I. The research has been skewed and gender biased for too long

Many women I talk to are still subscribing to outdated myths about training and are stuck in an “exercise more, eat less” mentality that is robbing them of the strong, healthy body they deserve from the effort and time they put into their training.

I want to clarify from the start of this article that I’m aware of and respect that people have different goals for their physique and different lifestyle practices they are comfortable with, and that what I am focused on in this post is helping you better understand how your body works so you can become physically stronger, more capable and confident, and enjoy a high quality life in a functional body at every age.

It’s time to bust some myths and give you the information you need to support your body’s process of getting stronger and healthier so you can stop undermining all the effort you put in with diet culture myths or strategies that come from research done on men, not women.

The changes we go through in life in our incredible female bodies – from puberty to menopause and everything in between – deserves attention and understanding. We are often on our own figuring everything out with so much scientific research in the past being done on men only, and the perception of a woman’s cycle as “too complex” (1).

This gender biased research means many (fortunately not all) doctors and other professionals fail to address women’s hormone concerns adequately, dismiss their concerns entirely by suggesting “it’s just part of the aging process” or “it’s in your head” or suggest strategies that fail to address the root cause of the issues. 

When researching this post for example, I found the lack of female representation in research studies appalling. It is only in recent years that women have been included more frequently, and yet even in many of the studies that included women there was rarely any differentiation in phases of the menstrual cycle, or attention to women at different stages of life. And even less that examined women of different cultures and ethnicities to explain how women from different backgrounds might experience things like peri menopause, strength gains and fueling needs.

As a result, generalizations are made because of the design of the research studies. No wonder it has been challenging for us to get good, relevant information that works for us! I will present to you what I have learned from what is currently available, but I too am still looking for more. See recommendations for follow up at the end of this article.

II. Common issues I hear women struggling with – do any of these apply to you?

III. Understanding that body composition is NOT “your weight on the scale”

Due to over-focus on “weight loss” many women are more focused on seeing a scale number go down rather than on how they can lose body fat and increase lean mass (2)(3).

If we take a closer look at body composition, we can shift this mentality and start to understand why even when we sometimes lose “weight” doing fad diets it comes right back, and that we’re sacrificing our valuable muscle tissue in an effort to lose this “weight”(4).

Weight on the scale measures overall body weight, which includes muscle, bone, water at the time of weighing, body fat and all the body tissues combined. Because many of these factors are variable (have you eaten, how much water are you retaining, what time of the month is it, have you had a bowel movement today), it’s more ideal to measure the composition of fat and muscle tissue on the body rather than body weight alone, which does not take the ratio of these important tissues into consideration.

Two women, one with more muscle and less fat and one with more fat and less muscle might weigh the exact same number on the scale. But the woman with more muscle will look leaner and more compact, and the woman with more body fat will look thicker.

While a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh one pound, the pound of fat takes up more space than the pound of muscle, due to its structural composition.

This is why taking a closer look at the ratio of muscle to fat on your body matters far more than the “amount you weigh.”

To get a real body composition measurement, ideally you would use a professional method like the DXA scan (dual x ray absorptiometry), air displacement plethysmography (i.e “Bod pod“), bioelectrical impedance measurement (i.e. InBody scan or similar), 3-D body scanner, or other professional body composition measuring test.

However as these are not always readily available, other methods may be useful for self testing, including skin caliper measurements, measurements with a tape measure around the hips, thighs, arms, stomach and chest, and full length photos from the front, side and back wearing the same or similar garments.

While it’s absolutely fine to weigh yourself in addition to these methods when looking for changes, only weighing yourself will give you very little data that speaks to your body composition. Combined with an over focus on “weight loss” along with the cultural expectations of women and their bodies, many women have disordered eating (5), disordered self perception, and are following fad diets, skipping meals, under-eating and overtraining.

They end up constantly down on themselves for their perceived lack of progress, under nourished, stressed-out and set themselves up for unintended health consequences including an increased risk for bone stress injury and cardiovascular disease (6).

This heightened stress state from overtraining and under fueling (not to mention stressing about our weight and every other pressure we feel from societal expectations) elevates our cortisol and increases the inflammatory response, which not only breaks down muscle but also creates fat storage and has a detrimental impact on our mood, energy levels, and long-term metabolic rate and overall health (7).

While some “weight loss” may be observed, this often comes back quickly, and the manner in which the weight is lost has unintended consequences that do little to contribute to a highly functional, strong body. All this focus on our weight and the vicious cycle we get in when we constantly seek shortcuts to lose it can undermine our long-term health and a good quality of life, increase negative self talk, and contribute to the perception that our appearance is the main driver of our value and worth.

While fat loss is a goal that a lot of women have and equate to “weight loss,” not enough women have the goal of gaining or preserving muscle, and as a result they are losing out – especially during the important transition from regular menstruating years to peri and post menopause – a time when the body’s fluctuating estrogen and progesterone signals become irregular and eventually stop, impacting our ability to lose fat and build muscle the same way.

The reason I say we as women are losing out is because muscle is metabolic currency (8). When we focus on strengthening, growing and preserving our muscle tissue, we start training, eating and resting in smarter ways, ways that go beyond aesthetics and support our long-term health – and as an added bonus, frequently have an aesthetic result as a natural byproduct.

I discussed this in depth, along with the ramifications this has on women in a recent podcast with Dr. Stacy Sims, and Rock Your Life member Amanda had this to say about how it impacted her:

Understanding body composition and setting goals with that as a primary focus rather than on weight loss is truly a mindset game changer.

As Amanda points out, this unhealthy focus on having someone else’s idea of a “perfect body” is one of the root causes of the problem that creates so much stress and pressure on women. I want to thank the Rock Your Life members for all the discussions we have had (and continue to have) about these topics, as they have been a tremendous inspiration for me in writing this article and clarifying points that I wanted to make.

IV. Creating an optimal state in the body to drive the results you want

In order to see a body composition change, we need to create an optimal state in the body for our hormones to do their work to support muscle growth and support fat loss. It is not “calories in/calories out” or how many workouts you do vs. how little you eat.

If you are over focused on your workouts as the sole driver of seeing results or losing weight like a lot of women are, it’s easy to get into a “no days off” training mindset. But consider that your workouts are like seeds you are planting, and like any seed you want to see grow and flourish they need to be planted in fertile soil, and have sunlight and rain to grow and thrive.

Your nutrition focus is the fertile soil, and your sleep and stress management are your sunshine and rain. Your workouts will not “take root” and grow a strong body without these other essential components repeated consistently. Too much rain can wash a seed out of the soil, like too much stress can sabotage your results.

I’ll talk more about calories shortly, but suffice to say that you cannot see your body flourish and grow strong if you are constantly restricting your nutrient intake and not paying attention to the quality of the nutrients you eat. Poor quality soil impacts the growth of a plant, just like lack of quality nutrients will impact the efficacy of your workout. A plant grows in the presence of all of these nurturing variables in balance, and it takes a little time.

Your results will never happen without the combination of these actions (Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management, Exercise) repeated, and you being patient and allowing the results to unfold.

Plants grow faster when they’re given all these resources, and your body will respond when you give it what it needs to thrive as well. That’s why we have what I refer to as the “4 Pillars of Health,” these 4 aspects of your life that only you can control and that work together to create that optimal state in your body.

With more of a focus on eating, sleeping, stress reduction and training to support your energy and valuable muscle tissue, you’ll have an easier time regulating your body composition at every stage of life, and you’ll feel stronger and healthier in the process. You will be less susceptible to advertising for “weight loss products” that prey on culturally created fears of women being undesirable (what a load of garbage).

Having a focus on growing and preserving our muscle, especially as we age is a great idea. Not only does muscle surround and protect our joints and organs, it secretes protective cytokines which boost your immune response during contraction (9) (10).

On the aesthetic front (how we look), muscle is dense and compact so as you add it to your frame you will become physically smaller and have a more toned appearance as discussed above. We burn more fat more easily when we’re more muscular (11), and that valuable muscle tissue has other protective benefits to our bodies as well. You’ll be physically stronger, enjoy a more robust immune response (9), and boost your sense of capability and confidence.

Focusing on muscle, and training strategies to grow it will not necessarily “bulk you up.” Here is a great example from Meg, a Rock Your Life member. We can clearly read about and see how she has shifted her body composition to be more muscular, and broken up with her scale at last. Her weight increase and size decrease shows that she has put on some solid muscular strength which made her smaller, not larger or bulkier.

You can add muscle to your body and focus on fueling for it without concern that you will become a bodybuilder. Professional female body builders work very hard to build up their muscle tissue to the level you see in competitions, and gaining muscle at that level is challenging due to the differences in amount of testosterone in men and women.

If getting huge biceps is not an aesthetic goal for you, have no fear that you’re going to suddenly achieve it. But it is attainable for you if you choose to pursue it – I recommend a personal trainer who specializes in body building if this is of interest, and a willingness to spend years in pursuit of that goal.

V. Building muscle at different stages of your menstrual cycle

How do we build muscle? In a previous article, I described the process by which we gain muscle. In a nutshell, muscles working against a progressively challenging load leads to increases in muscle mass – a process referred to as hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is a thickening of the muscle fibers, creating stronger muscles.

These adaptation to an increased load happens when we also fuel and rest properly. As the body gets used to the challenges you present it with, you need to vary the type of load in order to continue to drive adaptations.  And for women, there are considerations due to the presence (or absence) of estrogen.

When you’re still having a regular cycle, remember that in the first half of your cycle (from when you get your period until you ovulate) estrogen is higher. This estrogen is estradiol, or E2 and it’s the most anabolic (muscle building) of the estrogen hormone trio (E1, E2, E3). During this phase, you also have a greater ability to use carbohydrates than you do post ovulation (be mindful of your consumption of sugary foods after you ovulate, and prioritize protein)(12 )(13)(14 ).

So if you’re still cycling regularly, take advantage of this first stage of your cycle (follicular phase) by pushing harder in your workouts (14) to create those muscular adaptations that lead to lean mass development.

Balanced training is essential in the follicular phase as overtraining will contribute to more inflammation, elevated cortisol, and muscle protein breakdown. Not fueling and managing stress appropriately around your tough workouts will also have this effect and undermine your ability to build muscle.

After you ovulate (luteal phase), progesterone is going to be elevated, which will create a higher state of inflammation in your body as it prepares the uterine lining. Your basal body temperature is elevated, which may mean you get less deep sleep. Don’t push yourself as hard in this phase of your cycle – notice your energy needs and feel free to take the intensity down a notch or two.

You can really back off on the intensity of your training in the days or week leading up to your period, as you may notice less energy due to hormone levels shifting. I tend to do lower impact workouts during the days before my period as I just feel more tired. I’ll swap in yoga, mobility or just slower, less intense resistance training. Or simply take an extra rest day or 3 as needed.

How I adjust a program to match up with my cycle is if I’m following a 4-week training program for instance, I simply extend it a bit longer so I can add some days of lower intensity work in the week where I have less drive. I do some low impact workouts, yoga, mobility and even take just extra or unscheduled rest days the week before my period. Then I pick my training program back up where I left off when my estrogen levels come back up in the follicular phase.

See my detailed guide to training with your cycle for more on this subject and adjust your own workout plans with confidence. Looking for training guidance while pregnant, or after having a baby? Check out my pre natal and post partum fitness guides.

Some of the best training strategies for women at every life stage are resistance training (16) and HIIT (high intensity interval training that includes explosive cardio, or plyometric exercises)(15)(48) (49).

When it comes to resistance training, you want to begin by building a strong, functional base with good form and continue to progress and challenge yourself as your body adapts and you build strength (50).

Lifts like deadlifts, squats, pulls and pushes (among others) will all help increase your overall strength and when they’re incorporated into a balanced training plan that you are consistent with you will reap the rewards.

When it comes to HIIT/plyo/explosive cardio moves you want to be able to push hard in your work intervals (53). These intense intervals of explosive movement burn a lot of energy while you’re doing them, and trigger protein synthesis. They also increase growth hormone and adrenaline hormones which contribute to fat burning. HIIT workouts can also make you use more energy after your workouts as well.

Both resistance training and plyometric/explosive cardio moves are metabolically stressful, so your body burns more calories in the post workout recovery period (51). You’ll also trigger the release of hormones that have a fat-burning, appetite dampening response (54). You can find this combination of training strategies in every workout program I have created.

Along with all of these training benefits we get from these strategies, understanding that “more is not more” when it comes to your training is an important aspect of your development as an athletic woman who is able to build muscle efficiently and burn fat.

As we discussed earlier, muscle grows when we rest it after we train (concurrent with proper fuel).  You want to be able to go hard in your training sessions whether you’re resistance training or doing HIIT, and in order to push that limit you need to be rested and recovered.

Progressing with good form is of paramount importance, which is why I recommend following a program with a trainer who is well-versed in anatomy and functional movement (I’ll nominate myself here of course).

You can take advantage of my free foundations of functional fitness workshop alongside any of my training program or on its own to improve key movement patterns and understand more about how your body works and how to keep it balanced and aligned.

VI. Building muscle and losing fat for women in peri and post menopause

Post menopause you lose the E2 estrogen and the female sex hormones eventually flatline, so in order to build or maintain muscle we have to rely on other pathways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

In peri menopause we experience years leading up to menopause when our hormones and period become irregular. There is evidence that women of different cultural backgrounds experience differences in the length of this time period (52).

While estrogen is beneficial for body composition when we have a normal cycle (42), estrogen dominance creates issues for our ability to lose body fat and build muscle.

Check out the article about adaptogens which can help stabilize hormone levels (I have had an excellent experience using them myself), but other strategies may be recommended by your doctor (as long as they’re not dismissing your concerns, telling you to “go lose weight” or just putting you on the pill because they can’t be bothered to find alternative means to support you).

Watch out for chemical estrogens in plastics or industrial compounds. Poor estrogen metabolism can also contribute to estrogen dominance. We may not metabolize our estrogens when we have a poor diet, aren’t exercising regularly or lack muscle tissue. A balanced, whole food diet rich in fiber, healthy fats and essential amino acids from protein combined with regular exercise will contribute to better estrogen metabolism.

Here are the top tips for women in this life stage to shift body composition to less fat and more muscle:

1: Increase the challenge to your muscles from resistance training

Click to expand and read more

1: Increase the challenge to your muscles from resistance

One of the strategies for bypassing the hormone pathways is to increase the level of intensity of the workouts you do by increasing the resistance or weight you’re using. It’s time to start increasing the challenge to your muscles.

If you’re a beginner, work on challenging yourself by building up a foundational practice with bodyweight workouts (mine are some of the best!).  Check out the 90 Day Challenge for a wonderful program that will progressively build up your strength with bodyweight workouts that can be done from home.

If you’ve been doing bodyweight workouts for a while and feel like you’ve got good form, it’s time to start adding in resistance in the form of bands, dumbbells or other weighted objects and challenge yourself further. Check out Home Workout Domination for the perfect program that uses home workout equipment for resistance training and explosive cardio moves.

If you’ve been training with light dumbbells and know you could go heavier, start ramping up the resistance to your body by challenging yourself to increase the amount of weight of your dumbbells.

I built up my collection of home workout equipment over time so don’t feel like you need to go purchase a ton of things. And if you’re working out in the gym, you can test out what works best by using the different options available.

Work with me in the circuits and workouts I teach, challenging yourself in the rep ranges I share, and increase the amount of resistance/weight you’re using gradually. If you get to the point where the weighted objects you’re holding are too heavy to comfortably grip and hold onto but you feel you could lift something heavier, consider using barbells as they make it easier to distribute the weight across the bar without you having to hold dumbbells.

Lioness, my women’s heavier weight training program is perfect for helping you progress through all of this if you’re interested in trying heavier weight training out.

For amazing value and variety, you can join Rock Your Life, my online home workout studio and women’s fitness community where ALL of these options for strength training and explosive cardio are built into dozens and dozens of challenge programs.

Everything from foundational bodyweight training to home workout equipment to heavier weight training is available in Rock Your Life – plus support in our private women’t fitness community so you can progress with guidance and a holistic focus on your health.

Include plyometrics/HIIT in your training

Click to expand and read more

2: Include plyometrics/HIIT in your training

The second strategy for bypassing the hormone pathways at this life stage is to make sure you’re including plyometrics (high intensity or explosive training moves like sprints, box jumps, broad jumps, skater lunges, tuck jumps, split squat jumps, burpees, jump squats, etc) in your workouts.

Not only is this great for your bone density, but when you fuel appropriately around your workouts the intensity of these moves uptakes glucose more quickly helping to keep insulin levels stable (which can be a challenge for women in peri or post menopause).

You’ll find explosive cardio included in all of my training plans allowing you to take advantage of this. You can begin with the lower impact versions that I’ll show you so you can get comfortable building yourself up.

Polarize your training and rest days

Click to expand and read more

3: Polarize your training and rest days

It’s also essential to start to look at the sequencing of your training. It’s no longer appropriate (nor was it ever really) to take a “no days off” approach to your training. You want to think about what Dr. Stacy Sims calls “polarizing” your training. Think about how you can set yourself up to make your training sessions maximally effective by coming to them rested, recovered and fueled.

Adjust workout programs that have 5 days of work in a row to be 2 days of work, followed by a rest day, 2 more days of work followed by a rest day, a day of yoga and then 2 days on again. Or do a workout every other day Monday through Friday, with a yoga day on the weekend and one additional recovery day.

Don’t get yourself into the “grey zone” where you’re training a little daily, thinking that’s going to be the way to lose the body fat – it’s not. Keeping your body in a constant state of inflammation is not what drives adaptations and muscle growth – it’s what breaks it down constantly and keeps your body from burning fat. Get your body moving doing low impact activities like walking regularly, and avoid long periods of sitting or inactivity. A rest day doesn’t mean you lie on the couch, but it also doesn’t mean you sneak in an extra workout.

VII. For women of all ages: why we need to eat balanced meals with whole foods

The nutrients in your foods: protein, carbohydrates and fat, as well as the micronutrients like vitamins and minerals should all be part of the makeup of your meals. Getting familiar with these nutrients and what you’re putting in your meals is a great practice.

If you’ve ever used one of my meal plans you learn exactly which nutrients are featured in each meal, and get used to building a plate that supports your energy needs.

Doing food preparation is an excellent way to ensure you have the nutrients your body needs, and avoid added sugars that are in so many processed foods. This is why my message has not changed in a decade: cooking for yourself may not be “easy” and it may take some time, but it’s the quality of the soil you’re planting the seeds of your workout in.

I constantly see people putting all their focus and time into workouts and ignoring this essential piece of what drives their results. They jump from diet to diet looking for shortcuts when there are none.

You cannot force a plant to grow faster. It has to go through internal processes. So does your body. Expecting to see your results on the outside immediately is a losing game that food deprivation diet plans will have you believe.

So many online calculators for calories will put you at a dangerously low food intake threshold that actually has the opposite response in your body than you thought it would. It can have the unintended consequence of making you more prone to store fat, and you won’t build muscle on too little fuel.

The “salad” as a healthy meal without any protein or carbs is a great example of something we have come to perceive as a “health food” due to an over focus on calories, when it’s doing little to support our nutritional needs. Where is the protein? Where are the energy-providing, fiber-rich, gut supportive carbs? Where is the healthy fat?

Each of us has a resting metabolic rate (RMR) which is the amount of fuel we need for just our basic functions. As in what it takes to digest your food, lay in bed and not do much more than be a body. For instance a woman’s RMR might be approximately 1400 calories (I’m 5’1″ and active and this is close to what mine is for instance). If she were to start eating 1200 calories a day (and training) she would quickly be in trouble, have low energy, be unable to lose body fat and likely lose muscle as well.

Due to the lack of essential nutrients – below even her baseline threshold, her metabolic rate slow down, making her body hold onto body fat, and this is what happens to so many women who eat too little because an online calculator or diet program told them “1200 calories.”

Focusing on eating foods for the calorie content rather than the nutrient content can rob you of vital energy and fuel for your activities, cognitive function, immune health and more.

This “low calorie” or “less food” type of approach plays into our damaging culturally taught association as women with “eat less to be smaller.” Why should women need to disappear or be smaller? These outdated messages about women’s bodies do not empower women, do not make us stronger or healthier – they make us more stressed, more prone to illness and injury, and physically weaker.

Why protein is so important

Click to expand and read more

Why protein is so important

Protein is the most satisfying of the nutrients, so it can help with portion control and meal satisfaction when you have it in adequate amounts in each of your main meals (38).

Protein will help stabilize your blood sugar, and it breaks down into the amino acids that your body needs for everything from muscle protein synthesis (39) to brain function, hormone and enzyme function and immune health.

You cannot build or maintain muscle without adequate protein intake, and it has the added benefit of keeping you feeling full and satisfied when you include it in your meals.

I see too many women eating barely enough protein and then they wonder why they have sugar cravings, why they’re hungry all day, or why they can’t get “toned,” which means why can’t they see more muscularity and less body fat.

