Showing posts with label get healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get healthy. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2014

Ignite Girls


I am a huge fan of fun, cute, and comfy workout apparel!! I came across a company called Ignite Girls while browsing through Instagram. I had to check out their site! So many cute tank tops! I was very excited when they agreed to send me a tank top in exchange for a review!

 They already got major bonus points for including such a thoughtful, handwritten note! 
 Not only did they send an adorable tank top...
I also got two fantastic smelling chapsticks! 

 I just love their slogan!
"Spark Your Inner Athlete" Ignite Girls is not just a clothing line.  It is a community for girls to interact with one another.  Share your love for a healthy lifestyle, learn about health and fitness, and be both girly and athletic! 

Check out their website to get the full scoop! 

This is hands down the softest workout tank top I have ever worn! It is nice and flowy which I love! I am not a huge fan of tight workout clothes…I need to be able to breathe! 
I decided to test it out at my favorite gym - Anytime Fitness! 

It seemed only fitting to do some lunges!! 
My favorite is lunges with kettle bells! I was feeling these the next day!

I am not always so smiley at the gym! 
I get very focused when it is time for squats!! 

Slowly working up to more weight...
 I have been working on getting lower!! I don't make the bar quite as heavy, but I am starting to see results!

 My favorite arm exercise is simple dumb bell curls.  
Focused on my form! 

 I am also loving the good old bench press! 
My goal is to be able to bench my own body weight! I got a little ways to go...

I ended the workout with some ropes! This really gets your heart rate up! 
30 seconds of ropes followed by 25 push ups! And repeat!! 

If you love being a little girly and athletic, then you should definitely check out Ignite Girls! They have a bunch of really cute tanks with different sayings! 
Whether you just get a couple cute workout tanks, or join the Ignite Girls community, I think you will be very pleased!! 

Check out Ignite Girls on all your favorite social media sites!


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Nutrilite Review

A few weeks ago, Pittsburgh held their annual marathon.  I have no desire to run that long...ever...but I did want to check out the Health and Fitness Expo downtown.  One of the first booths I came across was a company called Nutrilite.  I honestly had never heard of them before.  I sampled a drink mix kind of similar to a Mio or Crystal Light.  Ya know, the stuff you squirt in your water to make it actually taste good! Well the ones I sampled were awesome! A day or two later, one of the representatives contacted me asking if I was interested in some of their products.  We ended up meeting at a local Panera and he brought me one of the best free goodie bags ever!!!
This company seemed really awesome! For starters, how many people would meet with you to actually go over the products they want you to sample?! Not many! Also, Nutrilite has been around since 1934, so I am pretty sure they know what they are doing! They have everything from green cleaning products, make up, vitamins and supplements, stuff for kid, weight management, and sports nutrition.  

Of course I was mainly interested in their sports nutrition products.  We all know that I love baking with protein powder! I was so excited to try using this non flavored all plant protein powder.  While I usually bake sweet desserty foods, I sometimes like to make more savory dishes.  I already knew a couple of my recipes I wanted to use this in.  Each serving is 12.5 grams.  Only 50 calories 0.5F 0C 10P.
A great thing I learned about this company is they own and operate all of their own farms!! Can you say amazing product control!? They know exactly where all of their ingredients come from! Of course their farms are all organic and they don't use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.  

I knew this protein was going to be amazing in my Spinach Pancakes.  I would usually use vanilla protein powder, but I wanted to make this batch more savory.  They turned out better than I anticipated!
Super easy too! Mix together 4 T protein powder (25g), 6 T egg substitute (92g), 1 cup canned spinach (240g), 1/2 t baking powder, salt, and any other veggies you like (pepper, onion) Cook like regular pancakes.  The protein powder made the batter nice and thick! It mixed up very easily too, no blender or special equipment needed.  You gotta try these!!!

Speaking of protein...they also have delicious meal replacement shakes.  
Normally I don't really like to drink my protein.  I would rather make something to eat with it.  But sometimes you are in a hurry and just need a quick meal or something to keep you going!  These are perfect for that! No shaker bottle needed either.  Just toss these in your bag and you're good to go.  These are honestly the best tasting shakes I have ever had.  In the past I have had ones that are kinda gritty and really artificial tasting.  Not these! So smooth and amazing vanilla and chocolate flavor! 

Perfect breakfast on-the-go!
Each one is 140 calories 3F 15C 15P.  

More drinks! They have a whole line of energy drinks.  There are 11 flavors to choose from.  I was lucky enough to try 3 different ones. 
Now I am not gonna lie, I don't really believe in energy drinks...I know that sounds silly, but I don't really feel like they give me more energy.  But, I do enjoy them for the taste sometimes! These vary a bit and have anywhere from 8-45 calories per can.  The best part is they have no sugar.  I can't say that about most energy drinks out there...They are also packed full of vitamins and key amino acids!

