NUTRITION

Should Energy Drinks Be Regulated?

October 27, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 6 Comments

ESPN’s E:60 produced a piece on Energy Drinks being marketed to young athletes. The energy drink industry is a huge, booming business (7 BILLION, yes with a “b” according to Beverage Digest). that is mainly targeted towards young men. Are energy drink companies to blame when kids consume too many? What about the parents responsibility or will kids do drink them anyway? It’s an interesting video worth watching.

Jack Owoc of VPC on E:60

ESPN interviewed Jack Owoc, CEO of VPX Sports Nutrition for the segment. VPX makes the popular energy drink, REDLINE, for the piece. I agree with Jack when he shares, “If one is good five is better” when it comes to kids and energy drinks. The same could be said for many adults as well.

Jack goes on to say, “They should disallow energy drinks to be marketed to kids. Regulated also in the sense that you can’t sell to minors just like you can’t sell cigarettes. So let’s just lump energy drinks in with that and say you can’t sell energy drinks either to minors.” That’s an interesting comment and one I didn’t expect to hear from him. I’m not sure I agree with regulating energy drinks. In my opinion, it would only make kids want them more. You always want what you can’t have and kids would then turn to their older buddies to hook them up with energy drinks.

Where would the cut off age be… 18? 21? When is one deemed responsible enough to consume energy drinks?

I think the responsibility goes back to the makers of the energy drinks. They should be regulated from the amount of caffeine they put in each container. There have been several occasions where I’ve consumed an energy drink and felt cracked out. Did I read the label? No. More often than not there are more than one serving in each can/bottle. Is it the consumer’s responsibility to read the label and see the number of servings before drinking? Ya, sure but companies also know that most people won’t crack open a can and only drink 1/2 of it.

One look on bodybuilding.com’s Energy drink listing you can see a number of examples of this. Note the serving size and amount of servings per container. Some have 2 servings for a 2.5 ounce bottle!

The ESPN E:60 segment:

They are marketed as performance enhancers and used by young athletes before games and workouts, but just how safe are energy drinks? In a 7-month investigation, E:60 spoke to teenagers who have suffered everything from headaches to seizures and heart issues that require surgery.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.

Should there be age restrictions when buying Energy Drinks?

** Update - ESPN’s Tom Ferrey goes more in-depth with the story and gets more input from Jack Owoc.

Filed Under: Industry News, Supplements, Videos

VIDEO: 5 Minute Onion & Tomato Egg White Scramble

October 21, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Bodybuilding.com has a new video with nutritionist and best selling author Christine Avanti. She guides you through some of her favorite recipes to help burn fat and get that slim physique you’ve always wanted. In this video she takes you through her Onion & Tomato Egg White Scramble.

For the complete recipe on this 5 Minute Onion and Tomato Scramble, visit Bodybuilding.com.

Filed Under: Recipes

Mum mum mum mah Lady Gaga Tour Rider Includes Protein Bars & Muscle Milk

October 13, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 3 Comments

It seems Lady Gaga and her crew have a healthy side to them or at least it appears that way according to some of the items listed on her tour rider. ABCnew.com has a story about the demands and requests artist make while on tour.

Some of the items listed on Lady Gaga’s Tour Rider:
• Organic ginger and lemongrass tea
• Two bottles of white wine, ideally Kendall-Jackson or Robert Mondavi
• A small plate of non-sweaty and non-smelly cheese
• Organic peanut butter
• Organic salsa
• Organic tortilla chips
• Splenda (not sugar)
• Vegetarian hot dogs
• Non-fat Greek yogurt
• Protein bars
• Muscle Milk
• Two cases of water (not Dasani — no explanation why)

- abcnews.com

What do you think… will we soon be seeing Gaga’s fans (known as her little monsters) drinking Monster Milk?

Images: connect.in.com & Musclemilk.com

Filed Under: Misc, Supplements

What’s in Chicken? Check out Dr. Oz’s Chicken Decoder

October 12, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

Many of you are chicken eaters but do you know what’s in your chicken? When you go to the grocery store are you confused with what the labels say? I know I’ve been confused with some of the label verbiage. On a recent flight, I caught the Dr. Oz show and on it he discussed chickens and what the labels mean. I found this pretty helpful and insightful.

