I have been testing and trying a TON of different products over the last year. And thought it was about time to share what some of my favorites are. Please note, these are not anything that everyone should be taking, or that are even necessary for some people. I train hard 5-6 days a week and have specific muscle gaining goals–so a lot of these are geared towards that.

I purchase the majority (if not, all) of my supplements using eBates (you can sign up here for free) so I receive cash back on my purchases. I just log in to my eBates account and then choose the store I’m going to purchase from to activate my cash back–my favorites are Drugstore, GNC and VitaCost

Quest Bars. Give in, right? Anyone trying to increase their protein and fiber intake can benefit from these super tasty bars. With 20g of protein and 17g of fiber per bar, they’re outstanding for keeping things “regular”. My favorite flavors are Cookie Dough and Cookies and Cream, an excellent on the go snack.

AboutTime Protein Powder I love this brand. The minimal ingredient list, flavor choices and their easy to mix powder make them stand out to me. One scoop of their protein powder contains 25g of protein, with zero carbs or fat. And there is no chalky aftertaste. I also appreciate that they offer trial packs of their product so that you are able to test out a few flavors before you commit to a large tub of powder. Use promo code “spellfitness” at checkout on their website for 25% off.

New Chapter Calm Multivitamin While I eat nutrient dense food often, I like to fill in the gaps with a daily multivitamin and this one comes with a few “extras”. Some soothing herbs, probiotics, etc and it has a great multivitamin profile. I definitely could feel the “calm” effect while taking it, mellows out some anxious energy 😉

MuscleTech CLA Powder I wasn’t terrible impressed with this product. I had it in my mind that a powder CLA would be nicer than the capsules I had tried in the past, and the price was decent. CLA has been thought to increase lean mass and help with metabolism. I did not notice any changes with the product other than I had a major acne breakout shortly after starting it (not sure if they’re related or not). I’ve heard great things about MuscleTech’s products, but this one didn’t make the top of my list.

GAT Nutrition Muscle Martini this is new to my supplement stack, and so far I’m still up in the air about it. I love that is has BCAA’s for recovery along with the excellent antioxidant profile to help with free radicals damage prevention related to weight training, exposure to elements/pollution, etc. The flavors are good (I’ve tried the Peach Mango candy and Watermelon candy) and it helps make getting adequate water a little easier with the flavor enhancement. I’ve just started taking it, so I can’t attest to it’s benefits just yet, but so far I enjoy the product.

Protein2o is a new addition to my fridge. I love that it has collagen and whey protein blend and the Wild Cherry flavor is really good (of the 3 flavors I’ve tried Lemon is my least favorite, it had a bite to it that threw me off). This was a great post run choice for me, I didn’t want to eat anything and a thick protein shake didn’t sound great–so some Protein2o water over ice was excellent. 15g protein 2g carbs and 0g fat per bottle is excellent.

MusclePharm Carnitine Core and BCAA I really liked the flavors for both of these, the BCAA powder is like Kool Aide in my water! And I also appreciated the BCAA ratio for their powder related to muscle recovery. I have tried other Carnitine’s in the past and felt like this one didn’t offer as much in regards to physical changes or energy levels as others I’ve tried, but I also didn’t give it as fair of a shake as I could have. BCAA’s are great for recovery and catabolism post workout, and to help with energy intra workout, I will often sip on it all day long to prevent any muscle breakdown.  L-Carnitine is an amino acid that can help with energy metabolism and converting fat to energy–it’s a little overrate as far as supplements go but I enjoyed the other MusclePharm product so I thought I would give this one a try too,  not sure I would purchase it again.

There you have it! A few of my favorite (and not so favorite) supplements. What are some of yours?

Keep It Simple, Stupid! (Ok, none of you are stupid)

Far too often we think of diets and eating “right” as something that is just far out of our reach. Truth is, fad diets and weight loss companies want you to feel that way so that they can solve that dilemma for you with the purchase of their miraculous program; either that or we just feel like “oh screw it, I’ll never get it right” and abandon all hope of ever being able to eat a healthy balanced way.

