NEW Energy Boosters for Your Workout

Energizers for your Workout

We are all looking for an extra edge to crush our workout sessions be it roadwork or for weight training in the gym. With so many new concoctions, it may be difficult to choose products which are both safe and effective. If you have a hyper-active thyroid, (your thyroid produces too much T3 triiodothyronine and T4 thyroxine), you may need to be extra cautious with guarana extract and caffeine containing energy supplements. Just to be sure, it's best to get your thyroid checked before adding any such supplements to your protocol.

All the same, there are other ways to get a boost in your performance without taking anything. Here are some of the newer products out there and how they fare in boosting your workout energy levels to new heights:

UPTIME Energy Supplements

UPTIME Energy Supplements
Available in Original and Maximum Energy Blend Tablets and a Regular and Sugar-Free Carbonated Drink. The work up on the tablets is 3 pills with each container giving your 20 servings. I'm not a fan of hard-pressed tablets like these as they may or may not break down completely. I really did not notice any increase in alertness or stamina even within an hour of taking them.The first ingredient in the Maximum Energy Blend tablets is Caffeine followed by eleuthero root (Ginseng) and green tea extract. The UPTIME liquid supplement (I tried the Sugar-Free version) was on the other hand delicious and did give me a bit of a boost. However once again, as in the tablets, the first ingredient is caffeine.  See their entire line of energy supplements at UpTime.com

Celsius-Energy to Go!

Celsius Flo Fusion Pre-Workout Formula

These little packets are ready to go. Just add to 12-16 ozs of water and each box gives you 14 servings.  I really like the natural orange flavor (it tastes like orange juice) as well as the berry flavor. They claim to help you burn up to 100 extra calories, aid in greater fat loss with healthy energy and increased endurance. Flo Fusion is vitamin enriched but does contain 200 mgs of caffeine per serving. This is more than the other products I've reviewed so if you are sensitive to caffeine this is NOT the supplement for you. I take this and within 20 minutes, I feel mentally and physically ready to take on my run or weight training routine. It is VERY effective yet does not contain: sugar, HFCS, Aspartame, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. This is a WINNER for me as the liquid dose is much better absorbed in my opinion. Check it out at Celsius.com

CocoaWell True Energy Capsules

Reserveage Organics CocoaWell True Energy

This product claims to be made from Organic Whole Food Cocoa with pure Plant Flavanols. The premise of this product is to provide Adaptogen herbs to help the body deal with stress which can result in adrenal exhaustion,(think fight or flight hormones, i.e. adrenaline). They claim to offer 3 of the most powerful energizing herbs today: Ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Schisandra along with 350 mgs of CocoaWell (TM) Organic Cocoa Powder. This product DOES have added caffeine but only by way of the inclusion of InnovaTea Natural Tea Extract standardized to 95% Caffeine, 142.5 mgs for a total of 150 mgs per 2 capsules. As it is a food based supplement, you can take it on an empty stomach without upset. I've had good results with only 1 capsule but you won't feel the effects until about 45 minutes after taking it. So it's not a quick boost as can be obtained from the liquid infusions but one that kicks in when you need it on the road. 

RejuvaSocks Fashionable Compression Socks

RejuvaSocks - Fashionable Compression Socks

Here is a energy boost for your feet and legs which requires NO supplementation at all! RejuvaSocks come in fashionable argyle designs and offer graduated compression.  They help shunt blood back up to the heart while running, walking or cycling. Compression socks can also help alleviate the feeling of heaviness and tiredness in the legs and are used by athletes in nearly all the major sports. RejuvaSocks even makes Compression Tights which are amazing for your run or dance workout. With all their incognito styles and patterns, nobody need ever know. See all the cool compression - wear at Rejuvahealth.com

Chocolate Week Goodies You've Likely Never Tried

The antioxidant properties of the cocoa pod are varied and powerful

I'm kicking off Chocolate Week(end) with a bang! Talk about friends with benefits, chocolate, especially the dark kind is a super food for athletes and cross trainers alike. Runners and cyclists who consumed a mere 8 ozs of chocolate milk after exercising were found to have less inflammation and faster recovery times. If you live in the northeast, you will have most likely visited Hershey, PA and taken the factory tour. They take you through all of the harvesting and processing of the cocoa pods. Chocolate was the drink of kings, especially Montezuma leader of the Aztec empire. They found chocolate mixed with chili peppers give them a lot of energy and stamina.  They needed it! Not having domesticated animals to ride means YOU will be hoofing it.  So here are some of my modern day chocolate inspired favorites:

Emmy's Choco Chili & Dark Cacao Macaroons
These raw food, vegan coconut-choco chili macaroons are about as close as you are going to get to Montezuma's recipe.  These are so light and fluffy, this recipe includes raw cacao, sweet vanilla bean, organic ground cinnamon and hot chili peppers. Each macaroon is 100 calories but trust me, the hot chilies will up your metabolism big time.

Emmy's cocao infused macaroons

Beauty Bursts in Chocolate-Mint by NeoCell
These tasty chews are loaded with easy to absorb Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C. These are perfect before and after a workout, especially if you suffer from joint pain. One serving of only 2 soft chews gives you 2,000 mg or 2 grams of both Protein and Hydrolyzed Collagen. Made with natural flavors and real cocoa, you get some of the antioxidant benefits inherent to dark chocolate.

Beauty Bursts in Mint-Chocolate

Pure Inventions Pure Cocoa Antioxidant
These chocolaty liquid drops are very easy to take with you or add to your morning water bottle, coffee or protein shake. They really have a delicious chocolate flavor. 1 dropper full is all you need as it contains a proprietary blend of cocoa extract and cocoa powder along with Lo Han fruit extract. This is probably the best way to get an instant boost of antioxidant power into the blood stream.

Pure Inventions Cocoa Antioxidant

Emmy's Chocolate Sauce Original Dark
This is the BOSS of the chocolate sauce! Drizzle it over frozen yogurt or fruit, it contains  organic raw agave, organic raw cacao powder and wild crafted vanilla bean. This is serious stuff that will definitely boost your energy level on the spot.

Emmy's Chocolate Sauce

Natural cocao pod and beans c/o CocoWell