I’ve been slacking on my vitamins and protein lately so I am making an attempt to get back on track with everything.  This morning I grabbed another Vitalady sample I ordered a while ago to try out.  This time I grabbed Syntrax Nectar in Crystal Sky (the storage container I have the protein sample in STILL smells like that Lean Dessert Cinnamon Roll!).  I know a lot of people on the ObesityHelp.com message board love the Nectar so I was pretty excited to try it.  I always think it is weird that the powder starts out white and turns a different color with some of these protein powders; this one is an electric blue.  It smelled interesting- kind of like Kool Aid or something like that.  I added 8 ounces of water (I really can’t imagine mixing it with milk- just the thought of milky Kool Aid makes me want to puke) in my Blender Bottle and shook it up.  Holy cow there was a lot of foam at the top!  I am not a liker of foam so I let it settle some while I ate breakfast (peanut butter on whole grain English muffin).  When I looked at it 30 minutes later there was still a large amount of foam, you could clearly see powder clumps and the protein had settled to the bottom of the cup like a dense cloudy fog.  I mixed it back up which just created MORE foam.   I then decided I was just going to have to drink it, foam and all.  The taste is kind of odd but not unpleasant.  It’s supposed to be a tropical punch flavor and it does have a punch kind of flavor but something is weird about it (aside from the foam and chunky protein powder bits).  Maybe that’s just the whey isolate making it taste off to me though.  Only 90 calories and 23 grams of protein is really good though so I could probably just chug this stuff so I wouldn’t have to deal with the foam and the chunky bits.

This is AFTER 30 minutes!  LOTS ‘O FOAM!

Product: Syntrax Nectar Protein: Crystal Sky

Price: $29.99 for an 36 serving tub or $1.99 for a one serving sample from Vitalady

The good: this is one of those flavors that should probably be made with water and not milk so less calories and carbs; tastes fairly decent; thin juice-like consistency; only 90 calories and 23 grams of protein

The bad: it foams up really bad when you blend it in a Blender Bottle; still has some tiny bites of clumps so it didn’t mix up smoothly

The ugly: 30 minutes later it still had a large amount of foam (and all the protein settled to the bottom while I was waiting for the foam to dissipate!); the longer it sit the more chucky bits of protein powder there are it seems

So a while ago I ordered some protein samples from Vitalady and they have just been sitting in on my shelf of protein supplements in the kitchen.  I am still entirely uninterested in food today so after rummaging around looking for something to consume I knocked over the Tupperware container I had the samples stored in and figured I would try one out.  I checked the expiration date on the samples to make sure none had expired then grabbed the one of top- BSN Lean Dessert Protein in a Fresh Cinnamon Roll flavor.  Scott thought this entire line of protein powders sounded disgusting but I figured I would give it a shot.  I went ahead and mixed it with 8 ounces of 1% milk this time (the last protein supplement I tried I used water and it tasted pretty gross) in my pretty purple Blender bottle.  I was surprised that it didn’t foam up after being shaken pretty vigorously in the Blender bottle.  I had to do a second round of shaking to get all the clumps out but managed to have a foam and clump free final product.  If you have ever wondered what a cinnamon roll batter would taste like, I am pretty sure this is it.  Pre-mixing the powder had a pleasant cinnamon roll scent but after it definitely smelled like cinnamon flavored whey protein.  Mixed with 8 ounces of milk it was still pretty thick, but I think I prefer it a little thick to really thin.  I cannot taste the whey protein which is good for me because I hate that taste!  The Vitalady sample says there is 30 grams of protein but the label says there is 20 grams in 1 serving so I am not sure how much was in this little sample baggie but 20 grams of protein per serving isn’t bad.  Only 130 calories, 7 carbs (6 net carbs)- so not a terrible protein supplement option and it tastes decent- if you like cinnamon rolls.  I think next time I would use more milk because it really feels like drinking cake batter with only 8 ounces of milk!

Product: BSN Lean Dessert Protein: Fresh Cinnamon Roll

Price: $22.99 for an 18 serving tub or $1.99 for a one serving sample from Vitalady

The good: It doesn’t taste like whey protein- it tastes like a cinnamon roll, 20 grams of protein per serving, did not foam or clump

The bad: in 8 ounces of milk it was really thick like cake batter (just add more milk to it, I know!)

The ugly: Scott wouldn’t even try it and he is usually like Mikey and eats everything

I am still making my way through my stack of protein that I have bought and have decided maybe it is time to get one of those protein shaker cup things.  I know what they do and what they look like but the few stores I have remembered to look for one at did not have any!  Where the heck do you get these things?!  And is one kind better than the other?  I see some with strainer lids, some with wire coils at the bottoms and some with wire balls inside (like the  picture above).  How do you know which one to get?

