Categories: Drinks

24 Nov 2019, Comments (0)

Kafina Organic Energy Elixer

Author: Healthnuttxo

The 3 pm ‘energy crash’ seems to be something that plagues us all from time to time — long days in the office, mental stimulation, or perhaps your 8 am coffee wearing off, the fatigue that occurs around 3 pm is something that is hard to beat. What to do? Drink another cup of coffee and risk not being able to sleep that night? Or push through it?

In comes Kafina, an organic energy elixer that states it is a “revolutionary organic energy elixer for extraordinary physical energy, mental stamina and uplifted mood with zero chemicals or crash” (according to the box my product came in). You can drink the 1.0 fluid ounce bottles as is, or sip it in another beverage.

note that these statements are not evaluated by FDA, not recommended if pregnant or nursing or for children, and you are advised to consult your doctor prior to use

Each bottle is only 11 mg of caffeine and 10 calories. The ingredients include water, maple syrup, coffee, schisandra berry, fenugreek seed, cardamom.

While I like that the ingredients are minimal and the caffeine content isn’t super high, the taste is something I cannot get over. It is…rough. The taste is somewhat or a mix of bitter and sour, possible coffee like flavor. To ensure it wasn’t just me, I had a friend try it who cringed after she drank it. No noticeable energy boost was achieved, even after the whole bottle was consumed. This is a pass for me.

1 star

DISCLAIMER: I received this bottle to try for free from the company. This is an unbiased review.

24 Nov 2019, Comments (0)

Oatsome Organic Oat Milk

Author: Healthnuttxo

By now, most people are aware of Cow’s milk alternatives including Soymilk and Almond milk, but have you ever heard of Oatmilk? Oatsome Oatmilk is another option, which especially appeals to those who are allergic to soy, nuts and dairy.

Some fun facts which I found out from the carton of Oatsome Oatmilk is that oats are one of the most sustainable grains and take 80% LESS water to grow than almonds do, and it takes over 1 gallon of water to grow ONE almond. That is definitely food for thought (pun intended) when choosing between which milks to drink to help benefit the environment!

You can bake with Oatmilk, drink it as is, & it can be used to make frothy lattes too. I used it mostly in my coffee. I brought it to work and a few of my co-workers who tried it really seemed to enjoy it. One co-worker heated it up in the microwave and used it in her coffee and found it absolutely delicious. The oatmilk itself is nutty, and not too sweet, with a thinner consistency than whole cows milk. It was a good addition to my hot coffee, adding a bit of extra flavor that wasn’t overwhelming.

1 cup of Oatmilk has 130 calories, 4 grams of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrate (13 g sugar) and 2 grams of protein. So while this milk alternative is definitely higher in carbs and lower in protein, I think it is worth adding to the rotation of milk-alternative choices in my fridge.

4 stars

DISCLAIMER: I received this product to try for free from the company. This is an unbiased review.

21 Oct 2019, Comments (0)

Bela Harmony herb infused Wellness Drink

Author: Healthnuttxo

Bela Harmony herb-infused drinks were inspired by Ayurveda, a somewhat sister of yoga, aimed to support overall mind and body wellbeing.

So what’s in the drink?

It’s a blend of 6 herbs, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals (like potassium and magnesium, to replenish what we may lose in a workout) and antioxidants. In particular, there is Turmeric, Ginger, Pepper extract, Tulsi and Shallaki (to be honest, I haven’t even heard of half of these!)

It comes in 3 flavors, I was sent the Elegant Tropical and Unsweetened variety (but also comes in Delicate Berry).

The drinks have 0 sugar, 0 caffeine, are gluten free and vegan.

Elegant Tropical:  reminds me of a light tea flavored drink, with a tiny bit of a kick. I can definitely taste the stevia (which isn’t my favorite) and it is particularly on the sweeter side. It almost has a fruity, lemony flavor with a hint of turmeric. I think it would be too strong to drink intra-workout for me but perhaps after, over a glass with ice in it. I find the flavors particularly strong, however, I let my Mom try one and she really enjoyed it, she states she found it very smooth and refreshing. 3 stars from me.

Unsweetened, no added flavor: This flavor is a little less overpowering for me. You can definitely taste more of the herbs – a basil and turmeric blend. Not sweet, but refreshing. It reminded me of a cup of black tea mixed with a bit of a lemony flavor. I actually preferred this one a bit over the Elegant Tropical. Again, Mom likes both J   3 stars

Overall, while they weren’t my cup of tea, I do like what the company is promoting. And hey! Taste is subjective. I try to always get feedback from others when doing a review. Tea and herbal flavors is definitely something that is very subjective, as displayed with my Mom really enjoying these beverages and me, not so much. However, if you are big into herbal teas I would definitely give this a try.

