Social Nature: Organic Guru Energy Drink #Review #GuruEnergy

When I think of energy drinks, the last thing I associate with them is real ingredients. So many are filled with ingredients and proprietary blends, which not only stimulate a burst of energy, but you come down crashing as fast as the energy lasted. I began just avoiding them five years ago but there are days where I was dragging and even the red colored bull was an item I went after when coffee failed me. I started now looking for better drinks that increase endurance with a slash of energy, just to make Mondays a little easier to deal with when I just can’t seem to start the week off right. Some of the drinks I pick now have ingredients like teas to even chia seeds.

In comes Guru drinks, they offer an organic alternative rather than a science experiment in a can. Guru also is only 115 calories for a 12 ounce can with 30 grams of sugar. I was also able to locate the cans easily at my local Sprout’s Farmers Market but I noticed you can purchase directly from the company or even via Amazon. Guru is not only certified Organic but GMO free, gluten free and even a Vegan friendly drink. But does it deliver the energy you need and desire like it’s other rivals?

Ingredients: sparkling water, organic cane sugar, organic white grape juice, citric acid, apple acid, natural flavors, organic green tea leaf extract, organic guarana seed extract, organic echinacea flower extract, organic panax ginseng root extract.

Verdict:
I put the can in the fridge overnight to have it cool and ready for the next day. I start hitting that wall at around 2:00 in the afternoon and decide to give Guru a try. I open the can and the sniff test is okay and not unpleasant. I decide to give it a try and this not only where the drink failed me. It tastes like cough syrup and not really good, even though I at least enjoy that the drink is cold on a very hot day. I continue to drink Guru and it has a bad aftertaste, that lingers and also thickens your saliva. That medicinal taste just intensifies the more I drink it and I try to not even hold the drink in my mouth because it even makes my gums taste weird. Not great when it came to flavor but if it gives me energy, I tend to be one of those people that can overlook taste a bit if the product works. I wait 30 minutes, nothing. Another hour passes and the taste is at least starting to go away or maybe I am getting use to it. Oh, Guru is an energy drink……and I have none. Twelve ounces of phlegm giving drink that goes against the mindset that if the taste is like medicine, it should do the opposite of thickening it. After some coughing, clearing of throat and so forth, the energy never hit me or even knocked on the door. I would have taken even one hour of reward after drinking 12 ounces of Guru but the Guru isn’t the giving kind. At $2.50 a can and it was on sale at Sprout’s, I can’t see buying it when other drinks with less volume provide at least some energy, even if you crash after. You add the poor taste and I have felt more refreshed after drinking cold water on a hot day and that never thickens my saliva.

Connect with Guru at:

• On-line
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• #GuruEnergyDrink #SocialNature #TryNatural #GuruEnergy

I received the above product(s) free of charge from . 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.

Advertisement

Kiss Me Organics: Ceremonial Grade Matcha Tea #Review #OrganicCeremonialGradeMatcha

Not too long ago I got the opportunity to review Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea. I liked it. A lot. Clean, not jittery, energy and overall a nice switch from regular coffees and teas. Kiss Me Organics decided to then send me the Ceremonial Grade Matcha. I’m more than game.

Ceremonial grade Matcha must meet specific guidelines. From only the youngest, brightest, most vibrant leaves, grown in the shade, from only the very tip of the bush. Streamed, air dried, and stone-ground, this highest grade green tea is traditionally harvested from specific regions of the Japanese mountains, and is reserved for special occasions or a special treat due to the unique conditions required for growing and harvesting. It’s taste is unique as well, delicate but also full bodied with high sweet notes and a touch of butter at the finish.