I would absolutely drink the Electric Lemon Blast again!! 
Reminded me of Sun Drop! Or like a fizzy lemonade.  So refreshing!! 

I was hesitant to even try the grapefruit because I despise the stuff!! Seriously, hate it!! I wanted to do a good review so I had to taste everything...I loved it! Go figure.  It was sweet and fruity and simply delicious! The only slight downfall is that it does have 45 calories and 10 carbs for the can.  But, it was worth it to me.  

Citrus Blast also got a big thumbs up! Like an even better orange pop.  I love that these are carbonated.  I feel like sparkling drinks always quench my thirst better.  Great alternative to all the pop I drink...

I hate water! Well, I hate drinking plain water anyhow...so boring... Problem solved!! Fruit and vegetable drink mixes.  These are so much better than any comparable ones you might find at the store.  
Not only do they taste great, but they also contain a full day's worth of vitamin A and C.  I love the little individual packets.  Also, they are liquid so they dissolve super easily.  No shaking the bottle like crazy trying to get all the powder to mix.  These don't taste articial at all.  Very fruity! Only 5 calories each.  The twisted berry and mango citrus both scored a 10 from me!

You have probably figured out by now that I am snacker! My husband says I eat like a bird sometimes.  Not because I eat too little, but because I am always snacking.  Little bites here and there, all day long! I was very happy that my goodie bag contained some snacky food!
Granola is pretty much always delicious.  Not always that great for you though...Most granolas are packed full of sugar and really no better than a bag of candy! This bag of Strawberry Almond Clusters is an exception! Made with gluten free oats, strawberries, and almonds.  

This is the best tasting granola I have ever had!! Just look at those ingredients!! It is sweet from the chewy strawberry pieces but not overly sweet like some granolas that have just been covered with sugar.  The oats and almonds give it a nice crunch too.  Perfect texture.  The bag is only 150 calories 6F 19C 4P.  Perfect snack to throw in your bag for when hunger strikes!
The only bad part is that I wanted to eat so much more of it!! I am a volume eater and with granola the serving size is usually pretty small.  But, no one says you can only have one bag! This would be amazing mixed up in some nonfat greek yogurt! Would absolutely eat this again.  
Another fun product I got to try were some endurance cubes. I have tried some similar gummies from other companies before and was never a huge fan.  They always tasted really artificial, and kinda like medicine...The texture was also usually pretty awful....These were nothing like those other gummy chews!!
 The texture was perfect! I felt like I was just eating some regular old gummy bears!  They were sweet, soft, chewy, and very yummy.  
They are supposed to give you energy, but as I mentioned before, I don't always think energy snacks and drinks work for me...I would absolutely just enjoy these as a little snack or pre workout treat!!
Each serving is 90 calories 0F 22C 1P.  They have potassium and electrolytes so they would be great if you're going on a long run, bike ride, or hike! I brought them with me for a day at the park with the kiddos! Even the kids tried one and they just thought they were eating candy!

They have a line of snack bars too.  Each bar is only 100 calories.  The macros vary a bit depending on the flavor, but the Cranberry Crunch has 3F 15C 4P.  Look at those cranberry pieces! 
This bar was not my favorite.  It was a little hard and chewy, and I just prefer a softer bar.  Cranberries are not my favorite, so I had a feeling I wasn't going to love the flavor.  In general, I am not usually a huge fan of small snack bars.  Only because I feel like they are a little small and not very satisfying.  I would rather eat a bigger bar that has more protein.  However, this bar did not go to waste! My husband gobbled it up!! So there ya go, just because it wasn't cup of tea, doesn't mean you won't love it! 

I did like the white chocolate coating on the bottom.
I will have to try the other flavors.  These also come in Fudgy Brownie, Caramel Creme, and Chocolate Caramel. 

It is no secret that I am a big time protein bar connoisseur!! I never go a day without eating at least one! In addition to the snack bars, they also have whey protein bars, meal bars, and energy bars. 

I tried all the energy bars first. Vanilla Pretzel!!! That sounds right up my ally! I love pretzels and I almost always prefer vanilla to chocolate. 
You can actually see the whole pretzels under that vanilla coating!

Oh my goodness!!! This might be the best tasting bar I have ever had! It reminded me of a Take 5 candy bar, but with white chocolate.  There is caramel and a soft nougat in there too.  
Amazing!! Love the macros too! 180 calories 6F 16C 14P.  I could eat this bar everyday!!

I couldn't decide which one to try next so I tried both!! Do those look good or what??
The Mixed Berry Smoothie was so soft and just the right amount of chewiness.  The Chocolate Nut Roll had nougat, caramel, little crispies on top, and covered in chocolate. 

