Nosh: Hydrate, Relax & GO (with Giveaway)!
December 15, 2009 by Jenn
When you work out a lot, sometimes you get sick of drinking plain ol’ water to rehydrate. Other times you want something to help you relax but that p.m. glass of pinot negatively affects your a.m. run. And, on occasion, you might crave something liquid to help pump you up for that afternoon spin class. Yes, these are the problems of fit bottomed girls everywhere. But do not fret! Today we have solutions for each of these probs, all in liquid form! Read on and drink up!
bot
Flavored waters these days are a dime a dozen, but I’m not ashamed to admit that the cute packaging on bot beverages is what first won me over when this arrived on my doorstep (courtesy of the manufacturer). Just look at those little alien/bot critters! You just want to pinch their grape, berry, orange and lemon cheeks. And then there’s the taste. It’s very light, not chemical tasting like some drinks, (it’s made from all natural ingredients) and it’s low in sugar. Plus the flavored water contains electrolytes, B vitamins and antioxidants. And with only 50 calories per 16.9-ounce bottle it’s the perfect post-workout drink. I routinely guzzle these after my long runs and prefer the grape flavor, although all are darn delicious.
iChill
This one wins the award for best-beverage-name-to-sing-around-the-house to. Once the manufacturer mailed these to me, my husband and I went around singing/attempting to rap “I chill…Do you chill?” for weeks. It’s really pretty embarrassing. The idea for iChill is much less embarrassing, though. The little shots of relaxation were created to counteract all the sugar-filled, high-calorie energy drinks out there. iChill includes a natural blend of melatonin, valerian root, rose hips and B vitamins to ease anxiety, curb stress and elevate mood. I was skeptical of its relaxation powers at first and downed a whole bottle (they say to start with half a bottle). It damn near put me to sleep I was so relaxed. Since then, I’ll drink a half bottle in the evenings if I’m amped up and need to hit the hay early or if I just want to relax a little but don’t have time to take a bath or do yoga. I wasn’t a huge fan of its very sweet berry flavor, but the stuff really does work, and you just have to drink a little to feel chill.
Vega Sport
I’ve been pretty vocal about my love of Vega’s Smoothie Infusion protein powder, so, of course, I had to take Vega up on the offer to try its new Vega Sport powder. Made with Vega’s signature organic combination of natural plant-based ingredients, this super powder is for athletes (or wannabes like me). The stuff includes ingredients that enhances specific aspects of performance: energy, stamina, mental focus and recovery, thereby giving you fantastic performance and a killer workout. I’ve been mixing a scoop of the lemon-lime flavor with water about 30 minutes before my runs, and it sure as heck hasn’t hurt. The flavor takes a little getting used to—and I’m not sure if it alone ever helped my runs—but on days where I didn’t feel like hitting the gym, it definitely help me to get through. Like all Vega stuff, it’s pricey at almost $50 per 30-serving tub, but if you’re serious about your nutrition and performance, it’s definitely worth it!
Want to try Vega for yourself? If you’re a U.S. resident, leave a comment below with how you’d use Vega Sport to increase your performance, and we’ll randomly pick two lucky readers to receive a months supply. Contest closes in a week, so get to commenting! —Jenn
I have been lamenting that I don’t have any good protein powders around to add to my morning protein green smoothie. I need this to help me with my workouts in the AM – plus it helps keep me fuller longer
I would use Vega Sport to help me in the final stages of my training to walk my first full marathon at Disney next month with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.
I’ve never seen the Vega stuff in any stores around here, so I’d love to try it. I tend to use protein powder as a pick-me-up in the morning with breakfast!
I haven’t seen the Vega stuff around here either… would definitely like to try it!
I’d love to try some of that! I’ve recently added wheatgrass to my routine and am feeling the rewards. I’d use vega sport to help me in the month before my first full marathon in Miami!
Wow, I’d love to try this!
This would definitely be a nutitional energy boost for me while I’m training for my first half marathon, and I’m sure it would benefit me during the 4:45/5:00am runs in the cold…give me an extra boost
I’d love to try it!
I’d love to use this in my recovery shakes! Also maybe to give me a little jolt in my morning smoothies! I’ve heard great things and I’d love to try this product
I have really been wanting to try the Vega Sport, but with all the Holiday spending I have been doing, it has been put on the hold. It would be a great addition to my morning green monsters!
I’d use Vega Sport to power me through 5-hour-long bouts of salsa dancing every weekend!
I have never heard of any of these, and would be open to trying them all. The Vega product looks especially awesome.
I’m about to start a morning boot camp and would LOVE to try Vega at the same time!
i’ve tried vega sport and i love it for marathon training!! such high quality ingredients and it even tastes good! but it is expensive, hence why i would love to win a month supply!
I need something for sure! I walk and rebound and need replenishment afterwards!
Hubs is working on getting in shape and has tried all kinds of mixes/protein powders, so I’m sure he’d love to give this one a whirl!
I would love to have this for breakfast after my morning workout to get a leg up on my nutritional needs for the day.
i would definitely use it for my morning smoothies before my runs. it would be great to try some new protein powder because, let’s face it, most aren’t that great tasting!
thanks for the great giveaway!
I do very hard core workouts 5 days a week that include cardio, weights & core! Now I am on this kickboxing ting & trying to learn that! Anything to help me power thru is good to me!!!! I also work out at very strange hours so I am sometimes pretty tired.. this may help!
Oooh, definitely want to try it!
I hot the gym after work – Some pretty tough classes. I could really use a boost late afternoon to help get me through those boot camp killers!!
Vega seems like it would be a great way to get the pre-workout energy I need without breaking the calorie bank.
i’m coming back from a foot injury, and would like to train for a half that is in March. I need all the help I can get!
I would LOVE to try this before my long runs!
…and bot water has a great web site, too!
http://www.botlandish.com
Would love to try these! They look great!
I would love to try this to kick start my running routine. It’s hard for me to get going on cold winter days, so this might help!
I would use Vegas Sport for the 2 pm slump during the work day.
I would use it to keep me going during rehearsals for an upcoming dance competition!
I’d love to use the Vega Sport to help me make it through my 3 hour training sessions. It’s so tough to find something that’ll give me the boost I need without any of the junk.
I would use it in my smoothies to power a morning workout!
Protein powder? Boy, that sounds really good. Protein to help me exercise longer! yeah!
I’ve tried a sample pack of Vega Sport and it was great! I drank it right before hitting a 90 minute Bikram class (didn’t have time to eat or drink anything else) and I felt amazing. Had lots of energy, didn’t get that lightheaded feeling and didn’t need to lay down throughout the entire class.I’m pretty sure it’s amazing, but I’d love to be able to test Vega Sport before all my workouts (mostly hot yoga and kickboxing). I love spreading the word about natural, animal-free nutrition products!
I’d love to try this in a pre-workout smoothie and see if it helps me recover. Extra mental focus is always good, makes all the difference. I’ve not seen Vega in the stores around here, so it would be nice to get to try it out!
I have been wanting to try Vega Sport to enhance my runs! I need the extra boost these days! =)
I have been dying to try Vega Sport! I need all of the help I can get to enhance my runs these days! Please pick me =) LOL
I’d love to give it a try! Thanks for all you do. FBG!!!
Sounds like some great products, thanks for sharing. I would love to try all of the products especially would like to try I Chill.
I’m always looking for different products that help me. 