Eu Natural: Caffeine with L-Theanine, Energy Support & Mental Focus; 60 capsules Review #Caffeine

Sometimes a cup of coffee or tea is the last thing I want in the morning and energy drinks are usually full of sugars, so I opt in taking Caffeine pills. A half pill to start the day is what I usually need and the other half I take in the afternoon to get that “umph” to finish the day with completed tasks. I thought all Caffeine pills were the same and most times, I just looked at contents and where the caffeine was derived from, and then at pill count. I later realized that even though caffeine is a simple drug, it’s a supplement, so let the games begin! Some brands gave me no energy, while others had me buzzing around like a Humming Bird even if both bottles stated the same milligrams. It made no sense other than what I was taking was not always what was really what I was getting and disclosed. I now even pick my manufactures carefully to simply purchase caffeine pills, and so should you.

Eu Natural provides the consumer with a product that not only provides you caffeine, but also has L-Theanine.

What is L-Theanine-
The ingredient is usually added to caffeine to aid with jitters, shakes, and more so to curb the not so great effects we sometimes experience. It helps give caffeine a boost, where you also feel more alert and perform faster. L-Theanine, does not effect the potency by diminishing it’s effectiveness either, it just makes sure you get the benefits faster.  It’s just a add-on ingredient that I don’t see on many caffeine bottles and I have only taken the supplement in conjunction in the past. Theanine is a natural ingredient found in many foods, drinks, and teas. Think of Green Tea when it comes to this ingredient, and small clinical studies have shown that it helps by reducing anxiety and so forth, so you can see why it’s beneficial to have this with caffeine intake.

Retail Price Point: $19.95 for a bottle that has a 60-Capsule count.

Directions: You can take one capsule up to 4 times a day, and it’s suggested each capsule be ingested with 8-ounces of water.

Ingredients (as listed on the site): Caffeine (Pharmaceutical-grade), L-Theanine (Pharmaceutical-grade)

Verdict:
I took one capsule in the day and one in the afternoon, as I usually buy tablets and this being a capsule, it meant I could not cut the pill in half. I did get energy and the claims of staying alert and focused, minus the nervous twitch is true. The Humming Bird in me was not flying off the walls and I was able to think and function clearly. I got through my tasks quickly and never had a moment where I felt a drop in dosage and was just hit with tiredness. I was awake when I needed to be and the capsules from Eu Natural did not interfere when it came to sleep and/or downtime. I could control the dosage and not as finely as with a tablet, but enough that I did not feel I was taking more caffeine than needed. My only negative is the price point. It’s high and really up there for the simple ingredients. I like simple supplements and especially when I just want caffeine, however if you take 2 pills a day, this bottle lasts you a month. Take more or the maximum of four pills, and you are looking at spending $20 for a two-week to three-week supply. Ouch! I can see adding Eu Natural into my supplement routine for days the jitters matter but not for everyday consumption. I don’t want to spend that much on what really breaks down to one simple supplement and I myself prefer purchasing L-Theanine separately because I don’t mind taking two pills, versus one when it comes to saving some funds.   If you want an all-in-one, then Eu Naturals is for you!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Eu Naturals.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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Max Potency – Maximum Strength Testosterone Booster Review

Our resident supplement guru and favorite guinea pig, Hubby, makes another guest appearance today after trying out the latest offering from Vitality Max Labs, Max Potency – Maximum Strength Testosterone Booster. So here’s hubby with his review for WOM-derful. Take it away, hubby!

