Not too long ago Tobacco companies were using cartoon characters to influence
children into thinking smoking was cool. They got in a lot of trouble for that,
eventually.

Fast food companies partner with Hollywood and have all sorts of action figures from
popular movies at their restaurants.

And corporations do the same to sell all kinds of thing – including vitamins – for
children.

Have you ever taken a good look at the labels of the leading brands of kid’s vitamins?

On there you’ll find:

Aspartame, which is a VERY controversial artificial sweetener.

DiCalcium Phosphate, which is used in the “feed” that poultry eats.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, which NOBODY needs to be ingesting.

And all sorts of artificial colors.

Does that look NUTRITIOUS to you???

Ok, I know what you’re thinking:

“Yeah, that’s great. But what other choice do I have? If it doesn’t TASTE good,
my kid’s not going to take it.”

Well, we may just have the answer to your prayers. But your child’s taste buds are
going to have to decide. As a proud Prograde Partner we’re THRILLED to let you know
they have just released an all-natural children’s vitamin. And they’ve gone to great
lengths to taste test it with kids.

But again, your child will have to decide if it tastes good or not. So that’s why
you can try Prograde Essentials for Kids for FREE! (Yes, there is a small S & H
fee)

Just go to this link right now and discover how Prograde Essentials for Kids
delivers the nutrition your child needs and deserves.

Prograde Essentials for Kids –> http://bit.ly/5ZPFGg

Yours in health,

Rommel Acda, CSCS and Belton Lubas, NASM-CPT
Your Element 5 Fitness Coaches

PS – Again, we understand, and so does Prograde, that your child MUST love the taste
of their new chewable vitamin for kids. That’s why you can try it for FREE.

Prograde Essentials for Kids –> http://bit.ly/5ZPFGg

In the quest to burn fat, build muscle and attain a flat belly right in time to show it off at the park or beach this summer there are many obstacles and challenges that will get in the way.  Getting to the gym has become much easier than eating right.

This is where a good protein shake comes in handy.

There are so many options available now that it makes it even more confusing.  However, knowing what to look for will make this process a convenient “no brainer”.

What To Look For

First look for a brand of whey protein powder that is 100% All Natural.  It should state “no artificial sweeteners”, “no artificial flavors”, “hormon free”, “antiobiotic free”, and “BSE free”.  On the ingredient list you’ll ideally want to have 10 ingredients or less on the label.  Depending on the brand they may have a combination of whey protein sources, and that’s ok.  The flavor protein powder you choose will depend on which recipes below seem tasty to you.  For more variability it’s usually easier to go with vanilla.

Shake It Up

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

Mix one serving of chocolate protein powder according to directions with a heaping tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter and half of a banana.  Blend it with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness.

Banana Split

Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to directions with half a banana, half cup of chopped pineapples, and four frozen strawberries.  Blend it with
crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness.

Cookies and Cream

Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to directions with four to six drops of peppermint extract.  Blend with ice for about 30-45 seconds, then add about four low-fat all-natural chocolate wafers, and blend at a slow speed for an additional 10-15 seconds.

Cinnamon Roll

Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to
directions with half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  extract.  Blend with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness.  This one is especially good with skim milk, soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk.

PB & J

Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to
directions with a heaping tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter and four to six frozen strawberries (or any berry of choice). Blend
with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of
thickness.

Post-Workout Power Juice

Blend six to eight ounces of all-natural orange juice with one serving of vanilla protein powder, half a banana, half cup of plain yogurt, and ice cubes to your liking.

So these are just a few easy protein shakes to get started.  Add more or less fruit or other ingredients to suit your taste buds.  If you opt for milk as your fluid of choice try to stick with skim milk, low fat soy, rice, & almond milk, or non-fat to low-fat plain yogurt.  Keep the juices for ONLY post-workout shakes, but try to keep it between six to eight ounces (gotta still watch out for the excess sugars).

Are you already a protein shake aficionado?  Share your recipes in the comments section.

PS – These are my brand recommendations,

MRM 100% All Natural Whey (Vanilla or Chocolate) – for protein only, and can be found in most local health food stores

Prograde Lean – for a full meal replacement shake

Prograde Workout – for pre or post workout only (has been university tested and featured in Men’s Health)

This will be a quick post.  Just wanted to share with you examples of a high-carb/high-protein post-workout meal and a high-protein/high-fat breakfast meal on my non-workout days.  The first two meal pics were taken last Friday morning after my workout.  This was breakfast at Gilbert’s on Main Street in Old Bellevue.  I had a spinach and havarti cheese omelette with baby red potatoes, a blueberry bagel, a glass of all-natural Odwalla OJ, and a glass of water.

