The Nutritionist Reviews

January 31, 2014

Bigelow Tea Awards

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. As I have written about on The Nutritionist Reviews before, I am a big fan of Bigelow Tea. Some of my favorite flavors of  Bigelow Tea  are the Lemon Ginger, Green Tea with Peach, Jasmine Green Tea and the seasonal Ginger Snappish and Eggnogg’n. I drink tea at least twice per day. I love having a decaf cup in the morning and sometimes the evening. During the day, I usually will have one cup of regular tea. With it being awards season, there are lots of opportunities to celebrate. I love sitting down with my husband in the evening and sipping on a cup of tea. While watching any of the awards shows such as movie awards or music awards, I would love sipping a cup of Bigelow Tea. What would be fun would be to set out fancy teacups and teapots with different kinds of tea to choose from. My mom h

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January 31, 2014

MorningStar Farms Meatless Monday

I am a big fan of having meatless meals. I am not a vegetarian but have almost all of my breakfasts vegetarian, about 6 lunches vegetarian and 2-5 dinners per week vegetarian. I am all about variety and healthy eating and I enjoy incorporating MorningStar Farms products into my meals. One of my favorite MorningStar Farms products is the Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties. My favorite way to eat this is to toast a whole wheat English muffin or mini bagel, heat up the veggie patty, add some ketchup, baby spinach leaves and a bit of cheddar cheese. It is seriously delicious and very filling too!   Also, another way that I eat the Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage is with a veggie egg scramble. I cook up a bunch of vegetables (whatever I have on hand at home) and cook with some eggs, onions and black pepper. I serve the veggie sausage on the side with some sliced fresh fruit. These two meals are some of my favorites. This past summer, I created a blog recipe using Morning

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January 30, 2014

Mrs. T’s Pierogies

I participated in a campaign on behalf of  Millennial Central  for Mrs. T’s Pierogies. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. I have talked about it a couple of times before here on the blog that I am 50% Polish. For holidays, my family loves to eat Polish food. We like kielbasa, horseradish, ham, pierogi, potato pancakes, kapusta (like sauerkraut) and more. Celebrating my Polish heritage is important to me and the food is very tasty. Although we probably should, we do not make our own pierogi. We buy a few different brands and one of the brands that I really like is  Mrs. T’s pierogi es. I like to cook these in water for a little bit until soft and then pan-fry with some butter and onions. It gives the pierogi an excellent flavor. This year, we have a lot of fun and exciting parties coming up (parent’s 50 th  birthday, husband’s 30 th  birthday, sister’s 21 st  birthday, brother’s wedding shower a

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January 29, 2014

Knuckle Lights Review and Giveaway

As a runner, I know the importance of safety running outside. Most of the time that I run outside (which has not been too often lately as it has been around -13-14 degrees out), I run in the dark. To be safe, I know that I need some kind of light so that I can see where I am going and do not trip and so that passing vehicles can see me. I was recently sent a pair of  Knuckle Lights  which are lights for running that fit over your knuckles. They are easy to get on and are comfortable. I wore these this past weekend on a 4 mile run outside and loved them. They gave me plenty of light to feel safe and did not slip around on my hand at all. In fact, i forgot that I even had them on. They have an adjustable strap so that they properly fit your hand. They are weatherproof from snow, rain and cold which is great since I know a lot of times, us runners go out in crazy conditions. The lights are very bright making it easy to be seen for safety. There are three different setting

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January 28, 2014

How Omega-3 Helped my Hair and Skin

As a registered dietitian, I know the importance of eating healthy and the different nutrients that our bodies need. Unfortunately, I know that I do not get enough omega-3 in my diet since I do not eat a lot of fish. Omega-3 is also in walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds which I do eat but not every day. In the last 6 months or so, my skin has been drier than normal and my hair has seemed thinner. I know that my diet has not changed so I could not figure out what was going on. I read up on some solutions and found that omega-3 helps with skin, hair and nails. I decided to start taking a daily omega-3 supplement to meet my needs and to help my skin and hair. I have been taking omega-3 for about 1-2 months now and have noticed a difference in my hair. It is not perfect as I have very dry hair but is getting better compared to how it was. I have to credit omega-3 for this difference. I was recently contacted by  Coromega  to try their products. I chose the DHA omega 3 gumm

