Designer Whey^® would like to thank all of our loyal fans and show our appreciation with another protein bar giveaway! 100 lucky fans will win one of our delicious protein bars! Test your knowledge by taking the following quiz:

Think you know everything about your favorite Designer Whey^® protein products? Which of these statements is false:

1. Designer Whey’s delicious bars pack a 10 gram protein punch.
2. Designer Whey^® protein powders have only 3 grams of fat and sugar per serving.
3. Designer Whey’s satisfying bars have only 170 calories or less.
4. Our deliciously-healthy powders give you 18 grams of protein at only 100 calories per serving.

Need a hint? Get the scoop on our delicious protein bars here: www.designerwhey.com/designer-whey/products-bars.htm

And on our protein powders here: www.designerwhey.com/designer-whey/products-powders-original.htm

The first 100 respondents to email the correct answer to winner@designerwhey.com will win one of our delicious protein bars! Good luck!

HOW TO PLAY:

Simply email the number of the FALSE statement to winner@designerwhey.com by  Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3pm PST / 6pm EST. The first 100 correct responses will automatically win a Designer Whey^® protein bar. Be sure to include your name and mailing address with your answer. We will announce the 100 winners on our Designer Whey^® Facebook page on Monday, December 5th. If selected, your bar will automatically be shipped to you via USPS. Contest eligible to U.S. addresses only. One prize per household. Must be 18 or older by December 2, 2011 to enter. Giveaway void where prohibited by law, and is subject to federal, state and local regulations.

Posted in DESIGNER WHEY Healthy Minute | 1 Comment

It’s back to school time! The lazy days of summer have given way to rushing to make the morning bell, the fast pace of after school sports & activities and endless homework. PHEW! We get exhausted just thinking about it!

Kids need to keep their bodies fueled with proper nutrition, especially when they’re really active. Staying focused in class, working up a sweat in gym, carrying heavy backpacks — it all takes energy. That’s where Designer Whey™ protein comes in. Protein is an important part of a healthy diet, but when it comes to healthy kids, getting the right amount of protein is a must. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels, giving children the energy they need to help them stay focused throughout the day.

Busy parents can make sure their kids are eating right during school hours by stocking their backpacks with healthy snacks. Grocery store shelves are loaded with many snack options. Take some cereal or granola bars. They might seem convenient and healthy, but most are loaded with sugar and typically contain little or no protein.  Sugary snacks disguised as healthy foods are still sugary snacks – they create a sugar spike energy burst that’s quickly followed by a crash. Sluggish, cranky and irritable is no way to get through P.E. class. 

Designer Whey™ has made it easy to make sure your kids are getting the protein they need. Our new, all natural protein bars are a delicious, healthy snack your kids will love. With 10 grams protein, added Calcium and Vitamin D to maintain and rebuild healthy bones, B Vitamins to help keep energy up, these naturally flavored & sweetened bars are a welcomed addition to any lunch bag or backpack.

Posted in DESIGNER WHEY Healthy Minute | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Ever feel cranky?  You wake up in the morning and EVERYTHING goes wrong?  Sometimes I feel like I cannot pull myself out of my morning slump.  I open my eyes and sluggishness takes over.  A slug has taken over my eyelids. Yuck!  I step out of bed, drag myself to the kitchen, step in the dog’s bowl of water, and discover the house is a mess.  The counters are still dirty from the night before.  There are toys on the floor and a mountain of laundry to put away.  I am in a bad mood!  Grr!

So what CAN help me out of this bad mood?  One thing that helps me is proper nutrition.  Foods can increase our energy or deplete our energy.  One of the biggest energy suckers is sugar.  There are many negative side effects to sugar, including feeding cancer cells, increasing your risk for Alzheimer’s, contributing to hormone imbalance, and gaining weight and fat.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want ANY of those side effects.  My daughter, Britney, wanted to let you know that sugar causes sugar bugs in your teeth!  And they probably do not exist, but cavities definitely do!

Do you think food does not have an effect on your brain chemistry?  Think again.  Everything we put into our bodies becomes a living part of us.  So choose wisely.  Today!  Every day! 

