Kettlebody by Brook was named “Best Kettlebell System” by Huff & Buff. Read all of their picks for “best of” categories by clicking on the image below!
Very Best Songs for Cardio, Strength, & Flexibility
August 15th, 2012Need some new jams to pump up your workouts? Here are my top picks.
Songs for Cardio: Take it Off by Ke$ha, Album: Animal; I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas, Album: The E.N.D.; My Body by Young the Giant, Album: Young the Giant; Times Like These by Foo Fighters, Album: Foo Fighters Greatest Hits; No Hands (Electro Remix) by Hoodfellas, Album: Mixtape Vol. 5; The Great Adventure by Stephen Curtis Chapman, Album: The Great Adventure; Drum Song by The Temper Trap, Album: Conditions; One (Your Name) [Vocal Mix] by Swedish House Mafia, Album: One (Your Name); Liberty Walk by Miley Cyrus, Album: Can’t Be Tamed; Explosive by Bond, Album: Explosive- The Best of Bond; Losing My Religion (Glee Cast Version) by Glee Cast, Album: Losing My Religion (Glee Cast Version)- single
Songs for Strength: Bring me to Life by Evanescence, Album: Fallen; Church by T-Pain, Album: Epiphany; Blow by Ke$ha, Album: Cannibal; Eminence Front by The Who, Album: The Who Greatest Hits; Enter the Sandman by Metallica, Album: Metallica; Get Up/Levantate by Pitbull, Album: The Boatlift; Wanna Be a Baller (Edit) by Lil’ Troy, Album: Sittin’ Fat Down South; All I do is Win by DJ Khaled, Album: All I Do is Win; New Years Day (USA Remix Kevorkian Remix) by U2, Album: War; The Fire by The Roots & John Legend, Album: How I Got Over; Lose Yourself by Eminem, Album: 8 Mile Soundtrack; Remember the Name (Edit) by Fort Minor, Album: The Rising Tide; Saving Grace by Tom Petty, Album: Highway Companion; Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand, Album: Franz Ferdinand
Songs for Flexibility: Patience (Cool Wave Mix) by Sixth Finger feat.Dew, Album: Bossa N Roses; Sweet Child O’ Mine by Banda Do Sul feat Natascha, Album: Bossa N Roses; Paradise City (Vibes Edition) by Scubba, Album: Bossa N Roses; Goodnight Moon by Shivaree, Album: I Ought to Give You a Shot in the Head; What if I Stumble by DC Talk, Album: Jesus Freak; Killing Me Softly with His Song by Fugees, Album: The Score; Heartless (The Voice Performance) by Dia Frampton, Album: Heartless (The Voice Performance)- Single; Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus by Ollabelle, Album: Ollabelle; Free Fallin’ (Live) by John Mayer, Album: Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles; All that You have is your Soul by Tracy Chapman, Album: The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1
PFP Magazine: my “Journey to Success” story
August 10th, 2012Two months ago, I was contacted by Lindsay Vastola, Editor of PFP Magazine, regarding interest in featuring me as the magazine’s “Journey to Success” story. I have a lot of respect for PFP (Personal Fitness Professional). It was an honor to visit with Ms. Vastola and share my journey with readers of PFP Magazine. To read the interview, simply click on the picture below. Once directed to the URL, click “layout,” then “paper” from the top toolbar on the screen so that the article will be legible.
I owe a lot of my success to my dad, Robert Dabbs. He has thirty-five years of entrepreneurial experience as a preschool photographer. Dad is both my biggest fan and my greatest resource for business advice. Here are a few things that I’ve learned from Dad and others along the way. I hope they’ll help you on your own journey!
1. ”Oh, Presentation Everything!” (Dad’s words, exactly)
Whether you are creating a website, meeting a potential new client, or selling a widget, how you present yourself is a direct reflection of your quality. Choose your presentation wisely. It will mark your perceived value in the consumer’s mind.
