MacaSure + Resolution Time!

When someone sends me an email asking if I would like to try a new chocolate bar, I usually respond Yes. When the asker is Vega, I shout an estatic YES! To find that one of my favorite whole food supplement and protein powder sources was now making a chocolate bar was very good news, to say the least!

MacaSureChocolate is made with 70% cocoa, organic dark chocolate and 4000mg of premium, organic maca. Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz about Maca? A Superfood that it’s advocates praise it from it’s ability to increase energy and stamina, in stressful situations, both in life and exercise. From the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, a wonderful resource containing information on all types of herbs, supplements, vitamins and minerals I found maca is used for anemia, fatigue, menopausal symptoms, and increased sex drive, among other things. While the taste of plain maca can take a little getting used to, the chocolate bar has no unpleasant aftertastes, and you can barely tell the maca is even in it! The bar has the smooth creamy taste of dark chocolate. A high quality chocolate bar with a few extra benefits-why not! Allow yourself to indulge!

A few more details:· Price: $2.99·Where sold: Natural health food store like Whole Foods and online at macasure.com

So if you see this chocolate bar in stores, I highly recommend that you pick up one to try!

**Disclaimer: I was not paid by Vega to promote this product. While I did receive a sample bar for free, it is of my own free will that I am deciding to publish this review.**

• You may ask why I am "tempting you" with chocolate this close to New Years-that dreaded day of resolutions. Well, I have quite a lot to say about resolutions, and how positive goals are a much more successful and beneficial way to create change! Please check out the post I wrote on Guiltless today to learn more about how to set positive goals, and creating a vision board!
• If you are new to entering the racing world of running, check out my Me First post today on race day accountability!
• I'm with my family skiing the Tetons today, but I hope everyone who's getting buried with snow on the east coast is safe and enjoying their snowdays!

Any new Chocolate you have tried? What are your goals for the New Year?

Coco Crazy: Vita Coco Review

Arriving home to my apartment to something waiting for me in my mailbox always feels me with joy. Arriving home after a weekend with family to a box of Vita Coco was quite great.

If someone had been there to capture my expression it would have been similar to this:

Madonna and I are just so similar

My friend Andrew hooked me up with a Vita Coco grab box.

a delightful assortment of tangerine, peach/mango, acai/pomegranate and 100% pure coconut water

there is one other flavor, pineapple, so for testing's sake, I snagged one at the supermarket.

Peach Mango

Acai Pomegranate

Tangerine

Pineapple

100% Pure

Flavah: I simply could not pick a favorite flavor! I used to say I only liked the 100% pure coconut water, but after trying all of the other flavors, I was blow away by how delicious each and everyone one was. The fruit flavor was so natural, and added great variety!

Keep It Simple Sweetheart: The ingredient list is short and simple. The plain is just Coconut water (100%). With the flavored (Mango Peach for example) containing: Coconut Water, Mango Puree, Peach Puree, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin C.

I love that they have no added sugar and no preservatives. (One of their taglines is "it's so natural, it's like sticking a straw in a coconut"). It is also fat free and cholesterol free. Coconut water is on the inside of a young green coconut, so unlike the milk, it is low in calories, but high in electrolytes. In 11.2 fl oz of coconut water there is 690 mg of potassium, more than a banana! Vita Coco is also a great source of Vitamin C.

When I drink Coconut Water

-After a workout Even though Boston is nowhere near a tropical paradise, you still need to stay hydrated in the cold.

-The Morning After Partied a little too hard? I swear Coconut water works better than Gatorade!

-When I want a tropical escape. Ie, all winter.

Backstory: I even loved reading the story behind the Vita Coco. You can read it here, but the take away message is: talk to hot brazilians at bars. You never know, you might end up with a genius business idea and a future husband/wife! It never hurts

Vita Coco is definitely one of my favorite brands of Coconut Water. I also like the taste of O.N.E, and Harmless Harvest, but do NOT like the flavor of Zico. That's my personal opinion but I suggest you do taste-tests of your own! Let's go Coco Crazy for Coconut water!!!

Rhianna approved

Do you drink coconut water? If so, what's your favorite way, time, or place to drink it?

Tis The Season Love

wait. today is december 2oth? ie 5 days until Christmas?? How did that sneak up on me?? Finals pressure, wrapping up life in Boston, and trying to navigate through my new role as a "young professional" allowed time to simply fly! i don't really want anything for xmas, unless you have a french bulldog puppy you'd like to loan me for 3 months....

heart. melted.

But really, all I want for Xmas is NoMas!! Now that I'm not a starryeyed 6 year old waiting for St. Nick, I really don't NEED anything, and care much more about spending time with my friends and family and relaxing. The amazing Robby shared the idea of NoMas during a #mefirst twitter party and I just loved it! She's asking friends and family to give their time, not things. Isn't that fantastic?? Brings christmas back to it's original point!

But here is a list of some of my favorite recent loves, holiday edition:

• Want: Fitnessista's Eggless Nog I also love the silk nog. I can't stand the taste of real eggnog-it makes me want to vomit. the alternatives are deliciously light!

• Know a HOT foodie? Give them one of these spicy homemade food presents! Love the DIY Siracha recipe and spicy peanut brittle!

• DIY If I'm feeling really ambitious I'm definitely going to make these chocolates by A Dash of compassion She has some fantastic healthy vegan recipes!
• Vegans need xmas too Choosing Raw compiled the greatest holiday gift guide, ever.

• I am obsessed with this Boston Skyline (MADE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!!!!) by Tiny Urban Kitchen. amazing

• Drink up buttercup! Low Calorie Holiday Cocktails from Vital Juice
• How to: Survive your family over the holidays. Great post!
• Stress Less Don't forget to take care of YOU this holiday season! www.thememovement.com

I'm finished with school and heading home to Wyoming for 2 weeks to spend the holiday with my friends and family. Time to think more about life post-BU, polish up applications, job search like mad, and relax in front of a fireplace!

