I LOVE protein shakes.

I would never buy a pre-made protein shake from the store, they just don’t taste fresh to me.  I have occasionally bought shake’s from places that make them right in front of you with fresh ingredients.  I also encourage my kids to get a protein shake from places that specialize in shakes for some ‘fast food’.

I recently have been playing around with variations of my favorites. My latest obsession is with Green Monster Protein Shakes and I’m officially a card-carrying member of the Green Monster Movement.

What’s a green monster protein shake? Well, if you haven’t heard of it, it’s a fruit smoothie with veggies, like spinach or kale and protein. Spinach and kale are both fantastic antioxidants and blending up a green monster smoothie is a great way to sneak some healthy veggie servings into your fruit drink.

Today’s green(ish) monster shake included blueberries, so it actually turned out a really pretty dark purple. All the better to hide the spinach, woot!

Here’s my easy, healthy recipe:

• 2 cups of frozen blueberries*
• 2 cups of FRESH spinach (do not use frozen)
• 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
• sweeten to taste or add 2 fresh squeezed oranges if you have a sweet tooth (I don’t sweeten)

*note: if you use fresh blueberries instead of frozen, you will need to add ice – if you use 2 cups of ice, cut back to 1 cup of milk

This recipe makes one big glass with enough for a partial refill.

So you can see how just having this one drink for breakfast can start your day off right! And talk about antioxidants…I thinkI felt myself getting younger with every sip! (Too bad I didn’t notice any improvements in the mirror – but it’s inside that counts, right? )

Have you tried a green monster shake?

Do you ever buy your Protein Shakes from the store or are you like me, and home-made is the only way to go?

GIVEAWAY TIME!

As promised we are having our weekly giveaway (some exceptions may apply) to learn more about soy products. The giveaway is $50 to your favourite grocery store. Who does not need free groceries?

To enter:

All you have to do is re-tweet this blog post.

Or you can copy and paste this tweet:

@GirlGetStrong Protein Shakes, Make them or Buy Them?  http://bit.ly/vo90H1 #SOYSIMPLE

Super important to use the #soysimple hashtag or your entry will not count!

A weekly winner will be chosen from Random.org You have until Dec 11, 2011 (midnight PST) to complete your entry. The winner will choose their top 3 grocery stores and the sponsor will choose the gift card from that list.

You could be next, so get tweeting. Good luck!

Contest is only open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age and older. One entry, per person, per contest.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Solae. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Solae.

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

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.

It’s getting HOT around here!   No, I’m not talking about the HOT men in The Twilight Movies, but the weather! (We can chat more about those men later!) Now, more than ever, it is so important to re-hydrate after a workout or even sitting in the sun.  This GGS crew member sat down to sample some healthy drinks for the summer.   

Vita Coco

Did you know that coconut water has 15 times more potassium than that found in sport drinks? It’s also naturally loaded with the five key electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium. OK, if it is this good, can it taste good?  I  tried 3 flavors.   Plain, Acai and Pomegranate, and Pineapple. They all smelt wonderful, reminding me of my Mexican trip.  Truth being told, I could not drink the plain one.  It was really sweet and  had an odd thick texture, I could not get down.  BUT, the flavored ones were not too bad.  My favorite one was the by far was the Pineapple flavored water.  It did taste very refreshing almost like you were on a tropical island having a Pina Coloda.  Almost.  These drinks need to be served very cold.  I think they may take some time getting used to but man, the benefits of this water is amazing.  

EBoost

Energy, immunity, recovery and focus.  That is what I need and that is Eboost claim. I tried the natural Orange Flavor and the Pink Lemonade flavor in powder form.  I really enjoyed both flavors.  It was almost fizzy and refreshing and smelt yummy.  The stats on this drink was very impressive for 5 calories.  I took it after my spin class with Melanie.  I usually crash and burn a few hours later but no joke, I never had my crash after I drank this.   Apparently, many of celeb’s are right into this fizzy drink.  I think anyone that needs a boost or should I say EBoost during the day, would benefit from this drink.   

YogaEarth

I haven’t been doing much Yoga lately.  I know I should but there is only so many hours in a day to exercise.  I love my cardio/ weights/ running  too much at the moment to give up a precious hour doing Yoga.  I just don’t get that same kind of rush or sweat.  But, just because this drink is called YogaEarth, doesn’t mean you just have to have when doing Yoga, right!

YogaEarth created a system of pre/post practice nutrition with the support and input of hundreds of yoga teachers nationwide BUT it has such unbelievable benefits….

It’s got to be good for any sport or activity.

There are two nutritional powders in the system that you can easily dissolve in water, juice or your favorite smoothie. Balance is for pre-practice, and Vitality is for post-practice.  Balance has natural beet, ginger, and acai flavors, while Vitality includes organic green tea, kiwi, Irish moss and wheat grass. I can’t say that I enjoyed either one of them with water, but with juice they were pretty good. 

underWay

This drink claim is  that it is a natural flavored appetite suppressant supplement.  I really loved the flavor of all of the 3 flavors that were sent to me.  There was a very sweet artificial taste to each of the drinks, but I didn’t mind that taste.  Did it help me with my appetite?  I’m not exactly sure.  I was always a bit hungry before I drank it.  Perhaps, I ate less than I normally would have without this drink and I didn’t feel like snacking 2 hours after my meal.  It was a really great, refreshing drink after a workout. And, it only had 20 calories per bottle, super low carbs and all sorts of vitamins in it.  What’s not to love?  

Healthy Balance 

Healthy Balance is Old Orchard’s line of reduced-sugar juice cocktails. Sweetened with Splenda® brand no-calorie sweetener, these products contain 75% less sugar, calories, and carbohydrates than traditional juice cocktails, but contain 100% of the flavor. With no added preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors—what’s more to say, except..awesomeness!

I was over joyed with  the taste of Healthy Balance and was very pleased it was sweetened with Splenda and not some cheap sweetener.  It comes in many other flavors that I would love to try.  My kids approved too!

Please see each individual site by clicking on the link for more information, nutritional stats and price.

Now on to the ….GIVEAWAY!!

Wanna try Healthy Balance  for yourself?  Become a Fan of Healthy Balance over at facebook.  Come back and email me your address (sian at girlgetstrong.com) and the first 10 will get their very own Healthy Balance juice to try out.  Flavor of their choice. Yipeeee,  we love a giveaway! To print your own coupon, click here.

What fitness drink do you like to drink after a workout?

Reviews on Girlgetstrong.com reflect the personal opinion of the writer, whether it is good, bad or ugly.  No compensation was accepted by me or GGS Media Corporation for this review.