As many of you know, I often use self-depricating humor when talking about my freshman attempt at making a workout DVD. Not only was the DVD filled with cheesy one-liners and a soundtrack that sounded like 70s porn, but my packaging was equally underdone. As a new business owner, I tried to cut expenses in any way possible. My strategy was to buy manilla envelopes from Office Depot in bulk. With a Sharpie marker, I’d handwrite the recipient’s address on the front. I’d then shove the DVD inside along with a homemade business card, wrap the whole thing up with scotch tape, and send it off. I can only imagine that customers pulled that thing out of the mailbox and thought “what kind of business sends their merchandise in a manilla envelope?” Poor quality was sealed in the customer’s mind of my company, myself, and my DVD long before the video ever made it into their player. Packaging was cheap, but cutting costs on presentation meant I would probably never see that customer again. With the release of my second DVD, Cardiopump Fusion, one of my personal favorites to date, I also hired a graphic designer to redo my business cards, stationary, envelopes, and website. I ordered Uline boxes for DVD mailers. Now, when you order videos from Cardiopump Fitness, you will open your mailbox to find a beautiful box with a professional label and an excellent professional workout DVD inside. (My original DVD is no longer sold on this website. If you are curious and would like to purchase a copy as a “collector’s item,” email brook@cardiopump.com).
2. If You’re Good at Something, Make Sure You Get Paid For It
Like doctors that get accosted while at the supermarket or church by random people with aches and ailments, wanting a diagnosis and treatment, fitness professionals are highly sought after for free advice. Our advice is valuable because we have spent countless hours in school, certifications, workshops, and seminars to learn the most current and relevant research to base the sound advice that we give. That knowledge came at a price. Yet, the higher you climb up the fitness ladder, the more requests we get to offer our wisdom and talent for free. We tell you to buy fresh and healthy food because it’s richer in nutrients, but to afford to eat clean and organically, ourselves, we absolutely have to make money. Because we so love helping people make healthy life changes, it’s hard for us to avoid just giving away our time and services, but it’s necessary. Give it away long enough and you won’t have a job- you’ll have a hobby.
Volunteering time for charity or for a cause is a great thing, and entrepreneurs should feel compelled to get involved with a cause greater than themselves. That is a different thing, altogether. Be very careful with the slippery slope of giving your services for free to clients. I recommend keeping a blog, mass email distribution, or post workouts to your website as a great way to influence the masses without any cost to them. This allows fit pros to give the public invaluable fitness, health, and nutrition resources without spending a lot of time on individual consultations.
When I told my dad about a conference I presented at (for free), not too long ago, his response was this:
BB, that’s great! When the dust settles, you can ask them the same question that the old lady at a restaurant in Quitman, MS once asked your granddaddy. Granddaddy was leaving the restaurant and he turned to the old lady who owned the place and said, “Ms. Twilly, that was mighty good.” And her reply was, “Well ain’t you goin’ to pay fer it?”
3. Be Yourself. Everyone Else is Taken.
Some of my dad’s favorite work that I’ve ever done are the “BB’s Back Burner” episodes, especially episode 1. He loves that I’m just being my silly and quirky self. ”Just be BB,” he always tells me when I’m wound up tighter than a top before a presentation. I would love to be taken as seriously as Mark Verstegen, but presenting as scholastically as he doesn’t fit my personality. I would love to say some of Petra Kolber’s cute encouraging remarks in my own workout videos, but without an adorable British accent, they don’t quite roll off my southern tongue the same. Trying to be other fitness personalities only makes me a sub-par version of myself.
Get to know yourself and be the real you in every facet of life. Those who love you will love you, quirks and all. Those who don’t won’t like you, anyway.
4. Be Grateful for your Accomplishments, But Keep Striving for Better.
None of us have done so much or are so exceptional that an arrogant attitude is justified. We all work hard and achieve milestones, but there is always room for improvement. Every accomplishment is a gift, and it should be embraced with a humble spirit. Humility is beautiful. Be grateful for your good fortune, but keep striving to make an even greater difference in the world.
“Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance. So are everyone else’s.” Lyrics from Everyone’s Free to Wear Sunscreen by SunTan
#11: Up to 2-pounds per week- Quit Expecting “Biggest Loser” Quick Results
June 30th, 2012Credible personal trainers, nutritionists, and health professionals recommend a maximum weight loss goal of 2-pounds per week. Most healthy human bodies can safely lose up to 2-pounds of body fat per week through strictly watching caloric intake and with exercising daily. Clients hear 2-pounds and think that we’re underestimating them. “But so-and-so on The Biggest Loser lost 12-pounds last week,” we hear like a broken record. Do you want to lose weight quick, or do you want to develop a lifestyle that you can sustain? You should yearn for the later. You’re probably already all to familiar with yo-yo dieting. It’s exhausting, and it’s hard on your heart. 2-pounds of body fat per week is nothing to scoff at. It truly will take strict attention to everything that goes in to your mouth in order to realize this goal. “But 12,” you tell me. “12 is better than 2,” you respond with hands on hips and frown on face. I disagree. Long-term, the only weight loss that really counts is body fat loss. Muscle mass loss is not desirable. Creating such a caloric deficit that your body is having to eat away at its muscle mass means that you are eating away at what makes your body & bones strong and helps keep your metabolism churning. Neither is water weight loss anything to applaud. Sure contestants on The Biggest Loser can dehydrate themselves to the point that they shave a few pounds off for their mandatory weigh-in, but it’ll come back on as soon as you eat or drink something. The Biggest Loser tracks obese people in a journey to lose a lot of weight quickly, but make no mistake, it’s television. They have to shock you, entertain you, surprise you, keep you in suspense before every commercial break and make you fiend for the next episode. That’s not unique to The Biggest Loser; it’s television prescription for every successful TV show… not just sitcoms- reality TX, too. For instance, do think the mistakes on Hell’s Kitchen where a contestant overcooks a fish then gets scolded for his incompetence is happenstance? Nope, it’s rehearsed, scripted, and filmed over several takes. Shock value- cha ching! Television is about captivating audience attention; they’re in the business of selling television. Safe and sustainable weight loss is about making gradual changes over time. Can you use The Biggest Loser as motivation to get started? YES! It hits an emotional chord that gets your subconscious motivation meter gyrating. Watch The Biggest Loser, get fired up, and then use the legit tips that you’ve learned in this countdown to start your journey and lose weight for life!
This is a direct quote. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Biggest_Loser_(U.S._TV_series)
[Biggest Loser] Weight loss regimen: risks and criticism
“I’m waiting for the first person to have a heart attack. I have had some patients who want to [follow the show's regimen], and I counsel them against it. I think the show is so exploitative. They are taking poor people who have severe weight problems whose real focus is trying to win the quarter-million dollars.”
Dr. Charles Burant, director of the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center[3]
“Risks aside, weight-loss experts say that the biggest problem with the Biggest Loser is that extreme methods of dropping pounds are less likely to work in the long run. Several former Biggest Loser contestants have regained some or all of the weight.”
Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience.com[4]
According to LiveScience.com, “physicians and nutritionists worry the show’s focus on competitive weight loss is, at best, counterproductive and, at worst, dangerous.[4] ” Contestants on the show lose upwards of 10 pounds per week (in the very first week, some contestants have lost 20-30+ pounds in that one week alone), whereas the established medical guidelines for safe weight loss are between 1 and 2 pounds per week.[5]
At the end of every telecast, the following disclaimer is shown:
“ “Our contestants were supervised by doctors while participating in the show, and their diet and exercise regimen was tailored to their medical status and their specific needs. Consult with your own doctor before embarking on any diet or exercise program.” ”
Despite this claim of supervision, however, all contestants are required to sign a waiver that states: “no warranty, representation or guarantee has been made as to the qualifications or credentials of the medical professionals who examine me or perform any procedures on me in connection with my participation in the series, or their ability to diagnose medical conditions that may affect my fitness to participate in the series.”[6]
The weight-loss regimen used in the show—severe caloric restriction combined with up to six hours a day of strenuous exercise—involves risks including a weakening of the heart muscle, irregular heartbeat and dangerous reductions in potassium and electrolytes.[3] Contestants, regardless of their weight, are required to certify that they believe they are “in excellent physical, emotional, psychological and mental health.”[3]
The Biggest Loser: Second Chances included a one-mile foot race in its first week, an event that led to the hospitalization of two of its contestants; Rob Huizenga, the show’s medical consultant, when asked about the foot race said that “If we had it to do over, we wouldn’t [have done] it” and noted that in response, the show’s producers have “changed a lot of the way [they] do things” (including the close monitoring of contestants’ body temperatures during exercise).[3]
Because the show is a contest that involves eliminations from it, some contestants are encouraged to take risks that endanger their health. Ryan C. Benson, the winner of the program’s first season, publicly admitted that “he dropped some of the weight by fasting and dehydrating himself to the point that he was urinating blood.” Also since the show Benson has regained all of his weight, but 10-12 lbs.[3] In 2009, Kai Hibbard (runner-up from the third season) told the New York Times that “she and other contestants would drink as little water as possible in the 24 hours before a weigh-in” and would “work out in as much clothing as possible” when the cameras were off. She further stated that two weeks after the show ended, she had regained about 31 pounds, mostly from staying hydrated.[3] In a June 2010 interview, Hibbard said, “I do still struggle [with an eating disorder]. I do. My husband says I’m still afraid of food… I’m still pretty messed up from the show.”[7]
In a July 2011 press conference with the Television Critics Association, comedian and actor Jerry Lewis was critical of the competitive nature of The Biggest Loser, claiming that the show is about contestants “knocking their brains out trying to see how we beat the fat lady at 375 pounds, and in four months she’s going to be 240. Who cares? It’s ridiculous.”[8].{3} ^ a b c d e f Edward Wyatt (November 25, 2009). “On ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Health Can Take Back Seat”. The New York Times. via The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
{4}^ a b “‘The Biggest Loser’ Has Big Problems, Health Experts Say”. LiveScience. 2010-02-21. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
{5} ^ “Tips for losing weight: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”. Nlm.nih.gov. 2011-03-28. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
{6} ^ Pitney, Nico (November 25, 2009). “Biggest Loser: Contestants Admit Dangerous Practices, Can’t Speak Out”. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
{7} ^ Poretsky, H.H.C., Golda (June 16, 2010). “Bigger Loser Finalist Says Show Gave Her An Eating Disorder”. Jezebel.com.