Kiss Me Organics Ceremonial Grade Matcha is also the most sensitive to light and oxidization due to it’s delicate nature. So it comes in a vacuum sealed foil pouch inside a sealed metal tin with a twist off top that seals airtight again after. Kiss Me Organics is serious about this tea, and one taste will tell you it’s worth the effort. Ceremonial grade is the highest in nutrients, antioxidants, chlorophyll and fiber as well, with no artificial flavors or colors. I didn’t think I’d notice so much difference from one grade to the next, but I did. It’s a whisked tea that’s thicker, richer, and with more range in the flavor than the premium grade. It leave s just a little sediment at the bottom, but that’s nothing to complain about. I just love this tea.

If you’re wondering if the higher grade is worth the higher price, I say it is. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and plan to save it for special occasions. It has all the same energy benefits I noted with the premium version. It also has the one big drawback too. It’s so finely ground that it’s nearly impossible to not drop a bit, and it stains almost instantly. So I’d advise preparing your tea over glass or something that is glazed and dishwasher safe. I hope my readers treat themselves to this tea and enjoy it as much as I did.

Retail Price Point: $28.00 via Amazon

Connect with Kiss Me Organics:

• On the web
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On Pinterest
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Kiss Me Organics LLC.  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.

Smiley360: 5 Hour Energy Drink in Pink Lemonade #5HourGoesPink #Review

I got an offer from Smiley360 recently. It was for a 5-Hour Energy shot. Um…yes please! Are you kidding me? This time of year? I’m dragging my tired little butt around trying to put things together for the holidays, for the home, for hubby, for the dog. Oh yeah, and if I have a spare second or two, a moment for myself. I quick pick me up, and pink lemonade flavored to boot? My only complaint at the time was I only got two.

Now, I’ve tried 5-Hour Energy before. Let’s just say I wasn’t their biggest cheerleader. The flavor was…not great. Very bitter, hard to swallow. In fact, I couldn’t. Neither could hubby.We haven’t been back to it since. I had high hopes for the new push and new flavor. And while it was better, it was also still bitter, but not to the point of being unable to finish it. So it’s flavor grade is a solid “B”.

As for the most important feature, the energy boost. With 200 mg of caffeine, as well as nearly 1700 mgs of other proprietary energy ingredients, and 540 mgs of B vitamins, you’d think it could send someone up the walls and hanging off the ceiling. However, that wasn’t the case for me. Maybe my tolerances are higher, maybe I just was expecting to have some jitters or shakes. Neither was the case, and if anything I was disappointed in not having that “superman” feeling where I flit around the house getting everything accomplished like The Flash. Oh well.

5-Hour Energy also partnered with Living Beyond Breast Cancer to donate 5 cents from every bottle sold to LBBC, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people with trusted breast cancer information and community support. Just look for the bottle with the pink ribbon to help out, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $200,000. Not too shabby.

Connect with 5-Hour Energy on:

• On-line
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• Google+

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Smiley360 and 5-Hour Energy.  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.

Kiss Me Organics: Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder #Review

I was looking for some time for a way to incorporate a more natural approach when it came to replacing my caffeine pills. I love and enjoy drinking tea very much, but it’s not my main source when it comes to energy. In the morning if I have to run errands, the last thing I want is to drink more fluids than I already do!

I started reading about Green Tea and alternatives when it came to sources. Trying to think beyond the tea bag here and found Matcha. Matcha, is finely milled or fine powder green tea. So before you start just crushing tea leaves with a mortar and pestle, this is what makes Matcha distinctive and more nutritious. Matcha like other supplements has certain standards and qualities it must meet to carry the name. For one, the leaves must be grown in the shade to preserve their qualities and potency. Sun oxidizes the leaf and decreases the potency. A quality Matcha powder is rich with antioxidants (i.e. L-Theanine). L-theanine (also known as Suntheanine), is an antioxidant that helps with reducing stress and also aids the cardiovascular system. L-theanine, also minimizes the negative effects associated with caffeine; jitters, speedy effect, being jumpy/nervous is reduced. You still get that natural energy boost to help you get through the day, and may even assist with burning fat. Among the other benefits I read, Matcha can help with moods, liver cleansing, assist with sleep by allowing the state of “deep sleep” become more achievable to weight loss (balancing fat and muscle).  I even read where Matcha is attributed to better skin health, helping to detoxify and brighten your skin, which something I did notice change from just drinking green tea.

