B-Fit expo 2012

This weekend just gone, I went to the B-Fit expo, a consumer fitness and health show full of exhibitors, demos, talks and seminars. This was B-Fit’s first year but, as it’s put together by the same people who organise the Birmingham BodyPower show, I was looking forward to a busy event full of great names, trends and brands.

For me, the show was a chance to catch up with friends and clients, meet some people I’ve only ever spoken to online, personally thank some folk who have guest-blogged for me in the past and pimp myself around for journalism and copywriting work. Oh, and sample some tasty treats, of course! Having said that, despite many temptations, I ended up spending the princely sum of… £10. On a whisk. Yes, you should be excited! It is a very good whisk!

Anyway. Apart from the whisk, here’s a quick round-up of my B-Fit Expo experience.

I said hi to Fitnorama magazine and Ultrafit magazine. I nibbled delicious things from Pulsin’ and Get Buzzing. I talked to the Vibram footwear people from Primal Lifestyle (Vibrams review coming soon!)

I compared biceps with Carly Thornton whilst waiting for James St Leger to finish patiently explaining to a couple of teenage boys how thousands of sit-ups won’t give you visible abs (I interviewed James for Muscle and Fitness magazine and I think the feature will be out in next month’s mag).

I had my bodyfat (and the rest of me) zapped by Ben Coomber at The Training Lab.

I tried to do a press up whilst laughing (at myself) on the CrossCore rotational bodyweight training kit. I then marvelled at Andy McKenzie from The Training Lab’s amazing skillz on the CrossCore (he should be good at it; he’s the UK & Europe master trainer).

I met my friend Anna from Protein Pow(d)er, discussed her very exciting plans for the future and sampled lots of yummy treats. All the recipes are on her blog: I tried dark chocolate peanut butter cake-cups (I know, right?!) and dark chocolate hemp truffles. I urge you to make these, or at the very least to take a good look round Protein Pow(d)er. It’s amazing. I also think you should keep an eye on developments at Ben and Andy’s new venture The Training Lab. These chaps are really dedicated to nutrition and training and I think what they’re putting together is going to be something pretty special. I’m hoping to get down to East Grinstead to sample The Training Lab way of life soon and I’ll be sure to report back!

Were you at B-Fit? What did you think? Did you buy a whisk?

B-Fit expo 2012 is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: myprotein Pulse, myprotein Elle True Diet

Here we are with another Fitness kit I’ve tested this week review post, although I really need to rename the series “Fitness kit I reviewed at some point over the past month”. Both products are from myprotein who, incidentally, recently launched a new type of packaging for some of their products which is proving to be really great. MP’s new MP MAX® range of pouches is made from thicker, more durable material and has a good re-sealable opening, both of which mean your protein will stay better protected from light, oxygen, warmth and moisture. Of course, you could get tubs, but (as anyone with lots of supplements will tell you), tubs take up plenty of space. You can roll these pouches down as you use the product, so they end up taking up hardly any space at all (they’ve got stand-up, slim bases).

There are six products available in the new pouches: MAX® True Whey, MAX® Hurricane Evo
, MAX® Total Gainer
, MAX® Total Peptide, MAX® Creastorm and MAX® Recovery Evo.

There’s also MAX® Elle True Diet, which I tested out. I really liked this product, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m trying to stick to non-whey protein powders this year, I’d order it in a flash. Here’s why:

- it tasted great (I tried the chocolate flavour) and mixed up really smoothly. I made it as a kind of pudding, just by adding a little water and mixing thoroughly. It was lovely
- it’s full of extra ingredients which are there to support weight gain and give you a boost in the gym, and which I think would make it a great option for taking before morning cardio (Green Tea extract, Guarana, Chromium, CLA, EFAs)
- it’s also got fibre (something we all need more of) and carbohydrates, from low GI sources
- it really seemed to zap my sweet tooth, even though it was sweet and chocolatey. I guess that’s the fibre and caffeine? Or perhaps the Bioperine®, which helps the absorption of nutrients.

A word of warning: I didn’t do my research, and picked up the sample pack to take with me to a late-night appointment. I then wondered why I had real trouble sleeping that night. Not one to take late in the day, particularly if you’re sensitive to caffeine.

The verdict on MAX® Elle True Diet? All good! It’s just a shame I’m avoiding whey. Sorry, MP! If I change my mind, I’ll be ordering a (foil!) pouch of this.

The other product I tried was MP’s pre-workout, Pulse® . This is full of whizzy things to give you a big boost before you hit the gym, great for days when you’re feeling a bit tired or know you need a lot of focus. Let’s see, it’s got Tyrosine, Glucuronolactone, Guarana and Chocamine® Plus (this stuff is potent! you can buy it by itself from the MP website and a little goes a very long way). There’s also CEE (Creatine Ethyl Ester HCl) in there, and a dose of Beta Alanine: two performance boosting supplements which have been shown to promote power output and ward off fatigue.

I can’t say for sure whether Pulse® gave me a boost, because I tried it whilst training with my new friend Amie, and we were both over-excited to the point of hysteria, but what I can say is that I ought to have been very tired for our training sessions (late nights the night before!) and I wasn’t. And I seem to remember we trained for a very long time, actually! Tastewise – two thumbs up. Berry-ish. (It’s called Berry Blast, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise).