Here are a few tips and tricks that I would suggest taking into consideration. Keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to have someone who know what their talking about (a nutritionist, dietician, or someone who is well versed in food and nutrition) help you set the appropriate macronutrient/calorie parameters for you based on your body and goals.

• Look for lean cuts of meat–beef is an easy one to think of, don’t go for the cuts with fat marbled throughout, opt for a filet or strip steak, best would be flank; trimmed of all visible fat.
• When choosing cheese and milk and yogurt, go for a lower fat variety vs full fat, you can’t taste the difference (at least I can’t), and this is an EASY way to reduce fat intake.
• Choose fresh foods whenever possible-shop the perimeter of the grocery store more than you would the aisles. Freeze things to use later, and try to fill your meals and snacks with as many whole raw foods as possible. Not only will this help to keep you feeling full (more volume from salads, apples, berries, etc vs a bag of potato chips), but you also get so many more vitamins, minerals and fiber from whole food sources; which will help with energy levels and regularity (yea, that means what you think it means 😉 )
• Track your food! I don’t want to created a movement of OCD folks, but so many people aren’t even aware of how much they’re eating! You might think that because you buy organic fruit snacks and eat a lot of hummus that you’re styling–when truth is your diet is lacking protein and healthy fats and you didn’t even know it! A food scale is also a good investment, not that you’ll need to measure every bite for eternity, but it really helps to put things in perspective when it comes to serving sizes.
• Don’t skip meals. I know this is an oldie, but it’s a goodie too. I’m sure 100% of us can relate to skipping breakfast, and lunch and then by 3pm we are crabby, ravenous and are not about to take the time to prepare ourselves a meal–so it is drive thru time! And because we’re starving we are pretty much guaranteed to make horrible choices and order way more than would ever be necessary in one meal (not that this has happened to me or anything…). So keep some snacks in your purse/desk/car for those times where lunch got pushed back so that you are not setting yourself up for a disastrous hunger binge.
• Watch what you drink! Don’t be chugging sugar filled coffees, juice, pop all day. Those are the sneaky carbs and calories that add up without us even thinking about it! Aim to be drinking at least half your bodyweight in oz of water (as in; if you weigh 160 you should get at least 80oz of water a day), I say a gallon every day–but some folks think they’re eyeballs will float out of their head with that 😛 And so often our body will disguise dehydration for hunger, so before you go scarfing a Big Mac, chug 16oz of water and then re evaluate.
• Think protein with every meal/snack. You should be keeping a pretty steady supply of protein in your system to help with muscle building and metabolism function. Also, your body can only efficiently use so much protein at one time–so if you “save” 60+ grams for the end of the day, not all of that will have gone to good use; and who would wanna waste protein?! So think “where’s the protein” when you go to choose a meal or snack (I try to have at least 20g with each feeding)

More of the story, don’t over complicate things. The majority of us will not need to be so so exact with our calories and macros that it needs to be all consuming. Granted, there are those people with really specific fitness related goals where nutrition needs to be super exact; but for the average mom or business dude, it’s just about making better choices, and not allowing oneself to go to either extreme–either way obsessive and restrictive, or overly gluttonous and not intentional.

Hope that helps!!

This is probably long overdue. The word “diet” is all too popular in our society today. And it seems like there is one for every kind of person. The vegetarian, the meat lover, the sugar addict, the bikini model, the power lifter, etc. So what is the one that you choose? How do you know which ones are “right”? The answer, you don’t. There isn’t a one size fits all model for nutrition, because everyone has different goals, different metabolisms, different activity levels and different bodies!.

I would consider myself to have been a professional dieter, I have tried just about every one out there. South Beach, Atkins, Juice Cleansing, raw foods, no carbs, high fat, etc. And you know what? I lost weight on just about every one of them! But you know what else? I couldn’t live on them, I felt deprived, hungry, crabby, weak. Something in every one of those above mentioned plans was missing–MODERATION. Our culture is an extreme one, everything is instant, and quick and guaranteed. That is not realistic, and it’s not healthy.

