Time flies when you are having fun. It’s the middle of August! How exactly did that happen? This means I am exactly a quarter of the way through with my Health Coach Training Program through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This quarter marks a few important milestones in the program:
- The first test! It’s been quite a while since I have had to take any kind of a test with a consequence. We’ll have 4 during the course of this program, and we have to pass 2 of the 4 with a score of 70% as a graduation requirement. I am happy to report that this overachiever passed with flying colors. Quite honestly, the content of the program has held my interest, and by doing the assignments and participating in discussions, it’s definitely helped with retention.
- Health Histories. We’re getting into the meat of the program. Meeting with potential clients (unofficially, as we can’t take on clients until the 6 month point). I mentioned when I started this blog that I would be looking for people who are interested in being my willing volunteers to help me try out my new skills as a health coach. I’ve now had a couple of meetings, one via phone and one in person, with one lined up for next week. Graduation requirements call for us to submit 6 health histories over the course of the program, but it’s anticipated we’ll do many more than that – to the tune of 2 a week over the course of the next 9 months.
So…everything is going according to plan.
Yesterday I took my show on the road and discovered a great coffee shop in Woodland, Morgan’s Mill. It was such a great atmosphere to meet with potential clients (and quite honestly, I may go there for my telecommute days just to get a change of scenery.
Yesterday also marked a first for me — my first matcha latte! (I am so un-hip!). As a bariatric patient, I need to be very careful about wasted calories and excess sugar, so I scoped out the offerings ahead of time. An iced matcha latte with unsweetened almond milk and sugar-free vanilla syrup was the accompaniment for my coaching session (pictured above).
This inspired me to come up with my own bariatric version — protein-packed too!
Really, this isn’t rocket science. I looked up a few things for inspiration on Pinterest, ordered myself some matcha powder off Amazon, and came up with my own recipe.
Vanilla-Matcha Iced Protein Latte
Ingredients
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 scoops vanilla Bariatric Advantage protein powder
- Sugar-Free Torani vanilla syrup
- ice, and lots of it
Directions
- In a mason jar, pour the hot water over the matcha and shake or stir well.
- Using a blender (I used my Nutribullet), combine almond milk, the matcha mixture, protein powder, Torani, and blend well.
- Fill the mason jar full of ice, and pour blended latte over ice.
- Enjoy!
The finished product has 29 grams of protein, 11 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fat but is a satisfying and hydrating drink for these hot summer days. You can read more about the health benefits of matcha, high in anti-oxidants. Great way to start the day!
Again, this recipe isn’t rocket science, so definitely explore your own variations using your favorite protein powder or by modifying the liquid contents. Matcha is pretty strong, so you may want to start with a smaller amount and adjust for taste.