reviews

2013 Healthy Holidays Gift Guide

With all of the food and extravagance of the holidays, it can be difficult to stay healthy and make good choices. Many holiday gift guides I’ve seen have been for products that are grandiose splurges, and not necessarily mindful of a healthy lifestyle. In this post, I am highlighting gift ideas for a healthful life, both for weight loss surgery patients and their loved ones.

Crio Bru

I am personally not a coffee drinker, and I am no longer able to tolerate most hot cocoas because of the sugar content. I like having a warm chocolately drink, but not enough to take a ride into dumpsville. Last year I discovered Crio Bru, which is a brewed cocoa drink that is delicious, low calorie, and unique. It is a natural appetite suppressant and gives you energy without traditional caffeine. It can be prepared in a French Press or traditional coffee maker. My favorite blends are Cavalla (cinnamon and coconut) and Maya (spicy chocolate). Most products are between $10-15, and are in the form of the Crio grounds, Crio Cocoa, and Crio espresso. And they have cocoa-coated cocoa beans. It’s available in many grocery and specialty stores across Utah, or online at criobru.com.

Tessara Tea

Along with the hot drink theme, I’ve also become hooked on herbal tea. I’ve recently discovered Tessara Tea, which offers natural herbal infusions to saturate the body with nutrients. Herbal infusions are made by steeping plants material in water, including roots, barks, leaves, berries and flowers. While steeping, the plant materials release their essential minerals and nutrients into the water, making it easy for the body to absorb and digest. They have 3 different blends: Awake and Alive, Nourish and Cleanse, and Rest and Repair. They are a local Michigan company that has just expanded out of the local market, and their teas can be purchased online at tessaratea.com.

Better’n Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a great source of protein, but it’s high in fat and calories. With 85% less fat and 40% fewer calories than regular peanut butter, Better ‘n Peanut Butter is a tasty item for weight conscious people, and it tastes fantastic. I was introduced to Better’n Peanut Butter at the Obesity Action Coalition conference in Phoenix this year, where they had a booth. I sampled ALL of their flavors: original, chocolate, banana, cinnamon chocolate, coconut chocolate, hot pepper, maple bacon and more. It’s delicious, and feels like a splurge item without sacrificing too many calories. I’ve put it on sandwiches, crackers, pretzels,fruit, and mixed it into protein shakes. You can find Better’n Peanut Butter at select Target, Rite-Aid, and Trader Joe’s stores, or online at the Better’n Peanut Butter website.

Six Nutrition Vitamins for Men

Got a man in your life that needs quality vitamin supplements for an active lifestyle? Six Nutrition has a complete vitamin packet for men that pinpoints 6 key areas of health: heart, joint, sex, muscles, mind, and energy. Each day’s pills are packaged in a stylish foil packet that make it easy to stash in your pocket, briefcase, suitcase, or desk. My husband recently did a review of Six Nutrition Vitamins on my other blog, if you’d like to read about his experience. You can purchase Six Nutrition Vitamins from their website.

Fit Frappe Protein Drink

Since I had my gastric bypass surgery last year, I have been around the block and back on protein mixes. I seem to fixate on certain brands for a while, then get tired of the way they taste. Of any protein I’ve tried, I am happiest with Big Train Fit Frappe protein in vanilla. It is very versatile…you can flavor it with sugar-free syrups, add it into recipes and fancy drinks, serve it hot or cold, and get single-serve packets for when you are on the go. Another plus about this particular powder…you can add it into other protein mixes to make the more tolerable. I hate throwing away protein just because I don’t like the taste, and mixing in a little Fit Frappe seems to make everything taste better. Fit Frappe is also available in coffee, mocha, espresso, chocolate, chai, and vanilla latte flavors.

Blender Bottle

No matter how I plan my day, I tend to have a lot of meals on the go. I am good at packing some healthy high-protein snacks, but sometimes you need a meal replacement. My favorite product for taking a meal on the go is the classic 20 ounce Blender Bottle. It’s made of sturdy plastic, has a removable metal BlenderBall for easy cleaning, and the lid makes it easy to shake things up without leaking. I have several bottles in various sizes and colors, and I love stashing one in my suitcase with Ziploc baggies of protein powder for when I travel. They’re affordable, and can be found everywhere from GNC to Walmart to Amazon.

