Before I begin this Neuro Drinks review, you should know something about me. I am a former Diet Coke addict. I used to love, love, love my daily Diet Coke (or three). But about a year and a half ago, after committing to eating a cleaner, less processed diet, I kicked the habit. I now rarely have any kind of artificial sweetener. In fact, I’m not even a big fan of stevia, although it is in the protein powder I use for my smoothies.

With that personal caveat, let’s get down to business. The Neuro collection is basically a line of wellness drinks that are said to boost specific areas of overall health through supplementation. Some are lightly carbonated, others are non-carbonated. All are sweetened with sucralose (aka Splenda—remember my caveat?) and have 35 calories a bottle with no artificial colors or preservatives. NeuroSonic is said to increase mental alertness and concentration. NeuroSleep promotes restful sleep with melatonin. NeuroSun provides a daily dose of vitamin D, NeuroBliss boosts happiness while helping to eliminate stress, NeuroTrim helps with weight loss with fiber that makes you feel full, NeuroGasm stimulates blood flow to the body (yep, what you’re thinking is right), NeuroSport helps workout performance, and NeuroAqua is a bumped-up take on hydration. You can try a whole sample pack of 12 bottles for just less than $40, or a 12-pack of a specific Neuro Drink flavor for about $30.

The packaging on these sure is cute. The bottles are ergonomically designed and just look smart. Almost like they’ll make you healthier and smarter just by holding them (and they fit nicely in your hand). And its website and slogan “Operating System for Life”? Well, it makes me really, really want to like them, but alas that caveat I spoke of earlier? Well, I just couldn’t get over it, no matter how clever the marketing is. Every Neuro flavor I tried just had that—to me—gross fake sugar taste. Bleck.

With that said, I did prefer the taste of some flavors more than others. NeuroSun? My hands-down favorite with a lemon-lime thing going on. NeuroTrim was also surprisingly tolerable with a grape-soda vibe to it—although it didn’t seem to curb my appetite. NeuroGasm also wasn’t too bad (my husband was sick when I drank it so no report, ya’ll), and NeuroBliss was like a watered-down lemonade. Of all, I felt that NeuroBliss had the most noticeable effect on me, and it did actually help me to chill out after drinking it. (And I tried it when I had PMS!) Flavor-wise, NeuroSonic was my least favorite of the bunch. Just two sips, and I was done with the Splenda-rific aftertaste.

Would I buy these? Eh. I might pick up NeuroSun if it was cloudy for days, and I was badly missing the sun. And I can see drinking the NeuroBliss on days that were high stress, but I’d probably forgo the rest and just get my vitamins and minerals from real, whole food instead of a beverage.

What about you? Have you tried these drinks? Do you like supplemented beverages? Share! —Jenn 

See? Pretty loose leaf tea!

I’ve been drinking tea for awhile, but it’s always been the tea-in-a-bag variety. In fact, it wasn’t until a few months ago that a few of my friends introduced me to loose leaf tea. And ya’ll, it’s been tea-rific heaven ever since. There are tons of loose leaf teas out there and because teas in this format are usually higher quality, fresher and contain more of their essential oils than bagged teas, they’re a touch healthier, too. So when Tish and I had the opportunity to try a few of California Tea House’s loose leaf teas—one of which was tiramisu tea!—I was excited. It’s like a whole new tea world out there!

The Sleek Steep Teapot is seriously cool.

First, I was amazed by the Sleek Steep Teapot ($18) that California Tea House sent with the tea. Yes, teapots can be amazing (at least for me). You simply put the recommended amount of loose leaf tea (for what I tried, it was one to two tablespoons), let it steep and then you place the bottom of the teapot over a cup. When you press down onto your cup, the tea flows out from underneath of the teapot. When you lift the pot off the cup, it stops. Seriously, amazing. And easy.