Ever cruised the aisles of the grocery store and wondered if the food is good for you?  I did not used to think about all of the bad stuff in our food.  Now when I go through the grocery store, I see aisles and aisles of stuff that will not help make my body healthy: crackers, chips, candy, cereals, prepackaged foods, and frozen meals.  Many of these foods have extra ingredients that are not really food. 

There is great stuff out there!  You just have to find it!  Even in the prepackaged, frozen foods, and chips and crackers departments!  Just do your research and read ALL the ingredients and know what they mean.  It takes time to get knowledgeable about nutrition.  I have heard from two friends of mine recently about a popular brand of chips with MSG, which is not listed on the label, causing them headaches.  MSG, food dyes, and other additives are not going to help us get healthy.

So what is safe?  Designer Whey has a great healthy product, low in fat, high in healthy whey protein.   My personal favorite, French Vanilla, is sweetened with a natural sweetener called Stevia   Awesome!  I enjoy knowing that my kids get the taste of sugar without the side effects of weight gain and craziness that sugar can cause in kids.  Britney would also like to let you know too much sugar can make you wild!  Watch out for that!  We do not want any wild kids, grown-ups, or grown up children!

So, here is my soothing Cranky-Attitude Busting Smoothie: 

Strawberry Bliss

1 scoop French Vanilla Designer Whey Protein Powder
6 – 8 Strawberries
4 cubes ice
½ cup Coconut Milk, Organic Milk, or Organic Soy Milk
1 small piece ginger – less than 1 tsp
1/8 cup pistachios – Roasted and Salted is fine

Blend well and enjoy!

Posted in Christina | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

‘Twas the week of recovery and all through my body, not a muscle was twitching, not even my patoddy (eat your heart out Dr. Seuss!)…  and yah, well, that’s a load, but I did enjoy the lightened workouts!

Recovery is a good thing.  It gave me an opportunity to let my calves unwind a bit and to have a mental breather.  Most of my workouts were shortened to about 20 minutes and the intensity was dialed way down…  like 1-900-sir-jogs-a lot and kick them nasty thoughts!  Anyone?  What- you didn’t know this was a musical blog?

This week was also good in the diet department.  I upped my intake of protein by almost 50% and I learned a few things about when I should take my supplements.  You see, there is a window of maximization for absorption immediately after you work out.  I was a bit late in gobbling up my DW shakes after I worked out and realized that I wasn’t being very efficient with this aspect of my training.  So, now I have half a shake before I go out for the energy boost and a shake and a half within 20 minutes after to help with recovery.  I definitely noticed less muscle fatigue and soreness.  I prefer the DW chocolate shakes- they’re a great size to pound down real quick.  I also have access to some freaking delicious bars that we just released.  I’m really not trying to plug this for work- I have a couple a day and they taste like a candy bar.  Hook up the chocolate caramel flavor- 10 grams of protein and only 170 calories! And did I mention they are scrumdiddiliumptious (I’m not sure that Webster has my back on that one, but you get the point- they are good).

The other interesting part about my week was that by the end of it I had such a mental shift in perspective.  I was about 90% pain-free and found myself enjoying the workouts more.  It was a far cry from the way I felt during previous weeks. 

Now, this wouldn’t be an authentic jogger-blogger post without a little meat between the bread slices, ok?  I do want to share something my wife told me as we were chatting about this subject over lunch.  She feels like when she is constantly “nagging” me to do things around the house for her that she sees the burden of letting her down on me.  She says I “wear it-“ in my posture, on my face and in my eyes.  She admitted that sometimes she wouldn’t bother me about things because she knows I’m trying (or she was too fed up).  The coolest part is that in letting me up for air she noticed a change in my attitude.  She said I was more apt to help out around the house because she was giving me space.  I suppose it was easier to do some dishes and fold some laundry because I wasn’t being beat down by her continual “reminding.”  It’s as if my performance as a husband increased even though I wasn’t cutting it in prior weeks. 

Although it seems a bit opposite of conventional logic, giving those we love space to repair, to heal, to gain perspective…  can ultimately achieve that which we were pushing for in the first place.  Pounding my body into the ground week after week will actually allow me a better chance to succeed if I can pair it with some time off (or a lightened load)…  muscles and relationships, it seems, can become strengthened with a little less intensity from time to time.

