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At this year’s 2011 Beachbody Coach Summit, the Shakeology chefs came out in force with the ultimate recipes they’d developed to shake up their daily Shakeology regimen. In the Greenberry category, the winner was Sharon T. Her yummy recipe marries the deliciousness of cream cheese and strawberries to the health benefits of Greenberry Shakeology—try it today!
1 scoop Greenberry Shakeology
1 cup strawberries
1 Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Neufchâtel Cheese Mini (1.25 oz.)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
Ice (to taste)
Place ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Makes 1 serving.
There are not many companies these days that can do $400 million in sales and remain relatively anonymous.
Yet Beachbody, a private company, grossed nearly as much as Groupon did last year and very few people talk about the robust engine that is behind exercise workout programs like P90X®, INSANITY® and Turbo Jam®.
Under the leadership of co-founder Jon Congdon and Carl Daikeler, the company has developed a business model that seems to be Teflon, turning successful converts of its programs into network marketers who ensure that the brands flourish.
Many multi-level marketing companies are based on building a network of sellers and distributors getting rewarded based on the size of their network.
Most often, the people who have gotten in on the ground floor reap the greatest benefits while those late to the game struggle to make money.
What makes Beachbody’s network of distributors, called coaches, so successful is that these people have done the programs and are often in incredible shape. Their testimonial and therefore their business relies on how good they look, not whether they tell friends that a certain superfruit drink helps them have more energy or cures their stomach problems.
It seems like, more often than not, network marketing thrives on results which can’t be verified, but if my fat friend shows up with a six-pack, I’ll be more likely to believe he was doing an intense workout program.
Since starting the network marketing program three and half years ago, Beachbody now has 51,000 coaches who take a cut of videos and nutritional products they sell. Beachbody coaches sell $1 million worth of nutritional shakes under the brand’s Shakeology® name a week. And it’s not cheap at around $120 for a month worth of servings.
“We could have built this company’s sales a lot faster at retail by selling at Walmart and Target,” Daikeler said. “But selling it through direct television (infomercials) and through our network works better for us.”
Daikeler says that his coaches serve as walking billboards and salespeople who want to help their family and friends by helping them lose weight through the company’s exercise programs. This is unlike many other multi-level marketing companies that solely rely on building a network to make more money.
And Daikeler doesn’t have to pay for testimonials, a common practice in the infomercial business space he plays in.
“The standard network marketing doesn’t work with our model,” Daikeler said. “This is not a ponzi scheme where if you’re the last one in, you don’t have a chance to do well.”
While the average lifespan of a multi-level marketer is three months, Daikeler says his coaches remain in the system an average of 18 months. It’s why he’s confident that by the end of 2011, there will be 150,000 coaches.
We don’t promise it will replace your every day job,” Daikeler said. “That has been the case with about 1,000 of our coaches. But what it does for others is it keeps them in shape. In order to continue to have credibility selling, you need to continue to keep up. And so, it allows the people who want to fight obesity, to be motivated by the fact that they have skin in the game.”
By continuing to have more and more videos – P90X led to a harder workout, INSANITY, and that program is leading to The Asylum, which will come out in a few weeks – I don’t see Beachbody slowing down any time soon. And the non-traditional, more patient route of using those converted to the brand by reallyusing it is a smart approach that I think will pay off nicely down the road.
I love carbs. If my last meal on Earth is warm bread with olive oil and a glass of wine, I’ll die happy. But I love to be fit and lean too. So I know that if I want rock-hard buns, I’ll occasionally have to skip the cinnamon buns. I don’t live without carbs, but I do make better choices so I can still fit in my jeans. Here’s how I do it.
Carbohydrates are essential for good health. They fuel our muscles and cells so our bodies can function. Without them, we’d be as active as three-toed sloths. And while low-carb diets can be great for jump-starting weight loss, they’re not for everyone. When I go low-carb, I feel murderous within a week. So what works for me?