{8} ^ St. Petersburg Times: “Jerry Lewis out as telethon host“, page 1A, August 5, 2011.
#12: Macro Principles to Eat By
June 3rd, 2012These 10 simple “rules” are brought to our countdown by GoMacro.com. We believe each could be it’s own point on our “101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight” countdown, but collectively, they give a clear picture of how lean and healthy people eat to maintain their physique. To elaborate on the points on this list, we have included further information in parenthesis.
1. You are what you eat. (what you eat directly affects how you feel, your health and wellness)
2. Eat real food. (the gooey, ammonia-based pink slime, formally used in McDonalds and Taco Bell meat, is NOT real food).
3. Cook. (you have much more control over the carbs, fat, protein, sodium content, etc in your food when you cook at home vs eating out).
4. Treat food with respect. (don’t eat to soothe uncomfortable emotions; don’t making eating a contest; etc.)
5. Eat mainly plants and whole grains. (read labels. If there is any refined/enriched flour in a product, it is not 100% whole grain… see #55 on our countdown for more information on whole grains & #13 on our countdown for non-starchy veggies).
6. Be adventurous and eat a wide variety of food. (See #100 on our countdown).
7. Chew your food 50 times. (Once you swallow, party’s over. Prolong the goodness! Enjoy your food more by allowing it to spend longer on your taste buds, chewing it repeatedly. This will also make you eat slower, which means you will most likely eat less).
8. Stop eating before you feel full. (You will have the opportunity to eat a meal or snack again in approximately 4-hours. Don’t gorge as if it’s your last meal before a famine strikes).
9. Eat in moderation. (Eat small servings- like the French! The most satisfying bites are always the first three that you take. Savor them).
10. Break the rules once in a while. (Not every day. Not even every Saturday. But once in a while, even supermodels, fitness personalities, and nutritionists break the rules. Don’t consider this an evil temptation, but a gift. For us to be fortunate enough to have truly delicious food, with sweet, salty, and savory tastes, is a luxury that we should enjoy, unashamedly, once in a while. If we were to only eat “healthy” food, all the time, we would miss out on some of the joy of eating. Even the founder of Cinnabon, Jerilyn Brusseau, is a recovered anorexic- who battled the disease in her 20s, 30s, and 40s. She created these cinnamon rolls as a luxury for her family and friends to enjoy once in a while. She used a dough that had a quality like a pillow, fine-quality cinnamon carmel center syrup that would be a contrast of textures, and a savory creamy topping to add to the indulgent quality. Do people appreciate or respect the intention- that these delicacies were meant to be loved, enjoyed, and savored once in a while? No! They go to airports and buy Cinnabon on a whim before a flight. They eat these tantalizing treats just as something to reach for; they don’t appreciate the fine ingredients- they just eat, nonchalantly. It is not Brusseau’s fault that they gain weight, and it’s not her fault that they buy Cinnabon more often than they should. We all have free will. Use yours to indulge in moderation. When you do so, close your eyes, smell the aroma, let the fat dance on your taste buds, chew, and as you swallow, be grateful for the gift of the decadent treat and say “Mmmmm”).
2012 Austin’s Fittest Fitness Professional
June 3rd, 2012On Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Brook was named “Austin’s Fittest Fitness Professional” by The Fit Company Institute. Votes from the general public counted for 10% of the score! The remaining 90% came from: performance on a physical fitness test (obstacle course) and interview. You will see Brook Benten’s contender page at www.fitcompany.com/brookbenten.
