Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Sativa Shakes non-dairy protein powder

I’m always especially pleased to review products from small, UK companies – so I’m happy to introduce Sativa Shakes: a friendly, growing protein supplement company who, it turns out, are local to me here in Kent. They produce non-dairy, plant protein powders including hemp protein and a plant protein blend.

They specialise in lactose-free (and vegan-friendly) protein powders. There are two main product lines – “Viva Sativa” hemp protein and “Viva High Pro” plant protein blend (hemp, pea, rice and soy). At the moment, there are four flavours across two product ranges: toffee, chocolate caramel, strawberry and banana, and kiwi and lime. They are all non-GM, organic and naturally sweetened with Stevia (a calorie-free sweetener derived from a plant – rather than from chemicals) and use raw plant protein, minimally treated and processed. Take a look at the ingredients lists – teeny!

I tried them all: straight-up as shakes, with my PWO banana (mashed up and frozen, like icecream) and stirred into my porridge oats. All were great! Because they’re plant proteins, the powders are rich and creamy and so they make quite thick shakes and go particularly well with oats. I loved all the flavours except for the kiwi and lime – I hoped to love this one as it’s unusual and not a flavour combo I’ve come across in any other protein powder, but I’m afraid I didn’t like it. This might be because, at the moment, this is the only one in the range which contains artificial flavour (the Sativa Shakes folk tell me they are working to find a natural replacement). I thought all the others were absolutely delicious, though.

The strawberry and banana, chocolate caramel “Viva High Pro” plant protein blend is a mix of pea protein isolate, soy protein isolate, hemp protein, brown rice protein, flavouring, cocoa powder (in the choc version) Stevia and xantham gum (a thickener) with citric acid.

Per 30g serving you get around 105 kcals, 22.3g protein, 1.3g carbs (0.4g sugar) and 1.2g fats (including a good mix of omegas). The amino breakdown is different to whey, as you’d expect with this being a plant protein – check out the full nutritional stats on the Sativa website. The stats are very slightly different across the flavours.

The “Viva Sativa” toffee flavoured hemp protein is simply raw hemp protein, natural flavouring, xantham gum and Stevia. The kiwi and lime version of the hemp protein does – at the moment – contain artificial flavour. Per 30g serving: 130 kcals, 13.7g protein, 4.5g carbs (1.6g sugars) and 3.7g fats. Again, you get a good dose of omegas and fibre, and of course no lactose – these being dairy-free protein powders.

They’re ideal for vegans but you don’t need to be a vegan to try them! I really did like these, particularly the toffee and chocolate caramel flavours, I think because the taste goes really well with the rich, earthy, nutty flavour of plant proteins.

I’m not indulging in any protein-baking at this stage in my prep diet but I think that I’ll try these in a cake or muffins at some point. I reckon they’d be a great ingredient with the rich flavour and the thick nature of the powders.

If you’ve been looking for a non-dairy, vegan-friendly, lactose-free protein powder, or if you just fancy trying a new protein product, I recommend giving Sativa Shakes a go. If you’re not sure which to try – here’s a handy guide!

Keep an eye on Sativa Shakes on Facebook as they often run offers and discounts. There are some special offers here, too.

Thank you, Sativa Shakes people! Find them online here Sativa Shakes website or on Facebook Sativa Shakes on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Now I’ve made myself hungry so excuse me – time for dinner!

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Sativa Shakes non-dairy protein powder 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.

Bodybuilding prep update (20 weeks out?)

It’s been a while since I talked about training, prep or this year’s competitions, so here’s an update.

I’m currently either 20 or 22 weeks out, depending on which show I do. Sorry to be vague and cryptic but I’m not 100% sure yet, and I won’t be revealing the show til a lot nearer the time anyway (although those of you with the various federations’ calendars at hand will be able to work it out fairly easily!)

I’m still working with Vicky Bradley and everything is going really well, I’m very happy with progress and excited to see how things turn out.

