Protein shakes are everywhere – the gym juice bar, shopping malls, and even local supermarkets. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about drive-thru establishments that offer protein drinks like coffee shops. Seriously, has anyone heard of one yet?

However, a high-quality protein drink that is homemade and nutritious is little harder to find. Most protein drinks today are cheap sugar cocktails with protein sources that raise a spokian eyebrow. Throw in some outlandish claims and I wouldn’t be surprised if it flew off the shelf at every GNC store from here to Hong Kong.

[Doesn't get anymore organic then this, does it? Milk mustache ads, mooove over:)]

In today’s post I’d like to share with you a strategy to build your very own protein drink that is simple, economic, and healthy all in the same gulp. Four principles that will guide our protein drink are:

1. Go organic as much as possible;

2. Include plenty of healthy fats rather than cheap sugar substitutes to help control insulin and provide more satiety;

3. Be ‘raw’;

4. It must taste good!

So here’s a recipe complete with ingredients that will take less than two minutes to make and keep us full for 2-3 hours. (more…)

I spy with my little eye a place where multiple rows of farm fresh produce from sun-ripened tomatoes, fresh picked apples, nuts, dried fruit, bright colored flowers, lettuce crisp and fresh, the leanest cuts of meats, the finest fish from the sea, fresh baked goods, tangy cheeses, and tropical fruits. Answer: A big-box supermarket store. What? Seriously? Don’t be a smart-ass! Correct Answer: Your local farmer’s market.

[Look past the pumpkins and you'll see squash in all shapes and sizes. I love the vibrant colors in this photo.]

There is nothing like walking through a market during this time year because of the variety of fruits and vegetables available. One vegetable in particular that stands out from the crowd is squash because of the many different colors, sizes, and shapes in comes in. For these very same reasons though people seem to be generally confused and intimidated by the idea of bringing one home.

Today, we’ll venture outside of our vegetable comfort zone and take a closer look at how you can slice and dice squash onto your kitchen table. (more…)

I had some really crazy offers for fat burning remedies this week in my email inbox. Offers such as a six pack of hydroxycitric acid all the way to pre-packaged garlic cloves. I think I might have a problem!

These emails are like Entertainment Tonight or Celebrity News for me… probably because they are so comical in their claims and the poor grammar never gets old.

Getting back on track: I have a new-found love of herbs and spices after having dinner with friends at a restaurant in Toronto called Spice Route.

[Talking about spices got me thinking back to my weekend trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. The food markets in the town square were overflowing with herbs and spices.]

It’s Indo-Chinese cuisine that tantalized my taste buds like nothing of recent memory. Perusing the menu was an eye-opening experience.

Indian spiced dips with Naan bread, Ginger chicken, Vegetable Pakora and so much more. Never mind the tea selections. I felt like I was being guided through expansive tea fields in Japan.

Our table was like a bunch of eight year-olds at Chuckie Cheese for the first time. “What? I didn’t know you could use that? I wonder what that taste like? That taste is absolutely wicked!”

Spices and Fat Loss?

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With all the BBQs and cookouts I’ve hosted or attended in the last little while, I try and bring something a little unique to the table each time because you can always count on someone else to bring the staple potato salad or shrimp ring.

It always amazes me the number of people who have never tried or tasted grilled vegetables on the BBQ?

[I always end up with a boatload of compliments on my recipe below. Word to the wise: Anything bigger then the zucchinis above is difficult to grill]

It’s primarily a Mediterranean recipe, that can be found on most Italian kitchen tables all summer long. Personally, I love the way grilling gives vegetables a smokey almost primal-like flavor. They’re aroma becomes more robust, but they still retain their vibrant colors and natural sweetness.

Doing a little research, I’ve also learned from the American Institute for Cancer Research, that the grill does not produce carcinogens in plant-based foods the way it does in meat. Furthermore, quick exposure to high heat means the veggies won’t lose vitamin and mineral value.

Speaking of nutrional value, this recipe is bullet proof. Unless of course you have hefty out-of-control servings of these toppings on your meat.

So is it hard to make?

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