DAVID KIRSCH IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

David’s Afternoon Pick Me-Up: DK Revitalizer

When you are suffering from PM body and mind burnout, instead of opting for high sugary lattes or fattening snacks from the vending machine, you need a healthy afternoon pick-me-up. DK Revitalizer is my drink of choice, a combination of the two powerhouses Afternoon Energy and Muscle Restore - both non-caffeinated so you won’t have to worry about staying up all night!

As you know, there is a fine line between feeling wired and feeling tired. My DK Revitalizer will recharge your energy without leaving you with the jitters or the crash. With natural energy-enhancers like ginseng, ginger, B vitamins, and l-Tyrosine, this afternoon snack will give you that extra lift while reducing your stress. If you have relied on sugar in the past, this is the ultimate snack to break those cravings and prevent a downward spiral.   



On the go? Make sure you are well armed against any energy-buster that comes your way. Pack a Muscle Restore packet and 2 Afternoon Energy capsules. You can prepare your snack anywhere, all you need is a water bottle!

Check out my other energy kits, including my Ultimate Energy Blast and Fuel for Your Day. By taking the right fuel at the right time, you can maintain an even, sustained energy level all day long!

David’s Morning Pick: My Ultimate Energy Blast

If you can’t get out of bed this AM, know this: there are mornings where I feel the same. And I’ll be the first to admit, those mornings can be a challenge… but I never miss my 6AM training session.

What gets me up and running? First off, knowing that I have someone relying on me. I don’t like to disappoint, especially a client with an early-morning commitment to wellness. With that initial impetus, it’s just a matter of giving my own energy level a kick.

My morning jumpstart, the Ultimate Energy Blast  never fails. The combined trio of Energy Bubbles, Muscle Restore, and Vitamin Mineral Super Juice is the ultimate pre-workout punch- minus the sugar, chemicals, or preservatives of other energy drinks. Without it, I couldn’t put my all into my training sessions, or devote adequate focus to each of my morning clients.



To all you coffee addicts:
Let’s do a little experiment: try substituting my Ultimate Energy Blast for your morning cup of Joe and see how you feel during your workout! Have you cut time on your run? Added meters to your row? You’ll notice the difference!

Is your goal more energy?” Well, you’ve come to the right place.

When I hear your enthusiasm to begin the path to wellness, I can feel your excitement- it’s contagious! I honor your commitment and strive to lead my example. I “energize my day” by following 5 simple daily tips, and so can you!

1. Eat 5 times a day (every 3 hours): Be sure to eat healthy foods throughout the day for maximum energy. A diet rich in protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron and plenty of water, will help keep you hydrated, satisfied, and energized. Boost your metabolism with small, frequent meals and burn fat all day long!

2. Say NO to artificial sugars and energy drinks! Stay away from high-glycemic, artificially flavored foods and energy drinks — they'll give you an initial energy boost, but you're likely to come crashing down just as quickly.  More on this in tomorrow’s post “Changing What You Drink”!

3. Get your blood flowing and heart pumping!  A common excuse: I don’t have enough energy to exercise. Yet the opposite is actually true: exercise creates energy! A University of Georgia analysis of 70 studies on exercise and fatigue showed that regular workouts increase energy levels. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of activity, you’ll kick-start your energy and your day!

4. Believe in yourself! I believe in the power of positive thinking. Taking a break to give yourself a pep talk can work magic. Stop and think about all that you have accomplished and remind yourself of your ability to get things done.

5. Replenish your energy level with sleep … at least 6 hours of it. Sleep is a key ingredient to a healthy metabolism and essential for replenishing your energy level. Sleep deprivation can lead to reduced levels of the hormone leptin, the “appetite-control” hormone, and lead to weight gain.

Energy is essential for everything you do. Performance at work, a good workout, healthy relationships, emotional balance and even looking youthful. Makes you wonder… “If I had more energy, who would I be?”

Let’s get started today and identify “What’s Taking Your Energy?” A daily journal will help you to uncover your energy-drainers. Track everything from your daily meals, exercise and energy level throughout the day. (Remember, you must be honest with yourself, and know your pitfalls. It’s the only way to make positive changes in your life.)

You can begin by answering the following questions…

1.   Are you allowing negative, destructive habits to drain you of your energy?

2.   Are you relying on coffee or junk food for bursts of energy?

3.   Is tiredness an excuse you use to skip workouts?

4.   Are you experiencing mid-afternoon burnout? If so, what are you eating?

5.   Are you sabotaging personal relationships because you don't have the “energy” to nurture  them?

These answers, along with your individual insights from the journal, will give you a deeper self knowledge. Now the next step is making small changes in your day-to-day routine… Tomorrow’s focus: 5 energy boosting tips!

Ever wonder where your energy comes from, better yet where it goes to? Energy is dependent upon a combination of food, exercise and sleep- which for those of you leading busy lives, the optimal balance may seem more of a fantasy than a reality.

