Shakeology® Is Low-Glycemic: What That Means and Why It Matters to You!

What's the Glycemic Index? Simply put, the glycemic index is a way to measure how carbohydrates react in your blood. When you eat carbs, your blood sugar level rises anywhere from a little to a lot. The GI (Glycemic Index) uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher numbers given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar.

What do high-GI foods do to my body? They cause the body to produce higher levels of insulin, but sometimes too much. This gives you an energy burst known as a "sugar rush." It feels good at first, but then your blood sugar drops rapidly and you "crash." Eating low-GI foods is a smart way to avoid this, because they stabilize your blood sugar levels instead of spiking them.

What kind of high-GI foods to steer away from and why:

Foods with a high GI (above 70) include white bread, pretzels, potatoes, and most processed foods. Eating these foods triggers a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, which:

• Encourages the body to store fat
• Creates a cycle of hunger pangs and feeling unsatisfied
• Causes an energy crash that leaves you irritated or tired
• Can lead to high blood pressure, fluid retention and diabetes

In contrast, foods with a low GI (under 55)—like broccoli, oatmeal, peanuts, and Shakeology—help stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, which:

• Increases levels of glycogen, a hormone that causes body fat to be burned
• Helps satisfy feelings of hunger
• Helps balance moods
• Reduces the risk of heart disease, helps control diabetes, and positively affects the aging process

So you see, eating low-GI foods like Shakeology is good for you! Shakeology's GI rating of 24 is much lower than most fruits and some vegetables. Low-GI foods help keep your sugar levels in check while supplying nutrition that satisfies, energizes, and helps promote good health!

20 secrets of VERY FIT PEOPLE

By Chalene Johnson

Here are a few Turbofied tips. Read these tips, then print and post them so you have them as a daily reminder. Look at exercise as a pleasure and a privilege, not a burden or chore. Think positively about the changes regular exercise will produce. Rather than obsessing about your next meal, get excited about your next workout! Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 6 or 7 days a week. If some days you exercise once in the morning and once in the evening, even better! If you're eating right, exercise will fuel your energy level! Create an exercise schedule the day before instead of leaving it to chance or waiting to "find" the time. If the last three Presidents of the United States can make time to work out every day, you can make time too! Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or friends to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who want to feel better and have more energy. Have a neighbor who's sitting on the porch every morning when you walk by? Ask him or her to join you on your walk! Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising, or using things that keep you motivated and inspired, like new shoes or great music. Invest in the right tools—good shoes, a portable MP3 player or iPod®, fitness equipment, a new series of tapes, etc. Subscribe to fitness magazines to keep focused on health as an overall way of life. Eat well-balanced meals and remember that excess calories, even if they're from food that's fat free and high in protein, will turn to excess weight. No matter what the latest fad diet says, extra calories equal extra weight! Limit caffeine and exposure to even secondhand smoke. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and drink from it often. Water should always be your drink of choice. To kick things up every once in a while, try adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few berries to liven up the flavor without adding significant calories. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Remember that no matter how hard you're working out, if you're consuming too many calories, you'll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue. Keep a daily log of what you're actually eating. This includes every time you grab a handful of chips here or eat the crust of your kid's sandwich there, and ALL of your snacking. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) "unhealthy" treat, but never an unhealthy week or unhealthy vacation. If your diet is unbalanced, take daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health. Don't compare your body to others'. Instead, work to be your personal best. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit, not some number on a scale. Get adequate amounts of sleep, but remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions.

The Shakeology® Peanut Butter Cups

May we just say, these little things are genius! And even better, you can make them 100% vegan by using the all new Chocolate Vegan Shakeology^®.

Not only will you get all the benefits from Shakeology, such as vitamins and superfoods, but you'll also get the benefits of coconut oil (our new favorite ingredient around Beachbody^® HQ)! Coconut oil is the newest wonder-food known to be great for hair care, skincare, weight loss, digestion, immunity, healing, and more. Key takeaway: It keeps things flowin' and keeps your body, skin, and hair moisturized! What's better than that?

So add one tsp. of coconut oil to your morning shake if you want daily benefits, or pop these delicious treats when you're in the mood for a healthy dessert! Enjoy.

Inside Out Shakeology Peanut Butter Cups (makes 2 servings)

2 tsp. Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
2 Tbsp. Chocolate PB2^®
2 tsp. unrefined coconut oil
2 Tbsp. water
2 mini foil cupcake holders

Directions: In a microwavable dish, melt coconut oil. Stir the PB2 into the coconut oil and set aside. In another small dish, place Chocolate Vegan Shakeology and gradually add water to get the Shakeology into a thick, pudding-like consistency. Now, take the foil liners and put a tiny amount of the PB2/coconut oil mixture on the bottom of the foils. Next, add a layer of the Shakeology. Finally, top off with another layer of the PB2/coconut mixture. Pop in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!

PB2 is a registered trademark of Georgia Belle Plantation, Inc.

Posted in Heather MacDonald, Shakeology^® Recipes. "The Shakeology^® Peanut Butter Cups