Granted, this is just my personal opinion. But I feel compelled to share it because it breaks my heart to see so many people, women especially, beating themselves up physically and emotionally over food and weight loss.

Food is awesome, people! It freaking rocks! It tastes good, it’s fun and it’s part of being a social human! But the other thing is, it’s just food. And there is plenty of it. So my point would be–save the decadent, completely ridiculously nutritionally void treats for the special occasions and enjoy them, fully. But the rest of the time–it’s just food. You need it to survive, to stay healthy, to have energy and build muscle and run fast and be awesome. You need carbs, they give you energy. You need fats, they help insulate and facilitate functions in the body that are too numerous to list. And protein is vital, it boosts metabolism, repairs damaged tissue and gives you energy.

I have found that for me, knowing how much of each macronutrient (that means: fat, protein and carbohydrates) my body needs to function optimally and helps with my fitness related goals; has given me IMMENSE freedom from the restrictions and yo yo patterns of my hard core dieting days. I don’t feel that anything is “forbidden” any more. If I want a brownie for dessert with my family–I make that “fit”. If I want a glass of wine with my husband after the kids go to bed, I make it fit. This is not to say that I don’t practice self control and discipline with my food choices the majority of the time. But I don’t feel like I am living out of balance any more. I am stronger, leaner and feel that this is a long term lifestyle change that i can maintain.

How much moderation do you feel your current “diet” has? Do you feel like you can maintain eating the way you are currently for the rest of your life? Do you feel like your food choices are helping you to achieve your health and fitness related goals?

I know that this will probably touch a few nerves, as some of you may have had “success” on something like what I am about to discuss. I guess my question would be what are you trying to accomplish during a cleanse or a detox? If the answer is health, lasting weight loss and a sustainable lifestyle change–you’re barking up the wrong tree there. 

Can you lose a significant amount of “weight” only drinking juiced fruits and vegetables? Sure! Will your belly flatten down if you stop eating solid food for 14 days? Of course!
Does drinking a caffeinated “health drink” 4 times a day give you more energy? In a way, yes.

Here’s another thing that I think confuses people “detox”. This notion that we are full of poisonous “toxins” that need to be removed from our system with an elixir or product that will cleanse our bodies. Let me share a secret with you: our bodies are completely capable at removing unnecessary substances on their own. Our livers and kidneys are created for this purpose. So unless you’ve actually ingested poison, you have a built in “cleansing system” already in place. Assuming you have well functioning kidneys and liver, you’re good to go there 🙂

But let’s step back a second and think about this in a longer time frame than a few days, weeks or even a month. Suppose your “plan” tells you to not eat carbs or processed foods; then your husband or child has a birthday, and there’s birthday cake, and you have a piece. Then what? You’ve “fallen off plan”, screwed up. But it was so good! The sugar makes you happy, you were part of the social event. This is where these sorts of programs get hard. It is really easy to follow a strict, restrictive plan when you’re at home or can pack your meals to bring to work, school, etc. But what happens when you go on vacation? Or there is a family Christmas party? Do you not eat?

I realize that there is something to be desired about a quick fix, suffer for the cause for a few days/weeks and you can magically fit into those skinny jeans again. But here’s the hard truth…the weight you’re losing isn’t the unhealthy body fat you’re wanting to get rid of. It’s mostly water weight, some intestinal bulk (yes, that means poop), and probably even some precious muscle mass. And here’s another kicker–the more times you utilize these extreme “diets”, the more weight you will gain over the course of a lifetime! 

So, proceed with caution if any program suggests that you radically reduce your calories, cut out entire food groups (carbs, fat, etc). I am all for programs that encourage the consumption of more whole foods–a glass of green juice a day is excellent! Heck, even a few glasses a day are great! But ONLY consuming that, not so much.

Including a variety of foods, incorporating the proper kinds of exercise, and knowing what amounts of the different macronutrients (protein, fat AND carbs) your body needs for the goals you’re trying to achieve are the keys to lasting success.