My 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse

I like food.

A lot.

So the whole idea of doing any kind of cleanse isn't super exciting for me. In fact, I've attempted to do this cleanse a few times before and never made it through all three days.

I told you I liked food!

BUT, after over-indulging over the holidays this year, I decided to do a cleanse. A 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse.

I drink Shakeology to replace one meal a day and I love it. I feel great when I drink it and I love what it does for my body.

So a Shakeology cleanse was a perfect choice for me.

Here's the basics of the 3-day cleanse:

3 Shakeology shakes a day, made with ice and water

Green tea for snack

A piece of fruit in the morning and afternoon for snack

and

Salad and grilled white protein for dinner.

Oh yeah, and you need to drink lots of water.

I'm so happy that I finished all three days of the cleanse! My results are even more exciting:

5.4 pound weight loss!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it was challenging, BUT the sense of accomplishment that I feel is great!

I feel great! I'm not bloated, I feel light, and I'm excited that I've had a kickstart to losing a few pounds.

If you're interested in learning more about Shakeology, click here.

If you want to try a Shakeology cleanse, you can buy enough shakes for the three day cleanse from me.

Just leave me a comment and let me know you're interested!

Here's to New Year's Resolutions!

Good luck with yours!

Happy 2011!

Shakeology vs. Protein Shake vs. Multi-vitamins

Wondering about the benefits of Shakeology over a protein shake and/or a simple multivitamin? Here's the breakdown and analysis.

Protein shake - The purpose of a protein shake is to help build and repair muscle tissue. It is an important element of a healthy diet, particularly if weight lifting is part of your workout regimen. However, protein does not replenish essential nutrients lost during strenuous exercise.

Multi-vitamin - Helps replenish the vitamins and minerals in the body often depleted during exercise. As such, you need to consume the recommended daily allowance of vitamins, which is harder to do as you reduce calories. Taking a daily multivitamin helps prevent disease, maintain energy and keep your immune system strong. However, a multi-vitamin cannot be used as a meal replacement.

Shakeology - Provides a source of protein (17g) and all the benefits of a multi-vitamin, and can be used as a meal replacement, there by promoting rapid weight loss. It's a premium meal replacement shake that combines many of nature's most health-boosting ingredients, including real food sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, plus protein and phytonutrients to help rebuild muscle, maximize cellular health, eliminate toxins, and keep blood sugar from spiking.


Cost Comparison: Shakeology leads to a cost savings by:

* using it as a meal replacement leads to a daily savings of $5 or more per day (a savings of $150 a month)
* allows you to replace many nutritional supplements with just one shake a day (a savings of $20-$50 a month).

Shakeology - Cost and Health Benefits:

Greenberry or Chocolate

* Retail price $119.95 ($4 per serving)
* Club price $107.95 ($3.60 per serving)
* Coach price $89.86 ($3 per serving)

"Bottom of the Bag" guarantee: Try Shakeology for 30 days. If you don't LOVE it, send it back for a full refund.

Shakeology can help you:

* Lose weight
* Reduce cravings
* Increase energy and stamina
* Promote healthy digestion and regularity

Proven results! As part of the recommended Shakeology program of replacing a meal with one shake per day, along with regular exercise and a balanced diet, participants experienced even more remarkable health improvements.

The study also showed that participants were able to:

* Reduce total cholesterol by 30% on average
* Reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 38% on average
* Reduce cardiovascular risk ratio by 24% on average
* Reduce oxidative damage caused by free radicals on average by 45%, which can help decrease the risk for developing degenerative conditions like heart disease, dementia, and arthritis.

Shakeology Ingredients:

* Protein & Amino Acids: Amaranth, Camu-Camu, Goji berry, Sacha Inchi, sprouted quinoa, whey protein.

Health benefits: Help the body build lean muscle, heal wounds, improve skin and hair. Support optimal brain function, mental clarity, improved mood, and reduced cravings.

* Antioxidants “Red Super Foods”: Açai berry, Acerola cherry, bilberry, Camu‑Camu, Goji berry, grape seed extract, green tea, Maca root, pomegranate.

Health Benefits: Help reduce oxidative damage in the body caused by free radicals. Oxidative damage is a major cause for degenerative (aging) conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure (which can lead to stroke), dementia, and arthritis.

* Phytonutrients “Green Super Foods”: Barley grass, blue-green algae, Chia seeds, Chlorella, flax, grape seed extract, Hydrilla, spinach, Spirulina, sprouted quinoa, wheat grass.

Health Benefits: Boost immunity, help fight diseases, can slow down the aging process, detoxify the body, and have alkalizing properties.

* Adaptogens: Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Cordyceps, holy basil leaf, Maca root, Reishi mushroom, Schisandra, Suma root.

Health Benefits: Plant derived agents help to adapt the body or protect it from stress. Adaptogenic herbs are unique from other substances in their ability to balance endocrine hormones and the immune system.

* Prebiotics: Pea fiber, yacon root. Promote better intestinal health.

Health Benefits: Stimulate growth of friendly bacteria for better digestion.

* Digestive Enzymes: Amylase, bromelain from pineapple, cellulose, lactase, lipase, papain from papaya, protease.