Include protein with each main meal (40), because your body doesn’t have a “storage reserve” to draw from for the aminos it needs for so many body functions (including cognitive function, immune function, hormone and enzyme function and muscle protein synthesis). When you go too long without eating, your body will break down your muscle tissue to get at the amino acids that are there, which isn’t what you want.

It’s great to learn about the macronutrients, and if you want to “count” any of them I would say start tracking how many grams of protein are in each of your meals so you get a general idea of how much you’re eating per meal. Aim for 20-30 grams per meal, and if you’re over 40, aim for 30-40 grams per meal as discussed above in the peri and post menopause section.

You can easily boost your overall daily intake with quality protein powders to help meet the body’s needs for amino acids (13). I personally like adding them to my smoothies, to my oatmeal, baking them into muffins, pancakes and waffles, and even mixing them into yogurt to eat with my breakfast cereal (click here for protein rich recipes on the blog). In the picture of me above with the food prep, there are protein muffins in the glass bowl for instance, and I’ve washed my greens and bagged them as a quick addition to smoothies.

If you don’t tolerate dairy well and don’t use whey protein powder, plant based protein powders like my organic whole food proteins are an excellent choice as they contain all of the essential aminos, and I made them to be tasty and smooth enough to be mixed in just water alone if you’re busy, on the go, or want something very light.

Collagen is also an excellent supplement to support the integrity of bone, skin and joint health as it contains some specific amino acids. It is not a complete protein source however, so it is best used in conjunction with a complete protein source powder. I personally always add it (here’s the one I make) to my Rock and Restore since it dissolves in anything and has no flavor or taste.

To read about how to use different supplements like collagen, protein powder and aminos, read this post.

Don't avoid whole food carbs

Click to expand and read more

Don’t avoid whole food carbs

The biggest issue when it comes to carb consumption is eating too many processed foods and not getting enough vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. You may have dietary preferences for specific whole food carbohydrates and that’s fine – but eat the ones that you prefer from whole food sources full of fiber, and not the processed ones.

When you eat carbohydrates, your insulin rises to uptake the glucose in your bloodstream from the carbohydrates. Whole food carbs cause a gradual elevation of blood sugar levels, making it easier for your body to manage the glucose (which is ideal). But many processed foods release a lot of sugar into the bloodstream very quickly.

When you have too much glucose in your blood, your body stores it as fat. When you eat too much sugar too often your cells become resistant to the insulin that’s trying to unlock them to let glucose in, which is a precursor to diabetes and obesity.

This is not to say you should never enjoy processed foods, treats, dessert or sweets. But making them your staples rather than your “specials” is an approach that leads to health concerns. Your gut health will be greatly improved with a focus on more fiber rich whole food carbohydrates and your blood sugar will be more stable, delivering steady energy rather than energy spikes.

If you’re going to opt for a lower carbohydrate meal, do it away from your workouts. Remember that the post workout window (the time after a workout) is the time when your body is most sensitive to insulin and can send the sugar in your bloodstream straight to replenishing your muscle glycogen stores.

The more muscle you have, the better your metabolic health is and the easier it is to lose body fat (41). Eating carbohydrates and protein together around your workouts supports your energy balance and your ability to build and maintain your muscle tissue (38).

Due to our higher levels of estrogen than men, we also have an improved ability to burn carbohydrates especially in the first half of our cycle when estrogen is higher (42)(43). You can go higher in your carb intake in this phase after your workouts, especially on tough training days.

If you’re in the second half of your cycle (from ovulation to your period), you have more progesterone in your system. Progesterone increases muscle breakdown (31), so you really want to make sure you’re optimizing your protein and carbohydrate intake in the luteal phase, and having your recovery time as well (32). For a refresher on the phases of your cycle, read my cycle training guide).

These nutrition strategies are essential for women in peri and post menopause as well, as discussed earlier. As we lose our naturally fluctuating estrogen, it’s imperative to prioritize whole food carbohydrate sources and increase our protein intake. We don’t absorb as much of the amino acids from our protein as we age, meaning increasing it serves multiple purposes at this time that help you improve body composition, lose body fat, and preserve or gain muscle.

Enjoy quality dietary fat

Click to expand and read more

Enjoy quality dietary fat

From a satisfaction and fullness standpoint I also don’t recommend being afraid of dietary fat. When women limit fat, they tend to eat more carbs which increases insulin and decreases our ability to burn fat. We can also disrupt our hormones as the body uses the cholesterol in dietary fat to produce them.

Key nutrients in fish, eggs, nuts and other sources of dietary fat are readily absorbable and utilized by the body. Our hunger may be elevated without the satiating effect of dietary fat, causing us to overeat more frequently, and studies have investigated the higher incidence of injuries in athletic women who ate a lower fat diet (44).

So don’t be afraid to include whole food sources of fat in your meals in balance with your other nutrients. Avoid processed fats like vegetable oil and hydrogenated or trans fats. If you’re struggling to create balanced meals, get a meal plan like the Body Fuel System with balanced whole food meals.

VIII. The importance of fueling (not fasting) around your workouts and how to do it

Many women are still doing fasted training, thinking that’s giving them the edge. However studies (17) show that women do better when training in a fed state, while men do well in a fasted state (18).

The reason you’re hearing so many diets and doctors advertising fasting as the way to go is because the previous research suggested many benefits. And there are benefits, to the subjects who were studied: men.

The female physiology is more sensitive to hunger and fullness signals due to us having more kisspeptin receptors in our brain than men do(19). Staying in an under fueled state contributes to a slowed metabolism, meaning your body can’t burn calories as readily and is conducive to a low energy state.

One of the purported benefits of fasting that it forces the body to switch from glucose burning to fat burning. However there are sex differences that provide this mechanism in women already. Women burn more glucose during regular daily activities, but burn more fat during exercise naturally than men do (20)(13).

Exercise helps women call on our body’s ability to burn fat for fuel, making us more metabolically flexible when we incorporate regular training, supported with the fuel we need. Not to mention, exercise induces autophagy (21), one of the other oft-touted benefits of fasting in which the body clears out damaged cells. In a nutshell, exercise gives women similar benefits as men get from fasting.

There are of course many ways to fast and many reasons. I appreciate and respect that some of my readers may have religious reasons for observing periods of fasting. The scope of this section of our article is focused on fasting as it pertains to women in sport.

We all naturally “fast” in a lower energy output state when we stop eating after dinner and don’t eat again until breakfast. But skipping breakfast or going long periods without fuel can be unhelpful for active women by elevating our cortisol (which contributes to muscle breakdown and fat storage) and creating an energy deficit that means you won’t be able to work as hard in your training session.

Not to mention, coming into your workout after a long fast means your body is in a muscle breakdown state. When your body doesn’t receive the essential amino acids it needs for everything from brain function, hormone and enzyme function, immune function AND muscle protein synthesis, it breaks down your muscle tissue to get the amino acids in this valuable body tissue (22).

During your workout, muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown occur, but the exercise creates a greater breakdown state potentially leaving you in a deficit unless you are fueled, and/or fuel to replenish the work. The breakdown of your muscle tissue during a workout has the potential to create hypertrophy and muscle growth after your training session as your body repairs when you fuel and rest properly (23).

So if you went into your workout fasted (in a muscle breakdown state plus elevated cortisol which means fat storage state), then did your workout and then didn’t eat for an hour or so post workout (muscle breakdown state plus fat storage from the stress of the workout and lack of nourishment) you just broke down your muscle tissue the entire time without build back because your brain and body were looking for amino acids to use for essential body function and stored glycogen for energy. It got both of those from your valuable muscle tissue (34).

So all of this “skipping meals” means you aren’t building muscle, you’re breaking it down. Remember that cortisol (the stress hormone) is catabolic (breaks down) muscle, and anabolic (builds up) to fat. This stressful state does not contribute to fat loss, it can actually lead to fat gain. And the lack of nutrients contributes to loss of your precious muscle tissue.

All those claims about fasted training making you “lose weight” might have made you lose a few pounds but where did the pounds come from? Sure you may have lost some body fat, but you also lost your vital muscle tissue and elevated your cortisol. A man will have a different response and be able to lose fat and preserve muscle tissue. Extensive fasting as a woman, especially around your workouts all but guarantees you’re going to gain body fat over time, lose muscle, and also affect your body’s metabolic rate (35). Understanding body composition and how your muscle actually gets stronger is so important.

I don’t recommend fasted training for women.  Having fuel around your workouts (in the form of protein and carbohydrates) is essential so you not only have the energy to push hard and get those adaptations in the muscle tissue, it fuels the cells with glycogen (the byproduct of glucose from carbohydrates) and the amino acids (the byproducts from dietary protein or protein powder) support muscle protein synthesis.

Fueling post-workout 

In the post workout window after you exercise, your insulin levels peak which creates the opportunity for glycogen storage (glycogen comes from the glucose in carbohydrates) and muscle repair. That means the carbs you eat post workout can get straight to the muscle stores, and the amino acids from the protein you eat can get to the muscle tissue to repair the breakdown created by your training. Once we are outside of this window, our insulin sensitivity goes down, making it harder for the muscles to absorb the glucose from your bloodstream and the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles is lower.

Post workout, women have a relatively short window for optimal refueling compared to men who may be able to go longer (24). Ideally, get protein and carbohydrates in within an hour of training (13) in your next meal. Aim for 25-30 grams of protein in the recovery period (33).

The carbs will increase your glycogen storage, and combining protein and carbs can help reduce inflammation and support a strong immune system. Muscle uptakes glucose from the bloodstream as well, so the more muscle you carry the better you handle the insulin response.

This is one of many reasons I suggest pre-cooking some of your meals for the week ahead, so you have easy to grab and go meals when you need them. See my meal plans for easy to follow guides.

The body will store the energy from the carbs we eat in the liver and the muscle tissue, and use what it needs for energy first from the liver, but it will break down your muscle tissue if you’re not eating enough for your energy output needs (26). If we eat more carbohydrates than the body has the capacity to store in the liver and muscle tissue it gets stored as fat. So you’ve got too little and too much – both with consequences.

If you eat well balanced meals with protein (very satisfying), whole food, fiber-rich complex carbohydrates (digest slowly, keeping blood sugar stable) and healthy dietary fat (slows gastric emptying to keep blood sugar stable and also is very satisfying) you are in very little danger of under eating or overeating, and can stop worrying about “carbohydrates making you fat.”

Using an eating program like the Body Fuel System can set you up with an easy to follow guideline and delicious well-balanced meals.

Carbs are the body and brain’s preferred energy source. Yes, the low carb/high fat diets out there will make you think the body needs to run on ketone bodies, and it can – however that is an adaptation the body has for starvation and low food availability states. Diets like these generally do not serve women very well, and the “benefits” of the keto diet in particular is all based on research on male test subjects (27).

They may work better for men, having been studied extensively on them, be useful for a short period of time for certain individuals, especially those who are obese or have other medical conditions. But going extremely low carbohydrate for active women long-term can have unwanted consequences to your cortisol levels (they rise) and your metabolism (it can down regulate).

Want to hear scientist and researcher Dr. Stacy Sims explain why intermittent fasting, keto, and low carb diets aren’t ideal for women, but work well for men? Listen to the podcast we did together about this topic right here.

You’ll want to prioritize protein and carbs around your workouts (28) – so if you can workout a couple hours after your last meal, and eat your next meal within an hour of your training session, you’re doing great. Just make sure your meals contain protein and carbohydrates (29).

Strategies for fueling pre and post workout with a busy schedule:

Ideally we’d all have the ultimate flexibility of eating whole food meals and training at the perfect times for ourselves, but with the demands of modern life, protein supplements can come in handy and help fill in some gaps. Let me run you through a few scenarios and ways you can use protein powders and smoothies (in addition to whole food meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner) to support you so that this isn’t confusing and it’s easy to implement.

• You work out first thing in the morning: have a half of a banana (or any other fruit) and a scoop of protein powder in water or almond milk. Something super light that digests quickly will ensure you have the building blocks you need circulating in your system for optimal output in your workout. Eat breakfast as soon as you can after your workout.
• You work out an hour or two after breakfast: if it’s not time for lunch yet, have a protein shake with fruit right after your workout. If it’s time for lunch, have lunch. If you have the shake and fruit, have lunch when it’s time for lunch, as the smoothie/shake isn’t a meal replacement.
• You work out on your lunch break, and haven’t eaten since breakfast (you plan to eat your lunch after your workout): an hour or so before you workout, have a blended smoothie with protein and the other things you put in a full smoothie (something you’d find in one of my recipe guides for instance that you can bring it from home or make at the office, not just protein powder in water). If you lack the means to make the smoothie, have the protein in water or milk and a piece of fruit sometime in the hour before you train to give yourself a base. Have your lunch as soon as you can after you train.
• You work out after work, and haven’t eaten since lunch (you plan to eat dinner after you train): an hour or so before you workout, have a smoothie with protein and the other things you put in a full smoothie that you blend (something you’d find in one of my recipe guides for instance that you can bring it from home or make at the office – not just protein in water). If you lack the means to make the smoothie, have the protein in water or milk and a piece of fruit sometime in the hour before you train to give yourself a base. Have your dinner as soon as you can after you train.
• You work out after dinner: Make sure you work out at least 3 hours away from bedtime, as training too close to bedtime can interfere with your sleep as it raises your core body temperature. I presume you ate dinner at least an hour before your workout, giving you time to digest. After your workout, make yourself a full smoothie (like something that you’d find in my recipe guides) with protein, milk, fruit and other ingredients, or a shake with just protein powder and water and a piece of fruit.

The protein/water and fruit is just a shortcut, a convenient way to support nutrient timing when you aren’t able to eat a regular meal or regular food on one side of your workout. You can use a protein shake as a support for nutrient timing – but I don’t suggest using them as a full meal replacement. Your body needs whole foods too(30).

I just want to mention that supplements are not required, they are a supplement to a healthy, whole food diet. I use them because they are a convenient way to get extra nutrients in quickly and conveniently. If they seem expensive compare the cost of complete protein in foods you would prepare. Quite often, they are very comparable. However, not finding the quality I wanted consistently in the marketplace is why I started my own supplement line.

While I use a regular protein powder in my smoothies and focus on whole food sources of protein in my meals, during my workouts, I use Rock and Restore, my essential amino acid formula. It’s in a “free form” which means it doesn’t have to be digested like dietary protein and can go straight to where it’s needed. An essential amino acid contains the BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids) but my formula has an optimal dose of leucine, the most anabolic of the BCAA’s, making it a great workout formula.

If you are unable to purchase my organic protein powders and supplements, here is my guide to choosing protein powders that can help you make good decisions about what ingredients are in the products you are shopping.

Of course protein powder and supplements are totally optional and I use them for convenience and because as we age, we absorb less of the amino acids from our food as I mentioned previously, and I want to create a nice circulating pool of them during my training which helps with post workout soreness and drives muscle protein synthesis.

IX. Why reduced stress levels and quality sleep are also essential for body composition shifts

I must also mention that stress is a huge factor in our ability to regulate our body composition. You’ve probably heard me say that exercise is a healthy stress when we are healthy. There are many forms of stress to the body, but chronic stress from emotional or life triggers are essential to address (read my complete article about stress here).

We can also create a state of stress in the body when we overtrain, or don’t take the needed recovery when we’re sick or injured and the body is trying to do too many tasks at once.

Whether from life stress or overtraining, stress elevates the cortisol in our body and we’ve discussed already that it stimulates fat storage (45) and breaks down muscle tissue. Developing methods to proactively address the stressors you face can be incredibly beneficial and supportive to your energy and fitness goals.

Doing “extreme” workouts, or not getting adequate recovery both during a workout or after may increase muscle breakdown, persistent inflammation, and lowered immune response (46).

Speaking of a lowered immune response, lack of sleep also makes us more susceptible to getting sick. Good sleep is an essential component to training and seeing results. When you’re exercising, you need MORE deep sleep for muscle recovery and protein synthesis. During sleep, your body produces HGH (human growth hormone) which boosts protein synthesis and promotes fat utilization.

Quality sleep is also crucial for maintaining the balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down, resulting in an increase of appetite and cravings – and our impulse control goes down, making it very hard to avoid reaching for the sugar and pre made foods.

Our metabolism slows down and our body holds onto its resources (body fat) and doesn’t burn as many calories (47). Along with all this, lack of sleep causes our cortisol levels to rise and remain elevated. This high cortisol impacts fat loss efforts, and promotes breakdown of your muscle tissue.

Which is why when you are really tired, I recommend that you take an active recovery or rest day, even if it’s unscheduled. Training in this sleep deprived state will only contribute to greater muscle breakdown and won’t give you the benefits, plus you’ll be more likely to reach for comfort foods and have less inhibition in overeating.

You can listen to Dr. Michael Breus (The Sleep Doctor) go over the 5 things that happen to your metabolism and hormones when you’re sleep deprived on the podcast here.

X. To wrap it all up….

As a woman, you have training advantages and a unique, powerful body that is capable of going through numerous transitions in the course of its lifespan. I encourage you to see this process of figuring things out as a discovery, not a burden. There is no pressure on you to implement everything you learn immediately. Try these things out for yourself, and remember that like a plant, the body must also go through an internal process before you “see a result.”

Having additional resources can be very helpful. Personally, I have sought the support of numerous practitioners over the years including therapy for my mental health, functional medicine for my physical body and looking for the root cause of things that are hard to understand, physical therapy for support with stability and foundational movement patterns, and Chinese medicine for my energy body (acupuncture and herbal medicines) to name a few. I work with a functional medicine doctor (root cause medicine) rather than a traditional MD. You can use the directory here to search for functional medicine practitioners in your area if this is of interest.

While we may not all seek out the same types of practitioners or care, there are still plenty of things within our personal domain that only we can control like our 4 Pillars of Health: Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management and Exercise. I hope that with this article you have seen a new level of how you can apply these 4 pillars in your own life to drive the results you want with all the effort you put in.

I invite you to be a part of ROCK YOUR LIFE, my online home workout studio and empowering women’s fitness community. You’ll find workout programs, workout classes of all types, healthy recipes and a holistic approach to your health in your private member’s login area, and in our private group enjoy lively discussions about all topics relating to your health and well being, a connection with other like-minded women, interaction with myself and the Team Betty Rocker Coaches.

When we focus more on designing a high quality of life for ourselves from a holistic perspective, the body responds naturally and becomes the fit, strong body we wanted all along. It’s so satisfying and empowering when we take action from an educated standpoint, and control the framework we see ourselves through as strong, powerful women with highly functional, healthy bodies that do not exist solely to be looked at. I look forward to your comments and questions.

For additional learning:

• Women specific nutrition and training with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Eating and training with your cycle (part 1) with Dr. Stacy Sims
• Eating and training with your cycle (part 2) with Dr. Stacy Sims
• A quickstart guide to women’s hormones (part 1)
• A quickstart guide to women’s hormones (part 2)
• What you need to know about birth control, the menstrual cycle and your hormones with Dr. Jolene Brighten
• How to heal emotional Eating with Tricia Nelson
• How to have a happy, healthy gut with Dr. Vincent Pedre

The post Shifting the Muscle to Fat Ratio: Women-Specific Body Composition Considerations appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

First, a quick note on PROTEIN itself…

The protein you eat gets broken down into amino acids, but different foods provide different combinations of amino acids and not every food contains all the essential amino acids. Of the 20 some amino acids, there are 9 that the body cannot make on its own and must get from dietary sources. These 9 are called the “essential amino acids.”

Without adequate consumption of all of the essential amino acids, the body may break down healthy tissue like muscle tissue to obtain the amino acids needed to perform essential functions like making energy, enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones and its immune response role. And you don’t want your muscle breaking down just because you’re not eating properly.

Maintaining your muscle as you age is an essential piece in remaining strong, mobile and healthy.

While your workouts certainly support the production of muscle, unless you are fueling them appropriately they simply will not respond and your body composition may trend in the direction of more fat, less muscle rather than more muscle, less fat. If you’re curious about how muscle works (and how to take care of it), I put together a comprehensive article I consider essential reading for all active women right here.

Unlike fat and carbohydrates, which the body can store easily for later use in the liver and fat cells, the body doesn’t store amino acids for later use – which is why it’s important to include protein regularly throughout the day in your meals.

1. Protein powders

My organic protein powders (like Vanilla Protein and Berry Green Protein) make great shakes and smoothies and you can bake with them. One of the things I recommend avoiding in your protein powders is added sugars. Mine use organic stevia or organic monk fruit to naturally sweeten the powder without adding sugar to your body.

They are excellent sources of dietary protein (your body treats them just like food where it breaks it down to amino acids) and can boost your overall daily intake of essential amino acids – and in the case of the Berry Green Protein, broaden the spectrum of greens you’re accessing as well.

Because we don’t absorb amino acids as readily as we age, it’s ideal to increase your overall daily intake once you’re over 40.

The recommendation for active women under 40 is approximately 20-30 grams of protein per meal. If you’re over 40, it’s recommended to increase your serving to  30-40 grams per meal, consistent with what I’ve been told by doctors who work in the exercise field. Listen to this episode with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon if you’re interested in more on these recommendations.

