Product Review: Blue Diamond Almonds - Sriracha

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Best mail day EVER!

We like spicy food there is no doubt about that.  Our garden is filled with spicy peppers so it was only a question of when we would try the Blue Diamond Sriracha Almonds.  I looked at several different stores and didn't have much luck finding them so I am REALLY glad that I had the opportunity to have the company send me a couple of cans to try out.  That was the best day to get the mail!

We couldn't wait to crack those cans open.  And boy oh boy - they were DELICIOUS!  When I first heard about these nuts I immediately thought they would be a fantastic addition to a salad - that crunchy spicy kick would really add some depth of flavor to a plate of greens from our CSA vegetable box.  Except... I ran a triathlon before we got our first box and they made the PERFECT salty recovery food that Dan and I were happily crunching on while we drove home from the race.

Seriously -- FIND THESE!!
This is only half a serving

I still wanted to try them on a salad and I recently came across a recipe for a new-to-me salad.  The best part -- it's so ridiculously easy to make!

Spicy Broccoli Slaw

 - Serves 4 (or 1 if you don't want to share!)

Pour one bag of your favorite broccoli slaw into a bowl

Peel one tangerine - I used nugget tangerines because I sampled them in the grocery store and they were amazing and the size of it was perfect (the ones I bought were about baseball sized) and break it into its natural sections; toss into the bowl of broccoli slaw

Add 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's Spicy Thai Peanut Salad Dressing mix to bowl

Chop a few ounces of Blue Diamond Sriracha Almonds and toss on top

Serve and enjoy!

This post was sponsored by Blue Diamond but all opinions are mine (and Dan's).  While I was sent product to review for this post I am definitely seeking these out.  My grocery store doesn't carry them currently but I am going to request that they start the next time I go because they are too good not to have in my life more often.

Product Review: Designer Whey Sustained Energy

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Try a new (to me) protein source?  Yes, please!

Full Disclosure:  I was provided these protein powders from Designer Whey through my partnership with Fitfluential but, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

If you've read this blog in the past couple of months you may have heard me mention how I've been increasing my protein levels.  One of the ways that I do this is by including a protein shake into my day and I am a HUGE fan of the Designer Whey products.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when an opportunity to try a new kind of their protein shakes came that I jumped at the chance.

Designer Whey recently released the Sustained Energy protein powder.  The powders are described on the website as:

"... specifically formulated with our proprietary Endurance Blend™. Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber.  Packed with 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals and naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100-good-for-you calories!"

I received a can of the Chocolate Velvet and a can of the Vanilla Bean and was eager to try them out.  The first one that got cracked open was, of course, the Chocolate Velvet and I made my favorite shake.  Cold coffee, frozen cherries and chocolate velvet protein powder.  Normally this combo is a winner for me but with this powder the texture felt grainy.  I thought that maybe I just didn't blend it enough so I made it again the next day and blended it much longer but it still tasted grainy.  A few days later I opened the Vanilla Bean canister and made another shake but did not care for the flavor of the vanilla.

Not wanting to give up on the powder just yet I tried one more thing to see if I'd enjoy the Chocolate Velvet
.  I baked with it.  I found a recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins that used protein powder.  Being a HUGE fan of both chocolate and zucchini muffins I thought this would make a perfect combination.  They looked good going into the oven and made the house smell really fantastic so I really wanted to love them.  They turned out a little less sweet than I'd hoped but they were still a little tasty.  Dan liked them very much so this batch is all for him!

Based on the mixed reviews I'll likely stick with using the regular Chocolate protein powder for my shakes but would use the Sustained Energy for baking/cooking.  I'm going to continue playing with the zucchini muffin recipe once we have more zucchini in the house because I think it could be good.

Product Review: Designer Whey

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If you've been reading this blog for more than eight seconds you'll know that weight loss has been a struggle. Especially over the last few months.  I mentioned awhile ago that I was increasing, and more importantly  monitoring the amount of,  my lean protein intake.  And then?  The scale started moving again - I lost weight.  It was around this time that I found out that the fabulous Dr. D (who fixed my cranky IT band) was also an expert in nutrition.  When I explained about my protein intake he thought (but couldn't say for sure without further studies) that I was consuming too many grams.  So I backed off and the weight loss stalled again.

I decided to increase the protein again - especially since I am nearing the end of half marathon training I think that my muscles need all the help to recover that they can get.  However, if you've ever tried to increase and monitor your protein intake while also staying under your daily PointsPlus target (or caloric goal) you'll know that this is a very difficult needle to thread.  When I was talking about this with Coach B she suggested that I might need to add a protein powder to my diet.  At first I was skeptical... I mean I know a lot of people do it but I assumed that all protein powders would cost a lot of PointsPlus values.

