{Primal Kitchen}

OH MY HEAVENS!

{Primal Kitchen}

Hello cupcakes!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. I wanted to share a recent package I received from Primal Kitchen. May of you probably know I am totally obsessed with collagen at the moment. It has so many wonderful health benefits (especially for your skin, hair, & nails). Primal Kitchen now has collagen bars! WHOOP!

Okay... so I am getting a little ahead of my self. Sorry, I just can't contain my excitement. 

Here are some previous posts about Primal Kitchen:

{Whole30 meal prep with Primal Kitchen}

{Friday Favorites}

{Motivational Monday}

{Cassava Flour Spinach Tortillas with Primal Kitchen Mayo}

Okay now let me tell you where you can find Primal Kitchen Products. 

Primal Kitchen Products can now be found at many stores around the country (such as Kroger, Publix, Sprouts, and of course Whole Foods).  

Let me start off by talking about the new flavors of Primal Kitchen's Collagen Bars:

There's Dark Chocolate, Coconut Cashew, Macadamia Sea Salt, & Chocolate Hazelnut. 

• Each bar has 15 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar. 
• The bars also have more collagen than a cup of bone broth and even more than some leading collagen supplements. 
• The bars are also rich in monounsaturated fats. 
• They are an excellent source of prebiotic fiber for digestive health. 
• The bars are free of refined sugar, gluten, grains, dairy, whey, & soy
• Lower in carbs (only 12-15 grams per bar)

Let me know you the goods....

This is the Macadamia Sea Salt (which is my fav!)

This bars has a slight buttery, sweet taste from the macadamia nuts. This is also the lowest carb bar. 

This one is the Dark Chocolate Almond Bar

Who doesn't like the combo of almonds and dark chocolate? This bar is perfect for when I am craving chocolate because it also helps me fuel up with fats, proteins, and carbs instead of just sugar from candy or other junk foods. 

This bar is the Chocolate Hazelnut Bar

Did someone say Nutella!? This bar would be Nutella's healthy sister (insert winking emoji). This bar goes perfectly with a morning cup of coffee!

And last in the bar round up is Coconut Cashew.

This bar is pretty cool because it contains cashews, almonds, and pumpkin seeds which give the bars a nutty crunch. The coconut adds a sweet, creamy flavor to balance out the nutty crunch from the nuts. (This one is a close second to the Macadamia Sea Salt bar)

Now onto some bomb condiments...

Ranch Dressing & Chipotle Lime Mayo

The Ranch is DAIRY FREE!! The ranch is made with pure avocado oil, organic garlic, onion, dill, cage free organic eggs, nutritional yeast, black pepper, & chives. (There is NO buttermilk, gluten, soy, canola, or sugar!! YESSS!)

Also if you are on a round of Whole30, you can have the Ranch!

This stuff is seriously my absolute favorite condiment every invented... CHIPOTLE LIME MAYO!

If you follow my Instagram (@toriswholelife) you have been seeing me put this on everything! Currently I am obsessed with putting it on a whole wheat bagel or Ezekiel toast & topping it with an egg and Farm House Culture Jalapeno Kraut! BOMB!! DO it!

Here are the labels of these two.

If you want to get your hands on some goods for yourself, follow this link: {Primal Kitchen Shop}

You can also find the stuff at a grocery store or Amazon. 

To read the story behind Primal Kitchen, follow this link: {Mark's Story}

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

{Pinnertest} Food Intolerance Testing

Hello cupcakes!

With many questions regarding my Pinner Test, I thought it would be fun to write a blog post about my experience. 

So I received my Pinner Test in the mail and this is what the package looked like:

Once I opened up the kit, this is what was inside. It came with a needle to prick your finger, a cleansing pad, a blood sample pack, and the envelope to send in your blood sample. 

Patch wanted in on the action too!

I opened up the needle package, cleansing wipe, and blood sample packet. Next, I used the wipe to clean the top portion of my finger and then pricked the top of my finger with the needle. This is just a little prick such as when a diabetic tests their blood sugar levels. After that, you drop a few drops of blood onto the blood sample pack. It is basically a little pad that absorbs the blood. Then I closed up the blood sample pack, put a band-aid on my finger, and placed the sample in the envelope. I placed the envelope in the mail. About 10 days later, I received my results via email. Here is what some of the results look like...

So there were only four foods that showed up on my test: potatoes (level 3), grapes (level 2), broccoli (level 1), & beef (level 1).  Level 1= low reaction, Level 2= moderate reaction, & Level 3= high reaction.

Here are some screen shots of the FAQ's: 

What I liked about the FAQ's is the company breaks down the importance of figuring out which foods you are intolerant to. 

