This one goes out to Ryan who asks, “Hey steve can you recommend a morning shake/ afternoon shake or dinner shake?”

There are a few ideal times when you want to consume a protein shake:

• Immediately after a heavy workout (when you body is in an anabolic state)
• In times when you don’t have time to make/eat a healthy meal and you want to avoid fast food and the like
• In the morning on an empty stomach, shortly before and during morning cardio/weight lifting
• If you are trying to gain weight and a mass gainer shake is cheaper than food instead

And that’s about it! So you shouldn’t drink protein shakes if you can avoid it otherwise. Here’s why:

You can never replace the purity and goodness of whole foods itself. In other words, don’t try to replace greens with a green powder drink. They sell these at GNC and other health food stores and they tout that they are as good as eating greens, sometimes better. This is false. They are okay ONLY if you CANNOT get any greens! As a green replacement, they will help but they will never be better than eating organic raw vegetables EVER. So eat your veggies! Or do what I do, drink veggie juice.. its faster and easier

Don’t consume protein shakes (whey, soy, casein, etc) thinking they are a better protein source than natural and organic meats, fish or veggies.  In other words, your body does better eating and digesting protein via chicken, fish, beef, than it does consuming protein powder.  Organic foods are the best choice of course.  The only case this wouldn’t imply is if you eat a cheap source of protein, like a meat at a fast food joint.  If you didn’t know by now, all fast food meats and vegetables are generally the POOREST source available.  There is a reason they can charge $1.00 for a hamburger and still make a profit!

Protein shakes can often times be expensive.  If you buy at GNC, you’ll generally pay full retail.  And this ends up costing more than buying and preparing food alone!  Buying supplements online is cheaper but it’s important you find a reputable source.  I will post the best and most affordable supplements (in my opinion) on my recommendations page, check it out for yourself

So with that being said..

Here’s how to make a protein shake.

And when should you drink a protein shake?  I’ll give you a quick example of how I utilize them:

• Before I do cardio/abs on an empty stomach, I generally consume about 20 grams whey protein with 5 grams of glutamine.
• When lifting heavy weight and trying to gain mass, be sure to consume a protein/carb shake before/during/after your intense workout.  What I do is mix 40 grams whey protein/5 grams glutamine/1 tbsp fiber/60 grams carbs and i sip on it on the way to the gym, while i’m working out.. and if needed, i’ll drink a straight protein shake (~20gms whey) after that.
• If I ever go on the road to do work, I always plan how long I’ll be away from the house.  I don’t ever want to have the choice of starve or eat fast food!  So I bring along a protein brownie or an empty bottle filled with protein powder.  For emergency use only
• That’s it!  Feel free to leave any questions/comments.  Of course, as I progress in life and learn new things regarding health and fitness, I may update this blog later.  Peace and good health!

About the Author:  Steve Kim is a fitness model and former personal trainer based in Las Vegas, NV.  He is a writer for Apex Body, a website dedicated to helping people achieve their best health and fitness.

• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup or brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup nuts
• 2 cups of dried fruit
• 1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sample the Cuervo to check quality..
Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter, in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it’s best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok,
try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves
A sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Simple as cake.. blend (1) large head of broccoli, (2) cups of frozen cut spinach, (1) apple (1) frozen banana and (3) cups of water.

Makes 2-3 servings (depending on your size).. I drink half in the morning, the rest throughout the day.

Enjoy being healthy the quick and easy way!

Tips on how to make the veggie/fruit mix even easier

Recent discovery.. be sure to put bag of frozen veggie/fruits in fridge the night before. it thaws it and makes it softer for blending. use plenty of water!

It’s important to have access to nutritious low-carb snack food so that if you get hungry between meals you won’t reach for crackers and chips.

Ideally, a low-carb snack should have protein, healthy fat, and some fiber (so the best thing would be to have some raw veggies with your eggs or jerky). Here are some easy snack ideas. I will be adding to the list as time goes on.