Health Benefits: Help the body break down foods and increase absorption of nutrients.

For more information on Shakeology, please click here.

ATTENTION: Peanut Butter Lovers!!

I'm not kidding when I say that if I could marry an object or food item, it would definitely be this bad boy right here! PB2 is Powdered Peanut Butter. I know, it sounds kind of gross at first, but I'm tellin' you, if you just give it a chance, you too will feel as passionate about it as I do!

I love peanut butter so much anyway that I almost feel like it should be its own food group. Of course, the downfall is the high calorie content, high fat grams, and usually the added sugar. But no, no, my friends. Not with PB2. They roast the peanuts, then press them to remove the fat and oil. The result is this powdered goodness. Let me break it down for you...this is the part you're going to want to listen up:

Serving size: 2 Tbs
Calories: 45
Fat Calories: 13
Total Fat: 1.5 g
Sat. Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: <0.01 g
Cholest.: <0.01 mg
Sodium: 94 mg
Total Carb.: 5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 1 g
Protein: 5 g
Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, and Salt.
Oh yeah, and the label also felt it necessary to say that:
THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS PEANUT PROTEINS.
That part was kind of obvious to me, but whatev.

If you want to get your hands on this amazingness, check out Bell Plantation's site at

www.bellplantation.com

I'm drinking my Chocolate Shakeology with 1 Tbs. PB2 as we speak. I think you need to leave me alone now so that I can have some alone time with my PB2-rific Shakeology.

Leave me a comment if you've ever tried it or if my persuasive skills have convinced you to buy it. Which, if you do, by the way, just know that I don't make a penny from the company for raving so highly about them! That's all straight from the heart!

In-Laws

For some people (most people, I should say), having the in-laws visit is a horrible, dreaded, completely unpleasant time that only happens for holidays or special occasions. They stress about having things perfect order. The house needs to be clean, whether they're going to get along with them and they count down the minutes until they leave.
Luckily for me, this isn't the case.
I LOVE my in-laws! They visit every other month or so, and it's great. We get along, sometimes too much! My husband sometimes jokes that they like me better than they like him. My mother-in-law and I are very good friends, in fact, I consider her one of my best friends. My father-in-law is a laid-back, cool guy that is very easy to get along with. They come, they stay, and we have a great time. They're awesome with our son...he loves playing with them and hates when they leave.
The ONE thing I DON'T like about when they visit is all of my regularly schedule eating plans go right out the window. D'oh! I think that my MIL and I are bad for each other because when we get around one another, we want to bake and try different treats. And because they are visiting, it kind of feels like a vacation, so of course, you make excuses. Well, I do at least. It's kind of a bad combination. Oh yeah, and of course you go out to eat more when you have visitors, right? So far we've eaten out at a cajun place and a bakery.
I have no willpower!
Luckily, today is a new day. After eating a lot yesterday, AND the day before that, actually, I've decided I hate feeling like crap. And by the way, I DO feel like crap when I eat that way. So, today it's back to my Shakeology. I need a good scrub brush in my insides, to really clean the junk out, and that's what I feel like Shakeology does.
So yes, I guess I AM counting down the days until they leave, but ONLY because I need to get my eating back on track, and clearly I can't do that when they're here. You know, it's that no willpower thing that I'm lacking!

Why I Drink Shakeology

Shakeology is my new addiction. I normally think that "everything in moderation" is good advice, but seriously. I'm addicted!
If you've never tried Shakeology, you're probably asking yourself, "What's so great about it?" I know that's what you're thinking, because before I started drinking it, that's what I thought too!
Within the first week of drinking Shakeology, I noticed that I didn't crave junk food anymore, which was a HUGE deal for me! I'm always grabbing the quick snacks that I have for my son. Fruit snacks are my nemesis!!
I was having lots of energy, which is super important to me since I teach about 5 group fitness classes a week.
You know that bloated feeling you get when you eat too much or eat the wrong things? I wasn't getting that feeling at all during the days that I was drinking Shakeology.
Weight loss...HELLO! Yes! This will help you!
Some people have a problem pooping. (Yes, I just said that.) Shakeology helps improve regularity! That right there is a Godsend for some people!
Hang, on. I gotta get up on my high horse for a sec...okay, listen. This country is in a huge state of disaster when it comes to the obesity epidemic. I truly believe that. This fancy chocolate and green drink that I'm addicted to is a tool in changing that. So I'm kind of making it my goal to get the word out to as many people as I can about it's AWESOMENESS! So, consider yourself more knowledgeable now. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? I can send you a sample, just ask!

Shakeology

I don't necessarily love when people try to sell me on the latest and greatest candles, or jewelry, or scrapbooking stuff. I just want to preface with that. Also just know that if I didn't TOTALLY believe in something, I wouldn't be trying to talk it up to you right now.

Okay now, seriously, let's talk Shakeology. If you haven't heard about it or asked me about it, now's the time. 70 healthy ingredients all in one glass. Shakeology will help you lose weight, feel energized, improve digestion and regularity, lower cholesterol and um, hello! It tastes awesome too! Alright, alright, enough outta me. Ask me about it already, will ya?

www.myshakeology.com/amymusgrove