I’ve had problems with protein supplements since surgery.  Basically- they make me puke.  The ones that don’t make me puke make me feel so sick to my stomach I WANT to puke!  So I am on this quest to find a protein supplement that tastes great, doesn’t have a million carbs in it, and doesn’t make me sick.

While at Walmart one day picking up a Luna Peppermint Stick bar (Melting Mama did a review of it a while ago that made it sound so delicious I wanted one immediately! ) I decided to grab a 6 pack of the Body Fortress Super Whey protein shots with 26 grams of protein.  I know, I know!  It is an inferior protein source compared to whey isolate but some protein is better than none at this point!  I will write a review a little bit later (probably tomorrow), but I will say as long as I held my nose I was able to get it down and keep it down.

I have a stack of protein bars to try (the previously mentioned Luna bar, an Oh Yeah! Bar, and some others) as well.  Plus I have 8 powder samples and 3 different kinds of protein shots I just ordered from Vitalady today coming in the mail.  Haven’t heard of Vitalady?  Check her out; lots of vitamin and protein options plus some WLS food options as well.  I should do a more detailed review of her site but I am a little worn out after my Wii Fit yoga session this morning and need a nap before the kids get home!

For my liquid diet prior to surgery I need to take three 8 ounces servings of protein supplements to keep up my strength and for the protein to help with recovery.  Unjury, Herbalife, and Isopure Zero Carb are the three protein supplements there were ok for the liquid diet phase.  I have heard from lots of other people that the chicken soup flavored Unjury was really tasty so I picked some up from the local sports and health store.   I have to say I was really disappointed after hearing all the hype about how good it was.  It was ok but it had a strange flavor to it- almost like mushrooms that have gone bad.  It took me a lot of determination to finish my serving due to the taste.  I am going to keep it around to try after surgery since your tastes change.  Make sure to follow the directions about the temperature of the water- if the water is too hot it will clump the protein!

So when I received the awesome package with the new Fruit2O Essentials to try I received all six flavors and in my last review I only talked about the Citrus flavor (which was awesome by the way).  I have since tried (or forced other people to try) all of the other flavors as well.

Cranberry Raspberry- “An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Zinc, Vitamin E, Phosphorus and Potassium*”.  So- this flavor is really good for you but how does it taste?  It has a clean taste.  I think all of the flavors taste more like filtered water with just a slight hint of a flavor.  And aside from the Citrus flavor none of the others had a very strong smell (the Peach Mango had a slight scent of peaches but that’s about it).  I tasted the Raspberry more than the Cranberry flavors though.

Strawberry Kiwi- “An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Vitamin E, Phosphorus and Vitamin B6*”.  To me this had the most mild flavor out of the bunch.  I could just barely taste the Strawberry and I didn’t notice a noticeable Kiwi flavor.

Peach Mango – “An excellent source of Vitamin E and Vitamin B6 and a good source of Manganese, Phosphorus and Vitamin B5*”.  I did not personally try this flavor.  I have a strong aversion to both peach and mango flavors.  I just don’t like them.  To me peaches smell like dirty feet- I know I am weird.  So I had Scott taste it.  I had to talk him into it because he doesn’t like mango either.  It smelled slightly of peaches and Scott said that it tasted like peaches rather than mango.  He also said that he noticed that the Fruit2O Essentials waters tasted saltier then the regular Fruit2O waters.  There is three times the sodium content in Fruit2O Essentials (105mg or 4% per serving) than in regular Fruit2O (35mg or 1% per serving).  I like salty things and didn’t really notice any difference so I guess it’s a personal preference.

Blueberry Pomegranate – “An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus and Potassium*”.  This was my absolute favorite.  It sort of tastes a little like Vitamin Water XXX, but it’s not an exact match.  I tasted a little bit of blueberry and a little bit of pomegranate so one flavor didn’t really dominate in this drink.  I would buy a case of this flavor and drink it all day.

Cherry Acai – “A good source of Mangonese, Phosphorus and Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6*”.  This one is my second favorite flavor.  I love anything with acai in it but it mixed really well with the cherry flavor.  I think the only reason the Blueberry Pomegranate is my favorite is because it reminds me of Vitamin Water XXX- which is probably my favorite drink ever.  I don’t really like the Vitamin Water 10 XXX flavor though- it’s not as strong.  If you like cherry or acai you will like this flavor.

*The FDA states that a product contains an excellent source of a specific ingredient if the product contains 20% or more of the recommended daily value of that ingredient. A product is considered to have a good source of a specific ingredient if the product contains 10% or more of the recommended daily value of that ingredient.

What each of the vitamins and minerals are:

Manganese is an electrolyte essential for protein and fat metabolism as well.

Zinc supports healthy immune function, cell growth and vision.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant essential for a healthy circulatory system and in protecting skin cells.