Kiss Me Organics Quality:

Getting a good source of Matcha is key and Kiss Me Organics delivers a finely milled powder that is not grainy, vibrant green in color, and it does not have that “hay smell” you get from the oxidized and less powerful Matcha out on the market. The packaging allows the product to remain in a dark environment to preserve it’s potency and you can easily seal it closed and remove much of the air as possible at the same time. I was very happy with the product and how easy it blended with yogurt to even my coconut and almond milk mixes.

Not in the Mood for Matcha?

Like with everything, you want to change it up to not get bored and this is why coffee, like tea is made in so many different ways even if they were born from a bean or leaf. For those days that I was not in a green tea mood, I resorted to just filling gel capsules. Just purchase those empty capsules and fill them with Matcha. I noticed zero changes from ingesting the Matcha combined with a food product to just taking the capsule. I got all the benefits!

Results:

I don’t miss my caffeine pill and I thought the no jitters claim was false but I must admit that I’m calmer but energized……..so let’s call it controlled energy that allows me to focus. I also do sleep better and I’m more on a regular pattern, where I wake up at the same time and need my rest and sleep around the same time everyday too. I kind of like that turning on when I need to and finally getting deep restful sleep that you don’t know you were missing until you get it. I have been doing more and getting more done, so that also makes me feel better and I guess that does lift one’s mood 🙂

Retail Price Point: Via Amazon $49.77

Kiss Me Organics is a company that really supports the products they distribute. They sent me recipes that helped change up how I got my Matcha for the day but was also making sure I was happy and satisfied with the product. That level of customer service is very appreciated now a days and Kiss Me Organics stands by their product with a zero hassle money-back guarantee!

Try Matcha via Kiss Me Organics and connect with them here:

• Amazon
• On-line
• FaceBook
• Go to their on-line page and enter your e-mail address to be alerted on promotions to even coupons
• #KissMeOrganicsMatcha

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Kiss Me Organics.  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.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Klout: Fair Trade Moms Make a World of Difference #Perk #FairTrade

Here’s another great Klout perk to share and I list the Fair Trade boxes in my top 10 perks to get. The boxes are filled with wonderful goodies and are always a hit in my home. I have become a fan of many of the brands and have continued to purchase them all, just because of my introduction via these great Klout Perk boxes. This one was smaller but did not disappoint!

Included were 6 items from 4 different manufacturers that adhere to the Fair Trade global practices of delivering goods from workers treated fairly. Fair Trade USA is not a charity but a global organization that helps developing communities improve their quality of life, and also make it possible for us to enjoy the goods they produce. This can range from clothing to foods, but always knowing that the symbol on the package goes beyond just a simple promise. It’s a social movement constantly improving and finding ways to do things not only better…..also, the right way.

 

Numi Organic Tea– An indulgent tea and in a Chocolate Spice flavor. You think chocolate and tea does not seem right and you start associating it to maybe being a light latte or some thinned out hot chocolate drink. This is none of that! It’s a clear and light chai tea, which has nice soft notes of dark chocolate with just a hint of spice. It’s smooth and delightful and kills any sweet tooth craving you may have. The box comes with 12 tea bags and is also non-GMO certified. I enjoyed this blend and found that the chocolate taste is very present but balanced well with the tea leaves, plus you can adjust the strength by letting it steep a little longer. This is on my “buy again” list.

• Twitter
• Facebook

 

Alter ECO chocolate truffles– I received my parcel in the start of the hot weather and also that week we got a nice little heat wave. My truffles were hot and liquidy inside and thankfully only one oozed a little outside of it’s wrapper. I quickly put them on a dish and into the fridge they went. I kept hoping the truffle would stiffen up and remain edible. Even though I did not enjoy these chocolates in their prime state, they still held up well regardless of their not so fair arrival. The truffle center that is soft stayed in place, so it seems I was lucky!

