My personal fav is in the picture!

Whey is a popular supplement for people looking to build lean muscle mass. The protein is a by-product of the process of turning cow’s milk into cheese. When you use it in its purest form, as whey protein isolate, it contains little-to-no fat, lactose or cholesterol. And, if you use whey protein along with a healthy diet and fitness program, you will have a better chance of developing lean muscles and lose weight.

Types of Whey Protein

There are two types of milk proteins: casein and whey protein. Within the whey category, there are three major forms that are used weight loss and fitness purposes: whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate (as mentioned above), and whey protein hydrolysate.

Whey Protein Ingredients

Whey protein is a bountiful source of branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine). When exercise, your body needs more branched chain amino acids, otherwise you are more susceptible to fatigue. Whey also contains bioactive ingredients, such as immunoglobulins and lactoferrin that support healthy immune system function.

Additional Benefits

Studies have found that people who supplement their exercise program with whey protein have more lean muscle tissue and lose more body fat. This is achieved because whey protein is shown to have an effective satiety effect on people. It helps reduce calorie intake, which in turn encourages weight loss. In fact, in a study conducted at the University of Surrey in England, people who ate whey consumed fewer calories than another group who ate the milk-based protein casein.

There is also evidence that supports whey as an ideal protein source for promoting healthy blood sugar levels through improved insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity is associated with the reduction of stored fat.

People who are lactose intolerant should use a pure whey protein isolate to avoid any adverse side effects. A pure whey protein isolate has less than 0.1 grams of lactose per tablespoon, which is a statistically insignificant amount for those who are sensitive to the sugar found in milk.

Those people who suffer from lactose intolerance need to avoid whey protein concentrates, since they often have an unreliably varying amount of lactose from product to product.

Read more: Whey Protein Helps Shed Pounds, Gain Muscle

I love veggie burgers.  Its so nice to have one BBQ’ed instead of the super high fat beef variety.  But….I hate how much the stores charge for veggie burgers?  The cheapest ones I have found are about $1 per patty.  And, they are far from my favorite.  So I decided to try to make some on my own. 

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 198 | Total Fat: 3g | Fibre: 3g WW points 2

Success!  You could really change up the ingredients.  Add some feta, olives and oregano for a Greek inspired burger AND the list could go on.  Get creative, get inventive.  Do you really still buy your vegetable burgers?  If you have a recipe for one, please do share!

Ranae from Ranesheart.com joins us as a guest blogger today. Ranaesheart.com was born as the result of a life-changing weight loss and the commitment to “pay it forward” in helping others achieve the same success. This site is dedicated to helping people transition to a healthier lifestyle by implementing nutritional food choices, moderate exercise, positive self-talk and surrounding themselves with the support of friends, family and Internet social networks, such as MedHelp.org, an online health community that provides medical information and support.

In these economically challenged times, the competition for our food dollars is fierce.  In addition, with large corporation failures, Wall Street tumbling and foreclosures at record highs, there is an ever increasing need for us to tighten our belts and be frugal with our food budgets.

Here are some suggestions on how to live on a shoestring and make wise choices while pinching pennies:

• Visit your farmer’s market or street side stand to purchase the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season.  The further you get into the growing season, the more plentiful the produce and the greater value you can find.
• Check out the frozen fruits and vegetables; sometimes they are less expensive than their fresh counterparts.
• Watch the weekly ads at your local supermarket and plan your menu around those items.  If you don’t get the paper showing you the advertisements, you can usually obtain a copy at the courtesy counter.
• Managers also have many in-store specials.  Here are a few to watch for:
  - Take a stroll to the meat department and watch for items priced to sell quickly.  Just use them quickly or pop them in the freezer and they’ll be ready to use when you are!
  - Scope out the produce department as markdowns are made when items reach the ready-to-eat stage.
  - Stores that have their own bakery typically have an area designated to sell day-old items.  This is an excellent time to buy some whole wheat, 7-grain or rye breads.  Don’t forget that you can store them in the refrigerator, which makes them last longer
  - Quite a few deli departments roast chickens and have them ready to eat.  Near the end of the day, you can find them marked down for a quick sale as they will not hold them over for tomorrow.  You can take it home; put it in the refrigerator and use for sandwiches, a meal, or in place of cooked or canned chicken in many recipes.
• Drink water and plenty of it.  Not only is it very good for you, but it save lots of money!
• Buy foods in bulk packaging, divide into portions and freeze or store the remainder for future use.  Items are usually less expensive when purchased this way.
• Avoid most processed foods as they are usually more expensive and not as healthy as cooking the natural ingredients yourself.
• Don’t go to the grocery store hungry!  It’s too easy to buy too much and be tempted by foods better left at the store.
• Consider buying store brands or shopping at discount grocery stores.  Many generic items taste just as good and are less expensive than the pricier national brands.
  Pack your lunch and avoid the temptation of fast food, increased calories and high prices.

Living on a shoestring is not only possible; it is what must be done if we are to diet successfully in this economy.  The old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way!” has never been truer than now.