DISCLAIMER: I received these to try for free, from the company. This is an unbiased review.

7 Oct 2019, Comments (0)

Steeped Coffee

Author: Healthnuttxo

Like the idea of single serve coffee (aka K-cups) but don’t like the idea of all the plastic waste?

In comes Steeped Coffee.  Single serve coffee in a renewable and compostable bag. Seriously. It’s quite genius. While I love the flavor of a fresh pot of coffee, I work pretty early hours and definitely don’t always feel like brewing it from scratch at 5 am..But I’m not entirely PRO K-cup either, since it’s such a waste of plastic. Even the PACKAGE is compostable. Seriously.

According to the website the sealed edges from the bag eliminate glue and staples, and the ink used for printing is water based and without toxic chemicals. Amazing!

So how does Steeped work?

You simply place the bag in a cup and pour about 8 oz of hot water, dunk it for 15 seconds (or longer if you like it stronger) and leave it in your cup until desired taste. It resembles a giant tea bag, essentially.

cute little submarine!

They have flavors from French, light to extra dark roast and even decaf for those who enjoy the taste of coffee but maybe can’t have the caffeine (or like me, who already had 3 cups of coffee today but wants another and maybe shouldn’t have any more caffeine for the day!)

My taste for coffee has developed over the years. From liking very light roast to switching to cold brew has made it difficult for me to enjoy a cup of coffee without the punch. So, while some of the flavors here were a little too weak for me (light roast, French), I did enjoy the dark roast much more.  I thought it would be a good idea to let it brew, let is sit, and then add ice, but I found it really muted the flavor, so I would recommend these hot only.

Overall, I love the idea of this company and love the idea that it’s entirely compostable. THANK YOU Steeped! While I would stick to the darker roasts, that’s entirely a preference. However, I would recommend having it hot only, as iced kind of mutes the flavors (which makes sense as we are watering it down!) But definitely give them a try, the environment will thank you for it 🙂

DISCLAIMER: I received these to try for free from the company. This is an UNBIASED review.

23 Sep 2019, Comments (0)

Hint Water for Kids

Author: Healthnuttxo

Hint water for kids offers the same quality, 0 grams of sugar and no added sweeteners that traditional Hint water offers, but in super cute ‘juice’ box form! –(But really, how cute are the little fruit cartoons!)

Juice is a common drink amongst kids- however, while juice can provide some Vitamin C, it’s also loaded with sugar and a lot of empty calories. Plain water can be tough to get your kid to drink, especially if he or she is used to juice. A better alternative? Hint! These are water infused with fruit essence and have zero sugar, zero sweeteners. In fact, look at the nutrition label, and there’s a whole lot of…well…nothing!

They come in 4 delicious flavors.
Apple, Blackberry, Watermelon & Cherry. All 4 of them are quite delicious. While they certainly aren’t sweet like juice, they have this wonderful flavor of fresh fruit! The Apple I found to be my favorite, reminded me of granny smith slices in a bottle of water. All 4 flavors have a real, fresh fruit flavor, without harsh sweetness or fake flavors.

How did they do it? I don’t know but I am glad they did. You can get a case of 32 for ~$19 or ~$15 with subscribe and save. I hope I find these at the market because let’s be honest, sometimes we get tired or plain old water, but don’t want added chemicals/preservatives that diet drinks offer or sugar, and I found this to be the perfect little addition to keep me hydrated 🙂

4.5 stars

DISCLAIMER: I received these to try for free from the company. This is an unbiased review.

19 Aug 2019, Comments (0)

Sparkling Ice Mango Guava Sparkling Water

Author: Healthnuttxo

The mystery flavor is finally revealed from Sparkling Ice — and it is MANGO GUAVA!

After months and thousands of guesses from #WhatTheFlavorSweeps, Mango Guava is finally revealed. 0calories, 0 grams of sugar, caffeine free and enriched with Vitamin A, D, B6, Niacin, B12, Biotin and Panthothenic Acid per serving.

I was sent some of these to try from the company – I tried to guess the flavor and honestly, that’s almost what I was guessing! It is mildly carbonated (perfect), with a fruity, tropical flavor. I was trying to guess with every sip and I settled on a guava/mango flavor. To my surprise, I was actually right! It definitely reminds me of something fruity that I should be sipping on a nice, warm beach. Almost some hints of pineapple in there too. Super refreshing, and a perfect summer drink.

