Let's Get Fit!

Back in October I was sent some of the Raw Revolution bars to sample and I've finally worked my way through all of them! I was really excited to try them after seeing them on Gina's blog and when I found the Mango flavor in Cincinnati I was itching to try more.

Why a raw food bar? From the Raw Revolution website:

Raw, living foods are clean, and have higher nutrient content than cooked food. Processed foods such as protein isolates and grain based fillers are acidic and cause fermentation in the body. Raw Organic foods are closest to their natural state, bringing us closer to healing ourselves and the global ecology.

How did Raw Revolution start?

When I made raw snacks for my son as an alternative to high sugar processed snacks, friends also loved the taste and suggested selling them. That seemed impossible. As a single mother of an active two year-old, working full time, how would I start a business? Well, I found time to develop the Brownie, tested them out and got great response. Even the average person, not just a health food nut, loved the taste.

Probably the best flavors were the chocolate ones, they are sweetened with agave nectar and are a decadent treat. I usually ate them for breakfast and I know I'll be adding them to my list in the future. I was NOT a fan of the Spirulina & Cashew flavor though, it was pretty weird and just didn't taste good to me. All the other flavors (especially the Chocolate and Raisin flavor) were really good! You can purchase the Organic Live Food Bars on Amazon for $18.15 (for a pack of 12) and the All Natural Live Food Bars on Amazon for $26.00 (for a box of 20).

Have you tried eating raw? What's your opinion on raw food diets?



Disclaimer: Raw Revolution provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review.

Since I've been so busy with the Indianapolis Monumental Half-Marathon I have quite the backlog of product reviews. Towards the middle of October, Sandra from Tropical Traditions sent me their Coconut Cream Concentrate for me to try and review on my blog. We've since used it in place of traditional coconut milk in recipes and also just used as a spread on bagels. Yummy! It's a very versatile product and since it's actually a food instead of an oil you can really taste the coconut flavor when you use it in recipes!

From the Tropical Traditions Web site:

Coconut Cream Concentrate is certified organic whole coconut meat in concentrated form. It contains no additives (not even water). The dried coconut meat is ground into a very fine powder, giving it a creamy consistency due to its high fat content. Since it is 70% fat, it is a rich source of pure coconut oil. Note: this is a food, not a cooking oil.

The Coconut Cream Concentrate is very tasty and I was impressed by how low in calories it actually is for a tablespoon! A little more about Tropical Tradition's Coconut Cream from their Web site:

Commercial coconut milks and creams are generally sold in cans, or sometimes boxes and tetra packs. The main ingredient in these products is water. If the fat content is 17%, it is called "coconut milk." If the fat content is 24%, it is called "coconut cream." But most of what you are purchasing is water. Coconut Cream Concentrate, on the other hand, has NO water, and is pure coconut...Coconut Cream Concentrate, however, contains NO additives and NO preservatives at all: it is 100% natural coconut made from certified organic Philippine coconuts grown without pesticides or fertilizers. Coconut Cream Concentrate comes packaged in 1 pint or 1 quart glass jars.

The Coconut Cream Concentrate retails for about $10.99 for a 16 ounce jar and $19.50 for a 32 ounce jar. You can purchase it on the Tropical Traditions website or on Amazon.



Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Back in August when I was looking for vegetarian protein sources I was sent a sample of Sun Warrior's Raw Vegan Protein Powder in both Chocolate and Vanilla from Annette at Sun Warrior. I was really excited to try these as I had seen them on Heather's blog and she always raved about how tasty they were!

From the Sun Warrior website:

Sun Warrior Protein is over 85% pure protein, totally Raw, and entirely Vegan. As budding Sun Warriors we now have the opportunity to fulfill our health goals and higher life purpose with strength and wisdom. Sun Warrior Protein has an extremely high digestion efficiency rating, allowing a wealth of nutritional benefits to saturate every cell in our bodies quickly and completely. The more super-powered nutrition our bodies can absorb, the easier it is for our inner grace and wisdom to manifest as vibrant beauty.

I thought the vanilla was really good but the chocolate was a little chalky for my tastes. I would definitely pick up the vanilla again though. The powder reminded me of Jay Robb's Brown Rice Protein and I was impressed that this was both raw and vegan! You can purchase these through the Sun Warrior website for $48.95 a 2.2 lb tub or get it through Amazon.com for $37.25 shipped (for the same 2.2 lb tub).

What has been your favorite kind of protein powder (e.g. brown rice, whey, egg white, soy isolate, etc.) and why?

Back in August I was sent a variety pack of Pure Bars from Rebecca to sample and enjoy. I was really excited to try these after seeing them everywhere in the Blogosphere. These were SO good, I know I'll be buying boxes of them in the future!

