Spices are one place you need to use your label reading skills! This is a very popular and expensive Carnitas Blend from Pampered Chef. I know I paid over $10 for this bottle. I wanted to support the person hosting and we love spices. I never thought I would get it and wish I hadn't. I love Pampered Chef products, so this surprised me.
The truth is, it is not uncommon in expensive brands. Whether it is a food, beverage, a beauty care product or a spice, bad things can lurk in expensive brands.
I am not sure if you can see the ingredients but the two that would have me putting this back on the shelf are maltodextrin and canola oil. Maltodextrin can be made of rice, corn or wheat. This does say it is gluten free so it is probably corn or rice. This is not an ingredient I like to see. This is not labeled organic so both the rice and the corn have probably been sprayed with pesticides like Round-Up.
Canola oil is an omega 6 oil. Highly inflammatory to the body and known to raise LDL cholesterol. It is also most likely a GMO product as most omega 6 oils are. If you see Canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable oil on a label, put it back! Even organic foods with any of these. They are slowly killing you.
We get too much omega 6 oil in our diet and not enough omega 3. They should be consumed in a 1 to 1 to a 1 to 4 ratio. This is near impossible with a Standard American Diet.
There are plenty of quality spices out there to use. Have some fun. Clean out your spice closet and go shopping for some healthy new ones!
Let me know your favorite spices! We love to add new ones to our spice closet.
Truly the clean find of 2022! These are OLIPOPs! They are a prebiotic, botanical, fiber drink.
They are carbonated water that is combined with a blend called OLISMART. This blend contains cassava root fiber, chicory root inulin, Jerusalem artichoke inulin, Nopal cactus, calendula flower, kudzu root, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark. All great for your gut health!
They do add some juice concentrate, cassava root syrup and stevia to the product and of course the flavors that make each one unique.
They have between 4 - 7 net carbs so fit into many different diet plans.
They are great treat - helps make eliminating other things easier. My husband, Kevin, has also added alcohol to them! Says it tastes great...not that I am suggesting you do it!
You can find them in many supermarkets including Walmart. You will not find every flavor in every store so you might need to check around. My favorites are cherry vanilla, orange squeeze and grape...Kevin's is the strawberry vanilla. There is also a cola blend but I have not met anyone who likes it.
The run between $2.38 and $2.99 per can. Not bad if you are a coffee or kombucha drinker - just a little cheaper.
Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Happy Friday for those reading this today! I for one, am happy to see the week come to an end! Not a bad week...just crazy! I want to finish off my discussion about protein powders by highlighting another good company - Native Path. What I like about this brand is they offer a collagen-based protein powder and also coffee creamers. On my 28 Day Healthy Reboot, all dairy is eliminated on day 15 so you can trial dairy later in the program. Many people need cream in their coffee - this is a healthy and tasty alternative. They offer fun flavors that can replace that International Creamer crap people buy.
Native Path also makes a PM collagen powder - great for those who need an after dinner treat or want to calm down after a crazy day. Notice it has melatonin, GABA, L-threanine, magnesium. Great stuff! 
Here is the protein powder - clean, just the right amount of protein (bovine collagen) and very few other ingredients.
Native Path also makes a PM collagen powder - great for those who need an after dinner treat or want to calm down after a crazy day. Notice it has melatonin, GABA, L-threanine, magnesium. Great stuff! There are many other great protein powders on the market - Orgain, Vega, Ancient Nutrition... The big takeaway is that you need to find a protein that fits your individual needs and tastes. Are you looking for collagen? High protein? No soy, casein or whey? Vegan? Low FODMAP? Lectin Free, has amino acids, daily greens... Once you figure this out, it gets easier to make a choice. I am happy to look at any protein powder and let you know the pros and cons from my perspective.
BTW - Trader Joe's makes an organic hemp protein that is not expensive.
What brand do you use and what are your favorite smoothie recipes? I would love to hear from you!
#28DayHealthyReboot #HealthyRebootForLife #MyHealthyReboot.com #HealthyReboot
Welcome back!
I had promised to review Power Meal by Young Living as one of my protein powder reviews. Like Protein Complete, it has some terrific ingredients and is a vegan alternative. It is marketed as a meal replacement, so it has a higher amount of protein, 20 grams.
