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Firstly, let me just say that in no way am I suggesting that a plant-based diet needs to be supplemented with protein powder – it is now common knowledge in the health and wellness industry that we can get adequate protein from a wholesome and varied plant-based diet.

I personally choose to include protein powder in my diet because I’ve amped up my exercise load, I’m trying to increase my muscle mass and because I like to include it in smoothies to create more substantial and filling snacks and meals.

Whilst it is easy to get lost in the endless shelves of chemical laden protein powders and meal replacement shakes full of false promises, more and more natural alternatives are popping up in Australia. I definitely do not consider myself a protein powder connoisseur but in my search for a healthy AND palatable post workout drink (let’s face it, natural does not ALWAYS taste best – especially where protein powders are concerned) I’ve tried a few plant-based brands and would love to share my experiences with you. All of the below protein supplements are dairy, gluten, soy and refined sugar free.

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First up is vanilla flavoured Sunwarrior Rice Protein: Bio-Fermented, Raw, Sprouted Whole Grain Brown Rice Protein sweetened with stevia, 16.8 g of protein per serve.

This was my introduction to the brown rice protein brigade and I have to admit, I nearly spat the first sip back out. I then pondered on how I was going to get rid of it and considered pushing it on to a friend. A month later I gave it another shot and actually slowly began to enjoy it. I think the trick with protein powders that are sweetened with stevia is to not mix them with sweet fruits, unless you’re after a total sweet taste bud assault. I enjoyed Sunwarrior blended with almond/soy/rice milk and loads of ice or with frozen raspberries. Once I learned to enjoy the taste the only downside I found was the slightly chalky texture. Which lead me on to my next tub…

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Growing Naturals Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice Protein Isolate in Vanilla Blast, sweetened with brown rice syrup and stevia, 24 g of protein per serve.

I like the fact that this one is sweetened with brown rice syrup as I enjoy the taste more than stevia. This would also suit someone looking to include more carbohydrates in their diet as brown rice syrup contains both fast carbohydrates suitable for muscle recovery and complex carbohydrates for sustained energy. It has the same texture as other brown rice protein powders but I enjoyed the taste more. I also used it in a banana muffin recipe which turned out well.

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Ezy Protein: Organic, Sprouted, Bio-Fermented, Raw, Wholegrain Brown Rice Protein sweetened with stevia, 25.8 g protein of per serve.

This has the same texture as Sunwarrior but is a little sweeter and tastier. I quite like the tub that it comes in as your hand doesn’t get coated in protein powder as you try and scoop out the last few serves.

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Vega Sport Performance Protein in Chocolate and Vanilla: A complete multi-source, alkaline-forming, plant-based protein blend sweetened with stevia, 26 g of protein per serve.

This is a little different to the above proteins as it contains a mixture of yellow pea protein, SaviSeed protein, sprouted wholegrain brown rice protein, hemp protein and alfalfa protein as well as a branched chain amino acid complex, glutamine and a digestive enzyme blend.

I like the fact that this contains a variety of protein sources and includes other ingredients which assist recovery and improve digestion. I found the texture to be a lot smoother than plain brown rice protein powders and it blends far more easily. Chocolate is my flavour of choice, I’m not a big fan of Vega’s vanilla.

In the end none of these protein powders are delicious, but they do contain high quality healthy ingredients which can compliment your diet and exercise program, and possibly boost your results.

Overall Vega has been my favourite protein powder based on taste, texture and ingredients, but there are still other brands out there that I’m keen to try such as Garden of Life RAW Protein, Juice Plus Complete and David Wolfe’s Raw Sprouted Brown Rice Protein.

Have you tried any of these or ones I haven’t listed? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience.

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Bonus: My Choc Raspberry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

♥ 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate plant-based protein powder
♥ milk of choice (almond, rice etc) I used around 100 mL in the one above but I like mine super thick
♥ 1 cup of frozen raspberries
♥ 1 tbsp of raw cacao powder (less if using chocolate flavoured protein)

Blend, serve and enjoy 🙂

Article by Emma Smyth, nutrition student & health coach who blogs over at This Sparkly Life!