I also encourage you to listen to the 2-part podcast series with Dr. Stacy Sims in which we discuss training with your cycle, post-menopause, and women specific nutrition and training tips. You’ll hear us talk a lot about protein and the importance of it, all framed within a conversation about your health and life cycle.

While getting 30 grams of protein in a meal may feel daunting at first, I recommend looking at your overall intake for the day and seeing how you might boost that with the addition of a quality supplement like mine.

For instance, making a smoothie or a shake with a serving (or even a serving and a half to two servings) of your protein powder can boost your overall intake of amino acids for the day.

Simple recipes like protein pancakes or protein waffles are also a great way to get some extra protein in – just boost the ingredients by adding a serving of protein powder. It can be challenging to get enough protein in without a little help and this is really something to pay attention to, especially if you’re active.

A note on baking with protein powder: Keep in mind that protein powders, like flour substitutes, cannot be just swapped into a recipe without some testing and care. The base of what a protein powder is made from will affect your recipe. One thing you’ll notice in my meal plans and recipes here on the blog is that if protein powder is called for I’ve used my own but I’ve given you the equivalent amount in GRAMS, so you can measure your own protein powder the same way.

While I always recommend using my protein powder in my recipes, that’s not always possible and I want you to have options to test. A “serving” of one protein powder may be a different amount than another brand’s serving, because the ingredients may not all be as concentrated or they may have other ingredients as well (such as greens, or other foods). That’s why I recommend you start with the gram equivalent, and then experiment from there. I cannot guarantee that my recipes, tested with my own brand, will work with every other protein powder out there, even if you do match the grams but this is a good starting point.

If you’re not using my protein powders (which are organic and plant-based), please read this guide I created to help you in choosing a good protein powder for yourself.

2. Collagen peptides

Collagen contains quite a few amino acids, but 3 particularly in abundance and they specifically support bone, skin, and joint health. Collagen is NOT a “protein” in the sense that it doesn’t have all the essential amino acids your body can’t make on its own, and you can’t count it towards your daily protein intake.

However it is an excellent supplement, and the reason I take it is for its support to my joints, skin and bone health. I do consider it a BONUS supplement, so if you’re on a budget, prioritize a high quality protein powder, like my Berry Green Protein or I Vanilla protein powder.

Collagen used to make its way into our diets through foods like bone broths, slow-cooked organ meats, kidney pies, baked beef hearts, whole crustaceans, and whole-fish soups and stews. But if you’re not regularly eating these types of foods, you may not be getting any of this goodness into your body.

When it comes to choosing a collagen peptide, I’m picky and hate it when they have an odor, or don’t really mix into anything. The Full Body Collagen I make is so fine you can stir it into a glass of water and see it fully dissolve – and it won’t leave a smell or taste behind, making it very versatile.

3. Amino Acids – BCAA’s, EAA’s and free form amino acids

Rock and Restore is another one that I would call “bonus supplement.” First and foremost, it contains all the essential amino acids (EAA’s). Secondly, they are in a “free form” which means they are ready for absorption right away by your body, rather than what happens when you eat dietary protein or a protein powder – those have to be broken down by the body into their amino acids first before absorption.

Within Rock and Restore you have all the essential aminos, which include the branch chain aminos (BCAA’s).  The branch-chain amino acids are some of the best known essential amino acids because of their ability to support muscle growth, muscle repair and recovery.

Rock and Restore contains all 3 branch-chain amino acids, including the optimal dose of leucine, considered the most anabolic of the BCAA’s – meaning it promotes muscle protein synthesis.

I drink this during my workouts to help prevent muscle protein breakdown, speed up my recovery, and as an active woman over 40 I want to ensure I’m getting adequate amino acids into my body. Personally, I like to add a serving of collagen to my workout drink because it’s such a convenient way to get the collagen peptides in as well. You can use this on non-workout days as well if you like, it is a very versatile and supportive drink that will boost your amino acid intake.

Check out my cute shaker bottles that will keep you Betty Rocking and feeling good doing it!

I say this is a BONUS supplement because you should first and foremost be prioritizing dietary protein – first from food, and then additionally with a quality protein powder to increase your intake to an acceptable range for your age.

If you would like to see and hear me explain this and give a broader overview on how you can use this information and put it into practice, watch this livestream.

I talk about:

• the best time to exercise
• body composition and weight
• training tips with your menstrual cycle
• training tips in peri or post menopause
• how protein supports your body
• how to use protein powder, collagen peptides and free form amino acids
• where the 4 pillars of health fit in
• the importance of our mental health
• self loving actions and words

I hope this was helpful, and please let me know if you have any questions!

The post When and How to Use My Protein Powders, Collagen, and Rock and Restore Aminos appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Sometimes you just need a quick, easy recipe to make that tastes good, pleases everyone and doesn’t require tons of ingredients.

These Pumpkin Spice Protein Waffles are so easy and so delicious! These are a variation of the 5-minute pancakes I make, boosted with a little bonus protein and Fall flavor! They’re gluten and dairy free and are sure to be a huge hit.

These waffles have a great balance of protein from the eggs and protein powder, which helps keep you full and satisfied. Including an optimal serving or complete protein in your meals helps support your active lifestyle and the amino acids benefit your brain, immune function, hormones, enzymes and muscle tissue.

Yes, the recipe still “works” without the protein powder, but if you’re active I really encourage you to take this meal opportunity to boost your amino acid intake.

The banana in the batter makes these these waffles naturally sweet and delicious. They’re high in phytonutrients and contain both soluble and insoluble fiber (1). Soluble fiber dissolves in water and slows digestion, helping to stabilize your blood sugar levels, and insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, which helps keep things moving through your digestive system (2).

This recipe takes 5 minutes to throw together and is satisfying and delicious – and no matter what you’re using for a topping you’re sure to enjoy these tasty waffles!

I like to make a few servings of these at a time so I have some quick breakfast options for busy mornings. Then I can just pop them in the toaster to crisp them up and warm them, top with a little shredded coconut, almond milk Greek yogurt and fresh berries and I’m ready!

Let me know how you plan to enjoy them!

Looking for some help making healthy eating easy?

Take the quiz and find out your eating type!

The post Pumpkin Spice Protein Waffles appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

You’ve made it to the final day of the 5-day Challenge, Rockstar!! So awesome!

Do you remember when we were kids, how our moms packed lunches and snacks for us? When we were babies, they never left home without a bottle and our baby food. That’s because Mom knew that we needed a steady supply of nutrients to get big and strong, and to thrive!

But somewhere between high school and our first job, it got ‘cooler’ to go out to eat with our friends and Mom had to pack our thermos and lunchbox away.

And then something started to happen. We noticed our pants weren’t fitting quite right. And even after miles on the treadmill and hours in fitness classes, the eating out and late night cereal started to add up. We realized we needed a new system to stay on track with our fitness goals, look our best and avoid those mid-morning energy crashes.

(find your workout challenge below!)

Failing to plan is planning to fail

If you’ve been on any social media lately, you’ll notice a trend in the food prepping sphere. All kinds of big accounts are teaching and preaching the simple art of food prepping.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail” makes sense when it comes to our bodies, and the way we take care of them.

There are many different ways to approach your food prepping. In the Body Fuel System, I created 3 different ways to do it so you could use whichever approach was right for your life each week.

For example, some people like to prep their food in one fell swoop and have all their main meals ready to go in advance (batch).

Others like to prep a few staples and do some light cooking on a daily basis (hybrid). And still others (and me some weeks when I’m really busy) travel a lot, or just don’t cook much and prefer to have a simple solution of shortcuts that nourish them on the go (minimal).

Whatever approach you have for how you get your food prepared, having food that’s ready in the morning to simply pack into a couple containers gives you more time to sleep, more time to enjoy your coffee and eggs, and more money in your pocket.

Yep, that’s right – having your food plan in place is a big money saver. Even if your grocery bill is $70-100 a week, you could spend that much – and most likely more – eating out 3 times a day for 3 days. And that’s if you were doing it cheap. When you add up taxes and tips, not to mention the appetizers you ordered and probably wouldn’t have had at home, your restaurant bill can add up fast.

Here’s a sample of recipes in the Body Fuel System, my most popular eating guide and meal plan:

The best part about having your own healthy food ready to go is the difference it makes to your waistline. I have never been in better shape than when I am organized in this area (exactly why I created the different eating styles). It’s super frustrating to do all those workouts and not see changes to your body. 9 times out of 10 that difference happens from the way we eat.

For my simple guide with all the best recipes, daily menus and food setup for you whether you’re taking a more minimal approach to prepping (using shortcuts), doing it all in one batch session, or fall somewhere in between, the Body Fuel System has it all – with custom steps for every week depending on your preference, healthy gluten and dairy free recipes (with Vegetarian options) and an awesome guide to understanding nutrition so you can just KNOW what to eat and HOW to put it all together for yourself in any situation. 

Here’s a little guide to help you choose good recipes and plan your week.

A. Pick your proteins. You’ll want proteins for breakfast, lunches and dinners. If you’re training regularly, consider including a quality protein powder to add to fun recipes like pancakes or muffins, or have in a green smoothie or protein shake.

Some good proteins include:
-chicken
-turkey
-fish
-red meat
-tempeh
-edamame
-black beans, red beans, navy beans, white beans
-protein powder
-eggs

More about Protein: Protein 101

B. Pick your carbs. I usually opt for 2 main carbs per week and make a big batch.

Some good carbs include:
– sweet potatoes
-quinoa
-amaranth
-bread (gluten free or sprouted for me)
-millet
-rice
-pumpkin
-fruit (I always have fruit on hand for snacks and green smoothies – some frozen, and some fresh. I like to buy the more expensive berries frozen so they don’t go bad)

More about Carbs: Carbs 101

C. Choose healthy fats. Have a couple good quality cooking oils on hand, like olive oil and coconut oil. Be sure to pick up some quality fats to include with your proteins and greens.

Some good fats include:
-avocado
-nuts
-chia seeds
-coconut oil
-coconut milk
-olive oil
-olives

More about Fat: Healthy Fat 101

D. Choose greens/veggies. I was never a big fan of cooking a lot of vegetables. I like sauteeing up some spinach or supergreens with a little garlic for breakfast, but I’d rather have a big mixed greens salad, and Green Smoothies make my life awesome. Whatever you prefer, the important thing is to get those daily greens in your body. We need the phytonutrients, vitamins and compounds they contain.

Some good veggies/greens include:
-kale
-swiss chard
-spinach
-collard greens
-dandelion greens
-parsley, mint, basil or other fresh herbs
-cucumber, celery, sugar snaps or other crunchy veggies
-tomatoes
-carrots
-mushrooms
-sugar snap peas
-onions
-garlic
-broccoli

More about Greens: Greens 101

Packing it up for the day

Even if you don’t do food prep often, or  prefer to buy your food already made, taking something with you for the day is a better option than eating out every day.

And that’s what Day 5 of this 5-day challenge is all about – bring something with you so you’re not stuck eating out of a vending machine, tempted by the cupcakes or donuts your co-workers brought in, or ordering something greasy and fatty for lunch because you haven’t eaten all day and you’re starving.

Sticking to No added sugar from Day 1 will be a breeze if you’re in charge of your food all day. And taking your green smoothie with you from Day 2 already means you’ve got at least one great thing to pack and go. Be sure to drink enough water to get the benefits of all those nutrients you’re eating from our Day 3 hydration challenge. And mixing up your food like we did in the Day 4 variety challenge will ensure you get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Workout Challenge Day #5: 15-min Full Body HIIT

3 rounds:

1. Sumo Squat High Pull Rows (0:30)
2. Mountain climbers (0:30)
3. Cross Punch Alternating Side Kicks (0:30)
4. Burpee Split Squat Lunges (0:30)
5. In and Out Abs (0:30)

Love these workouts? Well I do too! I put workouts like these into my workout programs.

If you’re looking for one to follow, CLICK HERE!

Thanks for taking the 5-day Challenge with me!

I created this challenge for myself actually, when I was trying to really zero in on those “small hinges” that swing big doors of health and results. This challenge helped me really tune into some good practices that make a difference in how I feel and look.

How did you feel taking the challenge? Be sure to comment below and let me know how this challenge helped you! xoxo

Want to continue the journey? Shop the Betty Rocker Collection!

The post Food and Fitness Challenge Day 5: Have a Plan and Full Body HIIT appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

I hear this question so often that it’s clear to me how many people still fall victim to the old myth that eating foods that contain fat will add fat to their body. This is simply not how it works.

The truth is, we gain body fat for any number of reasons, including eating too much of the wrong foods, eating too much in general, not getting enough sleep, and living high-stress lives.

But including proper amounts of healthy fat into our diets is not one of those reasons.

In fact, fat as a nutrient is just as important for our body as protein, complex carbs, and greens.

The real story behind the modern epidemic of excess flab on our bodies comes from consuming so many processed and refined foods – they are EVERYWHERE in today’s modern Western diet, and they dull the body’s natural feedback loop that tells us when we’re full.

Without this very important line of communication, we keep eating and eating and eating, while our waistlines keep growing and growing and growing.

How Overeating Processed Foods Affects Our Body Fat

It’s not entirely our fault when we can’t stop eating processed foods.

Flavors are carefully engineered to be more appealing, compelling, and even addictive to consumers, but the nutrient density of foods is clearly weakened by processing.

When foods are stripped of their natural fat, it’s almost always replaced with some form of sugar or salt – and it’s that excess sugar that overloads your body, and directly translates to excess body fat.

One of the biggest misunderstandings people have is thinking that eating foods that contain fat naturally (think whole eggs, avocado, quality salmon, nuts, olive oil) will make them, fat, but it actually will NOT.

It’s the sugar-laden, sodium-laced, highly processed foods that pad our waistline.

If you’ve ever examined the food label on a fat-free yogurt and compared it to a full-fat yogurt (if you can even find one), you’ll usually find that the fat-free yogurt contains more sugar and/or sodium than the full-fat version. That’s because the product simply doesn’t taste very good without the fat. Same thing with powdered peanut butter – the fat gets stripped out, and sugar gets added in to make it palatable.

This does you NO favors….as I talked about in the in-depth overview of carbs recently – over-consuming added sugar in your food is one of the primary culprits in weight gain.

Your body simply cannot utilize all the excess sugar – it doesn’t have the capacity to store it in your muscles or liver, and you don’t need it for energy – so it packages it up as body fat.

How Stress Affects Body Fat

Another reason we can’t seem to get the excess body fat to come off is stress.

Stress raises your levels of a hormone called cortisol. In its normal capacity, cortisol has several key roles in the body, but none more relevant to this discussion than its ability to raise blood glucose levels when it skyrockets due to stress.

Cortisol has been studied for its propensity to deposit the fat in the abdominal area – and researchers believe it’s a primary cause of belly fat in highly stressed people.

When a stressful event or feeling is over and you still have high blood glucose levels, that glucose gets stored as fat. Most notably, BELLY FAT.

To avoid having this affect your waistline, find natural ways to reduce your stress. Simple breathing techniques, visualizations, gratitudes, mindfulness activities, yoga, and more can all be amazing stress relievers.

Consider your stress levels while you’re eating as well. Are you coming to the meal calm and unhurried, or anxious and rushed? It makes a difference. See if you can slow down your bites of food, or count how many times you chew your food. Breathe while you eat, and stop to notice how your food tastes. This can really affect the amount of cortisol that’s running through your system.

How Sleep Affects Body Fat

Yet another reason extra fat will cling to our bodies is a lack of proper rest.

When we sleep, our body processes the food we ate during the day, our mind processes events and thoughts, and our body is better able to maintain homeostasis.

Studies show that getting enough rest allows you to perform better, regulate your hormones so you actually metabolize fats more efficiently, reduce stress (helpful!), improve focus, creativity and memory, and regulates and reduces inflammation.

Just 3-4 nights of limited sleep (approximately 4-5 hours of sleep is considered sleep deprivation for most of us) can cause insulin resistance comparable to a Type 2 diabetic – which is a science-y way of saying that with inadequate sleep, your body has a really hard time digesting carbs and sugars effectively leading to… you guessed it, fat gain.

It can also throw off a number of other hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which help regulate appetite control.

So do your best to get enough rest – if you have trouble falling asleep, try using some of the suggestions that help lower stress levels from above. Try turning off your phone and electronics an hour or two before bedtime, and get deeper sleep by limiting all non-natural light sources in your sleep environment.

Can I Exercise my Fat off with Targeted Workouts?

Unfortunately, just doing ab or butt or arm workouts won’t magically melt the fat off those areas. The truth is, we can’t “spot reduce” fat – and I would caution you against supplements, cleanses or other quick fixes like body wraps that promise to do so.

Those are short-term strategies that carry the risk of long-term hormone imbalance, and they are incapable of providing real, sustainable results.

Good news though, you CAN get the fat off – and keep it off.

Fat comes off our body systemically (all over) in an order it went on – which is primarily governed by our DNA. We have different kinds of receptors in our fat tissues, essentially called alpha receptors and beta receptors.

The alpha receptors slow fat loss release, and beta receptors speed fat release. The stubborn fat areas have more alpha receptors, and simply will take a bit longer to come off than other areas of the body.

A training program that contains a combination of resistance and high-intensity interval training (like my Home Workout Domination program) with a balanced whole food diet including all the nutrients (like healthy fat) – is your ticket to getting and keeping your body in its optimal state.

5 Reasons We Need Body Fat:

Keep in mind that all human beings need some fat on their frames – it’s essential to our survival. Too little body fat is just as problematic as too much.

Here are the top 5 ways body fat is our friend:

1. Fat is literally stored energy.

Although the main source of energy for our bodies is carbohydrates, fat is used as a source of backup energy in cases when carbs are not available.

Fat, therefore, helps you stabilize your energy, providing both immediate bursts when necessary, and slow-release through extended periods of rest.

2. Your brain uses fat to function.

Structurally, 60% of our brain is composed of fat, which forms the structure of our cell membranes, so a steady, daily stream of fatty acids is required for your brain to properly develop and function.

Additionally, fat creates the structural components for myelin, a fatty insulating sheath that surrounds various nerve fibers, helping them carry messages more quickly.

3. Fat helps us regulate our body temperature.

There is a thin fat layer located right underneath the skin designed to insulate the body, helping us maintain the proper body temperature.

In addition to insulating, this layer of fat can also protect the inner core from extreme temperature changes by generating and then releasing heat when our skin temperature significantly drops.

4. Fat protects our internal organs.

The body also has a layer of fat surrounding major organs like the brain and heart, as well as nerves, tissues, and bones.

This layer is designed to act as a protective cushion in the event that you suddenly experience impact or even trauma, providing shock absorption around your essential organs, thereby decreasing the chance for significant damage.

5. Fat produces and regulates specifically helpful hormones.

Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate processes in our body. In response to signals from other organs, your body fat produces hormones that help with a variety of important functions, from blood clotting to sex hormone metabolism.

Too little (or too much) body fat and our hormones can get all out of whack, creating a whole host of unwanted issues.

5 Ways Eating Fat Keeps Us Lean:

Now that we’ve established why we need body fat, let’s look at how dietary fats play into the equation. There are actually some very compelling reasons to regularly include healthy fats into your diet.

In fact, here’s how eating the right amounts of the healthy fats will help you lean out.

1. Some Vitamins your body loves and needs – like A, D, E, and K – need Fat in order to be useful.

If you don’t put enough fat in your diet, it’s not difficult to become deficient in one or more of these vitamins, and you don’t want that because they do some pretty important stuff!

Vitamin A is responsible for promoting good vision and keeping our eyes healthy; vitamin D helps us absorb calcium; vitamin E neutralizes free radicals, protecting cells in the process; and vitamin K is essential for blood clotting.

These are known as fat-soluble vitamins, which means fat must be present in order for them to be absorbed and processed by the body. Wholesome, healthy fats provide your body with the ability to do this by first shuttling and then dissolving the vitamins, micronutrients, and phytochemicals they supply into your body.

2. Eating fat promotes weight loss by curbing the tendency to overeat.

Healthy fat is very satiating, especially when paired with foods that don’t irritate your digestive system. This means you feel fuller faster, which means you are less likely to overeat! Combining a delicious grass-fed burger topped with avocado and a side of quinoa or baked sweet potato is far more satisfying and filling than some bread and jam.

You could eat an entire loaf of bread and not feel as satisfied as you would from the burger meal. Eating the balance of protein, carbohydrates, AND fat ensures you’ll be full enough to stop eating when you’re full.

3. Eating fat prevents weight gain by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

The consumption of fat before or with any carbohydrate meal slows the rate at which food exits your stomach.

This stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing harmful insulin spikes that trigger fat storage and lead to weight gain.

(This is one of the reasons you want to avoid fat consumption immediately post-workout – more on that below!)

4. Eating regular amounts of fat gives you consistent energy for your workouts.

Along with glycogen (your body’s glucose stores), fat is burned during exercise to spare precious protein in your muscles.

