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Nutrition Reviews

Decadent Chocolate Deliciousness With Cocozia® Coconut Water

May 11, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Coconut water is my all-time favorite drink. Like, EVER. It’s a topic of discussion all throughout my blog. I drink it daily, especially  in the summertime. But sometimes I get bored with the taste, and most nights, just like any other female, I want chocolate. What’s a girl to do?

Good thing Cocozia® coconut water has a brand-new chocolate flavor! Seriously, it’s amazing. You may be saying, “But [insert another brand here] already has a chocolate flavor; what makes this any better?”

Disclosure: I received a case (12 pack) of Cocozia chocolate coconut water in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I make a small profit of any purchases through my affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Cocozia Chocolate Coconut Water Review   Cocozia Chocolate Coconut Water Organic

I’m glad you asked (or at least I’m pretending you asked 😉 ). The other brand comes in a plastic bottle, which I despise. I should call myself an anti-plastic warrior. Ha! It’s terrible for the environment and anything that comes from a plastic bottle tastes weird. Plus this other brand is from concentrate, which I’m not really a fan of. Cocozia (affiliate link), however, comes in a biodegradable Tetra Pak, and it’s not from concentrate. Plus Cocozia is 100% organic and non-GMO Project verified. The chocolate flavor comes from light, all-natural chocolate.

I like to drink Cocozia for a few different reasons throughout my day:

  • To hydrate
  • To raise my blood sugar when it gets too low (hypoglycemia)
  • As a snack
  • As a replacement for not-so-healthy chocolate
  • As a nighttime snack (I probably used it mostly for this one!)

When I was craving something extra chocolaty, I would make this recipe:

Cocozia Chocolate Recipe Coconut Water

For this recipe, I used PBZero powdered peanut butter and Navitas Naturals raw cocoa nibs (affiliate link). Of course, you can use whichever brands you prefer!

If you want decadent chocolate deliciousness in your fridge, you can order a case of Cocozia on Amazon (affiliate link)! A 12 pack case of 16.9 oz is $35. You can also find Cocozia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • What is your favorite flavor of coconut water?
  • Are you a chocolate fanatic like me?
  • What was the highlight of your weekend? (I’m just curious!) :p

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Blog Signature

Filed Under: Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: #definebrave, #fitfluential, #girlsgonesporty, #socalbloggersociety, #sweatpink, affiliate, all-natural, Amazon, buy, California, chocolate, chocolate coconut water, coconut water, Cocozia, health, LA, lifestyle, Los Angeles, Navitas Naturals, nonGMO, nonGMO Project verified, organic, PBZero, recipe, review, shop, SoCal, summer

Nutrition Reviews Uncategorized

Guilt-Free Chicago Mix Popcorn + Giveaway!

October 20, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 7 Comments

A few months ago, I decided to cut out GMOs (genetically modified organisms) from my nutrition. I wanted to be as physically healthy as I could so that my mind would be healthy too. Over the past few months, I’ve been on the lookout for non-GMO snacks. That’s when I found GH Cretors non-GMO popcorn.

Disclosure: I contacted GH Cretors in the hopes of sampling their product. I received a case of Chicago Mix popcorn in exchange for a review and giveaway on my blog. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

GH Cretors Popcorn nonGMO

What makes GH Cretors different from other popcorn?

It is free of:

  • artificial flavors or colors
  • GMOs
  • gluten (naturally)
  • corn syrup

What is the Chicago Mix?

The Chicago Mix is what I received, and I’m a big fan!

“Today we make our Caramel Corn just like Great Grandpa did- in old-fashioned copper kettles, one batch at a time. Then we mix it up the Chicago way, with our rich, creamy, Aged Cheddar Cheese Corn to create the perfect combination of Sweet and Salty. You don’t even have to come to Chicago to try this special treat” (website).

 Chicago Mix Popcorn GH Cretors nonGMO   Chicago Mix Popcorn GH Cretors nonGMO Ingredients

It contains ingredients you recognize and tastes absolutely delicious! My boyfriend and I went through a case pretty quickly. Plus it’s fun to share with friends: the girl I babysit likes the caramel corn, and I like the cheese corn, so we like to split it!

GIVEAWAY!