Be well,

xoxo

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Ever wondered how on earth some women manage to get their pre-baby bodies back in what seems like the blink of an eye post-bub being born? It’s tricky enough to get a few hours sleep, let alone a workout in. The ever wonderful personal trainer Sarah Devlin has come to the rescue with a very awesome solution for new Perth mamas – Pram Fit!

I’ll let one of her regular Pram Fit attendees, Meaghan, take it from here…

“Pram Fit is a great work out for mums as it allows us to bring our beloved bubs along with us. I’ve found it difficult to get back into shape after having my baby, as I have no family in Perth and noone to mind her if I want to work out.

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I think that if you are going to make the commitment to go, then you really want to see some results, otherwise whats the point? Pram Fit is a real work out tailored to our needs as new mums (of all fitness levels) that gets great results, I can really notice muscles working again that were not used during my pregnancy!

The other great thing is that, like us, Sarah has recently had a baby so she understands how you’re feeling, the niggles and parts of the body that need the most attention after pregnancy & child birth.

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So far we have a great bunch of girls that attend and we always have fun doing it, even if on only a few hours sleep 😉

I recommend Pram Fit as to many people and many mums as possible!”

The Details

Cost: $15 per class

Location: Brighton Park, Scarborough (just left of The Wild Fig)

Day & Time: Thursday @ 8:30am

What happens during a class?

The babies hang out in their prams or on a blanket in the shade with toys. The workout is a combination of strength and resistance training using body weight, interval style cardio training, and pilates. Each week someone’s baby is a bit cranky and that is totally okay. You take breaks and mind the baby if you need to and all fitness levels are welcome.

For more details contact the lovely Sarah Devlin on 0431 365 342 or email sarah@sarahdevlin.com

Sarah is also available for privates and small group mum and bub personal training sessions too where her and her baby come to you and your baby and give you a great workout!

What do you think of the idea of working out next to your little one?

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I love to be fit and healthy both physically and spiritually. I devote my time to learning and teaching others about health and fitness and how they can help to be the best person they can from the inside – out. My number one passion is Pilates (my business is Renz Pilates!).

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Whilst working in London as a personal trainer in 2005 I learnt of Pilates. Within a few months of returning to Australia I commenced training with Polestar Pilates to master the method and learn to teach others. My style of workouts have since been a fusion of Pilates and personal training.

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I am LOVING Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics range and have been since December 2012. I use my Cream Cleanser day and night, followed by Purifying Day and Night Cream for my face and the Recovery Eye Gel Cream for my eyes (Miranda recently recommended to try the Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm to act like a hydrating mask for the eyes too, which I agree is divine) and the Enriched Body Lotion for my body. After my long days of teaching and training it is nice to enjoy the Hydrating Mask for my face and the lovely Rejuvenating Foot Balm for my tootsies. I am trialling a couple of new organic sun creams too but haven’t found a favourite yet (welcoming any suggestions?)

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♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

Following a run, I love rubbing my body gently with moist beach sand before swimming in the ocean allowing my skin to enjoy a natural exfoliant. I enjoy this at every sandy beach in the world I visit.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

Karri Steele – uber cool, but sad she has just moved to Melbourne.. Aveda Subi: Nikki, Kylie & Danni – I just love Aveda – seems to work so well with my hair.

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Sleep. There is a reason it is called beauty sleep. Make the time and reap the benefits.

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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Right now: KORA Organics Cream Cleanser, Recovery Eye Gel and the Hydrating Mask

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

A positive attitude – always have honest and positive intentions – sometimes actions are perceived by others in a different light, but if you know you are acting with good intentions I believe karma always returns positive energy to you.

And sweat, laugh and move: dance, walk, run – whatever makes you smile.

♥ Chiva Som

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

Internationally: Chiva-Som, Thailand and Reethi Rah, Maldives.
Locally: Bodhi Day Spa, Wembley.

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Everyday is different, it depends on my mood and what I have scheduled for the day but generally..

Kickstart the day: Always a Spirulina and Vitamin C drink.
Smoothie: I will make either green smoothie made up of whatever greenery is in season – mixture of kale, spinach, celery, zucchini, spirulina mix, avocado & cucumber, or kiwi and cacao nibs, bee pollen, maca and filtered water and goji berries to serve OR a chocolate smoothie made up of raw cacao, chocolate vegan protein powder, almonds, frozen berries, bee pollen, spirulina mix, maca and filtered water.
On the weekends maybe a frozen banana-rice milk smoothie with lots of yummy extras and an egg white omelette with veggies.