Dr. Oz decodes 4 popular, sometimes misleading, labels being applied to America’s chicken. Get the facts. Determine what’s necessary from what’s nonsense with Dr. Oz’s label decoder.

Organic - Considered the gold standard of labels, chickens marked organic are grown without antibiotics and while being raised, they must have access to the outdoors. It means they can’t be genetically modified, irradiated or cloned.

Raised Without Antibiotics – Although the USDA has banned the term “antibiotic-free,” the claim that an animal has been “raised without antibiotics” implies that it has not received any antibiotics during the course of its lifetime. Buyers beware: The USDA does not verify these claims. The labels are applied at the discretion of the manufacturer.

Free-Range - While this label conjures pastoral images of chickens happily pecking in green pastures, it only means that the animal has had access to an open area. The USDA allows this label to be placed on any poultry product that has had open-air access for a minimum of 5 minutes per day.

Hormone-Free – The USDA prohibits the use of hormones in raising chickens. This is an established regulation. This isn’t a selling point for a particular brand – it’s a reiteration that the USDA prohibits the use of all hormones in raising poultry.

- doctoroz.com

I found the “Free-Range” definition to be the most alarming. Organic chicken appears to be the healthiest choice and it will likely be the most expensive chicken as well.

Check out the videos and more information on doctoroz.com.

Filed Under: NUTRITION

Spice it Up & Lose Weight

October 11, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

We’re all looking for a way to keep the pounds off, especially during the holidays. Yahoo.com has a good article on five spices that can help you control your weight. The five spices are…

1. Cinnamon
2. Cayenne
3. Black Pepper
4. Mustard Seed
5. Ginger

Check out the article to find out the benefits.

Thanks to ProBodybuildingWeekly.com for the link.

Filed Under: NUTRITION

Bodybuilding.com Announces Official 2010 Supplement Awards Winners

October 4, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Congratulations to the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award winners. The nominations and awards are based on customer votes. Check out which brands took home top honors this year.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bodybuilding.com Announces Official 2010 Supplement Awards Winners

Boise, ID – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, announced the 6th Annual 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards winners live at Joe Weider’s Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada September 24, 2010. The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards are the industry standard for recognition of the best products and brands in the fitness and supplement industry.

“This was one of my favorite years for the Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards,” said Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca. “It was fun to see how many new products and companies ended up winning an award. There were so many close calls; we didn’t know who would take home the prize until the very end!”

All nominations were based on sales, and since customers’ opinions are what truly count, Bodybuilding.com lets the general public provide 100% of the final vote. With over 315,000 votes pouring in, the results are finally here!

The 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards winners are:
Brand of the Year – Optimum
Supplement of the Year – Optimum 100% Whey Protein (6th year in a row!)
Breakout Brand (most improved) of the Year – USPLabs
New Supplement of the Year – Optimum Platinum Hydrowhey
New Brand of the Year – Cellucor
Muscle Builder of the Year – Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump250
Pre-Workout Supplement of the Year – USPlabs Jack3d
Intra-Workout Supplement of the Year – Gaspari Nutrition SizeOn Maximum Performance
Recovery Supplement of the Year – Scivation Xtend (2nd year in a row!)
Protein Powder of the Year – Optimum 100% Whey Protein (6th year in a row!)
Protein Bar of the Year – Supreme Carb Conscious Bar (2nd year in a row!)
Energy Supplement of the Year – USPlabs Jack3d
Energy Drink of the Year – VPX RedLine RTD (2nd year in a row!)
Fat Loss Supplement of the Year – USPlabs OxyELITE Pro
Weight Gainer of the Year – BSN True Mass (4th year in a row!)
Nitric Oxide Supplement of the Year – BSN NO-Xplode (6th year in a row!)
Creatine Supplement of the Year – Gaspari Nutrition SizeOn Maximum Performance
Glutamine Supplement of the Year – Optimum Glutamine 1000 Caps
Multivitamin of the Year – Universal Nutrition Animal Pak (6th year in a row!)
Joint Health Supplement of the Year – Universal Nutrition Animal Flex (5th year in a row!)
RTD of the Year – BSN Syntha-6 RTD
Tanning Product of the Year – Dream Tan’s Dream Tan (2nd year in a row!)
Packaging of the Year – BSN (2nd year in a row!)
Ad Campaign of the Year – Animal via Universal Nutrition

The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards provide an innovative way to help customers find truly exceptional products and brands, while helping to recognize the efforts of the many great companies that make up the industry.

