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How to Choose Safe & Effective Supplements

Tips for choosing the best supplements.

By Jon Brandi

When choosing a supplement to support your health and goals. It is important to ask the following questions related to quality, potency, and purity:

  • Do the ingredients reflect accurately what is in the package/bottle?
  • Are the ingredients included safe?
  • Is the supplement free of harmful ingredients (mercury, pharmaceuticals, etc)?
  • Does it include a clinically effective dose that in studies has shown to produce the outcome you are looking to achieve?

I think we can all agree that what goes into our body matters. We only offer supplement brands that have strict in house quality standards, provide clinically effective dosages, and carry international third party certifications like the ones in the image to the left. This way, you can rest assured that what you are taking is safe, and what is on the label is what you are getting in your product.

Contact us here for more information about the supplements that we offer or to learn more about our nutrition coaching & supplement guidance. 

Till next time!

Coach Jon

How to Gain Healthy Weight

Maximize muscle and minimal fat gain.

By Jon Brandi

Hey BFit Nation, Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions or set any goals for 2017? Have you been staying on track with them? I heard a statistic the other day that within two weeks after the ball drops,  motivation starts to drop and habits return to the patterns of the previous year. If you need help with your plan or staying accountable for your health and fitness goals please contact us here and we will be glad to help you get back on track to your goals again!

I am underweight and have trouble gaining healthy weight. Being gluten and dairy free makes this even more challenging. Any ideas for calorie dense GF (Gluten free) & Dairy free meals or snacks?
-Tim L

Great question Tim, I am going to assume that by gaining healthy weight you mean maximum muscle and minimal fat gain? If not let me know in the comments LOL. I totally understand your concern. I, like you, was underweight for a large portion of my 20s and it all came down to me not eating enough. I needed to find a way to incorporate some nutritious calorie dense foods.

First and foremost, in order to gain weight you need to take in more energy (food). I would recommend slowly adding more food in every week or two so your body has time to adjust to the increase in calories.

Here are some great nutrient dense fat & carb options:

FATS:

CARBS:

The healthy fats in the foods above help support optimal hormone levels and minimize fat gain. The carbs are great if your body can handle them and you are doing strength training on a regular basis. If you start to notice more bodyfat gain then back off of them a bit.

Here are some tried and true recommendations to help you gain healthy weight:

  • Eat multiple times day: 5-6 meals if possible
  • Be sure to get 1-2 palm sizes of protein (or 1-2 scoops protein powder) in at each meal. (Here are some fantastic vegan chocolate & vanilla protein powder options)
  • If it gets to be too much to eat solid food at each meal – you can substitute some super shakes in there for up to two of your meals as well.
  • For more information on how to best build your meals DOWNLOAD THIS FREE Nutrition for Busy Professionals Guide and check out Step 2. I am willing to bet you are the “I” body type and it will give you guidelines on how to eat.

Finally – I would recommend at least 3 days of strength training each week to serve as a stimulus to build muscle. 1-2 cardio sessions a week is ok but try not to exceed that. If you stay consistent with that you will be lean, mean, and green in no time! (well maybe not green…)

If you need help with a good program just let us know!

I hope this helps, Tim! If you have any more questions please feel free to leave a comment or contact us here.

If you would like to know more about healthy eating, I encourage you to check out our Wellness Services. We offer coaching in the areas of fitness, nutrition, meditation & lifestyle. Learn more here and sign up for a FREE 15 minute assessment. 

Have a question you would like to ask? We are happy to help! Follow us on social media (see links at the bottom of the page) or contact us here. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dedicated to your health!

Coach Jon

How to Curb Cravings for Sweets

Tips for satisfying a sweet tooth in a healthy way.

By Jon Brandi

I love chocolate and milkshakes like no other so is there a way to stay healthy and in good shape without quitting on them ’cause I just love sweet flavors???
-Cesar M

Thanks for the question Cesar! Ah yes… how to deal with cravings in a healthy way?

Milkshakes have a lot of sugar in them which can leave us enjoying it in the moment but feeling a bit sluggish later.

In my experience, I have observed the more clients lower the frequency of super sugary sweets, the less they end up craving them. I also have a weakness for chocolate and have found a great way to deal with it by replacing the sugary option with something more healthy.

One way to do this is to use what I call the chocolate protein powder power smoothie. This shake is SUPER LOW in sugar and is high in healthy fats (avocado and cacao nibs) and high in protein! To make it even more nutritious, you can even throw in some healthy leafy greens like spinach or arugula. Be bold and fear not! You won’t even taste them in the shake. Very sneaky right? This shake is great for anytime of the day because it is so low in carbohydrates and will help sustain your energy levels and focus with the healthy fats and protein! Check out this recipe:

Chocolate Protein Power Smoothie

optional add-ins:

  • 1 handful of spinach (for extra healthy veggies)
  • 1 half an avocado (for extra creaminess)
  • 1 tblsp of cacao nibs (for extra antioxidants & chocolate flavor)

I think you will find this will go a long way in satisfying a sweet tooth and chocolate craving. Give this recipe a try and tell us what you think about it in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter.

As for other options, you can find some yummy sweet teas as well. They usually don’t have sugar or even calories in them, but be sure to always check the label (3 tasty options here: Cinnamon Apple Spice, Caramel Apple, Chocolate Pu-erh). Let me know if it helps! Thanks for your question, Cesar!

Have a question you would like to ask that you would like to be featured here? Contact us! We look forward to hearing from you!

Coach J