It is also the primary fuel for the body at rest. When dietary fat levels drop too low, your body may actually start trying to hold onto body fat to protect you from starving. Don’t trigger that switch!

5. Eating the right kind of fat reduces inflammation in the body.

Inflammation caused by eating foods that irritate our systems or cause an allergic reaction will expedite weight gain, and lessen the effectiveness of leptin, the hormone that helps regulate food intake, maintain a healthy body weight, and ensure your metabolism is in top working order.

Healthy fats like Omega-3s help stimulates the production and secretion of leptin. They also reduce inflammation throughout the body, help prevent cancer cell growth, prevent excessive blood clotting, and inhibit thickening of the arteries.

By mindfully including more Omega-3 foods in our diet, we can trigger the body to lose unnecessary weight and keep it off, while benefiting from all the other nutrients in those foods as well. Focus on the foods from the lists below and you’ll support all of your body’s natural fat regulation processes!

Good sources of Omega-3:

• flaxseed
• cod liver oil
• walnuts
• soybeans
• sardines
• oysters
• salmon
• mackerel

What Kind of Fat Should I Limit or Avoid in my Diet?

On the other end of the dietary fat spectrum are saturated and trans fats.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fat occurs naturally in many foods such as meat, dairy products, palm and coconut oils, and cocoa butter. Despite its reputation, including naturally-occurring saturated fat in moderation into our diet is not bad for us.

This does not mean that you should just start eating saturated fat with abandon, especially if you’re trying to lose a significant amount of weight. Again, moderation is key.

Get most of your dietary fat from the Omegas we talked about above, a minimal amount from Saturated Fats, and steer as clear as possible from Trans Fats (below), and you’ll be right on track.

Trans Fats

Trans-fatty acids also subject us to inflammation and contribute to free radical formation. You’ve heard of free radicals before I’m sure, and how eating antioxidant-rich foods like leafy greens, berries, beans, and spices protects you from their potentially harmful effects.

A diet that contains a lot of trans fats is very unlikely to contain many of those antioxidant-rich foods, and will raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels while lowering your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. This can raise blood pressure and harden the arteries, increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Trans-fatty acids are in so many commercially sold products, like margarine, vegetable shortening, pre- made baked goods like sweet rolls, cookies, and pre-made cakes and frostings. They are also present in things like frozen drinks, fried chicken, French fries, breakfast sandwiches, meat sticks, crackers, packaged pudding, canned chili, frozen dinners, and ice cream.

An easy way to find out if the food you’re eating has trans-fat is to simply check the ingredients label for the word hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. #themoreyouknow

How Much Healthy Fat do I Need to Eat?

As we’ve seen, eating healthy fat in your food boosts your brain power, enhances your body’s ability to lose stubborn body fat, and provides you with lasting energy that can eliminate cravings, mood swings, and poor sleep.

The amount of fat you need each day depends on your daily nutritional needs, which are of course based on your size and activity level. As a general rule of thumb, aim for 20-35% of your total daily intake to come from fat.

Speaking of “rule of THUMB” I measure my fat in meals by eyeballing the portion of fat to the size of my thumb. I go for the smaller side if the food is in a liquid form (oil) and a little larger when it’s in solid form (peanut butter, nuts, avocado).

Balance is key in fat consumption; eating enough of the good stuff (nuts, avocados, flax, salmon, etc.) promotes weight loss and weight maintenance. Eating too much of the bad stuff (ice cream, cake, pastries, pizza, etc.) promotes weight gain. Focus on emphasizing whole food fat sources.

When Should I Eat Healthy Fat?

I purposely include some healthy fat with almost every meal and snack and it is NOT making me fat – it’s helping me stay full and satisfied so I don’t overeat and don’t end up having cravings for more food later. It’s easy to do, and healthy fat is present in many of the wholesome recipes in my meal plans.

Betty Rocker’s Favorites: Healthy Fat Sources

Use this list to get you started and as an “including but not limited to” type of guideline while discovering YOUR favorite sources of healthy fats.

• Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, flax seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, filberts
• Dairy: Butter, Greek yogurt, ghee, some cheeses
• From the Farm: Eggs, grass-fed meats, organic and farm-raised poultry, liver, goat butter
• Plants: Avocado, olives, coconut, peanuts, peanut butter, soybeans
• Fish: salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, herring, lake trout, cod liver oil, sardines, bluefish (I order all my fish wild-caught fresh and frozen from Vital Choice Seafood)
• Oils*: olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil

Find these (and more!) deliciously balanced recipes on the blog right now:

• Tuna Avocado Salad
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein French Toast
• Baked Salmon with Grainy Mustard, Parsley and Sliced Shallots
• White Chia Grapefruit Ginger Cups

The Bottom Line: Eating Good Fat Keeps You Healthy and Lean

Eating a variety of dietary fat with an emphasis on the Omega-3s will not only regulate all your essential cellular functions, it will keep you lean as well.

I hope this article has shown you there is nothing to fear about fat. In fact, we’ve discovered quite the opposite is true – adding steady doses of healthy fats to your diet will help you be stronger, leaner, healthier and more confident than ever that the food choices you’re making are promoting a long, rich life in your best body – which of course is what being a Betty Rocker is all about!

Need some help with healthy eating? When planning for the week, I think about:

• 2-3 breakfast options I like 
• A few entrees that could double as dinner or lunch 
• A couple smoothie ideas that have complimentary ingredients to give you variety with your greens
• A snack option like homemade protein muffins or an easy to make trail mix for days you’re just hungrier and want a little more to eat.
• Round out your plan with a couple of staple sides that you would like to have on hand daily like a big mixed greens salad and some rice, quinoa or easy to grab sweet potato chunks…

……and then make your grocery list around that.  

Or, you can let me make the whole plan for you, with so many delicious, easy and healthy recipes!

The 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan includes all the recipes and grocery lists for breakfasts, smoothies, sides, snacks and entrees for 4 full weeks – with plenty of delicious options and structure to help you eat right for YOUR life!

Check out everything included in the 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan right here, and let me make your life easier!

The post Healthy Fats 101 appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

I know carbs can be a source of confusion – but they’re actually a very important body fuel source that provide immediate – and stored – energy. 

When you choose your carbs from whole food options, you can reap the rewards of all of their energy, fiber, vitamins, minerals and delicious flavors in your meals. 

On that note, let’s clarify what I mean by “whole foods”. These are simply foods being prepared and eaten in their natural, unprocessed state, and they can be from animal or plant sources. Some great options for whole food carbs include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (1).

Whole food carbs not only taste fantastic – they also support lean muscle development and provide stable energy – and you can enjoy them without worrying they might sabotage your goals or pad your body with fat. 

But it’s a real thing that eating an excess of carbohydrates (or any other nutrients) can have that effect, and it’s much more likely to happen when you’re making your food choices from foods that contain extra sugar (i.e. processed foods) than what you’d find in the food’s natural state.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are organic (carbon-containing) compounds found in food that contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as glucose and fructose), starch, and/or fiber (2). 

All whole food carbohydrates include plenty of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that will support your system and your cells in all their tasks. Carbs ultimately break down chemically to glucose – a simple sugar that serves as the body and brain’s preferred energy source.

Fiber is an important component in whole food carbohydrates that slows the release of sugar into the blood, which gives you more steady energy, supports your healthy gut bacteria and immune system, and supports an optimal digestive flow (3). 

Fiber allows for all of these benefits because it is not fully broken down during carbohydrate digestion, so what is not used for other functions in the body is excreted by the bowels (2). 

There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. 

Just like the name implies, insoluble fiber is not soluble in water, so it passes through the body intact. This can be beneficial if you have a fussy digestive system, as it can add bulk to your stools and help bowel movements become more regular. 

Soluble fiber, on the other hand, can help to slow down digestion, allowing you to feel full longer (4). For instance, eating a whole apple (rich in dietary fiber) will make you feel full longer (and leave you less likely to reach for more food) compared to the same number of calories as apple juice (a lower-fiber food). Soluble fiber also plays a role in heart health and maintaining optimal blood sugar levels.

Healthy women should aim for at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily from nutritious whole food sources (2, 5). This may sound like a lot, but if your diet includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, you’ll find that the fiber grams add up quickly. 

However, make sure you don’t do too much too fast – increasing your fiber intake too quickly can cause all kinds of digestive issues such as cramping, gas, or diarrhea. Just take it slow and drink plenty of water, and you should be able to avoid stomach troubles.

In fact, fiber supports healthy gut bacteria and optimal digestion. Fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut and not only helps the bacteria thrive, but also increases their numbers (6). This in turn impacts the thickness of the mucus wall in the gut while building a strong barrier against toxins and disease-causing bacteria.

Starch is another compound found in carbohydrates, specifically those from plant sources. Starch is structurally made up of polysaccharide compounds known as amylose and amylopectin (7). 

Naturally-occurring sugars are also found in whole food carbs – such as lactose in dairy foods and fructose in fruit. Make sure not to confuse these with added sugars – naturally-occurring sugars play important roles in your body and health, and they are perfectly fine to consume in moderation.

You might have heard the terms “simple” and “complex” carbs being used. This classification isn’t really used by health professionals anymore, but the general idea is still valid. Complex carbohydrates contain fiber, starch, and sugars, while simple carbohydrates just contain sugars – either naturally-occurring or added (2). 

The simpler a carb is, the faster it will be digested and absorbed into your bloodstream and the more complex a carb is, the slower it is digested and absorbed, allowing for steadier energy and easier fat loss. Some great complex carb options include sweet potatoes, apples, and lentils.

In general, your best bet is to go for complex carbs that are higher in fiber. Not only will they be more filling, they’ll also keep you satisfied longer, which is a great option for anyone focused on fat loss or maintenance.

What Happens in Your Body When You Eat Carbs?

Your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose molecules, which get carried in the bloodstream to your cells. The body uses glucose either as immediate energy to fuel your muscles and brain, or converts it into glycogen and stores it in the liver or muscles as reserve energy.

Used for immediate energy (as glucose):

After a meal, the carbohydrates you’ve eaten are broken down into their smallest building blocks (glucose molecules), which eventually are absorbed into the bloodstream through special cells in the small intestine. As glucose travels through your blood to your cells, it’s called blood glucose (or blood sugar.) 

An essential part of maintaining homeostasis (balance) in the body is the regulation of blood sugar levels – so we have the energy we need to do everything we do. 

Your body has a process to handle the inflow of glucose (after you eat) so you can meet your energy needs and store whatever isn’t immediately needed for later use. These energy reserves are important, and are what your body draws on when you need energy between meals.

After you eat, your pancreas releases the hormone insulin. Insulin travels through the blood to your body’s cells. It tells the liver, muscle and fat cells to take in glucose so it can be used for energy right away, or stored for later use. 

When it comes to immediate energy needs, your brain is a primary consumer of glucose. In humans, the brain accounts for about 2% of total body weight, but it consumes approximately 20% of glucose-derived energy.

Stored for later use (as glycogen):

Excess glucose from carbs that isn’t needed for immediate energy gets stored in the liver and muscles (8).

Your liver can store approximately 50-80g of glycogen, and your muscles can store approximately 300-400g of glycogen. This stored form of glucose allows your body to consistently regulate its energy needs and have a storage “tank” to draw from when circulating glucose levels are low.

Strategically eating whole-food carbs in moderate amounts throughout the day ensures adequate glucose reserves and stable energy.

When receptor cells sense that glucose is needed, the pancreas secretes glucagon (a hormone), which alerts the liver and muscles to release stored glycogen back into the bloodstream as glucose for cells to use as an energy source.

Most of your body’s cells use glucose, fatty acids (from fat), and amino acids (from protein) for energy, but glucose is the main energy source for your brain and nervous system.

Your muscle tissue has the potential to store a lot of glucose (as glycogen), which is why adding lean muscle with the workouts you do and the food you eat is so important. 

The more muscle you have, the greater your capacity to store glycogen, which is why highly-active people and athletes have greater carbohydrate needs. Need more motivation to exercise? People who are less physically active have less glycogen storage capacity, and excess glucose is more likely to be stored as fat.

However, if you’ve already maxed out the amount of storage available in your liver and muscles, your body stores extra glucose as fat. One way that you can help to keep this balance in check is to keep an eye on the glycemic index (GI) of the food you eat.

The GI is a scale of 1 to 100 (with 100 equivalent to glucose) that measures the effect of food on blood glucose (sugar) levels (9). Foods that contain fiber tend to have lower GI than those that do not. For example, apples have a GI of 36, while white bread has a GI of 75. However, some fruits do have high GI, such as watermelon – a GI of 76. 

When you eat foods with a high GI, your pancreas releases insulin to mediate the rapid influx of glucose in the blood. These blood glucose fluctuations can make you feel tired and sluggish, and excess carbs from these foods can ultimately be earmarked for fat storage.

Obviously we don’t want to be in “fat storage mode” when we’re working on getting lean and mean, so choosing carbs with a lower GI can help you minimize fat storage. 

Hormones also play a huge role in your food intake, metabolic equilibrium, and weight. Your body wants to be in balance, and your hormones are responsible for establishing equilibrium when given the right nutrients. Some key hormones involved in energy and carbohydrate metabolism include cholecystokinin (CCK), ghrelin, leptin, and insulin (10). 

Here’s where it gets cool: You can avoid storing carbs as fat by just making smart choices. The best way to get into optimal “fat burning mode” and have maximum energy is to make your carbohydrate choices from whole food sources, and avoid the fake stuff. 

I don’t recommend a no-carb or low-carb diet for any length of time. Long term carbohydrate deprivation leads to a complete depletion of your body’s storage glycogen levels, depression of your immune system, reduced exercise tolerance, decreased metabolic function, and a host of other issues (11). 

There are many dietary strategies that are beneficial – and I encourage you to experiment just as I have. I want you to have a healthy relationship with food and a strong foundational understanding of how each nutrient benefits you, so you can learn to listen to the signals your body sends you and change things up with confidence when needed. 

Complex carbohydrates provide your body with fiber, essential nutrients, immediate energy, and energy reserves. Fat slows down the absorption and digestion of carbs, providing a steady, ongoing supply of glucose (keeping insulin levels steady), and will make you feel full sooner. Protein provides your body with essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth and hormone production, plus it stimulates the release of the fat burning hormone, glucagon, thereby maximizing your ability to burn stored body fat for energy. 

Why Do I Get Cravings?

First, processed foods in your diet can play a role (12). If your diet is high in sugar and simple carbs, your  body eventually gets used to the short bursts of sudden energy those foods deliver. Of course, that energy disappears as quickly as it arrived, and when that inevitable blood sugar crash hits, your body starts searching frantically for the next carb “hit.” This is when you experience cravings, fatigue, and even mood swings.

Cravings can also come from addiction to sugar and result from your body being triggered by sugar and its reward effect on your brain to keep seeking more (13). Although the idea of sugar addiction is controversial and mostly anecdotal right now, you may be among the many people who do feel a strong mental and/or physical attachment to sugar, so that feeling shouldn’t be minimized or ignored.

So, how do you avoid this blood sugar rollercoaster ride? 

Eating regular, satisfying meals with diverse nutrients will ensure that your body knows when it’s full – and in turn, it will tell you when it’s hungry. 

If you find that you constantly struggle with cravings, check in with your food intake. Are you eating enough protein, fiber-rich greens, and healthy fats? These nutrients deliver slow, lasting energy to the body just like complex carbohydrates do. Don’t skimp on these vital nutrients!

Take a look at the specific foods you eat, as well. If you buy any convenience or packaged foods, they often contain added sugar. Even with your best intentions, you might be unintentionally eating more sugar than you mean to all day long – and by the time you get to that evening glass of wine or purposeful dessert, you’re likely already way over the amount of sugar your body can use for energy.

You can also help your body to better handle carbohydrates and minimize cravings by including more fiber in your diet. Fiber can help to blunt the insulin response to increased circulating glucose levels, as well as suppressing your appetite and keeping energy levels consistent (2).

Another aspect of your diet to evaluate is the nutrient claims associated with the foods you buy. Although low-fat or fat-free versions of things like peanut butter and yogurt seem like a healthy option, they might actually sabotage your efforts. Typically, the fats that are removed from these types of products are replaced with sugar or salt to make the food taste better. This might not sound like a big deal, but in losing the satiating effect of fat and adding in the slippery slope of sugar, you may be more likely to overeat these foods.

As we’ve already learned, if your glycogen stores are full, the extra glucose from these foods will ultimately end up in fat storage. This means that in your efforts to avoid storing fat on your body by buying a fat-free product, you actually increase the likelihood of fat storage happening.

Why you should cut down on snacking:

If you want steady energy, consistent results, and an optimal metabolic rate, you need to fuel your body in a way that encourages it to run as smoothly as possible.

Snacking can be a great way to keep your energy levels up between meals, especially for active people who are always on the go. However, your snacks should be purposeful and nutritious, not a mindless junk food buffet. 

 One way to ensure that you’re not consuming excessive amounts of food and sabotaging all of your hard work is to limit snacking. So many people miss out on the body of their dreams (despite crushing their workouts!) due to mindless snacking. 

Most popular snacks come in the form of high sodium and sugar – and let’s be honest, this habit is better for the snack food companies than it is for your body! Many processed snack foods have high amounts of added sugars – this gives the food a sweeter taste AND makes you want to keep eating (and buying!) the product.

If you need snacks to get you through long periods without full meals, think of creating them as “mini meals” so you remember to include whole food nutrients – especially protein, which is very satisfying. 

Keep in mind if you’re eating sufficient carbs from quality sources, your body has a glucose reserve stored in your muscles and liver so there’s no need to snack between meals unless you are actually hungry. However, you don’t want to deplete that reserve by avoiding or restricting carbs, so stick to nutritious whole foods and avoid fake, processed foods full of empty calories that can easily tip the scale toward fat storage. 

Curb your cravings by eating the RIGHT carbs at the RIGHT time.  I make this super easy with my meal plans.

Even if you’re sticking to your workouts, limiting snacking, and eating nutritious and satisfying meals, cravings can still pop up from time to time. So, now what can you do? Here are a few options:

For starters, keep an eye on the sugar YOU add to foods. Your morning coffee can be a great place to start. If you like your coffee light and sweet, add a sprinkle of cinnamon (more on that later!), a teaspoon or two of coconut oil, or even a little bit of coconut cream.

Next, watch out for foods with added sugar. This isn’t always apparent from giving the food label a quick peek, although some foods will include an “added sugars” column on the label.

Otherwise, you can calculate the amount of sugar (this isn’t necessarily the same as added sugars, as many do occur naturally) by comparing the grams of sugar listed to the grams of carbohydrates. For example, if a food lists 24g carbohydrates and 20g of sugar, you can bet that food is high in sugar and probably not a great choice to help you achieve your goals.

If you like spices, cinnamon may be your new favorite! Studies have found that cinnamon (especially cassia and Ceylon varieties) have a beneficial effect on keeping blood glucose levels stable by slowing the rate at which food exits the stomach (14). I like to sprinkle it in my coffee, on my oatmeal, and even into smoothies. Don’t overdo it with the cinnamon, though – as with all spices, a little goes a long way! Try to limit it to a teaspoon per day.

Make good choices when it comes to your beverages. Avoid soda, and opt for fresh whole fruit rather than fruit juices. Although 100% fruit juices may sound like a good option, they lack the fiber and other nutrients found in the skin and flesh of whole fruit. Think of sweetened drinks (such as lemonade, iced tea, fruit punch, soda, cocktails) as “liquid candy”, and try to avoid them. Similarly, unless you need them to get through a particularly strenuous workout, limit high-sugar sports drinks (such as Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water).

Many eating programs urge you to eat the same foods every day. Although there is something to be said for simplicity, limiting the foods you eat decreases the variety of nutrients available to you (and your beneficial gut bacteria!). It’s also really boring to eat this way! I don’t like being bored, but I DO like simplicity and efficiency.

So, over the course of a week, eating similar foods works great to cut down the amount of time you’ll need to spend in the kitchen. But throughout the month, and throughout different seasons, your body is going to like and want different foods. As you become more and more in tune with your body, you’ll notice this too. Adding a bit of variety into your diet can keep you from getting bored and craving something different.

When Should I Eat Carbs?

When it comes to carbs from whole foods, try to figure out what makes you feel satisfied and energized. If you’re using one of my eating guides, there are daily menus with suggested meals from the recipes in the guide to help you experiment. With or without my guides, experiment to see how eating carbs affects your energy.(Here’s my 3-day easy eating guide with some sample recipes and suggested meals!)

If your goal is to GET AND STAY LEAN, the best times to eat optimal carbs are:

1: Morning

Your body uses up a good portion of your glycogen stores overnight, and breakfast is the perfect time to replenish glucose and top off those stores. It’s always best to consume protein and carbs together (especially after a workout) because the elevated insulin levels from the carbs help your muscles absorb amino acids from protein. Amino acids are then used to help your body with various processes such as building muscle and regulating immune function (15).