I eat plenty of “good” carbs. First, I make sure that the majority of my carb intake consists of so-called good carbs—oats, brown rice, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and beans are some of my favorites. I also eat plenty of vegetables, and even fruit . These foods contain tons of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein, so I get lots of energy-boosting nutrition and I stay full longer.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not immune to the lure of cookies and candy, but I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error that these things don’t make me feel very good once the initial sugar rush wears off. Since I’d rather be alert than snoozing at my desk in the afternoon, I just can’t eat like that too often. Besides, too many treats and I don’t fit into my pants. Not a bonus.
I try to eat most of my carbs earlier in the day and around workouts. When I start my day with some satisfying carbs and protein, I just feel better. Oatmeal with a little protein powder added at the end, or Shakeology® with peanut butter and a banana, and I’m off to a pretty good start. I also like to eat some carbs around my workouts. If I’m hungry, I’ll eat a piece of fruit or some berries with fat-free Greek yogurt about an hour before I train. Afterward, I’ll have a whey protein shake with fruit, or P90X Results and Recovery Formula® if it’s a particularly brutal workout. Dinnertime usually means chicken and a large salad, although I do love pasta with marinara sauce, or even cheese, crackers, and fruit. So whatever choice I make, I just eat it and enjoy it. The next day, I’ll probably eat more vegetables and protein to balance things out a bit.
If I really want it, I eat it. Sometimes a hot-fudge sundae is the only thing that’ll cure my craving. So I eat one.
I’m serious—when I decide I simply must have ice cream, I eat enough to be satisfied and then I move on. The difference is that I usually substitute that treat for whatever healthy meal I’d eat around the same time. So if the only suitable dinner choice is a hot-fudge sundae, so be it. (For obvious reasons, this cannot be a frequent occurrence. Besides, it tastes soooo much better when you really want it.)
Can you lose weight eating like this? Simply put, yes. As long as you’re eating fewer calories than you’re burning, you will lose weight on a higher-carb diet. When I need to lose weight (after a few too many pizza dinners, for example) I eat the same as always, but I cut down my portion sizes. I still get all the flavors and textures I love without feeling deprived. And I bump up my workout intensity so I’m burning more calories each time.
If you’re like me, you love to eat all kinds of carbs. But I know that in order to be as lean as I want, I need to make good choices most of the time and keep up with my workouts (I’m on a TurboFire® kick right now). As much as I’d love to eat bread and butter all day long, I wouldn’t look or feel very good. I often stop and ask myself what’s more important, this bowl of pasta or fitting into my skinny jeans again? One decadent meal will not derail a week’s worth of healthy eating. It may slow down my progress, that’s true, but I’ll get where I want to be eventually. And even better, I’ll be healthy, happy, and sane!
What does a carb lover’s weight loss diet look like?
As I get older, I can’t get away with eating as much as I used to. So when I’ve overindulged a few too many times, here’s what a typical day of back-to-basics eating might look like:
Breakfast: Shakeology with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter and one small banana.
Midmorning: Protein pancake. (Grind 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a food processor, then whisk it together in a bowl with 5 egg whites, 2 packets of stevia, a small handful of raisins, and cinnamon to taste. Lightly coat a small nonstick pan with cooking spray, preheat over medium heat, pour in batter, and cook until pancake is brown on one side. Flip and cook until the other side is brown.) I make several of these on the weekend, wrap them individually in aluminum foil, and store in the fridge. Before work, I just grab one and go.
Lunch: Large salad with kidney beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, and salsa.
Afternoon (if I’m hungry): Fat-free Greek yogurt with berries and cinnamon.
Dinner: Grilled chicken with steamed vegetables or salad. Or whole-grain pasta with marinara sauce, chicken sausage, and vegetables.
This is an article from a professional who teaches for one the most respected kettlebell training communities in the country. It was written by Dr. Mark Cheng in response to some of his students and peers who were questioning his vocal support of Shakeology. Dr. Cheng gave us permission to reprint it here.
Lately, I’ve made mention about my use of the nutritional product Shakeology, and some folks have been questioning if I’ve abandoned the RKC ranks and gone “P90X” on them. So let me set the record straight . . . definitively . . . once and for all.
