nutrition

Essential Reasons to Get the Right Nutrients

April 8, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

There are all kinds of nutrients that your body needs. Many of us don’t get these essential nutrients through our diet, even if we try our best to eat healthy. Topping up the nutrients that you receive with supplements can be one way to improve your health. You might not give a lot of thought to making sure you get all of the right nutrients, but it’s an important thing to consider when it comes to your diet. There are some crucial reasons you should make sure you have a nutritious diet if you want to be a healthy person. Below are a few!

Keep Your Hair and Skin Looking Good

A nutritious diet helps you to be healthy, both inside and out. You might not be able to see what’s going on inside your body a lot of the time, but how healthy you are is often reflected on the outside of your body. For example, your hair, skin, and nails can be easily affected by the nutrients you receive. Smokers can find that these things are affected negatively, partly because poor circulation means nutrients aren’t being delivered effectively around the body. Getting the right nutrients ensures your hair and skin look good at all times.

Image from Pixabay – Pixabay License

Fuel Your Brain

Inside your body, your brain can benefit greatly from a diet that’s rich in all kinds of nutrients. When you have a nutritious diet, you give your brain the fuel it needs so that you can focus during the day and even sleep well at night. There are some foods that can be excellent for providing your brain with top nutrients. For example, oily fish contains omega-3, which is a great brain food. There’s evidence that it helps with memory, so it could help your brain to stay healthy as it gets older.

Take Care of Your Teeth

Your teeth need help staying healthy, too. Calcium helps your teeth and bones to stay strong, while vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium. Other nutrients are essential for your teeth too, and having a balanced diet can help you to protect your oral health. You can even buy toothpaste that will help to provide you with top nutrients. Use a Revitin toothpaste coupon code to try it out, and you could start improving your oral health. Getting plenty of vitamins prevents gum disease, while vitamin C helps to keep your immune system healthy!

Give Yourself Energy

It’s not just your brain that needs enough energy to function. Your body also needs plenty of energy and the right nutrients to carry out different bodily functions. When you have a balanced diet full of different nutrients, you can find that you have more energy to do daily things, and you feel less sluggish and fatigued. You need carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your diet to give you energy, although they are required in varying amounts depending on a number of factors.

A nutritional diet gives you what you need to keep going and keeps you healthy from head to toe.

Thank you for reading!

Nutrition

How to Eat More Fruits and Veggies

February 7, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Eating fruit and vegetables is important when it comes to eating a healthy and nutritional balanced diet that gives your body everything that it needs to work as it should. Eating fruits and veggies means that you consume more vitamins and minerals. Most are high in fiber, which aids your digestion, and fruit is the best way to get an energy boost without reaching for an unhealthy sugary snack.

Fruits and vegetables are also high in water, helping you to keep hydrated and taking care of your skin, nails, and hair. Another big plus of fruit and vegetables is that they are low in calories. They are an easy way to bulk out meals and snacks; filling up without overeating or consuming more calories than you are burning off.

The recommendations around how many portions of fruit and veggies we should eat every day differ and change over time. They also depend on how many calories you should be eating each day. Some countries recommended five portions; others say five fruit and five veg. Most agree that these should be portions of different fruits and vegetables. The current version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that a person needing 2,000 calories a day should include 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables every day. That might sound like a lot, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some great ways to eat more fruits and vegetables!

Start with a Smoothie

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A smoothie is a great way to get plenty of fruit and veg into your diet before you even leave the house. Blend together a banana, a portion of strawberries, and a handful of oats with a serving of almond milk for a healthy and filling start. Banana, mango, and pineapple also tastes great and gives you three different fruits in one glass. Experiment with different combinations, and add oats for healthy protein. I like to add spinach and kale to my smoothies, because you can’t taste it! This works great when you want to trick your kids into eating veggies. 😉

If you find that drinking a smoothie doesn’t fill you up, try eating it instead. Smoothie bowls are often more filling simply because we eat them instead of drinking them.

Prepare Some Healthy Snacks

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If you are hungry when you are out and about, or even at home, do you reach for something quick and easy? How often is this fruit? Never? Rarely?