My breakfast always includes carbs like overnight steel cut oatmeal (you can also mix in a scoop of chocolate protein powder to add extra awesome), eggs with a sprouted grain or gluten-free toast, or a protein pancake topped with fruit.

2: Before your workout

I recommend eating your healthy, complex, whole-food carbs around your workouts because they help your muscles use more protein.

In general, I don’t focus on having a “pre” and “post” workout meal, shake, or bar. Your body does keep energy on reserve in the form of glycogen, and it’s OK if you don’t get in the habit of eating something before exercising or right away after you finish. What really matters is your energy levels – if you find that you’re tired, light-headed, or just plain hungry, then you should probably eat something.

Eating carbs in your main meal prior to working out simply gives you energy to burn during the workout. It’s totally fine to train first thing in the morning if you haven’t eaten yet, but if you’re exercising at a time of day that’s after a meal this applies. If you find your energy levels waning during your workout, it might be a good idea to check out your meal and workout timing and adjust them to allow for optimal energy. 

If you’re hungry going into a workout, you can always have something light like a smoothie or shake. Make sure it contains quality ingredients like protein, greens, and fruit to provide you with quick energy.

If you exercise first thing in the morning, whether you need to eat first is a pretty personal thing. If you find that your energy levels are high before a morning workout without eating beforehand, then you certainly don’t need to force yourself to eat.

3: Post workout

After a workout (within about 1 hour is always a good rule of thumb), make sure your next meal includes both carbs and protein to replenish muscle glycogen stores. It’s fine if the meal also contains fat and greens, but prioritize your protein and carbohydrates. If you skip the post-workout carbs, exercise recovery can take longer, soreness may increase, and you may even lose muscle tissue over time.

You might like to schedule your workout just before a meal, but definitely don’t plan to workout just after a meal – your body needs time to digest and process food first!

If you know you’re not going to be able to get a meal in after your workout and you’ll be hungry, having your shaker cup and Berry Green Protein with you can do the trick. By nourishing you with protein and greens (and a great taste, even just in water!), you’ll avoid that energy drop after your endorphins wear off.

4: Bedtime

I always cut off my food intake (all foods, not just carbs) 3 hours before bedtime to give my system time to wind down and prepare for high-quality sleep. You don’t need to stick to exactly 3 hours, but if you struggle with falling or staying asleep, providing your body with a bit of a food-free buffer before bedtime can work wonders.

Of course, don’t just take my word for it. There are many different possibilities for what could work best for you, so just pay attention to what feels right to you from day to day!

NOT ALL CARBS ARE CREATED EQUAL: A Word on “Good” and “Bad” Carbs

While it’s true that carbs can provide you with a stored energy pool AND deliver consistent, lasting energy to your body, not all carbs are created equal, and it’s important to eat the most beneficial ones.

As long as you’re eating intentionally, you can allow for any food you choose for special occasions, weekend treats, or what I call “No Strings Attached” (NSA) meals.

That said, there ARE certain types of carbs that will serve you and your healthy eating lifestyle better than others – I prefer to think of these two distinct groups as “Optimal” and “Suboptimal” carbs. 

Whole, nutritious foods not only contain nutrients such as fiber, minerals, and vitamins – they also communicate this nutritional information to your body (in a language it recognizes) so it knows exactly what to do with the influx of nutrients. 

When you eat satisfying foods such as complex carbs, your body communicates back to you with easy-to-understand information like “I’m full”.

On the other hand, carbs in a less wholesome form (think of potato chips or snack mixes) tend to be filled with ingredients like sugar, salt, stabilizers, or fillers in order to taste better. These carbs tend to be less satisfying (and less nutritious), and your body will likely keep saying “I’m hungry” as you keep munching away.

So, how do you know the difference between Optimal and Suboptimal Carbs?

Simply put, how much has the food been processed? The most nutritious carbs are like the best proteins and fats, they come to us from nature. If they are a single ingredient, you’ve got an optimal carb. If it’s been altered from its natural, whole-food state in any way, it’s probably a sub-optimal choice (or perhaps just better left to an NSA day).

A lot of “health” food carbs that come in a box or bag – like breakfast cereal, instant oatmeal, breads/tortillas, condiments, and snack foods – are a processed version of a whole food, and the processing alters the nutritional density of that food.

Most processed foods are low in naturally-occurring fiber, vitamins, and minerals and higher in sugar than their whole-food counterparts.

For example, white flour is missing the nutrients that the plant contained before it was harvested. Combining white flour, sugar and other ingredients to make pastries, breads, snacks and sweets might be convenient and tasty, but to your body it’s like speaking a foreign language when you pump all these substances into it.

This is where the term “empty calories” comes from. These foods have calories but lack the nutrient density found in the whole food form. Eating these empty-calorie foods can also set you up for cravings – not only is your body hungry for the actual nutrients it needs to function, but those engineered flavors trick your brain into thinking it’s getting a reward every time you eat a certain snack food or treat.

Filling up on empty calories is like injecting yourself with fat. If you fill up on crappy food, it becomes harder to get enough essential nutrients without gaining weight. Your body knows when it’s full or not regardless of the nutrient density of your food. If you’re eating low-nutrient-density foods, your body won’t receive the “full” signal until you reach a maximum volume of food. If you’ve eaten until you feel bloated and overfed, this is exactly what happened.

This is why so many people simply cannot lose the extra weight, no matter how hard they try to “clean up” their diet or how much they exercise.

An organic or a gluten-free cookie might sound like a better choice, but it doesn’t make the cut either for whole-food carbs. These terms simply refer to the ingredients used in making the cookies, and it doesn’t automatically classify them as “healthy” or whole. Cookies are cookies, and organic and gluten-free cookies contain excess sugar and carbs just like conventional ones do.

We all know how easy it is to eat an entire sleeve of Oreos, a whole bag of corn chips, or drink a super-size soda at the movies. If we could stop at just one or two bites, snack foods wouldn’t be such a problem. However, food manufacturers know just how to manipulate sugar and salt and structurally re-engineer flavors, tastes, colors, and smells to make food have a longer shelf life, stimulate your taste buds, and generally be more appealing to consumers.

Start making your own food, and the processed stuff will start to taste as artificial and weird as its ingredients actually are. You’ll likely notice a difference in the way you feel pretty quickly once you start focusing on whole, optimal carbs.

What are Healthy Carbohydrate Options?

Like we already learned, a single-ingredient carb is typically an optimal carb.

Think potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa or other grains, legumes, and fibrous vegetables like squash. Whole fruit is also a great carbohydrate source, but it tends to have a higher sugar concentration, so it should be consumed in moderation.

All optimal whole-food carbohydrates come complete with plenty of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that will support your body and cells in all their functions.

Grains

Soaking, sprouting, or fermenting grains are always the best options for preparation. By breaking down the protective outer coating of the grain, these methods allow your body to get the full nutritional benefits of the grains without potential irritants.

Some examples:

• Gluten-free grains: Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, montina (Indian rice grass), quinoa, rice (all varieties, but especially wild, long-grain, and brown), sorghum, teff, oats, corn (higher in sugar, but fine on occasion)
• Grains that contain gluten: Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, triticale (a hybrid grain produced by crossing wheat and rye primarily used as a fodder crop)

Legumes

Legumes are a great whole-food carb AND a source of protein, which makes them a great addition to your diet.

Some examples:

• Beans: adzuki beans, black beans, white beans, soybeans, anasazi beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans and lima beans, and more
• Lentils: yellow, orange, green, brown or black
• Peas: split peas and black-eyed peas

Non-Starchy Vegetables

Colorful veggies and leafy greens are fiber-rich and nutrient dense and are full of highly beneficial micronutrients and phytonutrients. These veggies tend to be low in carbs, so you can fill up on them to your heart’s content!

Some examples:

• Kale, celeriac, spinach, endive, fennel, radicchio, chard, watercress, romaine, arugula, carrots, Brussel sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, onions, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, collards, eggplant, garlic, leeks, radishes

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables will fill you up faster than non-starchy ones, so you won’t need as much of them. They are also a nutrient-dense carbohydrate source, providing sustainable energy. They do tend to be quite high in carbs, which can affect your blood glucose levels and be destined for fat storage if your glycogen levels are already maxed out. If you’re eating a balanced diet, this won’t be a problem ― it’s just good to know. 

Some examples:

• Sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, pumpkin, squash, yams

Fruits

All fruits contain fructose, a simple sugar that your body uses for energy. Although fructose is chemically different from glucose, it is still a simple sugar. Your body has a limited capacity for fructose, and too much fructose can end up in fat storage, spike blood sugar and insulin levels, and set you up for cravings in the future.

The thing to pay attention to is the sugar quantity in the fruits you’re eating so you can still enjoy them in the right amount. Generally tropical fruits are higher in sugar and berries are lower. 

I’ve classified some popular fruits lists into low, medium, and high-sugar groups to help you keep portion size in mind. When I make a smoothie for example I don’t usually mix two tropical fruits, if I use a banana I balance it with berries. 

Some examples:

• Low sugar fruits: Apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, grapefruit, prunes, plums, peaches, pears, oranges, grapes, apricots
• Medium sugar fruits: Bananas (higher in sugar when very ripe), kiwi, mango, figs, raisins, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple
• High sugar fruits: Dates, watermelon

Here are a few ideas for balanced whole-food carbs:

• Unicorn Bowl (blended overnight oatmeal, protein powder, almond milk, fruit)
• Buckwheat Bread 
• Protein pancakes 
• Sweet potatoes, grass-fed beef, and sautéed greens with garlic
• Beans, rice, baked chicken, and pesto
• Seafood stew made with butternut squash

Putting it all together

Taking all of this new information in can be A LOT. You might not feel like you know where to start.

My remedy for this begins with AWARENESS. Read food labels, avoid foods with added sugar, buy whole foods, eat and enjoy treats ON PURPOSE, and include carbs at optimal times so you can keep your body running like the efficient machine it was designed to be.

Here’s the bottom line: Carbs are fuel, and they affect your performance. 

Start paying attention to how the ones you eat make you feel. Choosing whole foods will help you feel and perform at your absolute best. The ones you eat on your NSA days will definitely get your attention. The more you tune in and learn to listen to what your body responds to, the more on track you’ll be to feeling and looking your best.

For more great content on nutrition, read the other articles from this series:

• Protein 101: How Much Protein You Need, How it Benefits You, and How to Get it in
• Healthy Fats 101: Get the Skinny on Fat – Why We Need it and How it Serves Us
• Incorporating Treats: How to Have a “No Strings Attached” (NSA) Relationship with Junk Food
• How Muscle Works: Sleek, Sculpted and Strong Starts Here
• You’re on A Journey: There’s No Such Thing as a Perfect Diet

Need some help with healthy eating? When planning for the week, I think about:

• 2-3 breakfast options I like 
• A few entrees that could double as dinner or lunch 
• A couple smoothie ideas that have complimentary ingredients to give you variety with your greens
• A snack option like homemade protein muffins or an easy to make trail mix for days you’re just hungrier and want a little more to eat.
• Round out your plan with a couple of staple sides that you would like to have on hand daily like a big mixed greens salad and some rice, quinoa or easy to grab sweet potato chunks…

……and then make your grocery list around that.  

Or, you can let me make the whole plan for you, with so many delicious, easy and healthy recipes!

The 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan includes all the recipes and grocery lists for breakfasts, smoothies, sides, snacks and entrees for 4 full weeks – with plenty of delicious options and structure to help you eat right for YOUR life!

Check out everything included in the 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan right here, and let me make your life easier!

The post Carbohydrates 101: How to Eat Carbs to Your Advantage appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

In this post:

• Protein: What makes it special?
• What does protein do?
• How your body uses protein
• Won’t eating protein make me bulk up?
• Are you eating enough protein?
• How much protein do you need?
• Good sources of protein

When creating any meal (from breakfast to smoothies to snacks and everything in between), protein is at the top of my list!

Protein is a major player when it comes to the way your body looks on the outside AND how it functions on the inside. It’s found in every cell, and plays a part in thousands of essential chemical reactions.  It’s needed for everything from hormone regulation and enzyme production to the regulation of muscle mass and body fat levels.

Eating a variety of protein-rich foods can help to support your ability to metabolize fat while supporting structural tissue (AKA muscle) production that can help sculpt a lean, fit physique.  

Protein is also important for healthy and vibrant skin, hair, and nails, as well as a healthy immune system and metabolism that can efficiently burn fat and keep you energized!

Protein: What Makes it Special?

Proteins are macromolecules that play a role in the majority of the processes that occur in your body. They are made of amino acids, which are building blocks that “code” for specific proteins as instructed by your DNA (pretty cool, right?).

There are 20 amino acids, and different combinations and sequences of these 20 amino acids account for every type of protein in your body.

Of the 20 amino acids, 9 of them (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) are categorized as “essential” because your body can’t make them on its own (1). 

You must get these essential amino acids from food. Most animal proteins have a good ratio of different amino acids, so you don’t need to worry about keeping track of your intake of each one.

However, if you’re vegetarian or strictly plant-based, it is possible to miss out on some essential amino acids. Most plant-based protein foods are incomplete protein sources, as they tend to be missing one or more essential amino acids (2).

The solution to these missing amino acids is simple – just incorporate complementary proteins into your diet. By combining different incomplete plant sources of protein, you can get all the amino acids you need. One great complementary protein combination is rice (low in lysine) and beans (low in methionine).

So, what about nonessential amino acids? This designation doesn’t mean they’re any less important, it just means that your body can synthesize them on its own, so you don’t need to focus on getting them from food.

What Does Protein Do?  

Protein is necessary for just about every process your body undergoes on a regular basis. Here are a few of its most important functions:

• Hormones: Believe it or not, these are actually proteins! Hormones such as insulin, glucagon, and HGH play a signaling role in the body, communicating between different organs and cells (3).
• Enzyme production: Protein helps to construct enzymes, which are substances that catalyze chemical reactions. Enzymes are required for many body processes including muscle contraction, digestion, and protein synthesis (4).
• Tissue structure: Protein provides the structure for cells, muscle, and other connective tissues (such as skin, nails, and hair). Important structural proteins include keratin, collagen, and elastin (3).
• Immune health: Immunoglobulins (antibodies) are a type of protein, and they manage your immune health by protecting your body against bacteria, viruses, and other toxins.
• Nutrient transport and storage: Many proteins are responsible for storing and/or moving other nutrients around the body. For example, lipoproteins transport cholesterol, while ferritin stores iron.
• Energy: Just like the other macromolecules, protein provides energy to allow you to go about your daily activities. One gram of protein provides the same amount of energy as 1 gram of carbs – 4 calories.

If you are working on losing body fat, incorporating protein into your diet can make it easier to reach your goals. 

I’ve found that many of my readers tend to downplay the importance of protein when planning meals. However, once they start intentionally incorporating this vital macronutrient, it’s much easier to feel full and satisfied after a nourishing meal.

Protein is more satiating (satisfying) in the long run than fat or carbs (5, 6). Over time, protein can simultaneously reduce your hunger hormone (ghrelin) levels and boost your levels of a satiety hormone (peptide YY) (7). Pretty awesome combo!

So, if you find yourself debating a few more bites of a homemade burger or finishing the sweet potato fries on your plate, opt for the burger. High-carb foods like fries (even those made with sweet potato) can be difficult to stop eating since they aren’t as satiating, while high-protein foods can help you feel fuller longer.

If you include protein sources throughout the day, the work required for protein metabolism will allow your body to burn more calories. 

Protein can also help to give your metabolism a bit of a short-term boost by increasing the thermic effect of food (TEF), which increases the amount of calories burned simply to digest and absorb food (8). TEF (also known as thermogenesis) is one of 3 factors involved in your metabolic rate (the other 2 are your basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure from activity) (9). 

Although TEF makes up the smallest portion of the 3 factors, you can make weight loss or maintenance less of a struggle by boosting your TEF from protein intake. 

Consistent protein intake can also encourage more fat loss via hormone production, which increases the integrity of your lean muscles, and even reduces cardiovascular risk.

Carbs and fats also have this effect, but not as much so as protein. In short, this means your body can burn more calories without any extra effort from you!

How your body uses protein

Protein is broken down into the amino acids required by our bodies to function properly. Several different parts of the body house these amino acids, most notably muscle tissue, the liver, bones, and skin. However, the body isn’t able to tap into these amino acids as easily as it can access glycogen or body fat for quick energy. 

Unlike the way our muscle tissue stores carbohydrates as glycogen for energy use later on, and the way our fat cells store fat for energy use later on, our body doesn’t have a “storage tank” for protein.

Your liver plays a vital role in handling the protein you consume. In a process known as deamination, amino acids are broken down to smaller components as hydrogen ions and ammonia are removed from their structure (10). 

The leftover portions of these amino acids are then distributed throughout your body by your liver to carry out many important functions. Many of these amino acids are ultimately destined for the Krebs cycle, where they can be converted into energy (11).

If your body is in positive protein balance (basically, if you’re consuming more than your body requires), your liver will simply process the protein that comes in from your diet and send the amino acids wherever they are needed (12).

On the other hand, if you’re not getting enough protein from your diet, your liver will break down muscle tissue (via oxidation) to get the amino acids it needs for energy production and other bodily processes (11).

This means that no matter how much time you spend exercising, your muscles will not cooperate unless you fuel them properly.

Protein is primarily used to build, repair and maintain body tissue (in a process called protein synthesis) and make enzymes and hormones. It serves only a tiny percentage of the body’s energy needs.

Since proteins and amino acids are not stored, there is a constant turnover of protein. Some protein is constantly being made while other protein is being broken down. Because protein is needed for so many body functions all day long, it’s important that we continue to replenish it throughout the day by including it in each of our meals.

The protein you eat is key in supporting muscle tissue repair and development in a process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Protein is the main building block of muscle tissue. When you eat foods that contain protein, they’re digested into their amino acids which are transported to body tissues and built into tissue proteins. Protein synthesis is the process of building new proteins, which happens in all the body’s organs.

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the process where your body builds specific muscle proteins from amino acids, and this contributes to muscle size.

Muscle protein synthesis can be increased by including protein with each main meal, and by including protein after you exercise – after the “tear down” has occurred. The amino acids from the protein you ingest will be shuttled to your muscles, replacing any lost during exercise.

The contractions your muscles make decrease muscle protein synthesis during a workout, but it rebounds post-exercise especially when protein or amino acids are added. Studies show that between 20-40 grams is the best amount to support this process, and that eating protein throughout the day in your meals is also a contributing factor.

The ability for dietary protein to impact muscle protein synthesis decreases with age. On my podcast, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon discussed that this response in older adults necessitates a need for increased amounts of dietary protein. This may be significant if you are over 40 and not being mindful of your protein intake. I recommend including between 20-30grams with each main meal, and supplementing with a protein shake post-workout on training days.

Your body can store the glucose you don’t need for immediate energy in 3 places, your liver glycogen, your muscle glycogen, and/or your fat cells.

“Nutrient partitioning” describes which of these 3 paths will be taken, and that has a lot to do with your current amount of body fat, muscle mass, and hormone levels – particularly insulin.

If you are insulin resistant, fat storage is prioritized. If you have good insulin sensitivity, muscle and liver storage is prioritized, and you get the bonus benefit of it aiding your amino acids entering the muscle tissue as well (muscle protein synthesis).

Insulin resistance: Insulin’s job is to help bring your blood sugar levels back to equilibrium by opening up the cells to receive glucose. People who are insulin resistant produce insulin, but their cells have stopped responding to it.
The pancreas, which makes insulin, turns up the volume, producing more and more insulin in response to the elevated blood sugar, but the cells still do not take it up and blood sugar continues to rise.
Prolonged elevated blood sugar can damage organs and nerves, and is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (11).

Insulin Sensitivity: Insulin sensitivity refers to how responsive your cells are to insulin – so how much insulin needs to be produced in order to shuttle the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.
You are insulin sensitive if a small amount of insulin is needed to deposit the glucose you’ve taken in.
Improving insulin sensitivity can help you reduce insulin resistance, and reduce the risk of many diseases, and ensures your body converts the energy from your food in the most efficient manner (including supporting your muscle) (12).

The more insulin sensitive you are, the more readily your nutrients will be partitioned to the muscle tissue to be stored as glycogen (rather than fat storage). Insulin is also thought to have some influence on muscle protein synthesis. It’s theorized that it enhances the uptake of amino acids into the cell, though I found inconsistent conclusions in my research. Bottom line: improving insulin sensitivity is a desirable goal for better health overall.

Improve your insulin sensitivity by eating whole foods, and getting regular exercise.

But won’t eating protein make me bulk up?

Many women slack on protein intake because of an outdated misconception that it will “bulk” them up.

In reality, achieving a muscular “bulky” bodybuilder look actually takes precise planning, targeted muscle group training, and often steroid or hormone supplementation. 

While both men and women can build muscle effectively, men have an easier time due to their higher levels of testosterone.

If you’re not aiming for a bodybuilder physique, you can rest assured that it won’t happen by accident if you increase your protein intake! 