This tasted better than a lot of candy bars!! Of course way better for you! So in love with this bar! It was soft and sweet and I felt like I was eating dessert!
190 calories 6F 16C 15P

Mixed Berry Smoothie? Super tasty! It was like a raspberry vanilla bar of awesome! The hubby tried it too and loved it!
190 calories 4F 28C 8P.  I could live off of this line of energy bars! Wow, just wow!

Next up was the meal bar.  I got to try Lemon Twist.  200 calories 3F 29C 10P.

I will admit, I was super nervous about this one...I have tried lemon flavored bars in the past and they have all tasted like cleaning product!! I brought this one with me on a shopping trip with the hubby and I brought a back up bar in case it was awful!

Guess what!? My back up bar was not needed! This was surprisingly really good!
There was a really good layer of a lemon gel, a slightly chewy layer, and a coating of creamy yumminess. The flavor wasn't too overpowering at all.  It was not the best bar I ever had, but I would absolutely eat it again! I usually don't like lemon desserts...you won't ever see me order lemon meringue pie... so for me to like this is major bonus points!! 

Last bar was from the whey protein line.  Cookies and Cream? Yes please!
I was loving all the protein in this one.  300 calories 12F 28C 24P.

It had a chewy chocolatey layer and a then a sweet creamy layer.   It also had some little crunchy cookie pieces and was completely covered in chocolate.  If I hadn't seen the package it came in, I would have guessed this was an unhealthy candy bar!!
It was better than a candy bar! Oh my! Love love loved it! I bet you could sample this against a real candy bar and people could not be able to tell the difference.  Yum!!! The husband stole a bite and agreed it was delicious!! 

So what's my overall opinion of Nutrilite!? I would have to say that it is one spectacular company!! They have quality products that taste amazing, they have been around forever, they use the best ingredients which come from their own organic farms, and their customer satisfaction is unreal! If you are not 100% satisfied with something you try, you can exchange or return with no questions asked! What have you got to lose!? I highly suggest you go here and try some of their products.  I am so glad I found this company! I look forward to trying more of their protein, bars, and drinks in the near future :)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Protein Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!! Well, how about some healthy ice cream?! Yes, there is such things.  I am talking about a HUGE bowl with only 140 calories AND 44 grams of protein.  It tastes good too!! And there are soooo many flavor possibilities! Take a look at that bowl!
FYI...that is not a small bowl! That is a mixing bowl! Which is overflowing...with goodness...

Ok, ingredients you will need are:
Protein powder of your choice.  Casein or whey will work, any flavor at all!! I am using vanilla ice cream because it seems appropriate! Milk, I am using my favorite unsweetened almond milk :) The magical ingredient - xanthan gum!! You can find this at most grocery stores in the gluten free or baking section.  Go get some!!! Also, any other flavorings you want to add.  I am using some sugar free english toffee syrup.  You could add vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon....whatever!!

You also need a decent blender that can at least blend ice! I got everything nicely measured out.  1 scoop protein powder (30g), 1/2 cup milk (120ml), and 1/2 t xanthan (2g).  
Throw all that into your blender along with any other flavorings you wish.  I also added some wonderful cancerous Splenda!
You can add as much ice as you want.  I use about 4 cups.  Just wait til you see what the magical xanthan gum does to this!!

You may also need to add a little water or extra milk to get it all mixed smoothly.  Once you get a good consistency, turn the blender on high and let it blend for 10-15 minutes.  
I know I know, that's a long time to blend...trust me!!!
MAGIC!! Remember how we started at 4 cups?? Now we have 9 cups of ice cream!!!! 
 That is what xanthan gum does! Volume!!!! I believe McDonald's uses it in their milkshakes...but this is waaaay healthier than anything from that place!

Scavenge your cupboard for a bowl big enough to fit all this goodness...
Mixing bowl it is...

Time for toppings!!! Can't have ice cream without toppings right?? You can add basically anything you can think of! Sprinkles, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped cream, fruit, nuts...
I am keeping them calories low so Walden Farms it is! If you never heard of these before I can't be your friend you should try them! A little pricey but they are calorie free!! Gotta love fat free Reddi wip too! 
Woah!!! I don't know if you remember or not, but this whole bowl is only 140 calories!!! Maybe 145 with the whipped topping...Plus 25 grams of protein! What?! Now that is a dessert.  
Oh my....And this dessert will fill you up!! Volume + protein = fullness!

Protein Ice Cream
  • 1 scoop protein powder (30g)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (120ml)
  • 1/2 t xanthan gum (2g)
  • other flavorings...syrups, spices...
  • sweetener to taste
Add all ingredients to blender.  Add some water if necessary to blend smooth.  Put blender on high for 10-15 minutes.  Eat all the ice cream!!! Top with whatever!!

140 calories without toppings
2g Fat
4g Carb
25g Protein