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January 27, 2014

KindRunner: Asics Gel Kayano 20 Review

I became a big fan of Kindrunner back in the fall when I reviewed the awesome R8 roller, Nathan light and Brooks gloves from them. All three products have been extremely useful to my running and have been used multiple times. The R8 roller is so amazing and helps sore muscles. I have been using it to help me through a knee injury that I have been struggling with since Christmas. Kindrunner recently sent me a pair of the  Asics Gel Kayano 20  shoes to review. Besides the awesome pink, orange and purple colors of these shoes, there are so many awesome features that these have. Before this, I was wearing the Brooks Trance 12 which were great for my feet. When searching which pair of shoes that I wanted, these were recommended for people who like the Brooks Trance 12. Also, my brother who is a former college track and cross country runner recommended these shoes to me so I felt comfortable trying them out. I roll my feet in a lot when I run and am pretty prone to injury so shoe

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January 25, 2014

NOW Foods Review

I recently had the opportunity to try out some  NOW Foods  products. They sell a big variety of products including supplements, foods and more. I chose some products that I was interested in and here is what I thought:   - Pure Maple Syrup - Until now, I am not sure that I have ever had real, pure maple syrup. I usually buy the light syrup which I do not use much of. I was excited to try this maple syrup. This past weekend, my husband and I made some homemade waffles in our waffle maker. We topped them with a bit of this pure maple syrup. It is very sweet so you need less than you would of another kind of syrup. Strangely, it had less of a maple flavor than other syrups that I have tried. It was tasty for sure!   - Maca supplement - I have heard good things about maca supplements and wanted to try them out. Here is some of maca’s benefits:  Maca is grown at high elevations in the Andes region of central Peru . It has been used for centuries by indigenous Peruvians as a food

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January 24, 2014

Fitmark Sport Tote Review

As someone who loves to workout, I am always on the lookout for great products that make working out easier and fun. Bright and colorful gear helps to motivate me to workout. I recently found  Fitmark  which is a company that makes all kinds of fitness bags, backpacks and lunch boxes. I was sent the sport tote to try out. I chose the purple color but it is also available in black and pink. The bag retails for $118. It comes with a separate shoe and laundry bag which is awesome to store your stinky or wet workout gear. There are a few compartments in this bag to be able to store everything you need. There are special sections for your phone, keys and valuables. The shoulder straps to carry this bag are comfortable and do not dig into your shoulders. The bag is pretty large and can fit all of my gear. It is 14”x18.25”x 7.5”. I plan on bringing this bag to me for running races where I always need to bring a bunch of gear. Also, I am going to bring it to my upcoming tr

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January 23, 2014

Core Power Review and Giveaway

I have reviewed Core Power products before in the past and really enjoyed them. My husband really likes to drink these at work because as a teacher, he has limited time to eat and this drink gives him the nutrition that he needs to teach his students. I was recently sent an awesome Core Power gift pack and will be giving away a great gift pack to one of you. BUY IT HERE. The three flavors that I was sent is the banana, chocolate and light strawberry banana. I prefer the light drinks which have less calories than the regular one. The light Core Power beverages have 20 grams of protein and the regular ones have 26 grams protein. The light one has 150 calories and 50% of your daily calcium! I love this as it is hard for me to get my recommended amount of daily calcium in. The main ingredient in this shake is filtered low-fat milk. After a hard workout, a lot of times I do not feel like eating much and a protein drink like this gives me the nutrition that I need fast. Also,

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January 22, 2014

The Addams Family Musical

Remember The Addams Family? I used to love that show as a kid! Now, The Addams Family is on a 2013-2013 tour with their musical. Here is what the musical is about: The Addams Family features an original story and it is every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that were not upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he has never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Michigan readers, the musical is coming to Clinton Township on January 24 th  at 7:30 PM and January 25 at 2 PM and 7 PM at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. It is a community enrichment program of Macomb Com

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January 21, 2014

Aspaeris Compression Review and Giveaway

As a runner, there can be a lot of aches and pains that come with regular runs. I have found that compression clothing and compression socks make a world of difference for me. I choose to wear compression socks any time that I run a race and love the feel of compression clothing for a run. I was recently sent a pair of capris from Aspaeris to try out. The company mainly sells women's compression shorts but now carries capris as well. These have an inner layer in the capris that is tight. They are dual sensory compression bands. The inner layer goes to right about the knee. It helps to support your hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings. This gives more stability to your knees. This is really important for me as I am going through a knee injury right now. My brother and I went running on Christmas morning together and right from the get-go, I had a lot of pain in my right knee. I decided to try to ignore it to enjoy the run with my brother which was the wrong thing to do. I sho