Rather, by regularly doing resistance training exercises and maintaining a balanced eating pattern, you’ll add muscle to your body, which will allow for a lean, toned look.

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

If you have an active lifestyle and eat a balanced diet, you might be concerned that you’re not eating enough protein. 

So, how can you tell if you’re cutting yourself short on protein?

Unless your diet is heavily restricted due to allergies or other reasons, most people in developed countries consume adequate protein, and true protein deficiency is very rare.

While it’s unlikely that you’re truly protein-deficient, it is possible that you could be cutting yourself a bit short on protein if you have an active lifestyle.

Here are a few signs that may indicate that your protein intake is insufficient in comparison to your needs:

1: You often experience strong CRAVINGS for things like sweets, caffeine, chocolate, candy, chips, pastries, etc.

Strong cravings often indicate unstable blood sugar – your body needs energy and it’s looking for a quick fix. Protein helps your blood sugar and hormones to stabilize, which can help to reduce those relentless cravings.

2: You have DIFFICULTY SLEEPING through the night.

The same blood sugar swings that cause cravings can also mess with hormone balance, which in turn messes with your sleep. A lack of protein can cause cortisol (a stress hormone) to rise, while your serotonin (the “happy” hormone) diminishes, causing insomnia or fitful rest.

When you get a solid, restful night of sleep, your body is better equipped to efficiently burn its body’s best long-lasting fuel: stored fat. 

However, if you’re eating excessive amounts of carbs (especially sugar) during the day, your body becomes unaccustomed to using your stored fat for energy, and it will instead disrupt your sleep cycle thinking it’s time to eat, looking for the next hit of quick energy.

3: You have muscle and/or joint pain:

The body stores much of its protein reserves in the synovial fluid around joints, saving it up to rebuild your muscles and joints after strenuous exercise. 

When your protein intake is inadequate, the reserve is tapped for amino acids, and this can result in stiff joints and tight muscles.

Of course, if you’re an active person who exercises regularly, you are likely accustomed to the occasional bouts of soreness and tightness. However, if you’ve had trouble recovering from workouts lately and there doesn’t seem to be an obvious reason behind it, insufficient protein intake could be to blame.

4: You ride a roller coaster of EMOTIONS, FATIGUE, and STRESS.

While carbs tend to spike your blood sugar levels, protein helps to stabilize it. Without enough protein, your blood sugar levels can fluctuate all over the place, which is quite taxing on your system. 

This blood sugar roller coaster can cause erratic mood swings, tiredness, and just generally make you feel lousy.

5: You are CONSTANTLY HUNGRY with an uncontrollable appetite. 

Protein metabolism expends a lot of energy, so the act of simply breaking down protein does burn calories, and if you’re not replacing those calories with some quality protein sources, it can leave you super hungry! 

While your body is working hard to break down and assimilate protein, it is also improving metabolic function, providing a feeling of fullness, and stabilizing your energy and blood sugar levels.

How Much Protein do you Need?

Even if you’re not experiencing any symptoms associated with inadequate protein intake, it’s always a good thing to know if you’re meeting your targets. 

So, what should your target protein intake be?

Protein needs are not a “one size fits all” kind of thing.

You’ll find a wide variety of recommendations and calculators for protein intake on various websites and apps, but the “right” amount of protein for your needs depends on many factors. 

Your height, weight, activity level, age, muscle mass, physique goals, and current state of health all affect the amount of protein your body needs to keep running smoothly. 

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for healthy adults is 0.8 grams per kg body weight – which works out to about 0.36 grams per pound (13). 

If you’re thinking this sounds a bit low – you may be right! By definition, an RDA is simply a level of nutrient intake that is sufficient for most people, so you can think of it as a bare minimum threshold to keep you functioning (14). 

If you’re an active woman, I suggest really making an effort to focus on your dietary protein intake to allow for optimal exercise recovery and muscle repair.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

To give yourself a personalized range to work with, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 (this will yield your weight in kg), and then multiply this number by the grams of protein per kg as indicated below based on your activity level. 

Your ideal daily protein intake should fall somewhere in this range. You can round to the nearest whole number to make your range easier to remember – it doesn’t need to be exact! 

• If you’re generally healthy and doing regular resistance training (like any of my workouts, both bodyweight and with weights), your best bet is to aim for at least 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kg (about 0.55 to 0.65 grams per pound) of body weight (15). 
• If you’re not active at all, it’s OK to go lower than this range (but try to aim for at least 0.8 to 1 gram per kg).
• If you’re extremely active, you may find that the calculated range is not enough for your needs, and it may take some experimenting to determine what works best for you. Typically, somewhere between 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kg (0.55 to 0.77 grams per lb) works well for very active people. However, you can go higher than this amount if you like (up to about 2 to 2.5 grams per kg), especially if you do a lot of strength training and building muscle mass is your goal (16).

These calculated protein levels may seem like a lot, but if you have your targets set a bit higher than what your body truly needs, you’re more likely to get sufficient amounts. When it comes to protein, it’s better to consume more (within reason, of course!) than less than your body requires. 

No matter what your goals are, including enough protein (along with other nutrients) is an important part of supporting your body, sculpting your physique, and attaining optimal health.

Keep in mind that you can overeat protein, just like any other nutrient, but if you do, your body has a good internal regulation system to deal with the extra protein. After the process of deamination in your liver, if you don’t have a use for amino acids, their remnants may ultimately be converted into fats or carbohydrates, depending on what your body needs at the moment.

Of course, just like carbs and fats, excess protein can ultimately be stored as body fat – so don’t overdo it on the protein if you don’t actually need it.

Chronically overeating massive amounts of protein can cause health problems, just like chronically overeating fat, carbs or any nutrient can. Additionally, if you have any pre-existing health conditions (especially kidney or liver disorders), you may need to limit your protein intake as instructed by a medical professional.

This is why it’s a good idea to calculate your personal protein intake based on your specific energy output, goals, and health concerns, and adjust accordingly from there.

How to incorporate protein throughout the day

Breakfast: Depending on your preferences, your version of a delicious protein-rich breakfast can vary. If you enjoy savory breakfasts, eggs are probably already in the rotation. Prefer something sweet? Whip up some protein pancakes or grab a cup of Greek yogurt.

Lunch and Dinner: Most people with a balanced diet shouldn’t need to make too many changes here. Chances are that you probably already consume a protein source with your main meals. If you don’t, simply add them in!

Post-Workout: After a workout, it’s important to jumpstart the recovery process by getting a good amount of protein (and carbs) in. This post-workout boost can help to rebuild structural proteins in your tendons and muscles while providing you with energy.

After a workout, your muscles’ ability to take in nutrients is increased significantly (15). Providing an ample supply of amino acids following exercise may help to maximize protein synthesis, which can help your body recover faster from exercise and increase its muscle-building potential. 

Protein also helps to break down carbs and mediate your blood sugar response, so including both protein and carbs in your post-workout snack or meal is a win-win.

Additionally, your body tends to burn more calories when it breaks down protein (boosting your metabolic rate) all the while giving shape, structure, and strength to your physique. You truly can’t go wrong with a good source of protein after a workout.

What are Good Sources of Protein?

Getting your protein from a variety of different foods is a good way to ensure you’re getting adequate minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, and everything you need to maintain lean muscle and reduce body fat.

As with any food, choose protein sources that are as unprocessed as possible, and think about the source of the food – such as grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, and natural seeds, nuts, and legumes.

If you’re looking to increase your protein intake, here are some great high-protein foods to add into your diet.

Animal Sources (grass-fed, free range, and wild caught whenever possible):

• Meat: beef, bison, pork, wild game
• Poultry: chicken, turkey
• Seafood: fish (cod, haddock, tuna, flounder, perch, halibut) and shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, oysters)
• Dairy: Greek yogurt, milk, cheeses, fermented dairy products like kefir

Plant Sources:

• Seeds: chia, sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame
• Nuts: almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, peanuts
• Legumes: Lupin, Lentils, Green Peas, Soybeans (tempeh/tofu), Red beans, Black beans, Yellow beans, Fava beans, Chickpeas
• Whole grains: quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, wheat, rice, corn, oats (ensure your grains are soaked, sprouted, or fermented to consume, and that you’re looking for non-GMO plants)
• Some Vegetables:  i.e. avocado, broccoli, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes (these all contain some protein, but are not adequate protein sources on their own.)

Protein Supplements

Getting your nutrients from whole foods is always the optimal choice, BUT it’s also useful to have some additional, convenient options to help keep your intake in the right range when you’re short on time. 

I have a couple of plant-based complete protein powders available in my own supplement line:

Berry Green Protein Powder

I Vanilla Protein Powder

Both of these protein powders contain all of the essential amino acids in an organic, plant-based form. You can also get complete protein from dairy-based protein powder.

I  do rotate between a few of my favorite high-quality protein powders and add them to all kinds of things (such as smoothies, oatmeal, and baking). CLICK HERE to read the full list of my favorite protein powders!

Is collagen a protein powder?

Collagen in its supplemental form is made up of amino acids, and contains 3 in particular in abundance. It’s not really a complete protein however, so I refer to it as “collagen peptides” which helps clarify that while it contains amino acids, it’s not a “protein replacement.”

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, found everywhere from muscle to skin to blood vessels (17). Your body can synthesize its own collagen, but as you age, this process slows down.

So, should you take a collagen supplement? In general, you probably don’t need to if your diet is balanced and contains all of the key nutrients, and you’re eating bone broth regularly.

However if you’re an active person and want to support your bone, skin and joint health it can be beneficial, as collagen can help jumpstart the rebuilding process for muscle, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues that take a bit of wear and tear during exercise.

Here’s my brand of collagen:

Full Body Collagen

The Body Fuel System #BFS will….

• Support your metabolism in its OPTIMAL state
• Speed up FAT LOSS – naturally
• ELIMINATE the need to endlessly count and track calories, points or numbers
• Help you LOOK and FEEL YOUR PERSONAL BEST… and stay that way – all while eating foods that taste great!

The Body Fuel System uses my simple, proven Eating Types to make it easy to stay on track. It also gives you healthy, fat-burning recipes and foods you can eat to look and feel your BEST every day!

Recipes like….

This is my signature eating system and it contains 6 weeks of done-for-you meal planning and recipe guides! You will not only learn the strategies that have given me long-term success, but also enjoy the time-saving benefits of having it all planned out for you! 

Learn more right here, and find out why people love this program so much!

The post Protein 101: How Much You Need, How it Benefits You, and How to Get it In appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

You don’t want to sacrifice eating healthy just because you’re short on time!

Enter this versatile, minimal-ingredient recipe that you can whip up and cook in 5 minutes.

Did I mention it’s healthy too?

You’ll get the perfect balance of protein and fat from Nature’s perfect food – eggs (click the link to read how the whites and yolks work together to deliver optimal protein) – and some fiber-rich, quick digesting carbs from the banana.

These keep really well and make a tasty snack, so if you’re going to make a batch on the fly, why not double it up so you have a healthy snack for later on (click the link for 15 healthy snack ideas) or the following day?

One of my time savers is always making twice as much as I’m going to eat when I’m cooking something to eat right now so I set myself up for success and less effort later on.

Recipe

Yield: 6-8, depending on the size. Single serving – easily doubled or tripled.

You will need: mixing bowl and fork (optional – you can just do everything in the blender), blender, skillet, spatula, measuring spoon

Key: T = Tablespoon; tsp = teaspoon

Ingredients:

• 1 banana – a firm one for best results, overripe may cause your pancakes not be firm enough
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 serving (30 grams) I Vanilla Protein (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mash banana.
2. Add eggs, banana, optional vanilla extract and vanilla protein powder to the blender. Blend.
3. Heat your skillet* to medium and add some cooking oil.
4. Pour batter from the blender into even size pancakes. I tend to stick to a medium to a small size so they’re easier to flip.
5. Cook until small bubbles begin to form on the top, and you see a slight browning when you slide your spatula beneath the pancakes. Flip, and cook evenly on the other side.
6. Serve!

Kids LOVE these by the way.

Toppings

I topped mine with grass fed butter and fresh berries today. They’re also awesome with nut butter, any kind of assorted fruit, coconut cream or Greek yogurt.

Recipe Variations

To vary the recipe, try adding a Tablespoon of cacao powder (dark chocolate) or chocolate protein powder for a chocolate pancake.

You won’t need to add any sugar, thanks to the natural sweetness of the banana.

You can also add cacao nibs or nuts to make them crunchy.

They work great in shapes, or as crepes, just as long as you can flip them when they’re larger.

*Having a good quality pan is important. The different metals used in pans distribute heat in a variety of ways. I’ve had the best luck with ceramic pans and also with what I use now, a Scan Pan that is made with different metals that create a non-stick surface without the teflon, and distributes heat beautifully.

Need some help with healthy eating? When planning for the week, I think about:

• 2-3 breakfast options I like 
• A few entrees that could double as dinner or lunch 
• A couple smoothie ideas that have complimentary ingredients to give you variety with your greens
• A snack option like homemade protein muffins or an easy to make trail mix for days you’re just hungrier and want a little more to eat.
• Round out your plan with a couple of staple sides that you would like to have on hand daily like a big mixed greens salad and some rice, quinoa or easy to grab sweet potato chunks…

……and then make your grocery list around that.  

Or, you can let me make the whole plan for you, with so many delicious, easy and healthy recipes!

The 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan includes all the recipes and grocery lists for breakfasts, smoothies, sides, snacks and entrees for 4 full weeks – with plenty of delicious options and structure to help you eat right for YOUR life!

Check out everything included in the 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan right here, and let me make your life easier!

The post 5-Minute Healthy Pancakes (gluten free, dairy free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Tigernuts

What is a tigernut?

First, it’s not actually a nut – it’s the small, underground tuber of the Cyperus esculentus plant, traditionally cultivated in ancient Egypt.

It’s nutrient profile is rich in fiber, protein, natural sugars, minerals (potassium, calcium, and phosphorus), and vitamins (E and C).

When you google tigernuts, you’ll see a lot of people talking about their “resistant starch” and its health benefits.

Resistant starch is a gut-friendly type of starch that resists digestion (meaning it skips our stomach and small intestine where most other nutrients get absorbed) and reaches our large intestine (colon) where it feeds the friendly gut bacteria.

Resistant starch’s health benefits include improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, reduced appetite and various benefits for digestion – including reducing colon inflammation.

The tigernut itself is a small, sort of knobby looking round guy, about what you’d expect from a dried tuber. The flour is slightly sweet, with a unique flavor. You can use it in place of other flours in gluten free baking.

I made a sweeter pancake based off of the recipe from Organic Gemini’s site for breakfast the first time I tried it (I just left out the sugar, as the flour itself was sweet enough for me).

But once I got the hang of the texture, I wanted to try something else. I can’t wait to try some other recipes with this flour – it lends itself extremely well to baking and plays nicely with other flours. I’ve seen recipes with it combined with coconut flour and almond meal flour online, and I’m sure it works well on its own. I’ll be looking forward to hearing your ideas and recipes!

Savory Tigernut Pancakes

Yield: 4-6 pancakes, depending on size; 2 servings

3/4 cup tigernut flour
1/4 cup almond meal flour
2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk/almond milk/milk of your choice
2 eggs

1. Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor.
2. Blend until an even, smooth batter forms.
3. Heat a skillet to medium heat, and add oil (I used coconut oil). Pour batter into desired sized pancake.
4. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook until golden.

Toppings:
(for 1 serving – 2 open faced pancakes)

4 slices smoked turkey
1-2 tsp finely diced red onion or shallot
1/3 avocado, chunked
handful of micro greens – fresh herbs (cilantro in particular) or just rough chopped greens would be amazing here as well

1. Divide ingredients evenly on your pancakes and serve.

I have intentionally left this recipe very simple. You could add so many other awesome flavors – but try making it plain the first time so you get a sense of the flavor.

Other ingredients that would be awesome to add to the batter for savory pancakes:

sea salt, fresh or dried herbs especially rosemary, thyme, parsley, cilantro; paprika, fresh ground pepper, finely diced shallots, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, garlic or onion powder, cumin

Please post any questions, comments or additions you make to this recipe below! Share this recipe and pass on the tigernut goodness!

Let me make healthy eating easy for you! Take my Eating Type Quiz!

References:

Bamishaiye, Eunice et al. “TIGER NUT: AS A PLANT, ITS DERIVATIVES AND BENEFITS.” African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. September, 2011. Web. http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?nd11060

Gambo, A. and Da’u, A. “TIGER NUT (CYPERUS ESCULENTUS): COMPOSITION, PRODUCTS, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS – A REVIEW” Bayaro Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences. April, 2014. Web. http://www.ajol.info/index.php/bajopas/article/viewFile/106134/96104

Nugent, A.P. “Health properties of resistant starch.” Wiley Online Library. February, 2005. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2005.00481.x/full

The post Savory Tigernut Pancakes (gluten free, nut free, dairy free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Try topping it with some ginger butter (recipe below), one of my favorite immune-boosting Fall secret weapons.

The ingredients in this bread – particularly the spices – are exactly why I love having it this time of year.

The season changes, it gets colder and our bodies don’t always adjust quickly. It’s a busy time, with school starting, holidays coming up, the end of the year coming – and all the running around can definitely run us down.

Really making a point to eat nutrient-dense foods that are rich in anti-oxidants and anti inflammatory compounds can keep you from getting sick, help you get more out of your workouts, lower your stress levels and really help you stay healthy, fit and feeling your best.

Did you know for instance that cardamom (the spice) contains magnesium, a critical mineral that an estimated 80% of Americans are deficient in?

Magnesium activates muscles and nerves, it aids in the digestion of proteins, carbs and fats, and serves as a building block for RNA and DNA synthesis. It’s a super important nutrient – and this delightfully fragrant spice is a great source of it. If you’ve never tried cardamom, it’s sort of like the love child of white pepper and nutmeg. Get some next time you go shopping!

Ginger, one of my personal favorites, alleviates gastrointestinal distress, is a powerful antioxidant (that helps our cells fight harmful free radicals from environmental pollutants and stress), and has a direct anti-inflammatory effect. I make a point of having ginger almost every day, especially on days I’m training hard to support my muscle tissue.

Remember, exercise does not build muscle, it actually creates inflammation and tiny micro tears.

Resting the tissue allows it to repair, which is when muscle grows. That’s why I’m always telling you to REST – and of course eat foods that support the repair process.

Even if you didn’t know all that cool stuff, you may have heard that cinnamon is good for your waistline. It actually helps regulate your blood sugar – a fun fact that’s caused by its ability to slow the rate at which our stomach empties after a meal. Keeping our blood sugar stable prevents those spikes that cause fat storage and weight gain.

Not a spice, but just as nice – almond meal flour (made from almonds) is rich in Vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant that’s a powerful immune booster. And this discussion wouldn’t be complete without me mentioning the Queen of the recipe: the PUMPKIN!

Pumpkin contains Vitamin A, C and E – all powerful anti oxidants. It’s one of the best sources of Vitamin A which is so good for our skin. Not only that, it’s got essential minerals like copper, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus AND B-vitamins. I mean, you could kind of skip the plastic bottles of multi-vitamins if you just cook your own food from ingredients that come straight out of the ground.

Basically Mother Nature’s got your back, and Betty Rocker’s got your body – so between us you’re totally covered. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread

Yield: 1 mini loaf (6-8 slices)
You will need: mini loaf pan, food processor, medium bowl, spatula, measuring cups and spoons

1 cup almond meal flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3-4 tsp spice blend (below)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
3 T maple syrup or honey (add a little extra honey – taste at the end to check sweetness and adjust to your liking)
3 large eggs*

*may also use 3 flax eggs: 1 T ground flaxseed meal + 3 T water = 1 flax egg)

Betty Rocker’s Fall Spice Blend

I love making a double or triple batch of this and keeping it on hand to sprinkle on smoothies, oatmeal, on a homemade latte, in my pumpkin bread or pumpkin protein muffins 

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cacao powder
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine almond meal flour, baking soda, sea salt and spice blend in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Puree pumpkin, maple syrup, and eggs in a food processor. Add in dry ingredients and blend until well mixed.
4. Prep mini loaf pan with coconut or olive oil and pour batter into the pan.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ginger Butter*

1 stick organic, grass-fed butter (salted or unsalted*)
1-2 inches fresh ginger
1-2 tsp powdered ginger
*1/4 tsp sea salt if you use unsalted butter

1. Allow your butter to sit at room temperature until soft.
2. Mince ginger to a very fine chop.
3. Mix ginger, butter, and powdered ginger into a small bowl and combine.
4. Use atop toast, pancakes, pumpkin bread, muffins, or anything you like!

*I don’t do well with lactose, which is why my blog is primarily dairy-free. However, I do just fine with whole butter. Butter contains very little lactose, it’s primarily fat. I prefer organic, grass-fed butter as it’s much richer in antioxidants and omega-3s and other nutrients. Avoid pressed oils that pretend to be butter. They are inferior to this well balanced and rich fat that contains zinc, vitamin E, iron and potassium to name a few.