BUT, Rommel you said we should try to eliminate liquid calories, such as juices.  If you limit it to post-workout you’re usually in the clear, because your body can utilize the insulin spike to shuttle amino-acids into your muscle cells for recovery.  However, it shouldn’t be abused or it will backfire on you if your goals are fat loss.  There’s definitely a delicate ratio of carbs to protein that should be followed.

The photo below was my breakfast on Saturday at Hector’s in downtown Kirkland.  I think it’s called the “Protein Power” breakfast.  It’s a ground chuck and ground sirloin patty over a bed of steamed spinach, an egg on top, tomatoes, plus I added a small side-salad.  This meal has no starchy carbs, just antioxidant rich veggies, serious protein, and normal fats to go with it.  BUT, Rommel that’s a fatty meal!  Yes, but I didn’t combine it with starchy carbs, and according to Dr. Berardi and his Precision Nutrition system it’s all good!  More on his system next time.

90% of my nutrition adheres to “Protein plus Fat and Veggies/Fruit”  unless it’s post-workout, in which those meals are “Protein plus Starchy Carbs/Fruit”.  This is a system I’ve incorporated into my lifestyle since 2003, and for me this has been the most effective program.  The other 10%, well cheat meals of course!

Ok, this just made me hungry again, so see ya later, gonna chow on some muscle building protein!

- Rommel

The James Bond Girls have become as famous as 007 himself.  With exotic looks and far out names it’s hard not to notice the women who portray Bond’s girls.  Their presence is almost as necessary as all of 007’s cars and cool hi-tech gadgets.

I came across an article in which three of the Bond girls shared their secrets to maintaining a sexy physique.

The latest Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko said she cross-trained with martial arts and high-intensity circuit weight training.  Her nutrition tip was to not overdo it with sugar, and said “The only time I had dessert was at friend’s houses!”

Halle Berry’s tip was along the lines of using an external motivator.  Her motivation was knowing that she had to wear that orange bikini in Die Another Day, and to “walk sexy” coming out of the water.  She too cut out sugar, ate more fruits and veggies, and focused on short, intense, and effective circuit weight training.

Michelle Yeoh explains that regular exercise is part of her life, and it’s important to incorporate it into your everyday lifestyle.  She doesn’t diet, eats most things in moderation, but eats a lot of fruits and veggies.

These tips are great examples of how you don’t need to overcomplicate your fitness routine and eating habits.  Cutting out refined white sugar and increasing your consumption of fruits and veggies is something we’ve been preaching consistently.  Make exercise a priority in your life, but find a way to make it fit seamlessly even if it’s literally just doing 1-2 sets of bodyweight squats and pushups.  You perform those two sets intensely enough it will still provide you great benefits in as little as four minutes per day.

So get off your butt right now, bust out as many squats as you can in 20 seconds, followed by as many pushups as you can in 20 seconds, and repeat that five more times.  You’ll be worked for sure, and when you’re done you can bite into your favorite fruit.

Have fun with that!

- Rommel

Last Saturday I held a grocery store tour for a few clients.  As we approached the meat section one client mentioned that they’ve pretty much cut out red meat from their diet, that people should stay away from meat, it causes a lot of problems, it’s linked to cancer, and the “China Study” reveals why.

I agree and I disagree.  But let me explain something first.  The “China Study” was written by Dr. Colin Campbell – a well known vegan.  Of course he’s going to be anti-meat.  As my business partner, Belton, and I have stated numerous times, please consider the source.

Now I’m not completely bashing Dr. Campbell, because there are very good and legitimate points stated in his book.  However, there are way too many factors to consider before concluding that eating meat is the devil.  Yes there’s definitive evidence that links meat with increased cancer risk, but some factors to question are,

• The type of meat that was eaten – is it hormone pumped, grain fed beef? Or, naturally grass fed beef?
• Were the meats processed?
• How was the meat cooked? Grilled or Charred?  (Charred beef contains cancer causing carcinogens)
• What was eaten in combination with the beef? More saturated foods like cheeses? Or heart healthy whole grains and fruits and veggies?

Do you see my point yet?  Again, there are way too many things to consider, but let me simplify what I’ve learned from my own research, and in discussions with numerous nutrition experts.  It’s more about the way you combine your foods that will dictate your overall health and your physique.