I’ve been under Vicky’s small but surprisingly muscular lats for nearly seven weeks now. I’m onto my second lot of training sessions with her – the first block focused on my bigger lifts, great technique, lower reps (very low for me!), working out just how much weigh I can handle and getting some more muscle on me. This new block of training is bringing in work which will bring more balance and shape to my physique.

Progress is being made: not only do I look and feel better, but I’m getting stronger, and the stats are there in black and white. In six weeks I’m down:

3.6kgs
We think about 4.5% body fat from Vicky’s calipering.
2.3cms hips
6cms waist (!)
5cms chest/back

The only thing which hasn’t budged is arm measurement, although body fat/skinfold has come down.

This is from about 3 weeks ago…

This is from last Sunday at a BNBF club/meet at Body Bionics Gym

As is this….

I’m in the gym four days a week:
Saturday – deadlifts, hamstrings, glutes, back and calves
Sunday – chest and triceps
Tuesday – back and shoulders
Wednesday – squats, quads and calves

And doing posing practice, stretching, foam rolling and postural/remedial work a couple of times a week at home. No cardio (other than two fast dog walks of about 45 mins every day).

Eating (I can’t really call it dieting yet!) is simple and enjoyable. Lots of meat, fish, eggs and veg, good fats and veg (including spuds). The plan is to slowly bring bodyfat down to a reasonable “year round” level, teaching me and my body good, sustainable habits along the way. Never mind the comp, this is about finding habits and routines which work for me and can then work for me all year round. Then, from there, we’ll worry about “prep diet”. But the idea is that, by then, there won’t be a huge amount to lose anyway.

How about you – how’s your training going?

Bodybuilding prep update (20 weeks out?) 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: BioBees Royal Jelly Elixir

I was recently sent some of BioBees royal jelly elixir, a zingy little pick-me-up which I thought would be great for this time of year when we’re all dragging a bit as we wait for Winter to finally be over.

BioBees by Bioceuticals has brought out a whole range of royal jelly products, including skin care and bee pollen, but it was the elixir which I tried out. The ingredients: fresh royal jelly, korean ginseng, guarana, bee pollen, ginger, liquorice, and extracts of damiana aphrodisiaca and sarsaparilla, have all been selected for their energising properties.

These little vials (which contain just enough to “down in one”) are therefore a great blend of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, helping give you a boost in concentration and focus, as well as helping your body fight off infections. Great for anyone needing instant energy (for the gym, for instance… !), people who seem to catch every cold going, and anyone generally running themselves ragged because of kids/work/life in general.

Royal jelly is a natural substance, produced by worker bees to feed and nourish the Queen Bee, and give her a healthy and long life. Sounds about right to me chaps! Bring it on. It’s high in amino acids, carotenoids, and vitamins B, C, D, E and K, it has been found to help boost the immune system, improve collagen production and increase cell rejuvenation. BioBees uses only fresh royal jelly in their products (not freeze-dried like you’ll find elsewhere).

My verdict? It was really tasty (very spicy, you can definitely taste the ginger and liquorice) and it did give me a definite energy boost before the gym, making me feel revved up and focused.

BioBees royal jelly elixir is priced at £23.54 for box of 10 vials and you can find stockists here.

Thank you, BioBees people! Find them on Facebook here or Twitter here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: BioBees Royal Jelly Elixir 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.

What I learned from the Phil Learney Fat Loss & Performance seminar

A few weeks ago, I went up to Stoke to attend a
seminar led by Phil Learney, PT/trainer/coach who currently works at UP Fitness. The topic of Phil’s two-day seminar was Fat Loss and Performance, and I went along in the interests of personal development and general interest (I think everyone else there was a coach or PT of some sort).

It was a fascinating weekend and I learned so much (and also had my thoughts and ideas on some things clarified or confirmed). I admit it was all quite full-on for my non-PT-brain but I think I more or less kept up Phil is a really great presenter/lecturer and made sure the content was tailored to the group and everyone’s questions were answered.