For more information visit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2010-supplement-award-winners.htm

Bodybuilding.com offers more than 12,000 health and fitness supplements & accessories to help people achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals, as well as over 25,000 pages of FREE bodybuilding & fitness information, including more than 12,000 articles (written by 525+ writers), video & audio segments, and new content added daily.

Filed Under: NEWS, Supplements

High Fructose Corn Syrup Wants to Be Corn Sugar

September 14, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

The makers of high fructose corn syrup feel that the product has been getting a bad rap lately. So what do they want to do about it? Change the name to corn sugar. Pretty sweet, right? Meh. Not so much. It is still the same product but the makers are out to market it in a new manner. They’re thinking is “sugar is sugar”. Meaning your body can’t tell the difference between can sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Who’s behind the renaming movement? It’s pretty obvious the corn industry is but in this case it’s the Corn Refiners Association.

The answer? Cut back on the sugar of any kind. USA TODAY has an article about the name chance that’s worth reading.

Filed Under: NUTRITION

Jamie Eason’s Orange Almond Biscotti Cookies

September 5, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 5 Comments

Jamie Eason was recently in the Bodybuilding.com kitchen to share some of her favorite clean recipes to help get you lean. This time Jamie shares her recipe for Orange Almond Biscotti Cookies.

Orange Almond Biscotti Cookies.

Per Cookie:
Calories: 31
Carbs: 4 grams
Fat: .4 grams
Protein: 1.5 grams

Ingredients:
* 2 cups Oat Flour
* 1 cup Splenda
* 1 tsp Baking Powder
* 1 tbsp Orange Extract
* ¼ tsp Salt
* ½ tbsp Almond Extract
* 4 Egg Whites
* 4oz baby food Applesauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients (oat flour, baking powder, salt) together in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, Splenda, almond extract, orange extract, baby food applesauce) together in a medium bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Spray baking sheet with a non stick butter spray and spread mixture on sheet.
6. Bake for 20 min on middle rack.
7. Remove biscotti from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
8. Cut dough down the middle and cut into about 13 slices.
9. Bake in oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 26 cookies.

Source: Bodybuilding.com

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, NUTRITION, Recipes

G’s Tip of the Week: Quench Your Thirst

September 3, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

IFBB Figure Pro Gina Aliotti has a helpful tip to keep in mind. I’ve heard a few people put cucumber in their water. Any Hardbody peeps like that?

gtip

We so often confuse thirst with hunger. Rather than turning to food, if it is not your meal time, opt for water and see if dehydration was the issue. Give yourself at least 15 minutes, after you hydrate, and if you are still hungry, then go for one of your clean healthy snack options. If you need a little extra flavor in your water, simply drop a few slices of cucumber, apple, lemon or even a handful of frozen berries to your water, for that little bit of extra flavor! Dehydration could be what is making you hungry. Drink before you eat and see how you feel.

Gina Aliotti-Silva
Nutrition, Fitness & Lifestyle Consultant
www.ginaaliotti.com
www.gfitactivewear.com

Filed Under: Competition Nutrition, Gina Aliotti's G's tip of the week

The Diet Detective: Butter Me Up

August 25, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

The Diet Doctor has a great tip about butter and ordering from a restaurant. Check it out.

Butter Me Up
Even if something isn’t doused in oil, you still may not be calorie-safe–it can have added butter or cream. Toasted buns are often covered in butter; even steaks have butter drizzled on them before they’re sent out. “And restaurants always finish sauces with butter or cream–even if the words butter or cream aren’t in the sauce’s name. For example, a white wine sauce is always finished with butter,” says Cooking Light’s Strynkowski.

Healthy tip: Be suspicious, be inquisitive, and make sure to get a straight answer from the server (who should ask the chef). Always invoke the “allergic reaction” or “medical condition” excuses to be on the safe side.

- Tip by Charles Stuart Platkin on active.com.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, NUTRITION

The Diet Doctor: Restaurant Oil Slick

August 24, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Here’s a great tip and insight on ordering at a restaurant in regards to oil.

Oil Slick
There’s oil on almost every restaurant dish, and while some oils (e.g., canola, olive) are healthier than others, they all have approximately 120 calories per tablespoon. So you may go to the trouble of ordering an egg-white omelet, believing you’re making a “healthy” choice, but it could be doused in oil.