From the Pure Bar site:

Why is Pure Bar different than other snack or energy bars?
Pure Bar really gives you the most nutritional “bang for your buck” in a snack or energy bar. It delivers the highest amount of antioxidant loaded fruits, heart-and brain-healthy nuts, 4-5 grams of organic fiber, and 6-7 grams of organic protein. You get all this in a minimally processed bar that is as close to raw as a packaged food can get. And, it’s really delicious!

I really like their statement on purposeful eating on their website too:

Pure Bar is all about Purposeful Eating. What does that mean?
People now are making conscious choices in everything they do – from the cars we drive to the way we spend time with our family to the foods we eat. Raw, organic, minimally process foods reflect a kind of eating that has purpose and intention. When you practice Purposeful Eating, you understand that good health contributes to the overall quality of your life. It’s simple, it’s easy and it works.

They come in six delicious flavors:

1. Choc Chip Trail Mix (made with real cacao nibs)
   
2. Apple Cinnamon (my favorite)
3. Chocolate Brownie (such a decadent treat)
   
4. Cherry Cashew
5. Cranberry Orange
6. Wild Blueberry
   

Each bar was a delight to eat and actually tasted like their descriptions! I can't begin to say enough good things about these bars. Especially since they are raw, organic, vegan and use agave nectar for any added sweetness! YUM! Each bar also has 1.5 servings of fruit.

You can find these for sale at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and in my area I can even find them at Meijer! Check out their store locator on their site for any locations within 20 miles of your zip code. You can pick them up for $1.99 in stores or on the Pure Bar website for $23.88 for a box of 12.

What's your favorite type of snack bar?

Last month I was sent a variety pack (chocolate and vanilla cream flavors) of EAS Daily Nutrition Myoplex Protein Shakes from Abbot Nutrition (thanks Nicole!). I was really excited to try these as they have been getting rave reviews in the blogosphere.

From the EAS Site:

EAS Myoplex® nutrition shake with new great tasting strength*formula in a convenient reclosable 14 fl. oz. bottle. Trusted by players. Proven in the game. For years pros have used EAS Myoplex products to help maximize performance. The proprietary blend of protein helps to rebuild lean muscle. The right mix of carbohydrates with 23 vitamins and minerals helps to energize and refuel after your workout.

I thought that it did wonders in refueling me after my long runs and strength workouts. I wasn't very hungry and they really hit the spot. I didn't find myself feeling cranky afterwards and I know it was a great way to boost my protein consumption on running days with the 25 grams of protein.

I really liked the vanilla cream flavor more than the chocolate cream flavor. The vanilla cream reminded me of a marshmallow! These were so sweet and creamy, they didn't even taste like a regular protein shake! I was really impressed with these and will be adding them to my recovery arsenal in the future!

You can order these through the Abbot Nutrition site for $38.99 for a case or you can pick them up at GNC and Target. I know I'll be picking them up for a special treat during my training in the future!

What are some of your favorite post-workout treats?

Last month I was sent a wonderful package from Desiree at Sencha Naturals. It was filled with different flavors of their Green Tea Mints and Green Tea Bars. Both the mints and the bars come in Original, Delicate Pear, Lively Lemongrass and Morning Lychee.

Both the bars and the mints are vegan and fair trade certified. From the Sencha Naturals site:

The goal was to create a socially responsible company that utilized this potent herb in substantial levels to address a variety of conditions. The result: after three years and numerous trials and tribulations, SEN CHA Green Tea Mints were developed. Shortly after, SEN CHA Green Tea Bars were released, in the same flavor varieties as the sugar-free mints. All SEN CHA products are certified vegan, gluten/wheat-free, and contain Organic Fair Trade certified green tea extract.

I loved the mints, the individual servings of the three mints (equaling one cup of green tea) were perfect to take on runs to give me something to nibble on and keep me from getting dehydrated. I loved having something sweet to savor, that has health benefits too!

The bars were a different story though, I really wanted to like them but there was just too much going on with the flavor and they were way too sweet for my liking. One bar is equal to three cups of green tea so there are a lot of benefits to the bars, but they just aren't my cup of tea (ha!).

I know the hubs thought it was the combination of the candied ginger which didn't play well with the rest of the flavors but I wasn't so sure I wanted to test that theory. I did try each of the flavors and found the original the best (it was the least sweet of the different flavors). I would highly recommend the mints instead of the bars.

You can purchase the bars on Amazon for around $20 a box depending on the flavor. The mints are on Amazon for $27 if you purchase the variety pack of nine tins.

What is your favorite type of tea?

Back when I was sent the Vega Naturals bars by Kelly from Sequel Naturals I was also sent samples of their Whole Food Smoothie Infusion and Whole Food Health Optimizer. I tried the Berry flavor of the Whole Food Health Optimizer.

From the Sequel Naturals site:

Give your favorite shake or smoothie an instant boost of complete protein, fiber, Omega 3 EFAs and green foods! Just blend Vega Smoothie Infusion with some fruit, ice, water or juice to create a whole food fortified custom smoothie creation your entire family will enjoy. Vega Smoothie Infusion is made exclusively from natural plant-based whole foods. Alkaline-forming and easy to digest, it provides premium nutrition in a convenient, affordable format. Clean and green, Vega contains no common allergens including corn, dairy, gluten, soy, wheat and yeast.