~♥~

I’m no stranger to workout supplements, and use them frequently. When you want to maximize your effort, every little bit of boost can help, especially after a long day. When my better half mentioned a “testosterone booster” supplement I was wary, to say the least. A testosterone boost would mean significant gains in lean muscle mass, an increase in energy and output, and strength gains. Most reputable studies have shown that very few, if any, OTC supplements will truly boost the body’s testosterone. I’m sad to report that Vitality Max Labs “Maximum Potency” Testosterone Booster did bupkis. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. 3 weeks of moderately intense exercise and not even a modest increase in any results at all. A quick read of the “active” ingredients shows why. 200IU Vitamin D. 2mg of B6. 10mg of b12. And then 608mg of a “proprietary blend” of roots and seeds that have been boasted about since the 70’s and shown time and time and time again to do nothing to boost testosterone. Fenugreek seed (Nope.), tribulus terrestris (Nuh-uh.), muria puana (Not really.), chrysin (Again, no.), siberian ginseng (Still nothing.) cordyceps sinensis (unproven to do anything, really) and zinc oxide. A lot of exotic sounding stuff, roots and barks and whatnot, and then a clear gelcap of white powder. Interesting to say the least. The Amazon listing initially failed to even list the ingredients. And while I know the industry standard is to put heaping helpings of “proprietary blends” (which may as well be sand, really), I don’t have to like it. And I don’t here either.

Further reading showed me that the main purpose of this supplement was help in the bedroom. I highly doubt, from my reading on the ingredients, that anyone will see any benefit there, either. Vitality Max Labs, the company behind this product, has the distributor listed on the bottle as “EyeFive, Inc.”, who is changing their name to “ShipOffers”,a curious choice to say the least. And confusing as heck. Hard to trace the provenance of a product when you’re not even sure who’s who. At $34.99 for a 30 day supply, that’s some pretty expensive, and questionable, powder to boot. I can’t recommend this product for any reason whatsoever. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence out there about stuff to boost testosterone (most pretty dubious and will fall apart under even modest medical scrutiny), and to boost bedroom performance (see previously mentioned caveat, only much more so), and almost none of that stuff is in these pills. There should really be a lot more oversight in the supplement industry, and for the FDA to just throw up their hands and say that “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease” and say that’s good enough, is pathetic and best, negligent at worst.

I don’t like being negative or down on a product sent for free by a company trying to get it’s foot in the door, but sometimes it’s warranted. Sometimes, to play with the big boys, the little guy needs to try harder. And these guys aren’t trying at all. I would avoid this product, because I don’t see how it could help anywhere.

 

~♥~

Ouch. Poor guy. I may have to give him a break with supplement testing before he sprouts a third ear or a tail! Sometimes, you find solace in taking one for the team so other people don’t end up spending hard-earned money on products with fantastical claims and nothing to back them up.

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Vitality Max Labs. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Island Vibrance: Resveratrol Extract 1000mg Review #IslandVibrance

I’m always reading on clinical trials and studies to keep up to date on new medications and/or chemicals that may change, prevent or aid with current diseases and syndromes. Prevention is key when it comes to health, so knowing what benefits you is important. Genes play a role as does lifestyle and the choices we make but I do feel that in the game of health, you gotta give it your best to at least know you tried versus just leaving a welcoming mat for something to come along and then regret you did not even try to play the game!

The one market I feel needs some oversight is the supplement one and secondly, the beauty world. The FDA is always running way behind and just sticking “not FDA approved” as a disclaimer, makes all those little stars, crosses, daggers, and all those typographical symbols next to the claims okay to have. Sometimes “clinical studies” are based on a low numbered group where the control and variables were not even managed correctly or worse, it’s just plainly false claims! Then you have to worry about the lab that makes the pills and if they even contain what they should. Pharmaceutical drugs are allowed to be 20% off (effective) from it’s counterpart and that in my book is already too off for something that is medicinally needed, so you bet I worry when it comes to supplementing what I already eat and take. With this attitude in mind I take what I put in my mouth seriously and I need to feel or see some result to keep popping that pill!

Resveratrol is a stilbenoid that is found in many foods and is natural occurring. The compound has been shown to have unique biological properties, such as antioxidant effects that would be beneficial to one’s health. Plants that carry this compound vary in amounts but you have certain nuts like peanuts being on the low end of the scale, to wines and the red varieties seem to contain more but also the origin of the grape plays a role (i.e. Spanish wines yielding the highest). With these variables in mind, you may want to resort to taking Resveratol from a bottle where you know the exact milligrams you may be taking versus trying to consume the compound via foods/liquids, which obviously would be in high quantities.