GH Cretors has graciously offered for me to give away one case of the Chicago Mix popcorn! One case= 24 bags (1.5 oz single-serve). You must be living in the US. GH Cretors will send the case directly to you (I will email the winner for their contact info). Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below! The giveaway ends Tuesday, October 28 at 11:59pm PST. Good luck!!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit GHCretors.com to check out the various popcorn options! There are tons of recipe ideas here. If you’re too excited to try GH Cretors before the giveaway ends, you can get free shipping through Oct. 31 by using promo code HW14FS.

Thank you for checking out my blog! And thank you GH Cretors for the opportunity. 🙂

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Filed Under: Nutrition, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: caramel corn, cheese corn, Chicago Mix, Eat Real Food, food, GH Cretor's, giveaway, glutenfree, healthy, JERF, kosher, Los Angeles, non-GMO, non-GMO project verified, nonGMO, popcorn, quality, recipe, review, snack, SoCal

Nutrition Reviews

Superfoods Made Simple With Skoop Nutrition + Discount Code

October 16, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

The past few months have been so crazy busy, it’s been challenging keeping up with my social media life. From being sick, to BlogFest, to being sick again, to babysitting, and now my new puppy, it’s been nonstop. Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy! It can be stressful, but it actually helps to keep me stable and happy. During this time, my nutrition was put on the backburner. I didn’t completely fall by the wayside, but it’s harder to eat healthy when I am always on-the-go.

Lucky for me, I was contacted by Skoop to try out their products and provide my honest feedback. Full disclosure, I received a free sample of B-Strong and B-Lovely, plus a full-size of A-Game. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Healthy Skoop Superfood Logo

What Is Skoop?

“Skoop is a line of powdered, whole-food sourced super nutrition. We created Skoop to be a real solution to our national nutrition problem. For everyone. Not just those who can afford a personal nutritionist or have ready access to organic farm land. We needed to make it simple to use, quick to prepare, and affordable, too. Thanks to plant-based phytonutrients, we found our solution. Skoop blends are all whole-foods derived and full of the nutrients missing from our standard diet” (website).

Skoop Nutrients Absorb

They have three amazing products! B-Strong, B-Lovely, and A-Game.

  • B-Strong, is a plant-based protein powder that promotes a three-stage process for manufacturing strong, lean muscles and all-over health. It’s designed to help your body absorb nutrients, build muscle and recover quickly. Unlike most protein powders, B-Strong also contains prebiotics that promote a happy belly, as well as amino acids such as essentials, non-essentials and BCAAs, and even Mediterranean fruits. It’s gluten, dairy and soy free, and it contains pea and brown rice protein.
    The fatty acids aid hormone function, healthy skin and cellular repair, but they also help the gut absorb macro and phytonutrients throughout your day. The BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) keep your muscles strong and happy throughout your daily activity or workout, so that you recover quickly and efficiently.
  • A-Game, a superfood formula, which is loaded with 41 organic and non-GMO ingredients, probiotics, adaptogens, and antioxidants.
  • B-Lovely, a beauty blend, that fights oxidative stress in the skin and promotes healthy cellular development.

Skoop A-Game Superfood Skoop Superfood A-Game Skoop Superfood Blender Bottle

They can be mixed with almond milk, coconut milk, water, in a smoothie, or however you want!

I really enjoyed all three products! A-Game is perfect for making sure I get my nutrition in the morning (I mix it with almond milk). I’ll admit the taste takes some getting used to, especially because I am not generally a plant-based type of person. The great feeling I have after drinking my A-Game is well worth dealing with the taste. I will say, though, that it’s much better than other superfood powders I’ve had! B-Strong was really good, and great as a post-workout. I love that it contains prebiotics and is safe for most people with food allergies/restrictions! As a woman in her late (gasp) 20s, B-Lovely is a saving grace! I definitely need to fight oxidative stress for better skin.

Each purchase also comes with a “life instruction manual”. It’s pretty awesome!

Skoop Instruction Manual Skoop Protein Superfoods Directions

Buy One, Give One

“We partnered with The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that provides real, fresh fruits and veggies to public school lunch programs all over the country – programs that currently need to classify french fries, tomato sauce, and ketchup as vegetables in order to meet FDA standards. For every serving of Skoop sold, we donate one serving of free, fresh fruits and veggies to a school lunch program. You buy a serving, you give a serving” (website).

Skoop Buy One Give One

 

Discount Code:

You can use code BALANCE10 for 10% off your order at healthyskoop.com!


 

Interested in trying out Skoop for yourself? You can purchase it online here, or become a seller here!

You can find Skoop on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

  • Have you tried Skoop products?
  • Do you follow a plant-based diet?