Here is the link to the website: {Pinnertest}

So what is a food intolerance? 

"If your body has problems producing certain enzymes, you can experience a lifetime of health issues due to maldigestion. These reactions cause inflammation in your gut system and can lead to discomfort and health issues including weight gain due to carb cravings and slow metabolism, depression, headache, bloating, edema, fatigue, brain fog, stomach ache, acne, eczema and more"(Pinnertest). 

Also on the website linked above, are videos describing food intolerance. Also, here is a link to more videos and information: {Pinnertest Food Intolerance}

Now a little bit about my experience:

If any of you have known me personally, followed my blog, or followed my Instagram (@toriswholelife), then you know I have struggled with stomach issues. 

A couple years ago I started having really bad stomach aches, bad digestive problems, acid reflux, & allergies. The combination was not fun. I struggled to figure out the cause. I did an elimination diet and felt better after cutting out certain foods. That's when I gave up products with lactose. About 6 months after that I did my first round of Whole 30. Whole30 was such a good experience for me personally because it allowed me to understand my body and start to really pay attention to how foods made my whole body feel. My body felt better once I cut out the top allergen foods, but my stomach still gave me occasional problems such as bloating and stomach pains. This is why I was so excited to try Pinnertest. 

Since getting my results back, I have cut out the four foods that I have a reaction to: beef, broccoli, grapes, and regular potatoes. 

Above are the common symptoms of a food intolerance. Did you know a food intolerance can cause weight gain? Worsen allergies? Cause bloating? Cause headaches and mood swings? Pretty crazy right?

Here is a nice article I found that describes food intolerance a little more: {Food Intolerance}

If you have intolerance to foods, it is so important to read the ingredient lists on packaged foods. Personally, I try to consume mostly fresh, unprocessed foods because they are healthier and do not contain foods that cause me problems. 

Since cutting out those four foods plus lactose (because this gives me many problems as well), I have been less bloated and have not experienced any stomach problems. SCORE!!! I will keep everyone updated on my progress. 

How can you get a Pinnertest?

You can use the code "THESWEETLIFE" to save $60 on the test. 

The price will drop from $490 to $430

You also have the option of making 4 monthly payments to make the test more affordable. So the break down would be $107.50 for a total of 4 months. 

Please let me know if you have any questions about my experience using {PINNERTEST}.

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

{Organic Gemini}

Hello cupcakes! Happy weekend!

I've previously posted about this awesome company {Organic Gemini}, so here are some links to my previous posts:

{Healthy Banana Muffins}

{Friday Favorites}

{Healthy Apple Crisp}

{Paleo Pancakes}

{Healthy Cupcakes}

{Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies}

{Mug Cake Recipe}

{Tigernut Salad}

Now let me tell you about some new products I got to try....

Tigernut Raw Granola

Here are the ingredients for the Apple Cinnamon Raw Granola which is dehydrated instead of baked to preserve the nutrients: 

Ingredients: TigerNuts*, Gala Apples*, Maple Syrup*, Sunflower Seeds*, Pumpkin Seeds*, Raisins*, Milled Flaxseeds*, Hemp Seeds*, True Cinnamon*, Cloves*, Cardamom*, Nutmeg*, Vanilla Extract*, Medjool Dates*, Sea Salt    *Organic

This was my favorite flavor of the raw granola. I take this in my bag to work for a snack throughout the day. You could also use it to top smoothies, oats, or yogurt. 

Tigernut Chocolate Clusters

Here are the ingredients for the chocolate clusters:

Ingredients: Sliced TigerNuts*, Maple Syrup*, Cacao Powder*, Sacha Inchi*, Sea Salt   *Organic

These little clusters can cure a sweet tooth! I loved these! It's hard for me to find chocolate that I can have since I am lactose intolerant, so I literally do a party dance every time I have chocolate I can eat. Check out that short ingredient list! All the heart eyes!

Tigernut Raw Snacks Peeled

These little tigernuts are perfect to add some crunch to salads or other dishes. I love stashing these in my hiking or camping bag too! They are the perfect travel food. I will be traveling back to my home state for Christmas and I will be taking these on the plane with me. 

Here are the ingredients: 

Ingredients: Organic TigerNuts   

*Please refer to my previous post for the benefits of tigernuts*

Tigernut Raw Snacks Sliced

I used these little slices to top muffins and the muffins turned out so cute! These are also awesome to use on top of smoothies, salads, oats, or yogurt. The ingredients for these slices are the same as the peeled tigernuts, just organic tigernuts. 