The challenge with Power Meal is that it has ingredients that are on the inflammatory spectrum, and we avoid them on my 28 Day Healthy Reboot program. You can see the full list of ingredients below but some of the red flags are pea protein, pumpkin seed and sunflower protein. These are all lectins, a protein found in certain foods that can cause joint pain and gastric distress.
If you do not have a challenge with lectins, Power Meal is a great option for your smoothie or as a meal replacement. You can use have of the serving size (10 grams of protein) if you are not using this as a meal replacement.
All the features of Power Meal are posted below.
I will be back with another option for you tomorrow!
Enjoy!
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
- 20 grams of vegan protein with each serving
- Contains 11 fruits and vegetables
- Zero added sugar
- Sweetened with Reb-M sugarcane
- Rich in amino acids
- Balanced nutrition profile with fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and 17 vitamins and minerals
INGREDIENTS
Vegan protein blend (Pea protein isolate, Pumpkin seed protein, Flax protein, Sunflower protein), Medium chain triglycerides, Soluble tapioca fiber, Organic apple powder, Natural flavors, Organic carrot powder, Organic broccoli powder, Magnesium (Bis-glycinate chelate), Organic goji powder, Tomato powder, Organic spinach powder, Organic sweet potato powder, Xanthan gum, Organic blueberry powder, Freeze dried raspberry powder, Strawberry powder, Organic lucuma powder, Rebaudioside M (Natural sweetener), Zinc gluconate, Ascorbic acid, Enzyme blend (Protease, Amylase), Niacin, Copper gluconate, Biotin, Beta carotene, Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), d-Calcium pantothenate, Natural folate (from Citrus limon extract), Orange (Citrus sinensis) peel oil, Pyridoxine HCl, Riboflavin, Chromium chloride hexahydrate, Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)
#28DayHealthyReboot #HealthyReboot #HealthyRebootForLife #MyHealthyReboot.com
Welcome back!
I wanted to continue my exploration of protein powders today by looking at Young Living's Protein Complete. As I mention in my last blog post, I take some grief for limiting the protein powders and bars that I allow on the 28 Day Healthy Reboot. I field more questions about not allowing this protein powder than most others.
Why am I questioned? Because people know that Young Living has a great reputation and uses only the best ingredients. Why would it not be allowed?
Let me make this very clear - I think protein complete is an excellent product...for some people! When looking at it through the lenses of anti-inflammatory foods and elimination diets, it fails miserably.
First, look at the protein blend. Whey protein, Goat whey protein, pea protein, egg white protein and hemp seed protein. Each one of these has many benefits and if you are looking to up your healthy protein, this fits the bill. It has 25 grams of protein in two scoops.
From an anti-inflammatory perspective, whey, pea and egg white protein are all potential inflammatory foods and are eliminated on the 28 Day Healthy Reboot. Only by trialing foods would you be able to know if whey, goat whey, pea or egg might have a negative effect on your body. If you are sensitive, you would want to avoid using this powder and follow a healthy gut protocol. You would then trail the proteins again. If you have no reaction, you would be able to use the product.
Any product that causes a negative reaction which is an inflammatory response is not good for long term health.
Hemp protein is a great protein source and Young Living will only use a beyond organic hemp source. This is extremely important when consuming hemp. Protein Complete also has a full range of amino acids to support the body as well as ancient peat. Ancient peat and apple extract contains many elements and trace minerals helpful to the body including magnesium. (For more information click here.)
Another ingredient that would be off the list are organic-evaporated cane sugar. The 28 Day Healthy Reboot eliminates all sugars, organic or not, during the program. Xanthan gum is also on my everyday list to limit the amount of exposure to - it has been known to upset the microbiome balance in the digestive tract. This does not mean you need to avoid it altogether just keep it in mind if you are going to use it every day. Most emulsifiers, like gums and lecithin, are best used sparingly (but are found in numerous foods!).
So, it is not that I do not approve or do not like Protein Complete. You just need to make sure it is the right protein powder for you.
I will finish by repeating a comment I made in a previous post. Most people do not need 25 grams of protein in one serving, especially for breakfast. High intensity athletes or those who need or want a higher protein diet might want to use two scoops, but many can save money and get a good protein hit with just one scoop of this great product.
Look for more protein powder reviews in my next few blog posts.
In gratitude,
Susan
#HealthyReboot #HealthyRebootForLife #28DayHealthyReboot #MyHealthyReboot.com