Box full of deliciousness!

It was also at this point that Dan requested I pick up some chocolate protein powder.  I purchased a can of Designer Whey, as requested, and let him go crazy.  I tried it and thought that it wasn't bad but still assumed that it would be a high PointsPlus value.  Then I took the 18 seconds to calculate and found out that 1 scoop was only 2 PointsPlus.  It was at that moment that Dan and I started fighting over who was making the best protein shakes.

When offered the opportunity to review a whole lot of products from Designer Whey I definitely jumped at it!  When I received the box of (new to me) products I was shocked at all of the products they sent for me to review.  I hadn't had any of these products before so I was definitely intrigued to try them out.

The next morning I cracked open the White Chocolate protein powder and mixed it with coffee and cherries (my usual combo) and it was good but I definitely prefer the chocolate because it has a richer flavor.  The same goes for the Vanilla - it's not that I didn't like them I just prefer the richness of the chocolate.

A few days later Dan and I were planning on hitting the gym at the same time so we chilled the two pre-made shakes and popped them open after that.  They tasted good but I usually end up putting frozen fruit in mine and so I like the texture that my shakes have.  However, I am considering getting more of these to take with me to races so that I know what I'm refueling with.

Another product I received was Protein2Go which are individual packets used to flavor water.  I love having a shake after working out so I mixed the berry flavor Protein2Go with frozen berries and some water and it was AMAZING!!  Each packet contains 10 grams of protein and only 50 calories!  Plus it was fruity and refreshing - perfect for after a hard run.


The protein bars were a surprise to me.  In the box I received 3 varieties, Peanut Butter Crunch, Triple Chocolate Crunch and Chocolate Caramel Crunch.  I'm not generally a big fan of protein bars because they are generally high in PointsPlus value for what you get so I was a little skeptical to try these.  However, when we tried the Peanut Butter Crunch bars I didn't care what the PointsPlus value was - it was DELICIOUS!  Plus each bar has about 160-170 calories and 10 grams of protein!  Dan said it tasted like a crunchy peanut butter cup.  I'm pretty sure I'll be hiding the rest of those bars so that he doesn't eat any of them!

All in all I think this was the best package I've ever gotten.  I mean being able to get in all the protein I need and having it be delicious?  Excellent.  You should go out and get some of these products.  Seriously.  Do it, now.

Product Review: Kona Kase

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A whole lot of new things to try!

*Disclosure:  Kona Kase provided this delicious box of goodness to me for reviewing, but all opinions are my own.

I'll be the first to admit that I love trying new products but that I'm picky, both from a financial and PointsPlus perspective.  That's probably why I've never tried one of these subscription services before.  Recently I had the chance to try out a Kona Kase and I'm really glad that I did.

I'm sure you're wondering, what is a Kona Kase?  The description from their website says that Kona Kase is a subscription service delivering premium endurance nutrition samples right to your doorstep, monthly.  Each Kase has an assortment of premium endurance nutrition samples from gels to bars to granola and more.  Each box costs $15 and it ships for free.  Here's what was in my box and the PointsPlus value per item:

Barbara Llewellyn Cashews
Journey Savory Nutrition Sea Salt Bar - 3PP
Chia Seeds - 1PP
Justin's Honey Peanut Butter - 4PP
Milk Chocolate Caramel Cups - 6PP
SoyJoy Cranberry Bar - 3PP
Kind Almond Walnut Macadamia - 5PP
Rickland Orchards All Natural Greek Yogurt Cherry Almond Bar - 5PP
Zing Cashew Cranberry Orange Bar - 2PP
Zing Chocolate Coconut Bar - 2PP

Most of these products are new to me so I was excited to try them.  I added the chia seeds to my smoothie yesterday and I thought they added a little bit of a fruity taste.  I added them after I'd blended it (my mistake) so I got a lot of them stuck in my teeth which was annoying but the texture in my shake was good.  Dan and I each had a bite of both of the Zing bars last night for dessert.  I have to say - WOW!  Those little bars have a TON of flavor and for 2PP they were the perfect size/sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Dan loved the Cranberry Orange bar and I loved the Chocolate Coconut Bar - go figure!  I can't wait to try all the other goodies!

So, do you want to get your own Kona Kase?  Well, you can order now and get $5 off your first shipment!  Just use code FF2 during checkout.

