Beachbody Performance Line

1. ENERGIZE Pre-Workout: Improves intense exercise performance, increases energy and endurance, and sharpens focus and reaction time.

2. HYDRATE During-Working: Supports hydration during exercise, replaces electrolytes lose during execs, fuels working muscles, and improves endurance.

3. RECOVER Post-Workout: Speeds muscle recovery, promotes lean muscle synthesis, combats exercise induced muscle soreness, and improves muscle strength recovery.

4. RECHARGE Nighttime: Suppors overnight muscle recovery, improves overnight adaptation to exercise, promotes lean muscle synthesis, and reduces muscle breakdown.

5. CREATINE: This add on has no flavor and mixes well with the Recover Post-Workout formula to improve high intensity exercise performance, increase muscle strength and power, and enhance the effects of resistance training.

They can be bundled in a kit: Ultimate Performance Pack
                                                Advanced Performance Pack
                                                Performance Stack
Or combined with Beachbody on Demand (all workouts streamed online): Click here for the DISCOUNT KIT


All supplements were designed by Harvard trained scientists and are based on cutting edge sports science, exercise physiology, and nutrition research. They are also plant based nutrients with NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. How awesome is that?!

UPDATE: My personal thoughts on the new line after 2 weeks of use

Energize: I think it's tasty, not too tart like our E&E is. I do not get jittery or have a racing heart. Instead I just FEEL SO GOOD! Like I'm ready to roll and conquer any workout. I love it! I never want to run out of this!

Hydrate: Taste is ok, it's a mild citrus flavor, not very strong in taste. It beats the taste of plain ol water ;) Plus I know it's hydrating my muscles properly so I'll continue to use it.

Recover: This is my most favorite purely for the taste lol What can I say, I love chocolate. But after 2 weeks of doing Body Beast and using this line, I can definitely vouch I'm not waking up as sore as I have before these supplements. This is mixed with just water and it's so yummy. No chalkiness or after taste.

Recharge: This one is ok in water but even better in a glass of almond milk! It's a subtle vanilla flavor. 

Creatine: I'm not taking it (yet) so I have nothing personal to say on it. 

Overall, I'm happy with the line. I am feeling better, more energized and refreshed in the mornings, not feeling so sore (which is amazing to me) I'm going to finish up the containers and I'll report back. 

8 High Protein Breakfasts

Resist that tempting box of donuts at the office and stop making poor meal choices at lunch by starting your morning with a nutritious, high-protein breakfast. Your body needs protein to build and repair muscle, so if you’re exercising, it’s important to get enough of it! These high-protein breakfast recipes are easy to make and will keep you feeling satisfied for hours. Not sure how much protein you should be eating? Find out here.

Spinach Omelet with Gouda
How Much Protein? 21 grams
Try something a little different with this spinach and corn omelet sprinkled with flavorful smoked gouda cheese. Get the recipe.

Greek Islander Shakeology
How Much Protein? 28 grams
This smoothie’s vibrant color comes from antioxidants in pomegranate juice and blackberries. Get the recipe.

Egg White Scramble with Chicken
How Much Protein? 52 grams
This satisfying scramble is a great choice to start the day with plenty of protein. Get the recipe.

Turkey Sausage Muffin
How Much Protein? 21 grams
This turkey sausage patty on an whole-grain English muffin is a great, grab-and-go breakfast. Get the recipe.

Power Yogurt Breakfast
How Much Protein? 29 grams
Power up for your workout, or your day, with this Greek yogurt recipe with fresh fruit, wheat germ, and toasted coconut. Get the Recipe.

Herbed Poached Egg Whites on Wheat
How Much Protein? 16 grams
Add some tarragon to your egg whites for a more savory breakfast. Don’t be intimidated by poaching eggs, it’s easier than you think! This light breakfast contains only 157 calories. Get the recipe.

Overloaded Oatmeal
How Much Protein? 25 grams
This oatmeal recipe is topped with your choice of nuts, dried fruit, and a dash of cinnamon. A scoop of whey protein powder makes it an even more satisfying breakfast. Get the recipe.

Scrambled Egg Whites with Steamed Sweet Potato
How Much Protein? 22 grams
By adding sweet potatoes as a side to your scrambled eggs in this P90X3-inspired recipe, you add even more nutrients to your breakfast plate. Get the recipe.

6 Health Benefits of Nuts

After decades of demonization for their high fat content—which in most cases is heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated anyway—nuts have finally claimed their rightful place among other foods long regarded as healthy.

In fact, nuts are so loaded with nutrients, they could be considered nature’s dietary supplement pill. Of course, roasted in heavy oil and salts, they become a lot less healthy but, properly consumed raw, or in some cases roasted (namely, chestnuts), nuts deliver a vast array of benefits unique to each.