Myprotein recently announced price cuts of up to 50% on over 100 products – these are long term price reductions across some of the most popular products. As most bodybuilders will agree, this can be an expensive sport, so moves like this are appreciated: thanks, MP!

Thanks for the samples, myprotein people!

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: myprotein Pulse, myprotein Elle True Diet is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Tesco Nutri1st Advanced protein products

Did you know Tesco have launched a range of protein products? No, nor did I, until I was sent some to test. Welcome to this week’s installment of fitness kit I’ve tested this week. I actually tested all of these things some time ago but never mind! Christmas got in the way of this blog post.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t think to head to Tesco (other supermarkets are available ) for a protein hit. Other than, perhaps, rotisserie chicken. Even so, that’s a bit tricky to eat whilst driving out of the carpark.

Obviously it’s best not to be in a position where you need to buy anything from the supermarket on which to snack, but life isn’t perfect. So, Tesco’s Nutri1st Advanced products – a new range of protein shakes and bars – could come in handy.

According to the press release, the Tesco bods have crafted this range with the bamboozled in mind. The products have been designed to make it easier to select a protein product to support your sporting goals. Additionally, the decision was made to have packaging which doesn’t feature muscly models, the idea being that these products might appeal to people who have just started out on their fitness quest.

There are six types of products, all of which are clearly labelled with their intended purpose: muscle definition and strength, lean muscle growth, maximum muscle growth, increasing size and strength, early morning workouts and non workout days and bedtime. I’m not sure there’s a distinct difference between all six, but I can see the value in assisting people new to protein supplementation. The products include only natural colours and flavours across the entire range.

Nutri-Whey Extra – for supporting muscle definition and strength
These high-protein, low-carb shakes and bars contain a triple combination of whey proteins (isolate, concentrate and hydrolysate). I sampled two flavours of the shakes (at around 130 cals, 24g protein, 3g carbs and 2g fat per 34g serving) – strawberries and cream, and chocolate. Both £22 for a 1kg tub. They were perfectly nice tasting, but I’m more interested in what’s in them. As well as the triple hit of wheys, you get amino acids and an enzyme complex, to make the shake more easily digestable. You also get sucralose, unfortunately. In terms of taste, I wasn’t hugely keen on the strawberry (but it’s never my favourite flavour) and thought it was very sweet, but the chocolate was good.

I also tried one of the Nutri-whey extra bars (strawberry again) which was nice, but coated in a chocolate-flavoured layer so, essentially, a protein-rich candy bar. £1.25 for the 60g bar. At 190 cals, 18g protein, 20.3g carbs and 4.7g fat per 60g bar, it’s a decent protein hit for sure, and a better choice than a chocolate bar, but I’d suggest there are better bars out there (or better things to munch on from the supermarket) than a bar covered in sucralose and palm kernel oil. Mind you, I munched my way through it perfectly happily so who am I to tell you what to eat! On the plus side, this bar is bigger than a lot of protein bars out there. In texture, it was chewy rather than crispy or crunchy.

Nutri-Lean Extra – for lean muscle growth
The shakes and bars in this range contain metabolism-boosting ingredients as well as whey protein. I was sent one of the bars in the range, a chocolate/mint concoction. £1.25 for a 40g bar. At 144kcals, 18.7g protein, 11.8g carbs and 3.3g fat per 40g bar, it’s a good chunk of protein but I have to say I wasn’t a fan of the texture. It was a little chalky. The ingredients of note here are good old CLA (1097mg per 100g – the bar is 40g), green tea extract (430mg per 100g), and l-carnitine. To be honest I’m not sure that the thermogenic ingredients would offset the fact that, again, you’re eating the bar’s coating, with ingredients like sugar and glucose syrup. Although the bar is surely a better choice than a Twix or something like that, and undeniably delivers a good hit of protein.

Nutri-Power Complete – help support maximum muscle growth as part of your exercise plan
The shakes and bars in this range are branded as all-rounders, with whey and soya protein, plenty of carbohydrates and supplements including creatine, l-glutamine and HMB. I tried the raspberry and honey flapjack bar which was tasty and carby, but pretty sweet (as you’d expect from something called a honey flapjack). £1.25 for the bar. Per 60g bar (again, it’s a decent size), you’re getting 215kcals, 20.6g protein, 25.8g carbs and 4.7g fat. Not one to choose whilst dieting or trying to having a low-carb day, and I’m not sure that I’d choose a bar with this many sweeteners if there were other options available.

In summary, I think these products are a good entry-level range for people who don’t know about sports supplements and would feel confused or intimidated by some of the existing brands. The packaging does explain in simple terms what the ingredients are useful for. However, for me, the amount of sugar and sweeteners, and vegetable oils, mean I’m unlikely to choose the bars over products from other ranges (in truth I’d rather bake my own!) But I appreciate that a lot of people simply don’t know where to start when it comes to supplementing with quick-grab protein before or after training, and wouldn’t know where to start when it comes to mixing up creatine, l-glutamine, etc for themselves.

The range also includes Nutri-Gain Extra – for increasing size and strength, Nutri1st Advanced Breakfast Shakes – ideal for early morning gym goers and Nutri1st Advanced Staged Release Shake – ideal for non-workout days and bedtime. The range is available in store or from Tesco Direct.

