Clean Body 28 Day Natural Tea Cleanse - A Review

Hi babes! Well it's the first day of summer, and I couldn't be happier! I don't get summer off work, but my schedule does change a bit. And even though I'm not a huge fan of the balmy jersey heat, I still love the adventure that summer brings with all my outdoor workouts, hikes, and the occasional trips to the beach. My daily workouts are in full swing and I try to get outside for about an hour each day - even when it's 90+ degrees! 

Obviously, this doesn't all just happen magically. I need to be on a bit of a schedule. And as much as I don't like to plan every aspect of my life, sometimes it's just necessary to make things happen. Which brings me to the reason for this post. A couple months ago I was sent a lovely package from a Tea Company to try out and I was beyond excited. I do love my rather large morning cup of coffee, but when I'm at work for the morning, I love to drink several cups of tea. It curbs my appetite, keeps me alert (not all the cups I drink contain caffeine), and just gives me a general feeling of well-being. 

Lisa from Full Leaf Tea Company was so generous to send me a few sample sizes of their loose fruit flavored teas - these are great for work! And what I've been loving most of all.... The Clean Body 28 Day Natural Tea Cleanse. There are Two different teas included in the kit and there's enough tea for, well... 28 days. The first Tea is...

Organic Skinny Me Tea

Rich organic oolong tea is blended to perfection with ginger root and cinnamon chips giving a kick-start to your metabolism when you need it most.  All ingredients are proven to help in weight loss and all have metabolism boosting properties. 

and the other is ....

Detox Rejuvenation

Enjoy a gentle detox throughout the day or while you sleep. This herbal blend of holy basil (tulsi), spearmint, rose hips, lemon myrtle and linden blossoms creates a sweet mint and citrus flavor for all day enjoyment. Detox Rejuvenation is a nutrient-dense, alkaline forming blend which aids in digestion and internal purification. It will help cleanse and balance both body and mind.  

Ok, so my initial thoughts on the Cleanse before I even got them. If you're on Instagram, you've probably seen a million "Tea-Toxes", especially if you're into following fitness-related accounts. I have nothing against these Tea-toxes. Prior to receiving this package, I've never even tried one. I know a lot of people seem to like them. But when I've looked over the ingredients in the past, I've seen some that contain concerning ingredients in the nighttime blends (mostly the teas that claim to cleanse the colon) and this is scary for me. I've tried similar products in the past and they were uncomfortable and caused issues for me. That being said, not all of these Tea-toxes have this, just be careful and read your ingredients. 

So I initially started out using this like your average Cleanse program. I would wake in the morning and have my normal cup of coffee, and then bring the Skinny Me tea with me to work. If you look on the Full Leaf website, you will see that it states that Filtered Water must be used with this tea and can effect taste. Well let me tell you.... That's an understatement! We have a water cooler at work with Spring water, and it majorly effected the taste of the tea. I brought a fruit tea with me to work and used the cooler, and it did NOT taste good. But using my 3-stage filtration system at home, it tasted really good! Just keep that in mind if you place an order. So with this issue, rather than bringing a jug of my own water with me, I started drinking the tea at home. And this actually worked out to be better! 

I came across an article not too long ago (I read so many that I can't remember where I saw it), about the benefits of Oolong Tea about an hour or so before a workout. Now as you saw on the little blurb about the Skinny Me tea, this tea is said to boost your metabolism, and maybe that's true drinking it in the morning and going about your day. But using it as a pre-workout of sorts is said to have TONS of benefits. Since I can't have my tea in the morning, and my workouts tend to be mid-afternoon, this is what I started doing. And I love it!!! 

Now on to the nighttime Detox Tea. I love this tea so much for several reasons. If it is detoxing, I don't feel any ill effects like I have from other "detox" teas in the past. I love love love the taste. And it's the perfect way for me to get myself prepared for sleep. I don't have issues sleeping, but sometimes I do have trouble unwinding. This isn't like a "sleepy time" tea. It doesn't make you drowsy, it just makes you really relaxed. It has a very nice taste - I love Tulsi and Spearmint! It's honestly hard to describe, but it's just a nice way to end the night. I usually drink my cup with a tiny bit of raw honey while I'm just sitting down to watch my 9pm show before bed. I love that I feel relaxed and ready to go to sleep by the end, but not all zonked out, like I can't finish my show. 

