Your mother was right all along when she said, “You need to eat your greens.” In today’s world that can be difficult with busy schedules, travel—you name the excuse. However, eating the proper blend of greens daily ensures your body will receive the right amount of fat-fighting micronutrients it needs to support weight loss goals and obtain overall wellness.

Nothing beats the real deal of fresh green, leafy, fibrous veggies that pack a powerful nutrient punch. The reality is that an estimated 25% of Americans eat their minimum of 3 servings of greens per day. In my opinion, all of us need at least 3 servings daily at the absolute minimum, and many of us need far more to reach our own personal pinnacle of health.

Getting your daily recommendation of veggies supplies your body with beneficial antioxidants. Greens can also help balance the pH of our bodies, which creates an internal environment that is not only balanced, but also primed to burn excess body fat. Getting added calcium, iron and folic acid are just a few of the other added benefits of getting your greens.

Now that we have established how important high quality greens are to your health, let’s make sure we don’t forget the power of protein. Did you know protein is a vital part of every cell in your body? Needless to say, getting enough quality protein each day is a big deal. Many of us think of protein solely for building muscle, but it is also equally important in building our bones, skin, cartilage and even the blood flowing through our veins. Also, your hair and nails consist mostly of, you guessed it, protein.

Protein differs from the other two macronutrients, carbohydrates and fat, in the way it’s not stored in the body in excess. You need to continually funnel protein into your body daily to ensure all the processes mentioned above are happening. Think of protein as an essential building block in your life. Currently, the U.S. RDA is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Depending on your goals and training habits, that number can be much higher. If you are not getting this much complete protein in your diet daily, you are doing your body a huge disservice.

As I mentioned before, the world we live in now is busier than ever. Prepping meals, making quality time to sit down for dinners, traveling and so on has made everyday life a little harder. If you find yourself failing to reach your goal of protein and greens per day, Olympian Labs has created an 8 in 1 Ultimate Greens with Protein powder supplement.

Now, nothing beats the real thing, but if you are looking to cover the gaps in your nutrition, looking for an answer when you are on the road or if you’re too busy to prep your veggies and protein daily, this is the product for you. In just one serving of 8 in 1, you will receive five servings of greens for the day, including 22 grams of protein, which is similar to eating roughly 3 ½ eggs. Just scoop, mix with water and go. In addition, you get high quality dietary fiber, digestive enzymes and a probiotic blend to ensure proper gut health and digestive function. In all reality, 8 in 1 is a great addition to any current nutrition plan covering everything from greens to protein to probiotics to antioxidants and vitamins/minerals.

If nothing else, having a jar of 8 in 1 on hand when you travel or in your home at the end of a long, busy day will ensure you never skip a beat in your quest for health this year.

Until next time, eat well, train hard and be nice to people!