Have you tried anything from Tesco’s Nutri1st Advanced range? What did you think?

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Tesco Nutri1st Advanced protein products is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Interpreting the food industry’s 2012 food trends

food & drink towers just released the results of their annual survey into food and drink trends. The sixth annual 10 Top Trends Report (free to everyone) tells us what to look out for in the coming year.

I thought it would be fun to interpret the results of the report for me and my readers.

Here are the food & drink towers Ten Top Trends For 2012, and my take on them. I’ve just taken snippets – there’s a lot more to the report than this, and you can get the full version here.

1. Regional producers get a boost

The survey identified that authenticity, provenance and ‘localness’ will be very important (19%) or important (51%) next year. Important factors: the sustainability benefits of ‘going local’, reducing the environmental footprint and increasing sustainability will be important to more than half of respondents.

thefitwriter says: I have said for ages now that I’m going to buy meat from some of the many farm shops around here, and get my eggs from farm shops or individuals who keep chickens. 2012 will be the year! What about you? Do you buy local? Does it matter to you?

2. Uplifting food and drink to improve our moods

Happiness and stress have been identified as the two ‘mood food’ areas that hold strong potential for growth in 2012 at 45% and 39% respectively. Energy, the biggest sub-category within the functional food and drinks market, continues to offer growth potential. 38% of respondents to the survey predict energy will show strong growth potential, and 41% agree it will offer average growth potential. Sleep/fatigue also shows good growth potential.

thefitwriter says: This year’s foray into bodybuilding and nutrition has certainly shown me that there are links between mood and food. I know full well that if I eat – say – meat or eggs, with some veg for breakfast, I’ll feel great all day. If I fall face-first into cereal (even “good for you” stuff like oats), I’ll feel yuk. What about you? What’s your good-mood food?

3. Packaging innovations to provide the answer

As costs are being cut, packaging will become a focus for brand owners keen to improve margins from production to market. Reducing packaging weight/size, also known as lightweighting, is not only an environmentally-friendly move, but it can result in cost savings over the long term.

thefitwriter says: I just started buying milk in those floppy “bags” rather than in plastic bottles. *polishes halo* We did get milk from the milkman but he started delivering at about midday and my husband got in a rage. (I don’t drink milk – I use Oatly, or Kara.) I hate hate hate it when you buy something which is wrapped in plastic, then the entire things is wrapped in plastic again. So wasteful. Do you buy anything particular innovative in terms of packaging?

4. Learning to… grow your own, bake your own, make your own

How much influence do cookery programmes such as Masterchef and Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers have on consumer shopping habits in general? According to the Survey, 23% say they’re hugely influential, 66% believe them to be influential and just 11% say they are not influential.

thefitwriter says: Oh yes! 2011 was the year when I started to grow my own, and I’ll do so again this year. As long-term readers will know, I love to bake. How about you? Is pottering in the garden and kitchen your idea of down-time or does it wind you up?

5. Foraging for truffles, mushrooms, wild berries and edible mini-beasts

Courses are available nationwide teaching people how to forage, what to look for, and then turning their discoveries into three-course meals. This is the ultimate in foodie heaven for those who enjoy getting stuck in!

thefitwriter says: Well, this is a funny one actually, because I have a blog post in my drafts folder about this very topic. During the latter stages of prep, thefitdog and I would do on our long walks and I’d pick blackberries (putting them in poo bags – unused ones, obvs) and then save them for a treat. What a shame they’re not growing now, when I could munch them as I went along if I wanted to. I must admit I’m not brave enough to forage for fungi. And I’m not sure I’d know a truffle if I saw one. Do you forage? Have you ever eaten a mini-beast?!

6. Going beyond the dinner party – at-home dining occasions become more regular

People will invest a little more time and effort (but not necessarily money) into meal times on a more regular basis to cheer themselves up, entertain and add some fun to ‘just another working week’. Original recipes and unusual ingredients will be the focus for home-cooks who will be influenced by television programmes, foodie magazines, websites, social networks such as Twitter and Facebook and Smartphone apps.

thefitwriter says: I enjoy the challenge of creating my own version of whatever my husband and our friends are eating (if they get takeout curry, I’ll cook my own). Maybe I could be the first bodybuilder on Come Dine With Me? How about you – do you do anything to make at-home dinners fun and exciting?

7. Dusting off the recipe books and cooking from scratch

Food and drink towers forecasts 2012 will be ‘the year of austerity’. In 2012, people are expected to return to their cookery books (and other resources) to get a return on their investment, get more out of their kitchen gadgets and get more creative with their cooking.

thefitwriter says: I do have a lot of cookery books I’ve rarely used. Jamie, I’m sorry! Nigella, please don’t “tumble” too many “gorgeous” ingredients on me from a height as punishment. Delia, stop looking at me like that. I do read Nigel Slater’s cookbooks but more for the pleasure of reading than because I intend to cook from them. Anyway. I do almost all my cooking from scratch. What are your favourite cook books, apps or online resources?