PRODUCT REVIEW: belVita Breakfast Biscuits

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It's no mystery that I am a die hard Weight Watchers member.  Having lost 200+ pounds on the program by eating healthy, filling foods and taking up running has made a tremendous difference in my life.  Part of what I think works well for me is the variety of foods that you can eat and I try to change up what I eat fairly often so that I don't plateau.  When an opportunity came out to try the belVita Breakfast Biscuits I was definitely on board!  I think breakfasts are difficult because there are only so many oatmeal or scrambled egg dishes that I can handle.  When I received this box of treasures in the mail I was delighted and couldn't wait to rip into them!  But first... a little info about them:

• belVita Breakfast Biscuits were created in France more than a decade ago and are the first of their kind in the U.S.
• belVita Breakfast biscuits come as a package of 4 biscuits and provide 18-20 grams of whole grains, 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.  They are specially baked to release energy regularly and continuously, giving you nutritious sustained energy all morning.  belVita Breakfast Biscuits are available in five flavors (Blueberry, Golden Oat, Cinnamon Brown Sugar, Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon).  Each package of the biscuits, for those also on Weight Watchers, is 6 PointsPlus
• You can find belVita Breakfast Biscuits in the cookie/cracker aisle of your local grocery store at a suggested retail price of $3.69 per box.

Along with the product I received some balanced breakfast ideas:

• belVita Breakfast Biscuits with low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt and berries
• belVita Breakfast Biscuits with an orange and a low-fat or non-fat latte
• belVita Breakfast Biscuits with apple slices and low-fat cheese
• belVita Breakfast Biscuits with ½ pt carton of milk and banana or pear

Definitely a new favorite snack for me

I first tried a package of the Cinnamon Brown Sugar (actually shared them with Dan on the day they arrived) alone and they were delicious.  Another time I decided to use them as a workout recovery snack so I grabbed 2 of the Cinnamon Brown Sugar biscuits and put a little yogurt on one and placed the other biscuit on top.  I put them in the freezer while I went to the gym and came back to a healthy frozen treat!  Since I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical and then did speed work on the treadmill I was definitely excited to come home and snack on this.  I was glad I put in the effort because this refueling snack was awesome!  I'd used a lemon cream pie flavored yogurt for the filling and it was delicious - I wish I'd made more of these little sandwiches!  It was cool (which was awesome because I was hot and sweaty), tasted sinfully rich and yet the biscuits were crispy, even after the yogurt was on them for over an hour.  I'd worried that the biscuits would get soggy but they were still crispy and fresh.  YUM!

All in all I think the belVita breakfast biscuits are delicious.  I generally don't spend 8 PointsPlus on breakfast (which would be the "cost" of a full package of the belVita biscuits and a yogurt) but eating two of the four biscuits with a yogurt is definitely "affordable" and a delicious addition to my breakfast options.  The thing that I really love these biscuits for is as a snack after my work out.  It feels like I'm eating cookies and I will definitely add this to the list of things I use as a snack because they will keep me satisfied for a long time.

Fitfluential LLC compensated me for this campaign.  All opinions are my own.

Product Review: Yurbuds

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When I first started being active (aka walking) I used music to occupy my mind so I wouldn't constantly think about how far I've gone (or more likely how much farther I have to go) but when I got my Garmin I stopped listening to music so that I could hear the tones of the watch.  On the shorter runs I really don't mind disconnecting from most everything technology related because I spend so much of my day using some form of technology.  However, as half marathon training progresses I'd started to think about needing to use music as an escape on the long runs.  So I was really excited when this package arrived the other day!

Included in the package:  A set of Yurbuds, a sweat band, Luna bar and a Yurbuds towel.

Yurbuds are made for women by women and are designed not to fall out because they have twist lock technology.  Having not worn headphones in awhile for working out I found the video to be really helpful!  Unfortunately I took two days off from running while battling a nasty cold - so today was the first day I felt like I could even breathe through one mile much less the five miles that I was planning on running.  It was pretty early on in the run when I realized that five miles might be too much and that I might still be a little sick (aka dehydrated) to run.  I enjoyed having music though after having run without it for so long I know my mind ended up wandering a lot.  A few songs really pumped me up though and that a was nice distraction.  They were definitely comfortable enough to wear although since I was running alone I only wore one bud to ensure that I could hear the sounds around me.


The one criticism I would have for the product (and this might just be how I ended up wearing them - because I only wore one ear bud so I could still hear my watch and other noises around me) is about the cord.  I plugged the Yurbuds into my iPhone and then tucked my iPhone into my water belt.  A few times I realized that the cord was getting tangled around my water bottle or on the keys that I had hooked onto the belt.  It could also be that I just need to figure out a better way to put everything together so that doesn't happen.  I am planning on taking these with me on my long run with the group this weekend to try them out again.

Do you wear headphones while running or working out?