Read more: Guest Blog: Living on a Shoe String While Dieting

What do you drink after or before working out?  Or maybe you use a certain drink as a mini-meal/ snack?  Well, we wanted to test some pre-bottled milk drinks and let YOU know what this GGS gal thought of some flavored POWER milk.

Shamrock Farms sent GGS 3 flavors of Rockin’ refuel to try out.  Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.  Before I tested them, I wanted to find out the nutritional stats and how much this drink retails for.  Here is the nutritional facts for the chocolate and the other flavors were very close to the same:

Click picture for a larger image.

I thought these nutritional stats were impressive and I really liked the fact that there was no high glucose corn syrup.  Also stated on their site is:

d

Rockin’ Refuel is available in leading grocery stores and convenience stores with a shelf price of around $1.39.  Wow!  I what a great price for POWER milk!

Let’s get on with the taste!  I thought each flavor really tasted just like flavored milk.  It was rich and creamy.  My favorite being chocolate, least favorite strawberry.  I did, however, find each flavor super duper sweet.  I would love to see Shamrock Farms to come up with a this POWER milk in a plain flavor. 

Get a great coupon to try out for yourself here!

Bottom line for over all taste, nutritional facts and price:

 out of 5 dumbbells

The other Power Milk I tested was Gaterode Pro 01 Prime.  I received chocolate and strawberry flavored milk.  The main nutrients facts I wanted to compare were:

• Calories 370
• Fat 8g
• Carbs 55g
• Sugars 28g
• Protein 20G

To get the full nutritional facts, click here.  The facts are very similar to the milk above except the sugar was almost double for the Shamrock Milk.  Yikees!  That is a lot more sugar than I would like to chug.  But,  on the other hand Shamrock was made from real milk and some of the ingredients in the G Series milk were very questionable, with the first 5 being:

• Water
• Sucrose
• Maltodextrin (Maltodextrins are easily digestible carbohydrates made from natural corn starch)
• Milk Protein Isolate
• Canola Oil

Hmmm….

The retail price is approximately $3 for one serving. 

OK, now for the taste. It was a lot less sweet than Shamrock’s milk but, I did think it also tasted less like milk.  But, it was rich, smooth and very tasty. 

Bottom line for over all taste, nutritional facts and price:

 out of 5 dumbbells

Both of these milks were very tasty.  There is further information for both of these milks on there site.  I would not hesitate to buy either one of them again.  Maybe Rockin Refuel for all of the calcium in contains 60% and G Series for all of the added nutritional value in it.  Have you tried either one of these POWER milks?  Have you tried any?  Please do share!

Reviews on GirlGetStrong.com reflect the personal opinion of the writer, whether it is good, bad or ugly.  These product were supplied to GGS, however no compensation was accepted by me or GGS Media Corporation for this review.

Winner~Pammi Wammi Congrats!

It’s summer and the kids are off school.  My active  two kids constantly are thirsty and it is hard ,and just not practical, all the time to offer only water.  I wanted to find something that my kids would like and was fairly good for them without all the chemicals and other additives.  KIDStrong was kind enough to send the GGS crew 2 cases of their Hydration Beverage to try out.   Hmmm…maybe this was the answer.

Upon viewing their site and reading the nutritional facts, I was impressed with what I saw.   Such as:

• All-natural
• No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
• Preservative-free
• Low in sugar
• Low glycemic index complex carbohydrate blend
• Optimal electrolyte profile
• Power-packed with 20 vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
• Scientifically formulated for kids’ hydration and energy
• 30 calories, 0 fat and 3 grams of sugar per bottle

There is a whole Science on how they came up with this product!

I rounded up a group of 9 kids from around the neighbourhood to try out two flavors:  Grape and Orange.

Out of the 9 kids, 6 enjoyed the Grape.

Out of the 9 kids, 7 enjoyed the Orange.

3 of the child did NOT like the taste at all.  I tried both flavors as well and I thought they were pretty good.  The drink was definitely different tasting.  It did not taste like juice or even powder flavored drinks.  It was a very unique taste but if you were one of the lucky ones that your kids enjoyed the taste, I would recommend KIDStrong beverages to any mom.

You can find Kidstrong on Facebook for new updates, tips and information.

Now to the giveaway!  One for you and the kids!

Minute Maid Enhanced Juices and Juice Drinks (MME)  has introduced two new flavors:  Pomegranate Blueberry and Strawberry Kiwi:

• Pomegranate Blueberry Flavored 100% Fruit Juice Blend – Made from a blend of five juices and enhanced with 50mg Omega-3/DHA per 8 fl. oz. serving and four other nutrients to help nourish your brain and body
• Strawberry Kiwi Flavored Juice Drink– Made with Yerba Mate (pronounced yer-bah mah-tay) extract – a plant native to South America that contains natural caffeine – and real fruit juice to deliver a delicious flavor and natural energy boost to consumers.

Yummy!  Don’t those sound good?  You have the chance to win a whole month supply of  Minute Maid Enhanced Juices and Juice Drinks!

Tell us in the comments below what flavor you would like to try!  They have many more than just the two above. 

 A random winner will be selected on July 26, 2010. Good luck!  US residents only please. Juice will be supplied to the winner in the form of coupons.