We utilize these simple methods in our fat loss programs from Jayson Hunter, registered dietitian and Director of Research and Development for Prograde Nutrition:

• For each meal fulfill one serving for each category: lean protein, fibrous carbs (any fruits or veggies), starchy (but high fiber) carbs
• For starchy carbs do your best to choose whole, unprocessed grains such as whole grain or whole wheat breads, or other complex starchy carbs, such as sweet potatoes, yams, quinoa, and brown rice.
• Consume more healthy fats in the form of nuts, cold water fish, or supplementing with heart healthy, fat blasting essential fatty acids (we recommend Prograde’s EFA Icon, and read this blog to learn more about how essential fatty acids helps beat the battle of the bulge).
• Drink more water! We recommend a minimum of 64oz per day.

These methods are not rocket science, and they’re definitely not new.  The problem is that most people are oversimplifying the concepts (considering how we Americans tend to react to information, this isn’t surprising).  Remember the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle?  Take small steps by focusing on one bullet point each week.  Master that bullet point then move on to the next.  I guarantee you do that and you’ll be seeing results in no time.

Now back to the issue of eating meat, if you love it don’t avoid it, just make sure to eat the naturally raised grass-fed beef, and eat more fruits and veggies to go with it.  Eating the right amounts of meat can be helpful in an overall supportive nutrition regimen.  Not only is good quality meat high in muscle-building protein, but it’s rich in iron, and energy producing B-vitamins.  Again, just make sure to add in high quality fruits and veggies for added antioxidants, and lots of fiber to round out your nutrition plan.

Yours in health,

Rommel

PS – If you’re not a participant in one of our fitness and fat loss programs and would like more information about the nutrition guidelines stated above, please fill out the form on our home page and we’ll send you our “Nutrition Crash Course” guide.

**Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian.  The dietary recommendations are
not intended as a substitute for any treatment or dietary regimen that
may have been prescribed by your physician.  If you have high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or any other metabolic
disorder please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or
a registered dietician.

This morning I was in a rush to head out to teach bootcamp and didn’t have time to make my normal breakfast of an omega-3 enriched egg omelette and oatmeal topped with almonds and dried fruit.  So I had to reach for my trusty shaker bottle, filled it up with water and threw in two scoops of Prograde Lean.  About two seconds into shaking it up I made a huge mess, because I forgot to secure the cap and about a fourth of my shake went splashing all over the kitchen floor – AARGH!!!

I was so pissed, but calmed myself quickly knowing that I had to get to the club asap.  I noticed as I was cleaning my mess up that I really wasn’t in the mood for a meal replacement shake and wanted my REAL breakfast.

Why am I telling you this story?  Well, I wanted – yet again – to stress the importance of breakfast to you and how crucial it is to achieving great results, especially in regards to positively changing your body composition (or, in the words of most of my clients “lose belly fat”).

On my drive over I was like, “Gosh, this shake is so boring right now!”  So I figured my blog title would express that in some way.  But do NOT take this message lightly.

“You have to eat breakfast!”  I know you’ve heard it a many times, and this message is nothing new.  But do you have any idea how many people I talk to on a daily basis that DO NOT eat breakfast?  It’s a lot!  And the worst thing is that at least 70% of these people that admit this to me are overweight.

Look, I know a lot of people either don’t have much time in the morning or are just not that hungry after waking up, but you’ve got to find alternatives to feeding your body some quality nutrients in the morning.

Consider this analogy – You go to work every day, because you need to earn a good income, provide for your family with a comfortable home, food to eat, and enjoy other luxuries.  You do this because you NEED the RESULT of this effort, right?

Well, Ok, then IF you want to burn fat, feel better and have more energy you NEED to eat breakfast every morning. Period. End of discussion.

Some things are boring, such as the shake I had this morning. Some things just have to be done to get the result you want. For those of you that want to burn fat all day long, breakfast is just one of those things.

Yours in health,

Rommel

Valentine’s Day is here, and there’s a VERY good chance you have plans to eat out with your significant
other.

And while we want you to have a great time, we do NOT want you to kiss your fat loss goals goodbye. Here are three quick Valentine’s Day Fat Burning Tips to help keep you on track.

1) Make sure you get a good workout in that day. Preferably a circuit strength training routine utilizing the Tabata protocol as described here.  It’s your insurance policy to burning fat all day long.

2) DO NOT starve yourself all day long in anticipation of your big night out.  You’ll just piss your body off, and impede the fat burning process!

