I’ve received my first BuluBox! Inside were the following items, and this is what I thought about them:
BeautyBursts: Yummy! I like the idea. They come with collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and Collagen enhancer in a soft, berry chew. They are made by NeoCell. And the little triangle packaging is really cute.
Fit n’ Crisp: I couldn’t eat it but I gave it to my boyfriend and he chowed down! He said it was “yummy” and was surprised by the 13grams of protein inside. For 140 calories packed with protein, I think this is a great deal. I definitely be interested to see a soy and milk free similar product! For those who can have soy and milk, I’d suggest trying this treat out!
Fit Mixer Amino: I’m very interested in this amino acid supplement. It’s not only a mix of 5grams aminos, but includes TriFlow which has been shown to increase nitric oxide. (That means you get that vascular PUMP while working out.) To top you off with energy, this supplement comes with 100mg of caffeine from Green Tea extract and Green Coffee extract. I’ll be drinking this tonight during my cardio workout.
Raw Acai Berry Nut Butter: Now I’ve seen these packets in my health food stores, but haven’t tried them yet! I’m so glad I got this one in my BuluBox so I wouldn’t have to choose between all the flavors. It’s 106 calories a pack, and I think would go great on top of toast.
AllerDx: I’ve never seen an herbal cure to allergies except for a spoonful of raw, local honey. This supplement is all-vegetarian and herbal sources to immeidately cure symptoms from allergies. It claims to restore nasal airflow, calm histamine reaction, and is non-drowsy and stimulant free. I don’t personally have a huge issues with spring allergies, but I do find that long walks throughout the city can make my eyes dry and nose runny. I think it’s great that there is a holistic cure for allergies, since so many people turn towards stimulants and Benadryl as soon as the season starts.
I’ve got a year long subscription, so stay tuned to see what comes in next month’s box! If you want to try it FREE with NO STRINGS ATTACHED! Enter code BULUGAN143 at checkout for a free 1-month subscription. Enjoy!
Question: Do you subscribe to anything related to health? Magazines? Boxes? Supplements?
PlantFusion is a plant-based protein powder that comes in 5 flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate-Raspberry, Cookies n’ Cream, and Unflavored. It’s purpose is to supplement anyone’s lifestyle who needs extra protein or just help achieving their suggested protein levels.
I usually use Vega products, but it is seriously expensive! PlantFusion provides you with a less expensive alternative, with all the flavor and quality you deserve. It includes a good amount of branch-chained amino acids to supply you with proper recovery after a hard training session. Personally, as someone who lifts weights and does HIIT cardio, I need a great source of easy protein powder- and this is it.
I got sent a packet of each flavor and was most impressed by the chocolate. The vanilla was fine, the cookies n’ cream didn’t taste much different from the vanilla, and the unflavored was a bit too “planty” for me. I mixed each one with water so I would get the full taste of it, without any other contributors. I would buy (and am about to) the chocolate and vanilla flavors. You can get 2lbs (a whole month supply!) for $27.99 on Amazon. For less than a dollar a day, I’m sold. I’m buying two jugs since I’ll be taking 1-2 scoops daily.
I really love that there is no soy or gluten in this vegan protein. (Both of those make me bloated and are hard to digest for many people.) The protein comes from peas, artichokes, amaranth, and quinoa- all plant sources, all natural, all non-gmo. It may not be 100% organic, but it IS NOT GMO! So I’m on board, and I hope you are too!
Something I learned from reviewing this product:
Artichoke is a nutritional powerhouse containing an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals including B-complex, vitamin C, betacarotene, calcium, potassium and selenium. Artichoke is another “complete” protein source containing all of the essential amino acids.
I love eating marinated artichokes in my salads, but never bothered to see their nutritional value. This info made me smile. 🙂
If you’re currently taking whey, soy, or any other protein, I highly suggest trying this one out. And if you want to try it out FOR FREE you can enter my giveaway!
PlantFusion has agreed to give one lucky reader a FREE 1lb TUB of PlantFusion!
Simply LIKE their Facebook page and leave a comment saying why you are interested in trying this protein powder.