Or you might order grilled or steamed vegetables, but they may have been marinating in oil for hours, if not all day. It’s difficult to get grilled or steamed veggies without oil, because they must be made to order–and that takes a lot of time in a busy kitchen. And certain vegetables are worse than others. “Eggplant, for example, absorbs a lot of oil–just poke it around in your dish, and see what comes out,” says Greely.

There’s oil in other “healthy” foods as well. Because fat and oil help preserve cooked food, busy restaurants usually partially cook poultry/fish and then coat it in butter/oil until it’s ready to be finished, says Billy Strynkowski, executive chef of Cooking Light magazine. “Even if you order your chicken ‘dry’ with the sauce on the side, poultry is always pan-fried in oil or clarified butter.”

Pasta, potatoes and rice, again, are often partially cooked and filmed with some type of fat so they stay fresh and don’t clump together, adds Juventino Avila, chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Oh, and if you think that having simple rice and beans at your favorite Mexican restaurant is healthy, think again–the rice is fried, then steamed.

Healthy tip: Be aware of where you’re eating. Restaurants typically want to please their patrons; however, most of the time, unless the restaurant promotes itself as healthy, it just doesn’t have the equipment, materials, time or utensils to do it right, offers Avila.

Almost all the chefs agree: If you want it cooked a certain way, make sure to tell your server that you have an allergy (to butter, or whatever it is you want eliminated). This usually encourages the chef to make up a new batch of veggies, chicken, etc., without those added calories. Avila recommends calling the restaurant in advance and making sure it can provide the food exactly the way you want it prepared.

- Tip by Charles Stuart Platkin on active.com.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, NUTRITION

The Diet Detective: You’ve Been Grilled

August 23, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Not all grills are created equal. Say WHAT? Yup, just because you order something grilled at a restaurant doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Check out this great tip about grilling and ordering grilled food.

You’ve Been Grilled
That’s right, even the grill isn’t sacred. I don’t know how many times I’ve recommended that people order their food grilled. But according to food-safety expert Jeff Nelken, “Often times breakfast cooks save the bacon fat and use it on the grill to make lunch and dinner foods.” Also, the grill itself may not be what you think it is.

When we order foods grilled, most of us assume they’ll be cooked on an open flame, but many times it’s a flat-top grill, where some type of grease or oil is necessary to create an even cooking surface, increase the cooking speed and prevent the food from sticking.

Many restaurants will call a food “flame grilled” on the menu, but even so, the food or the grill may have been brushed with oil to prevent sticking. Even “grilled” fish/seafood is always brushed with some type of oil, says John Greely, chef at the famed 21 Club in New York City.

Healthy tip: Ask if they’re using a flat-top grill or a flame grill. If it’s flat-top, request your food grilled in a pan with cooking spray instead of oil. Nelken suggests telling the server you “just returned from the hospital and need the food prepared according to doctor’s instruction.”

Another option is frequenting restaurants where you can see the food being cooked in an open kitchen, says, Kimberly Johnson, R.D., a chef and instructor in the Nutrition and Hospitality Management Department at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY.

- Tip by Charles Stuart Platkin on active.com.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, NUTRITION

Enter to Win a Chance to Train with Jen Hendershott

August 16, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

PGN Nutrition & Bodybuilding.com Present: The 2010 Phitness Retreat Competition.

PGN and Bodybuilding.com team up to offer you a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to train with 2x Ms. Fitness International and 2x Ms. Olympia Jen Hendershott!

The grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to Burlington, NC to take part in Jen’s world-renown Phitness Retreat including registration fee, airfare, and a 2-night hotel stay. Two runners-up will win:

• 1st Place: $1,000 worth of PGN supplements
• 2nd Place: $500 worth of PGN supplements

– Click here for more information and entry form.

Filed Under: Misc, Supplements

Dennis Wolf Appearance at Supplement Giant

July 9, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

Team BSN athlete & IFBB Pro bodybuilder will be appearing tomorrow (July 10th) at the Supplement Giant in Lakewood, Colorado. Stop by and get a free autograph from 10am-5pm. The store will also be giving out free supplements, t-shirts and samples all day. Check out the latest from BSN, Dymatize, VPX, Muscle Fortress, Axis Labs, MAN Sports, iSatori, Epic Performance & More.