Mid morning snack: I usually teach privates and classes from 6am through to lunch time, so don’t have much time for snacks. I drink lots of water and green tea in between sessions.

Lunch: Huge, super colourful salad (always changing, but as long as I can put in as many bright delicious colours as I can get my hands on) sometimes with chicken, tuna, salmon or beans of some type.

Mid afternoon: Either celery or raw zucchini with my home made hommus.

Dinner: I go out a lot for dinner, so when I order I try to stick to steamed veggies or as clean as possible. This is the one meal I am usually eating with my friends or family and I try not to be too strict amongst others as I often get reminded to be a little crazy and “try the tempura prawns!”

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After dinner treats: This is definitely my weakest point of the day. I LOVE chocolate treats. Over the years I have learnt so much about chocolate and the cleanest, healthiest ways to enjoy it. I now make my own organic chocolate with lots of special treats inside (like goji berries or cacao nibs). Right now I am working on mastering a Bliss Ball recipe (raw cacao, freshly sprouted nuts, coconut oil, etc) so much goodness packed into the cutest little ball! My boyfriend provides great feedback – so we are getting very close to mastering the perfect recipe.

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

One thing about my fitness is that there is definitely no routine about it. I obviously do Pilates everyday. I workout a lot with clients and if I have had a day where I haven’t had much of an opportunity to move, I will get in a short run along the beach or river to pick the heart rate up or do any of the following:

♥ Dancing – I love teaching Xtend Barre at Pure Moves in Cottesloe and I am quite often dancing around my home with Tracy Anderson, and if I am out with my girlfriends we will pretty much always be making a dance floor appear out of no where!

♥ Yoga – I love Twisting Fish in Claremont

♥ Surfing – Not as much as I would like at the moment, but when & where ever I can

♥ Jacobs Ladder and Kings Park – to really pick up my cardio

♥ Boxilates – one of my new favourite classes I have designed at The Hurt Locker in Claremont

♥ Walking – either on my own or this is a great time for a girly catch-up with my friends

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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

Some would say my super green smoothies are alternative or the spirulina I take is a supplement, but these are what is normal for me. I have tried various supplements over the years and I think they all have their merit – as long as they have good clinical research with substantiated claims and can prove the efficacy of the product they are worth trialling.I have really enjoyed Reiki in the past and currently I am enjoying a bit of an acupuncture phase.

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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

As crazy as this may sound, I am de-stressed when I am teaching or working out. I find both of these to be quite meditative for me. When I am teaching I am 100% present and focused on my client – there is no time for any other thoughts to make my mind busy. Running is also a great time for me to clear my head and process my thoughts. I love yoga in that I am very focused on sort of surrendering myself to the universe and allowing my body and mind to move either my thoughts or body in whatever way it can.

And to relax, obviously a full body spa treatment will nearly always do the trick!

If you have any questions about Renee’s amazing lifestyle, please leave a comment below! 🙂

Check out where you can take a class with her at Renz Pilates!

Be well,

xoxo

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There’s most certainly a right and wrong way to go about Bikram Yoga. I learnt this the hard way. My first session I turned up in my standard gym gear = long yoga pants, a t-shirt and a leotard thing (so I can bend this way and that and not have my belly fall out), and realised my mistake as soon as I entered the studio. The vast majority of the 30-ish attendees were wearing what I first thought were bikinis, but turned out to be Bikram-intended gym gear. These people had the right idea. Before I’d even started, I had condensation dripping from my eyelashes.

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And there’s definitely a learning curve. The three sessions I went to followed a pattern – I would arrive, enter the room and be freshly shocked at HOW warm Bikram yoga is (40 C), lie down on my mat and start to feel like I was adjusting and this might be okay – then the instructor would enter and we’d start moving. I lasted 40 minutes in my first session, overdressed and not hydrated enough, and drove home bewildered and drenched.