Healthy Holidays!

Review: KalorieBox Healthy Snack Delivery

Who doesn’t love to get goodies in the mail? I know I do!

I was approached by Kaloriebox to see if I was interested in receiving a box to review for my blog. I love food and trying new things, so it was a no-brainer for me.

The box I received included the following:

Zevia lime soda (0 calories)
Cheese Thinnables fiber crackers (60 calories)
Much Ado about Mango Peeled Snacks (120 calories)
Fiber One Chocolate Chip Cookie (90 calories)
Pacific Almond Vanilla Milk (70 calories)
Pirate’s Booty White Cheddar Puffs (130 calories)

Kaloriebox is a pretty cool concept. Quoting their website:

KalorieBox is simple: choose a plan, get your KalorieBox in the mail every month, and discover low calorie, healthy alternatives to the foods you already love.

You’ll start by choosing the plan that works best for you. We have three options you can pick from: monthly, 3-month, and 6-month. You can cancel any time, and we have a money back guarantee.

After you’ve signed up and chosen a plan, you’ll receive your KalorieBox in the mail every month. Each box is shipped on the 15th and will contain five or more low calorie, healthy items. Oh yeah, did we mention shipping is free?

On to the review:

Zevia: I’ve tried a few “natural” sodas before, and they’re not very tasty. I’ve seen Zevia at the store before, and I’ve passed it over because I’ve had a hard time finding anything sweetened with Stevia that I actually like. I was pleasantly surprised with the lime Zevia…it’s like a Sprite but more refreshing. And less carbonated, so it’s better for my grouchy pouch.

Cheese Thinnables: Protien and fiber packed crackers have been hit or miss in my experience, so I was least excited to try the Thinnables of anything in the box. They look exactly like Cheez-Its…but taste about half as good. I wasn’t impressed, and after three crackers I set the box aside. I’ll hand them off to my husband for his next mindless late-night snacking spree.

Mango Peeled Snacks: I used to eat a lot of dried fruit before surgery, but not it’s on the no-no list because it’s so high in sugar and can cause dumping. But Dried mango is my favorite, so I was happy that “Much Ado About Mango” was the fruit snack in the delivery. Peeled Snacks are USDA certified organic with no preservatives. The texture of the mango was kinda tough, so I had to chew it a lot, but it tasted pretty good.

FiberOne Cookie: For a long time I ate FiberOne bars daily because they were a low-point choice on Weight Watchers. But eventually, I started getting all sorts of GI issues from the bars, so I stopped eating them (even though they tasted SO good). The FiberOne cookie is yummy, and tastes a bit more like cookie dough than an actual cookie. I only nibbled a bit on it because I didn’t want to risk the GI problems from the chicory root extract.

Pacific Almond Vanilla Milk: The almond milk was by far my favorite thing in the box. I have really been digging almond milk, and I like that Pacific sells it in a ready-to-drink pouch. I’m going make today’s protein smoothie with it.

Pirate’s Booty White Cheddar Puffs: Pirate’s Booty has been my “snack crack” for years. I LOVE eating these puffs, but I have so little control over myself with an open bag that I only will buy snack-size bags now. The booty wasn’t listed on the packing list, so it was a nice surprise to have in my shipment.

I’m on the fence about whether or not Kaloriebox would be a good thing to give my endorsement to for bariatric patients. It’s great for people who are trying to make better snack choices and lose weight, but the stuff in the box isn’t necessarily the best for a bariatric diet. I would prefer that more items were higher in protein (like samples of protein powder or jerky/meat snacks). My only complaint about the actual delivery was that the box was filled with scrunchie little red paper things, and they got all over my room. But as for the concept – I love it. I love to try new things, especially if they’re healthy. It was a nice assortment of snacks to try.

FTC Disclosure: I received this box complimentary from Kaloriebox for the express purpose of reviewing the box on my blog. No additional compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.