Wow, this week was a complete whirlwind! Shane and I have some big things in the works this month, and they’re all coming to a head next week. I’m OK with dealing with big life changes, but having three of them so close together is quite overwhelming – in a good way 🙂

We’re moving out of our condo and into our new home! The construction is finally finished, and we have our closing next week. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m also turning 30 next week, which, come to find out, isn’t dramatic as I thought it would be. Go figure, eh? That’s right, my birthday’s next week. Feel free to send gifts ;-P

I’ve also been very busy with online training. I recently had several spots open up, and I still have just a couple spots available – but I’m guessing they will be filled come the beginning of April. FYI – once all spots are filled, I’ll have spots open up intermittently here and there, so I will be taking a few names for a wait list who will get notified when spots do open up.

OK! On to today’s post topic…protein! One of the main questions I get from clients and readers alike is which supplements I take, and which supplements I recommend.

One supplement I take is protein powder, and I rotate month to month from vegan protein powder to whey. This is because whey protein is SUCH a concentrated form of protein, and sometimes food substances like these, when ingested in high amounts and in high frequencies, can cause allergic reactions to them. That’s why I rotate with vegan sources of protein powder every other month.

This month I was given the chance to review About Time’s proteins for a campaign I’m doing with Fitfluential.

I already knew I’d love About Time because it’s super tasty and it’s a “clean” protein. They use protein isolates, and everything is sweetened with stevia, as opposed to artificial sweeteners.

[Tweet “Protein Pancakes + Lean & Clean Protein Powder via @TrainerPaige #fitfluential”]

I had already tried About Time’s whey protein, which I actually buy myself from time to time. It comes in 10 yummy flavors, is sweetened with stevia, and has 25 grams of protein for only 100 calories. (FYI – banana is bomb!)

I hadn’t yet been able to try their vegan line of protein powders, which contain 19-21 grams of protein for 125 calories, which is actually great nutritional stats for a vegan powder!

As far as taste goes, I can always tell a difference between whey powders and vegan powders, but this one was really tasty. I tend to do the same ratio of 1 c. milk/almond/cashewmilk + protein powder + 1/2 frozen banana + acai + spinach, which is what I did above.

About Time has also come out with its own protein pancake mix – and I got to try the cinnamon spice flavor.

It actually has little cinnamon bits in the mix, which I think is what makes it so dang tasty.

What sets apart About Time’s protein pancakes is that they’re gluten free and contain 21 grams of protein per serving. And of course, they’re also sweetened with stevia rather than artificial sweeteners. To make them, all you need to do is add water, which I did the first time I made them. The second time, I also added an egg, which made them “stick together” better, but both ways were tasty.

You can also see a video of me making and trying them here.

Lastly, I was able to try About Time’s nighttime creatine protein, About TimeZz, as well as they’re pre-workout: AUX.

Zz is specifically meant to be consumed before sleeping for a couple different reasons:

• Creatine is a slow-releasing + digesting protein, which makes it optimal for the 8+ hours you’ll be fasting while you sleep
• It contains melatonin and tryptophan, both which support deep sleep

What I’ve been doing is making a creatine ice cream of sorts, by blending it with some frozen bananas, peanut butter, and a little milk in my vitamix, then eating it with a spoon. But I make sure to only eat it right before I’m about to head to bed – this stuff makes me TIRED!

Pre-workouts and Branched Chain Amino Acids are another supplement I get questioned on a lot of the time. My first answer is: they’re not necessary if you don’t feel like you need one. But my second answer is always: if you want to try it, go for it!

As far as the pre-workout goes, I’ve only tried it once, but what I did experience, I really liked! I typically stay away from pre-workouts that have caffeine in them, as they tend to make me jittery. For AUX, I skipped my pre-workout coffee, sipped a little before my workout, and then drank the rest during my workout. I can’t really say that it made me feel energized, but I will say that I definitely wasn’t low on energy that workout! And – I didn’t even miss my pre-workout coffee.

[Tweet “Lean + Clean Protein + GF Protein Pancakes: @_tryabouttime review! via @Trainerpaige #fitfluential”]

You can learn more about About Time products on their website, or find them on IG, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

Because I’m nosy… 🙂

What type of protein powder do you use, if you use one? How do you typically consume it?

Do you/have you ever taken a pre-workout supplement? What has been your experience with that?

For more fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle, find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, + Youtube. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for exclusive workouts + tips!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of About Time.