Dosage: Due to Resveratol extract studies being limited, no number is clinically given as an appropriate and designated dosage for adults, so you are stuck sort of guessing what you should take on a daily basis to reap the benefits that may or may not be there. From my reading, people tend to stick to 1000 milligrams. There is not even studies on overdosing and it’s effects and/or the amount taken to become toxic because that is how limited the clinical studies have been concerning this dietary supplement.

Benefits: It’s all over the place and many only animal bases. Human studies are limited and zero I could find published by a doctor that observed positive effects in humans regarding disease such as Cancer. Antioxidants help with aging and Resveratol extract has a high amount but again, not all antioxidants are the same and it is unknown if antioxidants derived from Resveratol extract in capsule form will reflect the same results as when you get it from the foods rich with it. The one study for cardiovascular benefits in humans was then retracted when the doctor was found to have made false claims and statements in many studies, so that study can’t be considered. You sort of have to hope the product even if you found a supplier that provided a pure source, to react the same as it would when derived from the “living thing”, the plant/food itself. I really tried hunting but everything was about making leaps and while the jump seems worthwhile, I still could not find facts on paper supporting the claims even at 50% when the subject is an animal that does not talk!  The human study was on males and just hours later some subjects reflected zero traces left in the blood to be detected, so the body sort of purged it or absorbed it but again no data showing concrete evidence that the compound helped was recorded.

Island Vibrance sent me a bottle of their Resveratol extract and I admit that I use a calculator when I do the bills, so math is not something I trust to do in my head and just go with it without verifying. I did find it odd that the product is called Resveratrol Extract 1000mg and the active ingredient on the back is missing an “r”. It’s listed as Pure Trans-Resveratol. Then comes the dosage issue and why I brought up math. Serving size is for 2 capsules that yield 500mg of this Pure Trans-Resveratol. The other 500mg come from a proprietary blend of Maqui Berry Extract and other ingredients. So, in my book you have a misspell and even at that, by Island Vibrance’s own disclosure on the bottle, it’s Pure Trans-Resveratol and only 500 miligrams.

Retail price Point: $19.97 via Amazon and the website.  180 capsules are considered a 45-Day supply. You have to take 4 capsules with 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, as suggested.

Every claim on the bottle has a twinkling star at the end. Even the one stating no fillers or binders!  Not one can be stated to stand on it’s own without risking any liability down to the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C that is listed as first in the bottle, as an active ingredient (making it greater in quantity than the rest of the list), coming at 67% of your daily value at 2 pills. You would be over the 100% daily value if you took the 4 pills, which again is the only way to get the 1000 milligrams of Pure Trans-Resveratol, not to be confused with the title of the bottle Resveratrol 1000 (of course trademarked).

Verdict:

I am not one to speak (well type) poorly about a product and not be a test subject.  I take cranberry pills to pomegranate pills to boost my intake and especially that time of the month when bloating may become an issue.  I take the pills with my “purple drink” that is derived from Acai berries. Since taking the aforementioned regimen and why I continue to do it breaks down to getting, feeling and seeing the results.  I don’t bloat or feel that discomfort like I did when I did not take them.  It’s my natural approach than taking an NSAID that I’m allergic too, so that would end badly.  I took the Island Vibrance Resveratrol Extract capsules that contained the Resveratol. I sadly felt none of the positive effects I did with the other capsules that are considered lower in the antioxidant rich table.  The proprietary blend lists Acai berry but it’s on the bottom portion of the list and even though I felt and saw results from the juice, I did not reap any benefits from what was in this pill.   I could only find one positive and it’s that I did not feel a thing or see a thing.  Nothing negative happened as the pills did not make me ill but when I got zero results, I stopped taking them.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Island Vibrance.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

CellHealth Institute: HealthyCell® Supplement with over 90 Phytonutrients, Vitamins and Minerals; Morning and Evening formulas Review

I have never been a real believer of all-in-one products and this may be why I don’t take a multi-vitamin. All-in-ones in my opinion is like tossing everything a person may need and hoping for the best……that never ends right. Getting your nutrition via foods is optimal but I’m a realist and I know that can’t always be achieved. I go by my blood tests and thankfully I’m not lacking anywhere and when I saw my doctor, my Vitamin D was satisfactory and in the good range of the scale, but not what he considered to be “optimum” in rage. I started to investigate and really tried to get a range (number) on where a female my age should be and let’s say of course the Vitamin D council stated more than any lab found to be satisfactory in levels. Getting a “real story” depends on who you talk to and in the end I just took 1/2 a pill more to see if when my range changed I felt any positive benefits because I don’t want to take more than needed, when my results from the lab said I was fine, except for a physician that wanted me to be in an “optimal range”…..and of course the pills he sold through his website were pure-er than what is sold on the market! I changed my primary doctor by the way 🙂 .

