A Taste of Sparkle

Product Review #1: Flax Paks by Carrington Farms

I was so excited to find these because I do not have the time or kitchen machinery to buy whole flax seed and grind the amount I need each time I want some, and I don’t want to buy a huge bag of pre-ground flax and leave it in my fridge because I’ve read that this can lower the nutrient level. These Flax Paks are a great alternative!

I pour a packet of flax into my smoothies most days to give my body a source of healthy fat and to give my smoothies a slight nutty taste. The taste isn’t very noticeable, but it makes the smoothies a tiny bit less smooth. I personally don’t mind it though. I think that these packs would also be great mixed with oats, sprinkled on top of a salad, or with fruit and yogurt. The company says to make sure not to heat them above 120 degrees to retain their nutritional content.

Look at all the healthy fat! And 2 grams of protein too, in this tiny little pack!

This is how much flax is in the pack, poured into my blender in the GM-making process.

The final product! (1 banana, 1/2 c strawberries, 1 c soymilk, 3 c spinach, 1 Flax Pak, 8 ice cubes)

Product Review #2: Gardenburger GardenVegan burgers

First of all, the ingredient list: Bulgur Wheat, Water, Textured Wheat Protein, Cooked Brown Rice, Onions, Mushrooms, <2% Vegetable Gum, Wheat Gluten, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder, Salt, Natural Flavor, Spices, Annatto for color, Olive Oil, Caramel Color, Soy Lecithin.

While the list is longer than I’d prefer and has some things in it that I’m not crazy about (artificial coloring, ‘natural flavor’, soy lecithin), I think it’s pretty good for a vegan ‘burger’ alternative. I like that soy is last on the ingredient list because this makes this a non-soy protein food. I try to only eat soy protein (like tofu) for a meal two or three times a week.

Next, the nutritional lineup:

Now this is pretty great. 9 grams of protein!

These burgers can be cooked on the stove-top or in the microwave. I have been microwaving mine for two minutes. This results in a nice crisp gardenburger. I was afraid at first that it would be soggy and gross, but it was actually great! I could taste the brown rice. I love my garden burger with some garlic hummus!

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The Farmer’s Market was great! They didn’t have my kale though, so I had to pick some up at the Co-op. I had lots of splurges today: crepes, nutella, and pizza! They were yummy and worth it, but I’m going to make sure to get lots of greens in tomorrow!

I’m in the process of getting a contest together, so stay tuned!

Good night & wish me luck on my quiz tomorrow!

Today I had a great run! I decided not to do my speedwork on the track, but to do more of a tempo run instead. I did a 4 mile loop and pushed myself pretty hard – I was so excited to come back and calculate my pace, and it was 9:10 per mile! That’s a great pace for me, considering my 5-K pace is around 8:15-30.

I also took a chance and wore a workout shirt that I literally bought 3 years ago for “when I’m skinny enough to wear it” – well, enough with that! I wore it today and at first I was a little self-conscious, but by halfway through my run, I was working so hard that I didn’t even have time to think about how I looked! When I got back from my run, I felt great and confident – not because I am finally “skinny enough”, but because I am proud of myself for pushing myself.

Run Stats:

Time: 36:42

Distance: 4.00 miles

Pace: 9:10 min/mile

Lunch was a yummy Gardenburger hummus wrap with carrots and almond butter and three little pierogies my friend made yesterday. I had a yummy GM to drink.

Come back tonight for:

1. Flax Pak review

2. Gardenburger GardenVegan review

3. A surprise product review

And more!

My mom is driving up to visit me today, so we’re going to go check out the Farmer’s Market in the next town over and go out to dinner.

‘Til tonight,