I think both of these were a great way to easily kick up the nutrition of your regular smoothies or green monsters! Personally I enjoyed the peace of mind that both of these afforded. I loved knowing that I wasn't missing anything in my nutrition AND it was vegan without any common allergens!

I would recommend these if you were looking for something other than a multivitamin to ensure that your smoothies and green monsters were giving you the proper balance of nutrition. A lot of times though i just prefer to get my nutrition from whole foods - but powders can definitely help increase the nutritional value of our meals!

You can purchase these at Whole Foods or at the Sequel Naturals website for $2.50 a single serving.

Do you use a lot of nutrition enhancing powders for your smoothies and green monsters?

Recently I finished Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It's taken me a bit to get around to reviewing the book because I wanted to mull it over a bit before discussing this presentation of vegan/vegetarian living.

Let me start by saying I really enjoyed the book and I liked the funny way that a lot of the things were presented. That being said I could have done without the constant berating of the reader. I also didn't agree with some of the more holistic statements about fasting and the energy that the animals exhibit when being slaughtered. Some of those claims came across as more fiction than fact.

I did really enjoy the lists of processed ingredients towards the end and a listing of vegan foods. I didn't agree with how processed so many of the foods were but I did find them helpful in refining my healthy lifestyle. Also I have to say that the chapter on pooping made me laugh. I appreciated it because of my troubles at the beginning of this journey with upping my fiber intake and running. (Sorry, possibly TMI?) I found the book to be a great motivation to move more, eat less processed crap and just start looking at being healthy overall.

As you can see, I really enjoyed this book for many reasons, but I haven't made the plunge to vegetarian. I'm struggling with lean protein sources and I find that I don't get as many grams of protein from vegan/vegetarian foods, so until I learn to better balance my diet I think I'm going to remain a flexitarian and eat meat occasionally. I know I could do it if I had three protein shakes a day or had a ton of soy products but I don't know if I want to go down that path yet. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about what they are ingesting and also if you need a little motivation to go out and get healthy!

What books have you found to motivate you to get healthy?

Last month I was sent a sample of each of the three types of protein powders offered by Jay Robb by Mr. Sexy Hot himself!

I was really excited to try these and compare the three types that Jay Robb offers, the Whey, Egg White and Sprouted Brown Rice protein! I also was glad that he sent them all in vanilla to compare the flavor and consistency of each type of protein!

A little more on the brown rice protein from the Jay Robb website:

Jay Robb Whole-Grain Sprouted Brown Rice Protein is created using a patent-pending low-heat process that naturally extracts the protein fraction of whole-grain sprouted brown rice. To this we add our famous Jay Robb natural flavors and stevia to create a silky-smooth, vegan, and hypoallergenic, non-GMO, cold-processed, outrageously delicious, highly nutritious, complete protein.

I think this was my favorite of the three powders. It was really tasty and I thought it had the most vanilla flavor. Out of the three I could taste the vanilla the most and it wasn't artificial tasting at all!

A little more on the Whey Protein from the Jay Robb website:

Formulated by Health and Fitness Expert Jay Robb to meet the highest standards. Our ingredients contain No gluten, No msg, No casein, No artificial colors or flavors

Jay Robb's Flavored Whey Protein, is made with stevia and is from grass fed cows not treated with rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone). You'll get 25 Grams of great tasting natural protein powder in our Whey Isolate and 24 grams in our Whey Concentrate. It's fat free, has no artificial sweeteners no Casein No MSG and is gluten free! If you have food sensitivities then try our unflavored whey protein Isolate.

I really liked how easily the whey blended into my shake and wasn't chalky at all! It was very refreshing and I loved how much my green monster seemed to blend up better when I added the Whey protein!

A little on the Egg White protein from the Jay Robb website:

We believe that nothing on the market out-performs our Egg White Protein Powder. In the world of protein, egg albumen is nearly perfect! And our egg white formula is chock-full of PURE egg albumen! plus our Egg White protein formula contains no cheap fillers or sweeteners like fructose, malto-dextrin and glucose polymers-plus it contains NO FAT, making it ideal to blend with a high quality oil like Barleans Flax Seed Oil.

This was probably my least favorite of the group. I thought it was sweeter in flavor than the other two and the aftertaste stuck with me more than the other two powders.

Overall I would highly recommend the Brown Rice and the Whey protein powders for anyone looking for great tasting protein powder! I would use the egg white again, but it wasn't my favorite and I wouldn't purchase it again.

You can purchase the Brown Rice powder at $33.73 for a 24 oz container, the Whey for $43.76 a container and the Egg White for $43.38 a 24oz container.

What are some of your favorite protein powders?