wellness

What’s on the Menu – A Review of Arbonne Protein Shake Mix

I always promote the theory that a huge component of healthy eating is the utilization of whole ingredients. Whether it be fruits, vegetables, nuts or meat, I believe that the more wholesome you can be with your diet, the better.

However, I know that our go-go society makes eating whole foods somewhat difficult. Being a personal trainer that caters to clients in multiple locations requires me to frequently eat on the go. Unfortunately, whole foods aren’t always the most travel friendly.

I regularly bring tupperware containers full of whole foods with me whenever I can, but sometimes situations arise where having a portable meal replacement option available can be a godsend. I believe that’s one of the main reasons why protein shake mixes and meal replacement bars have risen in popularity over the past 5 years (source). Unfortunately, this rise in popularity has also led to market saturation, in my opinion.

Photo Sep 21, 9 44 22 AM

Ate this “breakfast” in the bank parking lot

The number of meal replacement bars & shakes you have to choose from nowadays is almost overwhelming. Also, most of these items are marketed as “health foods” while certain ones are no better than items you can get at a fast food restaurant (source).  These are the reasons why I love sharing my reviews of “meal replacement” options whenever I try them.

I was recently asked by a friend to try out a protein shake mix from a company called Arbonne (website). Arbonne is based out of Switzerland and it distributes a wide range of beauty & health products. According to their catalog, all their nutrition products are vegan, gluten-free and free of artifical sweeteners & flavors. I want to state that I am not a Arbonne distributor and currently have no plans to be one in the future. Right now, I’m just a taste tester.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, here’s my review of Arbonne’s vanilla protein shake mix:

  • Nutrition stats: 1 packet (~1/4 cup) contains 160 calories, 3 g of fat, 14 g of carbs and 20 g of protein; contains numerous vitamins & minerals, most noteably vitamin B12 (17% RDA) & vitamin E (16% RDA). Click here for more nutritional info on this product.
  • Taste: mixed half the packet with just water – dissolved well, not gritty or chunky – good vanilla flavor & not overtly sweet but I definitely got the stevia aftertaste; mixed remaining powder in a blender with frozen spinach & blueberries – created a super creamy smoothie, but I preferred it with just water.

Screenshot 2017-09-21 at 12.26.06 PM.png

Overall, I was pretty impressed by the protein shake mix from Arbonne. The ability for it to dissolve completely in water is a huge bonus and the single serving packets are easy to transport. Sugar cane is the second most abundant ingredient according to the label, which I’m not thrilled about, but it wasn’t super sweet. I would probably add a little full fat coconut milk to my water to get a more satiating “meal”. Either way, if I were in the market for a vegan protein powder, I’d definitely consider Arbonne.

As previously mentioned, I’m not an Arbonne distributor, but if you’re interested in their products, I can connect you with someone who is. You can always contact me via email, elementaltampa@gmail.com, or give us a shout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). If you do reach out, and I hope you do, make sure to include any suggestions on the next product you’d like me to review.

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Protein Powder & Protein Water Taste Test

This was the Addicted to Fitness episode that you were suppose to hear before Irma rolled through our neck of the woods. Sorry it took a few weeks longer to deliver it to you all, but we’re very grateful that we even get the opportunity to share it at all. Many areas affected by Irma are still recovering and I encourage everyone to continue supporting the relief effort by donating to credible organizations like the American Red Cross (link) and Save the Children (link).

Now that the über important stuff is out of the way, we can jump into this week’s protein filled episode. Shannon kicks it off recapping her recent training, which is limited to walking and yoga because, according to her, she’s “big time pregnant.” Both those forms of exercise are conducive to her current condition but she’s also doing a ton of yoga because she’s coming to the end of her yoga teacher training program.

Screenshot 2017-09-18 at 5.49.37 AM

In the final months of her program, Shannon has taken, assisted and even led several yoga classes. She comments on how much she’s learned in this program and how she’s developed a love & appreciation for prenatal yoga. Shannon was exposed to numerous yoga disciplines that few people know about and she’s eager to share information about these mostly unknown forms. Stay tuned for a deep dive into lesser known yoga disciplines on a future ATF podcast.

My training recap isn’t nearly as eventful. I’m still making it to my weekly jiu-jitsu class and doing strength training at Tampa Strength (link), but what I’m really excited about is the addition of Title Boxing Club (link) classes to my personal training schedule. The group dynamics of the Title classes are a pleasant departure from the 1-on-1 or semi-private training I provide.