You can get this flavor for a limited time in stores while supplies last!

DISCLAIMER: I was given these bottles to try for free from the company. This is an unbiased post.

17 Aug 2017, Comments (0)

Banana Wave Dairy Free Banana Milk

Author: Healthnuttxo

An alternative for those bored of soy, almond, or can’t tolerate regular milk, in comes BANANA MILK!!! I love the concept of this, every now and then when I make oatmeal or something, I like the flavor of banana but I HATE warm bananas– changes the consistency and bleh — but something like this would come in perfect.

Banana Wave is made with actual bananas, so none of that artificial flavor banana stuff. That also means you get the added benefit of Potassium with your banana milk, a pretty important mineral to prevent muscle cramping and maintain proper conduction of your heart, etc.  This milk is vegan, kosher, gluten free, and has no artificial colors or flavors.

I tried it 2 ways– in my morning coffee in the place of milk, and with my oatmeal (again, in place of milk).

The milk itself is mild in flavor, and has the consistency of a thicker almond milk. In coffee, it was okay. I usually use whole milk in my coffee, because I like it light and sweet, and hate the bitterness of a cup of Joe. The flavor is pretty mild so a little bit of banana flavor came through but unfortunately the coffee flavor still predominated and the bitterness remained.

In the overnight oats, it provided mild sweetness and banana flavor, which went fantastic with peanut butter. Seriously, what a great find. I used it with overnight oats– so I didn’t actually “cook” the milk– but put 1 cup of Banana Wave with 1/2 cup of oats and 2 Tbsp of peanut butter in a container and let it sit in the fridge overnight, and then just put in microwave for 30 seconds in the morning to take the chill out and melt the peanut butter. Delish!!

Here are the nutritional facts: more or less the same as a banana in terms of calories, but does have added Cane sugar so a serving will cost you 18 grams of sugar (Forgot about this when I had my oatmeal –> high blood sugar… whoops)

However, a good alternative to almond/soy/cow’s milk and good to spice it up every now and then. But watch your sugars!

4 stars

 

DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free from the company. This is an unbiased review.
22 Apr 2017, Comments (0)

Ion8 Sports Bottle with ionizing technology

Author: Healthnuttxo

 

So before receiving this product and doing a bit of research, I had no idea what it meant to “ionize” your water. To me, I know cations and anions involved in body chemistry and physiology, or what an “ion” is– (which is a molecule that lost or gains electrons to give it a + or – charge)… but what does it mean to IONIZE my water?!

According to the box, I could do that to my water/drink by shaking it. What I am assuming is that you are aerating the beverage, thus ionizing it, which I’m not sure the chemistry behind that (I’m in medicine…not chemistry!) so we will just go with it and talk about the other features of the bottle.

 

The bottle is BPA free, dishwasher friendly (this one is huge for me), can be used with hot or cold beverages, big enough to add ice cubes to, odor resistant, and leak proof. It has a cap that closes snugly, but then also a little lever that you clip so it won’t open up in your bag. Which, let me tell you, I have had many “expensive, great” water bottles open up in my bag and like what is the point of spending good money on a bottle if your beverage leaks everywhere?

NO POINT THAT’S WHAT.

anyway…

 

I used this with water and iced tea mainly. Honestly, I loved it. Loved that I could just throw it in my bag, and the box claims it has a “vented, smooth liquid flow” which is 100% does. You ever go to drink out of a bottle and the flow of water is either so rapid you almost choke or barely streams out of it? Or you get a lot of “glugs” of water (I may have made that word up), where it just doesn’t flow smoothly. I really liked that the flow of water was smooth and just easy to drink.  It’s hard to explain, but I will tell you it’s much different and noticeable than drinking from other bottles.

The bottle also has a rubber portion in the middle making it great for grip, and since it’s a sports bottle (and I am assuming most of you guys get sweaty during sports with sweaty palms…) it’s easy to hold and won’t slip out of your hand. With ice, it kept my beverages cool for a decent amount of time. Unfortunately I don’t drink a lot of hot beverages besides coffee so I did not test how long it would keep something hot.

Overall, a homerun from me. Really loved this product. Solid 5/5, no complaints.

 

 

Disclaimer: i received this bottle for free. This is an unbiased review.
31 Jan 2016, Comments (0)

Telula Organic Juice

Author: Healthnuttxo

IMG_9608

I got some samples from a company I have not heard of before, called Telula. They make organic, NON-GMO, and not from concentrate juices made from fruits and vegetables. They are cold pressed and also are free of added sugar.