I heard about Shakeology before there WAS a Shakeology, directly from the mouth of its inventor—Isabelle Brousseau. The wife of Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler, Ms. Brousseau is a singularly talented coach and highly educated researcher. She’s spent years studying the advanced principles of elite human performance from authorities around the world, and I was honored to have the chance to share Pavel Tsatsouline’s Hardstyle RKC kettlebell training method privately with her. As an adept student, she was on the fast track to preparing for her RKC instructor certification when she decided to take time off upon learning she was expecting her first child.
During the times I spent training her, Isabelle and I spoke about Chinese herbal medicine, and she mentioned she was researching ways of combining all-natural foods with the highest possible nutrient values into a meal-replacement shake designed for athletes and people-on-the-go. When she mentioned wanting to put in high quality ayurvedic herbs, Chinese herbs, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, prebiotics, and a host of other vitamins and minerals, my initial reaction was, “Yeah, right!”
My doubts were not unfounded. Having spent years studying (and consuming) Chinese herbal medicines, I had a familiarity with a good deal of what Brousseau was talking about. The ingredients she’d mentioned sounded like a wish list that only insiders would know of and only the filthy rich and well-connected could afford. On top of that, the taste of such a mixture, I surmised, would probably make even the least sensitive tasters wretch with disgust. To make a mixture that would contain the type of ingredients she mentioned, be stable enough to ship and store, and not taste like the bottom skim of a Los Angeles sewer was a pipe dream as far as I was concerned. So I filed the conversation away in my mental round file. A couple of years later, when I met with Carl to discuss a project idea, I saw the finished product on his shelf. Eager to see how far from the initial ideal the finished product had to compromise, I was in for a shock.
Not only did Shakeology have EXACTLY the type of ingredients that Isabelle had mentioned during our training sessions, but it had MORE!
Some notables:
Astragalus: widely used in Chinese medicine as an immune system regulator
MSM: one of the most popular supplements for joint health
Chia: the Mayan super-seed with more calcium than whole milk, more omega-3 and -6 than salmon, and more protein than kidney beans
THREE different proprietary blends and some vitamins and minerals that actually exceeded the U.S. RDA.
This stuff looked like it was fit for a king for sure. So I was curious to put it to the final 2 tests: taste and performance. I wanted to know if it smelled or tasted anything like what I thought it would and was curious if it’d make a difference for my high-velocity, high-output, high-mileage lifestyle.
A little background: I’m a caffeine junkie by virtue of workaholism. Ever since discovering the “joy” of all-nighter homework sessions in high school, I became keenly aware of the value of being able to work harder and sacrifice sleep. So when the NoDoz, Vivarin, and Mountain Dew lifestyle needed an adult turn after I’d graduated and started writing, teaching, treating patients, travelling, training, and trying to spend time with my family, I dove hip deep into energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and caffeinated energy bars like Pit Bull. When I speak well about a nutritional product, it’s for one reason: it helps me get my work done while keeping me healthy. Another bit of background: I’m a glutton. I love food, especially food that tastes good. I never met a filet mignon that I didn’t like, and never met one that I didn’t like better wrapped in bacon, with a side of bacon-wrapped scallops, and mashed potatoes—topped with bacon. If it doesn’t taste good, I don’t care how good it is for me. I’ll STILL probably not like it well enough to be disciplined about taking it.
The Greenberry Shakeology bag that Carl gave me turned my ball of preconceived notions and stood it on its ear. From the moment I opened the bag, the scent was wonderful, like a dessert that you’re eager to tear into. So I dumped some ice and water into the blender and dropped a scoop of the bright green powder in with it. I didn’t add juice or other fruits because I wanted to know exactly how this tasted by itself, unadulterated. The next sound I heard after taking my first sip was, “Yum!” It passed the taste test.
