Good Greens does good for the soul

I like trying out new food products that are healthy. Especially when they are fast, easy, and healthy. Like bars. As you know I like to eat bars a lot. I don’t eat bars every day, but when I do, I opt for the healthiest ones I can get my hands on. Or try to anyway. So Good Greens popped up on my Twitter suggestions one day and I decided to give them a go. They are very confident in their product and eager to compare it to other category leaders.

Very appealing. Truthfully, the nutritional stats are amazing. The bars are also big and yummy! Besides having such great facts about their nutrition, the company does more than just provide products that taste good. Their whole ordeal has to do with the word “good” and they have three sections of the website: eat good, feel good, and do good. They want to make sure they provide products that taste good (if not great), that make you feel good about eating them, and encourage us to do good by attending various community events they support and sponsor. The whole thing makes me feel happy that the company cares so much about customer happiness and satisfaction beyond just the simple flavor quality.

Nimble energy bars Review and Nimble/QuickieChick Giftbag {Giveaway} CLOSED

Today I have something totally awesome to talk about with you guys. I recently received a fun little package… we all know how much I love Balance Bar already from my previous review of their Balance Bare bar and the s’mores bar in my Energy Bar Wars post. Today I’m here to talk about yet another product by Balance Bar – Nimble bars!

This time, Balance Bar team created a bar specifically targeted towards women. Aside from following their 40-30-30 energy formula, they have also added nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial to a woman’s health and beauty. Additionally, the bar is only 120 calories and is the first bar to be sweetened with Truvia rebiana (as well as brown rice syrup and a small amount of regular sugar – it is second to last on the list though which is pretty good!)

“Fortified with rich antioxidants, beta-carotene and 10mg of FloraGLO® Lutein, nimble provides vital nutrients for healthy skin and seven critical ingredients for women’s bodies: protein (10g); fiber (5g); calcium; iron; folate; and vitamins D and B6. Nimble contains the 40-30-30 ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat that can help stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, steady your mood and improve energy. Nimble comes in 1.16 ounce single-serve bars and is certified Kosher.”

Flavor wise, I freaking love these bars. I knew I would. The other Balance Bars I have tried were a hit and I didn’t expect anything less than amazing – I was not surprised with the satisfaction the bar delivered for my taste buds. Needless to say, I’m super excited to have been introduced to these lower-calorie women-friendly bars.

My reinforcement for clean eating + Balance Bar BARE Review

Why did I decide to eat more wholesome foods? Why did I decide to eat clean more? The are many reasons. I honestly didn’t fully realize the truth behind food additives and commercial foods till very recently, although I knew about them on the surface for a long time. It wasn’t until I started reading food blogs that I really got myself in the right mindset. About the time I started reading food and health blogs, I read the book “The Kind Diet.” While this book focuses on veganism, it taught me a lot about food in general. I am not vegan, but I have done a vegan challenge before which allowed me to notice how much dairy I really eat on a daily basis.

Over the weeks, I realized how bad processed foods are – white sugar and flour. Ever since it got stuck in my head, I’ve been focusing on not using these ingredients for myself. I find that every time I eat something processed, something with a lot of white sugar, it never fills me up. I will be hungry again almost immediately. My stomach will not notice the natural fullness feeling I would otherwise feel if I was eating unrefined foods. This became especially noticeable for me on the day I made chocolate pb&j cupcakes for my ex-roommates graduation. While I was excited I found a way to get rid of some of the refined flour and sugar which I wasn’t normally using, I absolutely had some of the outcome. The outcome was good… However I had one and a half of cupcakes. It didn’t fill me up. I wanted more food. I went for a panini but I also started craving something salty. An hour after, I started craving something sweet again. This time I decided to have some chocolate-covered yogurt bites. So good. Healthier, this time. But while the cravings lessened, some still remained. It was a huge struggle to resist all night. Really difficult. I’m entirely sure that these refined processed cupcakes were the culprit to awakening my cravings. I knew this is why. In addition, I felt tired and groggy. My joints hurt. Coincidence? Or am I just noticing this now?

I’m happy that I realize that this is a problem. I’m glad that I understand the causes of the cravings. And this serves as reinforcement for continuing my clean and healthy eating habits. I never want to have such strong cravings again – they are destructive and they are horrible when it comes to returning back on track afterwards. I will make sure to resist temptations and will make sure not to indulge in processed foods very often, only on special occasion when there aren’t any healthier options. I just can’t wait to get rid of my white four and sugar. I don’t want to throw it out though… What to do, what to do?

Remember how much I raved about the Balance Bars in my Energy Bar Wars post? Yeah, I’m such a huge fan. I think these bars are actually my favorites. But I had no idea that the Balance Bar came out with a new line – Balance Bar BARE. Because I was already a fan of the original bars, I was super excited to try these babies out.