Thanks for reading party people- I do enjoy sharing with you.  If you’ve got something nice to say (we all know what NOT to do if you don’t), then hit me up on our wall.  I would love to hear from you.

[The FDA, NWO, NASCAR or any other acronym you can think of have not approved the above statements.  They are the sole opinions and ramblings of your resident jogger-blogger…  and oh yeah, “patoddy” is seussian for buttocks…  not really, but that’s what I meant.]

Posted in David Ewing | 1 Comment

Hey Everyone!

Well it’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but we’re (finally) settling in nicely. I’m so glad that summer is here in full swing.

So, my inspiration for this post came from my recent trip to the local market, where I saw a bag of fresh key limes. Immediately my mouth began to water as I imagined a cool, creamy key lime pie (which is one of my all-time favorite dessert flavors).  However, at six weeks post-partum, I just received the “okay” to start exercising and finally working towards my goal of fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Obviously making (and eating) key lime pie isn’t exactly a step in the right direction!  However, I recently stumbled on a recipe for Lemon-Buttermilk ice pops and thought “What if I can tweak this a little to taste more like the key lime pie I’ve been craving and make it a little (or a lot) more healthy?”

Now I know what you’re thinking, Buttermilk? In an ice pop? Weird. But stick with me here. I’m not one of those people who enjoy a nice cold glass of buttermilk. In fact, it has always tasted a little like spoiled milk to me (but I love to cook with it!). So when I ran across this recipe I was intrigued. Well, after a few adjustments (including some good ol’ French Vanilla Designer Whey), it’s now one of my (and my daughters’) favorite summer time treats!  Buttermilk provides a creaminess and tang that balances the key lime flavor perfectly, without adding a heavy amount of fat and calories. It just works! These ice pops are not only super delicious and refreshing, but a cinch to whip up. I also feel confident letting my girls make this with only minimal help (and mess!). Not to mention I love having a homemade dessert in the house that is healthy, too.

Somehow I have a feeling that “Key Lime Ice Pops” will be enjoyed in our house a lot this summer… hopefully in yours, too!

Till next time!

- Andrea

Key Lime Ice Pops (Adapted from Whipped)
2/3 cup Stevia-in-the-Raw
5 TBSP fresh key lime juice
2 TBSP key lime zest
Pinch of salt
1 scoop Designer Whey French Vanilla Protein Powder
1 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

Whisk Stevia, lime juice, lime zest, salt and protein powder in 4-cup measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Whisk in buttermilk.

Divide mixture among ice pop molds and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.  (Yields 6-8 ice pops, depending on mold)

Total nutritionals for entire recipe: 278 Calories; 32g Protein, 0g Fiber, 6g Fat, 25g Carbs, 22g Sugar.

Per popsicle (Yield 6): 46 Calories, 5.3g Protein, 0g Fiber, 4.16g Carbs, 3.6g Sugar.

Posted in Andrea M. | 3 Comments

I can’t believe that I’ve finished my second week already… 

Actually, let me rephrase:  I can’t believe I’ve finished my second week…period.  Every step I took on every run was pain.  My calves are knotted up and my knees feel like brittle branches one pinecone away from breaking.  I feel like the pace of these workouts is increasing too rapidly.  It cast doubt as to whether or not I can finish into every corner of my mind as I laced up for each day’s gauntlet.  I say gauntlet, because it truly feels like every molehill, gust of wind, ray of sunshine, skinny girl in spandex and pebble that lay before me was conspiring to stop me.  I’m sure I was a sight to see, wincing in pain with that bitter-beer face scrunched up, as I made my way though the run.

The cool part about my week though was that I heard from several people in the company about their own struggles to be consistent…  whether that was in workouts or diets or what-have-you.  It was actually encouraging for me to see that I was not alone in my increasing desire to quit or to go easy.  I think I was under the impression that it was a cakewalk for them- like somehow they had it all together because they seemed better off than me.  The real interesting part is how different we all are- how we are in such different spots in our health and fitness (and in life) and yet, somehow, we can still relate.

There are a group of women from my work that can literally run circles around me…  one actually did because I was plodding along so slowly (I was harnessing my inner turtle!).  They are in such better shape than I am, but are still challenged daily with eating right and exercising to the standards they’ve set for themselves.  In that sense we are very much in the same boat- in a constant state of construction to erect discipline and devotion in our lives.  Since they made themselves vulnerable, I benefitted and became empowered to forge ahead knowing new challenges await me!