Tigernut Smoothie Mix

I was super excited to try the smoothie mixes because as many of you know... I am obsessed with smoothies! The super boost smoothie mix is nice to add to a smoothie because it doesn't have a powerful flavor. It adds a subtle nutty flavor to smoothies. The chocolate is also nice to use if you want to make a healthy, chocolate smoothie. I used frozen bananas, spinach, almond milk, vital proteins collagen peptides, and this chocolate smoothie mix... It was so tasty!

The nutrition is on point too!

Here are the ingredients for the super boost:

 Ingredients: Organic TigerNuts, Organic Sacha Inchi Protein Powder

& the chocolate:

Ingredients: Organic TigerNuts, Organic Sacha Inchi Protein Powder, Organic Cacao Powder

Tigernut Flour

The recipes that I posted above all use this Tigernut flour! I am in love with this stuff too. I love creating recipes using this flour because it adds more nutrients than regular flour. I recently made my healthy banana muffins (recipe link above) for my boyfriend's parents when they came to visit. 

If you want to get your hands on some for yourself, follow this link:

{Shop Organic Gemini}

These products can also be found on Amazon: {Amazon Organic Gemini}

I've been dying to try their Horchata, so hopefully I can share that with you all soon!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

{D's Naturals}

Hello cupcakes!

You may have seen me post about these protein bars on my Instagram page, but I want to tell you a little about this company today.

This company is called {D's Naturals}

Check out all these flavors: Lemon Meringue Pie, Blueberry Cobbler, Chocolate Banana Bread,   Mint Cocao Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Truffle, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, & Dark Raspberry Truffle (P.S. These are listed in the order of my favorites... Lemon Meringue Pie was my fav!)

Here is what the bars actually look like on the inside. The bars are very soft which I love! Another bonus... THESE ARE DAIRY FREE!!! WHOOO!!! 

They are dairy free, soy free, gluten free, vegam, non-GMO, all natural, low in sugar, & high in protein (20-22 g. protein) 

Another bonus: All D's Natural Products are 40% off today for Cyber Monday, You're welcome :) 

Patch wanted some too!

Here are the ingredients for the Lemon Meringue Pie Bar: 

INGREDIENTS: PROTEIN BLEND (BROWN RICE PROTEIN, PEA PROTEIN), ISOMALTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES* (PREBIOTIC FIBER), VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, ALMONDS, PEA PROTEIN CRISP (PEA PROTEIN ISOLATE, PEA STARCH,RICE FLOUR, CALCIUM CARBONATE], COCOA BUTTER, NATURAL FLAVOR, SEA SALT, ERYTHRITOL, CITRIC ACID, WATER, MONK FRUIT EXTRACT, STEVIA

To buy your own bars, follow this link: {No Cow Bars}

So another product D's Natural carries is Fluffbutter. This stuff is hands down my favorite protein nut butter spreads (and I have tried many). 

These four flavors (in order of my favorites) are: Creamy Chocolate Smores Fluffbutter, Vanilla Maple Frosting Almond Fluffbutter, Brownie Batter Almond Fluffbutter, & Tuscan Tiramisu Fluffbutter

These are also dairy free, soy free, gluten free, all natural, non-GMO, & vegan 

Here are the ingredients for the Smores flavor: 

Ingredients: Peanuts, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Rice Protein, Xylitol, Pea Protein, Palm Oil (Sustainably Sourced), Cocoa Powder, Natural Flavors, Salt, Monk Fruit Extract, Stevia Extract. 

Here are the nutrition facts:

Some other flavors of Fluffbutters include: cocoa glazed cinnamon roll, gooey banana foster, raspberry lava cake, salted caramel sundae, & white mocha mousse. 

How awesome do those flavors sound? 

I have been adding the fluffbutter to my overnight oats and it is seriously so bomb! 

How would you use fluffbutter? 

Check them out on Instagram: {D's Naturals}

No even joking these are in the top 2 of my favorite protein bars and they are my favorite protein nut butter. Don't forget to use the code "Cyber" for 40% off today for Cyber Monday.

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

{NutriChem Labs}

Hello Cupcakes!

I had the pleasure of trying out some natural supplements from {NutriChem Labs}.

I wanted to completely use all the supplements before I reviewed them for you. After a month of taking them, I want to share them with you. 

I tried out two supplements:

1) Natures Burn

This is a natural fat burner. It's plant based. Most fat burners on the supplement market are loaded with unnecessary ingredients. This product will help preserve muscle while burning fat. You will notice an increase in energy and metabolism. So what's in the product then? Well, let me tell you... Garcinia Cambogia, Caralluma Fimbriata, & Green Tea Extract. The combination of those three natural plants lead to decreased appetite and increased metabolism. 

