Pros of Whey Protein & Berry-Banana Smoothie Recipe

A great way to start your day is with a protein shake/smoothie with whey protein. Lots of people have a misconception about whey protein being only used by bodybuilders who are interested in gaining a lot of muscular weight. Whey has many health benefits, even to those of us who are not bodybuilders! Whey protein is a pure form of protein which is an essential dietary component.

 Here are a few reasons to add that scoop or two of Whey protein to your smoothie!

1. Amino acids: whey protein provides your body with essential amino acids

2. Weight loss: Whey protein is low in calories, fat and sugar, which helps to prevent weight gain while promoting a lean body composition. Whey protein helps to reduce glucose absorption time into the bloodstream to prevent hunger, according to the Whey Protein Institute. Slower glucose absorption can help fight the urge to snack between meals.

3. Reduced Stress: Whey protein slows the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. 

4. Muscle Growth: Your muscles need to repair after a workout in order to build muscle and whey protein helps with that process. 

Berry-Banana Smoothie

Recipe:

1/2 cup of non-fat vanilla almond milk unsweetened (you can sub. for NF milk, water, coconut water or soy milk as well)
2 scoops of Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla Powder (or any desired Whey protein, but this is my personal fav)
1/2 cup of ice cubes
1 banana (frozen if you want a more creamy shake)
1/4 blueberries (full of antioxidants!)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine milk (or desired liquid) protein powder and ice cubes in blender on high for 30 seconds. Then add additional ingredients and blend again for 30 seconds. 

Enjoy!

Purchase Isopure Whey Protein

How to tackle the grocery store (Part 1)

I love the grocery store. However I do get a lot of questions about how I approach grocery shopping so I am starting a series on it! Part 1 is about making out your grocery list. This is a huge part of being a successful and smart grocery shopper.

One device that I always take to the grocery store with me is my phone. With all the great apps its a great way to tackle the grocery store. One of my favorite is Fooducate. Download it!!! Its like taking your own personal dietician to the grocery store with you.

A little more about Fooducate:

Are you confused by ingredient lists, nutrition labels, health claims and marketing hype?
Fooducate is here to help. We are a team of parents, dietitians, and techies. We realize that at the supermarket you have very little time to analyze food labels and extract the information that is important to you. We'd like to help you make better choices for you and your family.

Get the Fooducate mobile application and use it to:

• Automatically scan a product barcode
• See product highlights (both good & bad)
• Compare products
• Select better alternatives
• Dig deeper and learn more about food and nutrition

Features:

• Created by dietitians and concerned parents
• Uses your mobile's camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcode
• Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
• Simplified information helps you make better choices
• Works on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android OS version 2.2 and up

My basic grocery list in my phone (which I keep in my notes on the iPhone) looks like this: I also always keep on hand a variety of nuts (almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts) and protein bars (Quest bars are my favorite- I will do a post on these a little later!). 

In addition to my basic list I also try to make a general meal plan for the week. I write it all down so that I know what items I may need to pick up in addition to my weekly staples. The weekly menu planner I use is from http://organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/weekly-menu-planner-shopping-list

Sample :)

Get that list ready and I will get Part 2 finished :) 

An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

"An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

We've all heard the saying before, but it can get old eating a plain apple day in and day out. Here is one of my favorite ways to enjoy an apple in a more unique way.

I'm not a huge chip fan, but I am of Apple Chips! 

These are super easy to make and have a decent shelf life (can stay fresh up to two weeks if sealed in tupperware or ziplock bag). These are also great snacks to bring along for road trips, traveling, or an on the go snack in the car. 

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 200*F. 

2. Wash apples.

3. You may peel or remove the apple cores (this isn't necessary unless you really want to since the cooking process will make everything edible).

4. Cut the apples into slices. 

5. Sprinkle the apple chips with a cinnamon sugar mix. 

6. Place the apples on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not over lap them.

7. Place apples in oven and cook for 90-120 minutes. 

Yum! Snack On.. 

Berry-Banana Coconut Protein Fro-yo

Perfect snack for am or pm and under 150 calories! Plus packed with 20+ grams of protein!

Berry-Banana Coconut "Fro-yo"

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey)
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut almond milk (can sub. non-fat milk or soy milk)
Pinch of shredded coconut (optional for topping)

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until it reaches a frozen yogurt consistency.

*If you want to make it a little sweeter feel free to add a 0 calorie sweetener such as Truvia to it :) 

The Run Down of G.K.L

Gym.Kitchen.Life (GKL) was brought to life by the demand from many of my friends for my cooking recipes. I overflow Instagram and Facebook with too many photos of food that I make which results in multiple people usually asking for the recipe, so I figured the best way to do it would be to put it in a blog.

I believe that you should eat to nourish your body but also enjoy the “sweet” side of life. My recipes focus on a clean eating approach while realizing that we are human and sometimes get a craving for a sweet treat  (I probably have more cravings than the average person!). 

Some of my blog will have some postings about fitness and exercise. I believe people should exercise to be fit, not skinny. 

Hopefully you enjoy my blog and join me on my journey through the Gym. Kitchen. and Life. 

-Kayla