Premier Protein Bars: Yogurt Peanut Crunch #Review #PremierSelfie

Most protein bars that are geared towards females have great flavors but low protein numbers. I want energy just like everyone else and if I want less, I prefer just eating half a bar and holding the other half for later.

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Retail Price Point: $1.99 per bar with 30 grams of protein

Ingredients (as listed on their website)-
Premier Protein® Bar Protein Blend (Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Concentrate), Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Sugar, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Water, Peanut Butter (Dry Roasted Peanuts), Palm Kernel Oil, Inulin, Contains 2% or less of the following: Tapioca Starch, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Salt, Yogurt Powder, Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier), Nonfat Dry Milk, Peanut Extract, Caramel Color, Sucralose.

Verdict:
As I mentioned, flavor matters and the Premier Protein bars come in an array of flavors from White Fudge Raspberry to the Yogurt Peanut Crunch I was sent to try out. Each bar provides 30 grams of protein and are decent in size, so you nip that craving or hunger when it hits. The bar is gluten free and no funny stuff like fillers or trans fats, corn syrup, plus they are a great source of not just protein but fiber too. Each bar is 290 calories, so again a pretty decent exchange when it comes to the what makes the bar.

The flavor of the yogurt coating resembles white chocolate and it’s almost described like eating a peanut butter rice crisp treat that has been dipped in it. Very different and no nasty aftertaste, plus I did get enough energy to finish grocery shopping and my groceries resembled the list I went out to get. Many times my cravings tend to influence what I am buying and I then come home with more snack foods than I planned too. So, I not only save my waistline but also when it comes to my checkbook!

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Connect with Premier Protein and check-out their products at:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Premier Protein via Influenster.  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

CortiSlim® Burn™: #CortiSLIM Burn Supplement Review

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CortiSlim was a product I was familiar with in the past and it was not because I have taken it, but the huge amount of advertisement that was launched to promote the brand. Years later the product left the market and it has returned, with new ingredients and changes.

One of the new ingredients is the adding of Raspberry Ketones and the proprietary blend called Bioactive Burn Matrix.

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Ingredients (as listed on bottle):

  • Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, Chromium, Bioactive Burn Matrix: Green Tea Extract, Razberi-K, Caffeine Anhydrous, Caffeine (sustained release) and Guarana Seed.
  • Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, Gelatin, Silica, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Blue #1

 

Indications (as I took the supplement): You take 2 capsules in the AM and 2 more in the PM.  No more than 4 capsules a day!

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Directions (on bottle): 

  • For Fitness Enhancement:  Adults take 2 capsules per day 1 hour before exercising with a meal and a full glass of water.
  • For Maximum Fitness Enhancement:  Adults take 2 capsules per day with breakfast and a full glass of water, and 2 capsules with lunch and a full glass of water.  Do not exceed 4 capsules in a 24 hour period.  If you are taking CortiSlim® Burn™ while taking another CortiSlim® product, do not exceed 2 CortiSlim® Burn™ capsules in a 24 hour period.

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Retail Price Point: $25.99 for one bottle via Amazon or you can invest in 3 bottles for $59.90.  Each bottle has 72 capsules.

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Verdict:
I took the product as instructed and took out my 1/2 caffeine pill I take in the morning, as I did not want to be over caffeinated. In week one, I noticed on the first day that my jitters were not present, as I sometimes can get “the shakes” with just the smallest intake of caffeine. I blame the albuterol for my asthma causing this with the caffeine. That was just not there, so that I did appreciate. Week Two, I continue to take the 2 pills in the AM and 2 pills at night. I’m still feeling energized like when I took my 1/2 caffeine pill but no more, nor more less. It’s sort of like the exact amount of “umph” I felt before taking CortiSlim. I was only taking 200 mg divided in half (100), so it’s not like I have a high tolerance and/or base use that would make the CortiSlim negligent. I continue watching what I eat and because I gear what I eat by what my activity will be that day, I consume around 1200 calories. I weigh myself and I can celebrate that I have not gained weight but have not lost any. I’m the exact same weight. The caffeine in CortiSlim is derived from Green Tea Extract Leaf, Caffeine Anhydrous, Caffeine (sustained release) and Guarana Seed Standardized Extract. I am getting more caffeine going by the amounts and intake, but I don’t feel it, see it, or even reap the benefits in caloric loss. I did notice no milligrams are listed on the exact caffeine amount from each ingredient, so maybe I’m taking less (who knows!).  I can see making the leap that the product is “maintaining” my weight. That is the other positive I can maybe find. I just wanted to lose 10 pounds and was hoping to accelerate the loss. I did see that CortSlim makes an “Advanced Formula” and for once I may ask the manufacture to send this out before I make a final verdict on the brand. Right now, it’s a great mix of caffeine for energy because I was steady as can be but that also comes at a price point. I will assume I plateaued when it comes to weight loss and will see if a stronger formula will give me the kick (offing of the 10 pounds that linger) I seek!

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Connect with CortiSLIM to checkout the BURN formula and their revamped product line at:

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

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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.

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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.

