I Got Some Time with NOW Sports Products

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of NOW Foods. 

We have used NOW Foods products in our home for a few months, and really like them for their quality and focus on what goes into their products (and, equally, what doesn't go into them).  As a FitFluential ambassador, I had the opportunity to try some of their NOW Sports line of products and write a review of what I think.  Full disclosure - these products were all provided to me by NOW Foods for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts contained are my own, though.

You can find all of these products on NOW's website (products are linked below), use the "find a retailer" link to find where to buy (they're sold nationwide by health food retailers), or get them from many online retailers like Amazon.com.

What did I get?
I got five products - two protein powders, and three dietary supplements:

1. Sprouted Brown Rice Protein
   
2. Vanilla Pea Protein
3. Liquid Carnitine
   
4. MCT Oil
   
5. Extreme Men’s Multi

The only one that was a new idea to me was the MCT oil, but I've used all the other products in the past, though never from NOW.  I've also never used a liquid form of L-Carnitine.

Product by product, let's see what my month with them has shown.

Sprouted Brown Rice Protein
This is a basic, staple product.  If you haven't seen how I feel about protein, then you need to (check out my YouTube video or read the various blog posts I've done on it). It's important, and you should be starting your day with it. A great way to do so is via a protein shake.  There are lots of options out there, including dairy and egg proteins, and vegetable proteins.  This is a vegetable protein, and it's in a very pure form.  How pure?  There's only one ingredient, and it's the thing that it is - sprouted brown rice protein.  That's it.  That means this is vegan, soy free and gluten free (though some people don't take well to rice protein even though it isn't technically gluten).

Here's what NOW Sports says about the product:

This GMO-free vegan protein powder is ideal for those with allergies or sensitivities to the natural compounds found in whey, egg, soy and other protein sources. Natural and pure with no added ingredients, each tablespoon offers four grams of protein and mixes easily with a smooth texture.

It's easy to use - just dump a table spoon into water, almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, goat milk, sheep milk, milk milk, etc.  You get the idea.  You can also mix it with coffee, though I'd suggest you only do cold beverages for a variety of reasons.  Hot or warm protein shakes are gross.  Unfortunately, NOW doesn't include a scooper, but I have like 50 laying around, so I just reduced/reused/recycled a solution.  I rarely find a protein powder that lacks a scooper, so this was kind of surprising, but not a deal breaker.

For me, the taste is horrible, but I expect and accept that.  I've never liked the taste of rice protein, and because this is just straight rice protein powder with no added flavorings, you get that full on rice protein taste.  It's strong and maybe the best way to describe it is bitter, but that's not quite it either.  So I tend to add some things to calm it down.  I add cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, stevia, shredded coconut, vanilla extract (1 tsp) and a mix of 50/50 water/unsweetened coconut milk.  All of those additions are organic, by the way.  The cinnamon is for sugar regulation in addition to flavor, the turmeric is for inflammation (definitely not for flavor - I don't care for it, but it's hard to taste if you add about a half a tablespoon), and the cayenne is for a lot of things, including metabolism boosting.  I then add a few ice cubes and blend it into a smoothy.  It's still gross, but not too bad, and definitely drinkable.  Coffee would probably be a nice addition to help overpower the strong brown rice protein flavor.

Another way I've been using it is adding a half a tablespoon to slow-cooking oatmeal.  You can still taste it a bit, but it's not too bad.

One other issue I have with it is that, as a protein supplement, it doesn't have much protein.  Four grams per serving.  Protein supplements should do something for your protein intake, and 4 grams isn't doing much.  For someone who is looking to add a bit more protein without looking to amp their protein intake, this might be the kind of thing to look for.  It isn't what I would use as I generally want more protein in my shakes, and I'd probably eat some nuts or a bowl of lentils to get the same or more protein instead.  For comparison sake, a serving of cashews (1/4 cup) has five grams of protein.  Gram for gram, the powder wins (a serving is five grams, four of which are protein, vs five out of 28 grams in a serving of cashews), but I think eating a handful of cashews is easier and tastier.  You might have other dietary concerns that mean you are in need of something that's basically pure, vegan protein without the fat of nuts or fiber of lentils or beans.  Or you might just want a different protein if you're already heavy on beans and nuts.  This might be a good choice then, but the protein is so low, and the taste is so strong (and unenjoyable) that I'd personally look for something else (like Garden of Life RAW protein).

So why bother?  Well, you may be allergic to nuts.  Or you may be vegan/vegetarian, and want to diversify your protein sources.  I think that's what NOW Sports is going for here.  They suggest adding it to a relatively small amount of liquid (six ounces), and don't talk about using it as a sports supplement.  That is weird since it's part of their Sports line.  I think it would fit better in their NOW Foods line instead.  I think it's really about rounding out or diversifying your protein sources and getting a bit more into your life.  For that, I think this is fine, but I'd think about non-drink ways to add it, too - like my oatmeal idea.

I would mention that it isn't organic, which I wish it was.  It is, however, GMO-free, which is awesome.  I'm very much against GMOs and the engineering of our food supply, so a big thank you to NOW Foods for caring about that, too.  The question is just one of fertilizer and pesticides keeping it form being organic, but at least the crop wasn't created in a lab bent on profits over safety and health.  There are organic options, so if that matters to you (it does to me), this is a brand to skip.  If not, I'd definitely give a thumbs up to NOW Sports Sprouted Brown Rice Protein for those vegans looking to have a more diverse protein profile in their lives.  If that's not you, maybe the next product is more up your ally.

Vanilla Pea Protein
If my issue with the taste of brown rice protein turned you off of vegan proteins, don't swear them off yet!  There are other options, and this is one that blew me away.  Other common vegan proteins are  hemp and pea protein powder, and this one is pea-based.  I've generally found pea proteins to taste other than good, so I was concerned.  Here, NOW Sports has added flavor via natural ingredients to create a sweat and delicious protein powder.  It's sweet thanks to a mix of stevia and xylitol.  No sugar, no sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Nutrasweet), sugar alcohol (stomach pain), etc.  These ingredients will also not cause a spike in insulin production, which is great (whereas the other sugar substitutes do).  Xylitol also has an added benefit of tricking bad gut flora into thinking its sugar.  When these bacteria eat the xylitol, they can't process it, and explode.  Seriously.  Xylitol is administered by some naturopaths as a treatment for overgrowth of bad gut flora for this reason.

OK, so enough about exploding gut flora.  This powder mixes very well in the same kinds of liquids as the rice protein (or other protein powders), but you don't need to worry about hiding the taste.  In fact, you'll probably want to relish the taste and ensure you don't mask it.  It is a bit strong, but it's good.  I love vanilla and I love toffee.  Put them together, and you get a really indulgent flavor that you swear is bad for you.  But it isn't.  No sugar.  25 grams of protein (that's the most of any vegan protein powder I've ever used, and gets you almost all the way to 30 in the first 30, as I recommend - 30 grams of protein in the first 30 minutes of waking up).

Here's what NOW Sports says about the protein:

Got allergies? No way you’re doing whey? NOW® Sports Pea Protein contains no soy or dairy, just 25 grams of easily digested, non-GMO vegetable protein. It’s pure and natural, hypoallergenic, has a smooth texture and mixes easily into your favorite beverages.

And it comes in Vanilla Toffee. We’re pretty sure all the best things come in Vanilla Toffee.