I do believe certain nutrients can enhance how you feel to even how your skin glows. I call this “tweeking” and seeing if I feel and/or see results. I’m game in tweeking because I do it when I cook and I also apply the same thinking when I use beauty products. A little of this or that can make a difference both in energy levels to how you feel and look, BUT as long as you keep in mind what you are taking, sources and read clinical reports even as boring as they may seem, you just don’t want to waste $$$ on products that yielded little to no results against a placebo.

HealthyCell sent me a 30-day supply (120 pills) of their Phytonutrients, Vitamins and Minerals formula. The formulation is divided between 60 morning pills and 60 evening pills. I stagger my vitamins and minerals intake through out the day already, so my body doesn’t just purge my daily dosage overage within a few hours. I sort of feed it as the day passes in small doses. The morning formula supports energy and mental focus, while the PM formula supports restful sleep. I turn the box over and I must say the pills are filled with everything you can think of and then more. Every vitamin, mineral, down to the “free radical” complexes are broken down and everything is listed down to proprietary mixes being disclosed as to what they are. For example, you have Bioperine, which is a registered trademark and CellHealth made sure to list Black-pepper fruit extract right by it and I found that oddly forthcoming when it comes to the supplement world of today! They stick a trademark and proprietary blend and how can you compare one to the competitors when the contents can be legally kept hush? Sort of makes it hard knowing who to trust enough when it comes to ingesting a pill, powder, tablet to liquid form anything.

The guessing game was sort of squashed by the CellHealth Institute with their HealthyCell product but does it work?

Ingredients (as listed on the website): VITAMINS: Vitamin A (natural beta-carotene) Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate) Vitamin D (ergocalciferol) Vitamin E (natural tocopherols) Vitamin K (phylloquinone) Thiamin (thiamin pyrophosphate) Riboflavin Niacin (niacinamide) Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) Folate (folic acid) Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) Biotin Pantothenic acid – MINERALS: Calcium Iodine (potassium iodide & from kelp) Magnesium (magnesium oxide and glycinate) Zinc (zinc glycinate) Selenium (selenomethionine) Copper (copper lysinate) Manganese (manganese gluconate) Chromium Molybdenum (sodium molybdate) – TELOMERE NUTRIENTS: Purslane extract Turmeric root extract Cayenne pepper fruit Vanadium Fenugreek seed Milk thistle seed extract Borage seed oil Evening primrose oil – CALORIE RESTRICTION NUTRIENTS: Trans-resveratrol 99% Pterostilbene Fisetin Alpha-lipoic acid Coenzyme Q10 Betaine HCl Sulfur L-Carnitine tartrate Acetyl-L-carnitine HCl – ANTI-OXIDANTS: Anthocyanins Ginkgo biloba leaf extract Broccoli, kale, radish concentrate Grape skin extract Tomato lycopene extract Rosemary 4:1 extract Pine bark extract Lutein Green barley grass – DNA REPAIR: Melatonin Inositol hexaphosphate Mustard green extract Quercetin dihydrate – STEM CELL MAINTENANCE: Chlorella algae Spirulina algae Klamath blue-green algae Fucoxanthin seaweed Brown seaweed extract – CELL REGULATION: Gotu kola leaf Green tea extract DMAE bitartrate Cordyceps sinensis extract Green coffee bean extract L-Glutamine L-Theanine 5-HTP Jujube seed extract Taurine L-Arginine L-Ornithine Herbal sleep blend (passion flower, lemon balm, chamomile flower & poppy seed) Red algae extract – ABSORPTION ENHANCERS: Bacillus coagulans Black pepper fruit extract Astragalus membranaceus Panax notoginseng Triphala Artichoke leaf extract Amylase Neutral protease Cellulase Lactase Lipase