Phosphorus is an electrolyte essential for healthy bones and regulating the production of energy.

Potassium is another electrolyte essential for maintaining proper hydration and muscle function.

Vitamin B6 is a vitamin essential for stimulating immune function and helping metabolize fat and protein.

Vitamin B5 is a vitamin essential for metabolizing carbohydrates and fats needed for energy production.

I found some of these Kellogg’s Special K2O Protein Water on sale for $0.84 at Meijer about a week ago. I bought a couple of the strawberry kiwi and the iced tea flavors. Today I tried out the strawberry kiwi flavor. On the bottle is says to serve chilled, so I let it chill overnight before I tried it. It smells like it would be strawberry kiwi in flavor and it definitely tastes like strawberry kiwi but there is the horrid whey isolate aftertaste. Though it is not as strong as the Isopure Zero Carb drink I reviewed a couple weeks ago it is still there. I suppose it is a taste you would get used to and not even notice because by the end of the bottle I wasn’t really noticing that aftertaste so much. It’s a pretty good drink all in all. It has very little protein in it though-just 5 grams. I am tempted to try out their “lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks” claim on the front of the bottle but as I look at the Kellogg challenge that this claim is a part of I am not all that excited about eating almost nothing but Kellogg Special K products for 2 weeks.

I’m not sure that I will be trying this diet since I really need to work on increasing my protein intake but I am thinking about it. Overall, this drink is pretty good. I wish there was more protein in it and that it didn’t have 6 grams of sugar in it though.
Ingredients: Water, Contains Two Percent Or Less of Sugar, Polydextrose, Whey Protein Isolate, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Lactate, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Red #40, Niacinamide Pyridoxine Hydrochlori

Nutritional Information:

I bought this drink when I bought the Isopure drinks thinking I would try them all out that week but I ended up with a migraine for a week, then a flu bug and both the boys started school this week!  So it has been kind of hard to get in a daily post but with the kids at school now I have more time to devote to writing posts and reviews.  When you first open the bottle you can really smell the chocolate.  It tastes pretty good; super chocolaty.  It would be a good thing to have if you have a chocolate craving but don’t want to eat chocolate candies.  It has 32 grams of protein which is pretty good for that size bottle.  The only drawback: it has the consistency of Pepto-Bismol.  It’s pretty thick and personally, I prefer my liquids to be, well liquid!  Both of the boys loved this drink and said it was super chocolaty!   I bought just one for $1.99 but they do come in cases as well.  I have decided it would be a good idea to start posting nutritional information on products so here is the nutritional information:

So I know that after surgery my tastes will change but for the week prior to surgery (5 days) I have to have a clear liquid diet.  I also know that after surgery protein supplements are going to be needed at least until I am used to getting the protein I need from food only.   So, I decided to try out some of the recommended protein drinks so I could be prepared since my tastes are pretty picky.  I went to GNC to buy some of the Zero Carb Isopure in the 20 oz glass bottles.  I bought one blue raspberry (blue) and one alpine punch (red).  They have 40g of protein in there.   I also bought an Oh Yeah Chocolate Milkshake drink with 32g of protein to try out.  On a side note there, I happened to receive food stamps right now and I was curious if I would be able to purchase any of the protein drinks with the food stamps.. Guess what?  You can!  Any way back to the Blue Raspberry Isopure-

I bought it yesterday and it has been sitting in my fridge untouched because I am afraid of what it tastes like.  I opened it up (it was easy to open which is good because I usually have a hard time getting the jar-lid type tops off things).  It smelled fruity and has some membrane kind of stuff floating around in it.  I Googled it and it seems that is normal- just looks kind of gross like egg whites floating around.  I took just a little sip at first and when it first hit my tongue it tasted pretty good.  Kind of like a Gatorade type flavor.  But there is a strange after taste.  It’s hard to describe it.  Kind of like plastic?  Sometimes when I open something made of plastic and its brand new I get this weird taste in my mouth from the smell.  It is kind of like that.  It’s not super strong but it is.. weird.  The kids tried a sip and decided they liked it when they first tasted it but when the aftertaste got them they wanted nothing to do with it.  But it is tolerable and one would probably get used to the after taste to be honest.  40g of protein could come in handy when on a liquid diet and this would be an easy relatively tasty way to get that protein in.  Oh-but it isn’t cheap.  The single bottles were almost $5 a piece. The cheapest I have seen it is a case of 12 for $39.99.  At over $3 a pop I would probably use it sparingly.  They also have the smaller size bottles that contain 15g of protein (both the Zero Carb Isopure and the Isopure Plus brands) that come in a 6 pack for about $11.  Less then $2 a pop and would probably work well if you are balancing it with getting protein in your food.