After our training recaps, Shannon and I discuss the non-perishable food items we purchased for our hurricane preparedness kit. We wanted to make sure we had food that was essentially ready to eat but also very nutrient dense. We both knew that items high in protein & fat would keep us fuller, longer than items made primarily of refined sugar and grains. You’ll have to listen to find out whether or not the food items we purchased matched the hurricane checklist from Delish.com (link).

After our training recap and hurricane food review we FINALLY get into the taste test of two newfangled protein products. Shannon begins by giving her review of thinkThin single serve protein powder packets. She tried the strawberry raspberry flavor and commented on how much fruit flavor it possessed, which wasn’t surprising since the second most abundant ingredient according to the packet was dried fruit. The entire packet provided 15 grams (g) of animal & plant-based protein, 5 g of fiber and a whole serving of fruit. Shannon commented that it didn’t have any gritty texture or bad after taste and she looks forward to trying the other flavors. Check out the thinkThin website (link) for more nutritional info & ingredients.

My protein product was an item I’d been itching to try for sometime. Protein Water is produced in the Tampa Bay Area and I’ve been hearing a lot about it on local radio. I finally picked up a few bottles and saved one specifically to share on the podcast with you all. The protein filled water contains 15 g of animal based protein and numerous forms of electrolytes. It also contains 100% of our recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D & vitamin B6 and 1250% of our RDA of vitamin B12. It not only provides protein & energy but it is also hydrating, which isn’t always the case when it comes to pre-made protein drinks. Check out the Protein Water website (link) for more nutritional info & ingredients.

Screenshot 2017-09-18 at 7.03.11 AM

We’re always looking for products to try on a future podcast. Please feel free to send your ideas for future taste tests to elementaltampa@gmail.com or connect with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).

Also, we’d really appreciate it if you gave us a rating and review in iTunes (link) or on our new Addicted to Fitness Facebook page (link). Don’t forget to get enough protein in your diet and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=776d7f9661d18bc98a0d9ee4fb846a5f

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/protein-powder-protein-water

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/protein-powder-protein-water-taste-test

Weekend Workout – Jump Around to a Fitter You

This weekend workout will definitely have you feeling a little froggy. Incorporating jumping exercises into your workout routine can help you build lower body strength, balance and agility. They’re also a great way to quickly elevate your heart rate, which can lead to improved cardio capacity over time.

I recommend performing four to six sets of these jumping exercises. It’s especially important that you warmup and modify this workout to match your fitness level. Also, if you have a significant lower body injury (e.g. ligament strains or tears) you should click here for one of our past core centric weekend workouts.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

20246382_1982228778677631_8053003842087422201_n

What’s On The Menu – It’s More Pea Than Nut, But I’m OK With That

Some of you may have guessed from the title what food I’ll be discussing in today’s menu spotlight, but for those who are still trying to figure it out, I’ll give you a hint: it taste DELICIOUS! I’m sure that’s all you needed to realize that I’ll be analyzing the nutrition of peanut butter in today’s post.

My love for peanut butter is borderline extreme. I don’t know if I’ve tasted a peanut butter product I didn’t like. My dedication to this faux-nut runs so deep that I mandated that Shannon eat at least a tablespoon a day while she’s pregnant with the hope that our child won’t be born with a peanut allergy. As silly as that may sound, a recent study suggested that exposing infants, that are at least 4 months old, to peanut products could make them less likely to develop peanut allergies (source). It’s probably a longshot but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the same logic extends to babies in utero.

Screenshot 2017-09-14 at 5.32.30 AM

Peanut butter is a derivative of peanuts, DUH, which belong to the Fabaceae family, better known as the legume family. Even though peanuts are often used in the same culinary applications as true tree nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, etc.) they are actually related to peas and beans (source).