I thought I’d write a short round-up of the things which really stood out for me, or were new to me, or have particularly stayed with me now it’s been a few weeks since the seminar. It’s going to be a bit of a brain-dump, but I’m happy to try and answer questions in the comments, or you can find Phil on Facebook and Twitter, he’s very good at answering questions. (He also has a very good blog which covers a lot of the points below in greater detail).

The seminar covered body types and assessment (of clients), nutrition, specific protocols including carb cycling, carb backloading and fasting, optimal feeding patterns, hydration, health (from the inside out), training protocols, contest prep and tons more!

Here’s what I took away from it…

- “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”
- “Only a fool never changes his mind”
- Body type assessment using somatotypes and phenotypes (I think this was kind of “client assessment 101″ for most of the people in the room but it was a fascinating start for me!) (I am totes a mesomorph… of course.. what’s that? You too? )
- “We aren’t what we eat; we’re what we digest” – the importance of food quality, gut health, digestion
- The importance of protein turnover (the balance between protein synthesis and protein breakdown) – the more we break down during training, the more we have to synthesize to maintain an anabolic environment
- Leucine! We should look to take in 3.2g leucine (minimum) per protein serving. Phil then showed a fascinating table, demonstrating how much we’d have to take in of a few different protein sources, in order to get 3.2g leucine. 230g chicken (237 kcals/53g protein), 190g steak (375 kcals/54g pro)… 1070g (yes, more than a kilo!) pork (1223 kcals/224g protein). There’s a reason why bodybuilders eat chicken and steak! And I’m glad I’ve never liked pork…
- The importance of kidney health, what poor kidney health means for the rest of the body/its functions, and how we can boost renal function
- The massive importance of fluids and electrolytes (something I know I’m guilty of ignoring – but not any more – a review of elete electrolyte drops to come on the blog!)
- Endocrine (hormone) manipulation and macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, fat) intake and why this is so important/beneficial (hugely interesting to me as a natural bodybuilder)
- In fact everything Phil said about the endocrine system, the “master hormone” (insulin), leptin, ghrelin, the thyroid hormones and how they all relate to creating/maintaining anabolic growth was great.
- “We build, or we break” - referring to everything we do in training/nutrition for physique/strength/performance sports being either anabolic (regenerative) or catabolic (degenerative).
- A lightbulb moment was when Phil said something which most attendees probably thought very simple and basic: he pointed out that achieving a lean and muscular physique, particularly for natural females, is more about retaining (and fiercely guarding!) the muscle we have got (especially as we diet down) rather than constantly thinking about building more. He likened it to finances: you could say you want to earn £10K more next year. Why not spend £10K less? Same outcome, different outlook.
- It’s about preservation – decreasing catabolism – as well as growth/anabolism…
- “Why diets can’t work”… a look at why the “calories in vs calories out” model really misses the point, and discussing what happens to key hormones when we restrict calories. “A report in the April 2007 issue of the American Psychologist showed up to 66% of individuals following the caloric model of weight loss end up fatter two years later than they were when they started the diet. Any other model, in any other discipline, with a failure rate this high would have been discarded long ago and labelled as useless.”
- An in-depth look at various nutritional protocols with a view to stabilising insuling for optimal hormone management (and the male and female responses to each)
- A look at advanced nutritional strategies including carb cycling, food rotation, refeeds/”cheat meals” and when/how/why you might employ these
- On training, the discussion about absolute strength and the force equation was really interesting to me (and reinforced what I already know about my woeful lack of power and acceleration!)
- The practical work we did – on glute activation, hip/glute mobility, squat and bench technique and force/acceleration were an eye-opener and have really added a great deal to my own sessions.

If you’d like to hear more about the seminar, why not listen to performance nutritionist Ben Coomber’s podcast (you need episode 19), where he and Ru Anderson (a PT – and fellow competitive natural bodybuilder – who was at Phil’s seminar) talk about the content and what they took away from it. And Ru’s own blog round-up- of the seminar is here on Ru Anderson’s blog.

What I learned from the Phil Learney Fat Loss & Performance seminar 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.