Similarly to their original bars, these go along with their 40-30-30 model – 40% healthy carbs, 30% quality protein, and 30% dietary fat (% of total calories). This model helps stabilize blood sugar levels, satisfy hunger and provide energy. The flavor I got to try, Blueberry Acai, are their newest flavor addition. The bar has 200 calories and has wholesome ingredients and is sweetened with organic agave and brown rice syrups.

Let’s bite into it, shall we? The bar has a yogurt bottom and an oat top. Some of the top crumbled off, with some oats falling off – I see this as a good sign. This shows me that this is a natural bar, made with truly real ingredients rather than getting slathered in some binding agent. The flavor is mild but prevalent. The blueberry flavor is subtle but noticeable. The texture is in between chewy and texturized. It has a nice sweet taste which isn’t overpowering.

PS. I approached the company, not the other way round.

Energy Bar Wars: Which energy bars are the best?

I’m not a big candy bar eater. I have read about energy bars from many fellow health & food bloggers though and I became curious. I usually prefer to have real meals for my breakfast and lunch, I usually don’t opt to energy bars. Why not, though, I thought? Maybe there are some good ones out there. I though I would give it a shot. So I went to Trader Joe’s and picked up one of each over a course of few weeks and decided to compare all of the energy bars I found appealing or was curious about. These are all my thoughts and they might obviously be rated differently by different people. I know there are people out there that think “which energy or protein bar is the best for me?” or “which energy bar or protein bar tastes the best?” I know I asked myself that question. I don’t want to be stuck eating cardboard. I also don’t want to make the mistake of eating an energy bar thinking it’s healthy when it’s really not. So here is my mission: Comparing all different energy bars that Trader Joe’s offers.

Ratings are all out of 5 stars. They are rated based on the flavor indicated. I realize that some flavors might be better than others. If there are any brands of the bars that you think taste much better in a different flavor, don’t hesitate to let me know – I’d be open to trying it out and possibly re-evaluating the product.

These are my own opinions, for my own reference. Based on taste and nutrition combined. Not out to trash talk any company or sweet talk anyone either.

PROBAR Fruition Superfood Snack Review & Giveaway!

I have something totally awesome to talk about today with you lovelies. Well, I just got a package full of awesomeness. What, you might ask? It’s the PROBAR Fruition Superfood snacks. Since I’ve been on an energy bar kick lately, this one is perfect. It’s actually much different from any other bars I have tried. This one is a fruit one, rather than the typical cookie/cake/PB ones that you see most commonly. Change is good. It has also recently been awarded the “Healthy Food Award” as packaged foods by Prevention Magazine.

Let’s talk more about the bars.. PROBAR has been on a mission to move away from gluten products as much as possible, therefore they introduced a new line of gluten-free bars – Fruition. They describe Fruition as a fruit-dense, superfood snack bar (~150 calories). Fruition is designed to deliver 1 serving of fruit in every bar and is built from a 100% vegan, organic, non-GMO, gluten-free medley of dates, oats, chia seeds, and cashews.

Pre-Workout Eats and Perfect Fuel Chocolates

Although I mostly do my workouts right as I wake up in the morning, I do designate some times when I workout later in the day. Usually, that includes zumba classes, boxing classes, or yoga. Sometimes I sprinkle in some other classes for variety. But yeah, most of the time I do my afternoon/evening workouts as fitness classes because that’s really the only time the good ones are offered (unfortunately). But for those times, I always wonder – how can I prep myself up beforehand? So I decided to do some research.

• 2 hours before cardiovascular training or strength training- eat a meal consiting of complex carbohydrates- e.g. fiber, whole wheat, vegatables and also include protein (nutrient balance is crucial) this increases glucose levels that can be used for our workout and essential for maximal strength- muscle endurance is more efficient when supplied with preworkout fuel.
• Don’t overeat before exercise as it can make you feel sluggish rather than energized. It can also lead to an upset stomach and cramping.
• Not eating before exercising can also have undesirable consequences. Low blood sugar levels can cause us to feel weak, faint or tired, and it may also affect our mental ability, reducing reaction times.
• If you’re having a small snack, depending on the content, eat around 1/2-1 hour before exercise. This snack should include fast-digesting (high glycemic index) carbohydrates and very little fat (which digests slowly), so that you digest the meal quickly and the fuel is available during your exercise session. Good ideas are: fruit, certain energy bars, pre-workout supplements, fruit smoothies, etc. Try not to go for any ingredients which digest slowly such as whole wheat or anything which contains a high fiber content. The snack should be easily and quickly digestable to give you the proper quick energy you need for the workout.
• Drink plenty of fluids during the day, as well as during and after exercise.
• Some sources recommend caffeine as well, however I avoid caffeine, therefore this tip will not work for me.