Following are six overarching advantages to consuming nuts, within which are more specific nutrient benefits.

1. They Can Promote Heart Health and Circulation

Arginine
An amino acid produced by the body, arginine is implicated in healing, muscle growth, and sperm health because of its stimulation of protein production. But it’s perhaps known best for preventing arterial buildup by expanding blood vessels. Worth noting: Peanuts are not technically nuts, they’re legumes. Also, don’t eat them raw…or honey roasted. Opt for dry roasted, which are almost as healthy (but safer) as raw ones.
- Best source: Peanuts (1 g/1 oz serving – 166 calories, approx. 28 peanuts)
- Runners-up: Almonds (0.75 g), walnuts (0.7 g), hazelnuts/filberts (0.65 g – 178 calories, approx. 21 hazelnuts)

Omega 3
Omega 3s are polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, and walnuts contain the alpha-linolenic (ALA) form—over 150% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), in fact. Benefits include decreased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, increased HDL (good cholesterol) levels, and a possible reduced risk of heart attack.
- Best source: Walnuts (2.7 g/1 oz serving – 185 calories, approx. 14 walnut halves)
- Runners-up: Pecans (20% RDA), pistachios (5% RDA), macadamia nuts (4% RDA)

Iron
This mineral source is fundamental to the production of red blood cells, the delivery units of oxygen throughout the body. While recommended intakes for men (8 mg) and women (18 mg) vary, a handful of cashews delivers about 25% and 11% of the RDA, respectively.
- Best source: Cashews (2 mg/1 oz serving – 157 calories, approx. 17 cashews)
- Runners-up: Hazelnuts (1.4 mg), peanuts (1.4 mg), pistachios (1.3 mg)

2. They Can Help Preserve Brain and Mental Function

Folate
This B vitamin plays a key role in lowering homocysteine—an amino acid associated with conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Low folate levels have also been linked to depression, anemia, and even hair loss.
- Best source: Peanuts (72 mcg or 18% RDA/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Hazelnuts (34 mcg/9% RDA), walnuts (29 mcg/7% RDA), pistachios (15 mcg/4% RDA)

Magnesium
Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body, including proper digestion, heart and circulatory function, and bone growth and maintenance. It’s also been suggested as a viable aid in memory retention.
- Best source: Brazil nuts (113 mg or 28% RDA for men/1 oz serving – 186 calories, approx. 6 kernels)
- Runners-up: Cashews (88 mg), almonds (81 mg), peanuts (50 mg)

3. They Promote Vision and Eye Health

Vitamin A (Beta-carotene)
The nonanimal form of Vitamin A that gives plants their color is implicated in slowing macular degeneration, limiting sun sensitivity, and lowering the risk of heart disease. Pistachios are particularly rife with it, delivering 14% per serving.
- Best source: Pistachios (125 mcg or 14% RDA for men/1 oz serving – 159 calories, approx. 49 pistachios)
- Runners-up: Pecans (17 mcg), walnuts (6 mcg), hazelnuts (6 mcg)

Lutein and Zeaxanthin
These two antioxidants play an important role in reducing the risk of chronic eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataracts by filtering harmful high-energy blue wavelengths of light.
- Best source: Pistachios (362 mcg/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: That’s it. Pistachios are the only nut containing lutein and zeaxanthin in significant quantities.

4. They Help Regulate Weight and Metabolism

Protein
Nuts are a fantastic source of this vital energy for vegetarians—and anyone else. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating nuts instead of red meat once a day can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes 16 to 35%.
- Best source: Peanuts (7.8 g/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Almonds (6.3 g), pistachios (6 g), cashews (5.4 g)

Fiber
The fiber and sustained energy content of most nuts make them filling without being fattening, and chestnuts are by far the lowest in fat and calories than all other nuts.
- Best source: Chestnuts (1.5 g fiber, 39 calories/1 oz serving – 70 calories, approx. 3 chestnuts)
- Runners-up: Almonds (3.75 g fiber/174 calories), pistachios (3 g fiber/169 calories), peanuts (2.5 g fiber/170 calories)

Vitamin E
There are eight forms of this antioxidant, but the one found in nuts is of the alpha-tocopherol variety. Fairly strong evidence suggests it aids in preventing type 1 and 2 diabetes and treating fatty liver disease.
- Best source: Almonds (7.8 mg or 52% RDA/1 oz serving – 163 calories, approx. 23 almonds)
- Runners-up: Hazelnuts (4.5 mg/30% RDA), peanuts (2.5 mg/17% RDA), Brazil nuts (1.8 mg/12% RDA)

