Powered By ENERGYbits

It's Christmas time and I received an early present in the mail this week from ENERGYbits.  The kind folks at ENERGYbits sent me a sample to try out after I expressed an interest in their product. 

Right out of the gate I will tell you to take their advice and don't attempt to chew these little green bits, they look harmless but their flavour is reminiscent of fish food .... or better yet fish food sitting in a fish tank!  It is certainly an acquired taste but these little bits are small enough to swallow quite a few at a time, thus eliminating the need to dig the green crud out of your teeth!  If for nothing else my munching on one single bit provided a laugh for my son while I danced around the kitchen ;)

I held off trying anymore of the ENERGYbits until I could commit to a proper workout, and today was the day!

Before hitting the dreadmill I took 30 bits ... relax, it sounds like a lot but it's not.  They are really quite tiny and it only took 3 swigs of water to get them down the ol' hatch!  I should point out that ENERGYbits are called "bits" for a reason, they are not pills.  Spirulina is an algae that is compromised of 64% protein, 40 vitamins & antioxidants .... taken in the right quantity these little bits are a meal replacement, not just an energy boost.

I definitely felt the energy boost almost right away, I thought it was all in my head until I was on the 'mill.  I noticed that my breathing wasn't as laboured (keep in mind I am a newbie runner) and my endurance was far greater then normal.  I only ran 2.5 miles today because I have taken a few days off and did not want to over do it.  That being said, I felt like could have finished the 3 miles that I normally have a battle with and kept right on going! 


I suspect that the improvement in my breathing and endurance was a direct result of not just the ENERGYbits themselves but more specifically the natural nitric oxide found in these little wonder bits.  Nitric oxide opens up your blood vessels and provides a steady stream of oxygen and nourishment through out your body .... which in my mind can only help!

I would say the best part of these bits would be the clean energy it provides to your body, no caffeine like crash afterwards and no jitters or heart palpitations to deal with during your workout.

There is a whole line of different "bits" .... ENERGYbits are 100% spirulina and are intended to boost mental and physical energy.  SKINNYbits are also 100% spirulina and help to eliminate hunger and fatigue.  RECOVERYbits are 100% cholrella and can assist in preventing colds ... they even help with your holiday hangover!  VITALITYbits are 50% spirulina and 50% chlorella providing a mix of both algaes in a smaller amount.  

I have to admit I was quite impressed with these little green bits, being #poweredbyBITS proved to be a positive experience and I highly recommend this small addition to your daily routine.  I plan on introducing bits into my son's daily regime of hockey and physical activity, I can see it being a simple yet effective addition to his training.  Be sure to pop by their website and check them out on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Cheers to ENERGYbits!

K.

Soups On!

I just found out we are having another United Way fundraiser at work next week .... last week was Chilifest, next week is the Soup Kitchen!!!  Now the dilemma of which soup to make???  I have a tendency to always make recipes that include beer ... not healthy I know, but you can sell anything if you tell people there is beer in it, honestly!

One of my favs would have to be Great Canadian Chowder ... Beer, Bacon and Cheese.  A great trifecta when you are trying to appeal to the masses, not so great on the waistline but for these fundraisers I like to go for the wow factor.  I suppose I could make two soups, my other fav is my mother in law's recipe for Carrot Garlic Soup still has lots of flavour and certainly isn't your run of the mill chicken noodle soup.  Thank goodness the temperature has dropped in K-Town, should help with the soup sales!

Cheers!
K.

Halloween Hoopla

Halloween has come and gone for another year and the kids were into just as much as ever!  It's funny how sometimes you have too many choices, what candy to eat first, what costume to choose but somehow on our hockey-free night we managed to get ourselves together for some Halloween Hoopla.

My son Zac was all set to hit the trick or treating gig "Gangnam Style" when he found out some hockey buddies were going out in morph suits and he couldn't pass up the chance to be like the green men at the Canucks games!  I made him pose with his "bucket" on just to prove it was him but when they hit the streets they were just a mass of faceless skittle coloured kids hunting for candy!