If you want to just skip the chances of a giveaway, buy a tub over at Amazon. Trust me, go with the chocolate flavor, and grab yourself some quality protein.
Last week I stopped by VitaminShoppe in search of the new VegaOne Bar. To my dismay, they are not selling in retail stores yet so I must wait longer since I refuse to pay $50 for a box 0f 12 without tasting one! And I LOVE Vega.
So I asked the cashier if he had anything else for sample, and he grabbed me a goodie bag of the stuff pictured above. As I sorted things out, I quickly realized the difference in the marketing, packaging, and names of the products. On the left there you can see things like “N.O. Explode, Energy, Hyper, ShotGun, Accel, C4, Concrete, Jitter, and Shred.” They are named after explosives and manly things, and are packaged in bright eye-catching colors. Men really need to be impressed with a package in order to buy something. Do they think the more radical the name, the brighter the color, the better it works? I hope they are smarter than that!
The women’s supplements are named, “Omega, Calm, Natural, Fat Loss, Healthy, Green.” I must admit, they are NOT sport supplements like the men’s obviously are. But still, notice the colors/names and make your own assumptions.
Now as you see on the right, a lot of white and light colors, minus the one black package which could have been sorted with the men’s, but because of it’s ingredients and stance, I sorted it with the women’s. So I usually don’t consume or buy anything that isn’t organic, holistic, or vegan, but since I got all this stuff for free, I was like, eh, why not? If I’m going to harshly judge them, I might as well give a few a shot, or even a taste.
I just want to make this point: Supplement companies pay a lot of money for their products to be marketed to specific types of people. Do the research on the ingredients. Find pure and organic sources. And don’t trust the claims!!!
Astravar 2.0.Its main ingredient is beet root. Funny thing is, the day before I went to the Shoppe, I was researching the effects of pure organic beet juice (BeetIt) on Nitric Oxide. As you can see, even the capsule is beet red. The directions tell you to “stack” which in supplement language, means take with other supplements, for “full effect.” My first response was, “How do I know if it’s working if I’m stacking it on my usual routine that gives me PLENTY of energy?” Ugh. So I did as it said, tried it two days in a row, and didn’t notice or feel any different. I stacked it on my AminoClear (vegan BCAA) and big cup of water for working out. Noticed Nothing. Honestly, I think I’ll try real, pure, organic beet juice and see what that does! NEXT….—>
Natural CalmThis stuff rocks. Natural Calm Magnesium. A total of 0 calories, lots of flavor, and a true relaxing effect. It’s a magnesium supplement in the form of a drink. I usually sip on Airborne or Emergen-C, so this was right up my alley. It came in little powder packets and was easy to mix into hot or cold water. I used it one night as my hot tea since I was out, and honestly PASSED OUT. It really does calm you down! I researched magnesium and realized I do eat some foods where it is naturally found, but most people DO NOT get enough in their diet. I’d suggest it to anyone looking for a tasty drink, who needs some magnesium and a calm response. Go Nature!
C4:Today I tried the C4 supplement for my HIIT workout. The taste was reminiscent of Kool-Aid as a child, fruit punch. Not too sweet, not too acidic. It’s called a pre-workout supplement, but I put it in my gym water for flavor, and drank it as I did my 35 minute HIIT routine on the elliptical. I liked the taste and it definitely gave a boost of energy. A huge downfall was that it made me itchy like crazy.
I would never take this again, and I only put half the sample in my 28oz Blender Bottle. Reviews online claim the itchiness and tingly sensations are normal and from the beta-alanine. Some say it pumps them up even more, but it made me just want to itch. I don’t like getting itchy. No Thanks!
N.O.Explode: Sunday night I put about a tsp of the N.O. Explode in some water, just to see the taste and what all the hype was about. I know people claim this is “the best” out there. It’s full of a bunch of stimulants, and honestly I felt it. I drank about a total teaspoon or two and felt the caffeine rush from this drink. Yes, it does taste like a blue raspberry pixy stick, but I wouldn’t buy it because of all the crap in it. I’ll stick to my organic supplements for energy.