Make fruit and vegetables readily available and easy to grab, and you’ll eat more of it. You could even carry some chopped fruit or veg sticks in your bag when you are out. Prepare some fruit salads and veg sticks so that there’s always something easy to reach for when you are hungry.

Learn Some New Recipes

Fruits and vegetables can get boring. Learn some new recipes, and ways to cook and serve them (like this tasty Jamaican cabbage), and they might become a more exciting part of your diet.

Try New Fruits and Vegetables

If you are sticking to all of your old favorites, this is a great time to branch out. Try some more exotic fruit or veggies that you’ve never had before. Remember, canned (without added sugar), dried, and frozen count as much as fresh!

Add Vegetables to Your Meals

A great way to enjoy more vegetables is to add more to your meals. Fry up some peppers and onions to add to pasta dishes, fill pies with carrots and parsnips, and blend plenty of veggies into a healthy soup.

•How do you get more fruits and veggies into your daily nutrition?

Thank you for reading!

This post was a collaboration.

Food

How To Get The Most Nutrition Out of Your Food

January 5, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 6 Comments

When it comes to health and wellness, it can feel like there is a lot to be thinking about. There’s talk of omega-3s here, vitamin D there, and getting the right amount of protein packed into each meal. So how do you get all of the nutrients into your diet and having meals that give you the most benefit? Here are some of the ways that you can get the most nutrition out of your food, so you can relax and stop stressing over what you eat!

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Eat Local Food

Eating local food that is grown close to you can be a good way to get the best out of your food. If you pick your own food and eat it shortly after it has been picked, then it makes the most of the vitamins and minerals that you get from the produce that you eat. When you pick fruits and vegetables from their source, they start to lose their nutritional value. So having them close by after eating them can be the best.

Of course, this isn’t going to always be practical, especially at certain times of the year. So things like supplements can be a good idea to add into your everyday diet. Using a site like The Diet Dynamo can help you to choose the best supplements for your needs as there are plenty of reviews. If you are vegetarian or vegan, for instance, a supplement with B12 can be extremely beneficial.

Food Prep

The way you prepare your food can help to keep the vitamins and minerals in the foods. For instance:

Cutting fruits and vegetables is a good way to get the most of the nutrients out of them. When they are chopped it can help to break down the cell walls that can be quite rigid, which then frees up more of the nutrients.
Crushing and then chopping things like onions and garlic is a good way to make the food much better for you. When you do this, it releases an enzyme that helps to then form a nutrient called allicin. It can help to protect against diseases, so preparing the foods in that way can mean you get more out of it compared to when it is prepared another way.
Eating grains and beans is really important for plant-based protein in your life. But soaking them is best, rather than just boiling them. Soaking them helps them to reduce an acid that hinders your body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients. So it is a quick change that can make a big difference.

Raw Foods

There are some foods that are going to be better for you nutritionally when you eat them raw, as opposed to when heated or boiled, which can break down certain vitamins that they contain. Foods like sunflower seeds, broccoli, kale, spinach, and peppers are all examples of foods that are best, in terms of nutritional content, when they are eaten raw.

How do you like to prepare your food? Share in the comments below!

Disclosure: This post was a collaboration.

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Events Fitness Nutrition SoCal

How I Champion Women’s Wellness with thinkThin® (+ Sunrise Yoga!)

August 27, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 3 Comments

This post is sponsored by Women’s Forum and thinkThin®. All opinions are 100% my own.

If I had to choose only one thing I am passionate about, it’s wellness. To me, wellness means feeling happy, healthy, energized, and having an all-around feeling of contentment. To obtain this, I balance nutrition, yoga, meditation, writing, and outdoor adventures.

I champion women’s wellness through nutrition with thinkThin® lifestyle bars and oatmeal! The bars are the perfect pick-me-up for my super busy days (which is practically every day). I’m not often in a place where I can refrigerate snacks or meals, so having a high protein, low sugar bar in my bag is essential. The best part? I don’t have to choose between healthy and delicious; these bars are both!

