March 30, 2009 By 9 Comments

Better Whey Of Life

So a few weeks ago I get an interesting email from a weekly reader. The subject was titled A Better Whey of Life. I was intrigued so I opened it and read accordingly. The content was a basic, short request that I try a new yogurt product that is being launched across the USA. I of course responded asking for more information on how I could get my hands on the product to try out for myself.

The next week I had some delivered free of charge to my place of residence in a nifty little tightly packed cooler with three tubs of this new yogurt. Before I get into my review on the product, here are some quick facts. It comes in 5 flavors: Strawberry Banana, Plain, Acai Mixed Berry, Peach Mango and French Vanilla. The product comes in 6 ounce cups and contains:

  • 15-17 grams of whey protein – no other yogurt has this amount of protein per serving.
  • Only 17-23 grams of carbohydrates – easier to fit into a lower calorie diet.
  • Probiotics - don’t you love knowing they are living inside of you!
  • 3 grams of prebiotic fiber – keeps your pipes clean.
  • Made with nonfat milk and no added growth hormones.

So now that we know about all the good stuff this protein packed yogurt contains, we must ask the dreaded question: how does it taste?


When I met the FedEx lady at the door, I smiled devilishly, got her number and then ripped open my package of goodies as a kid does on Christmas morning. Since I was in the middle of making a shake I opened all three of the containers to have a quick sample before I dumped them all in the blender. I was given the French Vanilla, Peach Mango and Strawberry Banana. Each one had a distinct and unique flavor but the Strawberry Banana was my favorite out of all three. They were not overly sweet as I had expected them to be. This was not a bad thing as I am a big fan of greek yogurt that tends to have a bit of a bittersweet and almost sour taste. Tula Foods Inc. is based out of Chicago and is working very hard at getting the yogurt into many stores nationwide. They have product in most Whole Foods throughout the country and are attending many food conventions/exhibits to expand into other regions and supermarkets. The only complaint I have about Better Whey of Life is that it’s not available in my local Whole Foods just yet. If you have a chance to pick some up locally, I highly recommend trying it out. Its a great tasting treat and I hope the company does very well with the launch.

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March 23, 2009 By 17 Comments

To Resemble A Goddess

Photo Credit: Curt Fuehr

Model: Jen Turnbull

To begin, this is my review on a popular fitness book: The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler with Cassandra Forsythe and workouts provided by Alwyn Cosgrove.  I am a fan of Lou Schuler and really love his writing in general whether or not if its about fitness. The book is chock full of good information, and I cannot recommend it enough. I picked it up as a reference for helping women who are interested in strength training and I wanted to have a source I could point them to for further study. I have always believed that women should train like their counterparts so I believe this book is a must read for all women interested in the fitness and strength training lifestyle. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Female Fitness, Popular, Reviews Tagged With: ,
February 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The Atkins Diet: A Low Carb Approach

Creative Commons License photo credit: ulfklose 

The “Lots of bacon, eggs and sausage” Diet

Dr. Robert Atkins

The Atkins diet is a very well known dieting approach developed by Dr. Robert Atkins. He developed this approach to solve his own issues with being overweight once he graduated from his medical studies. He revealed his concepts in his first book, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution in 1972. While the diet has been revised over time, the original concepts remain intact.

This diet has definitely stood the test of time as over 35 years later, people are still turning to it for fast effective weight loss. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: ,
January 19, 2009 By 4 Comments

The Ketogenic Diet: Part 3 Targeted Ketogenic Diet

Creative Commons License photo credit: ogimogi

Part One and Part Two

What is a Targeted Ketogenic Diet?

The only difference between a targeted ketogenic diet and a standard ketogenic diet is that a minimal amount of carbs are allowed around workouts. This diet approach is very practical for those who perform intense weight workouts. These particular individuals will benefit greatly from the extra energy provided by carbs to fuel their workouts during the week. A targeted ketogenic diet is also a viable approach for diabetics and those who are insulin resistant.

In short, depending on the duration of the workout, one should aim for about 25-50g of carbohydrates prior to working out; this amount of carb energy should be sufficient to fuel a 30-60 minute moderate volume weight training session. Another viable option would be to have a small carbohydrate meal an hour pre workout and sip on gatorade throughout the training session.

Not only is this a great approach for fat loss, a targeted ketogenic diet is a great way to maintain for those who have insulin sensitivity issues.

Weekly Targeted Ketogenic Setup

For my example, I will again use a 200lb male who maintains on about 3000 calories per day. His protein set at 300g and he is aiming for 1 pound of fat loss per week. So his daily caloric intake will be 2500 calories which gives him a 500 calorie daily deficit. The exception to this diet is that he will be now consuming a small amount of carbs on training days, and his calories on rest days will be composed of protein and fats like on a standard ketogenic diet.

Rest Days (2500 calories)

300g protein

144g fat

Training Days (2500 calories)

300g protein

50g carbs (prior to workout)

122g fat

My Thoughts

This approach is extremely beneficial for those who like to engage in intense training sessions, but who also have insulin sensitivity issues. The diet is also beneficial to those who have insulin issues as an effect of being overweight. For those particular individuals, as they lose weight, their insulin sensitivity will improve.  As they progress, they should be able to increase their carbohydrate intake significantly. And like I mentioned in my first ketogenic article, I recommend taking a fiber supplement or eating a decent amount of fibrous green veggies daily to promote regularity.

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: , ,
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