8. Food on the go gets a facelift

As impulse sales are forecast to continue to rise in 2012, brands must work harder for their share of the grab and go market. Convenience will remain a priority, but health is also becoming an influential factor. People are looking for quick fixes for specific lifestyle issues such as fatigue and concentration. People are also looking to top up their vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and omega-3 intake in a convenient format.

thefitwriter says: I’m not surprised by this, but I would much prefer people to make their own grab and go snacks (home made bars, muffins etc are so easy to do) or – even better – just grab the bounty of nature. Veg, fruit, cooked meat, hardboiled eggs, nuts… how easy (and cheap!) can you get? However, I realise this isn’t very helpful to food brands trying to make a profit. What do you snack on? Is health an influencing factor in what you choose, or is it price, convenience, taste?

9. Megatrends… on a budget

The survey showed that health on a budget will be hugely important (47%), followed by indulgence on a budget, convenience on a budget and premium indulgence.

thefitwriter says: An Aldi opened in our town the other week. I have yet to go. Health? I do not buy budget brands when it comes to my supplements (fish oils, vitamins etc) as I think it’s a waste of money in the long term. Indulgence? Hm, no I think if I’m going to indulge, I’ll spend whatever it takes to get whatever I really want, otherwise it might not hit the spot. What do you think? What do you choose to budget on and what do you not?

10. Original food and drink pairing: inspiration for the nation

Companies such as French Bubbles operate Champagne pairing events, matching bubbly with sushi, chocolate and cheese. Restaurants are showing greater interest in providing wine, beer, cocktail and spirit matches to certain items on their menus.

thefitwriter says: You don’t want to know some of the “original” food and drink pairings I ingest. I’m not sure the food and drink industry would be very interested. How does this trend relate to you? Do you match your protein powder flavour to your carbs?

The report is ultimately the copyright of Helen Lewis, managing editor and founder at food and drink towers. Thanks to Helen for the hard work behind the survey and the report (and the previous five annual reports). Follow food and drink towers on Twitter here if you have an interest in the food and drink industry, or join food and drink towers (for free) – launched in 2006, it enables PRs, journalists, businesses and consumers to interact and increase their knowledge of the industry. Lots of regular features, daily news and press releases!

Interpreting the food industry’s 2012 food trends is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Christmas gifts for gym goers

Hi all! It’s getting festive around here. Have you yet to write your letter to Santa? Or do you have a gym-bunny* to buy for? Here are a few suggestions for gifts and stocking-fillers for bodybuilders, gym-goers and people who like to lift.

(* not sure what the male equivalent of a gym-bunny is. Nor am I entirely sure that I can bear the term gym-bunny at all. What is the collective noun for a group of people who like to lift weights?)

Don’t forget, today is your last chance to enter my GOOD Hemp protein powder giveaway. Hurry, entries close midnight tonight (UK time).

Lifting gloves

Everyone needs lifting gloves, even if they don’t use them every time they train (I’m currently experimenting with using mine less often). I used gloves for years and then found Gripads, and now they’re my “glove” of choice. Much more breathable and therefore less stinky than full gloves. Mine are quite torn up on the palm but still work perfectly well after being put through the mill almost every day for over a year.

Magazines and books

Every stocking needs some reading material balanced at the top, so you can read on Christmas morning (by torchlight of course) until the rest of the house wake up. It may be some years since you woke up at 3am on Christmas Day, raring to go, but a good book and/or magazine is still a great gift idea.

How about Muscle and Fitness (and not just because I write for them – ahem!)?

As a book choice, I can recommend The Optimum Nutrition Bible: The Book You Have to Read If You Care About Your Health by Patrick Holford. Yes, it’s a weighty tome, but very readable. If the person you’re buying for is interested in nutrition (for sport performance or simply for health), they’ll love it. Another book I’m currently reading is When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up A Chair by Geneen Roth. This was recommended to me by my friend Joob of Hey Joob! and it was recommended to her by Charlotte of The Great Fitness Experiment. I honestly think that anyone who’s ever prepped and dieted for a figure or bodybuilding comp will have a different, perhaps challenging, relationship to food than people who haven’t ever competed. Perhaps it will be different to what their own relationship with food was before they prepped for a show! This book is lovely. The best word I can find for it is calming. I think every competitor (particularly female) making the tricky transition from prep diet to off-season or post-comp diet should have it to hand. It’s a series of very short chapters and great to dip in and out of.

Foodie items

Whilst you might buy most people chocolates, sweets, or selection boxes, there are far better choices for bodybuilding-types. How about a range of sample sachets of protein powders? Most companies will do them for between £1 and £3 a sachet, and this would make a great gift. Just try to remember if the person has ever expressed a violent dislike for – say – banana flavoured protein powder. I’d recommend either getting them sample sachets of their favourites (great for travelling) or new stuff they haven’t tried (just Google if you have no idea where to buy protein powders – there are more companies than I can name). I have to give a shout out here to my sponsors GOOD Hemp who offer samples sachets on their site. Get someone hooked on hemp protein!

If you want to really show them you’ve been listening, get them a tub of amino chews! I’ve been chomping on Optimum Nutrition’s Amino Chewables and they’re great for before or after training. If I unwrapped a tub of these in place of a selection box I’d be dead chuffed and pretty impressed with the gift-buying prowess of whoever gave them to me.

Or how about bars? Great as a stocking filler. You could try ON’s whey crisp bars (which I reviewed here) or myprotein’s protein cookies. Whilst you’re on the myprotein site, have a click around – the company have recently dropped their prices and now have long-term price reductions on 100s of useful products.