NOW Sports even remembered to put a scoop in there!  But the scoop is huge.  I mean humongous.  It's so big, I actually had trouble getting the powder into my blender bottle because of how wide the scoop is (it has a wedge shape that's wider in the front, which makes it harder to use but cool looking).  My preference would be to use a half-sized scoop and recommend people use two scoops per serving (as ViSalus does).  It just makes the logistics easier to deal with.  I know, I'm picky, but the little stuff matters.

My only other comment is that the taste is a little salty.  By 'a little' I mean 'very'.  A serving has quite a high sodium level - 540mg, which is 23% of the recommended daily allowance.  The unflavored version has only 330mg.  'Only' being used loosely here, but I will just say I really notice the saltiness and actually detracts from the drink.  If they could tone it down closer to 400mg, it would still be high, but not overpowering.  I'm not concerned with my sodium intake, so this doesn't matter to me beyond taste, but I would be uncomfortable recommending the product to someone who is hypertensive (I have a client with hypertension, and I couldn't suggest she use this), and I think they went a little overboard unnecessarily.

So, save for the sodium, I love this stuff.  Same deal as the brown rice powder in terms of being natural and not organic, but I like it.  If you're cool with the sodium level, go for it.  You won't be upset with the flavor.  I would suggest mixing in some coffee (if you drink it) as that might detract from the salty flavor a bit.

Liquid Carnitine
In high school, I used to take L-carnitine pills thirty minutes before eating (along with chromium picolinate), so I have had experience with the product.  It is an amino acid that helps your body make energy.


Here's what NOW Sports says about their L-Carnitine liquid:

L-Carnitine is carnitine in a highly absorbable liquid form. What’s carnitine? An amino acid that helps transfer fatty acid groups into the mitochondrial membrane to produce energy.* It naturally occurs in red meat and other animal-source foods, but for those who supplement NOW® L-Carnitine is the purest form (containing no sugar, salt, starch, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, milk, egg, shellfish or artificial colors/flavors), clinically tested, and vegetarian. It comes in Tropical Punch or Citrus Flavor.

I can't really say a ton about how the product works or whether it works, but I've had good experience with L-Carnitine in the past, and have no reason to think this isn't working the same way.  I will definitely comment about the flavor.  It's awesome.  I was hesitant to go with a liquid approach as I tend to prefer to pop a pill (it's easier if you travel or are on the go a lot), but I've really loved this stuff.  They also make a tropical punch flavor, which I bought myself after running out of the citrus flavor I got for this blog review.  It's good, but I think I actually prefer the citrus - it's a little fresher tasting and less heavy-sweet.  They're both super tasty, though. I start and end my day with it (since you are best off taking it on an empty stomach), and love it.

MCT Oil
Medium Chain Triglycerides, which is what MCT stands for, are fats found in coconut and palm kernel oil (perhaps other places, but I don't know).  They're fats that are more easily digested than other types of fat. As a result, they are known to increase your body's ability to burn fats rather than store them (think of priming a flue in your fireplace to get a fire to burn better).  The idea is to substitute MCT for other fats so you do a better job of burning the fat you are taking in, and thus end up promoting leaning out your body.


You can add it to foods, but need to be careful with heat.  MCT oil doesn't do well with medium to high heat since it has a low boiling point, so it's better to be a replacement for oil in salad dressing, or perhaps in place of butter or olive oil added to bread or potatoes (I eat neither, so I feel funny recommending this).  I've been cooking with non-stick, ceramic cookware and then putting some MCT on the end product after it's plated to bring some richness back into the dish, and it's really nice.  I have also put some into quinoa, and would do it with rice (if I eat it, it's only brown), and like how it makes the dish taste and eat - smooth and decadent.  The dose is a table spoon, and they suggest using it about three times per day.  You can take a straight tablespoon of it, or add it to a drink, too, but then you're not replacing other fats with it, so that sort of defeats the purpose.

Here's what NOW Sports says about their MCT Oil:

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are fats that are naturally found in coconut and palm kernel oil. MCT’s are more easily and rapidly digested than other types of fats, as they require lower amounts of enzymes and bile acids for intestinal absorption. MCT’s are metabolized very quickly in the liver and are reported to encourage energy expenditure, and not fat storage. Numerous studies suggest that substituting MCT Oil for other fats in a healthy diet may therefore help to support healthy weight and body composition.

I like the product, but am not sure if it's doing anything.  Your mileage may vary, but I don't see any issues with it, and do like how it's made meals taste and feel richer - like I'm indulging - without necessarily being a bad thing.

Extreme Men's Multi
This is a multi-vitamin aimed at men.  It has a pretty good nutrition profile, including a little MCT oil.  The only things it doesn't have much of are calcium, magnesium and fat.  I wouldn't expect my multivitamin to have fat, but this one has a little bit (2.5g across three pills (the daily dose), which I'm sure is just due to the MCT oil).

There's not much to say here beyond it being a good looking (not aesthetically, but ingredient-wise) multi-vitamin.  It is a fairly big soft-gel-type pill, and you have to take it three times a day.  If I could, I would make it one pill you take once a day.  I have a feeling it's so large to accommodate the MCT oil, so I'd skip that ingredient and consider just using the MCT liquid.  The benefit of having the dosing split across the day is that you may do better absorbing the nutrients than if you got more of a dose all at once.  I don't know what bioavailability testing on these nutrients has been done, whether the doses are high enough in one pill that it's irrelevant, etc, but that could be a benefit.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  Unless you're fast and can endure.  That's my question here.

So, a fine multi-vitamin.  A month's supply is about $35, which isn't terrible but isn't cheap, either.  The multivitamin I take (Rainbow Light Men's One) costs $20 for a 3 month supply and is a one-a-day option.  I haven't found any issues while on the NOW Sports multi, but I haven't noticed any clear benefits, so I plan to go back to the Rainbow Light product for just over an 80% savings.

About NOW Foods
NOW Foods, a family-owned company since 1968, is a leader in the nutritional supplements industry and dedicated to providing customers with a comprehensive approach to wellness by offering a variety of high-quality, natural and affordable products. Founded on the belief that natural is better, NOW Foods is proud to offer more than 1,400 natural products that are specifically formulated to help support optimal health through good nutrition. NOW Foods product offerings range from nutrient-rich foods and supplements to personal care and sports nutrition items.

Visit www.NOWFoods.com for more information on NOW Foods products and local retailers. 

Q: What protein shakes?

Q: What kind of protein shake should I use? I found one that says it's carb-free.  Is that ok?


A: Good question.  What I've found is that most protein shakes aren't ok.  One thing Tim Ferriss says is to avoid artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda) or aspartame (Nutrasweet), and these 'carb free' protein shakes use these for flavor.  Also, the ideal protein is Casein, which makes up 80% of the protein in milk.  The problem is that casein is hard to find without sweeteners - natural or artificial.  If you are ok with a little sweetener, then Optimum Nutrition has a good natural option.  If you aren't, then I've only found 1 option so far.  Check out our store page for a link to Muscle Feast Micelar Casein.  Casein is best because it's a very slow protein to metabolize, so it's easy for your muscles to absorb over a ~4 hour period.  I add a scoop of natural unsweetened cocoa, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a packet of stevia.  Super tasty.