For time-saving healthy eating, check out the Body Fuel System!

The Body Fuel System uses my simple, proven Eating Types to make it easy to stay on track. It also gives you healthy, fat-burning recipes and foods you can eat to look and feel your BEST every day!

Recipes like….

This is my signature eating system and it contains 6 weeks of done-for-you meal planning and recipe guides! You will not only learn the strategies that have given me long-term success, but also enjoy the time-saving benefits of having it all planned out for you! 

Learn more right here, and find out why people love this program so much!

The post Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread (gluten free, grain free, dairy free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

This weekend I turned on the radio and puttered around the kitchen in my PJ’s putting this deliciousness together.

I absolutely love the texture of these pancakes, they hold together beautifully and have a light, mild flavor.

You could add a little maple syrup or honey to the batter, but I’d recommend using a lightly sweetened or flavored protein powder like I did and adding honey and extra berries on top when they’re done.

I’ve added some easy modifications for you in case you’d like to leave out the dairy (can be easily done), or leave out the protein powder.

Berry Protein Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings
You will need: measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, whisk, skillet, spatula, cooking oil spray

1/2 cup almond meal flour
1 serving (30 grams) I Vanilla Protein
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 T chia seeds
3 T almond milk (or other milk)
1 T Greek yogurt (for dairy-free, use another T of non-dairy milk, full-fat coconut would be fabulous)
2 eggs (to make this vegan you can substitute 2 T chia seeds and soak them in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes)
Fresh (or frozen) berries 1/2 cup-3/4 cup

1. Measure almond milk and yogurt into a liquid measuring cup and add chia seeds and let them soak while you’re doing step 2.

2. Mix almond meal flour, protein powder, baking soda and nutmeg together in a bowl.

3. Beat in eggs.

4. Pour chia seed mixture into the flour and egg batter, and whisk together. You’ll have a lovely, fluffy batter.

5. Heat a skillet to medium and add coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil or oil of your choice.

6. Spoon or ladle batter into the skillet (be conservative with your pour, as this batter spreads out). Drop 3-4 berries onto each pancake and cook until small bubbles form and the edges begin to brown. Flip and cook on the other side.

7. Serve with additional berries, a little honey if desired and additional Greek Yogurt. Enjoy!!

These pancakes are sugar-free, gluten-free, can be easily made dairy-free, and vegan and grain free depending on what kind of protein powder you use.

Share your variations in the comments, and let me know if you have any questions! Have a wonderful day and happy eating!

Check out the Body Fuel System for a 6-week done for you eating guide and meal plan!

The post Gluten Free Berry Protein Pancakes appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

If you didn’t get a chance to catch my Chocolate Strawberry Donut Protein Pancakes, get that recipe right now!

This gluten free dark chocolate dessert is so easy to make – it takes about 8 minutes to throw everything together and freezes quickly.

I got the silicone baking squares from Amazon.com for $10. They’re so easy to pop right out once they’ve set. You can also use cupcake tins and liners.

Watch two 15 second assembly videos, click here:

• Instagram Assembly Video 1
• Instagram Assembly Video 2

Gluten-free/dairy-free No-Bake Dark Chocolate Fudge

Yield: 24 small or 12 large  pieces
You will need: small pot, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, silicone baking squares or similar

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 – 3 T honey
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a small pot, melt coconut oil and honey.
2. Stir in cacao and vanilla.
3. Pour the mixture into silicone squares or cupcake tins with small paper liners.
4. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Depending on what size you make them and how hot you get your liquid mixture, they solidify fast!

For a fun variation….

Try adding 1/4 cup almond butter. This will make your fudge even richer. You can adjust the honey up or down a bit depending on how sensitive you are to sweetness. I made mine with 2 T and they were delicious, but I might try them again with the almond butter and add 3 or 4.

Looking for some help making healthy eating easy? 

Take the quiz and find out your eating type!

The post Healthy Dark Chocolate Chocolate Fudge (gluten and dairy free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

I decided to turn my waffle batter into pancakes, and if you have a waffle iron please try these out in it and let me know how they do.

By the way, this batter has no added sugar, is completely gluten free, dairy free and has the taste and texture of chocolate donuts

Chocolate Strawberry Donut Protein Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings
You will need: measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, whisk, skillet, spatula

1 T + 1 tsp coconut flour
1 scoop (33 g) vanilla egg white protein powder (there is a little stevia in the Jay Robb vanilla egg white protein powder – also, egg white protein powder gives this recipe its donut texture. You can use a different protein powder and still make a great recipe, but it will change the texture slightly)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 T cacao powder
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 T almond milk

1. Measure coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder and cacao in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add applesauce, vanilla, egg and almond milk and blend.
3. Heat a medium skillet and coat with cooking spray. Ladle batter into the skillet in 4 equal sized portions.
4. Cook until small bubbles appear in the surface and flip to cook briefly on the other side.
5. Serve with sliced strawberries, unsweetened coconut flakes and cacao nibs for an especially delicious breakfast!

Need some help with healthy eating? When planning for the week, I think about:

• 2-3 breakfast options I like 
• A few entrees that could double as dinner or lunch 
• A couple smoothie ideas that have complimentary ingredients to give you variety with your greens
• A snack option like homemade protein muffins or an easy to make trail mix for days you’re just hungrier and want a little more to eat.
• Round out your plan with a couple of staple sides that you would like to have on hand daily like a big mixed greens salad and some rice, quinoa or easy to grab sweet potato chunks…

……and then make your grocery list around that.  

Or, you can let me make the whole plan for you, with so many delicious, easy and healthy recipes!

The 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan includes all the recipes and grocery lists for breakfasts, smoothies, sides, snacks and entrees for 4 full weeks – with plenty of delicious options and structure to help you eat right for YOUR life!

Check out everything included in the 30 Day Challenge Meal Plan right here, and let me make your life easier!

The post Chocolate Strawberry Donut Protein Pancakes (gluten and dairy free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

Whether it’s plant-based, raw, paleo or vegetarian – people with different eating preferences have been getting creative with food for years. It is important not to get stuck in food ruts – and to remember to include a broad spectrum of nutrients in our daily intake to increase our nutrient range.

I love my Whole Betty I Vanilla Protein Powder – it’s plant based, organic, and has just the right amount of sweetness with vanilla flavor to compliment recipes like muffins, pancakes and today, French toast.

Strawberry French Toast

Yield: 2 servings
You will need: shallow baking dish, whisk, skillet, spatula

1 serving (30 grams) I Vanilla Protein Powder
1 tsp milled chia seeds (you can also grind whole chia seeds in the coffee grinder)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 slices GF or Sprouted Grain bread
Strawberries, lavender if desired for garnish

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients and mix together.
2. Add almond milk and vanilla and stir. It will make a thick paste.
3. Soak bread. I was using some home made bread that was baked in mini loaf pans (I used 4 mini slices) – for one serving, 2 regular sized slices work well.
4. Cook evenly on both sides over medium heat in a little coconut oil.
5. Serve with fresh or frozen strawberries. I use frozen and defrost them so they melt like in the picture. It’s better than syrup! I had some fresh lavender and that’s what’s on top.

Shop Meal Plans to support your healthy body and healthy life!

The post Strawberry French Toast (gluten, dairy, and egg free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

With so many protein powders out there, how do you know which one to choose?

If you’re like me – eating as many foods in an all-natural state as possible and minding your added sugar intake – even some of the “all-natural” protein powders can present a challenge.

This guide will help you navigate the often confusing maze of choices in protein powder out there, and give you some of my recommendations on trusted brands.

My hope is that you can use the guide to find the best option for you, whether or not you use my recommendations.

Protein powder is a SUPPLEMENT to a healthy, whole food diet, and is not something you have to have to be healthy. That said, it can definitely be a very helpful and cost-effective way to get enough protein in your system without having to cook all your meals.

Please read Protein 101 to understand why you need it, how much you need, and to see if having a supplement is a good idea for you.

What to Look For:

When it comes to your protein powder, it’s more about the ingredients and their source than it is anything else. What’s in a powder mix (or what’s NOT) is what gets my stamp of approval. Is the source of the protein one that’s readily absorbed by your body? Is it a complete protein (all essential amino acids present)? 

PDCAA’s (protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score) measure the nutritional quality of a protein. Not only “how much” but also how well our body can use and absorb it. As you can see from the chart, the animal-based proteins weigh in at the top. However, soy, rapeseed and pea are strong contenders in the plant protein spectrum.

Why does this matter? Well, if you’re going to buy a protein powder supplement, you want to get your money’s worth. You want high quality bioavailable protein full of amino acids that promote muscle protein synthesis and support your cellular activities.

There are 20 total amino acids your body needs to function. Eleven of those are made IN your body, but the other 9 need to come from the foods you eat – we call those “essential amino acids.” Some of the most common plant-based sources of protein you’ll find in protein powders are pea and hemp (which is not on this chart, but should be!), which both contain all 9 of the essential amino acids. 

While soy scores high marks, I do not recommend soy protein powder generally, as the majority of available soy in the US is genetically modified. Organic, fermented soy – which is a staple food in many Asian cultures (think miso, natto, tempeh and certain soy sauces) is a wonderful food. The processed soy we find in protein powders, however, should be avoided – especially soy protein isolates.

In addition to the raw material, you also want to look at the source of those ingredients. If it’s plant-based, is it organic, or at least non-GMO, grown in good, healthy soil, and free from potentially harmful chemicals? If it’s animal based, where does it come from? What is the source?

It’s also about how the protein is actually made. There is an extraction process that takes the raw material into a powdered concentrated protein, so I’ll give you some things to look for there in the different kinds.

Added Sugar in Protein Powder

A note on added sugars: the plain version of the protein powders I use generally don’t have added sugar (even natural sugars). However, if you’re not planning to add any fruit or natural sweetness to your shake, this can be pretty unpalatable! I generally opt for a protein that’s been sweetened with a natural plant source like monk fruit, coconut, or stevia.

As I was designing my own protein powder, I learned a lot about stevia. There are 2 main kinds that are used in most protein powders, stevia reb A (a higher grade, less commonly used) and stevia reb B (a lower grade, more commonly used as it’s less expensive). Also the way the stevia sweetness is extracted out of the plant also affects the flavor and sweetness. Alcohol is most commonly used in processing it, which accounts for its funny aftertaste.

I made Berry Green Protein with an organic stevia Reb A, and we never use alcohol to process it – so it has a truly balanced and mild sweetness which I haven’t found to be the case in many stevia-sweetened products unfortunately.

A lot more companies than ever before are opting to use low-calorie, or no-calorie sweeteners in their supplements to meet the growing consciousness about the detriments of overconsumption of sugar. Be on the lookout!

I strongly encourage you to avoid any sucralose (aka Splenda), dextrose, maltodextrin, cane sugar, and sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol are very popular right now in mainstream products because they are a no calorie sugar that adds a lot of sweetness.

Sugar alcohols don’t digest in the body and when taken in high amounts can cause bloating or irritation to some people. Many people will be fine and notice no effects, I just want to remind you to always listen to your body and notice the source of sugar in your foods. Also, erythritol is made from cornstarch, which may be GMO cornstarch. If you’re ok with sugar alcohols, I’d give priority to organic products.

I do pay attention to added sugar in my protein powder – just like I would with any food I’m buying that’s pre-made. Swapping out “natural sugar” for other sugar is still adding sugar to the diet – but as long as you’re being mindful of your daily overall sugar intake, a little natural sweetener in your protein powder from a wholesome source probably won’t send you over the edge…just be sure you know what you’re putting in your body and choose mindfully.

Read the label and be sure you know how much sugar is included in a serving (for example if the label is referencing 1 scoop, and it’s 6g of sugar – but you need 2 scoops to make 1 serving, that’s actually 12g of sugar – nearly half of the daily recommended limit for women).

Even some sugars that sound healthy can be overused – I’ve seen some “healthy” protein powders just loaded with sugar from rice syrup or another non-threatening sounding sweetener. So just pay attention.

I know that the more accustomed I get to eating sweet things on a daily basis, the more I want them. My goal is to avoid added sugar as often as possible, and enjoy it on purpose when I do eat it. So just be aware and mindful and be sure you’re not “nickel and diming” your sugar intake away in your supplements.

How I Use It:

I rotate through different protein supplements just like I rotate through different whole food protein sources, different greens in my smoothies, different forms of complex carbs, etc. It’s important to give your body a variety of amino acids – but key to give it the ESSENTIAL aminos – meaning the 9 that the body can’t make on its own.

I like to rotate between a couple different kinds of protein supplements over the course of the week – which stretches out my supplies. I’m basing most of my protein intake in the food that I make or cook, so this just rounds out my protein intake.

Of note: I sincerely appreciate my readers who help me stay on top of the protein powders on my list, as companies do change their formulations periodically (for various reasons, i.e. to save money, or because an ingredient is no longer available). If you notice something in this article that isn’t what you’re seeing on a manufacturer’s label, please feel free to tell me in the comments, as I WILL investigate, and I do update this list* and stand by my recommendations – these are all brands that are in the heavy rotation in my cupboard!

#1 SUPERFOOD PROTEIN POWDER (PLANT-BASED)

Why I recommend this: I like to get more for my money. If I’m using a protein powder that I’m already paying for, I want the added boost of other nutrients that add diversity and variety to my micronutrient intake. 

I give preference to organic protein in this case, and also am looking for a non-GMO label. 100% Certified Organic means non-GMO, but if you can’t find an organic protein (sometimes it’s hard to source ALL the ingredients as organic), look for the non-GMO label to ensure you’re not putting genetically modified foods in your body inadvertently.  

What to Look OUT for:

It’s so important to know how the plant protein has been extracted from its source. There are 3 main methods for extraction:

1. Hexane based: hexane is a chemical neurotoxin derived from petroleum that can damage your central nervous system, and is commonly used to remove the plant oils in soy protein as well as some other types. AVOID.
2. High Heat: when plants are exposed to high heat in order to remove the natural oils to make the protein powder, other nutrients are damaged and this can make the end result not as absorbable or beneficial to you. AVOID.
3. Enzyme-based or fermented: natural enzymes are added to the plant seeds to remove the oils. This is the preferred method for making plant proteins. RECOMMENDED (this is how my brand, Whole Betty does it).

What to Look FOR:

Read your label and make sure you know what everything in those ingredients are, number one. I look for a plant-based protein that includes sprouted or fermented grains when grains are used (rice, for example).

You may see ingredients like superfoods, enzyme blends, probiotics, BCAA’s, or other components that may be useful. 

RECOMMENDED SUPERFOOD PROTEIN POWDERS:

Whole Betty I Vanilla Protein Powder

Features: USDA Certified Organic and Certified Non-GMO, complete (contains all essential amino acids the body cannot make on its own) plant-based vanilla protein powder.

Made with a blend of 4 superfood protein sources, pea, chia, pumpkin seed and cranberry seed. Sweetened with monk fruit.

I was so tired of buying expensive vanilla protein powder only to discover it tasted plant-y, or was a gritty texture. I worked for 2 years to source and create a delicious smooth vanilla blend, made from organic plants that can be shaken up in liquid for a quick, on-the-go nourishing protein shake, blended up in a smoothie with fruit and greens, or baked in any of my tried and true recipes to boost the protein content!

You’ll be saying “I love vanilla” right along with me when you try this delicious protein powder!

GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, ORGANIC

Protein: 20 g/serving

Superfoods: I used only the best quality organic ingredients, harvested at their peak potency, including: organic pea, organic cranberry seed, organic chia seed, and organic pumpkin seed

Whole Betty Berry Green Protein

Features: USDA Certified Organic and Certified Non-GMO, unique in that it features both complete plant-based protein and 15 superfoods in a veggie, greens and fruit blend.

All 20 amino acids, including an excellent BCAA profile. The organic pea protein is sourced from North American yellow peas produced with a natural fermentation process which uses no chemical solvents.

I know this because I founded this company after years of frustration not being able to get what I wanted.

We work closely with our certified organic growers to harvest the greens, vegetables and fruits at the optimal time, then concentrated to preserve their nutritional potency. The brightly-colored, non-oxidized powders are protected from direct heat, UV light and moisture during the manufacturing process.

GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, ORGANIC

Protein: 18 g/serving

Superfoods: I used only the best quality organic ingredients, harvested at their peak potency, including: organic pea, spirulina, barley grass juice, wheat grass* juice, chlorella, spinach, carrot, beet, tomato, kale, parsley, apple, raspberry, cranberry, blueberry 

*wheat grass is GLUTEN FREE – the grasses of the plant do not contain gluten.

Amino Acid Profile: all 9 essential amino acids, BCAA’s, plus a broad spectrum including: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, meethionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryotophan, tyrosine, valinee.

Visit our Whole Betty Supplements Page to see our other products!

Four Sigmatic Superfood Protein

Features: A 100% organic blend of pea, hemp, chia, pumpkin and coconut this 100% plant-based, highly-digestible, and complete protein powder is unflavored – contains no sweeteners and has 18 grams of protein per serving.

Plus they offer it in individual packets for easy, on-the-go goodness. I also love the addition of mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs, something Four Sigmatic is known for (check out their other products).

Sweetened with coconut sugar and monk fruit, this checks in at 2g of sugar per serving, putting it on par with most of the lower sugar proteins. Really an excellent and versatile product. 

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE ORGANIC

Superfoods: Pea, Hemp, Chia, Coconut, Pumpkin, Ashwagandha, Eleuthero, Cordyceps, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Chaga

Protein: 18g/serving

NOTES: This one is not flavored so you’ll want to be sure you’re mixing it into a smoothie or shake or something you’re adding a natural flavor or sweetness source to, think smoothie for example with banana, strawberries, greens and nut milk. Consider adding a scoop of cacao powder for chocolate superfood goodness. 

#2 SINGLE-SOURCE PROTEIN (Plant-Based)

Why I recommend this: As an alternative to a multi-source or superfood plant-based protein, a simple, single-source protein is also a great option, as long as the source of the plant is highly absorbable (see the PDCAAs chart above), quality grown in fertile soil (organic is preferred) and has not been treated with chemicals during the manufacturing process. 

It’s hard to tell for sure these days if everything has been optimal, so usually, the best we can do is to look for the label to have the certified organic seal and “NON-GMO.” I also recommend you just look up the company and read about anything you can to do with their sourcing practices.

I like using single-sourced plant protein in baking, so when I have it on hand that’s what I’ll normally use it for. It’s also great to use in a smoothie or shake.

What to Look for: Look for the organic and non-GMO labels on your protein. Read the label on the back to see what kind of sugar was used to sweeten the protein.

Try to get a protein powder with less ingredients than more, especially with a single-source protein powder. If it’s a flavored one like vanilla, you should recognize the ingredients being used – a protein source, a vanilla flavor and a sweetener.

RECOMMENDED PLANT-BASED, SINGLE INGREDIENT PROTEIN POWDERS:

Nutivas Naturals Hemp Protein

Features: Made from raw hemp seeds; Certified organic and non-GMO; Vegan; All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential; Essential fatty acids (omega 3 & 6); Good source of dietary fiber; Gently cold-processed; Never hexane processed; Always chemical free; Non-irradiated; Non-BPA container

Protein: 15g/serving

Amino Acid Profile: All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential

#3 Whey Protein Isolate

Why I recommend this: Whey is a great and natural protein source if you tolerate dairy well. Whey contains whey proteins, lactose, minerals and small amounts of fats.

What to look for: When it comes to protein powder it’s ALL about the quality of the process the manufacturer uses – not to mention the source ingredients. What you want to look for is a high-quality grass-fed whey that doesn’t contain all the fillers, artificial sweeteners and junk that you’ll, unfortunately, find in far too many whey-based protein powders.

Here is how whey protein powders are made, so you can know what to look for and how to find a quality whey protein. READ YOUR LABELS and ingredients always.

There are several different methods that accomplish the filtration of the whey protein from whey – and may often be heated, sprayed or flavored, colored, etc (no different than non-dairy protein powders – which is why it pays to read the labels).

There are 3 ways whey protein is processed:

Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) – Produced via ultrafiltration of whey, this refers to whey proteins that contain greater than 90% protein concentration, but could be as little as 20%. Usually the specific concentrations will be notated following the term “WPC”, such as WPC “85”. The rest of the concentration is made up of lactose, minerals, and fats.

—>avoid this if you are lactose intolerant, instead opting for one of the 2 below (which are often more expensive due to their processing)

Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) – May be produced by a variety of membrane filtration techniques, with the goal of reaching greater than 90% protein concentration and removal of most (if not all) lactose. This is known as the “purest” whey. Manufacturers will also often combine filtration with an ion-exchange technique to selectively filter out particles by ionic charge rather than just molecular size.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH) – Whey protein hydrolysates are produced via enzymatic hydrolysis of either WPCs or WPIs. Essentially, this acts as a method of “pre-digesting” the protein by separating (i.e. lysing) peptide bonds; hence the time for digestion and absorption of amino acids will be reduced – which may mean there is greater muscle protein synthesis post-workout. The process produces a bitter taste, so it’s often masked by sweeteners.