Updated for 2013: my favourite fitness and nutrition podcasts

It’s been a while (… years!) since I blogged about the podcasts I listen to, and it’s definitely time for an update. Not only because I listen to a lot more of them now, but because my list of favourites has changed. Some fantastic new podcasts have come on the scene, I’ve discovered others, and some on my original list are no more.

Podcasts are a great way to “get your learn on” and are a brilliant way of turning long car drives, commutes or dog walks into productive time. Of course, sometimes it’s nice to head out for a walk without earphones on at all, to really be in the moment, but if you walk a hell of a lot (as I do), you’ll often want to listen to something. So why not make that something informative, inspirational or a little bit challenging?

Here’s my current list of go-to podcasts (I download them all via iTunes – you’ll be able to find them by searching). If you give them a try, come back and tell me what you thought.

Access Bodybuilding
Access Bodybuilding is a behind the scenes look at the bodybuilding industry, covering events, news, competitors, gossip, industry developments and all sorts. It’s American, and doesn’t only look at the natural side of the industry (in fact I’d say mostly not – but only because that reflects the size and balance of the industry as a whole). It’s funny, interesting, irreverant and a good “magazine” style show to listen to.

Ben Coomber Radio
Ben’s a mate of mine but that’s not why I listen to Ben Coomber Radio. Well, it is why I started listening, to be fair. But it’s not why I’m still an avid fan. I love this show because it’s funny, in-depth, very interesting, well-researched and extremely informative (and English! Most S&C/nutrition/fitness podcasts are American which is fine but means a lot of the references, resources and recommendations are lost on me). I always learn at least one new thing and am inspired to try something new with my own nutrition, or go away and research something in greater depth. Presented by Ben, who is a very well-respected performance nutritionist, and sometimes co-hosted by Anna of Proteinpow.com, the show usually has a guest: in the past he’s had Phil Learney, Joseph Lightfoot and James Monk. Ben usually breaks this short-ish (30-45 minutes) show into news and views, then an interview or listener Q&A.

Heavy Muscle Radio
Heavy Muscle Radio is another podcast from RX Muscle. It’s funny. I know that the presenter, Dave Palumbo, isn’t to everyone’s taste but personally I find him and his commentary hilarious. It’s another magazine type show, looking at news and events from the world of bodybuilding (but mostly the USA), it has interviews and show reports and all sorts of chit chat. The shows can get pretty long but you can pick and choose the bits you want to listen to.

Muscle Girls Inc
I love MGI! Presented by two bikini Pro competitors, it’s like getting your FBB mates together for a god old gossip and giggle. The first half of the show is usually a bit silly and often has me in fits of laughter (it’s meant to be about bodybuilding but often goes off-piste to discuss food and boys and stuff) and the second half is always an interview with a female competitor. I love the interviews; it’s so interesting to hear from competitors across bikini, figure, fitness, physique and bodybuilding classes and there’s often some meaty stuff discussed, like metabolic damage, disordered eating, relationships, etc, as well as all the stuff about prep and competing as you’d expect. I really look forward to MGI every week.

Natty Talk Radio
Natty Talk Radio is one of very few podcasts I’ve found which talk only about the natural/tested side of the sport and that in itself is enough reason for me to listen. This show interviews natural bodybuilders, has Q&A discussions about hot topics and draws on plenty of scientific research to back up the anecdotal evidence and chat, which makes for good listening.

Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution
I’m not Paleo but find the research and ideas behind the Paleo way of life very interesting. Robb Wolf is one of the leading names in the Paleo game and he’s a great presenter. His radio show The Paleo Solution is packed full of information and a great listen for anyone interested in the natural, healing aspects of nutrition, or in eating for performance and strength and physique sports. It’s been going for years and I’m currently working my way backwards through the early years.

Your Physique Radio
Your Physique Radio is great because it’s presented by two Irish guys (although one lives in the States now) so it feels a little closer to home. They discuss bodybuilding shows, competitors, news and industry developments, review products and gyms, and have some great guests. My only bugbear is that it’s not updated more regularly – in fact I think it might have ground to a halt? Still, there’s a good back catalogue of shows so, if you’ve not come across it already, you can spend a few hours working your way through the shows they’ve already done!

