Friday Favorites: Delicious, healthy products

Happy Friday! Can you believe this is officially the 20th edition of “Friday Favorites”? I hope you look forward to these informal and fun week-ending posts, because I enjoy putting them together. Now, let’s get to it.

It’s no secret that I love trying healthy new products. Over the past few months of blogging nearly everyday, I’ve been contacted by companies here-and-there to see if I’d be interested in a test-run of complimentary samples. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I say no.

And really, it’s just another benefit of having A Lady Goes West. This blog allows me to write my own little magazine column (which of course, is my dream job), and it’s also a way for me to share information about worthy new finds with all of you. While I’ll never turn A Lady Goes West into a product review site, recently, I’ve been introduced to two awesome new companies and products that have really earned a spot on my favorites. I promise, I wouldn’t say I liked these if I didn’t. 

My favorite new fresh beverages

When I attended the ClassPass launch party in San Francisco a few weeks ago, I was introduced to the Urban Remedy Organic Juice company, based out of San Rafael, California. Urban Remedy is a young company offering cold-pressed juices, shakes, snacks and healthy cleanse products by delivery across the Bay Area and the U.S.. There are also three storefronts in California. (And by the way, cold-pressed juices are produced in a way that the ingredients never touch heat, which keeps more of the real nutrients in tact, and these juices are all the rage on the streets these days.)

I met one of the representatives and tried a few flavors of juices at the event, then she reached out to me afterward to see if I’d be interested in a full cleanse …

Well, I wasn’t. I’ve never done a juice cleanse, and I don’t really have any interest in trying one out right now. While I know some people have great experiences with cleansing and re-starting their systems, with my workout, teaching and training routine, I cannot afford to not eat real food every single day. Therefore, the company sent me a few healthy options to incorporate into my current diet.

I received five glass bottles including three organic cold-pressed juices (Beam, Soothe and After Party combinations) and two organic cold-press shakes (PB&J and Pineapple Coconut combinations). When I say every single sip was amazingly smooth and delicious, I do not lie. 

These drinks are full of natural, organic farm-raised fruits and vegetables and tons of nutrients. However, they’re all pretty high in calories, ranging from 160 for the juices, to up to 400 for the shakes. I enjoyed most of them as a side to a snack and never as a meal replacement.

I don’t normally buy anything to drink outside of milk or coconut water, so it was a nice little treat to add a flavored beverage. Plus the addition of some many fresh fruits and vegetables each day was a major plus. Some of the juices have around 100% of your daily vitamin intake, which goes to show why the creator of Urban Remedy believes that “food is medicine.”

The downside? These things are pricey, running about $10 each. But if you’re in the market for tasty cold-pressed juices or shakes, give ’em a try.

My favorite new protein products

Game Plan! I’ve shown a preview of some of the new Game Plan created gold-wrapped energy bars that I’ve been eating in a couple previous “What I Ate Wednesday” posts and promised to provide more details on the products.

Game Plan sent me a big tub of Whey Vanilla Protein Powder, a box of Focus Food Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Bars and a tub of Amino Acid Recovery to try a few weeks ago. I’ve eaten nearly every single bar and made a few shakes out of the Vanilla Protein Powder.

What makes Game Plan different? This is high-quality stuff, my friends. And the grass-fed whey in the protein bars is the real deal and the highest quality protein you can find.

The protein powder is super delicious, thick and has 110 calories and 24 grams of protein per one scoop. The bars provide a true kick of energy (yes, like a really noticeable jolt from the amount of caffeine of a small cup of coffee), and they’re full of healthy fiber, are also gluten free, kosher and made of nearly all-natural ingredients. The bars have 180 calories and 18 grams of protein. I gave up relying on pre-packaged protein bars for daily snacks months and months ago, but the ingredients in these bars are so good that they don’t need to be avoided. 

I really feel good after eating and drinking these products, and there is no bad after taste, which you often find with protein products. I’ve yet to incorporate the recovery aminos, but will be doing that soon.

The biggest thing that has come from my Game Plan experience is that I will no longer be lazy and buy the off-the-shelf protein powder available at Target and other big stores. I knew there were superior products out there, but never took the leap of faith to try them. Game Plan has me convinced. I would definitely buy these products and enjoy them again.

Game Plan offers curated nutritional plans to customers, so essentially, you get products delivered to you regularly, based on your needs. With the way I go through protein powder, that might just be a good way to do it. It’s a pretty cool idea.

What’s up for the weekend

I’m about to head out the door to try my hand at Barry’s Bootcamp. I’ve been waiting to visit the studio and go through a class ever since I arrived late to the ClassPass launch party held there a few weeks ago, and I’m eager to see what it’s all about.

As usual, tonight I’m teaching BODYPUMP, then Dave and I have a sushi date with a friend. Tomorrow morning, I’m teaching BODYATTACK, then in the afternoon we’re off to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Berkeley at the famous Greek Theater. I’m in need of a little live acoustic music and a cold beverage, especially after all the working out I have planned over the next 24 hours.

I hope you have a great weekend!

More Friday Favorites

Check out all of the previous “Friday Favorites” posts below. And for even more, visit the the link-up hostess, Heather. 

1. A snack, a purse and a ritual
2. A delivery, a bra and a guy
3. A sweet, a wine and a read
4. A drink, a gadget and a plan 
5. A time, a bottle and a powder
6. San Francisco edition
7. Beauty edition
8. Beach vacation edition
9. Hidden meanings
10. Kicks, a book and a bowl
11. The very best sweatshirts
12. Party hosting and froyo
13. Fourth of July daytime activity
14. Beauty basics edition
15. Workplace edition
16. Shopping, sales and a show
17. The foods I always buy
18. Sushi, a game and pants
19. Fitness apps

Questions of the day

What are you doing this weekend? Do you have any favorite products you’ve discovered lately?  What’s your go-to protein bar or protein powder?