Clean and Natural

Performance Inspired has tried it’s best and worked hard to ensure that all of our ingredients are clean and all-natural.  If this aspect of healthy nutrition and sports performance is important to you, you may want to follow it up with clean and natural ingredients as your snacks and in your meals.  I try to do this as much as possible and having access to a garden is a great way to do this.

I was blessed enough to have a father-in-law that loves gardening and has probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know about this particular way of life.  When we first purchased our home and land, he had a vision.  He knew exactly where there the was room for a garden, what plants would flourish in which areas given the amount of sun exposure and shade from trees, and when and how to plant.  Last year was our first year with a garden and it was such a fun family activity.  All of the watering by hand, caging, laying out straw to retain moisture, trimming, and proper picking helped our garden flourish.  From our family’s little piece of heaven, Grace, our daughter, was able to walk out to the garden and fill her shirt with snacks like fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes.  I especially liked the radishes with homemade Greek yogurt dip and fresh herbs.  We also had Big Boy tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, hot banana peppers, sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, habaneros, squash, and onions.  I tell you what, nothing beats a good summer BLT with fresh garden tomatoes and few slices of avocado!

This year appears that it’s going to be just as successful.  With the rain and sun that the Midwest has received throughout the past few month, our garden is thriving and I’m excited about all the of the healthy and delicious recipes in our family’s future.  You’re probably wondering why I’m going on about my garden in this blog…well, it’s because I believe in what Performance Inspired is doing by offering clean and natural products.  If you take care of your body, work out, and use Performance Inspired products as your trade-up supplements and protein, your body is like a Porsche or a Ferrari.  Would you put cheap gas and oil in a car like that?  Absolutely not!  At least not if you want it to perform at peak levels, so why would you do this to your body?  Choose clean, natural, and healthy products.  Ever heard the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen”?  I lived that and truly believe it; they definitely are.

So what if you don’t have the time or opportunity to have a garden, buy local.  Early morning Saturday Farmers’ Markets are one of my favorite events in Des Moines.  You are bombarded with great organic options like fresh herbs, raw honey, grass fed organic beef and hormone-free turkey jerky sticks, and fruit cups.  Come prepared and take a reusable bag to stock up; however, don’t make the same mistake I did before having my own garden.  I got so excited with all of the possibilities of fresh fruits and veggies that I purchased way too much and some of those great quality products went bad.  Try to plan some snacks and recipes ahead of time so you’ll know what to take.

If the Farmers’ Market isn’t your style, head to the produce section of your local grocery store.  Hopefully like my HyVee Grocery Store, yours will have a health market and organic section.  If this is possible for your, choose sprouted grain bread, like Ezekiel.  I keep mine in the freezer since it’s sprouted and remove the pieces I need and toast them as I go.  It’s also handy to keep some unsalted nuts available.  I make my own trail mix out of pecans, roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and golden raisins.  Nuts are a great snack as they provide healthy fat, protein, and are filling.  I also load up free range turkey sticks, like Nick Sticks.  I’m fond of the spicy ones.  With only 3 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of protein for in every package (each package contains 2 sticks), this is an amazing go-to snack for me.  All the flavor and none of the guilt.

The produce and products I mentioned are just a few I keep in my arsenal for healthy cooking and snacking.  If you combine this with the clean and natural protein and supplements Performance Inspired has to offer like our Whey Protein, Turmeric Curcumin, BCAA, and ZMA, your body will have the ability to perform at it’s highest levels.  As the saying goes, “You are what you eat – and nobody wants to be fast, cheap, easy, or fake!”