Otherwise, you have 2 more options. The next is whey protein isolate. Note that I didn't just say 'whey' or 'whey protein'. This is a fast absorbing protein, which makes it great for post-workout use as your muscles are ready to absorb protein quickly. Otherwise, your body will process out what it can't use via the kidneys (and urine). My favorite option is Jay Robb's chocolate whey protein isolate.  Jay Robb uses stevia to sweeten it, which is absolutely ok with the diet.  The chocolate also tastes really good.  There's also an unflavored that's very good, but I treat it like casein, and add my own flavoring.

If these proteins don't work well for you, then I'd suggest egg white protein. It doesn't taste as good when mixed with water as the other two.  It works, and works well, but I'd make this my third choice.

For whole food protein, lentils, eggs and cottage cheese are the way to go.  I make an omelet at night and put some lentils in it.  Then I heat it up in the morning and eat it with a casein shake within the first 30 minutes after waking, as the diet suggests.  It's easy and works well for me.  I then workout, and then have a cup of cottage cheese or maybe a spoon of almond butter. Otherwise, I grab a Dizzle Bar, and hop in my car to get to work.

Q: I can't eat 30g of Protein in the 1st 30 min each day

Q: I'm having trouble eating 30 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes after waking.  Is this really necessary? Do I really need 30 grams of protein, or is some ok? Are there any tips you can give me to help?


A: As I've tried to impress upon people, nothing is absolute.  If you eat at minute 31, you won't suddenly lose all progress you've made or get nowhere. But complying is better than not complying.  So the question becomes how can you get as close to 30 minutes as possible.

I have two tricks that make it possible for me.  The first is preparing, and the second is mixing protein intake methods.

1. Prepare - I have an omlete with 1 whole egg, 2-3 egg whites, mushrooms, scallions or onions, oregano, sea salt, Amazing Grass ORAC greens, and a cup of lentils as my 'whole food' breakfast. It's great. I cook it the night before, pop it in foil in the fridge, and micorwave it for 1:30-2 minutes. You can eat it cold if you're not ok with microwaving, or you can warm it in a toaster oven or oven for a few minutes, but that takes longer, and the clock is ticking!  This gives about 20 grams of protein, depending on how many lentils you add, and the size of the eggs.

2. While the egg is warming, I have a protein shake. I use Casein with no flavoring or sweetener, which is really hard to find (I use this one), but Jay Robb has some great Whey Protein Isolate and Egg White Protein options that are sweetener-free (they use nothing or use stevia, which is fine). If unflavored, I throw some cinnamon and stevia in my Blender Bottle along with a scoop of protein.  This gives me 20-24 grams.

I eat the egg while drinking the protein. It works well, tastes good, and gets me set to start my morning workout (a mix of cardio and some body weight exercises like leg lifts and pull ups). If you use whey, be sure you workout afterward, or it will be wasted since it will metabolize too fast for your muscles to absorb. Casein take several times longer to metabolize, so your body can use it whether you are working out or not.

Open Letter to Runner's World on Carbs

Dear Runner's World,

                I love you. Seriously. Your magazine is fantastic. It has this amazing energy to it that I feel really helps keep me thinking about running, loving running, and helping others with their entry into and sustained practice of running. You have some excellent feature pieces (NYC Marathon, Shalane and Kara, Pre, etc), really enjoyable regular columns (I love "Ask Miles" and Marc Parent's "Newbie Chronicles"), and just a great attitude to the magazine that is so crucial in feeding a runner's passion.

But, my friend, it isn't all love. I know all the talk for runners is about carbs, and you do an admirable job helping dispel the myth that you can or should eat loads of carbs pre-race. However, I read all of your recipes and nutrition advice, and I see a consistent theme of fewer calories, less fat, less protein and more carbs, and it disturbs me. Protein is the fuel of muscles. Carbs is the fuel of short bursts of energy and fat storage.  Runners aren't usually associated with fat stored on the body, but there are tons of runners who don't 'look like runners', and should really be focusing on diets higher in protein and veggies and lower in carbs.  The truth is, you don't need carbs in the quantities your recipes suggest, and you certainly don't need the added sugar that keeps popping up in every recipe, from honey to straight sugar - especially when many of your recipes already have fruit in them.

I have been following a Slow Carb diet for a few years now, and have much higher energy and endurance than I've ever had.  I also have lower body fat than ever before despite eating materially more fat on a daily basis than I ever did.  I coach others in the same path, and their results are similar.  Protein can be a better fuel than carbohydrates, and doesn't run the risk of turning to fat if you don't use it. Nor is it too rapidly digested, so you don't need to reach for it again and again like you do with an energy gel to avoid bonking. Nor does it run the risk of creating insulin resistance, which means you are more likely to store carbs as fat, which will make you produce more insulin, which will make you more insulin resistant, and the circle starts over again.

Using the right protein in the right way is a far better solution than fueling with carbs. For me, it's getting whey protein for shorter runs and post-workout; or using casein for longer runs (eat some cottage cheese, for example).  Starting your day with a high protein breakfast has proven to spark fat burning throughout the day, and keep you feeling fuller longer than carb breakfasts.

Another theme I've noticed is anti-gluten-free diets for non-gluten-intollerant people. You have articles that essentially tell people to watch out if they're considering going GF and warn about the risks due to giving up whole grains. People didn't eat whole grains for thousands of years, and yet we're all here today, so it can't be as crucial as the FDA tells us.  You downplay the benefits experienced by those who go GF by explaining the improved general energy and wellness as merely due to cutting out processed foods. How do you know that? What about all those who eat whole foods including gluten, go GF, and then get that increased energy and general wellness improvement?  I'm in that boat, as is my wife and many others around us.  I also know people who are GF yet eat plenty of processed food, but still feel much better overall and have fewer gastric issues.


I don't mean to knock you. Really. I just want to ask you to start to open up to the non-1970s/1980s medicine that pervades our dietary advice. It's the same stuff that insists that 'calories in < calories out -> lose weight', despite evidence that this isn't the case. It's the same stuff that leads to 'a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner' being the definition of 'diet' for most Americans, rather than what we eat day in, day out.

If magazines could read, I'd recommend that you read "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. I wrote a book review of it here. Since you can't read, I advise you to interview Taubes and see what he thinks about his findings and advice relative to the needs of a runner.

Let's get smarter about nutrition. Let's look at real facts. Let's help people get to a better place. Let's help people enlighten.their.body.

Sincerely,
Bryan Falchuk

Review: ViSalus - Fixing Quickly?

The buildup
Someone I follow on Twitter asked me to check out a product he was marketing called ViSalus.  I'd never heard of it.  Apparently, I've been living under a rock. It's a multi-billion dollar weight loss program, featuring shakes, etc.  It's also a very successful multi-level marketing company (MLM).  Two things about this really didn't jibe with me - the quick fix nature of meal replacement shake programs and the MLM aspect of it.  There's actually a third thing, but I didn't know up front (see 'My depressions' below).  But, I respect the source, and know that he has very high standards and ethics, so I thought it was worth trying.

What it is & how it works
I decided to try their shake product in Sweet Cream flavor.  I start my day with a protein shake
and an omelet, so I figured I could replace my shake or cut back on it and mix in this stuff.  I feel strongly about eating whole foods and having the stomach digest real stuff, so I didn't want to ditch the omelet. I bought one bag for just over $50 shipped. It claims to have about 30 servings, so it's not too expensive per serving vs. what you'd pay at GNC or somewhere for a competing product. You have to do an auto-purchase plan, but you can cancel or delay anytime. I did notice it's available for a touch less on Amazon and don't have to do the auto-order, but you don't get any support with that.  If the person you're buying from provides meaningful advice, that may be worth the $7 per bag difference to you, so you'll have to figure that out for yourself.  I tried to cancel my auto-order after getting the first bag, but they shipped a second bag instead of canceling.  It wasn't the end of the world, but that's why I don't tend to like these auto-sign up things.  They have a way of auto-sending you more than you wanted (and charging for it).

