Designer Whey protein powder

Talking Protein

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Protein is a staple in my diet, as it should be for everyone, but I pay particular attention to how much protein i'm eating because I notice a huge difference - I'm not as hungry, I feel stronger during my runs and my body feels healthier. Getting enough protein can be an issue - but not anymore thanks to Designer Whey! I love their products and will happily tell anyone and everyone to use their products.

This past month I received a Designer Whey package of goodies - from their protein powder to their awesome protein bars to their Protein2Go packets (which i take with me everywhere) and coupons for a new brand of yogurt called Smari.  I love their protein bars because they taste good and they don't have that gross protein after taste that so many bars have. Kudos to Designer Whey for getting that right!

Smari is organic yogurt from Iceland. It has 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat per serving. It's thicker and creamier than yogurt because they strain off the water and leave just the yogurt. Plus, it takes 4 cups of milk to make one cup of Smari yogurt! Apparently the Viking's lived off this stuff and they were pretty tough dudes, right? :)

I tried blueberry, vanilla and plain. I mixed it in with my smoothies (using Designer Whey protein, of course!) and noticed that I felt fuller for longer. I made a Pumpkin Vanilla Smoothie in honor of Halloween and fall. Enjoy!

 

 

Here is the recipe:

  • 1 container vanilla Smari yogurt
  • 1 scoop Designer Whey vanilla almond protein powder
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 of a ripe banana
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • Pumpkin pie spice to taste
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Disclaimer: I received Designer Whey products and coupons to try Smari yogurt free of charge through my partnership with FitFluential. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.

#TastyTuesday - Our Favorite Smoothie

We love finding new ingredients for smoothies and learning about new combinations. However, there's one that we always come back to, because it's tasty, it's filling, it's packed full of vitamins and it's easy. We call it our Can't Miss Smoothie. It's great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a post-run recovery shake.

Here it is:

1 handful spinach
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of pineapple (we use the frozen kind)
1 scoop of Designer Whey vanilla protein powder
8-10 oz of water (and a few ice cubes)
Blend and enjoy!

Designer Whey Review & GIVEAWAY

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*Disclaimer: Designer Whey provided these products to me. I was not compensated for this review, expect for my time. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a huge fan of Designer Whey products. I use their Protein Powder and Protein2Go packs all the time (great tasting and convenient). I recently had the opportunitity to try out their new product - Sustained Energy Protein Powder. DW sent me the Vanilla Bean and the Chocolate Velvet flavors to try.

Over the course of about 8 days, I used their Sustained Energy Product (instead of their Protein Powder) in a variety of ways: morning smoothies, afternoon smoothies, post run pancakes and on-the-go protein drink.

The Sustained Energy formula provides more endurance and sustained energy because of the proprietary Endurance Blend™, a combo of "fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber" (via http://designerwhey.com/products/powders/sustained-energy/). One scoop of either flavor provides 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 essential vitamins and minerals and is only 100 calories.

6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals - See more at: http://designerwhey.com/products/powders/sustained-energy/#sthash.aPwaOJBB.dpuf
6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals - See more at: http://designerwhey.com/products/powders/sustained-energy/#sthash.aPwaOJBB.dpuf
Whey is pure so your body quickly absorbs it for maximum post-workout recovery and nutrition. • Whey is a “complete” lean protein with the right balance of amino acids and protein to help your immune system. - See more at: http://designerwhey.com/about-us/whey-benefits/#sthash.qykFznvv.dpuf

Want to try Designer Whey Sustained Energy?
The good folks at Designer Whey are giving me 6 cannisters of the Sustained Energy protein. That means, 6 of you will win!  This is open to US residents only and the winners can choose to try out vanilla or chocolate.

Additional entries:
As always, you can gain extra entries. Remember, though, you must complete the required entry first! And, yes, I'll check. (Leave one comment per entry for the additional ones to count.) So, here's what to do:
  • Follow us on Pinterest, or let us know that you already do 
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  • Tweet about the giveaway: "Enter to win FREE Designer Whey product from @hotbirdrunning: http://bit.ly/17t8EKq"
  • Follow us on Instagram, or let us know that you already do

Chocolate Almond Smoothie - #TastyTuesday

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I've been in Florida for the past few weeks and it's been crazy hot and humid here (funny saying this, but "unseasonably" humid). I've been getting some runs in but if I wake up past 8am, it's not a fun run. Today, I woke up a bit late so I decided to head to a Pure Barre class. I've been going to a studio here in Sarasota, Florida and really enjoying it. (I highly recommend Chaz's classes!) After, it was 11am and instead of doing a fruit smoothie, I decided to try a chocolate smoothie. Designer Whey has a recipe for peanut butter but I don't like peanut butter so I used almond butter from Trader Joes. It was a frothy delicious drink and kept me full for a few hours. It's 240 calories, 21 g protein and 15 g fat.

Recipe:

8 oz Almond Milk

1 scoop Designer Whey Sustained Energy Chocolate Velvet

1 tbsp Almond Butter

3-4 Ice Cubes

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Review of Designer Whey

Meghan had the opportunity to review Designer Whey products. She tested out their protein powder, bars, shakes and their Protein2Go packets throughout the month of April. Disclaimer: Designer Whey sent me the products for the review. All opinions are my own.

I'm a huge fan of smoothies, especially protein smoothies. I pretty much drink one smoothie a day - either for breakfast, an afternoon snack and a post-workout meal. When Designer Whey offered to send product to us to review and test out, I said "of course!" We've used a number of different products before and are always open to trying out new or different brands. I have a sensitive stomach and can't tolerate lactose or soy. I don't really like the aftertaste of hemp protein and some whey proteins have had an adverse effect on my stomach. I've used their French Vanilla Whey Powder in the past so I was looking forward to trying new flavors and their new products.

The box I received was loaded with products: Powders (French Vanilla and White Chocolate), Bars (Triple Chocolate Crunch, Chocolate Caramel Crunch and Peanut Butter Crunch), Shakes (Vanilla and Chocolate) and their Protein2Go packets (Lemonade, Mixed Berry and Tropical Orange).

The bars are my favorite new product from Designer Whey. They were delicious and didn't have that gross, processed after taste that so many protein bars have. I used them as post workout meals when I knew I didn't have time for a full meal (I sometimes have clients, runs and meeting back to back to back) and as afternoon pick-me-up snacks. I never felt heavy after eating any of the bars.

I was traveling for a week during my testing period so I brought along the Protein2Go packets and the bars. These were great because I was traveling a lot during the days and were easy ways to get my protein when eating out all the time. I'm not a fan of pre-packaged shakes and thought those were the most processed tasting product out of everything I sampled. While I was home, I used the protein powder for everything - smoothies, baking and pancakes. I love my spinach, almond milk, banana and pineapple smoothie with french vanilla protein powder in the mornings. I made pancakes with both powder flavors - the white chocolate was delish with berries! I made banana bread and quinoa muffins with the vanilla protein powder. In short, I was a protein eating superstar all through April - even during my travels!

Overall, I would highly recommend the Designer Whey products I tested. I encourage my clients to test out products and find what works for them. I gave a few of them the Protein2Go packets and some of the powder. I especially like the bars and Protein2Go packets because they are easy, tasty and portable. I'm loving the White Chocolate powder and the lemonade Protein2Go flavor currently!