It makes me think about my life outside of training and how when I’m going through a difficult time, I may be reluctant to share in that with someone. There may be fear of sounding weak or like a drama-king… or it could be that I just don’t want to burden anyone with my problems.  The crazy thing is that sharing hardships isn’t just about you dumping on someone else about your life.  It can help the other person (or people) to gain perspective- to see that their situation is better off than yours!  It can also foster an environment where the person you’re unloading on feels safe to discuss their own challenges.  Finally, it gives someone else the opportunity to pour love and compassion into you which can do wonders for their own self-apathy.  Nothing works better to pull you out of your mud-hole like doing something for someone else!

The parallels between running or working out and real life is staggering to me.  I was always a sucker for a good sports analogy, but living it out and seeing fruit has been quite the maturation process.  I have definitely reaped more than I bargained for in accepting this 5k challenge.  The encouragement and advice I get from my support system at Designer Whey is profound.  Someday I will be on the other end of this and that gets me excited.

I’m curious to hear what workout epiphanies you’ve realized?  Leave a comment and I look forward to doing this again next week…  why don’t you have your people call my people and we’ll do Facebook.

Posted in David Ewing | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Here are five reasons why cross training needs to be part of your 5K training schedule:

1. You’ll improve your cardiovascular fitness, your chance of injury, balance out all of your muscle groups, while improving athletic performance

2. Ask runners to name one benefit of cross-training, most of them will tell you injury prevention. Injury prevention is by far the most widely recognized benefit of cross-training among runners, but it’s hardly the only one

3. Cross training can enhance a runner’s ability. By increasing a runner’s power, you can  lengthen of your run without getting fatigued 

4. Cross training creates a balance within our muscle groups and gives us stability and flexibility that can enhance our overall performance and training.

5. Cross training helps you avoid running burnout

CROSS TRAINING IS FUN!
No matter how much passion you have for running, if you do it often enough or run the same route, it will become boring.

 Most humans crave variety and get turned off by monotonous exercise routines. Cross-training helps you maintain your enthusiasm for running, making it possible to train harder and more consistently and ultimately to perform better in races.

WHAT IS CROSS TRAINING?

Cross training includes cycling, spinning classes, weight lifting, swimming, elliptical machines and yoga, just to name a few.

Cycling – It’s easy on the joints, strengthens your legs, & builds endurance

Weight lifting – Builds strength, develops legs muscles so they perform better for running

Swimming – It’s a great overall muscle toner, and strengthens your lungs

Elliptical – great for taking stress off the joints and getting your cardio in

 TWO HOT WAYS TO CROSS TRAIN:

If you’re looking to challenge yourself with something new, try TRX (www.fitnessanywhere.com).  Designed by a Navy SEAL as a go-anywhere workout, TRX is a complete total-body training tool that helps athletes and fitness enthusiasts take their performance to the next level. The TRX Suspension Trainer is built around a set of nylon straps that create resistance from two sources: your body weight and gravity.

Need another great cross-training option? Take a Kettle Bell Class (www.kettlebelltraining.net), now offered at many gyms across the country. Kettle Bell workouts are the ultimate in cutting edge strength training. Cast iron bells are used to develop the correct blend of strength with flexibility for maximum fat burning and muscular endurance. Kettle Bells will shred your mid section, tone your legs and strengthen your back while pushing your cardio capacity to the limit. 

Posted in 5K Training | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Maintenance. That has been quite a scary word since my finale last December. Everyone warned me about it, but I would always think to myself that it would be a whiz. Peace of cake! Truth be told, the daily struggles of maintenance are something that I believe I will deal with for the rest of my life. 

Like I’ve stated before, I went back to lifting weights soon after my finale. I hit the weights hard and put myself on a muscle building program with the help of ProteinBlitz’s 60g of protein per serving. I figured I would need all the calories I could get while building, so my eating got a little out of control. Now, it is nearly physiologically impossible to pack on a bunch of muscle without adding on a little fat as well. So for three months I bulked and bulked and bulked. I was working out a lot so I felt as though I needed those calories to add muscle, but I took in more than I could handle, so my weight jumped up more than I expected. It was kind of like a slap in the face when I stepped on the scale. 