If you stop by the store look for the tallest guy in the room wearing a BSN shirt and tell him HARDBODY sent ya. He’ll have a special prize for you.

The store is located at:
7134 W Alaska Drive
Lakewood, CO 80226

Filed Under: Supplements

VPX Prevails Over Red Bull in France

June 30, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

Popular energy drink, Red Bull tried to be the ca-bosh on VPX’s energy drink, Redline from coming into France. Aside from the word “red” I have to side with VPX on this one.

WESTON, FLORIDA JUNE 25, 2010 – Dietary and nutritional supplement company Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc., d/b/a VPX/Redline of Weston, Florida, announces today that it prevailed against Red Bull GmbH Societe De Droit, Austria (“Red Bull”) in a French Trademark Opposition Proceedings for Redline Trademark. Red Bull brought the Opposition Proceedings in France against the VPX/Redline trademark application on or about March 15, 2010 in the European Union Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs (“OHIM”) citing to dilution and likelihood of confusion.

While Red Bull has been successful with opposition proceedings in other countries, the French Trademark Office has rejected Red Bull’s contention that there was a risk of confusion between the Red Bull and Redline trademarks, stating that there was no likelihood of visual and/or intellectual signs of confusion in France. The news of this legal victory comes on the heel of future plans by VPX/Redline to offer its Redline in other geographical regions. The freedom to conduct business in France gives greater position to the Redline brand in the market.

Source: BevNET.com

Filed Under: Supplements

JulieAnn Kulla Signs with GENr8

June 15, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 2 Comments

Two years ago JulieAnn Kulla left Chicago with not only a class win but also the overall NPC JR. Nationals Figure Overall title. She went on to place second in her pro debut and ventured to the Figure Olympia shortly there after. After some time off she’s back and kicking things off with a bang by signing with supplement company GENr8.

julieannkulla
Photo courtesy of J.M. Manion.

JulieAnn’s management has released the following press release regarding her signing.

FMG PRESS RELEASE
June 15, 2010 – Top IFBB Pro Figure competitor JulieAnn Kulla is now a part of the GENr8 supplement company as she has signed an endorsement contract with them.

JulieAnn says, “I am honored and beyond blessed to be a part of Genr8! Anthony Almada and the team have been so supportive and we’re all ready for a great year ahead. I respect GENr8‘s approach to evidence-based nutrition products, one’s I rely on and use daily! Thank you All!”

JulieAnn’s contract represents the 7th major supplement company endorsement contract that FMG has secured for its athlete’s in 2010.

JulieAnn’s next competition will be the 2010 IFBB Europa Battle Of Champions Pro Figure.

To contact JulieAnn Kulla for appearances, interviews or photo shoots, please contact FMG via e-mail at fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net or on Facebook.

Filed Under: Supplements

Consumer Reports Magazine Takes Aim at Protein Drinks

June 12, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 15 Comments

The supplement industry is big business. According to Consumer Reports magazine sports-nutrition sales are at $2.7 billion. That’s BILLION. The July issue of Consumer Reports Magazine investigates 15 different protein drinks and their findings are misleading. They claim, “Some protein drinks can even pose health risks, including exposure to potentially harmful heavy metals, if consumed frequently. All drinks in our tests had at least one sample containing one or more of the following contaminants: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Those metals can have toxic effects on several organs in the body.”

You read that and you think holy crap I shouldn’t drink protein drinks. Well, not so fast. Cytosport, the maker of Muscle Milk, conducted their own third party tests and dispelled the magazine’s findings. Read their full report here.

One of the leading lawyers in the supplement industry, Rick Collins also comments about the report on his web site. Once you read these two articles you can see how results and stories can be skewed to fit the publisher’s agenda.

Optimum Nutrition responded to the findings as well. Check out their take on the story here.

Props to Cytosport & Optimum for meeting the report head on. I’d like to see other supplement companies step up and combat stories like this when they are published. Hiding and not addressing the issue only helps fuel the agenda of others against the sport-supplement industry.

Filed Under: Industry News, Supplements

Free Shipping on Domestic U.S. Orders

May 23, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Hurry! This promotion won’t last much longer. Bodybuilding.com is offering FREE shipping on Domestic U.S. Orders of $99 or more. This is your chance to replenish your supplements and save a bundle on shipping. Promotion ends on May 26, 2010.