They sent me some fun flavored samples to try, in Spicy Lemon, Green Zing, and Coconut Citrus.

Let’s start with Spicy Lemon, which has 3 lemons, 6.5 peppers, and 5 teaspoons of honey in each bottle. Honey is technically sugar, so if they add that to juice, I am a little confused how they can claim no added sugar. Perhaps they meant no CANE sugar, but honey is glucose…aka sugar.
Anyway, this bottle had 70 calories a serving, 17 carbs, 16 sugars, and 0’s across the board for fat, fiber and protein.

This one was actually really good! It is like a tangy lemonade, with the slightest bit of heat, but also sweet. It is very clean and refreshing tasting. I was definitely afraid of this because of the name…I think a more appropriate name would be Zesty Lemonade or something along those lines, because I certainly wouldn’t pick this up in store based off the name alone. However, the taste is delicious! The heat from the peppers leaves a little lingering flavor on your tongue as well. 4 stars.

Next up, Green Zing. This one has 5 spinach bunches, 1.5 cucumbers, 2.5 ginger roots, 1 apple, 2 heads of kale, 1/2 a lemon, and 2.5 celery stalks in one bottle. Dang!! It has 90 calories per 8 ounce serving, with 23 carbs/20 grams of sugar.

This is so, so, SO good! I wish I could drink this all day. It is sweet,much sweeter than I expected, and you can very slightly taste the celery. It is super refreshing, which I think might be from the cucumbers, and tastes like apple juice a bit as well but not as “sugary” tasting and not as tart. This is the best juice I’ve ever had, and you cannot taste the vegetables! A great juice for kids who won’t eat veggies…just don’t tell them it’s in there! 5 stars

Lastly, Coconut Citrus + Chia.  This one has half a coconut, 2 carrots, 3/4 of an orange, 1 lemon, 1 apple, and 5 tsps. of Chia. This has 120 calories per 8 ounce serving, with 1.5 grams of fat, 23 carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. This one was my least favorite. It was a little tangy, and thicker than any of the other juices. It had coconut flavor, but a bit of an over powering carrot flavor too. The lemon also definitely shines through here. I am not big on consistency in liquids…I don’t like pulp in my OJ and I do not like bubble tea…so the Chia seeds aren’t my favorite. I don’t like “chewing” my drinks.  This almost reminds me of a slightly fruiter V8 tomato juice. Not a huge fan. 3 stars

As a diabetic, I really do not drink juice unless my blood sugar is low. So I may buy a bottle to keep on hand in my fridge, but I will not be drinking on a regular basis. However, I really enjoyed these, ESPECIALLY the Green Zing one, so they are worth a shot!

IMG_9609

 

I received this product for free, this is an unbiased review.
18 Jan 2016, Comments (0)

New York Organic Smart Beer

Author: Healthnuttxo

SBEER

Picture from Smart Beer Company

Before we begin, please read only if over 21! It’s the rules for alcoholic beverages! 🙂

Smart BEER?! uh…what???

Smart Beer Company is the first organic beer company in New York.  It is made without GMO ingredients, and is certified organic. It is made with licorice root and orange peel, and claims to have “smooth flavor” and a “clean finish”.

The company is founded by Gabriel Heymann, who essentially wanted to create a beer that would allow him to feel a little less guilty to drink while socializing so it wouldn’t be detrimental to all his hard work in the fitness scene. You can read more about him here.

I like the concept, fresh ingredients, non-GMO, and since life is about balance, why not enjoy a beer responsibly, and in moderation, with ingredients that are organic and don’t have hidden additives, etc.?

Now let’s talk taste:

The beer is light, and crisp, and almost has a floral flavor to it. Generally, not a huge fan of floral tasting beers, but this one is actually pretty good. Two samples were sent to me, and both samples were enjoyed.

I think the name needs a little work- it’s a tad deceiving. I thought Smart Beer…hmm…is it hydrating? Does it lead to less of a hangover? etc.  But after reading about the company, it does make more sense. I just think it might appeal to more people if the name was tweaked. I had my brother try it and before he did, he said Smart Beer? and was a little confused. I initially had the same reaction.

Overall, worth a try! If you like a nice beer after a long day of work, or the occasional one for the weekend but don’t want the guilt of “un-doing” your fitness and diet regime, I think this is a good fit. Everything in moderation (responsibly, and legally too, of course!) 3 1/2 stars

 

What do you think…would you be interested in Smart Beer? Leave me a comment below!

 

I received this product for free. This is an unbiased review.



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