Next was the travel test. I wanted to see how it kept me going while traveling, so instead of my usual chain-drinking habit of Monster or Red Bull, I tried a shake or two during the day, usually with one in the morning. I brought Shakeology with me to New York, New Mexico, and most recently to Australia to see how I’d do with it, and the results were remarkable. I had sustained, stable energy, but without the jitters, aggression, and hard drops afterwards. When I travel, I travel to teach, and I have to be up, energetic, strong, and focused. My days here in LA revolve around teaching, training, treating patients, and trying to steal moments with my family. So if something doesn’t give me the energy to do what I need, I can’t waste my precious time or hard-earned money with it.
Shakeology has proven itself to be able to give me all of that on multiple occasions, both while traveling and here in Los Angeles. You can draw your own conclusions about any product you want, but I’m sharing my experiences with Shakeology here openly. And if you think I’m endorsing it only for financial gain, you couldn’t be more wrong. I signed up as a “Coach” so I could buy the product for myself! If you want to try it, you know where to find it, and get ready to be surprised how little such high-quality nutrition costs!
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When you’re trying to lose excess fat, every advantage helps. Of course, your main tools are an effective exercise program, a proper food plan, and supplements that fit your lifestyle. But beyond those basics, anything that can boost your results is a plus.
Luckily, you probably have some safe, effective, and inexpensive fat burners in your kitchen already. Include the following items in your diet plan, and you can start losing more weight right now—without even making an extra trip to the store.
Apple cider vinegar.While cider vinegar may not be the magic remedy your great-grandmother thought it was, there is increasing evidence showing that it can help you eat less and reduce the effect that carbs have on your body. The active ingredient, acetic acid, appears to improve insulin sensitivity and slow the absorption of carbohydrates, helping prevent blood-sugar spikes and excess fat storage. It can also make you feel fuller with less food. In a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, mice on a high-fat diet gained up to 10 percent less fat if they were given acetic acid than if they were given only water.
Uses
Mix vinegar with extra virgin olive oil and your favorite spices for a simple, healthful, and delicious salad dressing. In a Penn State University study, women who ate large, low-calorie salads before lunch ended up consuming 100 fewer calories during the meal itself . . . and they loaded up on extra nutrients as well.
Combine vinegar with oil and herbs to make a tenderizing meat marinade.
Add a splash of vinegar to top off soups or stews; this will brighten up the flavors.
Add a tablespoon of vinegar before boiling, steaming, or stir-frying vegetables to bring out their fresh tastes and help them hold their colors.
Cinnamon.This common spice has been found in several studies to help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar, so it helps prevent the spikes and dips that can cause food cravings. This effect may be due to healthful antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols. Keep in mind that most grocery-store brands of “cinnamon” are actually cassia bark, a close-tasting relative of the cinnamon plant. (If you want the real thing, look for “true” or Ceylon cinnamon on the label.) Both varieties seem to have health benefits, but be careful about using cassia in large amounts—it contains coumarin, which acts as a blood thinner and may cause liver problems when taken in high doses.
Uses
Add powdered cinnamon to hot or cold cereal, fruit, sweet foods, and even savory dishes such as curry or chili.
For cinnamon-flavored coffee, mix a little into your grounds before brewing.
Heat a cinnamon stick in water, apple cider, or even red wine for a spicy hot drink.
Hot sauce and red pepper flakes.The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, creates thermogenesis; that is, it temporarily turns up your body’s thermostat. Studies have shown that people who eat pepper-laced food get a small metabolic boost, and burn more fat, for up to half an hour afterward. Hot food also makes you feel full more quickly, so you’re likely to eat less.Hot sauce and red pepper flakes are great flavor boosters, too, adding zest to meals with few extra calories. You don’t need to ladle it on till there are flames coming out of your ears. A little bit will go a long way.
Uses
Add a few drops of pepper sauce to anything that needs spicing up, including eggs, soups, seafood, and even frozen dinners. (These sauces can be high in sodium, so go easy on the shaker.)
Sprinkle red pepper flakes on pizza, pasta, or sandwiches, or add to sauces or salad dressing.
