If you’ve ever walked into your local grocer or health food story, no doubt you’ve been bombarded with countless ‘protein powder’ choices.

A lot of what our boot campers have learned is that a quality protein is critical to build that lean, sexy muscle tone we train for.

But here’s where it gets tricky (see: confused, misled):

Up until now, I haven’t specifically recommended an actual protein supplement to use.

But that is about to change…you see, I have learned some very clear specifics that have clearly explained that all protein powders are NOT CREATED EQUAL.

First and foremost, most protein powders are sweetened with artificial sweeteners.

If you have a bottle of you currently use…go pick it up and look at the ingredient list.

If your protein powder lists aspartame or sucralose as the sweetener…RED FLAG!

I’m not kidding, ditch it. These sweeteners are downright dangerous and toxic to your body and seriously hinder your fat burning efforts. Instead of helping you burn fat by increasing your protein intake, these artificially sweetened protein powders prevent you from losing fat by overwhelming your body with toxins.

Get rid of it.

Second, most protein powders are not only using a low quality source of whey, they are processing it in high temperatures.

The problem with this is that high heat processing completely denatures the protein and decreases the protein value (making it kind of pointless and a waste to take at that point). Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find out exactly how your protein powder has been processed as the owners of most protein powder companies are big corporations are difficult to get a hold of...and try getting them to reveal this critical info to you (the consumer)...FORGET-ABOUT-IT.

Well Prograde Nutrition has finally done it. They have finally formulated a Protein Powder that is not only delicious, but one that is sweetened with Stevia (a completely natural sweetener) and have only used the highest quality, cold processed whey.

This is as much great news for me as it is for you.

I feel your pain – you’re in a hurry, no time to cook,
but you still need a protein boost to get going…this just changed the game!

Here’s the special link to take advantage of Prograde’s 10% off sale of Prograde Protein right now:

Best Protein Supplement

OK, now 3 cool ways you can use this powerhouse protein from Prograde.

Fruit Medley Protein Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp Prograde Protein (vanilla)
Fruit: 4 strawberries 8 cherries without seeds 5 peach slices 1/2 a banana
1 cup of nonfat milk
Throw in a little ice as needed for texture
Directions: Blend the assorted fruits with the milk, begin adding the powder as the texture becomes smooth. The milk may also be replaced with orange juice or fruit punch for a non dairy protein smoothie, or a post-workout recovery boost.

High-Octane Protein Oatmeal

This one is a favorite when it comes to getting my boys to eat oatmeal. Rather than something plain, I’ve turned them on to this.

Ingredients

1/3 cup oatmeal (Trader Joe’s has outstanding organic oatmeal)

1 cup water

1 scoop Prograde Protein powder (vanilla)

Cook 1/3 cup dry oatmeal in 1 cup of water. Mix 1 scoop of protein powder with just a little bit of water, in a separate bowl, until it becomes thick. Add the powder and water mixture to the oatmeal.

Add a scoop of organic nut butter (or all-natural, hydrogenated oil-free nut butter) for added taste.

You can also toss in some fresh fruit on the side – YEAH baby!

This is a really easy way to get in a high protein, high fiber and very filling breakfast.

Lean & Fit Protein Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I like Trader Joe’s brand)

4-5 egg whites

1 scoop Prograde protein powder

Blend all ingredients until batter consistency. Then pour into a pan or griddle like normal pancakes. I use organic butter to cook these (Costco carries a great organic butter, in case you’re wondering).

You can also sweeten up the stack with a little cinnamon and a dab of honey.

Listen, cook up a few extra – toss them in a baggie and save them for later – my boys love them as little snacks throughout the day.

So here’s where to go now: get this new boot camp approved Prograde Protein Powder while it’s still on sale today…knock off 10% here:

The Highest Quality Protein Powder

But the sale ends Friday, so be sure to pick up your order today.

Get Your New Protein Supplement Here

Here’s something you might not be aware of: Resistance training produces a by-product that burns fat. I mean, big-time melting body fat.



You know that burning feeling you experience when you exercise?

It is caused by ‘lactic acid’ releasing into the bloodstream.

Now keep in mind that resistance training produces about 300% more lactic acid than slower, traditional cardio training for obvious reasons—you are using more muscle, with more intensity.



Why is this important to increase the release of lactic acid?

Because it’s been linked to the most powerful fat-burning hormone there is: hGH.

The American Society of Exercise Physiologists reported that increased lactic acid was linked to increased natural production of fat-burning hGH, thus producing greater fat loss in shorter amounts of time. Sounds sweet to me!

Translation: Get you’re a$$ off the treadmill and crank up the intensity!

Here’s a quick 5 minute total body workout that you can do when you’re
short on time.

Now, keep in mind that 20-30 minutes are best when it comes to high intensity intervals, but 5 minutes is better than 0 minutes, right?

Set the timer and crank the intensity on this one:

Decline Push-up x 30 seconds
Bodyweight Squat x 30 seconds
Reverse Lunges x 30 seconds
Jump Squat x 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

Unfortunately, misinformation and fitness myths are still plentiful everywhere you look. It comes from people who try the latest magazine workout or (gasp) adhere to the antiquated, misaligned ‘food pyramid’ when it comes to getting in shape. With the holiday season upon us, it’s going to be more important than ever to separate fact from fiction to shed the belly blubber, quickly and safely.

Here are 5 popular lies and myths of melting the fat and getting back into shape:

1. “Spot reducing is possible.” It’s evident with the infomercial gadgets or gym machines to work your “abs”. People buy into this crap everyday, so let me be perfectly clear: it is NOT possible to target where fat comes off of your body. Period, end of discussion. Train your entire body, build lean muscle and THAT will burn fat off your entire frame, abs and all. If you are trying to lose fat in one area (arms, abs or thighs), strictly focusing on that single body part is a big waste of time.





2. “No pain, no gain.” This is just wacky, old school nonsense. Do we get sore sometimes, yes! However, putting yourself in actual ‘pain’ is simply not advised or encouraged.



3. “I don’t have the time to workout. It takes too long.” Exercise does not require a huge time commitment. Not even close. What matters is the level intensity you put into your workouts, combined with the right blend of total body movements…not how much time you spend wandering around in the gym.



4. “If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want.” Um…no. Eating supportively at least 90% of the time is critical and a vital component in your quest to fit and lean.



5. “There's a magic bullet (quick fix, diet, pill, etc.) out there somewhere.” Unfortunately this is simply not the case. Being fit and lean is a lifestyle and never ending journey. Better food choices with properly executed workouts will be a huge part of this journey and there is no magic key to change things overnight. Set goals, reach them. Set higher goals, reach them. Repeat and enjoy the ride!