I also still listen to The Fit Cast podcast, The Strength Coach podcast and TED talks as mentioned in my previous blog post about podcasts

Which podcasts do you recommend? Have you ever been on a podcast – or do you have your own?

Updated for 2013: my favourite fitness and nutrition podcasts 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.

Muscles from Brussels

When two people send you Tweets about Brussels sprouts, on the same day and quite independently of each other, you know you need to take note.

“Eating sprouts and thinking of you!” said Jenna. A little while later, Jj declared “Nic, I can’t LOOK at a sprout without thinking of you!” I felt proud, and not a little humbled Ha ha!

Elsewhere on the interweb (well, Facebook mostly) I am becoming renowned for my love of this much-maligned brassica. Brussels are for life (when they’re in season), not just Christmas!

The truth is, my favourite way of preparing Brussels sprouts is nothing fancy. In fact, it was born out of prep dieting which, as we all know, is bereft of pancetta and glugs of oil and toppings of butter of parmesan cheese.

Yet it is this simple recipe which has been adopted by various friends and social media folk (even those who previously thought they “hated” Brussels sprouts) and so I am happy to share it with you here.

I warn you, it takes… ooh… about 5 minutes prep time.

Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts
_ (optional: spray oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes)

Method
Tip your Brussels sprouts into the baking tray. If any of them are giganto-Brussels, cut them in half (through the stem, so the halves stay in one piece). Spray with oil. Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Bake in a hot-ish oven (sorry can’t be more specific – hot enough that they cook, not so hot that the outsides burn) until done. Done is slightly blackened and crispy outside leaves, soft and caramelised insides.

They are delicious I promise you. Not a hint of the bitter taste which some people find with raw or boiled (bleee!) Brussels. Lovely straight from the oven and also great cold. They keep for a few days in the fridge. I tend to prepare about 1kg of them at a time and keep for snacks or sides during the week.

Particularly lovely are the little mini baby Brussels – just tip ‘em in and off you go. Yum!

Muscles from Brussels 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.

Friends like these…

Bodybuilders need a small army of genuine good friends, particularly during prep. At any given moment, we can be sensitive, hyper-critical, euphoric, snappy, self-obsessed or prone to tearful outbursts (… no, I refuse to believe that’s just me!)

Really good friends are hard to define and hard to come by. So, today’s shout-out goes to my friend Zoe. Always a quietly reliable force in the background, she shows her support in unusual but very appreciated ways.

For instance, on Tuesday she popped in on her way home from work with not one but two gifts. These two offerings are a beautiful illustration of how to tread the fine line – of hunger and humour, self-control and over-indulgence – which shape our lives in the final few weeks of contest prep.

Exhibit one

Knobbly!

Huge, delicious cucumbers from Zoe’s garden (she’s so green-fingered: I’m currently growing green chilis, peppers and tomatoes supplied by Zoe, and that Stevia plant she gave me is still growing!) As I said to her when she brought these round, she couldn’t have chosen a better gift, really. I was feeling very hungry on Tuesday but – with three weeks til my next comp – now is not the time to give in to an attack of the nibbles. Chomp on homegrown cucumbers? Perfect.

Exhibit two

Naughty!

Zoe works at the head office of a well-known brand of confectionary. There are often great deals to be had in the staff shop, but I’m not allowed on site (it’s not that I have previous convictions pertaining to chocolate bars, not do I pose a particular security threat to boiled sweets – it’s just the rules). So, from time to time, Zoe will email me to say “we have boxes of microwave rice on offer!” or “there’s tons of seasonal chocolate being practically given away!” I’m still making my way through all that Uncle Ben’s rice she got me.

Here we have a load of Malt Easter bunnies, which cost me pennies, and which will be taken to the NPA Finals and shared out amongst my fellow competitors. For now? They’re under lock and key in the garden shed. Zoe can vouch for that – I showed her all the things I’ve chosen to lock away in there for these final few weeks of the diet. (See: you thought I was iron-willed? Not so much. I find dieting as hard as anyone!)