In my cool teapot, I brewed two types of tea: White Monkey Paw Green Tea and Tiramisu Rooibos Tea. While the green tea was probably the strongest green tea I’ve ever tasted, it was also the most flavorful I’ve ever had. Granted, I used way too much tea the first teapot I brewed, but it was a whole new experience from my usual bag of green tea.

And then there was the Tiramisu. Made of the super-popular and super-healthy rooibos tea plus toffee bits, white cocoa butter splits, hazelnuts and cocoa, a cup of the stuff seriously smelled just like tiramisu. While the actual taste once brewed wasn’t as much like the actual dessert as its smell was, it was still pleasant, sweet and could kick a dessert craving to the curb (or at least delay it for a few hours). I found that drinking it in the afternoon or at night—when I have a mean bout of the need-to-munch-sugar-now-but-I’m-not-hungry cravings—was a great way to get my fix calorie-free. And because rooibos tea is caffeine-free, I could drink it any time of day without fear of it keeping me up.

So many flavors to choose from!

Tish tried Lemon Meringue Pie, which led to a little meringue dance-party in her mouth. She’s known for liking coffee with her cream and sugar, so her trying a tea sans sugar and actually liking it was some kind of wonderful. In fact, she told me she was voting lemon meringue pie tea for president. Another rooibos tea, with handfuls of lemongrass, lemon preserves and vanilla bean bits, Tish called it a taste explosion. She recommends using only one scoop of the good stuff though. According to her, you have to “ration the ish!” Especially since none of these loose leaf teas are cheap. A little does go a long way, but all of the varieties we tried sell for $10 to $20 for just a few ounces.

Do you drink loose leaf tea? What are your favorite kinds? —Jenn

Say the words “detox” or “cleanse” and my internal crash-diet radar goes off. Big time. Always a fan of consistent clean eating rather than a three-day or two-week or longer bout of extreme eating (remember that phrase we always repeat: All good things in moderation?), the idea of a detox of any kind makes me suspicious. (And, I’ll be honest here, it kind of makes my colon hurt because I always associate cleanses with those weird procedures celebs have done. Ick.)

Now that that’s off my chest, you’re probably wondering why we’d ever consider reviewing a cleanse product of any kind. Well, two reasons. First, I’ve been intrigued with the concept of juicing ever since seeing this documentary. Second, these products are getting popular, and we’d be dumb not to address them. And ya’ll know how we like to share our opinions on stuff. So, when Ritual Cleanse reached out asking if we’d like to do a cleanse, we said no. But did we want to try some of their juices that are for daily health and for boosting overall nutrition? Well, yes, matter of fact we would like to juice it up!

So Ritual Cleanse sent a whole pack of 100 percent certified organic fresh pressed juices in the mail to FBG HQ. I first got to sipping on the company’s seasonal Pear Ginger juice that’s high in vitamin C, E and B2. This combo is said to help your body increase its production of B-cells, which kill bacteria and increase the production of antibodies. The ginger in the drink helps inhibit bacteria growth and acts as an anti-inflammatory, making this drink good for keeping up your immunity during cold and flu season. I haven’t gotten sick so far this winter (woohoo!), so it might do all of those things, but I was definitely impressed with its freshness. This is no OJ out of the carton, folks. Very ginger-y and pear-y, this juice is as fresh-tasting as you can get. It’s not overly sweet, as there’s nothing in it but pear and ginger. It was really unlike anything I’ve ever had. While not bad-tasting by any means, it was definitely ”healthy” tasting.

I also tried the company’s Sweet Green, Carrot Ginger, Pineapple Mint and Almond Mylk, and all of them were just as fresh tasting. In fact, these are so freshyou pretty much have to drink them right away. Sweet Green was a great way to drink your greens (kale, cucumber, spinach, romaine, green apple and celery), Carrot Ginger was like drinking ginger slices mixed with the best carrot you’ve ever tasted, and Pineapple Mint was a refreshing drink that I’m pretty sure would taste good with rum (and completely defeat the purpose of juicing). The Almond Mylk was by far the most unique. Almost chewy with actual pieces of almonds in it, the “Mylk” is made from just alkaline water, raw almonds, cinnamon and agave. Unlike the other juices, this one was super filling and kind of spicy with the cinnamon (although there are no calorie counts found on the bottles or on the website, I’d imagine that Almond Mylk has the most calories by far, too). Reminded me of the holidays, just super-duper healthy.