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My second attempt was far better. I wore as little as I was able and attended an evening class, meaning I had a whole afternoon to get hydrated enough in preparation, which made a big difference. I left the room twice to pace around in the air conditioning before heading back in, but I still stayed until the end of the 90 minute session. I considered this progress, and decided to give it a third shot to see if I could top that effort.

Third session was exhilarating. I didn’t leave the room, though I did sit sweating on my mat to recover every once and a while. But I still stayed for 90 minutes and emerged sweaty and victorious at the end, feeling like I’d proved to myself that I could adjust to what felt like an insurmountably difficult physical challenge.

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And the end result is fantastic. Once you’ve rehydrated (and I deeply recommend the Chi Coconut Water available at the front desk) you feel godlike. You’re energised, ultra limber and have all those good aches that tell you you’ve done well.

My particular Bikram was at the newly opened Bikram Yoga Victoria Park – and I had three different instructors over that session. The circuit of poses was identical each day, which was a small mercy since there was a collective boneless relief when we moved to the second half of the session (the stuff on the floor). Our instructors all wore headsets and talked continuously through the 90 minute class. Granted, they weren’t doing the full exercise that we were, but they were still demonstrating, wandering between people and fixing postures. It struck me as incredibly exhausting. There must have been some serious tolerance build up in that.

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Ultimately I had a really positive experience – I feel like I was worked hard and got results, and the staff were professional and friendly. I’m even considering some of those Bikram bikini things. I’m a sucker for nice new gym gear.

♥ There are even showers you can use before/after class!

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park has a rather awesome beginner’s deal that I’d recommend: Ten days of unlimited Bikram for $20!

I spread my three sessions over five days, and the amount of improvement I felt just in those three sessions drives home for me that it really is something that needs to be done in bursts, multiple sessions in close proximity. Karen, the vibrant and ultra-fit Studio Director confirmed as much by very gently suggesting I come back for the third class, and I’m glad I did. (She also clarified for me that I was not, in fact, drowning in my own sweat, but in an ungodly amount of condensation. This is very reassuring). Can I also suggest that you remove all makeup before heading in there? I finished a session looking like I’d emerged from a screening of The Notebook.

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park

Unit 1, 345 Shepperton Road
East Victoria Park, Perth

Ph: (08) 9470 5700

E: info@bikramvicparkperth.com.au

Have you tried Bikram Yoga before, or want to? Does the idea of heat-based exercise excite or scare you? Lets chat in the comments!

Review by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

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Équilibre (the French term for balance) is a collaboration between fitness fanatic and foodie, Pascal and Nicole van Kan.

Our business combines Pascal’s years of expertise and experience as an exercise professional, with Nic’s passion for great food and cooking. Together, we provide a refreshing approach to health and fitness that is realistic, back-to-basics and sustainable.

Staying fit and healthy is a way of life for us, but it doesn’t mean that we miss out on delicious food, a great glass of wine or a well-made coffee! So for us, it’s all about helping our clients to find their own personal equilibrium.

We champion good health over weight loss, promote positive body image, strive to simplify exercise and encourage people to get back to REAL food. There are no gimmicks, quick fixes or empty promises.

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We’ve been delighted to introduce our 8-week Fitness for Foodies program this year. It combines outdoor exercise sessions with practical advice and simple habits that can be easily implemented on a week-by-week basis – including plenty of recipe inspiration, useful templates and exercise routines to do at home.

Sessions are held 3 times per week at central Perth locations (such as King’s Park, Subiaco, City Beach and Lake Monger) and our groups are friendly, approachable and designed to accommodate all levels of fitness. Read what our members are saying about it here.

We pride ourselves on delivering an inspiring and uplifting program that is both supportive and personal. And at only $139 for 8 weeks, it’s also great value for money.

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Fitness for Foodies is all about giving you the tools and knowledge to be able to self- manage your own health and fitness and to change your approach for good.

Our spring program commences on the 20th August and we’d love to have you join in the fun!

www.equilibre.com.au
www.equilibre.com.au/fitnessforfoodies
www.facebook.com/fitnessforfoodies

Photo credit: Jessica Shaver Photography

This is a sponsored post, as always though, we will only bring you posts with content we think you will find relevant & inspiring!

Be well,

xoxo