In the middle of all the preparations I had to get into makeup mode, my step-son Matt was going as a Vampire.  He was such a good boy but I was quickly reminded how boys (& men) do not understand or appreciate the fun of makeup!  He stuck it out and the final result was awesome but I am not certain he will be picking a costume with makeup for next year!

Of course we had to dress up the dog as well ... he had LOTS of choices, we went with the Skeleton but I must admit the Knight, Dany Zuko and Garden Gnome were all a close second!



When they came back with their loot each had their favourite candy that was simply unshareable (can you say caramilk???) and then there were others (like the poor tootsie rolls) that got thrown back in the bowl to hand out to the late comers!  It got me to thinking about what I always passed on as a kid but I couldn't come up with anything that was dreadfully awful ... until this morning.  Remember Thrills Gum?  Looked like Chicklits .... tasted like soap!?!  They were horrid and made choosing my favs easy way back when I was a kid sorting out my Halloween candy.  Hope you and your's had a fun night and didn't get hung up all the choices!

Road Trip

On the bus heading to North Central for a game today then on to Barrie for a game tomorrow, it's a busy hockey life but we love it!

Grabbing a coffee this morning and a random woman came up to Zac and wished him good luck and asked where we were off to. You know you are in Canada when strangers are interested in your hockey life!

It still amazes me that kids can't get up for school but they jump out of bed for a four hour bus trip to play hockey, if only we could channel that energy and enthusiasm into all things they do!  Zac had Gangnam Style cranked on his ipod and was dancing around the parking lot waiting for the bus to arrive at 7am ...  it's going to be a long day, just hope the energy level holds until the puck drops!

Proud Mom

Ok, proud mom and time to gloat ....
Zac got a science test back from last week and he got 50/50 questions right .... That's 100% on a flight test, questions that I didn't even know the answer to! Can you say proud mom??? Yup, yup!
A busy day with early morning skills practice and then regular team practice tonight meant no time for me at the gym, but back at it tomorrow.
This new journey to health and fitness must still allow time for me to be the ever so proud mom that I will always continue to be. Great job Zackers!!!

Let's Rewind a Bit

All my life I have only been fit and in shape when I am unhappy with life in general, which as a whole has only been pockets of time throughout my 35 years.  In 2009 I was on my last fitness kick teaching spin classes and Group Groove at a local gym upwards to 6 classes a week .... short story is I got burnt out but stayed fit with regular exercise and relatively good eating habits (which always made me happier being able to control some things in my life).

Fast forward to the fall of 2010 when I met my husband Steve, and you guessed it, everything was perfect .... life was finally on track and I was in a very happy place.  Our sons (we each have a son from a previous marriage) seemed happy and embraced this new family we had started to nourish.  Life seemed to be easier, so I spent less time on health and fitness with more time devoted to cooking delicious meals (ya I can cook!) and beer sampling with my love and fellow Guinness drinker, Steve.  Needless to say we have both gained some weight over the past two years and while we couldn't be happier it is not the healthy lifestyle I was so proud of a few years back.

I am also a very busy hockey mom spending up to 5 days a week running to arenas or dry land practices, not to mention the lengthy bus trips every weekend!  It is hard to fit in time for me and me alone but I read about other mom's having the same struggles and simply putting aside time each day for themselves and reaping the benefits .... I decided I wanted to reap too lol.

My goal is to learn how to run .... well jog in my case.  Maybe one day I will be a runner.  At this point anything is better then nothing.  In between "runs" I am back on the bike and missing teaching spin like crazy, but for now I am happy to be the student and not over commit myself time wise.  I don't plan to be an athlete, just happy and healthy.  I have the happy part down thanks to my wonderful husband and amazing kids but only I can work on the healthy part.  Cheers!