Thank you for reading my blog! And thank you Skoop for allowing me to sample your products!

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Filed Under: Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: #HealthySkoop, A-Game, B-Lovely, B-Strong, beauty, Boulder, Buy One Give One, charity, Colorado, dairy free, discount, donate, gluten-free, health, healthy, nonGMO, nutrition, pea protein, phytonutrients, plant-based, plants, protein, real food, review, Skoop, soy free, superfood, The Chef Ann Foundation, whole food

Nutrition Reviews

Plant-Based HempPro 70 Review + Discount Code

September 24, 2014 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that there’s brand upon brand of protein powder on the market. Some people drink protein shakes daily; some have no idea what the difference is between them. It can get confusing! Well I am here to share with you why Manitoba Harvest HempPro 70 protein powder is one of the cleanest options out there.

HempPro 70 Protein Shake

Disclosure: As part of my #sweatpink ambassadorship with Fit Approach, I had the opportunity to review HempPro 70. I received one sample of chocolate and one sample of vanilla. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

With that being said, I definitely believe HempPro 70 is a great protein powder. Here are a few reasons why:

  1. It’s entirely plant-based, so it’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
  2. It’s the only water-soluble hemp protein powder on the market. It does not need to be blended (but can be if you prefer).
  3. It’s 95% digestible. There are only four ingredients in each flavor (chocolate and vanilla). I will post the ingredients below!
  4. It’s sweetened with organic coconut sugar, so it’s low on the glycemic index.
  5. It’s packed with protein and omegas. Chocolate: 14g protein – Vanilla: 15g protein.
  6. It’s Non-GMO Project verified.
  7. The cocoa used in the chocolate flavor is organic fair trade cocoa.

My only issue with this protein powder is the taste is a bit bland. I mixed the chocolate with almond milk, but I think mixing it with coconut milk would have been better. I feel like it would give it more flavor. I decided to blend some raw cacao nibs in the chocolate, and that helped! So personally, I wouldn’t drink the shakes with just milk. If I was in a hurry, I could deal with it, but I would rather blend it with something.

You can get a bunch of great recipes for the protein powder on Manitoba Harvest’s website here!

HempPro 70 Protein Shake Jaxx

Despite the bland taste, it is one of the better plant-based protein powders I’ve had. I’ve tried three other plant-based powders, and I couldn’t even finish drinking them. With HempPro 70, I didn’t have a problem finishing it!

Here’s the ingredients of the two flavors (chocolate and vanilla, respectively):

HempPro 70 Protein Shake Ingredients HempPro 70 Protein Shake Vanilla Ingredients

I am all about minimal ingredients, so I definitely love this!

As for pricing: you can get an 11oz bag (10 servings) of chocolate or vanilla HempPro 70 for $24.99. That’s about $2.50 per shake- not bad!

Discount Code:

Manitoba Harvest has graciously allowed me to offer a 20% discount on their HempPro 70 chocolate and vanilla protein powders! Simply go to their website and enter code sweatpinkpro70 at checkout. 🙂

You can find Manitoba Harvest on their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

  • What do you look for in a protein powder?
  • What is your favorite thing to add to your protein shakes?

Thank you so much for reading my blog! 🙂

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Filed Under: Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: #pro70, #sweatpink, Ambassador, Canada, chocolate, fair trade, Fit Approach, fitness, hemp protein, HempPro 70, Manitoba Harvest, nonGMO, nutrition, plant-based, protein powder, protein shake, recipe, review, vanilla, vegan, vegetarian, workout

Ambassador Fitness Nutrition Reviews

Get More Energy With ENERGYbits + A Discount/Giveaway

August 23, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 6 Comments

Disclosure: I received two free samples of ENERGYbits in the hopes that I would review them on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I’ll admit, when I first heard of spirulina algae as a form of energy, I was not interested. I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, so plant-based isn’t necessarily important to me. But health and clean energy sources are. Especially as an athlete. And I found that with Boston based sports nutrition company, ENERGYbits!

Here’s a quick description of what ENERGYbits are, borrowed from their website:

“ENERGYbits® are tiny algae tabs so nutritionally dense, they eliminate fatigue and hunger instantly. Want a healthy, natural way to fuel your game or fire up your brain? ENERGYbits® are for you! NO caffeine, sugar, chemicals, gluten or soy, just pure, plant based nutrition, all for just ONE calorie per tab. ENERGYbits® have just ONE ingredient – organically grown NON GMO spirulina algae – a super food endorsed by the United Nations and NASA as the most nutritionally dense food in the world. Spirulina has been a favorite of gold medalists for decades. Now it’s your turn.”