Verdict:
I took the pills as directed and removed any minerals and vitamins that echoed what I was taking prior. I was just left with taking prescribed medications because HealthyCell covered everything from the L-Arginine I was taking to my vitamins and minerals. The first few days I felt no difference until I noticed on the 8th day, I was sleeping better and waking up at the same time; 10 minutes before the alarm rang. I sort of enjoy this rather than being awoken to an annoying ring and this allowed me to get up more alert. As the days passed, I did notice improvement in my energy level and realize I was taking 1/2 a caffeine pill prior to taking HealthyCell because I was experiencing difficulties when it came to getting going in the AM hours. Noon would hit and not much was accomplished and I was not satisfied with that. The combination of HealthyCell’s ingredients in the pills improved my performance and I had forgotten I had taken out the caffeine boost, because I just did not feel the lag. Being able to accomplish what I wanted to do and being satisfied with my performance and energy level, it resulted in being in a better mood. Just getting restful sleep can improve your mood and I thank HealthyCell for that. The only supplemental food that I have in the morning with my breakfast, is flax seed. I enjoy the digestion benefits from the fiber to the Omega-3 fatty acids. I still continued eating Flax seed both whole and ground, even though there are ingredients that fulfill the nutritional values and benefits in HealthyCell, I just enjoy the taste and texture my yogurt gets from the seeds.

Retail Price Point: $29.90 via Amazon for a box that yields a 30-Day supply of 120 pills (60 in the AM and 60 for PM use).  User of the product takes 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the evening.

Connect with the CellHealth Institute and check-out HealthyCell at:

• CellHealthy On-line
• HealthyCell on-line
• Amazon
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I received the above product(s) free of charge from HealthyCell.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

GreenForce Labs No2 PreWorkout Supplement Review #GreenForce

I’ve passed off workout supplements to hubby before, and this one is no different, but thankfully for him, this one was much better than the last. I don’t think he could take another horrible product to be my crash test dummy for. So, without further adieu, here’s hubby:

I’ve been using pre-workout supplements for years now. Some tasted good and did bupkis for me. Some tasted horrible, and did bupkis for me. Some tasted tolerable and worked out well. I have yet to find one that wasn’t overly sweet, loaded with sugars, artificial colors and flavors, or ingredients that I’d rather not ingest. I think, however, I’ve found one in Greenforce Labs No2 Preworkout that hits every metric I want.

Some background on what I consider essential preworkout primers. One is a bit of caffeine. It really helps get my butt up and moving. Next are some B-vitamins to keep it moving. A little arginine to keep the blood vessels wide open. Everything else for me is gravy. Greenforce No2 Preworkout ups the ante by adding l-ornithine and l-citrulline to combat muscle fatigue, and a new one for me, beet root extract, which aids in greater output, lowers fatigue, and possibly greater strength. Hey now, I’m in. And for me, this product worked. I matched my exercise output and results from my powdered product, at half the cost. I’m happy to alternate between this and my usual.

After making sure I cleared my system of my previous preworkout powder, which I consider seriously flawed due to being obnoxiously sweet. I can happily report that Greenforce No2 Preworkout has no added sugars, natural OR artificial, a major failing of almost every single preworkout on the market. You can easily tailor your intake to your needs or workout. With a 4 capsule serving, that’s simple to say “Okay, it’s late, I’m only taking half tonight”. Also, this is an all-natural product made in the USA, NFW and GMP certified. You get a month’s worth for $21.95 with 120 capsules per bottle.

Now for the best part. This product is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. From the first capsule to the last. Greenforce Labs stands behind this product, no questions, full stop. I had a minor issue with shipping and Greenforce Labs bent over backwards to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Above and beyond. Show me a supplement company that does that. I’ve had dealings with some of the biggest, and it’s all finger-pointing and no guarantees. I’m happy to report there none of that nonsense with Greenforce Labs. I’m happy to support them and look forward to see what they bring to market next.

Connect with Greenforce Labs:

• On Facebook
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• #GreenForce

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Greenforce Labs.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.