Unlike green beans or snap peas, peanuts actually grown underground. This is extremely beneficial to the agricultural process because they can create their own nitrogen, which helps them grow. Then when they die, they release that nitrogen into the soil for other plants to use. This reduces the amount of additional nitrogen in the form of fertilizer the farmer has to use (source).

pexels-photo-236834

But this post isn’t about the agricultural benefits of peanuts. It’s about its buttered version’s nutritional pros and cons. Check out the list below and make up your mind on whether or not peanut butter should be on YOUR menu:

PROS

  • Contains a significant amount of all 3 macronutrients: 100 grams (g) consists of 50 g of fat, 25 g of protein and 20 g of carbs. Also contains 5 g of the pseudo macro fiber (source).
  • Contains a significant amount of micronutrients: 73% RDA of Manganese, 67% RDA of Vitamin B3 and 45% RDA of Vitamin E just to name a few (source).
  • Contains cancer fighting antioxidants: peanut butter contains p-coumaric acid which research suggests could help prevent colon cancer (source).

CONS

  • Peanuts contain aflatoxins, which have been linked to cancer & childhood development issues. It should be noted that the process of turning peanuts into peanut butter eliminates approximately 90% of the aflatoxins (source).
  • Contains a large amount of omega 6 fatty acids. Research suggests that frequent consumption of foods high in omega 6’s can increase inflammation and create a greater risk for cardiovascular disease (source).
  • It doesn’t contain as much as roasted peanuts, but peanut butter does contain oxalate, which can contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones (source).

Screenshot 2017-09-14 at 6.55.41 AM.png

After a cursory look at the nutritional data on peanut butter, I can say with all honesty that I’m still a huge fan. I don’t advocate pigging out on it, but it can be a macronutrient dense addition to your diet. Just make sure there is no one in your household that is allergic.

As you can see from the photos above, I’m a big fan of adding a smear of peanut butter to fruits and vegetables. I’d love to hear about which food vehicles you use to get your dose of PB. Please email your go-to recipes/meals to elementaltampa@gmail.com. You an also post your PB creations on any of our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). Let’s all show our love & appreciation for this nut butter imposter!

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Hurricane Irma Update

I want to apologize to our regular readers of the blog & listeners of the Addicted to Fitness podcast for being MIA over the past week. Hurricane Irma posed a real threat to my family’s safety, and Shannon and I had to dedicate all our focus to preparing for this potentially life altering event. Fortunately for us and other Tampa residents, Irma weakened as it approached our city. This led the storm to cause what I would consider minimal damage and allowed us to record an impromptu episode of the ATF podcast.

Shannon and I take a departure from our normal training recap and health news to fill you in on all that went into preparing for this storm. We discuss the emotional eating caused by Hurricane Irma, which I will say is definitely a reality. We were anticipating being without power for sometime, which is why we cooked everything in our freezer including 4 boxes of Trader Joe’s croissants. Shannon and I do a good job sticking to a low carb diet, but once we were faced with the threat of a natural disaster, we couldn’t get ENOUGH comfort food.

After recapping our “hurricane” eating, we go into the more important topic of providing relief to those severely affected by Irma. I know I plan on donating blood this week and I encourage all that can to do the same. Blood donations are always in demand, especially after natural disasters. You can also donate cash to reputable charities who have already set up Hurricane Irma relief funds like the American Red Cross (link) and Save the Children (link). If you plan on donating to another charity to help Hurricane Irma victims, please make sure they’re legit by researching them on Guidestar.org.

Screen Shot 2017-09-13 at 5.43.24 AM

We truly appreciate all our friends & family constantly checking up on us before and after the storm. It always feels good to be shown a little love, which is a perfect segue for me to ask you all to show the ATF podcast a little love by giving us a rating & review on iTunes (link) OR our brand new Facebook page (link). I also want to reiterate that if you’re able to donate to Hurricane Irma relief, please do so.

As always, feel free to send us your thoughts about this or any episode of the ATF podcast via email (elementaltampa@gmail.com) or by reaching out to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode full of all kinds or useful fitness info. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hurricane-irma-update/id1121420986?i=1000392192174&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/hurricane-irma-update

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/hurricane-irma-update

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Fight Breakdown of Mayweather-McGregor & Polichemi-Gramatica

I go solo on this week’s Addicted to Fitness, but don’t worry. Shannon’s cohost position is not in jeopardy.

For those of you that don’t know, Shannon is well into her 3rd trimester with our first child. In addition to that, she’s still working full time and is only a few weeks away from completing her yoga teacher training. If you’ve ever been pregnant, or the significant other of someone who is pregnant, you know that R & R is paramount. That’s why I decided to take the podcasting responsibilities upon myself this week.

