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Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx
It is the last day of January. If you are like me, you started your new way of living 31 days ago. You have seen some progress (6 pounds), but you are starting to wane. If you read my last couple of articles, you would have already started on a program of supplements complete with a protein shake taken daily.
Usually a month later, you are really sick of the shake. By this time, they start getting chalky and start to taste really boring. I'm right there with you man. So, I decided to look up some different ways to take your daily protein. After scouring the internet, I found some great recipes. The best thing is....they are all dessert recipes. Just what we needed. Here they are.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie.
This smoothie makes for a tasty morning shake or a quick treat after a hard workout. You not only get your protein, but you get your fiber and antioxidants as well. To enjoy this smoothie, Make sure you have these items on hand:
- 2 tbsp flaxseed
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder.
Read the rest of the recipe and 21 others here.
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Coconut Protein Balls.
This protein snack is no bake and quick to make. You will spend no more than 20 minutes to prepare these amaze- protein-balls that everyone is sure to love. I have made them myself many times and they are always there at the right time. To enjoy these balls (see what I did there) , you will need these items
- 3 cups Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 1/2 cups almonds
- 1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 4 scoops whey protein powder unsweetened
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 coconut flakes unsweetened
Read the rest of this recipe here.
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Chocolate Protein Brownies.
There is nothing like the chewy, chocolatey brownie after a workout, Enjoy this other amazing protein snack if you are a runner, a dancer, or a cyclylist. Make sure that you have these items on hand:
- Chocolate protein powder
- cocoa powder
- applesauce or smashed bananas
- your choice of nut butter
- pinch of salt.
Read the rest of instructions here to curb your chocolate addiction.
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Tiramisu Pancakes.
At first look, these pancakes that are packed with 46 grams of protein looked to be stacked with loads of whipped cream. Take a closer look and you will find that it is whipped cottage cheese. You can also substitute greek yogurt or tofu for the cottage cheese. To enjoy this breakfast delight, make sure that you are stocked up on:
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coffee extract
Find the rest of the ingredients and the directions to caffeine bliss here.
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Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Dough.
Then, there is some of us that cannot wait for the cookies to bake. If you are a muncher like me, this recipe is great for you because it taste great and it is no less than the favorite recipe that we grew up on. To enjoy this high protein confection, just keep these staples in your kitchen:
- 2 scoops of chocolate chip protein powder
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 75g dark chocolate chips
- 125g Peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 20g of instant oats
- 250 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 40 ml agave nectar
To make this snack a reality, follow the recipe here.
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As of 9:42 Central Daylight Saving Time Friday night, the Astros (and all other baseball players) are officially the Boys of Summer, officially so far as the season is concerned anyway. When the summer solstice arrived last year the Astros were nine games off the lead in the American League West. So in addressing the rhetorical axiom “what a difference a year makes,” the difference in the Astros’ case is a whopping 14 games as they start the weekend atop their division by five games. At this point in the season last year the Astros’ record in one-run games was a brutal 5-14. In 2025 they are 13-7 in games decided by the narrowest of margins.
That the Astros are just 4-5 in road games against the two worst teams in the American League is no big deal, other than that every game counts in the standings. Still, just as was losing two out of three at the pathetic White Sox earlier this season, it is no doubt disappointing to the Astros to have only gotten a split of their four-game set with the Athletics. The A’s had gone 9-28 in their last 37 games before the Astros arrived in West Sacramento. The former-Oaklanders took the first game and the finale, as the Astros’ offense played bi-polar ball over the four nights. Two stat-padding explosion games that totaled 24 runs and 35 hits were bookended by a puny one-run output Monday and Thursday’s 5-4 10-inning loss. Baseball happens. Nevertheless, as the Astros open their weekend set versus the Angels, they have gone 17-7 over their last 24 games to forge their five-game division lead.
The New York Yankees’ offense has been by a healthy margin the best attack in the American League so far this season. The reigning AL champions snapped a six-game losing streak Thursday. The Yankees mustered a total of six runs over those six losses, including being shutout in three consecutive games. The baseball season is the defining “it’s a marathon not a sprint” sport. With 162 games on the schedule, combined with the fact that the gap in winning percentage between the best teams and the worst teams is smaller than in any other sport, making much about a series, or week or two of games is misguided, apart from all the results mattering.
The future is now
Without context, statistics can tell very misleading stories. Cam Smith is having a fine rookie season and has the looks of a guy who can blossom into a bonafide star and be an Astro mainstay into the 2030s. But it’s silliness that has anyone talking about the big month of June he’s having. Superficially, sure, going into Thursday’s game Smith’s stat line for the month read a .321 batting average and .874 OPS. Alas, that was mostly about Smith’s two monster games in the consecutive routs of the Athletics. Over those two games Cam went seven for nine with two home runs and two doubles. Over the other 14 games he’s played this month Smith is batting .213 with an OPS below .540.
Cam Smith is a long-term contender for best acquisition of Dana Brown’s tenure as General Manager. If his career was a single game Smith is still in the first inning, but if his career was a stock it’s a buy and hold. If the Astros were for some reason forced to part with all but two players in the organization, I think the two they would hold on to are Smith and Hunter Brown. Jeremy Pena would be another strong candidate, but he turns 28 in September and is two seasons from free agency (unless the rules change in the next collective bargaining agreement). Smith is 22 and under Astros’ control for another five seasons, he’s not even presently eligible for salary arbitration until the 2028 season. Brown turns 27 in August and is currently ineligible for free agency until after the 2028 season.
Angels in the outfield
Hunter Brown pitches opposite Yusei Kikuchi Friday night. Kikuchi was Dana Brown’s big in-season move last season, and Kikuchi was excellent with the Astros which set up to get the three-year 63 million dollar deal he landed with the Halos. After a slow start to his season Kikuchi has been outstanding the past month and a half, with a 2.28 earned run average over his last nine starts. Brown’s 1.88 season ERA is second-best in the big leagues among pitchers with the innings pitched to qualify in the category. Only Pirates’ stud Paul Skenes has a better mark, barely so at 1.85.
Kikuchi was a stellar rental who helped the Astros stretch their consecutive postseasons streak to eight. There was an absurd amount of vitriol over what Dana Brown gave up for him. Joey Loperfido is 26 years old and having a middling season at AAA. Will Wagner is 26 years old and back in the minors after batting .186 with the Blue Jays. Jake Bloss is the one guy who maaaaaybe some day the Astros wish they still had. Bloss is out into 2026 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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