The shake is a mix of soy protein and whey, plus a number of other ingredients (vitamins, minerals, etc).  The soy is non-GMO, which is great, but it's not an organic product (which the whey shake I use, love and recommend is).  It has 12 grams of protein per serving (2 heaping scoops), which isn't enough for me since I try to get 30 grams within 30 minutes of waking. My whey shake has 24 grams, the casein shake I have with dinner has 20 grams, and my omelet is between 8 and 15 grams (depending on size and whether I throw other stuff in it that has protein, like edamame or lentils). Still, it's not too bad, and could definitely be mixed into other things to get me to 30. Being a protein shake isn't really what it's positioned as, so I can't hold that against it.

My impressions
As far as taste goes, it's delicious. It's seriously sweet (I think it's too sweet - see 'My depressions' to understand why). I've had some terrible fake vanilla flavored shakes (when I was a fat teen, I tried Slim-Fast...ew), and this ain't one of them. It's really good.

They also include quite a bit with the purchase despite me getting the cheapest option they sell. I got a booklet that has a lot of tips and tools that mirror my 10 Principles quite a bit (setting goals, going public, tracking, etc). They also include these little flavor packs that add both flavor and some other benefit - e.g. strawberry with phytonutrients, banana energy burst, etc. They actually sound tasty. I haven't added any of them, so I can't comment on the taste or whether the claimed benefit is legit, but I'd at least guess the taste is good given how great the Sweet Cream tasted.

In addition to what came, I got a series of really helpful tips and ideas from the person who asked me to try it. They may be exceptions in terms of their commitment to helping, so I can't speak for others selling ViSalus, but it was really helpful. They offered guidance on usage, creating goals, plans, etc, and gave me a number of recipes for how to make different shakes from the base product I bought. Like getting all the extra flavor packets, this was a surprising commitment given I bought the cheapest option I could get.

I should add that the product is lactose and gluten free. Some people see whey as an ingredient and assume that, since it comes from milk, the product must not be ok for lactose-intollerant people.  Whey is one of the two proteins in dairy, while lactose is the sugar.  Having an issue with one doesn't mean you will have an issue with the other per se. I'm lactose-intollerant, and it's fine for me. There's less than 1 gram of sugar per serving, and lactose is a sugar, so there really isn't anywhere lactose could hide anyway.

The company has a ton of hype associated with the products - testimonial videos, ginormous checks they give people for losing weight or selling a lot of their product, competitions for weight loss, etc. That's fine. It's not me, but it's fine. Sometimes, paying people to lose weight helps get them over the hump and then they are just interested in being fit. The approach just isn't really my style, so I sort of ignored it.

They are very into the auto-purchase approach, so if you just want to try it, be careful and ensure you've canceled any auto-shipping options you've been signed up for.  As I mentioned above, somehow I screwed that part up, and ended up getting a second bag when I only wanted to try it with one.

My depressions
Once I checked the product out, I saw one particular ingredient I didn't like - sucralose. You probably know it by its brand name, Splenda. It's not the worst thing in the world, and definitely the best artificial sweetener out there. However, like all artificial sweeteners, it does cause an insulin response in the body in the same way sugar does. This is the trick with a lot of 'low glycemic index' or 'low GI' items. They get the green light for diabetics and for weight loss, but insulin spiking is a key contributor to fat accumulation in the body. To fully understand this, you must read Gary Taube's incredibly powerful book Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It.

Aside from the inclusion of sucralose from a body chemistry standpoint, sucralose also tends to be extremely sweet. I definitely have heightened my sensitivity to sweetness since cutting almost all sugar from my diet, and I find this product way too sweet. It's like a dessert to me. Don't get me wrong, it's super tasty as a result, but I'd prefer something maybe half as sweet. You can deal with this to an extent by diluting it more, or including competing flavors (I put cinnamon and cayenne in most drinks I mix up, which helps, but you could also mix it into coffee or mix cacao powder in to help tone down the awareness of sweetness. The bitterness of cacao and coffee would be a nice balance to tone down the sweetness, for sure).  Generally, I advise people to cut back on things that enhance sweetness to make you more sensitive to it, and thus less likely to go for it (or do so in lower quantity). If you satisfy your sweet tooth with less sweet for your tooth, so much the better. The high sweetness of this product on a regular basis will lower your body's sensitivity to sweetness, so you'll crave more before satisfaction is reached. Again, this goes back to the body chemistry of sweetness, whether from sugar or otherwise. Your body is easily fooled into thinking it's getting sugar, and acting like it did. That's not good. Stevia is currently the only non-sugar that doesn't do this (and it's not artificial - so much the better).

My bigger issue, though, is with the approach at play here - the quick fix diet. I don't advocate anything quick (except intervals or speed work). To me, you really need to work at and for something for it to change your life such that your new normal is health. I'm not into the idea of losing X pounds for some event (high school reunion, ex's wedding, etc) because as soon as the event is over, you have nothing driving you to be fit. The same goes for meal replacement shake approaches. At some point, if you're lucky, you will reach your goal and come off the program. What happens then?  You haven't learned about healthful eating sufficiently (if you disagree, then explain why you didn't lose weight without drinking a shake instead of eating food?) to maintain health. You haven't changed your life priorities and values to have the health you deserve for yourself or set the right example for your friends and family. The approach this product is driving isn't something I can really get behind.

I'm also generally very weary of multi-level marketing. Those three words are usually followed by one of the following three words - scam, scheme or ploy. This is MLM. That in and of itself doesn't make it bad. Given the person who brought it to my attention, I set this part aside. I'm not looking at it to make money, so it's really neither here nor there for me to care about it being MLM. I just need to evaluate the product itself, not how it's marketed.

To buy or not to buy?
Diet isn't 'a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a sensible dinner' (to quote the old Slim-Fast line). Unfortunately, this has become the American way. We can't wait for our results, and we don't want to work for them. Fitness and health are worth working for because it is that work itself that is the source of health.  They journey is the destination. ViSalus is diet in the shake sense, unfortunately. I can't get behind that part of it. Using it as a protein shake is more up my ally as part of my morning protein routine.  In that respect, ViSalus is ok but not great. It's definitely good at getting the results it aims to get for those who want to treat it as a quick fix weight loss tool. If that's what you're looking for, then I'd say you're looking in the right place with that product (but I'd want to discuss what's lacking in what you're looking for). If you're looking for a protein supplement, it works, but I'd recommend something less processed like Garden of Life's vegan Raw Protein line (my current protein of choice - I mix it with a scoop of raw cacao powder to enhance the flavor), or, if you want whey, go with Jay Robb's products.

For me, I gave it the two months I bought product for. Because I have put the work in and know what I need to do to be healthy, I think I can use this product effectively. But I also believe I could be as effective without it and would at least prefer something 'cleaner' (fewer or no chemicals and organic).

Either way, I did the work to enlighten my body. Will you do the work to enlighten.your.body?

Quick Meal Prep Tip

I've been getting quite a few questions about meal prep and cooking.  People can't seem to find a quick, easy and, perhaps most important, recipe that is Slow Carb Diet compliant.  I did post a little PDF cook book on the newbodi.es links page, but people want more than that.

