The first week of my 30 Day Transformation went by so fast! And I didn’t really feel like I was missing anything. Okay, maybe the sugar initially. I think I learned a lot, more than anything else, and that’s always good. Check out my posts on Healthy Gut and Sugar Addiction. I want to talk about what I’ve been eating. This isn’t some crazy ‘eat 4 grapefruits a day’ or ‘soak everything you eat in coconut oil’. It’s a healthy living plan than introduces good tasting meals and snacks.
I’ll be sharing some excellent recipes, soon, but thought a good topic to cover is protein shakes since I’m aiming to drink two of them a day initially. This is an option if you are looking for weight loss, but one shake a day is good for clean eating to remove toxins, allergens, and provide overall improved health. There are some people who don’t like the idea of smoothies; maybe it’s the texture, or they don’t think it’s a meal meal, they don’t have a good blender, or they just need to feel the density of food in their stomach. I invested several years ago in a Vitamix and I use it two or three times a day. It was so worth the high price tag. A few days ago I made my own cashew based cream cheese. So good!!
I usually use the Vitamix for my daily smoothies. I’ve never really been a breakfast food fan, so smoothies just make it easier, especially in a time crunch, which I seem to experience most days. Getting my daughter off to school or camp, my dog walked, and myself organized for the day can be tricky when no day for me is the same. Ah, the life of the self-employed – gotta’ love it! Seriously, when was the last time your breakfast table looked like this?
My favourite smoothie blend tastes like a ‘cheat’. I think that’s why I like it. I use Arbonne vegan chocolate protein mix, spinach, a tablespoon of peanut butter, half a banana, hemp or almond milk and some ice. It tastes like peanut butter cups, or a decadent ice cream, but it’s more than 20 grams of protein, anti-oxidants, and loads of vitamins and minerals, fitting a full macro-nutrient profile. On this 30 days I’m limited to a few low-glycemic fruits to break the sugar habit, so no bananas this month. And I’ve substituted peanut butter for almond butter to reduce potential allergens, as well. It’s still pretty good, but I’ve found some new flavour blends I really like, too, like chocolate mint. It’s always good to switch things up! You do have to be careful with protein powder blends, however, because many have high sugar, or chemical sweeteners, high carbohydrate to protein ratios, soy, whey, gluten, and other allergens, and many taste like sawdust!
Each supplement on the 30 Day Transformation program helps with changes in these areas of sugar addiction, allergens, and detoxification, so you don’t really experience cravings. Here’s a few examples:
- the Protein Shakes are sweetened with low-glycemic, unprocessed sugars and stevia to help kick the sugar habit, and provide 20 grams of protein per serving
- the Energy Fizzsticks, also low glycemic, help kick the caffeine habit by providing natural energy and mental clarity,
- Fibre Boost adds 12 grams of fibre to your diet daily and helps with regular elimination, aiding in toxin and fat reductions,
- Herbal Detox Tea cleanses the liver and kidneys for further detoxification and residues of alcohol,
- the whole menu plan focuses on low sugar input, no glutens, no dairy, and balanced macro-nutrient eating.
Drinking two shakes a day was a goal for me over this 30 days to help with some weight loss while I reset my system to get rid of sugar and gluten, too. It’s a bit of a challenge for me, but changing up the flavours is helpful. Here’s my trusty Vitamix and the basics of a black forest cake protein shake. One of my favourite uses outside of smoothies is with the Arbonne vanilla protein powder in pumpkin muffins. They are a family favourite, and pack 3-4 grams of protein per serving. Here are some other ideas to use protein powder:
- add to whipped avocado for a chocolate mousse
- add to frozen berries and a bit of non-dairy milk in a high-speed blender for ice cream
- add vanilla protein to pancakes or oatmeal
- bake with it – brownies, cookies, muffins – just reduce the flour
- protein energy balls – mixed with oats, seeds, nuts, and nut butter. You can roll them in coconut, too!
Do you have any creative ways you use protein powder? I would love to hear from you.