Friends like these… 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: Monkey Nutrition whey isolate Primal26

Hello on this lovely sunny day! Although I am now in the stages of my prep-diet where I’ve taken out protein powders (personal preference and just the way Kat & I do things), today’s Fitness kit I’ve reviewed this week is for a whey isolate.

Bold new brand on the block, Monkey Nutrition, sent me a packet of their vanilla whey isolate (and a shaker) a few weeks ago and I’ve since used it in smoothies, as straight-up shakes and as a blend with other protein powders. I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up! Here’s the review.

Monkey Nutrition’s whey isolate, Primal26 contains only whey protein isolate which has gone through various micro- and ultra-filtration processes. It contains no fat, no sugar and only 1g carbs per serving but will give you 26g protein. It’s the ideal choice of protein powder for directly after training, which is mostly how I used it. I appreciated its macros – as I was between six and four weeks out from comp when I was testing it, so the fact that it is so low carb was very handy and meant I could easily fit it in to my diet plans. You can read about whey isolate vs whey concentrate here on the Monkey Nutrition blog.

Primal26 whey protein isolate comes in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry – I was sent the vanilla which I was glad of as it’s so versatile. It was very tasty, not too sweet but a nice pleasant vanilla taste which was good by itself and also worked well if I blended it in with another protein powder. I had it a couple of times on really hot days blended up with a load of icecubes and it made a great “bodybuilder icecream” – it’s got xanthan gum in it, which helps it thicken up a little. It’s sweetened with Stevia, which gets a big hoorah from me, as I really prefer not to have Sucralose these days. (Stevia is a zero-cal sweetener derived from a plant, so it’s natural and gentle on the digestion).

Monkey have put a host of useful extras in their whey isolate, including BCAAs and EAAs isoluecine, leucine, valine, arginine, lysine and also glutamine, so it really is a good choice for a post-gym refuel before you can get your next solid meal down you.

Finally, the folk at Monkey Nutrition seem jolly nice and genuinely interested in helping out gym-goers and athletes of all calibres (I sent an email to one of the company’s founders, asking – in a somewhat over-paranoid manner! – to double-check that anything they were intending on sending me was OK for tested athletes. Not only did the big boss email me back very quickly but he contacted the scientist people behind the formulas, in order to double-triple check and put my mind at rest.)

I know it doesn’t really matter who’s behind the brand when you’re chugging back your protein shake as you walk out of the gym, but I do feel it makes a difference if a company is genuinely interested in its customers, show an understanding of the rules and regulations of various sports and seem to care.

Monkey Nutrition whey isolate protein Primal26

Per 30g serving
110 kcals
0g fat
1g carbs (0g sugar)
26g protein
150 mg sodium

They also sent me a shaker bottle and, I’ll admit, my first thought was “oh another bottle, just what I need…” but actually this one is great and it’s my new go-to bottle! There’s just something about the design – it’s slimmer than a lot of other shakers and it’s slightly tapered, too, so it fits really nicely into the side pocket of my kitbag and into the coffee-cup holder in my car. (It’s also got a nifty spiral thing inside to help blend up whatever powders you’ve got in there). And I’ve just gone online to grab the URL and seen it’s only £3.99, which quite honestly is a steal.

I know. I’m easily pleased. ;D

Thanks, Monkey Nutrition people!

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Monkey Nutrition whey isolate Primal26 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: Nova Detox health supplements

Morning! As I’m sitting here sipping on a green drink packed with superfoods, I thought I’d tell you about it in the form of this week’s Fitness kit I’ve tested…

Health supplements company Nova Detox offered to send me a couple of products to test. Nova’s nutrition products and alternative health supplements looked to be really good quality, with many of them being made from organic ingredients (and the prices are great too), so I said sure!

The first thing I tried out was their organic green superfood powder, GreeNourish. Now, I love me a good greens powder and have become a convert over the past year or so. So I was excited to test this one. What I liked about the description is that it’s not just a greens powder (with all the nutrients and vitamins you get from greens) but it’s also a protein powder too – ideal as a dietary supplement.