Thank you for all who voted for me as Austin’s Fittest Fitness Professional! -Brook
How Would You Spend Your Last Day on Earth?
May 4th, 2012In a book I was reading yesterday, I came across the question: how would you spend your day if you knew that it was your last day on earth? What an interesting question! Mill that over while you read my answer…
5:30am Train Cyndi 6:30am Early morning jog with my husband to watch the sunrise. 8am Go to my parents house for coffee, conversation, and my dad’s amazing breakfast tacos (my hubs, mom, dad, & two brothers would be there) 10am Go to a park pavillion, where I would teach my favorite group fitness workout classes, back-to-back: kettlebell, Bootcamp, Cycling, Yogaburn, and finish with Step Aerobics. We would be outdoors, with a steady breeze cooling us off while a stellar DJ keeps the best cardio jams pumping. You would all be there. We’d gather for a fantastic sweatfest followed by hugs, laughs, and stories. 2pm Hello, WINE! I would love to share some great wine and good food with friends and family over an afternoon picnic with great live music. 6pm Long walk in the country, hand-in-hand, with my husband and Kokomo (our Great Dane) 7pm Small dinner with family 9pm Prayer, reflection, and gratitude 10pm Go to sleep in my husband’s embrace
To me, this would be the perfect day. When thinking about it, I realized just how little the things I love have to do with material possessions, but how much my love stems from relationships and fitness (okay, and a little wine). As an entrepreneur, sometimes, the road gets tough… so tough that I wonder, should I be doing something else? Entrepreneurs have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable; that is far easier said than done. It’s questions like these (what would you do if it was your last day on earth) that really make you consider what really matters to you. I cannot imagine loving any other job as much as I love teaching group fitness classes, personal training, and inspiring the masses to fitness! I have conviction that I am spending my days doing what I was put on this earth to do, and that fills my heart with joy- even if it doesn’t always fill my bank account with green and gold! If what you spend your day-to-day doing is not on the last-day-of-your-life itinerary, perhaps you need a game changer. For where your heart is, there your treasure will be, also.
#13: Starches are Carbs, but not all Carbs are Starches
April 27th, 2012A starch is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units. Starches are great if you are intending on running a marathon, because they can provide sustained energy over a period of time. However, endless hours of sitting behind your desk at work does not a marathon make.
Carbohydrates get a bad wrap, but carbs are not the enemy. All fruit and vegetables are carbs. These are the very foods that you want to load up on to LOSE weight! Fruit and non-starchy vegetables plus lots of water are your very best bet for losing weight and ridding your body of free radicals. They are low-calorie and full of fiber! If you go to a restaurant and see “low carb” option listed by a meal that features lots of vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, onions, and asparagus, you can notify your server that their classification is inaccurate and makes no sense. Starches are carbohydrates, but carbohydrates are not always starches.
Starchy vegetables contain 80-120 calories per half cup serving, compared to 25-calories per half cup serving of non-starchy vegetables.
To lose weight, a good rule of thumb is to eat lots of non-starchy vegetables and an adequate amount of fresh fruit (use the 2:1 rule: two non-starchy veggies per 1 fruit). Eat these foods with every meal and snack.
Limit starchy vegetables to no more than 2-cups per day. Starches include bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, beans (except green beans), peas, and corn.
When you, Lance, and I decide to start training for an endurance bike ride, like the Tour de France, we can eat starchy vegetables to our heart’s content. However, if our workouts just consist of <60-minute bouts of exercise, we don’t need much starch for fuel. If weight loss is your goal, vindicate carbs! Carbs in the form of non-starchy vegetables and fruit are EXCELLENT for weight loss!
Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables every day, but limit starches to no more than 2-cups.
#14: Blend it Up!
April 14th, 2012Homemade fruit and veggie shakes can be a great way to fill up on your fiber and antioxidents. Conversely, store-bought shakes and smoothies can be a good way to pack on the pounds. Store-bought fruit drinks can be loaded with added table sugar. When you make your shakes at home, you have control over what goes in to them. The sugar in your homemade shakes will just come from real fruit, whereas sugar from store-bought shakes/smoothies comes from sucrose (table sugar) in addition to the fructose (fruit sugar) and fruit juices (fructose and sucrose). When a dairy product is added, another sugar is tossed in: lactose. Shakes and smoothies can really aid with weight loss if they’re made the right way. To control what goes in to your drinks, make these concoctions at home. The following recipes were featured in Health Magazine (2102; 26 [1], 131-138).