Of course, bodybuilders do eat chocolate – particularly at this time of year – but tailor your chocolate purchases to their obsession with nutrition by buying dark chocolate with a high cocoa content or (if you really want to push the boat out), raw chocolate!

Cool shaker bottle

Most sporty-types have ’nuff sports bottles cluttering up their kitchen, so why not buy them one more? But make it one which will trump all the rest. Smartshake bottles are really useful and will take the place of several normal bottles. I love mine. They make carrying protein powder or supplement capsules or even snack food so easy. Anyone who takes sports supplements, protein shakes or little snacks like nuts will definitely love one of these.

Bits and bobs
Bodybuilders and gym-goers are really easy to buy for, I promise. Here are a few more ideas:
- bento boxes or BPA-free tupperware for carrying around our bits of cooked chicken and green beans
- BPA-free water bottles (try aluminum ones)
- vouchers for online supplement stores
- hoodies (great for keeping warm whilst dieting and also useful for concealing off-season… erm… “size”. I would imagine. *cough*)
- vouchers for online meat suppliers (exotic or more standard meats) – I love Athleat, Kezie and Westin Gourmet
- lifting belts (I’ve asked Santa for one)
- decent earphones for MP3 players
- iTunes vouchers or a good album/mix CD for the gym

Happy shopping!

What have you asked Santa to bring you?

Christmas gifts for gym goers is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Sistema food storage products, CherryActive concentrate and capsules

More “fitness kit I’ve tested this week” for you today. First, up two products from CherryActive: CherryActive concentrate and CherryActive capsules.

As I’ve said a few times on this blog, I don’t sleep well. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for it, although it’s markedly worse when dieting for a comp (cortisol? nerves? lack of carbs? Who knows!)

So, when CherryActive offered to send me some of their concentrate and capsules to try, I leapt at the chance. The Montmorency cherries used in the products are said to be great for encouraging better sleep, y’see. They’re also a fantastic antioxidant and great for sports recovery. Sounds like my kind of thing. Oh, plus, I really love the taste of tart cherries. So, how did I get on?

CherryActive concentrate
First up, the concentrate (which I tried in the new “shot packet” size). You add this to water, smoothies, yoghurt – whatever you like really. I had it in water mostly, but did add it to a chocolate protein shake/smoothie once which was really nice. Although there’s no added sugar or sweeteners (or preservatives, flavourings or colourings – so the antioxidant qualities aren’t affected), I did find the concentrate pretty strong and sweet. So I simply watered it down more than the recommended dosage, still having the whole serving but with a lot more water. I can’t see that it matters (CherryActive people, tell me if I’m wrong?) and it had the added bonus of making me drink more water.

The taste is great and it was a nice extra for me as I don’t drink squash or “fizzy pop” and we don’t have fruit juice in the house. If you were to buy the big bottle of concentrate, it lasts up to 12 months in the fridge. The product won “Best Supplement Award” at the Natural Lifestyle Awards in 2009. You can buy online, or from Holland and Barrett stores, and the 30ml shot pack like I tried is £1.89.

Did it help me sleep, or recover from training? I honestly can’t say. I started drinking it after my comp, when I also upped my calories and carbohydrates significantly. But I did suddenly start sleeping a lot better (and more deeply). Whether from the CherryActive, from something else, or from a combination – I couldn’t tell you. Sorry – not a very scientific answer! Would I buy it and use it? Yes, and I intend on getting a big bottle from the local health shop in town next time I’m in there.

CherryActive capsules
I also tried – indeed am still trying – the capsules. You take one or two a day. Like the concentrate, they’re made from 100% Montmorency cherries but are simply a more portable, more convenient and flavourless way of taking it. The cherries are fine-milled and then freeze-dried and the caps don’t taste of anything. My veggie friends will be glad to know the caps are completely vegetarian with no fillers.

The verdict? Again, I can’t say for sure whether or not the CherryActive capsules have contributed to my improved sleep since I’ve finished contest prep, but I have been sleeping better. Typically at this time of year I feel groggy when I wake up, no matter how long I’ve slept for. I feel better this year. Maybe the way to find out will be to see what happens when I run out of the capsules? You can buy online, or from Holland and Barrett stores, and 30 capsules (the size I had) is £12.95. The CherryActive website has some discounts at the moment.

Sistema food storage products
Remember when I had my BioSignature assessments done? One of the recommendations Ben gave me was to stop drinking out of horrid plastic bottles and to stop microwaving my food in tupperwares. BPA free is the way to go, he said. So when Sistema sent me a couple of bits of food storage kit I was pleased, because these are BPA and safe for carrying your food around in. And we all know that bodybuilders are renowned for carrying food with us. After all you never know when the apocalypse may come and global stocks of chicken and broccoli may plummet!

Sistema sent me the two bits of kit you see above, albeit in different colours. I got a groovy little round tub in green, which has a larger main compartment, and smaller bit which clips on top and an in-built spoon. The lid is very secure, you could use it for something liquidy without fear for all the assorted bits of paper in the bottom of your handbag (don’t give me that – your handbag is full of receipts and post-it notes, too, I know it). The little spoon is very handy and the dual compartment thing means you could have, say, yoghurt and seeds, or porridge and protein powder, or any other combination of things which you wanted to mix together just before eating. The capacity of this tub is 530ml.