Filed Under: Supplements

MET-Rx Supports Hardbody

April 30, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Welcome our newest hardbody supporter… MET-Rx! MET-Rx is one of the most established companies in the fitness industry and has a number of quality products. I attend countless NPC/IFBB events and while sitting in the press pit you don’t have the luxury of taking a break. Thankfully people like Teresa Hartle and Grace Grimes always hook me up with a shake and a few bars to help me get through the day. I take their vitamin pak, use their RTDs and their protein pancakes are AWESOME.

We’ll be doing some cool stuff with MET-Rx in coming weeks so check back to see what’s crack’n there. Follow MET-Rx on Twitter. twitter.com/official_metrx and visit their web sit at www.metrx.com.

Thanks MET-Rx!

Filed Under: Misc, Supplements

G’s Tip of the Week – Super Grain Recipe

April 21, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

gtip

Are you getting sick of the same old complex carbs day in and day out (oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, yams)? Why don’t you give this “Super Grain” from the Andes, Quinoa (keen-wa) a try! Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2% compared to 7.5% in rice. It also contains a balanced set of essential amino acids making it a complete protein! To top it off it is light, tasty, simple to prepare and extremely versatile! Change this up and give this amazing Super Grain a try!

G’s SUPER QUINOA PILAF
6 cups quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup green onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup almonds, sliced
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, diced
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 c. diced mushrooms

Saute chopped vegetables in olive oil until cooked. stir in oregano. Add sauteed vegetables to cooked, hot quinoa, mixing well. Dry-roast almonds in heavy skillet until lightly golden. Add almonds and mix.

**Add as a side to your favorite lean protein and enjoy!
** My favorite is to cook the quinoa in low sodium chicken broth instead of water, for added flavor!

ENJOY!

Gina Aliotti-Silva

Filed Under: Gina Aliotti's G's tip of the week, Recipes

Supplement Review: Gaspari Nutrition MyoFusion

April 8, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 8 Comments

I’m on the go all the time and it’s a constant challenge to get meals in and healthy ones at that. While I try to get whole foods in for most of my meals I rely on shakes to keep my stomach from going ballistic. I’ve been told countless times, by nearly every supplement company that they have the best tasting product. Shocking, right? That’s to be expected from any good representative of a company but is it always the truth? Nearly every weekend (from March to November) I’m at a bodybuilding/fitness competition and I sample a number of products at these events. Many are good, some are pretty crappy but few are great.

When I was told that Gaspari Nutrition’s MyoFusion was one of the best tasting shakes, I thought here we go again. I recently tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor and was pleasantly surprised. When it comes to making shakes, I prefer to use a blender but that’s not always available. Some protein powders end up clumpy and don’t mix well when in a shaker bottle but that’s not the case here. The MyoFusion mixed well in a shaker bottle and the blender. My preferred method of use… 10oz of water, 2 scoops of protein, 12 ice cubes and blend for 2 minutes. It blends perfectly and more importantly tastes great. Another thing I noted is that if you let it sit for a few minutes you won’t see anything sink to the bottom. Many protein shakes will settle and when you get to the bottom of the cup you’ll wonder what the hell you’re looking at.

Gaspari’s MyoFusion gets the Hardbody Seal of Approval.

Note: I was not paid to endorse or review this product. If you’re looking for a honest review and have a product you think would get the Hardbody Seal of Approval, drop me a note. If your product sucks you might want to rethink contacting me. My goal is to let the thousands of daily readers of hardbody.com know what products are great, which are pretty good and which fail to hit the mark.

Filed Under: Supplements

Muscle & Fitness Hers: Give New Life to Your Egg Whites

March 19, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Muscle & Fitness Hers has a fresh redesign to their web site and some great new content as well. Get crack’n this morning with a few tips on how to liven up your egg whites.

Egg whites are a fit female’s easy protein source – two can be cooked in the microwave in two minutes. By themselves, though, they can be pretty plain and flavorless. Use these tips to liven up these protein powerhouses. Each suggestion uses two egg whites.

• Mix the whites into oatmeal or Cream of Wheat. Add cinnamon and Splenda for more flavor.

• Place eggs in a small corn tortilla, top with 1 ounce low-fat shredded cheese and 1⁄3 cup of your favorite salsa.