The ingredients (which include pre-sprouted barley, wheatgrass, barley grass, quinoa, spirulina, kelp, acai, flaxseed, alfalfa and spinach – holy nutritional powerhouse!) are certified organic and this powder is almost completely gluten-free (0.28% gluten). It contains all of the 8 essential amino acids and it’s got lots of lovely soluble fibre and fatty acids. Greens powders are a great way to get a high dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in a highly bio-available form.

Yes but what about the taste! Truly? It’s lovely. I eat it off the spoon. It’s gentle, and almost creamy. Yes it’s “green” but that’s not a bad thing. I recommend it – give it a try. It’s £19 for the tub (and believe me it will last for ages because you don’t need much).

Nutritional stats per 10g:
38.5kcals
7.2g carbs (1.2g sugars)
1.2g protein
0.8g fat
1.3g fibre

I also tried the Dietary Fibre Complex. I’m a big fan of taking fibre as a supplement, in capsule or powder form, and I tend to rotate the fibre I take every week or so. It definitely makes a difference to my fat loss when I’m prepping for contest and I know a lot of other competitors use this approach too. What I liked about Nova’s high fibre supplements is that it contains a great blend of lots of different fibres, including psyllium husk and seed, flaxseed powder, fenugreek powder and apple pectin (amongst other colon-friendly ingredients!) I can report that, yes, this fibre supplement works and that I’d recommend you follow the suggestion about taking it before bed! I’m used to fibre supps but I can imagine this one – effective as it is – might be quite strong for some people and you’d want it to be doing its thing whilst your body is resting in bed. Having said that, the dosage instructions do advise a low dose to begin with.

Yours, with a healthy colon…

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: Nova Detox health supplements 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: barenakedfood protein noodles

Remember when I reviewed Bare Naked Noodles? Well, I met Ross (the man behind the brand) at this year’s Bodypower Expo and he kindly gave me a pack of barenakedfood‘s new noodles – a high protein version – and I’ve finally got round to trying them.

(Watch out, Ross is so hot he has to have a “caution” sign nearby!)

These low-carb, high protein noodles are a great alternative to spaghetti or noodles in stir-fries or will “pasta sauce” type dinners, for those of us who choose not to actually eat pasta or regular noodles. This version of barenakedfood’s noodles are pretty much identical in taste and texture to their original version, but they are significantly higher in protein. They’re high in fibre, have no sugar at all and even help to normalise cholesterol and do their bit to ward off high blood pressure.

Nutritional stats (per 100g – I got about 230g once I’d drained them)
39.75 kcals
9g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat
5mg sodium

Now, this is not a food blog, and I am not a food blogger! I don’t know how those folk take photos of every last thing they eat every day. So, with that in mind, here is my dinner last night… featuring barenakedfood‘s protein noodles!

(Get more info about the protein noodles – and order – via this page – scroll down )

Ingredients
One packet barenakedfood protein noodles
GOOD Hemp hemp oil
Asparagus tips
Shallots
Some big a$$ prawns
Fresh parsley

“Recipe”
Heat your oil in a pan, chop your veggies. Cook them up together. Chuck in the prawns (which are already cooked) then tip the noodles in (having drained them first). The noodles only need heating, but if you cook them in a bit of oil they’ll absorb the flavours and take on a bit of texture too.
Plate up, wonder how to take a picture of noodles in an exciting manner. Add parsley and try again.
Eat.

The verdict? Great! I couldn’t taste any difference between these and the regular version but I must say I felt very full indeed after this dinner, and wasn’t expecting to because I thought my portion looked a bit meagre (which shows you how much I normally shovel down by way of veggies!) The noodles are really easy to cook, very versatile and a great solution if you want spaghetti or noodles for any kind of dish, or just want to add some protein to a meal without your usual meat/fish/eggs.

Thank you, Mr Ross “barenakedfood”! Find them online here or on Facebook here.

Fitness kit I’ve tested this week: barenakedfood protein noodles 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.