POWER GULP for iron, healthy blood cell and muscle function; more than a daily serving of Vitamin K (for blood and bone health)
1 c sliced kale (from 2-3 large leaves)
1 c seedless green grapes
1 English cucumber
1 Granny Smith apple, cored
1/2 c water
Blend all ingredients. Makes 2 cups. Refrigerate up to 2 days (shake before serving)
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 110; Fat 0.6g (sat 0.1g, mono 0g, poly 0.2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 3g; Carbs 27g; Sugars 18g; Fiber 3g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 19mg; Calcium 77mg
POST-WORKOUT REFUELER For muscle repair and potassium to balance your electrolytes and fluids.
2 medium oranges, peeled
1/4 c. whole, raw almonds
1 small sweet potato, raw, scrubbed, and coarsely chopped
1 medium apple, cored
1/2 c. water
Blend all ingredients. Makes 2 cups. Refrigerate up to 2 days (shake before serving)
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 231; Fat 9.1g (sat 0.7g, mono 5.6g, poly 2.2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 6g; Carbs 36g; Sugars 20g; Fiber 7g; Iron img; Sodium 24mg; Calcium 106mg
DETOX For high-fiber- to move things through the digestive tract. Ginger will help to calm the stomach.
2 t. fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
1 medium beet, raw, scrubbed, and coarsely chopped
4 medium carrots
1 medium apple, cored
1 c. water
Blend all ingredients. Makes 2 cups. Refrigerate up to 2 days (shake before serving)
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 155; Fat 0.7g (sat 0.1g, mono 0.1g, poly 0.2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 3g; Carbs 37g; Sugars 25g; Fiber 8g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 168 mg; Calcium 62mg
TOTAL HEALTH BOOSTER For vitamins A, B, C, and E. Lutein + Vit A & C= strong bones and healthy skin.
1 medium apple, cored
2 medium soft pears
1/2 c fresh cherries, pits removed
Blend all ingredients. Makes 2 cups. Refrigerate up to 2 days (shake before serving).
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 192; Fat 0.4g (sat 0g, mono 0.1g, poly 0.1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 1g; Carbs 51g; Sugars 35g; Fiber 8g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 2mg; Calcium 29mg
If you are using your shake as a meal replacement, you may add 1c ice, 1/2 c low-fat (& <12g sugar per half cup) yogurt, and 1 medium peeled banana with 1c of any of the juice from the shakes listed. That will convert your shake into a smoothie! Just as a snack, the shakes alone should suffice.
#15: Forskolin- Weight Loss Supplement of the Future?
April 10th, 2012Forskolin comes from the roots of a family of coleus plants that are cultivated in India. It has long been used for treating high blood pressure. This medical plant causes vasodialiation (widening) of blood vessels and it induces more forceful contractions of the heart muscles. Doctors have treated high blood pressure or heart failure by injecting forskolin intravenously. It has also been used as an inhalant to treat asthma and as eye drops for glaucoma. What about the pill form of forskolin that you’ve seen at the local vitamin shop, touting it as a weight loss supplement… hype, hoax, or hope? Well, based on two clinical studies, this one has hope.
With the limited research on forskolin for weight loss, or even the effectiveness of forskolin taken orally, period, it’s too soon to say, but the claims may hold merit. Only one of the studies referenced above was subject to peer review and published in a medical journal. One was conducted on six individuals with 50mg per day. It did show significant fat loss in all of the six subjects, but caution is suggested because this study was partially funded by a company that holds a patent on a forskolin product. Until more clinical studies have been published in medical journals with similar findings, we won’t know whether this supplement should be among our “101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight.” The hypothesis is that forskolin may increase activation of lipase (an enzyme that the body uses to break down fat) and thus improve fat oxidation. Exactly what the optimal dosage is or would be is yet to be determined. Critics argue that even if this root could improve fat metabolism, there is insufficient evidence that it is effective in pill form.
We wouldn’t suggest snagging a bottle of this off of the shelf at your nearest GNC just yet. There are possibly unsafe side effects, due to the vasodilator properties. It carries a warning by cancer researchers that it may have a role in causing cyst enlargement in women with polycystic kidney disease. Forskolin for fat loss will be under investigation in the months and years ahead. Keep this one on your radar, as it may be among the weight loss supplements of the future. Maybe.