So, while I toy with the idea of doing a few meal prep videos, I thought I'd share a tip that's at the heart of much of my cooking.  Three basic veggies, some olive oil and a pan.

The three veggies are frozen diced onions and frozen shelled edamame, plus fresh baby spinach.  You can use baby kale, too, but I find the spinach to be really tasty.  I use organic options for each. The pre-diced frozen onions are great since dicing onions can take some time.  The trick is to throw some olive oil (or macadamia, if you can find and afford it) in a pan, throw in the frozen veggies, and start the heat on medium-ish.  Then, after it warms up, you have a decision to make - what else are you going to add, if anything. You could add more veggies, or perhaps another protein beyond the edamame. Cashews and almonds go well with this dish, as does some shredded or cut up coconut.  I typically add an animal protein (usually a piece of fish or shrimp), but you don't have to.  This setup forms the basis of a fast, complete and tasty meal.

If you're going to add something pre-cooked like canned tuna, hard boiled egg, pre-cooked chicken breast, etc, you should add the spinach now while raising the heat to a medium high level.  It needs about 2 minutes to cook while being tossed so the oil gets it well covered.  I typically fill the pan with spinach as it cooks down fast and dramatically.  When it's still visible as leaves but darker in color, throw in your pre-cooked item, reduce the heat to medium, and let it sit for a couple of minutes to warm the pre-cooked stuff. Move the pan around occasionally to keep things mixed, free from sticking and so things heat evenly.  That's it.

If you're adding nuts, the story is the same, but you should consider pan roasting them a bit before adding them. Throw in a little sea salt (unless they're already salted), roast them in a little bit of olive oil while moving them around in the pan for 2-3 minutes, and throw them right into your veggie mixture.  Is really just about combining at that point, so you can even plate the veggies, and pour the nuts over the top.

Another option is to add lentils - an amazing source of vegetable protein, very hearty, and pretty filling. I tend to cook a put of lentils each week, and spoon the into various dishes.  I put some cayenne and a little sea salt into the water when cooking them.  Throw about a cup per portion into this meal, and it is a really complete dinner.

If you chose to add a raw item, like fresh fish or chicken breast, first make sure it's not a huge piece, or better yet, cook it a bit in another pan while you were warming the frozen stuff and oil.  Then throw it in, cover the lid, and raise the heat slightly toward medium high.  Let it cook for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the item and what it is (chicken will take longer than fish or shrimp, for example). Move the pan around occasionally to keep it from sticking.  Check it, flip it, cover the whole thing is spinach, and then put a cover back on.  Then let it cook until the raw stuff is cooked through as you like it.  Be sure to move the pan around occasionally, and check it now and then to see doneness.  Just don't check too frequently so you don't release all the heat that's building up under the lid too much.

All in, you're looking at 10 minutes including prep and clean up without raw animal protein, or about 20-25 with it. Not bad at all.  And it's a pretty easy meal to make in terms of intensity.

A couple of side notes.  First, I don't insist on animal protein at all.  This dish works really well as a purely veggie dish, and you'll see it has no dairy, so it's easy to make it vegan. One thing I do insist on (if I can be so bold) is to really load up on the portion size if you aren't adding animal protein. Spinach is awesome, but cooks down really fast, and isn't very dense or filling.  Diced onions are kinda worthless from a 'fill you up' standpoint. Edamame is better, but still not filling enough in small to medium amounts.  The only trick is the lentils, which will fill you more than the other veggies.  But, do keep in mid, this meal will be fueling you for many hours.  For me, I typically eat around 5:30pm, and have breakfast the next morning around 5:15, and I might even work out again at night. Just be sure you are respecting your body's need for fuel and not thinking a cup of cooked veggies is sufficient. I typically have a fully loaded plate of this stuff, with the load being about 2.5 times as big when I go vegan on it.

Review: ENERGYbits

UPDATE: I am not supporting this product due to a decision they've made on their marketing during the Olympics. I feel it's offensive and demeaning to women. The product works, but I feel you should support good products from good companies. I'd pass on these.

the buildup
ENERGYbits are a spirulina pill that you down to get a load of protein (64% protein) and nutrients with basically nothing else to help power you for exercise and contribute to your health.  I've had my eye on them for a while, and have been really curious to try them as I myself have added spirulina to my diet for its various health benefits.  I was lucky enough to be offered a free trial for the purpose of this review.

what it is & how it works
Spirulina is an algae that is a 'super food'.  Not to over-use an over-used buzz word, but spirulina is a nutrient-rich plant that grows naturally in the ocean but can be cultivated hydroponically and organically, which is how ENERGYbits grows theirs. It is loaded - loaded - with various nutrients and vitamins. It also happens to be high in protein for what it is. Word in the healthy eating scene is that the protein in it is more bio-available (available for your body to absorb and use) than protein from many other sources (nuts, meat, soy, etc).

It's highly absorbable and rich in nutrients your body thrives on. What it isn't is tasty. Spirulina has a very 'green' flavor, as the marketing material ENERGYbits sends out says.

The product comes as little tablets, and they recommend taking 30 of them 10-15 minutes before your workout. I made the mistake of taking a bite at one point, and was left with the very 'green' taste for a couple of hours (not the few minutes that the marketing material mentions - swish all you want, them suckers stick to your molars like cement...very gross tasting cement).

A key thing that the team at ENERGYbits tried to stress to me is about the quality of their product. Spirulina quality varies greatly by how it's made (or harvested), when it's dried, etc. Ocean-harvested sounds natural (like free-range or grass-fed livestock), but actually it can be less ideal since the spirulina is exposed to pollutants in our oceans from trash or the Fukushima nuclear fall out (spirulina is native to Pacific waters). ENERGYbits grows their product organically and hydroponically, and dries it when they're going to make the pills, so it stays fresh longer. They also recommend refrigerating the tabs (not necessary, but better if you can), and trying to consume them within 3-5 days of pulling them from the fridge.  You get a bag of them, plus a little tin that you can put a serving into to take with you so the main stash can stay in the fridge.

They have four varieties, spanning energy, recovery, vitality (really immunity strength) and weight loss benefits.  I have the original ENERGYbits that are 100% spirulina. Some of their products add to or replace the spirulina with chlorella (another algae).

my impressions
I definitely didn't like taking them (I did them 5 at a time since I figured trying to swallow 30 at once would be problematic), but that was over within a minute. What I found on my run (6 miles in just over 50 minutes with a pre-existing injury) was that I wasn't lacking for energy, nor was my energy ever spiky. I have used Gu, Recovery Beans and Honey Stinger Gummies, and definitely notice how the energy 'comes on', but then fades.  I wouldn't usually need to take something for a 6 miler, but I wanted to test the product, and I have been dragging lately.

For reference, my injury is thought to be tendonitis in my left big toe, but I'm finding my joint is full of blood when I take my shoe off (inside - my joint is blue - not outside with blood staining anything), and my skin is all leathery.  I think my shoe is rubbing on the joint way too much, and its gotten to a point where it's really injuring me. It feels like a stress fracture, but it isn't (I've had x-rays and been checked).  Anyway, enough about that, but you can imagine how that might be impacting my performance.

Setting aside the impact of my injury, I definitely had the energy I needed to keep up. I had some negative split action as I warmed up, rather than the flat splits I usually do with a morning run like this where I don't use any energy.