I had the privilege of trying the oatmeal at the Sunrise Yoga event with fitness expert Andrea Metcalf (hosted by Women’s Forum and thinkThin®). The Farmer’s Market Berry Crumble oatmeal was SO GOOD! It’s my new go-to breakfast. It’s seriously so delicious; the fact that it’s healthy makes it that much better! thinkThin® knows what’s up. 😉

So, more about this Sunrise Yoga event. It was held a few weeks ago (Thursday, Aug. 6) at The Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. Andrea led a 30 minute yoga session (starting at 7 a.m.) followed by breakfast and the opportunity to talk with Andrea/other yogis! Andrea is full of energy and happiness; she inspired us to thinkPostive®. She is the definition of the modern-day health and wellness woman.

How @balancebrunette champions women’s wellness w/ @thinkproducts + Sunrise #Yoga w/ @andreametcalf recap! http://ctt.ec/qSHcB+ #sponsored

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The women who participated in the sunrise yoga event were confident, strong, positive, supportive, and full of gratitude. The atmosphere was uplifting and the view was beautiful!

It was such a privilege doing yoga with Andrea Metcalf and the beautiful LA yogis! I left feeling excited and optimistic about women’s wellness.

thinkThin® inspires (and nourishes) me to live a balanced lifestyle; after all, I am The Balanced Brunette!

What helps you live a balanced life? What does wellness mean for you?

#LiveLoveInspire

Follow thinkThin® on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and thinkproducts.com.

How @balancebrunette champions women’s wellness w/ @thinkproducts + Sunrise #Yoga w/ @andreametcalf recap! http://ctt.ec/qSHcB+ #sponsored

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Nutrition Reviews

Healthy and Positive Living Made Easier With thinkTHIN® Lifestyle Bars

May 13, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by thinkTHIN® and WomensForum.com. All opinions are 100% my own. Photos courtesy of the thinkTHIN® website.

Health has always been a passion of mine, especially women’s health. Whether it’s nutrition, fitness, mind or soul, I have a strong desire to learn and share as much as I possibly can! I have experienced an abundance of health issues over the years, and I have truly hit a point where I’m saying to myself; “Lyndsay, it’s time to take control of YOUR health!”

One of the biggest challenges I face with living a healthy lifestyle is that I am just so busy. I need a quick and simple way to nourish my body with something that tastes good. Lucky for me, I found thinkTHIN® lifestyle bars!

You may be asking, “What’s a lifestyle bar?”

It’s a bar that goes beyond diet or weight loss product; it delivers energy anytime, anywhere, so women can feel positive about their food choices! thinkThin® bars have 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar making it easy to use as a post-workout snack or a meal replacement or just a quick energy-boost solution. The bars are designed for women who care about quality products that fit their needs. For my busy and on-the-go lifestyle, I am able to get the solid nutrition I need, without sacrificing taste and quality.

Single mother of two, Lizanne Falsetto came up with the idea for thinkThin® when she needed nutritious food on-the-go. The company is a passionate supporter of health through nutrition. Today, thinkThin® products are sold in grocery and health food stores nationwide.

It’s incredibly important that I live a healthy, active and positive lifestyle. It’s not an accident my blog is called The Balanced Brunette – my goal is to find a balance between all three.

My passions help set the tone to finding that balanced lifestyle:

• Yoga
• Natural and organic nutrition with food like thinkTHIN® bars as my snacks
• Meditation
• Reading
• Positive personal development
• Social events/gatherings
• Get-togethers with my girl friends (usually spa or shopping trips)

These passions have given me a self-love approach to reaching my goal. I used to shame myself every chance I could get. I used negative words when I talked about myself – wrongly chastising myself for a terrible personality. I never truly believed I was worth anything.

But once I started practicing these passions, with a more active, positive, and healthy attitude, it all changed!

I love myself – my body, mind and soul. I appreciate the people in my life and tell them as often as I can. If I’m in a tough situation, I always look on the upside. I went from starving myself and feeling guilty about everything I ate, to fueling my body with healthy foods. I’ve learned to nourish my body instead of deprive it. Now, I feel better than I ever have!