The “twist n sip” bottle flummoxed me for a while. It’s very small, you see: just 460ml (although you can get different sizes: 330ml, 460ml and 700ml). I thought it was too small for sports drink or water in the gym (unless you want extra cardio walking back and forth to the water fountain) and too small for filling with water to take out and about with you (unless you don’t ever get very thirsty). However, inspiration struck me yesterday as I was heading out to a client meeting. I am trying hard to steer clear of dairy at the moment, and I knew the coffee place in which we were meeting wouldn’t have non-dairy milk. So I filled my Sistema bottle with my milk alternative and took it with me. Yes, I have no shame. No, the coffee place people didn’t mind me pouring my own milk into my americano. No, my client didn’t mind either (or if she did, she didn’t say so!)

I guess you could also use the bottle for its intended purpose which is a light and comfy bottle to hold whilst out running

The bottle has a squirty lid which twists down securely. I can report it is indeed very secure because I took a roundabout a bit too enthusiastically on my way to the meeting and my bag fell upside down in the car. Not a single receipt was dampened!

All Sistema products are made from lead-free virgin materials, are BPA free and dishwasher safe and are secure and lightweight. There’s a range of sizes, shapes and colours including pink, aqua, lime green and black.

You can get Sistema plastics products online or at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Wilkinsons, Amazon, John Lewis and many more places. Highly recommended as a healthier, more secure and hygienic alternative to all those reused takeaway and elderly sports bottles you got free at an event circa 2004… !

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Sistema food storage products, CherryActive concentrate and capsules is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Optimum Nutrition Whey Crisp and Wholly Oats! bars

Hello! What better on a dark November night than a few sport supplement reviews? Well, you’re in luck, cos here is my latest “fitness kit I’ve tested this week” post.

Today we have a few bars which were sent to me by the kind folk at Optimum Nutrition (ON). They sent me their Whey Crisp bar in Marshmallow Treat (anyone would think they know my tastes…) and in Double Rich Chocolate. They also sent through some Wholly Oats! bars in Strawberries and Cream flavour and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour. Marshmallow. Peanut butter. Optimum Nutrition, are you stalking me?

I have to own up to not testing the Wholly Oats! bars myself, at least not fully. Even in an off-season non-diet, they’re just not my thing. Too….wholly oaty, I guess. However I am married to an endurance athlete for whom oats (wholly or otherwise) are a good thing. I did “sample” a bit (I’m such a nice wife, I prepare my husband’s packed lunch every morning and have taken to chopping the Wholly Oats! bars into bits to add into homemade trail mix) and this is what I have to say:

- Chocolate Peanut Butter – not as peanut buttery as I’d hoped, but this is actually a good thing otherwise my husband’s packed lunch would have been lighter that day. It was a nice flavour but not outstanding. Mainly chocolatey. My husband said they were very good. “Chocolatey and peanutty, but not very peanut buttery,” were his exact words.

- Strawberries and Cream - as the name would suggest, this is very sweet. The top layer represents the cream and is a bit like white chocolate. Right up my husband’s street (although he did report a taste of “marzipan”?!), but not mine. Horses for courses – you may love this bar and I’d certainly say give it a go. It’s nice, just not very me. The ON website says these bars represent a replacement/alternative to a bowl of porridge (translation for my US readers: “oatmeal” ) and a protein shake, and certainly that’s a typical breakfast for many a bodybuilder, so don’t think they’re only for endurance athletes.

The Wholly Oats! bars stats are: 21g protein (from casein, whey and egg), 42g carbs and 5g fat per bar

The Whey Crisp bars were mine and mine alone to sample! Husband didn’t get a look in, in fact I suspect he doesn’t even know I ever had them to review. Here’s what I thought:

- Marshmallow Treat. A treat indeed! Marshmallowy in taste but not texture, this was crispy (like a rice crispy cereal bar thing) and a bit sticky but not as sticky as an actual marshmallow. I… erm… may have dipped it in a cup of tea, and it held up admirably to that rigorous stage in the review process. I thought I might find this too sickly but I didn’t. I am proud of myself.

- Double Rich Chocolate – again, I thought this might be too sweet for me but it wasn’t (just). The bars aren’t huge, but I think this would have been too sweet if they’d been any larger. The tea-dunking test worked well for this bar, too.

The Whey Crisp bar stats are 16g protein (from whey). 25g carbs, less than 1g sugar and less than 2g fat. So, hardly a low-carb bar but then again I’d suggest that if you were in a low-carb stage of dieting you wouldn’t be using bars anyway. A tasty treat which was a welcome tea-dunking experiment in this more relaxed stage of bodybuilding eating!

Like most commercial energy/recovery/meal replacement (etc) bars, these aren’t the ideal solution when you need a snack, but they’re better than a lot of choices (chocolate bars, crisps, biscuits) and help you meet your protein requirements.

The flavours and sweetness are very much a personal thing. But here you have two different types of bars from a well-respected sports nutrition brand, worth trying if you like bars and certainly worth keeping in your bag in case you’re caught short without food. Thanks for the samples, Optimum Nutrition people!

