Jacked Jerky: Product Review

Paleo and meat go hand in hand, especially when it’s hand-crafted jerky that radiates with flavors and spices. I’m proud to introduce the new line of “natty jerky” called Jacked Jerky….it’s obviously the jerky for you if you want to get jacked.

I know a very intelligent man who is constantly creating new products and establishing businesses because he’s a born entrepreneur. This genius friend of mine decided that there needs to be a bodybuilding jerky on the market, one that could easily help people reach their goals naturally….and so Jacked Jerky was born.

I was one of the lucky few that got to sample the jerky before it was released for purchase…all for the cause of the jerky’s well-being of course, of course. It’s not because I’m a meat addict or anything.

Of course.

The jerky is made from all-natural, protein-packed, USDA Choice Top Sirloin and then hand-trimmed, seasoned with a 12 spice blend and then smoked. Because it is created fresh and lacks the typical additives and preservatives you would find in store-bought jerky, it does not last as long and should be consumed soon after purchase or refrigerated. I really don’t think eating it quickly would be too much of a problem though, considering the amount of deliciousness contained inside.

I really love jerky but the thing that usually holds me back is how chewy and tough it can be. I know that’s typically a turn on for people but I don’t necessarily enjoy chewing on the same piece of meat for five minutes. The thing I really like about this jerky is that it’s not as tough as most and the actual process of eating it is a lot more enjoyable.

For $39.99 you can purchase a pound of their regular or cajun spice jerky….I sampled the cajun one and even though I haven’t tried the regular, I am going to advise you get the cajun. Cause it’s pretty awesome.

The price may seem a little steep but you’re definitely paying for quality since most jerky brands are loaded with artificial crap and tons of preservatives.

Be sure to click on the links below to find out more information about how to get jacked!

Jacked Jerky:
Website
Twitter
Facebook Page
Instagram

Be on the look out for giveaways on their page!! I know they have a couple going every so often.

The RUNNUR

I really hate when I don’t have time to blog. Really hate it. So right now, I’m “making the time” to blog. I’ve been pretty busy the past couple days, which is ironic because it’s my spring break and I’m supposed to be a lazy bum, sleeping in and chillin all day long. Instead, I got a 4 day job working at a trade show for SXSW (for those of you not from Austin, TX SXSW is a huge music and film festival for people all over the globe) from 11ish to 6. It’s been a great job considering the product I was promoting was only one of the coolest inventions ever.

RUNNUR is basically a hands-free carry all. A minimalist bag for people who live an active lifestyle. Look at me, giving you my sales pitch and whatnot. But really, people from all over the world were coming to the booth to buy these things and Andrew, the creator, was cool enough to give me one. I wore it to the gym today and it was perfect because there was a spot for all my regular gadgets, plus my head phones and water.

We all had a blast working together. I also met a lot of cool people from all over the world. India, South Asia, the UK, Argentina, some other random places and definitely people from every state. I LOVE meeting new people….especially….

those that get lost at sea. Like Wilson. Yes, I got to meet Wilson. And he’s actually a pretty cool guy. I get why Tom loved him so much.

Hmmm what else is new with me. I decided to take on my first clients this past week. I’m doing nutrition and meal plans for them. Definitely a learning process for both of us but I’m really grateful to have people that want help and want to help me help them! If that makes sense;)

I also planned to do a lot of my school reading over break. It’s already Thursday….definitely didn’t happen. Dang it.

Last but not least, I had the most beautiful dinner ever last night. Made for me, not by me. But it’s oh so very lovely.

I gotta say, ahi tuna may be the best gift God has ever blessed the sea with. I’m eternally grateful for tuna. Raw tuna.

Gotta run. Shows to see, music to hear, workouts to enjoy and food to EAT. Gunna try and enjoy the last few days of my break while I still can!