I do admit, the caffeine is crazy quick and strong, but I’d rather not submit my body to that kind of thing daily. If I’m training un-fasted, I’ll use my natural Guarana, Matcha, or Vega Pre-Workout Lemon-Lime drink.
Clif Builders: I’ve been reading a ton of literature on training, muscles, and recovery. Last night I saw this Clif Builders bar suggested to people on vegan diets to supplement their protein. With my 3-4x week weight lifting and High Intensity Interval Training sessions, I should be taking in about 1g/lb of body weight in protein daily. That’s roughly 100-110 grams! That’s a lot for me, since I do intermittent fasting and eat in an 8hr time frame.
Anyway, I picked up this bar to have after my workout. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. I give it props for being vegan and having 20g of protein, even if it is from soy protein isolate. I’d rather it be from a mixed source like quinoa, brown rice, or pea, but those aren’t quite out yet…or that I know of. (I will be on the search though!) It did not taste like an oreo, had a weird protein bar after-taste, and eventually was hard to digest (tummy ache). It packs a whopping 270 calories in the bar. This was great today since I had been fasted 18+ hours and needed some energy after an intense workout. But on any other given day that was not similar to today, this will be hard to accept. (I’m used to eating my 180 calorie Luna Bars, even though they only have about 9grams of protein.)
Other Simple Notes
*I tried the HealthyBody fiber and it blended well into my yogurt. I didn’t taste anything, and I didn’t feel any effect of the fiber.
*I tasted the OmegaOrange supplement marketed towards kids/moms as a yummy omega 3, and it tasted GROSS like fish. Ew.
*I tried a tablet of the AminoEnergy and they tasted like baby aspirin. They contain caffeine, so I’m sure they give a kick, but the aminos in them aren’t even BCAA. Lame.
*My boyfriend tasted the AccelGel and said it was pretty tasty; he didn’t consume the whole supplement, nor was interested in doing so.
Question: What supplements do you take? What are you interested in trying and why? Do you think they are all a gimmick?
As soon as I saw a new shaker cup was out, I knew I wanted to try it. I use my current blending cup daily, from my morning pre-workout shake to my nightly bottle of lemon water next to my bed. I’ve had mine about a year now, but it is just a large sippy cup. It came with a wire whisk ball, but honestly I lost that a long time ago! It was annoying and hard to clean anyway. Along comes CycloneCup and I had to give it a try. Protein shakes are not the friendliest when it comes to actually blending smoothly. You always get chunks left over and some fun dry-powdery chewing. Even though my Vega protein is delicious, I like it blended!
Color!CycloneCupscome in all of these wonderful colors. I love utilizing bright colors when working out. Bright workout clothes, gear, and atmospheres make a workout seem less like work and more like play.
Review
I received a complimentary white cyclone cup from Joe, the marketing manager, this morning. I’m headed into the gym late tonight, so I filled it up with a VegaOne shake for lunch. This cup does what it says it does: blends smoothly without any chunks leftover, no mess, and no popped lid. I’ve got a smooth VegaOne shake by my side. On the bottom I stored some almonds and wasabi peas. (Which I’m regretting now because every time I take a sip I get a jingle and looked at by a nearby co-worker.)
The main drawback of this cup is its weight and size. When I first got it out of the box, I thought, “Well this is a bit clunky.” The actual cup only holds 16oz, but the lid is humungous. The cup part that holds the liquids is a dark grey color instead of clear. Personally, I’d like to see my bright green juice or shake. It has measurements on the side, but I could hardly see them as I poured in my water.
The cap is a bit hard to open and close, but I’m guessing that assists in its special locking system to avoid messes.
I really wanted to love this cup. And I do love that it blends well, no doubt. But the last thing I want to add to my purse or gym bag is a big, heavy weight. I’ll use it for office days, but I doubt I will lug it to the gym or to train. Sorry Cyclone, a redesign is needed.
Bottom Line: It’s functional and it’s environmentally safe. It blends your shake well, which is hard to find among shaker cups. It has added storage for a snack.
Note to Designer: Try and make a lighter and smaller product that performs the same way. Think sleek and sexy.
Question to Readers: What blender cup do you use? Does it leave chunks?
Nixie Dee 