I would absolutely recommend these blends! I think they fit very well in my daily routine and I would definitely buy them when I run out. I can't make any claims as far as weight-loss. I personally did not lose any weight. But I feel like if they are worked into a healthy eating, and good fitness regimen, they would be a huge benefit! Especially since they're mild, but effective. I love that!

Want to win a 28 Day Cleanse of your own? Make sure to stop over to my Instragram Feed where I'm giving away a Full Size, 28 day cleanse to one lucky winner! You can only access this giveaway on there, so look for the post and check out the directions - I keep it pretty simple ; )

Good Luck!!! And if you try any of Lisa's amazing blends, stop back and let me know! 

Christy
xoxo

DISCLAIMER: In exchange for my honest opinion, as stated above, I was sent a sample of product to try. All opinions are my own and I was not financially compensated in any way. The giveaway specified is not affiliated with blogger or instagram.

Sunwarrior Protein - A Review

I'm so happy it's Friday. It's always so nice to have a 4 day week following a long weekend. It's like a bonus! I wanted to make sure to kick off the weekend with a review and also a couple healthy recipes! A while back I was sent a package from Sunwarrior, a company I'm already familiar with and like very much. Even though I have purchased their protein in the past, I was excited because I was sent a few envelopes in assorted flavors and blends to try. Long ago, when I was Vegetarian for a spell, I relied heavily on protein powder every single day to meet my protein needs - Sunwarrior was my go-to! Though ultimately I decided that I need a little meat in my diet (we'll save that for a future post) , I still like to consume protein in snack form or as a post-workout meal replacement. I also love to add it to muffins, pancakes, etc to make quick breakfasts or protein laced snacks for my son.

Though I'm not a huge fan of Stevia, it's extremely difficult to find a protein powder without it. If you do, you risk high sugar content as well. I just don't love the taste. But it's not super detectable in this protein and there are ways to help cut the taste as well. My past purchase was the Chocolate Warrior Blend - a raw vegan protein that contains pea protein, cranberry protein, and hemp seed protein, as well as cherry extract, medium chain triglycerides, and a few other ingredients.

I was also sent the Classic & Classic Plus proteins as well. The Classic contains Brown Rice protein as the protein form. The Plus is very similar but also contains pea, quinoa, chia seed, and amaranth in addition to the brown rice in it's protein blend. The overall winner for me is still the Warrior Blend in Chocolate. I feel that Chocolate often hides that protein flavor a lot of powders have and though I think that quinoa, amaranth, and rice proteins can be a great addition to a diet, I do try to watch my grain intake. Grains can be very difficult for me to digest.

Warrior Blend tastes pretty good and I really find that the ingredients work well for me! With 17g of protein, it's an awesome quick breakfast or recovery snack! It's still my fav =)

Make sure to check out this recent post where I shared my son's favorite snack incorporating the Warrior Blend - Protein Cookies!!! You could easily swap this out for the Classic or Classic Plus! And the most simple, but my favorite.....  The recipe for my quick and tasty Post-Workout Protein Pudding. I eat this after a heavy workout or when I'm craving something sweet and want to feel like I'm eating something bad! I love it because it's quick, easy, and you can easily add in little mix-ins of your choice!

Easy Protein Pudding

serves 1 

~ 1 packet or scoop of Chocolate protein powder - I like Warrior Blend, but you can use any blend or flavor! 

~ 1/2 a large banana

~ Dash of Cinnamon

~ 1 Tsp Cacao powder (I like mine chocolaty)

~ Pinch of Sea Salt

~ 1 tsp sunbutter or almond butter

~ 1/4 cup of filtered water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a small bowl or ramekin and add the mix-ins of your choice. Maybe a little dried fruit, puffed rice, slivered almonds - whatever you love! 

If you try it! Make sure to stop back and let me know what you think!! And make sure to check out the Sunwarrior website! Happy Weekend!!!


Christy
xoxo

DISCLAIMER: I was provided a PR Sample package in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this post.