“Ripped Cream” Review

How many of you guys love to start your day off with a warm mug (or two) of coffee? Or drink coffee before your workout for that extra energy? I know most of you love your a.m cup of joe but can’t get used to drinking it black, or have a hard time parting with your coffee creamer. Unfortunately, the calories from coffee creamer add up throughout the day, plus it’s fat AND sugar loaded. Many are flavored unnaturally and contain absolutely no health benefits, but yet it’s so hard to shake the nasty habit. Well well well. There’s FINALLY an answer to this nagging problem.RIPPED CREAM….get RIPPED by drinking coffee!
*All Natural
*5 grams of protein
*11 Amino Acids
*50% RDI Vitamin D3
*Gluten Free

I was lucky enough to get to review this coffee creamer and I have nothing but good things to say! For those of you that don’t have an easy time eating a lot of protein for breakfast, this “cream” is a great way to get in that extra dose in. It’s convenient, fast, and it provides immediate protein for your muscles first thing in the morning. Though it’s only 5 grams of protein per serving (2 tbs), you could consume it several times throughout the day and your daily protein consumption will easily increase. It contains 10 grams of carbs per serving as well, which I actually like because my carb intake is  lower now (because I no longer eat grains) and this is another way to get some extra energy. Even if you’re on a low carb diet, this product should not inhibit any results. Not only is it a ridiculously smart solution to so many coffee cream lovers, but it also tastes delicious. The chocolate is really subtle but gives my morning coffee the flavor of one of those Starbucks mocha-java-frapps minus the fat and sugar. Totally guilt free and it actually helps you work towards your goals. The vanilla makes a wonderful combination with my medium roast coffee because it tastes so much lighter and fresh. I absolutely love vanilla so I was SO excited to be able to drink it in the mornings!
The coffee creamer comes in a little pouch perfect for traveling or keeping it in an office desk. I was wondering what else I could put this stuff in…protein shakes? Bars? Egg whites? Protein pancakes? The possibilities are endless. Anyways, I’m so excited to have this now instead of always having to drink my coffee black! Follow @RippedCream on Twitter and check out their products here!

What did I enjoy my protein coffee creamer with this morning, you ask?

Oh you know, just a coconut pancake loaded with BACON. Well turkey bacon but it was bacon nonetheless. New coconut protein pancake recipe will be posted soon too. This may be my favourite protein pancake recipe yet and it’s grain-free and totally paleo;)

It Starts With Food

Listen up people. It’s a new year, it’s a new day and if you’re looking to change anything about your health you have to realize- it starts with food.

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog and Facebook for a while, you probably know that I love to lift weights. I love to pick up heavy things and put them down. That’s just good ole fun! But when it comes to revealing your hard earned muscle, you’ve got to fuel your body correctly. Good, whole, clean food will trim your waist and bring definition to your muscles. Lifting weights will SHAPE your muscles but clean eating reveals them.
I was sent this book about a month ago in order to read and review it. I’ve been so busy with finals, family, workouts and holidays lately that I haven’t had much time to sit down and read. Two days ago I finally decided to dedicate a lazy day to reading this book and wow, I’m pretty sure I’ve never gobbled up a book so fast in my entire life. I’m an English major, so obviously I love to read, but unfortunately I’m a sloooowwwwwwwww reader and it can take me up to a month to get through some books. Sad:( But I’m already done with this book and even more impressively- it seriously impacted me. It made some amazing sense and if you’re into fitness, health and always striving to achieve optimum health, I recommend you pick this one up.

It Starts With Food is about adopting a paleo lifestyle for 30 days to reset your body, mind, digestive track, taste buds and energy levels. For one month, Melissa and Dallas Hartwig suggest you cut out all dairy, alcohol, grains, legumes and sugars (no not fruit- the fake, artificial and processed junk!) By doing this, you will promote a healthy gut, psychological response, hormonal response and develop a better immune function and minimize inflammation. Now doesn’t that sound fantastic? For so long, people have been including crappy processed foods in their daily diets, inhaling sugars first thing in the morning, binging on beers to “relieve” stress, and relying on coffee to get through their typical work days. These same people face daily migraines, energy slumps, interrupted sleeps, cravings, bloating and digestive problems and probably poor immune systems. These poor people probably don’t realize anymore that these symptoms are not normal or natural. They have become so accustomed to tossing and turning at 3:00 a.m and their afternoon headaches that they don’t even think about finding a way to fix it.