I am definitely loving having my thinkTHIN® nutrition every day! I have the oatmeal (my fav: Madagascar Vanilla With Almond and Pecans) for breakfast, and a bar sometime throughout the day (have to say High Protein Chocolate Almond Coconut are SO good). If wellness is important to you, I highly recommend adding the thinkTHIN® line to your nutrition lifestyle! You won’t regret it.

Learn more about thinkTHIN® products and purchase yours on their website: thinkproducts.com. Or find a store near you: thinkproducts.com/store-locator/

Ambassador Health Nutrition Reviews

Avoid Dehydration With The World’s First Alkaline Sports Drink, Phenoh

April 18, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

I suck at keeping hydrated.

Really, I do. I’m ALWAYS thirsty because of a medication I’m taking, I’m always walking/playing with the kids I babysit, it’s hot in LA, and then add in my yoga and stretching. You’d think I’d be better at it! Truthfully, no matter how much water I drink, I can’t seem to feel hydrated. It’s a never-ending battle and it’s severely hurting my health.

Disclosure: I received a 12 pack of pHenOH as part of my #SweatPink ambassadorship with Fit Approach. Monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I heard about pHenOH through Fit Approach (I am a #SweatPink ambassador) and thought I’d give it a try! It’s the world’s first alkaline sports drink, which aids in staying balanced during times of stress and exercise! Below is an excerpt from the home page of their website, explaining who they are and what pHenOH is:

A superior, healthy, ALKALINE alternative to conventional sports drinks. Phenoh has redefined the concept of a “sports drink” to reflect the needs of athletes and active individuals alike. Phenoh 7.4, with just 7 naturally healthy ingredients and a pH of 7.4, is everything that your body needs to stay balanced during stress and exercise. This is not an ade, this is pHenOH.

After a yoga sesh; ignore my sweaty selfie & super weird smile! 😉

What attracted me to pHenOH is the pH level. PHenOH’s pH level is 7.4 (alkaline) and is the biggest part of what makes them stand out. If you’re having difficulty recalling anything from your high school chemistry class (ahem, me), pHenOH gives an easy lamens terms summary of pH (website):

The body is naturally alkaline [7.4 pH] and it must stay that way in order to function properly. Stress and exercise cause the production and buildup of acidic compounds in our blood, contributing to fatigue and negative health effects.

Regular sports drinks have an excessive amount of sugar and extremely acidic pH levels. Did you know anything below a pH of 5.5 can cause tooth decay? Super gross. So not only am I not hydrating enough, I’m also most likely consuming things with too high of a pH. In addition to the things I’m consuming, I also have very high stress levels (I rarely have me time). I realized it was time to try pHenOH and see if it helped!

In a nutshell, YEP! After incorporating pHenOH into my daily routine (2 a day for 6 days), I felt more hydrated and balanced. Dehydration causes fatigue, so it was definitely awesome not getting tired a couple hours after waking up. For only have 7 ingredients, I wasn’t sure how it would taste. However, it is delightful! I love the hint of aloe vera and agave nectar.

The Ingredients:

the finest organic aloe vera
naturally low glycemic organic agave nectar
potassium (no added sodium)
magnesium
vitamin C
only 30 calories per 8 ounce serving

Research shows that pHenOH 7.4 (source):

Increases VO2 Max (oxygen metabolism) by up to 10%.
Boosts your endurance.
Enhances your peak athletic performance.
Offsets the effects of altitude on performance.
Buffers your acidic metabolic waste during exercise and stress.

If you’re interested in a Q&A with the founder Alex Schmotter (an avid outdoorsman and dentist), I highly recommend fellow #SweatPink ambassador Kinetic Fix’s blog post!

My honest opinion of pHenOH 7.4 alkaline drink:

Also after my yoga sesh; hydrating with pHenOH of course!

