No Rules

Ahhhh…. I’ve been operating by the “no rules” mindset since I got home from my 10 mile run two hours ago. I’ve plopped myself on the floor with my foam roller, laptop and water. I’m wearing my sweaty running clothes with a big sweatshirt and I only get up to eat… and eating I have been doing a lot of! In a few minutes I will jump in the shower and become a normal person in time for our cruise (!!!!), but until then, no rules!

Guess what! I ate a Larabar for a snack Wednesday. It might not seem epic to you, but for me it shows just how much my mindset has changed since going vegan. I looked at all the other bars and their mile-long ingredient lists. Trans fat, added protein, ingredients I didn’t understand. When I spotted the Larabar on the bottom shelf and read the three ingredients (dates, peanuts, salt), I grabbed it. Before I would have been too concerned about the calories  (210) in this one little bar, but now I thought of how the simple ingredients would fuel my activity. I love how at peace I am becoming with food. Yum.

I also tried a Synergy Kombucha this week! Why is that significant? Because only true health freaks will pay almost $4 for a drink that smells like vinegar! I wouldn’t say the drink was tasty by any means, but I did enjoy drinking it knowing the good I was doing for my body. I honestly felt super energized afterward, too! I’ll definitely buy this again! Thanks for the tip, Ryan ;)

Last but not least I wanted to review the Dr. Clyde Berry Bar from element bars that I sampled a while back. Here’s the sum of my review: Yesssssssssssssss!!!

element bars did everything right with this bar. Check out that awesome ingredient list…nothing bad there!

The taste was amazing, really. I tasted the almond butter first. It was smooth and creamy… I loved all the yummy chunks mixed in.

I think it’s safe to say this is the best bar I’ve ever eaten.

element bars are customizable and mailed to you. That makes them more expensive than regular bars, so keep that in mind. Still, the best bar ever. Have you ever tried element bars? What’s your favorite bar?

Well I’m off to clean up and finish packing. I have a great guest post that is scheduled to go up this weekend… let’s hope blogger works! Happy weekend!

Review! EAS Myoplex Lite in Chocolate Chocolate Crisp

A while back I reviewed a few items from the EAS Myoplex line.

Last week I finally tried my last EAS bar: EAS Myoplex Lite in Chocolate Chocolate Crisp. Holy cow was it ever yummy. I cut off 1/3 to eat before the gym. I ended up eating the whole thing it was so good- good for a full tummy, not so good for my workout. These bars fill you up like a meal!

As with the last bar, the nutritionals could be much better. But as for staying power, this is the bar. The bar is also quite large for only being 190 calories (I love deals like that!). I’d definitely buy this again for those times when my stomach needs something that sticks (and tastes like a candy bar).

***EAS has great podcasts here. With guests such Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and Professional Triathlete Justin Daerr, these are some great tools to check out!

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Smoothie King Giveaway Winners have until tomorrow (Monday) night to email me their mailing addresses. Another giveaway will be announced Tuesday- so stay tuned!

Reviewing EAS!

Tristan from EAS was nice enough (and so sweet!) to send me some products from the EAS line to sample. Especially since I'm training for my half marathon in January, I'm looking into foods/drinks that provide my body with what it needs to keep up with my training. 

Reviews

The Myoplex Deluxe Bar in Smores was huge! 

Likes:

- This bar was huge. I could cut a piece off and save the rest of the bar for other post-workout snacks.

- It really sticks to you. I promise it will keep your belly full!

- It is tasty. This tastes just like a candy bar. Can anyone say Snickers??

- The sugar content is pretty low and the protein is HIGH!

Dislikes:

- High maltose corn syrup, fractionated palm oil, ferric orthophosphate... seriously, I am having trouble even spelling many of these ingredients. For someone who favors nourishing their body with organic this and whole that, these ingredients are a bit hard to swallow.

- The size! I know I listed it as a positive, too. It might be a negative for those of you who can't always save the rest for later... or have issues with portion control! (330 calories can be a good meal substitute!)

- 6g saturated fat? Eeek!

This is the nutrition. It also has TONS of vitamins and minerals.. which is a plus.

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EAS also sent me a few drinks to try out! Myoplex Lite Ready-to-Drink in Strawberry Cream was my favorite of the drinks. The other flavors were Chocolate Fudge and French Vanilla.

Likes:

- The strawberry flavor was GOOD.

- The shakes are really thick. They actually have substance.

- The shake split into 1/2's were great pre- and post-workout snacks.

- These shakes really kept me full!

- 20g protein for 170 calories? I think it's a deal.

- No saturated fat.

- They are portable... just like little juice boxes!

Dislikes:

- The French Vanilla tasted too rich and fake for me.

- Again, the issue with the ingredients. I like shorter ingredient lists. 

Overall: I wouldn't recommend you all to eat these products every day. The ingredients intimidate me a little. I would recommend it for a once- or twice-a-week treat for something that tastes yummy, gives you a huge kick of protein and vitamins and staying protein power. After trying these, I would buy something from the EAS line.

You can get your free sample here!

Have you had any of these products? Leave your review in the comments!