Categories: Drinks

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

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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!

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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.
3 Oct 2015, Comments (0)

Celsius Fat Burning Beverage and Flo Fusion Berry Pre-Workout

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Celsius sent me some of their “Fat Burning Beverages” and the Flo Fusion Berry Pre-Workout to try. According to the website, drinking 1 beverage a day can help burn up to an extra 100 calories.  However, if you read the disclaimer on the bottom, it states that people who drank Celsius also participated in proper dieting and exercise, and those who drank the Celsius had better results than those who did not.

I am skeptical if it actually burns extra calories or not, and the beverage also states it is not intended for weight loss without diet or exercise. Anyway, let’s get on to the taste!

I got 3 flavors to try, Sparkling Wild Berry, Peach Mango Green Tea, and Sparkling Cola. All 3 of them had clean energy. No extreme jitters, and mood was elevated. However, it was nothing special. It was a “mild pre workout”, if you will, and I think would be good for someone who doesn’t take those harsh powdered pre workouts all the time, or drinks a lot of caffeine. The two flavors that were intended to be carbonated, were VERY mildly carbonated..almost flat. I don’t know if that was intentional, or because they got banged up in the mail.

The Sparkling Wild Berry was OK. It was not super sweet, and I could tell it was sugar free. It was a blend of like raspberry/blueberry flavors. The Peach Mango Green Tea was not carbonated at all (intentionally). It had equal peach and mango flavors, and did not scream green tea. Again, it was lightly sweetened, but pretty good.

The Cola had a pretty flat coke flavor. It tasted like a commercial Cola, but a lot less sweet, and again, lacking carbonation.

Overall, these were unimpressive. I like that they are Aspartame free, as well as HFCS free, but the flavors were OK and the energy level was mild. 3 stars

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Moving on to the pre-workout, these came in stick form with powder. Again, claims to burn up to 100 extra calories, and has been enriched with vitamins. All you have to do is add it to water, or a beverage of your choice (non  caffeinated). I had a friend try this, who drinks pre workout every day for the gym. He stated 1 packet was mild, and he ended up using 1.5 packets the following workout. He stated it was a mild pre workout, not that intense. There was no pump, and he felt no increase of strength, or that drive he normally feels while on his other pre workouts.
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The flavor…is delicious though. It tastes almost like a watermelon berry, and has a good amount of sweetness. I really enjoyed the flavor.

Again, 3 stars.
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I received these products for free. This is an unbiased review.
9 Jul 2015, Comments (14)

Honest Tea Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea review & Giveaway

Author: Healthnuttxo

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Howdy 🙂

The nice folks over at Honest Tea sent me a case of their new Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea to try! I am not a huge tea drinker, but if I do drink it, it’s always iced. So I was excited to try this, as I thought it would be a new experience.

The Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea is unsweetened, caffeine free,  and 0 calories per serving. It is also certified Organic, and Fair Trade Certified as well.  The ingredients are pretty short…just tea, rooibos tea leaves, cinnamon, and ginger root, amongst some natural flavors.

When you open the bottle, you can smell the cinnamon. It doesn’t give off a “red hot” cinnamon aroma, but more of an “apple pie” cinnamon smell. In fact…this literally kind of smells like apple pie in a bottle 🙂

The tea itself is actually quite yummy. It has a light cinnamon flavor, and light natural sweetness to it.  It leaves the flavor of cinnamon lingering in your mouth, but isn’t overpowering.

I tried it over ice and added a splenda to it, since the ice tends to water down the flavor. Honestly…amazing. Almost like apple pie in a bottle with cinnamon flavor. I would 100% buy this if I saw in stores.  4 1/2 stars

 

GIVEAWAY!!!!

You can win a case of the Honest Tea Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea! Open to US only.
HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave me a comment below stating your favorite flavor of tea!
2. [optional, but extra entry ]Tweet about this giveaway with the link, and mention me “ @ liisa_tee”
3. [optional, but extra entry]Follow me on instagram for reviews! @lisa_liftsx

PLEASE leave me a comment for EACH thing you do, as each is 1 entry! More entries= more chances to win 🙂

Giveaway CLOSES on July 13th, 12 pm.

 

I received this product for free. This is an unbiased review.
3 Jun 2015, Comments (0)

Three of the Best Green Teas for Beginners to Try

Author: Healthnuttxo

I’ve been paying more attention to my overall health lately and have been reading up on the benefits of green tea. Some scientists suggest that the antioxidants naturally found in green tea may reduce the risk of digestive cancer. It’s also reported to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes as it slows the rise of your blood sugar after eating. I wasn’t sure that green tea alone could do that, but I was willing to try it! Especially since I am a diabetic. The taste is definitely an acquired one, but there’s lots of different flavors to try and most supermarkets stock a wide variety, so you won’t need to go far to find them!

 

I know that green tea alone won’t miraculously make me super healthy, so I’ve combined it with walking 10,000 steps every day and overall, I’m feeling a lot better. I think it’s important to find what works for you and your health, and these two things were great for me. I understand that there’s all different kinds of green tea to choose from and I certainly didn’t know where to start, so I’ve put together a list of three of my favorites. They’re not too strong and two of them contain other flavors such as mint and pomegranate, so hopefully you’ll find something here that you like!

 

Numi Gunpowder Green. This is straight-up green tea with nothing else added, so no additives or artificial flavors and it’s also organic, and Fairtrade. One of the best things about Numi’s green tea is that it has a very delicate taste and won’t overpower your tastebuds, so it’s ideal for beginners to try.

 

Teavana Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea. The perfect green tea for people who like a fresh and energizing blend. Depending on the type, I’ve often found that citrus in green tea is too bitter, but this tea gets it right. I suggest you drink this one after a meal because mint is a natural stomach settler , and doesn’t contains sugar which can irritate your stomach. Boo sugar!!!

 

Yogi Tea Green Tea with Pomegranate. I’m a big fan of all Yogi Tea’s products but this is one of my favorites. If you’ve tried green tea before, but found it too strong, and would prefer something more fruity and herbal, try this – it’s much sweeter than standard green tea and is a great everyday choice, especially over the summer months.

 

The teas in this list are just some of my favorites but there’s hundreds of different types of green tea out there and if you’re like me, you’ll end up picking up a new flavor any time you’re in a supermarket. My cupboards are already full of tea but I always have space for more! I do feel that my overall health has improved and it’s really simple to swap out your usual soda for tea, so next time you’re out, pick up a box of green tea and try it for yourself!

 

 



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