I love it! I’m an advocate for consuming only natural and organic foods/drinks (except the occasional cake from Susie Cakes), avoiding chemicals as much as possible, and easier ways to get hydrated. I can only drink so much water without getting bored; having a tasty, healthy drink like pHenOH is exactly what I need! Oh, and my boyfriend totally loves it. He’s a soccer coach, health coach, swimmer, and exercise enthusiast (he walked 12 miles today if that’s any indication of his enthusiasm), and he’s been stealing my pHenOHs (I caught him red-handed!). He never likes anything I like; so pHenOH and friends, know that this is a HUGE victory! Haha 🙂

Share on social media what you love about pHenOH 7.4 by using the hashtags #GoAlkaline, #FindYourPhenoh, #StayBalanced, & #Sweatpink! You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

To purchase pHenOH for yourself (or friends!), order on Amazon here (affiliate link) or their website. You can also use the store locator (scroll to the bottom). One case (12 pack of 16.9 oz tetra packs) is $28 plus free shipping.

So tell me,

how well do you stay hydrated? Do you drink anything other than water?
When would you incorporate pHenOH into your daily life?
Do you remember learning about pH levels in high school chemistry?

Thank you SO much for reading! Connect with me:

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Lifestyle Nutrition Reviews SoCal

Are You Too Busy To Cook, But Still Want Healthy Meals? My Fit Foods Has A Solution For That

February 16, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 8 Comments

Let’s face it, we live in a pretty fast-paced world. We are constantly on-the-go, whether it’s for work, school, parental responsibilities, and so on. One of the first things to fall by the wayside is cooking, let alone healthy cooking. Of course we want to be healthy, fit, and fueled by good nutrition, but what are we to do when we don’t have the time to meal prep?

The answer? My Fit Foods.

The My Fit Foods Store in Studio City, California

Disclosure: A My Fit Foods PR representative contacted me to visit a MFF store, and share my experience on my blog. I received one day’s worth of food for free so I could offer my honest opinion. No other compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

What is My Fit Foods?

Created by personal trainer and former Marine Mario Mendias, MFF is “a revolutionary new way to enjoy fresh, great tasting, and healthy food on your schedule.” Mendias started cooking meals in his home for his clients in 2006. His concept then grew into what My Fit Foods is today. There are various stores throughout Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, and Illinois (Chicago). I visited the store in Studio City (Los Angeles), California. Each store is stocked full of healthy, pre-portioned meals. There are several options, such as gluten-free (note: the kitchen is not certified gluten-free), sodium sensitive and calorie controlled, low glycemic grains, fresh produce, and antioxidant rich spices.

How Does It Work?

You walk into a MFF store and tell them what you’re looking for (quick meals, dinners only, etc). There’s an entire wall of refrigerated food: snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and desserts. You can either look at the meals and choose what you would like to purchase, or ask for the on-site nutrition coach (Studio City’s coach is Natalie). The customized nutrition coaching is complimentary, meaning FREE! Each coach is highly-trained and certified.

Here’s A Walk Through Of How I Started:

I met with Natalie (and MFF PR representative Whitney) to talk about what MFF offers. I shared my struggles and my goals with Natalie. For example, I’m always on-the-go, 7 days a week. I know how to eat healthy (I used to be a health coach), but I don’t know what my body specifically needs. Should I be gluten-free? Is red meat really going to give me a heart attack? There are so many fad diets out there (especially in LA), that I feel like our perception of good health gets skewed. Also, I really dislike cooking.

Natalie told me about their 21 Day Challenge. Basically with this challenge, Natalie (or that store’s nutrition coach) puts together a customized 21 day meal plan based on your health goals, lifestyle, occupation/schedule, and what your body needs. She tailors it to your likes; for example, I don’t like seafood. So she was able to put together a plan that didn’t contain seafood, but still offered enough calories, vitamins, and so on for what my body needs. Natalie printed out a form that has your meals/snacks laid out for 21 days. It’s awesome, because you won’t really have to think about what to eat and when to eat it. I’m sure some people want to have the freedom to eat what and when they want, but for people like me, I want whatever is the simplest option! I would then pick up my food in the store twice a week.