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Optimum Nutrition Whey Crisp and Wholly Oats! bars is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Bra talk

I was at the gym this morning, getting my sweat on in the cardio area, and in front of me were a row of young women from the local 6th form college, dutifully doing their weekly 30 minutes of cardio under the watchful eye of what I assume is their PE teacher.

Gazing at the row of skinny backs, something caught my eye. It wasn’t that two of them were still wearing their school jumpers, although that is a bit odd. Nope, it was the fact that not one of those girls was wearing a proper sports bra. (Maybe the ones wearing their jumpers were, I couldn’t be sure.)

Brosephs, you might think that makes me sound a bit weird. But any woman will tell you that you can see the difference between a regular bra and a sports bra, even from the back, at a distance, and through a white polo shirt. And, honestly, I was shocked that these girls aren’t told to wear the most basic and fundamental bits of sports kit. I’m sure their PE teacher wouldn’t let them do cross-country running in kitten heels. So why do gym cardio in your normal bra?

It got me thinking about me at that age. I rode horses (all that “rising trot” :-O ) and did athletics at school (I say “did” as this doesn’t suggest that I in any way excelled or pushed myself) all without a sports bra. But that was one hundred years ago. I guess I assumed or hoped that things had changed.

Did you know that over 3/4 of British women don’t make a habit of wearing a sports bra when they train? That’s according to a report commissioned by sports bra brand of the year, Shock Absorber, released last week. Of the 1000 women surveyed, 76% don’t regularly wear a sports bra when exercising. 34% of them say it’s because they want to look good while exercising. This baffles me, for three reasons. 1) Who cares what you look like? 2) Who can see your bra anyway? and 3) Since when has the saggy-boob look been one you’d strive for if you can avoid it?

A few weeks ago, I attended a press day hosted by Sweatshop and supported by top researchers from the University of Portsmouth. (Side note: did you know Sweatshop was started by Chris Brasher, CBE? I didn’t!) The event was to let us know about the forthcoming launch of Sweatshop’s dedicated bra fitting service, “bra bars” and bra amnesty, but I learned a few things too.

Sweatshop is already loved by runners in particular for its gait analysis and shoe-fitting services. The stores are now going to be an excellent place to go if you want to buy your first sportsbra, or make sure your next one is the correct size, fit and design for your chosen sport. I was fitted for one there and then and, despite thinking I’m pretty savvy about a) my sport and b) my boobs:
- was given a bra which was a different size to my existing bras
- was recommended a bra I probably wouldn’t have chosen if left to my own devices

The bra I was given – the Shock Absorber B4490 – is lovely and my favourite (of many that I now own!)

I was fitted and advised by one of Sweatshop’s specially-trained people and can tell you that if she is indicative of the levels of service and expertise you’ll get in-store, the bra fitting service is going to be a winner. The male shop staff have also been trained up, although won’t be expected to get quite as up-close-and-personal. The (free) bra fitting service was rolled out on the 1st October, so your local Sweatshop should be ready to rock. Some stores have been kitted out with a “bra bar” to showcase this all-important bit of kit (after all, sports shops have had walls dedicated to shoes for years!). And, if you look at the Sweatshop website, you’ll see there are various videos all trying to help us with booby-health!

Wearing a sports bra really is important. Before I heard the research figures about how few women wear a sports bra at all, I would have focused on the importance of choosing the right type/fit/design of sports bra. But perhaps it’s more important to simply say

WEAR A SPORTS BRA!

Seriously. If you exercise, please wear one. I wear one to walk the dog!

One more thing – the sports bra amnesty. Sweatshop stores now feature “bins” through which you can donate your old, unwanted sports bras. You’ll get £5 off the purchase of a new bra, and your old bra will get recycled, with proceeds going to The Microloan Foundation, which supports women in sub-Saharan Africa. (Sweatshop will also donate £1 to the charity for every new bra sold during the campaign.) They’re aiming for £30K this year. So find all your old bras and get rid! (I dropped off about 10 when I went to the press day, haha!)

Bra talk is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: GOOD Hemp protein powders

Hello! Long time no blog. Sorry, I’m a rubbish blogger! Since my bodybuilding season ended, I’ve been purposefully catching up with life. You know: work, taking my husband out to dinner, that kind of thing. I have logged in to WordPress several times, started a post but then logged out again because there’s something more pressing to do.

However, I’m here now. And I’ve got a product review for you.

You may recall that I secured myself a sponsor of sorts a few months ago – hemp protein products producers GOOD Hemp. Poor souls, I don’t imagine they thought for one minute that they’d approach me and I’d say “yes, great idea. Only one hitch: I can’t actually test your stuff for ages because of my contest diet.”

Some sponsored athlete I am!

However, I am no longer on my strict contest diet and so I can taste, test and sample to my heart’s content.

I intend doing regular reviews of GOOD Hemp‘s products, using them in recipes and baking and all manner of inventive ways. For now, though, here’s a straight-up review of the products I’ve got, mixed with water as a post-training shake or as a meal replacement/snack.