Aside from the energy delivery, I was also really curious about how my stomach would do. I have friends who are triathletes who talk about the issues you face when you have a stomach full of water and Gu after going for hours. With something like Gu, you need to keep sucking the stuff down every couple of miles (if you follow their advice), and my own use has backed that up since the sugar-based energy runs out pretty quickly. Since I didn't find that with ENERGYbits, those 30 tabs were enough, and then my stomach wasn't stuck processing all kinds of sugars, and thus my blood supply didn't have to be directed toward digestion.

So I'd say my stomach was ok from this.  That said...

my depressions
I often end my runs and get a stomach ache. It generally passes after an hour or so. The day I did this run with ENERGYbits, I was a bit nauseous all day. That could have nothing to do with the product as my allergies were kicking up and I felt kind of miserable in general. I'd have to test them again to know if it was the bits or not. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt here, and assume it isn't them, so maybe rather than calling this section "my depressions" I'd call it "my potential concerns".  I have a standard review format I'm trying to stick with, though, so here we are with depressions.

UPDATE: I used them again yesterday before some speed work, and was totally fine. I'd say I'm sure that the energy bits had nothing to do with how I felt after my first use. Unfortunately, they couldn't make running on the treadmill non-soul-crushingly-boring, but they did help me keep my energy levels consistently where they needed to be.  I cranked a quick run slightly quicker than I usually do - and that's with my foot injury, so good stuff.  I was aiming for two 7-minute miles, but did 2.1 miles at 6'42". I tend to run in the low-to-mid-8s, so this is a quick pace for me.

to buy or not to buy?
So, what's the verdict. Pending confirming whether they caused my gastric issues (which I'm doubtful of), I'd say I'm very positive on them.  I'd be curious about a longer run or something like a century ride where you could be out there for 6+ hours (depending on speed and course).  You may need to re-up.  But I really did like how even the energy was. It was nice not to think about it or crave it.

That's really what fueling strategy is about. Find the fuel that works for you to keep you going without feeling weird or spiky, and let the exercise enlighten.your.body.

As you saw in my update at the top, while I'm good with spirulina, I can't recommend ENERGYbits to people because of some really demeaning marketing they're doing. Call me prude, but it's not about that, the slogan they're using is just offensive to women and reminds me of college days with guys trying to get girls drunk to have their way. What on Earth does this have to do with a natural energy product? Nothing.

Review: I Ate Green Tea from EatGreenTea

The build up

I was going through recent followers on Twitter to see if they would be good to follow back (I generally do follow back, but some accounts don't really warrant it, like those who follow me to pitch making me the top person on Twitter and getting my site millions of hits a second). I saw an account called @EatGreenTea that intrigued me. I have green tea extract in a supplement I take, and have long been aware of the benefits of the high antioxidants content of green tea.  There's a great breakdown of the benefits of green tea on this page.

The premise of EatGreenTea's products is that you can get far more benefit by eating green tea leaves than by drinking water that steeped in it. In fact, they claim you get 30x the antioxidants in a serving of their product vs a cup of green tea.

I was intrigued, and decided I'd try both of their products out as I could see different uses for them.
 

What it is & How it Works

They offer two ways to get your green tea fix - a powder and loose leaves. To me, the powder was ideal to add to my morning protein shake, or to mix into my omelet (along with my greens, mushrooms, spinach, onions and spices/seasonings). The loose leaves sounded perfect to add into dinner dishes, and I put it right into the vegan chili I made.

My impressions

It's easy to use this stuff - just add it to whatever, and you're done. A daily dose of the powder is ideally a teaspoon, and ideally a tablespoon for the leaves.  My chili made 10 servings, so I added about 10 tablespoons (or would have if I didn't plan to get a teaspoon a day in my protein shake...I ended up adding 5-6). For the chili (or I'd imagine for a pasta sauce, stir fry, etc), it basically vanished into the mix of veggies and spices. For my protein shake (which is white), it instantly colored things green.

Do I feel better? Well, it hasn't been that long, and I've had other things going on that wouldn't help me feel better (very little sleep lately, for example - though that's unrelated to the green tea, which can be a stimulant), so I wasn't necessarily expecting this to suddenly be a cure-all.  It is very easy to use, relatively cheap per serving (eat product is only $25, and I'd imagine there are 20-30 full servings of each in the bag), and there's no debate that green tea is good for you, so I'm sure it's beneficial. Whether it's markedly better than drinking tea is where the debate would be, and would probably center around whether your body can use the higher dose of antioxidants. I'm in no position to debate that point. I do know I don't feel worse, and not having issues (digestive, sleep, etc), so I doubt there's anything wrong with eating green tea, but do consider it relative to your medical situation rather than just going by what a blog says.

 

Update: Anthony, the founder of EatGreenTea followed up with some information on the issue of absorption of all the additional antioxidants:

Much of the research that you see around the documented benefits of green tea involves subjects who consume the equivalent of several cups of green tea per day. The reason is because the amount of antioxidants consumed in a single cup of brewed tea typically isn't enough to make a measurable difference in the body. The body really needs the additional antioxidants found from eating the green tea leaves.
We don't question if the body can handle all the nutrients from eating a spinach salad, or if there are too many antioxidants in blueberries. While agreed that too much of any one food is not a good thing - people are not in danger of getting too many antioxidants from eating a tablespoon of EatGreenTea. They are however, at risk of not getting enough antioxidants from just drinking a cup of brewed tea.

I can't see adding the powder to the chocolate version of my protein shake as I think the tastes would go to war and leave me as a casualty. For me, while I feel better about the powder (like I'm getting more of the good stuff), I think the leaves make more sense in terms of innocuously getting the benefits of this product into my day.

I also want point out that I firmly believe that the company and how it's run value-wise is as important as the product being sold. I had a couple of back and forth emails with Eat Green Tea's founder, Anthony Codispoti, and was really impressed with the responsiveness - both speed and quality of response, and speed of shipping (I got the green tea a day or two before my most optimistic estimate). The company also went the extra mile and wrote some really clear guidance on daily dose targets on my invoice to be sure I knew what to do when. I found the packaging to be clear enough (and nice looking overall), but it's touches like these that imply a general approach to doing business that mean something to me. It's what makes me choose one company over another, and why I'd stick with a product despite potential price differences.

My depressions

Honestly, my only issue is how strong the powder is flavor-wise. I don't dislike green tea, but I don't love its flavor. My protein shake is pretty strong flavored, too, and this totally overpowers it. I don't really care, but it's definitely worth knowing. As a result of my experience with the powder, I was nervous that it would totally change my chili or my omelet to add the leaves, but they are totally indiscernible in either. It's not really a problem, but something to be mindful of in your use cases.

 

Update: Anthony followed up on this point, too:

The powder does impart a lot more of its flavor (and color) into food items. I personally prefer to use the whole leaves in my smoothies (and most other things) because I'm not a big fan of the flavor either. Powder works well for baking (where even color distribution is desired), and mixed drinks (in my opinion).

Also, the packaging could be better. There's a little resealable inner bag within a foil bag, and I can't for the life of me get the powder's inner bag to reseal without losing a bunch of powder as smoke or on my fingers. Big deal - I just rolled both bags' tops together and rubber banded the whole thing. Yes, I am essentially McGyver.

 

Update: Anthony is a step ahead of me on this, which just shows my point on his customer service ethic. This is a company focused on quality and a quality experience for customers.