What adopting a paleo lifestyle will do for you goes beyond losing weight. It will increase your energy as well as promote muscle growth (given that you continue to eat plenty of veggies and proteins). What I really like about this book is how they give you scientific backup to why cutting out certain foods would be beneficial to your health. There are reasons why legumes, grains, dairy and alcohol (duh) aren’t good for you but it’s not always obvious. Each chapter has a “summary” so you can recall everything you read about, they give you a list of “forbidden” foods and “acceptable” foods and provide a lot of information to help you make the transition. Of course, going cold turkey for a whole 30 days isn’t much of what most people would call a “transition”…so let me elaborate on what they want you to do exactly.
For 30 days you cut out those foods from your diet…completely. No cheats and no “slips” or else it won’t work. After the 30 days are over, you reintroduce one type of food at a time to see how your body reacts…if you even want to. So on day 31 you may include some milk, Greek yogurt and cheese into your diet and see how you feel. If you feel fine, you can continue to eat diary sparingly…if you don’t feel great, you cut it out altogether and live happily ever after. This program is all about finding your perfect balance. If you had more energy than you’ve ever had in your whole life, better sleep, and no more bloat than stick to the paleo diet- it’s obviously for you! If you miss peanut butter (no legumes, remember! peanuts are a legume!) too much and can’t handle the minor switch to almond butter, than maybe add it back in your diet. Either way, you’re learning about your body.
So now that I’ve received proper information on what the paleo diet means and how it can personally benefit me…I’m going to give it a try! In fact, we’re reaching the end of day 2 for me. I’m hoping that within the next month I’m going to see improvement with my digestion and muscles. If I don’t think I can lift the weigh I want to lift with this kind of diet than so be it…but I have a feeling that’s not going to be the case considering most crossfitters eat paleo because it supports their gains more than any other diet. The only thing I’m not 100% on board with is the amount of fat that’s recommended…. 1-2 servings per meal. I’m going to start cooking with olive oil and eating more avocados though, because without my oatmeal and brown rice my calories will be much, much lower and I need them high in order to put on some more muscle. So even though I love both peanut butter and oatmeal, I know cutting them out won’t be a problem if the benefits are great!
I hope this book looks interesting to you and you’ll do some research on your own to see if paleo may be for you:)

Some other good sites for information on going paleo are-

http://www.whole9life.com
http://www.paleomg.com
http://beta.primal-palate.com

Saucony ProGrid Guide Shoe Review

These past few weeks I’ve been getting a little bored and tired of the same ole running, sprinting and “stepmilling” routine so I was extremely please to find out that Fitfluential picked me to campaign and review Saucony‘s new ProGrid Guide running shoes! They arrived in the mail after a particularly stressful midterm so coming home to these puppies cheered me right up. Sometimes a new pair of fitness gear is exactly what the doctor ordered when you’re getting bored of your routine….there’s something about new shoes that makes running that much better.

So what do I think about these new shoes? Would I recommend them to the frequent runner? My answer is a completely confident, in-your-face YES. After putting them on for the first time, I immediately fell in love. You know when you find a pair of running shoes that look awesome but feel heavy on your feet and so you’re stuck in a situation where you have to put looks over agility?? Well that’s definitely not the case with the Progrid Guide. They are extremely light on your feet, they don’t weigh you down and they’ve got a very edgy look to them (being a Longhorn…I love the bright orange!)
The shoes will be released in stores November 11th, so set aside some dough for your fall shoe fund and get on these fun running shoes! I promise you’ll love em!

On another note, something fun I did this past week was see Louis Lowry speak at a book signing at a local independent bookstore in Austin, TX! The author of The Giver discussed how she gets her inspiration for her books and characters. Apparently, she said that whenever she is writing a book and thinking about characters, a face will pop into her head that she has never seen before and a name will come with it. Every single one of her main characters have bee conjured in her head, with a name, and zero effort is required on her part to think up the characters. I thought that was so interesting! She also went on to describe how ridiculous and made-up “writer’s block” is because writing is a job, just like plumbing or dentistry. Dentists don’t get “dentist block” and surgeons don’t get “surgeon’s block” so why should writers have an excuse?

Fun fact about me: I love to write and read and I’m currently working on my first children’s book series! I love hearing authors and their perspective on finding creativity. What one of your favourite things to do outside of the gym?