So there's "free" food at your friends Bday party huh? Or maybe at that corporate event? Ohhhh you just had to eat it because it was "free" huh? Well let's talk about that... is free actually FREE?

So you're looking for more info on this 3 Day Refresh by Beachbody. What better place to come then from someone who's actually done it! I tell you it came out at a great time because my closest friends and I had just spent a week in Las Vegas, I needed a good cleanse.

I'm going to assume you've done a bit of research already and been to Beachbody's website (LINK) so I don't want to waste your time with all that. I just want to give you my thoughts, meals and results. If you haven't check out this quick video explaining the program.

 

Trust me I am no cook... I don't mind cooking and on many occasions even enjoy it but I only enjoy it when I'm cooking for someone else.  If it's just me, I've often been known to skip the meal instead of taking 10 minutes out to create something.  That being said, for the times that I do get off my lazy boo-tay this is typically what I create.  

It's nothing special but it's cheap, quick, healthy and I always feel great after the meal.  I can save a lot of time by chopping up my food all while the stove and oil is being heated up.  

To Do:
- Turn stove on and begin to heat pans and oil
- Take out veggies, meat, etc and begin chopping (Smaller pieces cook faster and also save time later dealing with a fork and knife).
- If steaming add foods to steamer.
- Add rest of food to pan and cook.

- Don't forget to add spices for flavor.

Fun Tip: Steaming, or so I've heard, takes out some of the nutrients during the process and leaves them in the water below.  I have no idea if there's any scientific proof to this or if it's even enough to matter but to combat this effect I simply use that water to make green tea!  The water is already hot so all I have to do is pour it into a glass and add the tea bag, viola!

That's it.  I always keep some kinda of veggies and meat around for a meal or even a quick snack.

Happy cooking!

Have you hosted one of these things before? If not and you don't know anything about this like I did, let me describe it to ya.

A representative from Salad Master will come to your home and cook a meal for you and up to 8 friends for free. They'll teach you some secrets about cooking and put on a nice presentation for you. Of course all of this is leading up to their sales pitch at the end but regardless it's a really neat presentation.


The Lesson 
As far as the presentation it's really quite educational. Here's some of the facts I learned...
*please note this is what I was taught from them.  I haven't done any research or checked the validity of these 'facts.'

1. Cooking above 200 degrees begins to degrade vegtables of their natural minerals and nutrients.  Try to cook them between 160-180 degrees.

2. Most of the nutrients and minerals in fruits and veggies is in the first 1/8 inches layer of the skin.  Stop peeling these things.

3. Broccoli, cabbage, etc don't discard the stalks of these items.  That's where the enzymes to help you break down the vegetable lie. Make sure to add them into your meal.


The Pitch
Now about their sales pitch.  Pretty much everything about their presentation is leading you up to buying their products. What they're trying to sell you is their cookware and let me tell you this stuff is not cheap, to put it mildly.  A 5-7 piece set is going to cost you a couple grand... holy crap!

The selling point is that their products are made of medical grade stainless steal which is a non-porous metal which keeps you from using little or no oils and water to cook with.  Clean up is also easy because there isn't much to stick to and heat distribution is even also allowing for much lower cooking temperatures. There is also a lifetime warranty on the products which can also be passed down to your family members over time.

There are some other nice features to this cookware but I'll leave that for you to discover by finding a rep in your area and having them put on a show for you.


Conclusion
I'm on the fence here. The price is a bit ridiculous but if I look at it from a shear material standpoint I don't know how much medical grade stainless steal costs. I like the fact that these things have a lifetime warranty and some reviews I found online many people keep these things 20+ years.  It would be nice to know that you have the whole cookware problem solved for the rest of your life.

The design is good not great but I do love the 'coin' on the top of the lids that lets you know when your food has hit its heat point and it's time to turn down the heat on your stove. But, again I keep coming back to price here... I mean damn!

Being health conscience I can see value in these products. The jury is still out on if your metal cookware is leaching toxins into your food and if it is, is it really harming you. While I await true scientific evidence of that this option would seem to safe guard me from any harm.

Looking at the big picture here your cookware is a piece of the entire 'health pie.' It's definitely not an end all like they try to make it sound. Let's be serious working out and eating clean will get you much further and closer to overall health then some pots and pans ever will but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

What are your thoughts?  Have you ever bought any of these products?

Disclaimer:  I'm not a nutritionist.  I'm a normal person trying to find a healthy balance of working out, eating right and living a happy life. That being said these are some general rules to live by that will help everyone's lives. 

1.  You ACTUALLY aren't hungry, you're bored and thirsty, DRINK SOME WATER.

2.  There are too many rules on "this ingredient is good, this one is bad," and quite frankly most of them don't have conclusive scientific evidence either way.  Regardless, if you want to beat the system, eat single ingredient foods, then you don't have to worry about it.  Keep it simple!

3.  Try new ways of eating and use your own personal experience to determine what's right for you.  Try paleo, try vegan, try whatever, LEARN about how YOUR body reacts.

4.  Eat for YOUR goals, not someone else's.  Just because a super model or actor is eating a certain way, doesn't mean it's right for you.  Invest in a nutritionist now.  It may be a big investment but you can use the lessons you learn for the rest of your life.

5.  Vote and vote often.  Every time you buy something from the grocery store you're voting on that product being sold there.  If a store isn't selling a product than they'll stop stocking it.  Grocery stores are businesses.  It's simple, stop buying crap and the stores will stop selling it.  Together, we actually can make a difference. 

6.  If it's labeled as 'diet', 'healthy,' 'natural,' 'fat free' or any other lingo that is out there it generally isn't.  Companies use this as marketing to make you feel better about buying it.  The real foods (fruits, vegetables, etc) don't need these labels, because everyone already knows they're good for you.  Read twice before purchasing these items. 

7.  When in doubt look for labels that are HIGH in vitamin's & minerals, protein, and fiber; AND LOW in fats, carbs and sodium.

8.  Have cheat meals instead of cheat days.  Once you've mastered that, have cheat snacks instead of cheat meals.  After that, see how long you can go without cheating.

9.  Learn portion control.  It takes time for you stomach to tell your brain that you're full so give it some time.  When out to eat, order less then you plan on eating, you'll save money and maybe some inches off of the waist.  If you're still hungry, you can always order more.  I doubt the kitchen is going to run out of food.

10.  You're 100% in control of what you put in your mouth and body.  Period.