So, yeah, while I don’t plan on doing any kind of cleanse or detox any time soon, I liked the Ritual Cleanse juices. They’re definitely only for those who have a palate for super-healthy foods (read: someone who’s not picky and likes fruits and veggies of ALL kinds, even the bitter ones), but they do make you feel good after drinking them. And it’s one easy way to get a crapton of produce in your diet. Definitely not cheap ($80 for six juices, each about 12 ounces), it’s something many of us can’t afford, but it does make me want to try juicing at home for myself…

Have you ever done a detox or cleanse? Do they freak you out, too? Do you juice it up? Tell us all about it: the good, the bad and the ugly! —Jenn

While I’m not one for meal-replacement shakes, I am one who likes a good smoothie from time to time. And, you know, tasty as they are, smoothies aren’t always super easy to make and clean up, unless you a) have a industrial-strength blender that crushes frozen ice like it’s a joke and b) have someone around to do dishes for you (man, spinach gets caked on!). So popping in a store to pick up some post-workout nutrition when on the go is pretty rad.

I’ve been into Smoothie King a handful of times in my neighborhood. And I’ve tried their lower-calorie protein smoothies before, but I always wished they were a little more natural and a lot more exciting. So when we had the chance to try Smoothie King’s new Lean1 Smoothie, which is lactose free and contains omega-3 fatty acids, 17 fruits and vegetables, minerals and three grams of fiber, it seemed like it was time to give the smoothie chain another go-round.

After a particularly intense workout, my hubs and I rolled up to get our Lean1 on. I ordered a 20-ounce (the smallest size) in strawberry. He did the same in vanilla. Designed as a meal-replacement shake, we got them more as a large after-workout snack (or mini-meal) that would tide us over until a late lunch on a Saturday. And it did tide us over. With just less than 300 calories, we each got 20+ grams of protein. Smoothie King boasts that these weight-loss smoothies help your body burn body fat up to 68 percent faster, tone and define lean muscle, speed recovery from workouts and help suppress appetite. I didn’t feel like it was a cure-all by any means, and in two hours we were both ready to eat again, but it did feel more filling than a glass of chocolate milk or a piece of fruit. And, again, we had one heck of a workout to put it to the test.

Now about the flavor. I liked the strawberry. Made with just strawberries and the Lean1 formula, it tasted like a real strawberry milkshake—creamy and berry-ific. Now my husband’s vanilla? Despite being made of just bananas, almonds and Lean1 formula, it tasted way more diet-y with a weird sugar-substitute aftertaste. While I would order the strawberry again if I was in a pinch, I’d avoid the vanilla and make my own smoothie at home instead.

Have you tried Smoothie King’s Lean1 Smoothie? Would you? Any commercial smoothies that you love? Hate? Discuss in the comments! —Jenn

I hope ya’ll are enjoying all of our blogs because we’re certainly enjoying writing them. Also, I really, really needed a place to share my random thoughts. Like today’s post, which I’ve had the idea to do for months but never quite felt like I could take up a whole post on something that, really, has little (okay, nothing) to do with fitness: tea and coffee!

Over the past few months I have been obsessed with French press coffee and chai tea. With—and this is the really, really tasty part—Trader Joe’s organic half and half. (In case you missed this post, TJ’s is my happy place. And buying dairy from cows that aren’t pumped with hormones makes me feel pretty dang good.) Oh. My. Goodness. It’s heaven.

Sure, I could save a few calories by skipping the half and half, but then I’m pretty sure my life-happiness quotient would go down. And that’s not worth it, is it? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Plus, it’s just so very pretty. Just look at how beautiful it is pouring into a cup…

And then, if that wasn’t enough deliciousness, sometimes I even add honey to my tea. (For coffee, I never add sugar—just my personal preference.) Who doesn’t love the honey bear?

I don’t do this every day. Rather, it’s a weekend treat I savor. There’s nothing like a leisurely Saturday morning where you’re cooking a nice breakfast, relaxing and drinking some French press coffee or tea with the real stuff.  And, for me, this is all what being an FBG is about. It’s eating and savoring the foods (and drinks!) I love.

Are there any “unhealthy” foods you indulge in regularly? Any other full-fat cream lovers out there? French press users? Be heard! —Jenn

Water doesn't have to be boring. You just need the right water recipe! Credit: derekGavey

Now introducing Thirsty Thursday! Every Thursday for the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a series of posts on Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Mamas that have been sponsored by alkaStream and focus on water, hydration and health. For our sponsored-post policy, click here. 

Last Thursday we shared our review of the alkaStream water-filtration and alkaline system and, as promised, today we’re going to tell you how you can win one for yourself! In many ways, water gets a bad rap for being boring. Sure, it’s tasteless. And  it doesn’t exactly excite your tastebuds as, say, soda or juice (or wine) might, but most of your body is made up of water. So wouldn’t you want to drink as close to the real thing as you can? Water that isn’t just clean…but is also really rich in minerals and antioxidants. Water that can actually improve your health and your workouts…

But water doesn’t have to be plain! Whether you add fruit, veggies, herbs or other goodies to your glass, there are SO MANY ways to jazz water up. But instead of us just telling you how to snazzy up your water, we thought we’d gather the best water recipes from you guys, our darling creative FBG readers! Leave a comment with your favorite water recipe, and we’ll select the best (aka most creative and refreshing) ones to become finalists to win a free alkaStream system (a value of $329!) in next Thursday’s post!

So get your creative juices flowing (get it?!), and let’s hear those delicious and healthy water recipes! —Jenn

Now introducing Thirsty Thursday! Every Thursday for the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a series of posts on Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Mamas that have been sponsored by alkaStream and focus on water, hydration and health. For our sponsored-post policy, click here. 

Last week for Thirsty Thursday we shared facts on the best way to hydrate. Today, we’re sharing our experience getting totally and awesomely hydrated with the alkaStream water filtration and alkaline system.

Let me just say that up until a few weeks ago, the only thing I knew about water-filtration systems was that they took “bad stuff” out of water. I had a well-known major brand at home and felt pretty smug in my water quality. Well, that was until alkaStream schooled me hard-core. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about fitness and healthy eating, but the idea that the right water could actually improve your exercise performance, hydration and nutrition? Dude, I was clueless. And albeit a bit skeptical. Anything that promises to do so much just seems fishy.

For the last three weeks, I have been drinking pretty much only water from my alkaStream system. And I freakin’ love it. The first time I tried it, I did a blind taste-test to see if I could tell the difference between my regular tap water and the alkaStream water. Immediately, I knew the alkaStream from what came from the tap—it was just so tasteless and, for lack of a better word, just so much more water-y. My husband noticed the difference, too, as did my dog who, after having the choice between drinking her usual tap water or the alkaStream water, chose the alkaStream water dish every darn time.

Besides the improved taste (even at room temperature I can drink the stuff—something I’ve never been able to do with tap water), the water—which I began taking with me everywhere in a water bottle—also started to improve my workout performance. It wasn’t like I was on the juice or anything, but I could just breathe better, and it seemed like my muscles were getting more oxygen, which allowed me to push harder during tough workouts. I also began drinking much, much less water. That may seem weird, but when before it would take water bottle after water bottle to keep me feeling totally hydrated (I’m like a camel, seriously), with the alkaStream water it just didn’t take as much to do the hydration job. Now, I’m drinking about half of my body weight when it comes to ounces.

So exactly what’s so special about this water-filtration system and what warrants the $329 price tag? The secret is—in my own simple and totally unscientific words—that it takes out the bad stuff in your water and puts in the good stuff that you’re actually supposed to have back in. The water runs through your faucet and into the bottom of the alkaStream canister (see illustration at right), moving your H2O through eights layers of filtration and other good healthy stuff that actually makes your water more hydrating and nutritious by adding trace minerals and antioxidants and making it more alkaline. (The full, more scientific explanation is here.) It’s as nature intended (but what we kind of have messed up from all of our chemicals and, you know, living in the modern world that we do).

The system was pretty easy to install, too. After a quick 10-minute pretty painless installation, the alkaStream system now sits right next to my sink. It’s a bit bulky, takes awhile to get water (eight steps, yo!) and you have to make sure that the spigot is over the sink because sometimes you get a little dripping, but it’s totally worth it. And the $329 price tag is far less than other similar type alkaline-water systems that cost almost three times as much. In a nutshell, I’m not sure how I drank water before it! I used to think water was just water…not anymore.

What's in your water? Hydrate up Credit: makelessnoise

Now introducing Thirsty Thursday! Every Thursday for the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a series of posts on Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Mamas that have been sponsored by alkaStream and focus on water, hydration and health. For our sponsored-post policy, click here. 

Did anyone else seem to drink a lot of water this summer? Same here. Which set us on a bit of an investigation. What is the best way to stay hydrated?

Finding the Best Way to Hydrate

1. Sports drinks. These are marketed as the best thing for hydration since sliced bread. There are shelves full of colors and flavors. And while we did find some research that says hydration and performance is slightly improved when drinking sports drinks, most of us aren’t professional endurance athletes who need that extra 1 percent. Especially when we balance it against the increased sugar and calorie consumption, dental erosion and acid build up in our bodies (which we will talk about more later). So while an occasional sports drink is okay, we aren’t going to be loading up on these.

2. Tap water. This often tastes terrible, and there are so many different chemicals added you that absolutely must have a filter—and a good one at that. Since so many toxins have been added either directly (like chlorine) or indirectly (like pesticides), tap water isn’t even that safe anymore. But, there are also beneficial minerals in tap water—things we should drink that have historically made up part of our daily nutrient supply. The problem is that in order to drink the good stuff, we have to drink the bad stuff, too.

3. In-home filters. There are endless filters available with a wide range of capabilities. We found the lowest costing filters really don’t take that much out. Of course, anything is better than nothing. But to really do a good job, we have to find a filter that eliminates as much as possible, and this takes a bunch of different filter media. Some do this with multiple canisters; others just layer them into one canister.

4. Reverse osmosis and distilled. These are the cleanest water options available. But the cleaning process also removes the vital minerals resulting in a very acidic drink. Research points to long-term problems resulting from drinking too much of these.

5. Bottled. Most of the name brands are reverse osmosis. If they do have minerals, it’s usually in such a small amount that they really don’t do much for us. Spring water is a bit better, and if you can find one that says “alkaline” or has a pH number on the label, it’s even better. Essential and Evermore are a few brands around that do so.

6. Alkaline water. There is a lot of stuff on the web about the benefits of alkaline water. Some makes sense, some does not. The most shocking thing we found were the prices of the systems used to create it. $4,000…really? However, the concept of higher pH water was interesting and led us to the below video. It’s worth watching.

Can’t see the video? Click here to learn about the effects of pH on your health and waistline.

We’re going to focus on the category of alkaline water a little more in next week’s Thirsty Thursday post because we found some much more affordable options that work. We’ll have a review of them soon, so stay tuned!

So…let us know your thoughts: What do you drink? Have you ever checked out your local water report to find out what’s in your water? What’s your favorite way to hydrate? —Jenn

I prefer getting my nutrition from whole, natural foods, but since I’m a pescetarian (I eat seafood, but otherwise follow a vegetarian diet), I’m always looking for easy ways to add protein to my diet. Of course, I go with all the standards—beans, eggs, nuts—but sometimes, an active girl like me needs a little help to get all the protein she needs for the day. And what better way than protein powder?

We’ve tried out a few here at FBG, and we went to our readers on Facebook and Twitter to get a few other suggestions.

6 Top Protein Powders

1. Vega’s Whole Food Smoothie Infusion. FBG Jenn checked this one out a few years ago, and not only did she and her husband love it, but it turns out loads of our readers are fans. Vegan and free of all the common allergens, it provides 14 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and 120 calories. No wonder it’s a hit!

2. Jay Robb Whey Protein. Our readers definitely weren’t shy about their love for Jay Robb, and we see why—it packs 25 grams of protein and offers fun flavors like Piña Colada and Tropical Dreamsicle. Plus, it’s only 110 calories, making it a bit lower than many other options.

3. Harvest Hemp Pro 70. This is the protein powder currently sitting in my fridge, and although I was a little skeptical due to the smell, which is a little…earthy, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was mixed into a fruit-filled smoothie. This vegan-friendly powder has 140 calories, offers 21 grams of protein and definitely keeps me full.

4. Click. Click is billed as “The Coffee Lovers Protein Drink,” and it certainly “clicked” with Jenn! Instead of having to find a spot on your desk for your smoothie and your coffee, you can get your coffee fix and all those good-for-you nutrients in one drink—you’ll get 15 grams of protein and 23 essential vitamins and minerals, along with 120 calories.

5. Plantfusion. Another favorite of our readers, Plantfusion is free from all kinds of things you might be trying to avoid—dairy, soy, animal products, eggs, wheat, gluten, nuts and shellfish, but it boasts 21 grams of protein and just 120 calories.

6. Lichi Super Fruit. This natural blend of cocoa, whey and soy proteins, vitamins and omega fatty acids is designed to aid weight loss—with 120 calories, we can see why it works. And believe us, it tastes good, too!

Do you have a favorite protein powder that we missed? What is it and why do you love it? —Kristen

Today’s Vegatini recipe is part of FBG’s Back to Basics Week that features the best beginner fitness and beginner nutrition posts that help you to be a little healthier and—in theme with the week—a little smarter. Read on for a healthy smoothie-cocktail that is sure to power any workout!

Who would’ve ever thought that going “back to basics” could be so fun and delicious? Holistic nutritionist Peggy Kotsopoulos knows a thing or two about shaking it up and having fun with being healthy. Peggy is the author of It Must Have Been Something I Ate and is the resident nutritionist on CBC’s Steven & Chris Show. 

Her recommendation for getting the most out of your nutrition? Start with a quick and simple breakfast like a shake. Mixing a plant-based food supplement like Vega’s Berry Whole Food Health Optimizer in with almond milk, berries and some cinnamon revs the metabolism up!

Vegatini Recipe

Ingredients
2 ½ c of coconut water
1 scoop Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer – Berry
2-inch cube of fresh ginger
1 tbsp camu camu powder
1 c frozen blueberries (or other fruit)
2-inch piece of frozen banana
Squeeze of half a lemon

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to blender and combine thoroughly.

So just why is this Vegatini smoothie so good for you and your workouts? Coconut water is rich in electrolytes, which helps with re-hydrating and replenishing lost minerals. Also, this recipe contains antioxidants to prevent free-radical damage—making it the perfect hangover remedy to boot! Watch the vid for more info why:

Can’t see the video? Click here to learn more about the Vegatini!

For more tasty recipes, check out Vega’s recipe center and be sure to take Vega’s breakfast challenge to see how your morning meal stacks up. A big thanks to Vega for the yummy breakfast idea! —Jenn