Guest Post by Paul Atkins

Over the past 12 months there has been much in the way of news stories gracing our television screens and magazine covers.  We have had our fair share of stories from killer tornadoes, to rioting hockey fans, to the never-ceasing-to-amaze-us congressional scandals.

This week P90X fans finally got some good news in regards to the much anticipated sequel. The extreme secret nature of this project has left many fans patiently waiting for over a year now with little news as to the progress of it or its release date. This week marks the first release of a two minute P90X2 trailer that will give every fan a small glimpse of what the Tony Horton P90X2 project will be like.

The project that was originally referred to as P90Next and then P90X:MC2 has been in development since the middle of last summer. Although only being in the development stages for over a year, many P90X fans have been waiting since 2004 for a follow up to their beloved in-home workout program. This week Mr. Horton and his counterparts behind the newly-renamed P90X sequel– aptly named P90X2–released this trailer, giving us all a little preview into the intensity and new muscle confusion techniques Mr. Horton will use.

Beachbody, the producers of P90X and all of Tony Horton’s home videos, are touting this next program in the series to not just push the envelope, but change the rules of fitness and extreme training forever. Tony Horton and Beachbody have enlisted the help of world class Sports Medicine experts on this latest venture. The aim of P90X2 will be to push the bounds of muscle confusion and fitness science further than the original program ever did.

Watch a preview of the all new P90X2—the sequel to P90X. When you do, you’ll quickly realize that if this trailer is just a taste of what’s to come, the wait will have been worth it.

Everyone loves a good shake and what more could someone ask for than an awesome shake that doubles as a weight loss product? Protein shakes have become increasingly popular throughout the years and if they are taken correctly, they can easily increase the amount of weight you are losing.

First and foremost, protein shakes offer many benefits. For example, many athletes use them to help the body recover after an intense workout or to help repair damaged muscle. Both of these scenarios demonstrate protein intake after a workout, however, depending on the type of protein in the shake, there are different timing requirements.

Listed below are some of the most common types of protein found in protein shakes. They are used differently and at different times.

Casein protein: Casein is a protein found in dairy products, such as milk and cheese. This protein clots and gels up inside of you stomach causing a very slow digestion. Protein shakes containing casein should be take right before bed, due to the slow digestion that it promotes.

Egg protein: Found in eggs obviously, egg protein normally takes anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours to absorb into your body. The egg yolks and the egg whites are used for different objectives. The egg whites, being most common, contain a variety of amino acids and many different types of vitamins. Other proteins do not have the advantage of the egg protein’s characteristics.

Soy protein: Soy protein has the most complete supply of protein when it comes to vegetables. It is also split into two types, kind of like egg protein. Soy breaks off into soy protein concentrate and soy protein isolate, although, soy isolate is the more expensive and more pure protein. Regardless, soy is a type of protein that is digested very rapidly.

Whey protein: Whey protein is also derived from milk. Like soy, it too, has two different types: Whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. Like before, the isolate is more pure and more expensive. Whey isolate also contains less fat and lactose. Whey has the characteristic that egg whites possess, a wide range of amino acids. Those amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Likewise, the essential amino acids that we need are not made from within us. That is what makes whey protein so important.

There are still different types of protein out there; these are just the most common. Reading up on the type of protein you plan on taking is a good idea. Make sure that the specific protein will work to target what you need. Protein shakes allow you get into shape. In turn, getting into shape could result in weight loss and in many cases weight loss is the cause of healthily lowering your blood pressure, getting rid of acne, lowering cholesterol, and most importantly, increasing self-esteem. As stated before, protein shakes have become so popular among the fitness world.  So, whether you are a super star athlete, a body builder, or just someone who likes to get in a workout every now and then, there is a perfect protein shake out there for you.  All you have to do is find out which one suits you best.

By  Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

They’re a common lunch item, especially among “weight-conscious” 9 to 5’ers because they’re quick, convenient, and boast low calories and sodium. They have no preparation required unless you count taking them out of their box, which is why people buy them.

Frozen vegetables are also now taking this quick-preparation route and are touted as easier to eat due to “steamer” technology plastic bags. In fact, two-thirds of our frozen vegetable aisle is now these plastic bags of veggies.

But just how safe are these plastic-contained microwave meals and vegetables anyhow? Even containers that claim to be BPA-free still have unknown health effects.

What is BPA?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities, mostly for the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.

Read more about how to protect your health from plastic meal containers here.