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January 20, 2014

Janji Review and Giveaway

I recently had the opportunity to try out Janji running clothes and have had a great experience. I was sent a pair of their women's Rwanda shorts and my husband was able to try the men's pants. Janji sells a variety of men's and women's running clothes and accessories. I really like the Rwanda shorts. By purchasing theese shorts, you provide three days of nutritional medicine to a malnourished Rwandan child. The proceeds go to MANA's Ready to Use Therapy Food which is a peanut butter based nutritional medicine for malnourished children. Not only are these clothes good quality but they also help raise money for an amazing cause. The shorts are designed with the blue, yellow and green from the Rwanda flag. They have a back pocket which can be very useful for storing small items on your runs (such as keys). The shorts are 100% polyester moisture wicking. These shorts fit me really well! I have ran in them and walked in them twice and think that they feel

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January 18, 2014

PJ's Organic Burritos Review

I was recently sent some PJ's Organics burritos to try and review on my blog. I had never tried this brand before and was excited to do so. My husband loves breakfast burritos so he took on reviewing these burritos. I was sent four different flavors of burritos: - Denver Breakfast Burritos- eggs, cheddar cheese, red and green bell peppers - Skinny Breakfast Burritos- egg white, feta, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes - Surf’s Up Breakfast Burritos- eggs ground beef, jalapenos, and cheddar - Chicken & Cheese with Green Chiles Burritos- chicken, pinto beans, green chiles and cheddar cheese My husband really enjoyed the surf's up burrito. He though that it was flavorful and almost tasted like chorizo was in the burrito. The only thing that he wished was that it would come with some sauce on it since it was a bit dry. For the other burritos, he added some salsa or hot sauce onto his burrito before eating it. All of these burritos have 300 to 340 calo

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January 17, 2014

Mystic Harvest Review

I was recently sent some Mystic Harvest purple corn tortilla chips to try. A bag of tortilla chips does not make it more than a few days in my house. My husband's favorite snacks of all time are definitely tortilla chips with hummus, salsa or guacamole. 80% of the time he has a snack, this is what he is choosing. Since chips are not the healthiest snack choice, I try to find chips for him that are better-for-you than others. These chips are made using purple corn which is high in antioxidants. It is specifically rich in anthocyanins.   "Anthocyanins are a group of abundant and widely consumed flavonoid constituents that occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom, providing the bright red-orange to blue-violet colors present in many fruit- and vegetable-based food products. Their intake has been estimated to be up to 9-fold higher than that of other dietary flavonoids." Mystic Harvest uses non-GMO corn. I was sent two varieties of chips: authentic tortilla c

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January 16, 2014

Crunchmaster Review and Giveaway

I have been a fan of Crunchmaster products for a very long time now. It first started back when I wrote a review for them a few years ago. Since then, I have purchased all of the Crunchmaster’s flavors since I love them. I had never tried the Grammy Crisps before which come in a cinnamon and sugar flavor. This ended up being one of my favorite Crunchmaster products. They are very crisp and have the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar on them. They taste a lot more indulgent than they are but have only 130 calories per 25 crisps. Not bad for something that tastes like dessert. They are made with brown rice flour and whole grain sorghum flour. One serving only has 5 grams of sugar. These are great for adults and kids. I like the roasted garlic multi-seed crackers a lot and the roasted vegetable multi-grain crackers. They are awesome with hummus, topped with cheese, bruschetta, artichoke dip, pesto, etc. The possibilities are endless. A new product from Crunchmaster is the

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January 14, 2014

Delicious and Nutritious Winter Recipes

With a blog, lots of great posts and recipes get lost in the archives. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite recipes to make in the winter that I have shared before here on the blog. Almond Strawberry Spinach Smoothie Chicken Vegetable Curry Cranberry Flax Protein Muffins Protein French Toast Spicy Chili Breaded Buffalo Cauliflower (awesome for the Superbowl) Pulled Pork and Greens Frittata BBQ Pretzel Chicken Skinny Zucchini Pesto Pizzas Roasted Vegetables Cauliflower Crust Pizza Homemade Peanut Butter What are some of your favorite recipes this winter?

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January 13, 2014

Big Slice Apples Review

I have always loved any kind of fruit including cooked fruit. My family loves all kinds of crisps, pies, applesauce, etc. I was recently asked to try the new BigSlice Appl es  products from Grandma Hoerners. These apples come in easy to eat 4.5 ounce pouches. They come in different flavors including cinnamon French toast, Pineapple Passion Fruit, Cherry Vanilla, and Raspberry Hibiscus. They are kettle cooked apples that come with a mix of apple slices, chunks and sauce. Each package is less than 100 calories. I really enjoyed these apples. They are so good eaten plain or would be great on top of plain Greek yogurt. My favorite flavor is the cinnamon French toast because it tastes similar to apple pie but with much less calories. I would also eat this sauce on top of oatmeal, pancakes, French toast, waffles or wrapped up as part of a sweet breakfast wrap. Every flavor of these apple slices was enjoyable. These Big Slice Apples can be found at 250 Super Target location

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