Avoid brands that have sugar added in the form of fructose, dextrose, and maltodextrin.

Other things that add to the quality of a whey protein is whey from farm-raised, pasture-grazed, grass-fed cows that haven’t had any bovine growth hormone injected – something that is HUGELY important to me as a consumer and should be a strong consideration in purchasing your dairy products. The quality of any animal product is going to be vastly affected by its environment, diet and treatment.

I don’t use dairy very often as I don’t digest it easily so I don’t have one from experience to recommend at the moment.

#4 Egg White Protein Powder

Why I recommend this: Egg white protein is one of the most bioavailable proteins in existence. It’s got all the essential amino acids, and it’s great for anyone without a specific dietary restriction.

You may find lecithin added into this kind of protein – avoid soy lecithin, opt for sunflower lecithin or none. Look for egg whites from hormone-free chickens, and be sure there is no added sugars you don’t want in your body, and minimal to no additional products in the protein you buy.

What to Look for:

1. Where do the eggs come from – for example, are they farm raised or commercial?
2. Have the chickens had growth hormone injected?
3. How has the protein powder been processed? Typically they will pasteurize it (heat) to kill any harmful bacteria. Flash pasteurization, with no additional heating, will ensure the protein isn’t inactivated.
4. Is there any added sugar, sweetener or additional products added?

I personally think it’s important to get a variety of protein sources, so this is one I keep in the mix on occasion and use in baking. I don’t use it as a staple since I prefer to just eat whole eggs in their natural form, and usually opt for a collagen and a plant-based protein as my main 2 staples.

But when it comes to absorbable, quality protein, egg white is right at the top. I often use it when I’m making protein pancakes or muffins – though be sure to add a little extra liquid if you do as this is a protein powder that will affect the texture of your baked goods.

I use this type of protein powder the least, but it is a great option and these are 2 brands that meet my standards:

RECOMMENDED EGG WHITE PROTEIN:

Naked Nutrition

Features: Non-GMO, Egg Whites from US Farms, No Additives, Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Protein: 25g / serving

Paleo Protein

Features: Soy Free, GMO Free, Egg Whites From USA Farms, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Protein: 25g / serving

#5 Collagen Peptides or Powdered Bone Broth

Why I recommend this: Collagen peptides are always in my rotation for supplementing in additional amino acids. While collagen powders generally contain as many as 19 amino acids, there are 3 that are highly concentrated and support skin, bone and joint health.

I would not substitute collagen for a complete protein (see above recommendations) but definitely use it as a supplement to the others.

Here’s a video where I talk about why I use Collagen Peptides, go over some of the research and share ways to use it.

Collagen used to make its way into our diets through foods like bone broths, slow-cooked organ meats, kidney pies, baked beef hearts, whole crustaceans, and whole-fish soups and stews. But if you’re not regularly eating these types of foods, you may not be getting any of this goodness into your body.

It’s really versatile in that the plain ones are tasteless, can be mixed in anything, dissolve well, and the benefits of collagen protein are many.

You can find a lot of uses for it outside of adding it to a smoothie, for example, I make a delicious chocolate nut butter spread I call “healthy Nutella” that I have for breakfast with my homemade buckwheat bread. I add it in my baking, and swirl it into my hot chocolate.

What to look for: Look for hydrolyzed collagen – which just means that the naturally larger molecules of collagen are broken down into smaller molecules called peptides for better absorption in our bodies.

Check to see that other ingredients have not been added. It’s not necessary to take in anything other than pure collagen peptides.

Collagen peptides are well absorbed by the digestive system and make their way to targeted tissues where they act as building blocks and trigger our own internal collagen production.

You can also get flavored collagen – and with that I would stress looking for one with the LEAST amount of added ingredients be mindful of added sugars. 

RECOMMENDED COLLAGEN PEPTIDES:

Whole Betty Full Body Collagen 

Features: hydrolyzed collagen protein powder sourced from pasture-raised German cows  

Peptides: 12.5 grams/serving

30 servings per container

Primal Kitchen Vanilla Coconut

Features: grass-fed collagen, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, paleo-approved

Peptides: 10g/serving (serving = 1 scoop)

Other natural Protein Sources:

Also of note, nutritional yeast and brewer’s yeast are good sources of protein that also contain selenium, chromium and B-complex vitamins that most people need.

I love sprinkling nutritional yeast on my popcorn (non-GMO popcorn, just look for the label!) with a little extra virgin olive oil, or adding it to a salad for a cheesy flavor.

Spirulina also has 2 of the same amino acids found in collagen, and is a great plant-based source of additional protein. I added Spirulina to Berry Green Protein, along with many other nourishing greens.

Last Updated: 1/30/20 -Betty Rocker

For more information about Protein, how much you need, the best food sources for it, and how it works in your body, be sure to read Protein 101.

Shop the Whole Betty by Betty Rocker collection of supplements!

The post Guide to Choosing Protein Powders appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

I actually started making my Blueberry Protein Pancakes but it was like I couldn’t control what went into the batter and I just kept changing things until….this happened.

It may be that my body needed a boost of vitamin C, one of the powerful antioxidants in strawberries. Antioxidants help combat the negative and damaging effects free radicals (from processed foods and environmental toxins) have on our cells and DNA.

And possibly, I woke up craving chocolate because I needed a natural dose of some of the essential minerals and vitamins found in raw cacao – including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and Pantothenic acid. To get the most out of chocolate, I always try to get it as close to raw and as dark as possible.

To make this pile of awesomeness that doesn’t have (or need) any extra sugar to taste amazing, and will give you all the benefits of each wholesome ingredient included, follow my all new recipe…

Strawberry Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Yield: 5-6 pancakes
You will need: mixing bowl, mixing utensil, measuring cups and spoons, skillet, cooking oil, spatula

1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup almond flour
2 servings (60 grams) I Vanilla Protein
2 T cacao
2 tsp vanilla
1 T walnut oil (or other oil)
2 eggs

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Beat eggs separately, and stir in walnut oil and vanilla.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix together.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and season with cooking oil.
5. Pour or ladle the batter onto the skillet in even sized dollops and cook until small bubbles begin to form on the surface, and the bottom begins to change color slightly.
6. Flip and cook briefly on the other side.

To serve as a stack (like the picture), I used an assortment of fresh and frozen strawberries. I heated the frozen strawberries so they would get runny and make a natural strawberry “syrup.” I layered fresh slices of strawberry between my pancakes and spooned the melted strawberries over the top.

Garnish with a sprinkle of raw cacao powder.

Get more recipes like this, with a complete system to plug them in for 6 weeks in my awesome Body Fuel System healthy eating guide!

The post Strawberry Chocolate Protein Pancakes appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

This recipe is easy to make plant-based if you are egg-free, can be gluten-free simply by using a good-quality gluten-free bread, and tastes delicious.

You could use the Homemade Orange Syrup recipe below on pancakes, to top your oatmeal or as a crepe filling. While the Orange Syrup has a little sugar, it’s mostly natural sugar from the fruit, and only a Tablespoon of maple syrup for a batch that makes enough for 4 slices of French Toast.

This will help keep your blood sugar steady after breakfast, but have that sweet taste that always feels right on Saturday or Sunday.

Holiday Spiced French Toast

gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based optional

Yield: 2 servings
You will need: shallow dish, blender, measuring cups and spoons, skillet, spatula

1/3 cup almond milk (or other milk)
1/3 cup egg whites (for plant-based option: add 1/4 additional almond milk, and 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder – the chia seeds will hold the batter together)
1/4 fresh orange, juice of
1 T vanilla
1 T chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of sea salt
4 slices gluten free bread

1. Soak chia seeds in milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and orange juice for 5-10 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender and blend on high to pulverize the seeds.
3. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and soak the bread for 5 minutes, turning to evenly coat.
4. Heat a skillet to medium and coat the pan with coconut oil.
5. Cook bread evenly on both sides.
6. Top with Orange Syrup.

 Orange Syrup

Yield: 2 servings
You will need: knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, whisk

1/2 peach or other fruit (I used frozen, just pop 4-5 slices in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes)
3/4 orange, juice of
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 T maple syrup

1. Finely chop the peaches.
2. Combine the peaches, orange juice, allspice, vanilla and syrup in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk together.

Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Looking for more delicious breakfast recipes? Check out the recipe guides in my done-for you meal plans!

Let’s make healthy eating easy together!

The post Healthy Holiday Spiced French Toast with Homemade Orange Syrup appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

When I created the Body Fuel System, it was in response to some of the biggest obstacles I personally faced when trying to stick to healthy eating habits successfully and consistently.

Even when I knew what healthy foods combined well and I had great recipes to make them tasty and interesting, two of my biggest challenges were:

1: Having the right good foods readily available – even when I was short on time

2: Having enough variety to feel like I looked forward to my meals, but not so much variety I was overspending on groceries to make complicated recipes all the time.

The BEST way I found to ensure my own success was to set myself up for this in advance.

This required a little thoughtful planning and thinking, prior to the shopping and cooking. This is the part where you really can save money, and achieve your goals of strength, vibrancy and health – but it does take work and advanced planning.

With my food prep, I came up with 3 main strategies or “types” to meet the changing needs of a busy schedule. While some weeks I was really keen on doing one main prep session (BATCH), other weeks I was traveling more for work, or just unable to cook much (MINIMAL). And sometimes I was in between. I had time to cook some staple recipes, but also wanted to cook a bit daily, throughout the week (HYBRID).

Here’s my 5-Step Food Prep and Recipes Guide

These 3 strategies all relied on my understanding first and foremost of the nutrients my body needs to thrive, and my determination to have them come from whole, natural foods as much as possible. On the truly busy weeks, I was ok with taking some shortcuts, but these were always with a focus on the nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats and greens/veggies) that they contained.

Creating a Daily Photo Food Journal

One really helpful tool you can use to help keep yourself accountable for what you eat daily is to use a “photo food journal.” To do this, just take a photo of every meal you eat throughout the day. You can use a photo collage tool to make a record of your day’s eating, and post it on your social media to stay accountable.

As an alternative to just writing it down, the act of stopping and taking a picture has helped me stay accountable for what I’m taking in. You may find that tracking your macros, or keeping track of your food some other way works best for you – but this is a fun way to have a visual representation of what you’ve done.

Here are a couple examples of Daily Food Journals I have made:

Food Journal #1:

This was on a day I was training hard, and also had more food prepped and available (it was a BATCH PREP week).

1. Overnight oatmeal with 2 T pecans, 1 T currants and 3 T hemp seeds
2. Post workout Green Smoothie with vanilla protein
3. Lunch (aka Second breakfast): 2 eggs, 1/3 cup egg whites, 1 slice gluten-free toast with butter, steamed bok choy
4. Small protein shake
5. Dinner: turkey burger, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/2 avocado, shallot slices and cucumber “bun”.
(The little pic is a sample of my food prep)

Food Journal #2

This journal’s intake was a lot of leftovers and pre-grocery shopping food, but still a well balanced (though non traditional day – which is just fine):

1. Overnight oatmeal with hemp seeds, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon
2. Gluten free toast, butter, eggs and egg whites, sautéed chard, spinach and garlic
3. Sashimi, avocado, vegetable rolls from Whole Foods when I was there mid-day buying groceries (knowing I had to take a photo of whatever I ate kept me on point with my choices!).
4. Leftover chocolate protein pancakes, bacon and banana.
5. Power bowl: hemp seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, walnuts, dark chocolate pieces, raisins – it IS a good idea to have a couple healthy snack ideas.

If you’d like me to set you up with a complete 6 week done-for-you meal plan and eating guide, complete with healthy recipes (gluten and dairy free, with vegetarian options) with options for ALL 3 eating styles every week (BATCH, MINIMAL and HYBRID) look no further than….

My amazing BODY FUEL SYSTEM!

The post Weekly Food Prep and a Photo Food Journal appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

It’s almost never the case that you can simply swap one of the below flours for wheat or glutenous flour in a recipe, because gluten is the very thing that binds foods like bread, pie crust and other baked goodies together.

But with a little finesse and willingness to experiment (usually with smaller recipes so you don’t waste if it doesn’t go as hoped) you can combine a couple or a few of the ones below to get the texture, flavor, balance and consistency that’s just right.

Of course there are more – and if you’ve used one I haven’t mentioned, please leave me a comment and let me know your experience with it. I’d love to check it out!

Almond Meal Flour: I’ve had good luck using just almond meal flour in cookie and muffin recipes that had a lot of binders like egg and oil. I’ve also used it as part of a mix of other flours, as it adds a lovely moistness and a light almond flavor. Most almond meal is made from blanched almonds, which is what gives it its pale yellow color. In a pinch, you can make your own by blending almonds in the blender or food processor.

Arrowroot Powder(may also be labeled arrowroot starch, or arrowroot flour): I use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch frequently. It is a tasteless thickening agent that works well in soups, sauces and puddings. Overheating can cause it to lose some of its binding properties, so for best results add it closer to just before boiling.

Brown Rice Flour: Brown rice flour is a great flour to mix in with other flours like teff, buckwheat or sorghum (see white rice flour below – different qualities than B.R.F.).

Brown Rice Flour – Superfine: Basically brown rice flour that’s been double milled to give it a silky-smooth texture, this flour may be hard to locate in stores. You can find it online though. It actually does a great job of emulating wheat flour – even better than sorghum or buckwheat. You’ll most likely want to add a binder (like xantham gum) to recipes like sugar cookies or other recipes where the texture is paramount.

Buckwheat Flour: Native to Asia, this distinctive-tasting flour is commonly used to make things like crepes, soba noodles and pancakes. It adds a wonderful texture to muffins and cakes as well, though you will want to acquaint yourself with its flavor before adding too liberally. For best results in gluten-free baking, mix your buckwheat flour with a starchier flour like cornstarch or tapioca flour for a good roll-out dough.

Chickpea Flour (also known as besan, garfava flour or garbanzo bean flour): chickpea flour gives a wonderful texture to gluten-free baked goods like muffins, pancakes and cookies, and works much like sorghum or buckwheat. It’s traditionally used in foods like falafel, pakoras and boodi. Because it’s a bean, the flour does have a distinctive odor which becomes fairly unnoticable when cooked with other ingredients. If you have trouble finding it, you can make your own from dried chickpeas (not canned – they’re already cooked) – and grinding them in your food processor or coffee grinder.

Coconut Flour: Incredibly absorbent, this is not a flour you can substitute for wheat (or any other flour) in the same quantity by any means. I’ve added merely 3 T to a muffin recipe and gotten the same result I would have had in an entire cup of wheat flour. Coconut flour has a lovely natural sweetness and wonderful texture, and is high in fiber and low in carbohydrates.

Corn Starch:  Cornstarch is a thickening agent that works well in soups, stews and sauces and can be used like tapioca flour (to add starch) to other recipes. It is usually combined with equal parts water (forming a “slurry”) to dissolve before adding, so it doesn’t clump. This is one to check for the “gluten free label, as some facilities that make cornstarch also process other gluten-containing grains and foods. You will not have great results if you combine cornstarch with acidic liquids (such as lemon juice). If you’re freezing your leftovers, opt for arrowroot in place of cornstarch, as it holds up better in the freezer.

Flaxseed Meal: With plenty of antioxidants, omega 3’s and 6’s, flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) has a distinctive nutty flavor and is best in baking when added as an additional flour, rather than the main feature. More a binder than a flour, mixing 1 T of flaxseed with 3 T water can replace an egg. I add flaxseed meal to pancakes, bread, muffins and even my green smoothies to boost their nutritional content. I store mine in the freezer to retain its nutrients.

Millet Flour: A tiny seed-like grain, millet can be white, grey, yellow or red. Millet flour is most often made from the yellow variety, and makes a slightly dry flour. It works well when mixed with heartier flours like teff, hemp or almond meal. I most recently used it in a pie crust recipe, where it was called for in equal parts to almond meal, potato starch and tapioca flour. I’ve made my own before when I couldn’t find it pre-ground by simply grinding millet in my high-speed blender.

Oat Flour: With all the nutritional benefits of oats, oat flour is a good addition to baked goodies and works a lot like sorghum flour. It may be slightly denser, like a wheat flour but it is extremely versatile and moderate in flavor. Be sure to look for a “gluten free” label on this product.

Potato Starch (potato flour): Powdery fine, and with a similar texture to tapioca flour, potato starch has been used by the food processing industry for years as a general thickener, binder, texturizer, anti-caking, or gelling agent. It works like cornstarch in thickening gravies, sauces, soups and stews. It also works well in gluten free baking, and can be worked into a dough (like a pie crust) like flour.

Sorghum Flour: A staple grain in Africa, sorghum has been studied for its numerous health benefits (phytochemicals that may help manage cholesterol, antioxidants and phenols that may improve diabetes and insulin resistance). It is a great substitute for wheat flour in many recipes especially when combined with more dense flours at about 15-20%.

Sweet White Rice Flour: Made from starchy, short-grain white rice, this flour is traditionally used in Asian cooking to thicken sauces or added to desserts. It will add moisture and density – not the best when used alone, unless a sticky result is desired.

Tapioca Flour: Made from the root of the tropical cassava plant, this pure starch works as a thickening agent in sauces (and freezes well). It can also be used successfully with other, more dense flours in baking like brown rice, sorghum, millet, and buckwheat. It is sometimes easier to find tapioca pearls than tapioca flour, and they can simply be ground in your high-speed blender to make tapioca flour.

Teff Flour: One of my personal favorites, teff is the smallest grain in the world and is remarkably high in protein. You can grind your own in the blender/food processor. It works well in a variety of recipes, and has a nice nutty flavor.

In traditional baking, the gluten protein coagulates ingredients, binds and thickens doughs and batters, traps air bubbles, and makes baked goods light and fluffy. Guar gum and xantham gum both serve to coagulate, or bind batters and doughs together in gluten-free baking – but xanthan gum primarily help starches combine to trap air, and guar gum helps keep large particles suspended in the mix. See below for a handy chart from Bob’s Red Mill for how to gauge amounts of each.

Guar Gum: Made from a tropical Asian seed, guar gum works best in cold foods like ice cream or pastry fillings. Foods with high acidity (like citrus) may cause guar gum to lose its binding properties (use xantham gum for better result in those types of recipes).

Xantham Gum:  Made by a micro organism called Xanthomonas Camestris, xantham gum works best in baked goods and yeasted breads. Its ability to keep oils from separating is why you’ll often find it on food labels. Be careful when working with it, as it leaves an extremely slimey residue on everything it touches.

**Also of note: I store all of my flours in the refrigerator (some in the freezer) to retain their freshness and nutrition content.

The post Guide to Gluten-Free Flours appeared first on The Betty Rocker.

They’re very low sugar, high in antioxidants, and have the ability to improve your memory. I’ve been eating them a lot this summer – putting them in green smoothies and on my breakfast salads.

I had an especially tough spin and kettlebell workout this morning, and when I got home I wanted something a little more substantial than a shake. I got inspired to play around with this protein pancake recipe I’ve been working on – and it came out so well, I had to share it with you.

I may update it down the road as I play around with the ingredients (*updated 5/25), but these came out great and were delicious. Gluten and dairy free – and meet the standards of all my paleo friends too. You could use frozen blueberries if you didn’t have fresh, and they’d be delicious with other types of fruit too.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Yield: 5-6 pancakes
You will need: medium size mixing bowl, whisk or fork, measuring cups and spoons, saute pan, spatula, cooking oil spray

1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup almond meal flour
1 serving (30 grams)  I Vanilla protein powder 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg whites (or 1 egg white + 1 egg, or 2 whole eggs)
2 T coconut oil, melted (or avocado oil, or olive oil)
2 T almond milk or water (if your batter needs thinning)
1/2 cup blueberries

1. Mix the flaxseed meal, protein powder, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda together in a bowl.
2. Add in the egg whites and vanilla.
3. Melt coconut oil and add it to the mixture; stir everything together. If the mixture is very thick, add a couple tablespoons of water or almond milk to thin it.
4. Add blueberries.
5. Heat a saute pan or skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking oil.
6. Ladle batter onto heated skillet and cook evenly on both sides until done.

*notes: this is a thicker pancake batter. Keep the bowl with your pancake batter warm, or near the stove so the coconut oil doesn’t harden up. I use the ladle to flatten the batter out a bit once I’ve got it in the pan. Be sure to cook them all the way through – I keep the heat medium so they don’t burn on the outside.

Top with your choice of butter, honey, maple syrup, peanut butter, almond butter, walnuts or coconut flakes – or enjoy them hot out of the pan just as they are.

Like this recipe? Check out the Body Fuel System for more delicious and healthy recipes to fuel your entire day – including breakfasts, healthy smoothies, delicious dinner entrees and a complete system for plugging them into your life that will get you insanely healthy and naturally burn fat!

The post Blueberry Protein Pancakes (gluten-free, dairy-free) appeared first on The Betty Rocker.