They’re called bits because they are tiny tablets of spirulina algae. They’re not a supplement. They are a whole food source. One bit is 64% protein, contains 40 vitamins, antioxidants,, and nitric oxide. When you look at the percentage of protein in a bit, it’s higher than any other protein source. because of this, it’s great energy source! What’s awesome is that there is a no rush and no crash- just simple, smooth energy throughout your day (or workout).

Here’s the thing that tends to throw people off: one serving of ENERGYbits is 30 tablets. Yes, 30. At first, I didn’t want to try something that I needed to take 30 of. I don’t mind taking pills/supplements, but even then, I don’t take more than a few a day. Here’s what they look like:

ENERGYbits Spirulina Health   ENERGYbits Spirulina Health 2

Images Courtesy of ENERGYbits Pinterest & Burpees for Breakfast

With that being said, I am actually a big fan of these little bits!! They’re algae, so I definitely recommend swallowing them (not chewing). I took 10 at a time, and had no issues. I took my first sample (30 bits) on the first day of BlogFest. I don’t usually wake up at 5:30am, and I definitely don’t stay awake for 20 hours, especially without crashing. I was in a conference all day long, and was really surprised I hadn’t fallen asleep by 5 pm. But then I remembered I took the bits, and I was really impressed! I used to take Adderall (prescription), so I was used to feeling a big rush of energy, and then an even bigger crash later on. I absolutely LOVE that I did not experience that with the bits! Taking the 30 bits (which by the way are VERY small) is totally worth it.

ENERGYbits Spirulina Health 5

Image Courtesy of ENERGYbits Pinterest

Another thing that I was hesitant about was the pricing. ENERGYbits come in a bag of 1,000 bits for $115.00. Yes, one hundred & fifteen dollars. BUT, you’re getting 1,000  bits at a time (a little over 33 servings). So when you break it down, it’s actually very comparable to any other energy source. Per serving, it equates to about $3.50. If you look at the cost of energy drinks, ENERGYbits are similar, if not cheaper. Plus, bits are a clean energy and whole food source. In my book, ENERGYbits win by a landslide!

ENERGYbits Spirulina Health 3  One bag of ENERGYbits  ENERGYbits Health Spirulina  One sample of bits

Discount Code + Giveaway!

Do you want to try ENERGYbits, & get a 25% discount off your purchase? Simply visit their website, and enter code TBB into the coupon box to receive your discount!

Also, I am offering one reader a free sample of ENERGYbits! Simply comment on this blog post about why you’d like to try ENERGYbits! One winner (US only) will be chosen & contacted by Tuesday, August 26, 2014. ENERGYbits are only available at ENERGYbits.com, and Jonathan (their Community Manager) has let me know that he’d be happy to share more info on their sample program – you can email him at jlevitt@energybits.com.

If you’re interested in the awesomeness of ENERGYbits like I am, you can participate in their health and fitness Twitter chat, held every Tuesday night at 8 pm (EST) using hashtag #PoweredByBits.

You can also follow ENERGYbits on their Pinterest and Facebook, and visit their website at www.energybits.com!

Don’t forget to follow me, too! I am most active on Instagram and Twitter.

I want to thank ENERGYbits for the samples and opportunity to review their amazing product!

ENERGYbits Health Spirulina 6

XO, Lyndsay

Filed Under: Ambassador, Fitness, Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: #PoweredByBits, algae, all-natural, Ambassador, athlete, bipolar, California, discount, energy, EnergyBits, free, giveaway, gluten-free, half marathon, LA, Los Angeles, mental clarity, mental focus, natural, nonGMO, organic, plant-based, race, review, runner, running, SoCal, spirulina, vegan, vegetarian, weight loss, whole food, yoga

Lifestyle Nutrition Reviews

Get Non-GMO Groceries Delivered To Your Door With The Green PolkaDot Box

July 22, 2014 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

I am really excited to have found a company that offers ALL non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods AND delivery! It’s called The Green PolkaDot Box (affiliate link).

green polkadot box 1

First, let me start by giving you a bit of background as to why non-GMO delivery is important to me. With our food industry these days, it’s getting more challenging to distinguish what is genetically modified and what isn’t. It requires a good amount of education and knowledge on the subject. While this is not a problem for me (nutrition is my passion), I have found that it is a challenge for some. There’s so much contradictory information out there. With The Green PolkaDot Box, EVERYTHING is non-GMO! You don’t have to go through and read the ingredients to everything (though you can if you want to of course), because they only carry non-GMO items.