We acknowledge that the packaging for the powder in particular needs to be improved. We've been working with our farm to find a solution but haven't yet settled on one.

There's also the question of the stimulant effect of green tea.  I don't feel jittery or any more or less awake, and, as I mentioned above, my sleep issues aren't the product's fault (I am getting woken up by outside, powerful yet adorable 4 year old forces and kept awake later than I'd ideally prefer). It's worth a look at the issue of green tea and stimulants, especially if you have issues with caffeine.  A quick Google search can help, but here are a couple of links I found: Natural News: Green Tea and Caffeine, Wikipedia Green Tea Article.

I emailed the company about this, and got back a really helpful response that I wanted to share (another great example of their customer service):

I get that question a lot Bryan. While there is an increase in the amount of antioxidants you're ingesting - there is not an increase in caffeine. Caffeine is very water soluble so when you brew a cup of tea you're getting all the caffeine from it. Antioxidants are not as water soluble - so when you brew a cup of tea most of the antioxidants remain inside the leaves / tea bag.

When it comes to caffeine, the benefit of ingesting the whole leaves is that the caffeine is absorbed more slowly into the body (as opposed to ingesting a cup of brewed tea). So you don't get that energy peak and crash. Instead its more of a sustained energy lift throughout the day.

I'm not really qualified to evaluate this statement, but it sounds reasonable to me, and my experience would suggest that it's true.

To buy or not to buy?

This isn't a clear situation. I think there's no harm in using this stuff, but that's my view and coming from my body. You need to understand how your body reacts to green tea and its active components before deciding that for yourself. Millions of people drink it, and it's largely regarded as a healthful thing, so the odds are in your favor. As for the benefits of this product over drinking green tea, I can't say whether they're material or hypothetical. I do know I don't drink green tea, so this was a great way to get its benefits into my life quickly and easily. For me, that's a win, and means I'll at least be buying the leaves again to add into my dinner dishes. If that sounds appealing to you, then you should consider giving it a try.

In the end, the fact that I'm still using them, and plan to keep using them should stand as my overall view and recommendation. I just ask that you think about your health situation and your diet before blindly following my actions (or not).

Antioxidants are great, and learning more about their benefits and then incorporating them into your life is a great way to enlighten.your.body.

Q: Do you eat w/in 30 min of waking if you're not hungry?

Q: I'm curious. Do you ever wake up not hungry? And if so, do you eat anyway?

A: Interesting question. As I think about it, I don't wake up hungry. I don't think I've ever woken up hungry, or hardly ever and I can't think of a single time. But I've also done things that 4HB suggests to keep me from waking up hungry that I never used to do - like eating some almond butter before bed, and eating a much bigger dinner at around 5:30/6 (but it's way healthier and varied in content).

It is a question of what you're going for. I'm trying to bring my body fat down. If you're an athlete who is in good shape, then I'm guessing your goal isn't the same, and eating when you're hungry is probably a much better approach. That said, getting high protein w/in 30 minutes of waking isn't just about weight loss. It's also about fueling your muscles.

I'd guess a better approach for you would be to think about protein types to get w/in the first 30 minutes. Use the right kind of protein relative to when your muscles will need it. Check out my post from March 20th, 2012 on protein types.

Recipe: Bean Bourguignon

I was reading Runner's World recently, and found a very good looking recipe in it.  Generally, I find their recipe's too look great, but be way too high in sugar for my preference.  It's funny - usually they have naturally sweet ingredients (like fruit), but then add more sugar, honey or maple syrup on top of that, and I never know why they do that.  Of course, by, "it's funny," I mean, "it's sad and unnecessary."

So, with a bit of skepticism, I read a recipe for making a classic, rich, savory dish into one a bit healthier.  Bouf Bourguignon is an old French classic for a rich, flavorful, slow-cooked treat. If you've seen the movie Julie & Julia, you may recognize the dish's name.  Runner's World replaced the beef with white beans, so as to be more health-conscious while still providing lots of protein. Oddly enough, they add in prosciutto for flavor, thus dashing any hopes of this being a vegetarian or vegan dish.  My version kept with the meat, but I have a couple of ways to move further away from carnivority (if that's a word, which it isn't).

So, here's the Runner's World recipe, as it appears on their site, save for one edit.  They left out re-adding the mushrooms, so I've written that in below (see the blue text). This comes from http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/recipe-bean-bourguignon.

Ingredients

Photo courtesy of Runner's World

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 package (10 ounces) baby portabella mushrooms, quartered, or cut into sixths if large
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon, burgundy, or merlot
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms start to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and onion to the pot. Cook onion, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add prosciutto, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the cooked mushrooms back in. Cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Whisk in wine and broth. Stir in the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve. Serves 6.

Nutrition Information
Calories Per Serving: 377
Carbs: 44 g
Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 22 g
Fat: 11 g

It's a very simple dish, actually, with the toughest part being, well, just about nothing. OK, if you use fresh thyme like I did, picking it from the stems is time-consuming.  It's basically about throwing things in a pot, sometimes taking some out before adding them back in - but you could even skip that, and just add the onions after the mushrooms cook.  I wouldn't, but it's probably not that big of a deal.

So, what did I do to alter this?  Well, first, I don't drink, so the wine had to go.  This allowed me to make this recipe while sticking to my Clean14 pledge of no alcohol (along with other things). I was trying to think of what to use instead, and my wife had a brilliant idea - seriously brilliant - use pomegranate juice. It has a similar flavor profile and tartness.  It is very sugary, though, which is my only concern. A serving of POM Wonderful has over 30 grams of sugar. You could also use tart cherry juice. I just looked at a concentrate version on Amazon, and it has 14 grams per serving, so that would work nicely, too.

The second thing I changed was to ditch the white flour. That has the nice effect of making this a gluten-free dish, while also replacing wasteful carbs with more productive carbs and protein.  You can go several ways here, but I chose a mix of almond and coconut flour. The coconut flour is closer to white flour in consistency, while the protein and carb profile of almond flour is really nice. I also think it gives a richness to dishes while not adding rich stuff.  I was also a little concerned with the coconut flour giving coconut flavor to the dish.  I can say this didn't happen at all given how flavorful the other ingredients are, and how little you're using (it's only a 1/4 cup of flour, so even all coconut flour should't do much).  As always, I'd recommend Bob's Red Mill for your flour needs.  They're a great company with great products and great values.

Third thing I changed was to use natural, black forest bacon.  Nothing wrong with prosciutto if you're ok with meat (and pork), but the really good stuff without junk preservatives can be very costly.  I added 20 strips of well-cooked bacon (I bought pre-cooked, but you can cook it yourself - I just didn't have the time) for about 1/4 the price of 6 ounces of prosciutto.  This gave a lot of great flavor to the dish.

To avoid pork, you could easily use turkey bacon (I actually intended to, but the Whole Foods I went to was out of it when I went).  To go vegan, you can use vegan bacon. It doesn't have the same flavor, but it has a good flavor, and I think would definitely do the job. If you don't want to do that, you could add probably a tablespoon of liquid smoke to get the same effect.  Lastly, if you want to avoid adding something like that, you could use shiitake mushrooms, which have a nice, woody, smokey flavor to them.  I'd do another 10 ounces (so doubling the amount of mushrooms), and make sure they're nicely cut up to release as much flavor as possible.  To keep it vegan, you could easily use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (as RW points out), but you could even possibly use miso soup (Whole Food's 365 brand has a miso broth that has a very light flavor, and could help make up for the lack of wine by adding a bit of fermentation to the dish).  I haven't tried doing it with miso, but a gentle miso broth could work nicely here.

