8 lbs! lost in a few weeks: Cinnamon, Lowish Carb, Highish Protein, High Intensity Interval Training...

I'm heading out to Florida in a couple days so I don't have the time right now to list out all the recipes and the different products I'm using for low-ish carb, high-ish protein, medium fat (or low, it just depends on what works for you and you alone), vegan food. This is not gluten or soy free, but it's mostly tempeh, lots of greens (kale), and my Plant Fusion (a very excellent protein profile without limiting amino acids and has BCAAs to help protect my muscles) protein smoothies.

Here's the recipe for the Plant Fusion smoothie:

1 1/2 scoops of Plant Fusion*
8 oz. Plain Almond Milk
2-4 oz. Cold Water
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon 3/6/9 Oil
1/2 tablespoon Vitamineral Green super food
1/2 to 1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon (yes, it's a lot) of Ceylon Cinnamon (this is a sweet, not bitter, real cinnamon)

*30 g of protein. I like to get 20 - 30 g per meal x 5 low cal (200-250) meals to make it about 1000 - 1100 calories a day but without hunger due to the protein levels. This is what works for me.

Blend until smooth, scrape the sides. Add small amounts of water to get it to thin out as you like it.

Why Cinnamon?

It provides an excellent metabolism boost among other major benefits. My mother is an RN and has recommended it to people with type 2 Diabetes, they don't have to take insulin anymore. Women suffering from PCOS (like I used to before I lost the weight) have taken it and have conceived afterwards. I feel that cinnamon combined with resistance, high intensity interval training and high plant protein with low-ish refined carbs (I eat all the greens I want) has had amazing results for me.

Cinnamon and Glucose
In a study conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, scientists isolated the insulin-enhancing elements in cinnamon in order to determine if they could work effectively with glucose intolerance. The research showed that the phytochemical extracts of epicatechin, phenol and tannin contained in cinnamon helped increase the metabolism of glucose "20 fold." According to Dr. Richard A. Anderson, who conducted the study, consuming approximately ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day can help balance blood sugar levels, along with cholesterol and triglycerides with no side effects.

In an article published in the American Diabetes Association's "Diabetes Care," a study created by Alam Khan, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Anderson's lab, corroborated that cinnamon is able to improve conditions in blood glucose type 2 diabetes. He divided 60 people with the disease into groups, with some taking daily doses of cinnamon and others taking a placebo. After 40 days, those consuming cinnamon showed a marked positive change in glucose levels. Once the diabetics stopped taking cinnamon, their blood sugar levels rose again.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/110751-cinnamon-glucose-levels/#ixzz1AH8ot0nq