3) If you’re having a chocolate craving – it is Valentine’s Day after all – you want to have some good dark chocolate on hand.

(Note: We recommend Prograde Cravers. See the bottom of this email as they are on sale till tomorrow night!)

4) Start Valentine’s Day off with 1-2 cups of water when you wake up. You also want to drink 1-2 cups before each meal as it will help you from consuming WAY to many calories.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yours in health,

The Element 5 Fitness Team

PS – Here are all the details on Prograde Nutrition’s 14% off Prograde Cravers sale.

Organic Dark Chocolate Prograde Cravers have no preservatives, only 180 calories and they come in three delicious flavors: peanut butter, almond butter and spirulina.

The even better news is they are on sale for Valentine’s Day.

Here’s everything you need to know:

- Again, because it’s Valentine’s Day, the sale is 14% off all purcahses of Prograde Cravers

- When you checkout you will enter this coupon code to save the 14%:    vday0909

- Shipping will take 3-5 days, so while WE HIGHLY
recommend you jump all over this sale.  Buy them as a
healthy gift for yourself or others.

- Sorry, Prograde Cravers are not available overseas

- The offer cannot be combined with others from Prograde and it ends this Saturday, February 14th at 11:59pm EST.

- Prograde Cravers are NOT available in stores anywhere.

You can only find them online here: Prograde Cravers

By now you’ve heard that our Olympic champion Michael Phelps has gotten into a lot of trouble over his bong pics.  There are lessons that can be learned from this mishap.

First, we must always remember we are role models in some way.  There is always a client, a family member, or a colleague somewhere looking to us for guidance.  Michael Phelps screwed up, and it’s a shame, but what’s done is done.  However, it reminded me that as a fitness professional, I MUST lead by example.

Second, forgiving yourself after a mishap.  I believe in forgiving yourself after recognizing “fitness faults”.  I’m talking about “cheat” days versus a “cheat” meal, or a less than stellar workout week.  After working with hundreds of clients looking to change their body, there’s no doubt you WILL screw up along the way.  When it comes to burning fat, or simply improving your fitness, it’s VERY important to recognize your mishaps, forgive yourself, then move on immediately towards positive action.  If you don’t, you’ll easily be one of those that gives up their fitness goals soon after the mishap.

Third, really has nothing to do with Michael Phelps recent actions, however I was simply reminded of working hard for your fitness goals.  Regardless of his actions, you have to agree that he worked super hard for his six-pack abs and to achieve such a high level of fitness.  He set goals and he tackled them with such ferocity.  You don’t have to be an elite athlete like Phelps, but I encourage you to work hard at becoming the best you can be in relation to your fitness goals.  It’s not easy, so don’t be fooled that losing 20lbs in 12-weeks is going to be a walk in the park.

With that said, have you revisited your “Resolutions”?  It’s been almost 6 weeks into the New Year, and you should have seen some decent changes and results.  If not, it’s probably time to take a hard look at what’s holding you back from achieving the body or fitness level you dream of.  If you want amazing conditioning you need proper nutrition AND proper intensity in your workouts.  Period.

Anyway, anytime I see a story like Michael Phelp’s recent news, I always try to look for the lessons that can be learned in relation to fitness.  Please share your comments on what you learned.

Dedicated to your fitness success,

Rommel Acda

PS – If you’re serious about your training and want the best nutritional products, then use what I use – Prograde Nutrition

Nothing makes our blood boil like the Weight Loss scams we see online. They drive us nuts.

Now it’s bad enough they make absurd claims that are just flat out lies. But what takes the cake is the fact that nowadays they are fraudulently using the Better Business Bureau seal of approval to flat out trick you. Can you believe that?!

So how can you tell if that’s the case?

Simple. If you see the BBB seal on a website and it does NOT hyperlink to the Better Business Bureau website (which is BBB.org) so you can review the company’s history, then it is a fake. It is a scam. The people that have created that site are liars!

Legitimate companies like Prograde Nutrition go through the trouble of actually going through the process of getting approved by the Better Business Bureau. When you go to their website you’ll see the BBB seal. And it is legit because it takes you to BBB.org to prove it when you click on the image.

The Internet can be a scary place. But there are good people and good companies doing business online. And now you know one more way to recognize them – AND the bad guys.

Yours in rapid fat loss,

Rommel and Belton – Element 5 Fitness

PS – If you’re looking for the highest quality nutritional products on the Internet from a company you can trust, well, look no further than Prograde Nutrition