I love Shannon being my cohost and I know you listeners do too, but a part of me was glad I was able to roll solo on this week’s podcast. Mainly because I commented on a pair of recent boxing events that I was looking forward to for some time. But before we get into my thoughts on those events, I dive into our training recap for the week.

As previously mentioned, Shannon is only a few weeks away from completing her Bella Prana yoga teacher training. If I haven’t said it before I’ll say it now, I’m super proud of her dedication to this program. I’m sure we’ll discuss her final exam a little more next week so make sure you tune in!

My training recap consists primarily of training with Elemental Training Tampa (ETT) clients. This past week was my busiest since I took ETT full time in March. I couldn’t be happier and I’m really appreciative of how committed all of my clients have been. One client in particular has been extremely devoted to his training program and he got to use that training in a recent celebrity boxing event.

Anthony “Spanish” Polichemi has been training with ETT for the past 5 weeks in preparation for a celebrity boxing match with former NFL pro Martin Gramatica. The match was the main event of the annual Mike Calta Punchout, which ETT has been fortunate enough to be involved in for the past 3 years. Even though Anthony was giving up approximately 5 inches and 20 lbs. to Martin, I was confident that after his training with ETT at Tampa Strength and Master Amir Ardebily (click here to listen to his ATF interview) at Amir Acadmey of Martial Arts, he’d be able to get his hand raised.

I sadly had to miss the event, but I listened to a round by round broadcast on the 102.5 the Bone mobile app. It sounded like Anthony was able to use his footwork and head movement to score early and often, but he ran into several power punches from his larger opponent. In the end, Anthony lost a decision, but I couldn’t be happier with the way he performed. I’m even more excited that he’s decided to continue his training with both ETT and Master Amir.

Screenshot 2017-09-04 at 6.48.40 AM.png

Photo courtesy of bloodyelbow.com

I wasn’t nearly as emotionally invested in the other fight discussed on this week’s episode. Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor has been the number one topic in the world of sports for the past 10 weeks. All the hype finally came to fruition on August 26th and to many people’s surprise, Conor McGregor performed rather well, given the circumstances.

Floyd has been touted as one of the best technical boxers of all time, and his 49-0 professional record would support that claim. Conor has recently taken the MMA and combat sports world by storm with his ability to talk a big game and back it up when he gets in the ring. Even though this match was considered by some to be somewhat of a sideshow, mainly due to Conor’s lack of ANY professional boxing experience, I was still looking forward to seeing how both fighters would handle the uncertainty their opponent would present.

Much to the surprise of most people, Conor started the fight very well. He used his size and reach to keep Mayweather at bay and land scoring punches. It look to me that Conor had done enough to win the first 3 rounds, but I had a feeling that Mayweather was simply analyzing Conor’s technique and would soon begin to capitalize on his opponent’s lack of boxing experience.

The fight seem to turn in Mayweather’s favor starting in round 4. He was able to avoid Conor’s punches and started landing power shots of his own. By round 8, Conor’s cardio was spent and Floyd turned up the intensity of his attack. Halfway through round 10, Floyd got Conor against the ropes, landed numerous unanswered shots which forced the ref to stop the fight. Mayweather won by TKO and improved his professional boxing record to 50-0.

Screenshot 2017-09-04 at 7.09.12 AM

The Mayweather-McGregor fight wasn’t a great example of superb technical boxing, but it was entertaining none the less. Not NEARLY as entertaining as the Polichemi-Gramatica fight, especially for yours truly. Click here if you like to see a video of the entire match between Anthony and Martin. Follow Anthony on social media (@spanishep) and watch as he continues his fitness journey with ETT.

You should also follow us on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). Please reach out to us on social or send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com, and let us know who you think of ATF. We love hearing from our listeners and I promise all you Shannon fans that she will be back next week. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=bad843c8f61aa163342caa25cc7bb458

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/fight-breakdown-of-mayweather

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/fight-breakdown-of-mayweather-mcgregor-polichemi-gramatica 

Weekend Workout – A Stronger Core Means A Stronger You

Have you tried incorporating supersets into your workouts yet? For those that need a refresher on supersets, they require you to perform a desired number of repetitions for 3 separate exercises in succession. These workout sets allow you to up the intensity of your workout in a shorter period of time.