Happy Happy Holidays! xoxo

Stress OUT: Time to get rid of Stress!

Stress. A loaded word that makes me tense up just saying it! I know I'm not alone, since almost 75% of Americans reported stress in the past 2 weeks according to the National Health Interview Survey. We all have different coping mechanisms when workloads get heavy, and social demands start to weigh us down. Some of us might turn to food, over or under eating, some may resort to exercise, going overboard or giving up, others build up tension and stress bringing drudgery to every day.

These are some of the things the tools I use when school assignments pile up, life decisions must be made, and unpleasant suprises appear:

• Go for a walk. Something about the fresh air, no matter the time of year, helps me to clear my head, set priorities and work things out.


• Surround myself with friends- Friends that support and uplift me, who will inspire me, and reassure me that everything will work out.


• Get a manicure or pedicure. A moment of forced relaxation, by taking the time to treat myself to a beauty appointment


• Warm water- can you really feel bad when surrounded by warm water and bubbles, in a hot bath, hot tub, or sauna? As Slyvia Plath said, "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them."


• Yoga, Mediation or Running helps to clear my mind, and make my see the silver linings.


• Make lists: Prioritizing what I need to tackle first, and writing it down helps reduce my anxiety


• Break Tasks down: Small steps are much easier to accomplish than giant leaps, so breaking down my to-do list into manageable parts helps to reduce the stress associated with it
  

What are your proven stress reduction techniques?

Live Alive Love

"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. ... I think what we're seeking is an experience of being alive."-Joseph Campbell

I feel alive. I have 7 days left of school. 7 days which will get a bit hectic, with work, working on Dietetic Internship applications, and lots of studying for my Applied Nutrition Care final. It's empowering, scary, exciting, thrilling, nerve-wrecking to realize I am 7 days away from my B.S., from BU, and 7 days closer to the "real world." I am optimistic that things will keep getting better, and that 2011 will hold great things. So while I go hit the books, here are a few links I loved this week, that brought me cheer:

Two young photographers you need to follow NOW: Bright beautiful women who create amazing art:

Katie Sokoler (how fun, how whimsical!) real world comic books

Mei Ratz gorgeous photos, pretty words, beautiful soul

Listen Up 20-somethings: The 40 somethings have some good advice about perfection. I have not yet seen "Black Swan" but loved this article by Christina Vuleta in the Huffington Post, especially this part:

There's always someone who is doing more, who is prettier, thinner, smarter, wealthier and it's very easy to get caught up in that. But there's also someone who's not as smart, not as attractive. So what? If you understand that things can be important without being serious, then you don't take yourself so seriously. Then it's easier to not compare. If you focus on living your best life, It's really impossible to get caught up in the comparisons.

via Nourish the Soul

Productivity is an Art-and your life can be a masterpiece. Great article on Feel Gooder about Maximizing Productivity. Some quick tips: Do Less, Say No, and Do what you don't want to do...

Sharing beauty, power and strength in black and white: Photography as therapy, and true expression of the soul. Learn more about Matt Demers' Pearl Photoseries in my post on Guiltless this week!

Like my friend Naveen likes to tell me, Keep rocking the universe this weekend!

Baby Carrots: Snack Of Freedom

I. Love. Baby carrots.

Actually carrots in general. But Baby Carrots are great when you're on the run and need a veggie fix. They're wayyyy better than reaching for a pack of Doritos or Funyuns! That's why I'm so ecstatic about their new marketing campaign-"eat em like junk food"-Genius!!

Food marketing is only 2^nd to the auto industry in number of dollars spent on advertising, and the vast majority of that going to complete junk, I fully support a change from only McDonalds to something more healthful.

With tongue in cheek youtube videos that play on common marketing ploys, we find we can INDULGE with baby carrots, that baby carrots are XTREME, and also the snack of the future.

Baby Carrots ARE cool! Scurry on over to their new, flashy website, or reach the best twitter feed, ever. I seriously laugh out loud (yes I'm a dork) Here's a sample:

#Eatem like you just got paid.

@DoritosUSA Want cool ranch? You should see our carrot farm.#babycarrots

Some say baby carrots give you vision like an eagle. Maybe that’s because we’re the snack of freedom.

Never trust a snack that can live forever. #twinkies

Do you like baby carrots?? What do you think of this marketing campaign?

and oops, this post was supposed to go live october 16th. guess it got a little lost! sorry about that!

My love ain't got no rhyme nor reason

All I seem to have time for right now is short lists of things I'm loving. 2 weeks (not even) of school left! Promise I'll be back full force after that!

In the meantime:

Seriously. I still Tweet up a storm, and want these tights

Meat eater's guide to vegetarians fantastic read if you're a carnivore with veggie friends!

So Artsy: If you haven't seen Triiibe's exhibition at BU yet, make sure to stop by 808 Gallery before Dec 23! http://bit.ly/gLWykP Fantastic!

The Flavor Bible: Check out the new website Food Pairings to see what foods and flavors go well together and what you can easily sub! Great for cooks, and recipe whores like myself!

Want more joy and energy in your life? Add exercise! (and read my Me Movement Post)

Do Work: I'm a huge fan of literally running errands. Not only does it save time but Runner's world reports that it actually burns more fat! Read the entire article here.

Boston Runners: Girls on the run is hosting a 5K Dec 12th. Get out to support this wonderful organization that builds positive self esteem in young girls!

Sharing is Caring: Starbucks gets in the giving spirit! Great deals

Everyday is bright, and full of light. This world is filled with wonderful, beautiful, bright, & inspiring individuals-find them, learn from them. Carry on.