• Celery with peanut or almond butter
• Celery with tuna salad
• Hard boiled eggs
• Deviled eggs
• Dill pickles and cheddar cheese (no kidding, it’s a great combo)
• 1/4 cup berries with 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• Nuts (keep raw ones in the freezer if you think you’ll overeat them)
• Sunflower seeds (get them in the shell so it will take longer to eat them)
• Other seeds (How to Toast Pumpkin or Squash Seeds)
• Low-Carb Trail Mix
• Jerky (beef or turkey — try to find low-sugar varieties)
• Low-carb shakes
• Cheese sticks, such as string cheese
• Sugar-free Jello, alone or with cottage cheese and a sprinkling of nuts
• Make sugar-free lime Jello with part coconut milk — For a large package, dissolve the powder in a cup of boiling water, add a can of coconut milk, and then add the rest of the water. Stir well.
• Pepperoni “chips” — Zap the slices in the microwave
• Cheese with a few apple slices
• 4-ounce plain or sugar-free yogurt with berries and flax seed meal
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese on cucumber slices
• Lettuce Roll-ups –- Roll luncheon meat, egg salad, tuna or other filling and veggies in lettuce leaves
• Lunch Meat Roll-ups –- Roll cheese or veggies in lunch meat (read the labels for carbs on the lunch meat)
• Spread bean dip, spinach dip, or other low-carb dip or spread on the lunch meat or lettuce and then roll it up
• Raw veggies and spinach dip, or other low-carb dip
• Pork rinds, with or without dip
• Ricotta cheese with fruit and/or nuts and/or flax seed meal
• Mushrooms with cheese spread inside (or other spreads or dips)
• Low-carb snack bars (watch out for sugar alcohols, especially maltitol)
• Product Review: Atkins Advantage Bars
• Pepperoni Chips — Microwave pepperoni slices until crisp. Great with cheeses and dips
• Garlic Parmesan Flax Seed Crackers
• Parmesan Crisps — Good when you want a crunchy snack.
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• More Snack Recipes

Okay, so I’m going to share the secret recipe to my world famous protein brownies!  Enjoy the fruits of my labor

Ingredients:

• 9 egg whites
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 cups non-fat cottage cheese
• 4 scoops chocolate whey protein powder (approx 60 gms)
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 3-4 cups oatmeal (quick cooking kind)
• 1/4 cup almond flakes
• 1/4 cup walnut/pecan chunks
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp splenda or brown sugar

Utensils

• Big metal mixing bowl
• Whisk
• 1/2 cup measurer
• 1 tbsp measurer
• 2 baking pans (one to cook in, the other to cut and serve in.  you can use one but i found that cutting the brownies ruined the pan over time.  also don’t use cooking spray!  your pan should have teflon coating and doesn’t need it.  spray is full of chemicals and ruins the pan)

Instructions

1. First turn on your oven and set it to 400 degrees.  It’ll be ready when you’re done with your mix.
2. Next get your eggs ready then add cottage cheese and whey protein powder.  whisk!
3. Next add baking powder, splenda, cinnamon and vanilla extract.  whisk!
4. Now add almond flakes, walnut chunks, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and apple sauce.  whisk!
5. Last add oatmeal.  whisk!
6. Put mix into baking pan.  Set onto middle/top rack.  Cook for 30 minutes.  When finished, let cool for a few minutes, then transfer the entire cake to another baking pan (the one you cut and serve in).
7. I cut them into a dozen pieces.  It’s a healthy snack that lasts me a few days.  In between, keep the brownies in the serving pan (pan should have a cover that seals it, keeps moisture in and prevents them from drying out.).
8. As soon as the brownies are cooled off, put them in fridge right away.  There’s cottage cheese in there and you don’t want them to spoil.

(be sure to drink a cup of water after eating, this helps to expand the fiber in the brownie and fill up your stomach. great for controlling hunger pangs)


Enjoy Steve Kim’s World Famous Protein Brownies!

For 3 days, prepare and drink 10 cups of lemon/syrup juice each day.

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I make my juice for each day by doing the following:

- Take an empty gallon water jug, fill it with:

– juice of 6 whole organic lemons (fist size, not small)
– 1.25 cups of organic Grade B maple syrup
– 10 cups of water

I like to take my cayenne pepper separately, in pill form. Get cayenne pills (40,000 heat-units), 300mg each. Take 5 pills throughout day, so 1 with every other drink of juice.
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Salt-Water Flush Recipe

upon waking, drink a mixture of:

- 2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt to a quart of lukewarm water

wait an hour and stay close to the bathroom!

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Green Lemonade

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Liquid Vitamins

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Protein Pancakes

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Tomato & Cucumber Salad

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This one goes out to Lisa Hsu, of www.lasvegaslifecoaching.com (site still under construction).
She gave me a great recipe for protein pancakes and I got to admit, I’m hooked!

It’s a sweet alternative to traditional pancakes and it’s ultra-healthy. Here’s the recipe:

1 cup of low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese
8 egg whites
1 cup of oats

blend all 3 ingredients in blender. pour batter onto frying pan. Gently toast both sides.
serve with non-fat butter spray and sugar-free maple syrup. enjoy!

this is my favorite dessert by the way