This weekend workout includes a core centric superset workout. Performing five 10 rep supersets of this workout will help improve strength in your ENTIRE core, not just your 6-pack (rectus abdominis). Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

Screenshot 2017-09-02 at 8.07.59 AM

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview & Workout from the Seminole Heights Athletic Center

We’ve got another first on this week’s Addicted to Fitness. This on-location episode features my first workout at the Seminole Heights Athletic Center (website link) and a discussion about the history of the facility with the founders Karen & Marlo Tamayo.

Karen and Marlo grew up playing individual and team sports, but once they reached early adulthood, their approaches to fitness varied. Karen joined the coast guard which required her to maintain a certain level of fitness. Upon completing her military enlistment, she enrolled in grad school and later began competing in triathlons. She soon realized that the time investment involved in the triathlon training was substantial and made the decision to transition to crossfit training.

Marlo on the other hand continued her sport specific training while playing on the Florida Atlantic University varsity softball team. Her dedication to a regular fitness routine took somewhat of a backseat once she began her PhD program in the early 2000s. After 13 years of focusing a tremendous amount of her time and effort on her degree and career, she decided to make fitness a top priority once again. Much like Karen, this change in priorities led Marlo to discovering an affinity for crossfit workouts.

Screenshot 2017-08-27 at 1.25.43 PM

Snapped this gem during my visit to the Seminole Heights Athletic Center

Marlo & Karen were acquitances before they began training at the same crossfit “box” and even though they have a love for it, they knew that they wanted to take a different approach to fitness than crossfit offers. This led them to leading free workout sessions for friends, coworkers and neighbors at a workout space they created in their garage. Their fitness community quickly grew and required a larger space, which lead them to opening their current location in early 2017.

Seminole Heights Athletic Center (SHAC) offers a variety of exercise modalities including yoga and cardio boxing, but their primary workout tracks are SHAC FIT and BARBELL. Both options include high intensity interval training (HIIT) style workouts that are designed to boost endurance and/or increase strength & power output. The primary difference is that SHAC FIT uses more bodyweight exercises while BARBELL incorporates olympic lifting movements. Karen creates all the workouts and makes sure that they can be modified to match any fitness level.

Karen and Marlo operate SHAC in a manner that promotes a sense of community & acceptance. This is evident in the wide range of clientele that frequent the facility as well as their community involvement. They recently registered SHAC in the Tampa Police Department’s Safe Place Initiative (click here to learn more). This program allows anyone that is feeling threatened, or a possible victim of harassment/prejudice, to use the SHAC as a safe haven until authorities arrive. As a same sex married couple, Karen and Marlo have personal experience dealing with prejudice, which is why registering the SHAC in this program was a no brainer.

I was so stoked to have gotten the opportunity to speak with Karen & Marlo about their fitness journeys, but this wasn’t just an interview episode. We still had a workout to do!

Before I jumped into the workout, Karen put me through a standard 10 minute warmup that included several bodyweight & resistance band mobility exercises. After I was all warmed up and ready to go, I decided to tackle the SHAC FIT workout of the day which was 5 dumbbell squat clean thrusters (click here to see video demo), 5 hand release push-ups and 5 strict pull-ups.

I only had 10 minutes to complete as many rounds of the 15 rep sets as possible. It didn’t seem like much of a challenge at first but after the first couple sets, I was very happy that it was only a 10 minute workout. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out how many rounds I was able to complete.

Screen Shot 2017-08-28 at 6.01.57 AM.png

I can’t thank Marlo & Karen enough for allowing me to bring Addicted to Fitness into their awesome facility. One of the main functions of the podcast is to highlight fitness and health professionals that many people may not be aware of. Being able to do this in my own community is a huge honor and I hope you all enjoy these episodes as much as I enjoy creating them.

If you know a fitness professional(s) or facility that we should feature on the ATF podcast, please let us know by emailing us at elementaltampa@gmail.com or connecting with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). While you’re checking us out on social media, you should also check out the SHAC Facebook page (link). If you live in the Tampa Bay Area and want to get a workout in at SHAC, head to their website to see their class schedule.

Thanks again for all the love you guys constantly give us. Please leave us a rating & review in iTunes if you haven’t done so already. You know that we love hearing your feedback. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-workout-from-seminole-heights-athletic-center/id1121420986?i=1000391533616&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/an-interview-workout-from-the

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-workout-from-the-seminole-heights-athletic-center