Trust me, I know from experience. A hefty schedule can take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being. When “eating on the run” counts for your food and your exercise, it’s time to take a step back and Energize Your Day.

On the road to becoming the best you can be, my job is to lead you in the right direction, push you through obstacles, and help you find the key to unlocking boundless energy. But you must first learn to prioritize your daily wellness. A more focused, positive and passion-filled life is really possible (it really is!).

This week I want to help you to identify your energy-drainers and give you energy-boosting tips to help you feel energized during the most demanding of days! So stay tuned for tomorrow’s “What’s Taking Your Energy?” questionnaire.

Do you judge your progress by the number on the scale? Put any frustration to rest. My tip of the day: throw out your scale!

When it comes to getting the body you were born to have, BMI may not be the best indicator of your progress. Nor may it be the best motivator. Many factors affect your weight on a particular day, including the food in your belly, the time of the month, and the time of day. Sometimes the number on the scale won’t match up to your hard work, and here’s why:

Muscle Weighs More Than Fat! (and takes up much less space). Calculated by dividing one’s weight in kg by the square of one’s height in meters, your BMI fails to account for fat tissue versus lean tissue. Simply put, it shows no preference to sexy, sinewy muscles over jiggly parts. So as you shape up, your weight may not change that dramatically on the scale- even though you are looking much leaner!

So what’s the best way to judge your progress? The easiest and most reliable assessment tool is your clothing. You’ve been working hard to reshape your body in remarkable ways- redistributing weight, building lean muscle, and burning fat. But as your body’s changed for the better, it’s no surprise that your clothing has stayed the same.

Think about what’s hanging in your closet. What fits and what doesn’t? Maybe it’s time to give your wardrobe an ultimate transformation too!

Here’s a delicious recipe for you to try: “The Creamsicle”

Ingredients:
1 Packet of vanilla DK Protein Plus
1 Packet of orange Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice

Instructions:
Combine one serving of DK Protein Plus  and one serving of Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice in a blender with 8 oz of water. Mix on high until smooth and creamy. Gradually add ice to thicken the consistency.

See how easy it is to make my One of a Kind® shakes!

Check out the Protein Shake Video! Check out other delicious shake recipes, and share your own with me!

On your quest to sculpt Sexy, Sinewy Muscles, post-workout nutrition is an important piece of the puzzle. An hour of intensive training is a lot of fiber wear-and-tear. The only logical next step: feed those muscles with protein!

Amino acids are the building blocks for muscle growth. Post-workout protein helps speed your recovery, allowing you to sculpt muscle faster while reducing soreness after your sessions. Drink your protein within a 30-minute window after you workout. Your body will absorb the amino acids your muscles need to recover and regenerate faster than it would from solid foods, says a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

So what’s in a good protein shake?

I created my own form of Protein Plus shakes to serve as a post-workout snack or complete meal replacement. A good protein formula will contain the following ingredients:

• Whey Protein- ideally, 25 grams… Whey protein is essentially milk protein without the casein and sugar. I prefer it to other types because your body absorbs it most efficiently. Whey is the easiest protein to digest, helping your muscles to recover the fastest. 
• Healthy Carbs- DK Protein Plus contains only 2 grams of sugar carbs- none of these derived from cheap complex carbs derived from corn, like maltodextrin. 
• Flaxseed- Flax contains essential fatty acids, important fats that our bodies can’t make on their own and must be obtained through our diet. These fats are extremely important in literally hundreds of biological processes.
• Fiber- Getting a drink that contains a lot of fiber, and flaxseed in particular, will help keep you on the regular.
• Water Based- Stay away from shakes the recommend mixing with a juice or yogurt. You don’t need the sugars or the calories. 
• All-Natural Ingredients. Avoid anything with artificial sweeteners or flavors. The only all-natural sweetening agent on the market is Stevia.

Myth #3: Women don’t need protein.

You, me, he or she.  We all need protein. In a 4 month study of 48 women completed at the University of Illinois, women who ate more protein while trying to lose weight preserved muscle mass compared to those who followed a high-carb diet. Women in the protein plus exercise group preserved the most muscle mass.

The reality is this: protein is essential to a healthy metabolism. Increasing the amount of protein in your diet helps to preserve muscle mass, keeping the weight off long-term.

Have you heard any myths you want debunked? I’m here as always to answer all your questions…

Myth #2: Muscle turns to fat.




If you stop weight training, your muscles DO NOT turn into fat. And neither does weight training turn fat to muscle.

Muscles and fat are two different types of tissue. In the same way you can’t turn metal into gold, one tissue does not transform into another by weight training.

The reality is this: Exercise will promote muscle growth while burning fat simultaneously. For every pound of muscle you build you burn 35 to 50 extra calories a day doing nothing! The more muscle you have, the leaner you are!