Check out all the tips here!

Filed Under: Cooking Tips

Sonya Signs with ISS Research

March 17, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

Congratulations to IFBB Bikini Pro Sonya Vecchiarelli on joining the ISS Research team. Sonya achieved IFBB pro status in the bikini division at the 2009 NPC Jr. Nationals. You might recall seeing her on this site a few times over the years, if not click here to see past Sonya news.

Sonya featured on ISS web site.
Photo By: Isaac Hinds / LIFTstudios.com

Sonya began working with ISS Research at the 2009 Mr. Olympia contest and has since shown she’s a fit for the company. A perfect example of doing a good job while working at an expo can turn into bigger things for all parties involved.

When I spoke with Andrea Wilson from ISS Research on why they signed Sonya she shared, “Sonya is a vibrant and fit woman whose fresh look and outgoing attitude exemplifies ISS Research and the OhYeah! Nutrition product line. We look forward to Sonya representing ISS and OhYeah! as she makes her IFBB bikini pro debut in 2010 and experiences continued success in the fitness industry.”

How’s the Colorado bikini pro feel about being part of the team? Sonya enthusiastically said, “ISS not only has effective, delicious and top of the line products, but their vision and commitment to creating a long term impact on the standards of sports nutrition is excellent as well. They truly care about their consumer’s needs and wants. Not to mention, they are the coolest crew!!! I am very honored, blessed and excited to be part of such an outstanding team and company!”

She will be representing the company at various trade shows and expos throughout the year.

Sonya’s tentative event schedule is:
• Bodybuilding.com Expo – May 8th in Boise, ID
• NPC Jr. Nationals – June 18-19 in Chicago, IL
• Europa Super Show – August 13-14 in Dallas, TX
• Mr. Olympia – September 24-25 in Las Vegas, NV

About ISS Research
As much as it is in our power, ISS will bring to market the cleanest, purest, and most effective sports nutrition products. We utilize only the highest-quality raw materials from suppliers who meet our standards of integrity. Even though this raises our costs, we keep our products affordable, and hope that the rest of the industry will follow. As science advances so will our formulas. The company is committed to creating long-term impact on the standards of sports nutrition, and will continue to stand behind this customer commitment. We look forward to the day when all manufacturers will adopt the same standards we do, and no matter which products you purchase, no matter from whom, you will know that you are taking clean, effective, and safe supplements.

Visit http://www.issresearch.com for more information on the company and their complete product line.

Filed Under: Supplements

Spring Break It Down (and pump’n our fists) with MuscleMilk

March 12, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

This is hilarious! The folks at Muscle Milk are doing it once again and this time it’s a rap with manatees and spring breakers. Their Sexy Pilgrim video went viral and gained a great deal of attention, will the Spring Break It Down do the same?

I love it.

Check out springbreakitdown.com to download a coupon and a MP3 of the song.

Filed Under: Misc, Supplements

Optimum Nutrition Representing at the Arnold

March 4, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Bob Corbett has assembled quite the crew for the Optimum Nutrition booth at this year’s Arnold Classic. Check out who will be at their booth this weekend for the Arnold Expo.

Charles Glass
George Farah
Jeff Long
John Hansen
Jessica Paxson Putnam
Hazal Nelson
Alicia Harris (when not competing)
Tera Sheehan
Cristina Vujnich
Tiffany Upshaw
Mercedes Perez
Jen Turnbull
Sean Royer
Tim Rice
Tobias Young
Jason Powell
Jim Collins
Sean Allan
Daniel Stevens
Jessica Lawrence – IFBB Bikini Pro
Misty Hendricks – Model
Heidi Rhodes – Model
Jacqueline Voss – Model
Danielle Leake – Model
Nikki Macik – Model
Jaquelyn Roberts will be representing Optimum at the Bodybuilding.com booth since she won the bodyspace model search.