5. They Help Strength Bones and Teeth

Calcium
While also vital to blood and cellular function, 99% of all calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth, where it prevents osteoporosis and decay. Almonds are the nuts highest in this mineral, and number two isn’t really close.
- Best source: Almonds (81 mg or 8% RDA/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Brazil nuts (48 mg/5% RDA), hazelnuts (34 mg/3% RDA), pistachios (32 mg/3% RDA)

Phosphorus
The only mineral more prevalent in the body than phosphorus is calcium. Combined, the two work to grow, maintain, and repair bones and teeth, along with all other tissues and cells.
- Best source: Brazil nuts (218 mg or 31% RDA/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Cashews (178 mg/25% RDA), pistachios (147 mg/21% RDA), almonds (144 mg/21% RDA)

6. They Aid in Boosting Immunity

Zinc
The overall amount of this mineral found in the body is nominal, but it’s vital to immunity, affecting T cell and other immune cell functions and helping to stave off pathogens.
- Best source: Cashews (1.7 mg or 16% RDA for men/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Pecans (1.4 mg/13% RDA), Brazil nuts (1.2 mg/11% RDA), peanuts (1 mg/9% RDA)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Important for keeping hormones balanced and healthy, deficiency among the B6 compounds is associated with compromised immune response. One serving of pistachios contains 40% of the RDA for an average adult.
- Best source: Pistachios (0.51 mg/1 oz serving)
- Runners-up: Hazelnuts (13% RDA), walnuts (12% RDA), cashews (10% RDA)

Shakeology No Bake Protein Bars!

Here is the recipe, I didn't use bee pollen or the cacoa nibs. I just used what I had on hand. I did add a dash on cinnamon and a tad bit of vanilla to mine. They turned out very tasty!

Shakeology No-Bake Protein Bars:

2 cups cooking oats
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2 scoops Chocolate Shakeology
2 scoops whey powder (vanilla or cookies and crème work best)
2 tbs flaxseeds ground
2/3 cup water
1 tsp bee pollen
1 tsp cacoa nibs
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped peanuts

Mix all ingredients together. Add a dash more water if needed and place in a wax lined pan. You can also spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top and sprinkle with chia seeds. Place in freezer for 30 minutes and cut.

http://www.awesomeshakes.com/ to get your bag today!

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How to Gain Muscle

For those of you who want to build muscle but aren't sure what to do. Here are some tips for you!

1. Get Stronger. More strength is more muscle. Get into strength training. I recommend weight training because it allows you to start light and add weight endlessly. Body-weight exercises work too. Programs like P90X, P90X2, and Les Mills Pump are great weight training programs you can do at home. Insanity and Insanity Asylum are great body-weight programs you can also do at home, no equipment needed. Learn proper technique. Add weight each workout to keep pushing your body out of comfort zone.

2. Use Free Weights. You can lift the heaviest weights using barbells. More weight is more stress, thus more muscle. Dumbbells are great for assistance exercises, but not for your main lifts. Stay away from machines.

• Safe. Machines force you into fixed, unnatural movement patterns which can cause injuries. Free weights replicate natural motions.
• Efficient. Free weights force you to control and balance the weight. This builds more muscle than machines, which balance the weight for you.
• Functional. Strength built on machines doesn't transfer to free weights or real life. No machine balances the weight for you in real life.
• Versatile. You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Do Compound Exercises. Isolation exercises are ok once you've built base strength & muscle mass. But if you're starting to build muscle, exercises that hit several muscles at the same time are better. Here are some examples: Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Barbell Rows, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips, Squats & Deadlifts.

4. Get Recovery.

• Rest. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you workout.
• Sleep. Growth hormone releases when you sleep, building muscle. Aim for 8 hours sleep. Nap post workout if your lifestyle allows.
• Drink Water. Avoids dehydration and helps muscle recovery. Drink 2 cups water with each meal, and sip water during your workout.
• Eat. Your training is useless if you don't eat enough calories for recovery.

5. Nutrition is Key.

• Proteins. Lean meat such as chicken & fish, eggs, almond milk, etc
• Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, etc
• Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, salad, sweet pototo, etc
• Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, grapes, strawberries, etc
• Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, nuts, flax seeds, etc

You'll achieve a lower body fat, so the muscles you've built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time. Each Beachbody program comes with a nutrition guide and recipes, so the guess work is taken out for you!

6. Eat More. Most people don't eat enough, you got to eat more to build muscle.

• Eat Breakfast. Most important meal of the day! On the go and don't have time? Great meal on the go is Shakeology. You can add banana and peanut butter for added calories and protein.
• Eat Post Workout. Get proteins and carbs post workout to help muscle recovery and replenish your energy stores. The P90X Results & Recovery drink is perfect for post workout!
• Eat Every 3 Hours. This gives your muscles a steady intake of protein, speeds up muscle repair & recovery, and also boosts your metabolism.

7. Persist. Get stronger, track progress and persist until you've built the muscles you want.