I received the Black Truffle and the Velvet Truffle. I can say that both had a very smooth consistency and were velvety soft with the difference pretty much being one was a dark chocolate and the other a milk. The Black truffle was very smooth with no bitter after-notes or a waxy consistency left in your mouth. It melted and dissipated nicely……sort making me wish I had another. The Velvet truffle was pretty great for being milk and had a rich flavor, smooth but not super milky. You taste the chocolate and for being a milder variety, I wished I had 2 more of these after I finished. I can say the truffles peaked my curiosity and Alter Eco Foods has a pretty large assortment of treats that I hope to try in the near future. Their brand goes beyond chocolate and you have Rices to Quinoa and even Sugars to choose from. My opinion is that if a stressed out little melted truffle can taste this good……can you imagine one in it’s prime state? I know, let me just ponder about it a little more 🙂

• Twitter
• Facebook

 

Nutiva Virgin Coconut Oil– I was so happy when I saw this bottle and Nutiva did not just include a sample packet, but a full size bottle. There is a reason why you visit the site and the product in the standard size is sold-out. Not all oils are created equal and this non-GMO oil takes the Coconut experience to whole another level. Clean and pure in taste, this comes from using fresh Organic coconuts in production. I baked delicious cookies that were moist in the inside and crisp on the outside and the pineapple chunks just gave them that tropical burst I was looking for. Nutiva makes everything you can get out of a coconut from flours, sugars, oils to you got to check out what an “o’ coconut” is! They also carry Hemp, Chia and Red Palm derived products. I got lost on their site just checking out everything they make!

• Twitter
• Facebook

 

Fair Trade pin– I know it’s just a pin but I love this little stuff and I can now take pictures of my Fair Trade certified products with a pin by it! That makes the blogger in me happy and yes, I still have it in it’s plastic so it remains beautiful and shiny 🙂

• Twitter
• Facebook

 

Runa Clean Energy– A Guayusa based drink that comes in an array of flavors, I was able to try the Lemon Lemongrass variety. I chilled mine before enjoying it. The product is a natural energy drink without the crash or too speedy feeling. You get a “pep in your step”, with no after-burn, plus it’s refreshing and tastes great. The lemon is nice too…think of a sweet tea that is not super sugary, so your thirst in quenched and you get that extra energy to go about your day. One bottle is only 50 calories and that is something your waist line will appreciate with Summer around the corner. Runa also carries other products made with Guayusa from the bottles to energy drinks and even loose leaf tins.

• Twitter
• Facebook

 

I recommend checking out the companies above by simply clicking on the titles and please read on how they grow, make, cultivate, to how they get products to your door via the Fair Trade practices. Many have other advantages to being Organic and using non-GMO ingredients. To a healthier Summer 2014 and better choices!

You can also become a Klout member buy visiting Klout and all you need is a Facebook or Twitter accoount.  Simple and takes less than 3 minutes and you can start enjoying Klout Perks too!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Fair Trade USA and the above named companies.  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.

 

 

Klout Perk: Red Bull #CamoCan Helping Heroes

I indulge in energy drinks and I always go for Red Bull when I do. This can goes beyond just delivering a great looking Klout perk, but it’s the causes behind it that make it spectacular. Red Bull Camo Can benefits the Military Warriors Support Foundation and their Homes4WoundedHeroes and Homes4GoldStars programs. We are talking about providing mortgage-free homes to combat wounded heroes and their families, as well as spouses of fallen combat heroes. Each Camo can helps provide Iraq and Afghanistan combat heroes with housing and to date, five homes have been provided through this partnership, which is in it’s third year!

Support by purchasing a #CamoCan and you can also visit the following sites if you wish to learn more and/or contribute:

• http://www.MilitaryWarriors.Org
• @WariorsSupport
• #Helping Heroes
• http://www.Redbull.com
• @RedBull
• #CamoCan

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Klout and Red Bull. 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.