My only other change was to add way more thyme than they recommend, and to do so with fresh thyme.  I love the taste of thyme, and it can help to make up for the lost flavors from rendering beef, wine or prosciutto.

The whole thing, including picking the thyme from the stems, took about 40 minutes, with 30 of that being cooking.

So how did it taste?  Honestly, unreal.  The house smelled amazingly, too.  I got three good-sized servings out of it, but I'm not sharing them with anyone because I'm stingy and like it took much.  This would go really well over brown rice or quinoa (tip - cook them in chicken, veggie or miso broth for an even better taste), or on its own.  I put it over a little bit of chicken-stock-cooked brown rice.  It would also pair really nicely with some rutabaga chips.

Recipe: Green Eggs

I've given a lot of breakfast advice over the past couple of years with a focus on getting 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking (read this Q&A post for some thoughts on the matter). This seems to be a real sticking point for people who aren't used to eating breakfast, or, if they are, they eat something fast, cold and simple (bagel, cereal, muffin, etc). The idea of cooking breakfast sounds way too hard, and the idea of having eggs every morning sounds way too unhealthy.  You have it backward in terms of the health point.  As for it being hard, yeah, you've got me there.  The good news is, I have a solution.

How is it that I eat a multi-ingredient omelet every morning around 5am without making so much noise that I wake up my whole household? How do I do it without having to cook on top of trying to workout, do some work, shower, get dressed and get out the door to get to my office?  The answer is really simple - I cook the omelet at night, and employ my economics undergrad degree a bit by leveraging economies of scale.  In non-dork terms, I make more than one omelet at a time.  Sometimes, I don't even make an omelet, but do more of a fritada so I can just stick it in the oven for 20 minutes and not even have to think about it (or clean the dish for a few days).

OK, here's the deal. You need an egg for each day you're cooking for, some egg whites, powdered greens (optional, but highly recommended since they're SO good for you), spinach, onions or scallions, chia seeds, mushrooms, cayenne, salsa, sea salt, a kitchen sink and anything else you want in your omelet. Be sure to skip cheese, milk and anything you don't want in your omelet.  I tend to make enough for five or six breakfasts, so I use that many whole eggs, and then probably another cup to two cups of egg white added in.

Start with cracking the eggs into a bowl.  Add a scoop of greens for each day's worth of breakfast (e.g. five scoops for five breakfasts).  I find stirring the greens in after each scoop is best for avoiding clumps. A mini whisk is ideal, but I fork will work ok.  If you get some lumps, don't worry too much, but generally try to minimize how many lumps you get. Also add any seasoning (salt, cayenne) at this point. After you have all the greens in, add in your egg whites, and stir it all together some more to help mix it and break down any remaining lumps.

In a sauce pan, sauté the veggies a bit as they won't cook sufficiently for most people's taste once in the egg mixture. Add the spinach (or kale, if you like) half way through.  Sprinkle chia seeds on top, and then pour the eggs in.  If you're doing this in a quiche dish as a frittata, pour the veggies into the dish, spread them, and then sprinkle on the chia seeds.  Chia seeds are a great source of fiber and energy. They're good to work into your diet, and this is an easy way to do so. A nice optional ingredient is salsa or pico de gallo. Just drain the liquid off, or let it burn off during the cooking process. Tomatillo sauce is also a nice addition. Really, just play around to suit your preferences and taste, and to help differ things from week to week.

Next, pour in the egg mixture. If it isn't enough to cover the veggies, add some more egg white.  I felt like a little more spinach was in order, so I pressed some down into the mixture, but that's basically it.  You can cover it and let it cook on medium or medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes (until the middle isn't liquidy), or stick the quiche dish in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes (checking that it looks cooked throughout).  The time will depend on the depth/thickness, so adjust for your situation. I find lower heat for longer time works better than trying to cook it hot and fast.

When it's done, let it cool, and then just cut it into wedges that look like a good portion for you to eat at breakfast.  Depending on the size of the pan or quiche dish and the thickness of the frittata or omelet, I find I get five or six portions out of it.  My breakfast routine consists of a wedge of that warmed in the toaster oven (15 minutes at 275 or so) or microwave (1:30 on high is usually good) plus a protein shake and a couple of newbodi.es 4hb slow carb bars.  Sometimes I'll also make lentils to along with it, and only eat one slow carb bar.

A tasty, good for you, protein-packed way to enlighten.your.body first thing in the morning.

Q: I'm so hungry by the time I get home, it's been really hard

Q: I'm so hungry by the time I get home, it's been really hard to stay on the diet.

A: That is simple - you're not eating enough during your meals.  We are conditioned to believe that eating too much (or enough) is the root of all evil when trying to lose weight (or, more accurately, eating a lot along with eating fat).  This just isn't true.  It's not quantity, it's quality.  In fact, to be more precise, you need high quantity of high quality.  Drop one of those two, and you have problems.

Tim Ferriss discusses this a few times.  The way he sees it - and I totally agree - is that you aren't eating enough during your meals if you find yourself hungry or needing to snack.  He isn't a subscriber of the "3 meal + 2 snack" approach, and would recommend bigger meals instead.  Having stuck a subcutaneous glucose monitor in himself for a month or so, he saw that you don't actually need the snacks to keep metabolism going the way people say you go.  Since snacking is not valuable for stimulating metabolism, Tim sees hunger that drives snacking more as sign of your fuel intake being far too low to cover your work effort.  He reminds readers that their new diet is lower in energy than their old one, so they need to ramp up volumes - a cup of kale doesn't have the same fuel as a cup of oatmeal.

For me, I follow a 3-4 meal approach (depending on how much time and access to good food I have during the 3 meals, I'll add a fourth), but I also listen to my body if I'm hungry, and adjust my meal intake or I do have a snack that's within the rules to get me to my next meal when the previous one wasn't sufficient.  In that next meal, I'll go overboard on the good stuff to be sure I'm good and full.

It's funny, I don't recall being so full so often in my life...and certainly never being so full on tasty food where I consistently lose weight and fat.

The good stuff to load up on are mainly cruciferous veggies - broccoli, spinach, kale, baby broccoli (which is a hybrid of kale and broccoli), chard, etc.  It all sautés nicely, goes well in soups, omelets, fritadas, etc. But throwing in an egg, or a cup (or two) of lentils is a fantastic idea. Lentils are amazing.  Super rich in protein, filling, and can be very tasty (they take seasoning well when cooking them).

A suggestion I'd make is to eat your 3 squares according to the rules, but for the first week or two, try adding a mid-afternoon salad.  A big salad.  Try getting a hard boiled egg in there.  I did this for the first two weeks, and it really helped.  And sprinkle some chia seeds on it.  Then, before bed, do what Tim suggests - have a tablespoon of almond butter or something similar to get some protein and fat in you to ride you through the night. You'll sleep better, and you may just find, like me, that your weight and fat are lower on mornings after doing that than on mornings when you don't.  I was shocked.

I started to figure out good recipes I'd want to eat that were totally within the rules and actually simple to make, which helped me make bigger meals I'd eat all of, and so now I tend to eat 3 meals instead of 4.  I'll share some in the future, but you can also download The Slow Carb Cookbook from our Resources page to get started.