Filed Under: Arnold Classic, Supplements

Meriza DeGuzman Checks In

March 3, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

IFBB Figure Pro Meriza DeGuzman is having a busy but productive start to her new year. She tells me she’ll be co-emceeing the NPC San Diego Championships on March 20th and has been training a number of amateur NPC competitors recently. She’ll be plenty busy planning her wedding in the coming months as well. Meriza and boyfriend Pete will exchange wedding vows on December 11, 2010 in San Diego. Those of you attending the Arnold can stop by the MANSPORTS booth and meet Meriza.The company has re-signed Meriza for another year of sponsorship and will be launching a new product for women called “Figure Fuel”.

figurefuel

Apparently using “strong” and “sexy” in women’s ads is a growing trend in the supplement biz. This ad’s headline reads, “STRONG IS SEXY” while the MusclePharm ad recently launched reads, “Strong is the new Sexy”. I’ll be curious to see how Figure Fuel does on the market as you wouldn’t expect a company named “MAN Sports” to put out a female product.

Filed Under: Ad Watch, Supplements

Arnold Supplement Specials

March 2, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

Check out these killer deals on Bodybuilding.com. Loads of Arnold specials on a variety of supplements.

Filed Under: Arnold Classic, Supplements

Press Release: BodyWell Nutrition Announces TC Essentials

March 2, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 1 Comment

Press Release
BodyWell Nutrition is happy to announce the addition of its new product line “TC Essentials.” This new line was designed for today’s active woman, and focused on life style, health and wellness.

“We looked hard to determine what products the active woman really wants and needs today” claimed Kristal Richardson, fitness professional and model now head of the new line, “I would like to thank the members of Team TightCurves for their help in filling out our endless surveys and for answering all our calls. Their contribution proved to be a key factor in determining which products to launch, and even in some of the formulations.”

The BodyWell management team met with some of the leading product designers in the industry to “nail” the formulas.   “We are confident that our new products will soon be seen in the market as leaders in quality and value” expressed Tom Richardson, BodyWell’s CEO.

The first phase of the launch will include products to address:
•   Hair skin and nails health and beauty
•   Water and bloat management
•   Sleep issues
•   Weight management
•   Digestion enzymes and probiotics

These products will be on the shelves by the end of March 2010.

The details of phase II have include anti-aging, cleansing, vitamin and nutrient packs and many other exciting life style, health and wellness products. BodyWell is also considering a future consolidation of all its women lines including those currently under “TightCurves” under the “TC Essentials” name.

Stay tuned! And look for the new products!

Filed Under: Supplements

Press Release: Nutrabolics Signs IFBB Figure Pro Natalie Waples

March 1, 2010 By Isaac Hinds 2 Comments

PRESS RELEASE:

Nutrabolics® is proud to announce the newest member of Team Nutrabolics®; IFBB Figure Pro, Natalie Waples.

Natalie received her IFBB Pro card at the 2008 IFBB North American Figure Championships, where she won her Height Class and was one of two Overall IFBB Pro Card Winners. Natalie is Canada’s most active IFBB Figure pro, and has her sights set on qualifying for this year’s Figure Olympia and the 2011 Arnold Figure International, where she would represent Canada and Team Nutrabolics® on the world stage.

“I am very excited to be making my debut as an official member of the Nutrabolics’ team at the upcoming Arnold Sports Festival,” says Waples. “As an IFBB Figure Professional who relies on cutting edge supplementation for performance, Nutrabolics is the perfect choice for complementing my nutritional and training requirements. I look forward to promoting the Nutrabolics product line and highlighting the great supplements available for fitness-minded women at any level.”

Natalie’s favorite Nutrabolics® supplements include Vitabolic, HemoDrene for Her, Isobolic Cinnamon Oatmeal, and Hemorush.

“Natalie Waples is one of the most recognized fitness icons in Canada and we are very excited to add her to the Team Nutrabolics roster,” said Rodney Dupont, CEO of Nutrabolics®. “Natalie has a great personality and is hard working, dedicated, and driven to succeed — she embodies everything that we believe in at Nutrabolics and we look forward to supporting her as she climbs up the IFBB ranks.”

Natalie will be making appearances across the globe to promote the Nutrabolics® brand of leading-edge supplements. The first stop is the 2010 Arnold Classic Fitness Expo in Columbus, Ohio.

Nutrabolics® Inc., based in British Columbia, Canada, is a leading worldwide manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of premium sports nutrition products.

Filed Under: Supplements

Get an Energy Boost

March 1, 2010 By Isaac Hinds Leave a Comment

This weekend will be non-stop action in Columbus and admittedly I’ll be jacked up on energy drinks. There are a variety of energy drinks available today and Bodybuilding.com is running a special on many of them. LOVE IT! Just in time for the Arnold madness!