The delivery aspect is important to me because I live in Los Angeles, CA, and I despise grocery shopping! Call me spoiled, lazy, what have you, but I get ridiculous social anxiety when in crowded areas. I attribute this to my severe claustrophobia. The grocery stores here are packed all the time, so I prefer grocery delivery if possible. Plus I don’t have a car, so this definitely helps.

green polkadot box 2

 

Right now, use code GPDB15 for $15 off your first order! (With club membership)

How It Works: 

You buy a one-year membership for $49.95 which gives you the lowest prices guaranteed, and FREE shipping (on orders over $75; anything less is flat rate $9.95) on thousands of clean, organic, and non-GMO foods. If you join today, you will receive $10 shopping credit towards your first order. You can also try a free trial before committing to a membership! You then get discounted products on certified non-GMO foods and products. You make the membership price back in the amount that’s discounted for your groceries. It’s simple to use and totally worth it!

If you buy anything in the cold food department, you must live within a 2-day shipping zip code of Utah. It’s a bummer if you live outside of that, but makes sense of course! Where I’m at in LA, it’s within the 2-day shipping requirement, so that can give you a bit of an indication if you are within it too!

My Experience:

I ordered a few groceries for my boyfriend and myself a couple weeks ago. We ordered frozen organic boneless/skinless chicken breast, organic deli sliced turkey, frozen Alaskan halibut steaks, and grass-fed beef ribeye steak. It arrived within 2 days! We had to pay a separate shipping fee from the regular one because of the frozen foods, but if our order was over $75, then we wouldn’t have to pay that (because of the membership). It’s very similar shipping cost-wise to another grocery delivery service we used.  The groceries themselves were a bit cheaper with The Green PolkaDot Box! Needless to say, I am very pleased! It’s incredibly convenient to have healthy foods delivered right to my door. And the food was great! My boyfriend was especially excited about the halibut. It’s his favorite!

halibut_1

If you’re someone who prefers non-GMO foods and appreciates grocery delivery, I highly recommend The Green PolkaDot Box. I’m very excited to have found such a great service! Check out The Green PolkaDot Box for yourself and see if it’s something that fits your needs.

  • Do you consume only non-GMO foods and products?
  • Do you get groceries delivered to your house?

 

Disclosure: I received a $30 credit toward The Green PolkaDot Box to try out the service as an affiliate. I receive a portion of any sales through my affiliate link. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: affiliate, California, certified, delivery, grass-fed, grocery, halibut, membership, nonGMO, organic, SoCal, SoCal, The Green PolkaDot Box, Utah

Ambassador Nutrition

Who Wants To Go Sugar-Free With IDEAfit & Katie K Active, & Win Prizes For It?

May 31, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 4 Comments

In the month of June, I am hosting a FREE challenge with IDEA Health & Fitness Association, sponsored by Katie K Active! The challenge is called the Sugar Free Challenge, and it’s going to be awesome!

Sugar Free Summer Cover Photo

It’s super easy to enter. Create a free account on Challenge Loop, then join the challenge here! The challenge starts June 1st and ends June 30th.

Rules:

  • Make/create a sugar-free snack, meal, or drink, and post a picture and/or recipe on Challenge Loop and Twitter (Instagram optional)! If you don’t have Twitter, no problem!
  • You must post at least 8 times in the month of June to be eligible to win the prize (a $25 gift card to Katie K Active!)
  • Sugar-free for YOU can either be no artificial sugar, added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweetener, etc. OR no sugar at all. It’s up to you! (So fruit, honey, stevia are okay)

Prize:

  • One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card to Katie K Active! #definebrave

I am incredibly excited to be hosting this fun challenge as an IDEA Inspired Blogger! I cannot wait to see all the amazing recipes you come up with!

Email me at lyndsay@thebalancedbrunette.com if you have any questions, or you can find me on Facebook! 🙂

xo, Lyndsay

Filed Under: Ambassador, Nutrition Tagged With: #definebrave, Ambassador, challenge, Challenge Loop, foodie, free, IDEA inspired blogger, IDEAfit, Instagram, JERF, June, Katie K Active, nonGMO, nutrition, paleo, prize, raw, sugar free, Twitter, vegan, win

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