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Connect with Greenforce Labs:

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.

Dalvia Wellness Labs: L-Arginine Amino Acid Complex Powder #Review #DalviaLArginine

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Hubby is no stranger to supplements. In fact, since I have known him, he’s always had a tub or bottle of something that he took in the morning, took before workouts, after workouts, before bed…You get the point. So when I got the chance to try out a pre-workout powder from Dalvia Wellness Labs L-Arginine Amino Acid Complex Powder (and when I say “I” tried it, I really mean HE tried it), I said “You betcha”.

Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. From here on out, you’ll be hearing from Hubby. Have at it, Hubby:

I’m no stranger to powder drink mixes for preworkout or post. I’ve tried many different flavors and blends from all the top companies. This is NOT one of those. While I could definitely choke it down, I saw no benefits from the endeavor. No added energy, no extra pump, no “umpf” to crank out that last set after a long day. I’m coming from a tried and true pre-workout mix named after a certain plastic explosive. It’s worked very well, for a long time. I took 2 weeks off my previous mix to reset my body, then tried this Dalvia L-Arginine powder for 2 more weeks. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. To start, my god was it sweet. While the label says it contains 0g of sugar, the ingredient list has an artificial sweetener, sucralose. Along with FD&C blue #1, red #40. I think they’re grossly overstating the “premium quality ingredients” on the Amazon order page. The taste is horrible to boot. A horrible, bitter aftertaste. Yuck. 12g per serving, and no scoop. When I let the company know the taste was off, their response was “Use less”. Alllllrighty then. The container also claims to be a “best selling amino acid formula”. Uh…based on what metric? I’ve never heard of this product before, and a quick google search only gives you one place to buy it: Amazon. There’s just so much wrong with this product. Look, I appreciate getting to try it for free. I wanted to like it. I add l-arginine to my pre-workout mix periodically. But there are no positives for this product. For me, it just didn’t work.  Your $36 is better spent almost anywhere on just about any other reputable product.

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Not for nothing, but my test for this product happened to coincide with routine blood work ordered by my doctor. I have never had issues with my thyroid, but my T3 levels were spiked, indicating hyperthyroidism. I had no other symptoms. After stopping this product, my T3 levels were back to normal. I can’t say for certain this product had anything to do with this irregular result, but why take chances? I would recommend avoiding this product.

 

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Price Point: $36.00 for a 12.7 ounce container via Amazon and comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

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Ouch. The ref takes a point away! Hubby is not the kind to bury a company or product this way, but I will say that one wet fingertip was all I could bear, and I spit it out. It was terrible tasting, and turned my finger reddish. He’s got a much stronger stomach than I do. I couldn’t have done 2 weeks of that. I guess they can’t all be home runs.

Connect with Dalvia Wellness Labs:

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

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.

 

Diet Standards: AMINOHD 1000 Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) #AminoHD1000AmazonReview

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I received from Poliquin Group, the opportunity to try Branch Chain Amino Acids and quickly knew it was something my Husband would like.  Below is his review of the product and the details. .

I’ve been using supplements now for almost 2 decades. I know what works for me and what doesn’t. I use very few because, honestly, most of them are junk and don’t do squat. Of the few I’ve taken with regularity, BCAAs are some that I feel work for me. So when Diet Standards offered to let me try their product in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the chance. There’s some good stuff, and a little bad here, so let me explain.

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Ingredients (as listed on the site):
AminoHD 1000 BCAA contains only Branch Chain Amino Acids and Vegetable Capsules. Nothing else deserves to be in your BCAA supplement. – Ingredients: L-Leucine (250mg per capsule), L-Isoleucine (125mg per capsule), and Valine (125mg per capsule) in Vegetable Capsules (Vegetable Cellulose).

-The Good-

These BCAA’s are very competitively priced in this market. You get 450 500mg capsules for $29.99. That’s a fantastic value. They advertise no fillers or artificial ingredients, and as near as I can tell, there aren’t any. I’ve opened the capsules to mix with my post-workout shake, and mixed some in with my pre-workout drink as well. No horrid taste that I can detect. As far as results, I exercise to maintain my health, strength, and fitness level, not to get fitter, bigger or stronger. So in that regard, I give the product high marks, now two weeks in, for being not all the different than the “optimum” branded product I was using before. No better, and no worse. So that should be high praise indeed.

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-The Bad-

The recommended servings are INSANE. 2 capsules between meals, before workouts, and after workouts That’s a LOT of damn pills, people. Unless you’re looking to get jacked up like, say, a Ronnie Coleman, that’s massive overkill. And that many BCAA’s without an extremely intense, long workout are a total waste. Also, the capsules are kind of flimsy, which leads to the powder “leaking” out, or getting crushed easily, or popping open. No bueno. But if that’s the price I pay for a more natural gel capsule, I’ll live with it. Just keep a zip-top baggie handy if you need to transport them.

Overall, these are a tremendous value for the quality, and I’m glad I got to try them. I can say that when this bottle is done, I’ll probably be ordering another. Thanks again, Diet Standards!

Connect with Diet Standards on:

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

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