Tasty!!!!!





So, on this special day, forget the flowers (which will just die anyway) and forget the candy (which raises your blood sugar and expands your waistline) and order your sweetheart a beautiful bag of chocolate Shakeology!!!  You both will benefit!!

Happy Valentine's Day and be good to your heart!!