Here are the main benefits of using hemp protein powders:
No lactose (particularly useful if you have allergies or intolerances but most people would see/feel a benefit)
Easy to digest (no bloating or… erm… gassiness *pardon me*)
Fibre – good for your intestinal tract
Lots of Essential Fatty Acids (including important Omega 3)
Produced without use of heat

*two thumbs up*

GOOD Hemp natural hemp powder

A lot of people seem to be a bit funny about the idea of hemp protein powder but I can assure you that it doesn’t taste gritty or earthy or “green”. It’s very nice. This is the unflavoured one, so obviously it’s not going to taste the same as your banoffee-choco-malt whey with bits of actual chocolate in. But that’s probably a good thing.

Check out the nutritionals on this bad boy.

per 30g serving
111 kcal
14.1 g protein
4.6 g carbs (1.6 g of which are sugar)
3.8 g fat (0.5g omega 9, 0.7 g omega 3, 2.2g omega 6)
6.3 g fibre
No sodium

Like all of GOOD Hemp’s products, this doesn’t cause me any bloating (whey and casein do) because there’s no lactose in there. In fact, the hemp products feel really calming to my system. It mixes up well and has quite a creamy texture, even mixed just with water.

Fit Shake in Strawberry flavour

This is a surprise favourite of mine. I don’t know what it is that I love so much about it but there’s just something about the taste… it’s really fresh and refreshing. I think it might be the green tea? This one is sweetened, but with xylitol which is generally accepted to be one of the better sugar subsitutes out there. It mixes really well, although does have a bit of a thinner mouth-feel (<— check me out!) than the others. There's a pretty simple solution to that one: use less water. I love it and think it will be a really refreshing post-workout option for hot summer days.

The nutritional stats:
per 30g serving
110 kcal
10g protein
11.5g carbs (1.2g sugar)
2.7g fat (0.3g omega 9, 0.5g omega 3, 1.6g omega 6)
4.5g fibre
And no sodium

Like all GOOD Hemp’s protein powders, this has a really impressive amino acid profile. That’s one of the many things I like about these products; they are actually good for you, quite apart from helping you meet your protein requirements.

Gym shake in chocolate flavour

My absolute favourite product (with the Fit shake coming a close second). This tastes rich, chocolatey and indulgent. The hemp flavour really works with the chocolate flavour, giving it a depth of flavour without making it too sweet. I like my chocolate dark and unsweetened and this protein powder suits me well. Some chocolate flavoured whey and casein powders can be far too sweet for me. This one is sweetened (with sucralose, which I’m not a huge fan of) but far less than many other protein powders I’ve come across. I’ve baked with this (as has Anna – with great results!), used it in pancakes… all sorts. It’s delicious, and so good for you. But this review is for the powder mixed straight-up, with water… and that’s great, too. Try it!

Nutritional stats:
Per 40g serving
145 kcal
17.9 g protein
7.2 g carbs (2.0 g sugar)
4.9 g fat (0.5 g omega 9, 0.8 g omega 3, 2.8 g omega 6)
8.5 g fibre
No sodium

Last but not least is the Gym shake in strawberry flavour

Now, I do like this one, but not as much as some people do! I’ve sent a few friends little samples of GOOD Hemp’s products, and almost all of them rave about this strawberry Gym shake. I don’t know which one you’d like most! They’re both good, but to me the chocolate tastes richer. Both mix really well and taste creamy and smooth. This one isn’t a sweet, artificial strawberry taste. It’s quite subtle. All the great benefits are there in terms of omega 3/6/9, amino acids, dietary fibre and no lactose. It’s just a question of taste and flavour – which do you prefer?

Don’t forget, you can get £5 off purchases of GOOD Hemp protein products by putting NJ001 in at the checkout. Additionally, the company often have great offers on the website so keep a beady eye out. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter, too, to hear about special offers.

Have you tried hemp protein powder? What do you think? What would you like me to try and make as part of my GOOD Hemp recipe series?

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: GOOD Hemp protein powders is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

StepSuccess walking experiment update 4

Here’s the latest update in my walking experiment! (The previous updates are here, here and here.)

As my competition dates creep closer, I haven’t been striding around the county with the stripey dog as much as I was a few weeks ago. I’m running low on energy and need to channel it into maintaining muscle (and, you know, doing work and stuff like that!)

That said, here are the vital stats for w/c 29th August from my StepSuccess unit:

Any new PBs?

12,500+ steps on 14th August. That was whilst my husband was in Canada, and it was a Sunday, which meant I walked the dog twice (one being a longer walk than usual, because I have more time at weekends) and went to the gym twice (I walk there and back).
6.14 miles on the same day. Not really surprising!
2 hours 21 minutes on 1st September. I’ve no idea why. That was last Thursday and it was raining. I’d have to get up and find my training diary to shed more light on this little factoid and, quite honestly, I can’t be bothered. Sorry.

Since I started tracking my walking on 2nd August

In summary, last week, I:
- walked 41,136 steps (and plenty of undocumented ones!)
- walked for 8 hours 42 mins (and a few more)
- covered 19.48 miles

I think this will be my final StepSuccess update, as I really won’t be walking any more than I need to this week or next, and after that… well who knows what I’ll be up to! (I’ll certainly be walking with my husband to our favourite local restaurant, that’s for sure. I may not wear the StepSuccess on my shoe, though.) Thank you to StepSuccess for lending me the unit, it’s been fun!

TheFitDog says hi, and hopes you’re enjoying lots of walks yourself.

StepSuccess walking experiment update 4 is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.