Personally, I haven't noticed a huge difference in weight or body composition, but remember that I have only been taking the supplement for a few weeks. Diet & exercise also play a huge roll. I do feel less bloated which is a plus. 

To read more about Natures Burn, follow this link: {Natures Burn}

You can purchase this on Amazon: {Natures Burn}

2) Joint Relief

Now this one I noticed a difference while taking. I personally struggle with joint pain after working out. I have os-good schlatter disease in my knees that can cause me pain if I work my legs too much. Since taking this supplement, I have not experienced knee pain. I also had foot surgery almost a year ago and that foot can sometimes ache post workout. BUT.. guess what!? No pain since taking this. 

Some of the ingredients are: tumeric, aloe vera, tart cherry, & ginger root.

To read more about Joint Relief, follow this link: {Joint Relief}

This can also be purchased on Amazon: {Joint Relief}

My boyfriend tried out a supplement for me...

Natures Boost

It is suppose to naturally increase testosterone levels, increase muscular strength & performance, & enhance libido. 

Here is his recap of the supplement...

"It gave me more of a post-workout pump & helped me trim down a little bit"

He also stated he did not use it 100% as the label recommended, but he did feel as though the supplement helped overall with his workout & personal goals.

Some of the ingredients in this supplement are: black pepper, grape seed extract, horney goat week, maca root, & panax ginseng

To read more about this product, follow this link: {Natures Boost}

This can also be purchased on Amazon: {Natures Boost}

This is off their website:

"NutriChem Labs is a high quality dietary supplement/health product company focused on helping people live fulfilling and healthier lives. All of our custom, cutting-edge blends are made with the highest quality ingredients and manufactured in only cGmp certified and FDA registered facilities.

We don't believe in miracle pills that promise overnight success. Achieving a healthier you involves a balanced diet, routine exercise, and a strong determination to stay on track. Our products are designed to help maximize results and supplement your daily health regimen.

Many supplement companies overdose their supplements with unneeded amounts of certain nutrients. This can be problematic because your body can only absorb a certain amount. If you go over this amount there can be negative side effects. This is why at NutriChem Labs our top priority is your health. All of our supplements are formulated to the correct dosage of each nutrient, making sure that you receive all the health benefits in the safest way possible."

So if you are interested in getting some of these for yourself, just follow the links above and they will take you to their site. Please let me know if you have any questions. Please consult your doctor before taking supplements, especially if you have health concerns. 

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

{Stasher Bags} + Giveaway

Hello Cupcakes!

I've teamed up with {Stasher Bags} to offer a giveaway!

Here are the rules:

1) Must follow @toriswholelife & @stasherbag on Instagram

2) Tag 2 friends in the comments

3) Like my Instagram Post

That's it!

*One person will win a 15fl oz. bag & a 9.9 fl.oz. bag*

You can also use the code "SWEETLIFE10" for 10% off your order 

Now let me tell you a little bit about this awesome company...

The reason I was interested in collaborating with Stasher Bags is because I always hated using plastic bags. It felt like such a waste to me, but I didn't always want to use tupperware because that can be hard to fit in my purse or book bag. 

**Did you know it takes over 500 years for a plastic bag to break down in a landfill?** 

Stasher Bags are the first (and only) self sealing, air tight, non plastic bag in the world! 

The bags are made from pure platinum silicone and they are dishwasher/microwave safe. 

Not only are they good for our environment, but they will also save you money in the long run because you won't have to keep buying packages of plastic bags. 

**Plastics contain harmful chemicals that are dangerous to people and the environment**

To learn more about plastic vs. silicon, follow this link: {Silicon vs. Plastic}

**Did you know 20 million plastic bags go to the landfill each day?** 

I literally use mine everyday! For example, above I use the large Stasher Bag to store my snack bars for on the go fuel. I also use mine to store oven roasted veggies, fruit, and cookies. Another cool thing is they have different colors and sizes. Check out their shop: {Stasher Bags}

Some other ideas for Stasher Bags:

1) Travel bag

2) Sandwich bag

3) Pack kids lunch

4) Pack snacks for sport practice

5) Pack snacks for hiking

6) Use for bulk food shopping

7) Store coupons

8) Nail Polish storage or take along bag

9) Cord holder

10) Make up Bag

I could go on and on with suggestions for use, but if you want to see some more examples, just check out Stasher's website: {Why Stasher} They have two sizes: 15 fl.oz. & 9.9 fl.oz. Check out their website for different color options. They have some cute patterns for children too!

Here is the link to the story behind Stasher Bags: {About Stasher}

If you use Amazon Prime, these are also sold there: {Stasher Bags}

Let me know if you have any questions & don't forget to enter the giveaway posted on my Instagram!

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."