I needed to change things up. For the last two months I have been in the cut phase of my program. I had to trim a little more than expected, but I knew it had to be done. I increased my cardio and actually added more protein shakes with the Protein Blitz while dropping my overall caloric intake. I’m proud to say I’ve actually dropped more than 15 pounds, but more importantly, I’ve packed on even more muscle than before. I’m two notches in on my belt, my pants are a lot looser, and I’m actually starting to see abs again! Who knew they would come back. 

I feel unbelievable right now. There are two weeks left until the next Biggest Loser finale and I will be the on stage correspondent for DietsInReview.com. I was almost dreading doing it in the shape I was in a couple months ago, but look forward to doing it in the shape that I am in now. I can’t wait to wow everyone with my new muscular frame. I pick things up and put them down! 

Note: Mark Pinhasovich received free product in exchange for his blog. 

Posted in Mark Pinhasovich, The Biggest Loser | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a Mom.  So when it came time for me to have my own children, it was very important to me to ensure that I had healthy pregnancies. As the newest contributor to the Designer Whey blog, I’m excited to share my personal experiences and a few tricks I have learned along the way for raising a health conscience family. For all of the Moms out there, you know this is no easy task!

Pregnancy can be filled with aversions, cravings, dos and don’ts, you name it! Not to mention well- meaning family and friends who encourage you to “eat for two” at every turn.  It’s very easy to get caught up in all of this, put on excess weight and not maintain a healthy diet.  Not only is that frustrating, but it can also create problems for you and your little one.  The way I see it, YOU are responsible to give your children the best start in life that you can. It’s only nine months, right?  (Only?!?)

One of my biggest challenges with this pregnancy has been eating a healthy breakfast. I know I need to, but when I first get up in the morning the LAST thing I have wanted to do is eat something good for me. Being a mom of two already, mornings can be rushed and hectic. Get the Hubby out the door with his coffee, my oldest off to school WITH her lunchbox and keep my toddler from melting down if things don’t go exactly as planned. (And I’m doing this again why? 

Protein is a vital nutrient in pregnancy. Not only is it the basic building block of your body’s cells, in turn it forms the building blocks of your baby’s body, too. The recommended daily amount for a pregnant woman is 70 grams per day, that’s 25 grams more than usual. When you are supposed to only add 300 calories a day to your diet, this can be tough.  Using Designer Whey has been a godsend for me! I can make one big batch of smoothies in the morning, feel good about what I am putting into my children and ensure that I am making a healthy (and yummy) choice for my baby. Not to mention my kids think I’m a hero when they get to drink a Chocolate Berry Cheesecake “shake” first thing in the morning!

My morning protein smoothie “habit” (I say habit, because now I can’t go without one!) is helping me to maintain a healthy weight gain for this pregnancy. As of 35 weeks, I have gained 27 pounds and I feel really good about that.  Keeping a healthy balance (amidst the chaos of everyday life) often seems to be a full time job in itself.  So to all my fellow Moms out there (pregnant or not), hopefully my journey can help to make your day a little easier.

Until next time!

Andrea

 Chocolate Berry Cheesecake Smoothie:

1 scoop Designer Whey Double Chocolate Protein Powder
½ cup low fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP ground flax (optional)
½ cup frozen mixed berries
½ cup almond milk

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!

Posted in Andrea M. | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

One of the great things about living in Utah is we have four beautiful seasons. However, I think we may be the only state to have two seasons in one week. We had frost and snow on Monday and today its going to be 80 degrees. Yesterday, as I sat at my daughters track meet watching my son eat a snow cone I couldn’t help be a little jealous (because I am trying to watch how much sugar I eat) that I was “enjoying,” plain water. Well, this morning as I was preparing for day two of the track meet I decided I could also have a frosty treat. I’m going to attempt to make a Lemonade Designer Whey Protein 2Go®  icee. Doesn’t sitting in the sun sipping frozen lemon aide sound wonderful! I love Biggest Loser Protein 2Go® Lemonade!

Enjoy your weekend

Burgandy

 Burgandy Keel received free product in exchange for her blog.

Posted in Burgandy Keel, The Biggest Loser | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG