Shaking It Up

Disclaimer: I received Generation UCan Protein Powder to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro  (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I’ve been looking for a good protein powder for about 6 months now.   With all of my dietary restrictions I fall back on smoothies for lunch quite often however just fruit and veggies isn’t always filling.   Sometimes I’m hangry within an hour and end up binge snacking on chips and fruit snacks which is never good.   I’ve been looking for a protein powder to add some healthy bulk to my smoothies.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my posts about my orders from The Feed.  I’ve tried numerous samples of various brands from them and also tried numerous samples of the bigger brands that seem to have a cult like following with no luck.

People, there are some bad tasting powders out there!   Like running to the sink to spit it out no way I could choke this stuff down bad.  And this is coming from someone who has had to drink some truly nasty medicine over the years for my litany of tests for my stomach condition.   I thought I could choke down anything as long as I had a straw.  Not true.


When the opportunity arose to try Generation UCAN’s protein powder, I figured why not.  I had heard great things about both their hydration mix and their SuperStarch drink mix, which I still want to try since I fuel horribly for runs but that’s another story.

Now, one thing about the powder is that it is whey based, so dairy based.    If dairy is a problem for you, you may want to keep that in mind.   Technically, dairy is one of my 5 million restrictions.  😛     So why would I do that do myself?    I can tolerate dairy in moderation which I’ve learned means I can handle it in one meal a day.  Whey protein for the win!  Whereas I’ve learned soy and nuts are not my friends.

ucan-nutrition

ucan-info

Ok, but what about the important part, how does it taste and did it keep me full?  I received both Vanilla Cream and Chocolate to try.   I won’t lie, I was a little scared to try the vanilla- I had a previous experience with another vanilla protein powder that tasted like dirt no matter what I mixed it with.    Thankfully, I did not need to be concerned.   I blended the Vanilla Cream with some Kefir, spinach, pineapple and peaches.    The first couple sips were a stronger vanilla taste than I had expected but it was pretty good.   Better yet- no snacking!   Next day, the smoothie was even better and still no snacking.  Yay!  My stomach was also happy.


Now for the chocolate.   I like the taste of the chocolate but I haven’t found the right smoothie mix for it yet.    I love pineapple in my smoothies but I wasn’t the biggest fan of pineapple and chocolate.    Granted the strawberry kefir could have been throwing it off too.    I like smoothies because I admit that I don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables on their own but blending them up is a good way for me to stay on track.    By itself it is fine but it is going to take some more experimenting to figure a good smoothie mix for me.    While the taste combo of pineapple and chocolate may have been a little off, all the pluses of no hangry-ness and no stomach crankiness held.    Sweet!


After months of searching, I finally found a powder I want to reorder!  Surprisingly though, I think I am reordering the Vanilla Cream- it really grew on me!   I hope my NutriBullet is prepared for the workout it’s going to get next year.  😛

I also have a discount if you want to try it-BIBRAVE – 15% off all UCAN products.  I know I will be using it.  😉

What do you put in your smoothies?

Any special ingredients?

 

 

Rambling On

I think I finally figured out what to call these random brain dumps.

Are we seriously only 3 days from Christmas?  How is that even possible? Just how? I’m not ready!


Between the cold front and my cough, my running has taken a huge hit.   I’ve decided to not stress on it for December.  It is what it is, I’ll run when it’s not 30 something and I’m not coughing up a lung.  I realize people are out there running in -bazillion and covered in snow but I’m a big baby.

I’m (trying) remaining optimistic and positive about the work situation but it’s hard when everywhere I go someone brings it up.  I had my quarterly check up with my gastroenterologist on Wednesday and we ended the appointment talking about the merger.   Really?

I’m working on my 2016 recap and I hope to have it up next week.  I also hope to have my plan for 2017 up the week after that.  That g word (rhymes with foal) is still a four letter word in my book. But that’s ok, I have a new word for 2017.

Holiday traffic started early.  This week has been rough.  I’ve been late every day to work due to slow or just nuts traffic and driving home? Forget it.  60 has become 40.  Boo.

I am anxious to get working on a training plan for my races next year, but I seem to have lost the book I was using.  Oops.  Blonde moment?  Or just Slacker at my finest?

Tuesday night was cookie baking night and I was proud that I ate less than one whole cookie all night.  Only to eat 4 yesterday.  Ouch.

I just found out there’s a Doctor Who marathon on for the next 3 days.  Why aren’t I on vacation now?!?!?!?! #nerdmoment

Share something random!

How many cookie have you eaten lately?

 

 

 

Week 51/ Vacation Week 2

And just like 16 days have passed.  For the first time, I feel like I need more time.  Mostly because I feel like I accomplished next to nothing.  Unless there are awards given for the number of Hallmark movies watched.   😛

In fact, since I was still sick most of this week, let’s bullet-ize this recap for expediency.  Is that a word? Bullet-ize?  Oh well, I’m using it anyways.

  • I slept… a lot.
  • Watched all the Hallmark Christmas movies…and Lifetime ones too.
  • I coughed a lot.
  • Finished all 11 seasons of Bones.  Ok, I did start this in the summer but still.
  • Watched all second season of Fuller House.
  • Still not a huge fan of food, well, sometimes I am and sometimes I’m not.
  • Rode the stationary bike once for a slow 6.5 miles.
  • Watched Battleship for the 100th time.  It’s my stress movie. More on that below.
  • Had my office Christmas party on Friday evening.  Filet Mignon, yum.
  • I managed a little bit of yoga to try and loosen up.  Ha!
  • Saw Rogue One on Thursday!!!!!!
  • I had an MRI on Friday and I freaked the frak out.   Like full on panic attack freak out. 
  • Went for one really short run on Saturday.  Man that was hard! My legs were so confused.
  • Finished most of my Christmas shopping on Sunday.  I think.  I feel like I bought nothing.  😢


So, yeah, a stellar week of vacation.    This didn’t serve to improve my opinion of vacations any.   Waking on Tuesday to the news that the company I work for is being sold was also not something I was expecting.   My boss texted me but even knowing, seeing the headline was not something I was prepared for.  The next few months will be interesting.    I’m going to put a smile on my face and do my best to be positive.  Fingers crossed.

2.5 miles was all I ran this week but that’s 2.5 miles more than last week.    That said, I can see I’m not going to be running any double digit long runs any time soon.   Which means Carlsbad in January might not be the best idea.  Boo.  Good thing I haven’t registered for it yet!  I’m not closing the door on it yet, but I think the smart thing would be to not run it.

How was your week?

Do you have a go to stress movie or show?

Am I the only one behind for Christmas?

Breathe It In

Disclaimer: I received Earth’s Care Pain Relieving cream to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro  (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I am usually bruised in one place or another.    I’m notorious for running into things and forgetting about it until I see the bruise.   It’s a running joke in my family that we are notorious for hurting ourselves in new and inventive ways.   We’ve all made a doctor’s visit or ER trip where the nurse just looks at us and says “you did what how?”.    I also tend to be anti pain medication, my go to is usually an ice pack for every ailment.  Migraine? Ice pack.  Sinus congestion? Ice pack.  Shin splints? Ice pack.  But that’s also how I gave myself second degree burns on both my legs.  But that’s another story.


So I figured I would give Earth’s Care Pain Relieving Ointment a try.  All natural ingredients that I could actually pronounce? Score.  When it arrived and it smelled like wonderfully, minty menthol goodness, well that was just a bonus.  😊

earth
from the website
Of course, since I’ve had it, I haven’t bruised anything.  It’s a new streak!   However this stuff was amazing while I was sick.  My back was aching so badly from coughing so much.     The cream made sleeping a little more comfortable.  Plus I like just taking the cap off and smelling it.  That’s not weird at all, right?     Until I quit coughing, this ointment and I will be very good friends.

I am sure my bruise free streak will end at some point.  My shins will likely ache once I end this unplanned running break.   Now I have something to help me instead of suffering in silence.  Well, I was never really silent, I whine a lot.  😛

What do you do when something hurts?

Are you accident prone?