Photos courtesy of MFF’s website

When doing the challenge, Natalie recommends a multivitamin (there’s one for men and one for women) and a liver cleanse to clear the toxins out of your liver. I’m not doing the 21 day challenge at the moment, so I did not purchase either of these. However, I did purchase their raspberry B12 liquid supplement (my body is severely lacking in B vitamins). It comes in a dropper bottle, so I mix it with my Drip Drop hydration drink. It’s delicious! I also purchased a bottle of probiotics, which my body desperately needs as well.

Does The Food Taste Good?

Yes! So good. I am a very picky eater, so I was happy to see how many options there were! I took home a one day supply of fresh meals (never frozen and cooked/delivered every morning) and tried each of them three hours apart (Natalie’s recommendation). My boyfriend, Tim, also tried the meals/snacks. Tim tends to be skeptical of things that cost money when he can just do it at home. He tried the meals thinking he wasn’t going to like any of it; he LOVED all of it! And I agree. Everything was super delicious! The meals range between $5 and $12 (each). The snacks range from $1 to $4.

My First Day Consisted Of:

Breakfast: Oat Bake (my favorite meal)
Snack: Protein Bar (their brand)
Lunch: Gimme More Chicken Wrap
Snack: Veggies In The Raw
Dinner: Asian Flat Iron

MFF Oat Bake

I purchased these absolutely DELISH raw cacao truffles (60 calories for one) because I like to have a piece of chocolate after dinner. I definitely need some more! 😉

I’m excited to begin my 21 day challenge with My Fit Foods! Like I said before, my schedule makes it hard to eat healthy consistently. Since the meals can be microwaved (or cooked on stove top for a bit more flavor), I can definitely take them with me. The snacks can either travel in an insulated tote or simply in your bag if they don’t need refrigerated. If you don’t have a tote, they have ones in the store! And they’re big enough to hold a day’s worth of meals/snacks. I will definitely be going back to pick up food for myself and Tim, and probably this week!

To find a My Fit Foods store near you, visit their website –> locations (or click here).

To check out their entire menu, visit their website –> menu (or click here).

There’s also a list of 101 reasons why MFF helps you lose weight and live healthier that’s pretty awesome!

Follow My Fit Foods on social media to keep up-to-date with the company:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube – LinkedIn

What is the hardest challenge you face while maintaining your healthy lifestyle?
Would you be interested in a store like MFF? What do you like/dislike about it?

Thank you for reading my blog! I love chatting with people, so please leave a comment below. 🙂 Thank you to My Fit Foods for the opportunity!

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Lyndsay

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Nutrition Reviews

Breakfast Made Healthy With Supreme Protein + Giveaway!

November 29, 2014 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Every morning, I’m in a hurry to get out the door. I am almost always late. It’s not my proudest “quality”, but it’s always been that way! Because of this, I have a pretty difficult time eating a healthy breakfast. Especially when I need to eat on my way to wherever it is I’m going.

So when I was offered the opportunity to test and review Supreme Protein Accelerate Morning Bars, you know I jumped at the chance! I am always looking for a healthy, yet delicious breakfast option.

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Supreme Protein and I have been compensated, however all thoughts and opinions are my own. #LiveSupreme

What Is Supreme Protein?

Supreme Protein is a company with a line of quality protein products. Their motto is: Live your life at the fullest. Live Supreme.

“Live your life at the fullest with the uncompromising taste and superior nutrition of Supreme Protein. With a complete line of whey and casein based protein products, you can take on any challenge” (website).

They have high-protein bars, protein shake mixes, and accelerate morning bars (the focus of this review).

(Image Source)

A few facts:

15g Protein, 190 calories, 3g fiber (good source)
Primary protein source is a blend of whey, casein and milk proteins
Made with natural flavors
Certified gluten-free

It can be tough getting over 15g of protein in a bar with less than 200 calories. Supreme Protein does it perfectly! Since the Accelerate bars are high in protein, they make for a perfect breakfast. Plus, they come in four different DELICIOUS flavors!

