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5 tasty ways to take your protein powder

5 tasty ways to take your protein powder
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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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Dusty Baker chose his words very carefully. Composite Getty Image.

On Thursday Dusty Baker made official what had been speculated for weeks – he will not be returning as Astros manager in 2024.

This was not a retirement announcement. Technically his contract with the Astros had expired. Thank you for a job well done. Good luck with your future endeavors. Don’t be a stranger. You’ll always be a part of the Astros family.

He wasn’t fired for the same reason. You can’t fire someone who is no longer an employee of the organization.

He’s just not returning. Let’s leave it at that.

Basically Baker was just getting in front of the situation. He’s smart. He wanted to control, at least appear to control his destiny. By announcing that he won’t be back as Astros manager, he saved owner Jim Crane and general manager Dana Brown a possible backlash of dumping a 74-year-old future Hall of Famer.

This way, there is no bad guy. Baker is leaving and it’s his choice. He goes out with dignity intact. Now he can return home to Northern California and spend his days hunting and fishing and, as Marvin Zindler used to say, whatever makes you happy.

Baker used the old “you can’t fire me, I quit” tactic. At least he didn’t tell the Astros to “take this job and shove it.”

The first recorded ploy of “you can’t fire me, I quit” was in 1964 in, oddly enough, the Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer animated TV special. Rudolph performs the song, “We’re a Couple of Misfits.” The lyrics go “Why am I such a misfit, I am not a nitwit, they can’t fire me, I quit!”

In 2023 Dusty Baker was a misfit in the Astros organization.

Reports had circulated for several weeks that Baker would not be invited back for 2024. The decision was inevitable and probably best for both Baker and the team. The Astros were flailing in second place, more threatened by the Mariners creeping up the standings than the Astros overtaking the Rangers for first place in the American League West. Plus there were disagreements between Baker and management over how to award playing time to roster players. Baker clearly had grown tired of being told how to run his business.

There’s a saying that a new broom sweeps clean. Earlier this year, Crane hired Brown as the Astros new general manager. One of the key decisions, perhaps the biggest, that a general manager makes is who manages the team. Dana Brown didn’t hire Dusty Baker.

Dusty Baker wasn’t a Dana Brown guy. While the Astros made it to Game 7 of the ALCS, it was a troublesome regular season. The Astros finished with 90 wins, 16 fewer than their World Series title year in 2022. There are cracks in the team’s foundation that must be addressed from a new perspective. This is Dana Brown’s team moving forward.

Listen to Baker’s carefully chosen words – and what he didn’t say - when he broke the news to USA Today that he would not be managing the Astros in 2024.

“What I really appreciate is that Jim (Crane) has been totally honest and transparent with me on all things,” Baker said.

That could either mean that Baker read the writing on the wall or was told that a decision had been reached to move in new a direction after the 2023 season.

“I have a lifetime of knowledge, much more than those who have never played the game.”

He might be talking about fans and the media, who have been on Baker’s back this season for his perplexing lineup choices and other strategy moves. Baker can read the newspapers and he has a radio in his car. He likely recognized that he had lost much of the public’s support.

But listen to his closing words.

“I still have a lot to offer, baseball has been my life. I’m gone, but I will be back.”

Baker is 74. If the phone were to ring tomorrow and it’s a team looking for a veteran manager with playoff experience … "when do I start?"

Remember Daryl Morey’s reason for leaving as Rockets general manager on Oct. 15, 2020 after 13 years in Houston. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Seventeen days later he signed to become president of basketball operations with the Philadelphia 76ers.

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