diet | Evolving Consumer

FitPro Launches Natural, Powder-free Protein Shake

What you put into your body after a workout is just as important as the workout itself (especially if you’re trying to gain muscle). But not everyone has the time or patience to concoct their own protein shake after every workout. For on-the-go athletes, FitPro offers its new ready-to-drink real milk protein shake.

Available in Chocolate Milk Shake or Vanilla Milk Shake, the all-natural drink is made with real milk instead of powders and it’s the only ready-to-drink protein shake to carry the “Real Dairy” seal, providing all nine essential nutrients found in natural milk. It’s special packaging also gives it a 12-month shelf life with no refrigeration needed.

Nutrition-wise, the 14-oz. lactose- and gluten-free drink contains 250 calories, 32g of protein, 6g of fat, and 13g of carbs. (By comparison, CytoSport’s 11-oz. Muscle Milk Chocolate packs 230 calories, 22g of protein, 11g of fat, and 11g of carbs.)

FitPro Milk is currently launching in gyms, clubs, and retail channels across the country.

FitPro Official Website

The New and Improved Flavors of Clif Bar

For long summer workouts — and the rest of the year as well — keeping up energy is important. Energy bars from Clif Bar and other brands helps you maintain the energy to keep moving. New flavors are a welcome addition to the mix.

Clif Bar just released its Coconut Chocolate Chip variety. The bar is loaded with toasted coconut and chocolate chips. Two flavors that go well together – just pick up a Mounds bar and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

At the same time, Clif Bar made a few tweaks to two of its existing flavors – Apricot and Peanut Toffee Buzz. The Apricot flavor now has 50 percent more apricots, which adds to the zesty apricot flavor of the bar. The Peanut Toffee Buzz variety has more peanut butter and more real toffee pieces, which enriches the sweet taste of the bar.

Clif Bars are made with 70 percent organic ingredients, and offer a blend of carbohydrates, protein and fiber to sustain energy. Each bar sells for a suggested price of $1.39, though we’ve seen bars sell for $0.99 each at many locations.

Clif Bar Official Website

New Study: Wii Could Motivate Inactive and Overweight People

The jury has been out for a while now on the exact “benefits” of video games as fitness. We agree that video games alone can’t really replace actual trips to the gym or other physical workouts, but a new study has found that the Nintendo Wii could play an important role in getting “inactive and overweight people into exercise regimes.”

This is among the findings from a new study from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), conducted by Creative Industries Research Associate Dr. Harvey May, a former personal trainer. He worked with a small group made up mostly of women, and found that they felt more motivated to exercise after a two-week fitness regime using the video game system.

In the study the participants showed significant reduction in body mass and fat deposition around the abdominal area and improved strength, balance and walking fitness. The study, which was conducted with QUT alumnus Dr. Kagawa from Kagawa Nutrition University in Japan, included one-hour sessions with the Wii that included yoga, strength exercise, aerobic activities and balance games.

There was some negative findings as well, notably that the video games could result in repetitive stress and “poor direction for some activities.” Still, anything that helps motivate people to do more is good in our book.

[Via HealthCanal.com: Game consoles can help inactive adults get fit]

Study: Sports Drinks Can’t Touch Tea, Coffee and Low-Fat Milk

Personal story – I love iced tea, and nothing beats several glasses of chilled iced tea following a long bike ride in the summer. I’ll power up with water during the ride, but when I’m back in the kitchen I’m all about the tea. Various friends have commented that I shouldn’t hit the tea following a ride – that it has too much caffeine and sugar. The irony is that some of these friends say this whilst guzzling a sports drink.

Now I feel somewhat vindicated following a recent study from the experts at the Institute of Food Technology, which found that sports drinks and enhanced waters can’t replace tea, coffee and low-fat milk for nutrition and workout recovery.

This is because tea has antioxidants, coffee has polyphenols and milk of course has both protein and vitamin D. Now of course the best advice is to eat some fruits and veggies after a workout too. But as for a post-workout drink, you actually can’t go bad with tea or coffee.

The irony has been that while I’m an active guy, and a self-professed fitness junkie, some colleagues have said, “but you drink so much tea.” The strange twist is that new findings suggest tea can boost immunity – which could explain why I’m rarely sick – and aid weight loss for physically active individuals. I’m pretty lean, so that could explain it.

All this means is that I’ll keep brewing the tea and have an ample supply for that post-ride beverage.

[Via EmaxHealth: Nutrition and workout recovery best from tea, coffee and milk]

Institute of Food Technology Official Website

Is One-on-One Fitness the New Way to Work Out?

Ever wonder how serious athletes get so seriously in shape, or how celebrities can tone up for a movie role? Part of is that this is what their job is all about. They don’t spend the day working and then go hit the gym of course, but another part of it is that they get one-on-one training. This is what Jaime Brenkus has in mind with his “concierge” weight loss and training program.

Brenkus had previously pioneered the concept of the 8-Minutes Abs Program and is looking to take his Slim & FIT Centers to the next level with his new program. He looks to address the issue that many people just don’t like to work out.

“It wasn’t the usual litany of how they couldn’t afford it or didn’t have the time,” said Brenkus. “With most of them, it boiled down to the fact that they were so out of shape, they were embarrassed to go to a gym and work out in front of strangers.”

Now Brenkus has sold 21 franchises with locations in major cities in the country, and here visitors can go to a single destination to work out and get personalized counseling as well. The centers provide a private setting. Let’s hope it catches on.

Slim & Fit Centers Official Website

Fitness Journal: Wearing the BodyMedia Fit

Trade shows, especially for journalists, are a time for getting work done. Meeting exhibitors and seeing product. It’s easy to lose sight of your fitness routines. As the Consumer Electronics Show approached and the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) approached me to wear an activity meter and compete for the journalist who takes the most steps, I was intrigued. There are a few shows including CES and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) where I know I log a lot of steps because I’m running (sometimes literally) back and forth between several spread out halls to get to appointments and to see the show. I’ve always been curious just how many steps I’ve taken and calories I’ve burned at these shows. Now I had the perfect tool to give me the answer. Not only that, but immediately after CES I was headed to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, and was curious to see how that show compared in steps and energy output. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Wearing the BodyMedia Fit

NuVal Nutrition Scoring Systems Expands to all United Supermarkets

Now that many restaurants post nutrition information on their menus, wouldn’t it be great to get similar access on shelf labels at the grocery store? You can pick up a box and look at the label, but grocery store chain United Supermarkets is going a step farther with its NuVal Nutrition Scoring System. The Texas-based supermarket chain posts food scores on the label along with price per unit. Continue reading NuVal Nutrition Scoring Systems Expands to all United Supermarkets

Count Calories and Win $500 at Whole Foods

New Year’s is a time for resolutions, and many of those pledges have to do with weight loss and health. Several websites, including About.com’s Caloriecount.com, will help with the resolution. Caloriecount.com is a calorie counter database where you log all the food you consume to total your daily intake of calories. To create an incentive the website will award three gift certificates to Whole Foods valued at $500 each. Continue reading Count Calories and Win $500 at Whole Foods