Apple Cinnamon
Chocolate Raspberry
Vanilla Almond
Strawberry Banana

Healthy Living

My usual issue is if I want a healthy protein bar, I generally am forced to compromise taste. Whether it’s the taste of soy protein, fake sugars, or whatever ingredients are added, I’m usually out of luck. But I can gladly say that I LOVED each of these flavors of Supreme Protein bars! The apple cinnamon is hands-down my favorite one. Having a yummy breakfast bar makes eating healthy much easier. Like I mentioned before, constantly being on-the-go sometimes means sacrificing my health. But with the Accelerate Morning Bars, living a healthier lifestyle becomes simple. I can eat the bar quickly, take it in my car on the way to work, or make a fun recipe with it (see below)!

Another great way to incorporate Supreme Protein Accelerate Bars into your healthy, active lifestyle is to use them for something other than breakfast! My boyfriend and I went hiking through Eaton Canyon on our anniversary, and we obviously needed snacks.

I packed a couple Supreme Protein bars, and they were PERFECT for our halfway point! I was starving, and the bar filled me up and fueled me for the rest of the hike.

Whether it’s hiking, swimming, running, yoga, or whatever, Supreme Protein bars fit perfectly into a healthy and active lifestyle!

Chocolate Raspberry + Blueberry Parfait (Recipe)

Below is a fun recipe I made with the Supreme Protein Chocolate Raspberry Accelerate Bar. I invite you to make it at home, or create one yourself!

What You’ll Need:

(1) Supreme Protein Chocolate Raspberry Accelerate Morning Bar
(1/4 cup) Fresh or frozen blueberry/raspberry medley (Trader Joe’s)
(5.3 oz or more) Plain Greek yogurt OR blueberry Greek yogurt
(1 TBSP) Raw cacao nibs (Affiliate Link: Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Cacao Nibs, 16-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 2))
(1) Mason jar or equivalent

First, pour the Greek yogurt into your mason jar. If you use plain yogurt, you may add some berries at the bottom for easier mixing.

Second, pour 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen berries (I used Trader Joe’s, but any mix is great) in the jar.

Third, pour 1 TBSP of raw cacao nibs (I used Navitas Naturals) in the jar.

Lastly, break up the Supreme Protein bar and put it on top of everything in the mason jar.

Mix everything together in your mason jar, and you’re ready to go!

GIVEAWAY!

Our friends at Supreme Protein have graciously allowed me to give away one sample box of Accelerate Morning Protein Bars! Entrants must be 18 or older, and live in the US or Canada. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Winner will be notified by Supreme Protein/Social Chorus (PR).

This giveaway ends Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 11:59p PST. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also get a coupon for $1 off any Supreme Protein Accelerate Bar here! $1‑Off coupon

Keep up with Supreme Protein on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. #LiveSupreme

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XO

Lyndsay

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Events Lifestyle Personal

It’s My SITS Day; Welcome!

November 10, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 20 Comments

Today is my feature day on The SITS Girls! I am SO excited, and wanted to welcome everyone who stops by! 🙂

My name is Lyndsay, and I’m a 26-year-old writer living in Los Angeles, CA (originally from Cleveland, OH). I’m also a nanny, dog-sitter, brand ambassador, and affiliate marketer. I love keeping busy, what can I say? 🙂

I’ve been blogging since December 2013, but writing since age 8. I originally went to college for journalism, and was the editor-in-chief of my college’s newspaper. I loved it! I ended up graduating with a BA in speech-language pathology and audiology.

The Balanced Brunette is a blog that focuses on health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and SoCal living. I started this blog as an outlet to share my thoughts about the correlation between mental and physical health. That is still the primary focus, but I’ve added in product reviews, events in Southern California, things to do in Los Angeles, and so on! TBB is sort of in a transition phase, as I’m going through a transition in my life.

I like to blog about bipolar disorder, as well. I was diagnosed in 2008. I am very in-tune with it, plus I am a pretty positive person! I’ve found that I connect with people the most when I share about my experiences, and it’s one of my favorite topics to write about.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who stops by The Balanced Brunette today!! Leave a comment on this post or any other post, and I will be sure to check out your blog and return the love! 🙂

Have a wonderful Monday!

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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.

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).

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.

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!

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).

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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