Curry powder.This complex spice mixture, which contains such ingredients as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander, was created as a shortcut for preparing Indian food. While each of the spices can provide a small metabolic boost on its own, they may burn fat even better when used together. Turmeric itself has a variety of healthful properties, and shows promise as a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help relieve joint pain and post-exercise muscle soreness.Uses
Add as needed to flavor Indian and South Asian dishes.
Mix with ground beef to spice up burgers or meatloaf.
Add to soups and stews.
Mix with a little olive oil or light mayo as a dressing for chicken or tuna salad.
Ice.Really? Well, yes. Regular old frozen water has several properties that can help you in your fight against excess fat:
When you blend ice into a fruit smoothie or protein shake, you get a thick, creamy consistency with no added fat or calories. And you’re likely to drink it more slowly, if only to avoid brain freeze.
Making your beverages more refreshing encourages you to drink more, which is important when trying to lose weight.
When you drink an ice-cold beverage, your body actually has to expend calories to warm itself up to a normal temperature. Nobody agrees on exactly how much of a calorie-burning effect this has, and it’s probably pretty slight. But every bit helps.
Uses
Blend ice cubes or crushed ice with other ingredients to make thick and creamy protein shakes, fruit smoothies, or Shakeology®. (Check your blender’s instructions to make sure it’s powerful enough to chop ice.)
Add lemon or fresh mint to water, and freeze it in an ice-cube tray. Whenever you want a cold glass of fresh, calorie-free flavored water, just add a few of the cubes
Don’t keep your water ice cold while you’re working out. When it’s time for fast hydration, you’ll want a slightly cool or room-temperature beverage that goes down easy.
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Our goal is to provide you the support to help you build your business. In order to do that Beachbody has agreed to help us with getting and supporting customers. It is called the…
Beachbody spends approximately $50–$60 million each year in television advertising. In 2008, their goal is to spend upwards of $70 million. What does this mean for you?
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Shakeology continues to impress everyone who is looking to get healthy, build their energy, and lose weight at the same time. Available through the Beachbody Network of coaches at MyShakeology.com
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Results may vary. Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss and muscle definition. Consult your physician and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program or using any supplement or meal replacement product. The testimonials featured may have used more than one Beachbody product or extended the program to achieve their results. The information on our Web sites is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you experience any pain or difficulty with exercises or diet, stop and consult your healthcare provider.
The Try Shakeology® Today $1,000 Giveaway Sweepstakes, Shakeology Transform Your Health $5,000 Success Story Contest, WOWY SuperGym® Daily Sweepstakes and Beachbody Coach business opportunity are currently available only to U.S. residents. Certain limitations and restrictions apply. Please review the Try Shakeology Today $1,000 Giveaway Sweepstakes, Shakeology Transform Your Health $5,000 Success Story Contest, and WOWY SuperGym Daily Sweepstakes rules posted on TeamBeachbody.com for details. Charges will appear on your bill as Beachbody Club.
The views and opinions of authors, trainers, experts and any other contributors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect the attitudes and opinions of Pure Platinum Body, Team Beachbody or Beachbody. These views and opinions shall not be attributed to or otherwise endorsed by Pure Platinum Body, Team Beachbody or Beachbody, and may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes without the express, written consent of Pure Platinum Body or Team Beachbody.
At this year’s 2011 Beachbody Coach Summit, the Shakeology chefs came out in force with the ultimate recipes they’d developed to shake up their daily Shakeology regimen. In the Greenberry category, the winner was Sharon T. Her yummy recipe marries the deliciousness of cream cheese and strawberries to the health benefits of Greenberry Shakeology—try it today!
I try to eat most of my carbs earlier in the day and around workouts. When I start my day with some satisfying carbs and protein, I just feel better. Oatmeal with a little protein powder added at the end, or 
If you’re like me, you love to eat all kinds of carbs. But I know that in order to be as lean as I want, I need to make good choices most of the time and keep up with my workouts (I’m on a 
Cinnamon. 
Curry powder. 
