Fermented L-Glutamine

Happy hump day everyone! Just a few more days and it'll be the weekend again. How's that for good news!

As a healthy living blogger I love to share tips and nutrition that I follow myself, as well as the things I benefit from that help me to live a healthy lifestyle. I can't thank you all enough for following along and listening. So today I'm popping in to tell you about my new favourite supplement. Yep, you guessed it, L-Glutamine - a non-essential amino acid. It's found in most protein rich foods and good quality protein powders.

I first came to learn about it + test it out a few of months ago when I started working with North Coast Naturals and it has since become one of my favourite products.

So what exactly is L-Glutamine and why would I want to take it?

Great question! If you lift weights or are a very active person then you probably know all about sore muscles and recovering for your next workout. Well that's exactly why I use l-glutamine. To put it in simply, it's a supplement that can improve your recovery times between workouts. Especially if you're doing hard weight lifting workouts or HIIT cardio sessions that are incredibly demanding on the body. 

Remember I called it a non-essential amino acid? Well that's because glutamine is found naturally abundant in the body. However, our bodies catabolize (destroy) our healthy tissue to get more glutamine for repair. Everytime you hit the gym or workout intensely, those glutamine levels in your muscles are depleted. And we all know that it takes us time to recover. That's why taking l-glutamine can help minimize the breakdown + loss of muscle, improve protein metabolism, and replenish those depleted stores to help the body start repairing muscle tissue right away.  

As you can see in the photo above fermented l-glutamine is a clear white powder...no jokes...rolls eyes...It's tasteless and odourless when mixed with water or added to a protein shake or smoothie.I really love North Coast Naturals Fermented L-Glutamine because it's 100% vegan and gluten free. It's sourced from beets that are fermented with probiotic cultures. The cheaper variety of glutamine powders tend to be made from wheat or shellfish and is harder to digest. It's 100% pure from natural sources, non-GMO, and has no added sugar or fillers.

It actually has a lot of other benefits, according to research l-glutamine has been found to help heal leaky gut. It's fundamental to the health of our digestive and immune systems. 

Here's a few more things that Glutamine does and may help treat:

• Increase resistance to colds and flu - Glutamine is a primary immune booster.
• Vastly improves recovery times from injury, and surgery.
• Insures proper acid balance in your body.
• Helps maintain muscle mass.
• May help in the treatment of candida yeast overgrowth and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Participates in glycogen synthesis.
• Helps maintain cell volume and hydration.

How and when to take it: 

I have been taking it either just after my workout or before I go to bed, when your body is recuperating and your muscles want to repair themselves. To take it you mix one scoop (2-5 grams, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) into 1 cup of water or add it to your post-workout smoothie. I only take it once a day because I find it's all I need, but I've read that it's okay to take it 2-3 times daily.

Has anyone else out there ventured to try fermented l-glutamine?

Have a great day!

Larabar Review

The first time I tried a Larabar I melted. I was on a hiking trip up in Algonquin Park one summer pausing to look at the beautiful view and refeul. I thought, "how can something that tastes this good be good for you?" Easy. They're made from whole foods including unsweetened dried fruits, nuts and spices. It's as simple and pure as that. Larabar's are one of my favourite snacks because they're so decadent and indulgent tasting, yet they're unprocessed and made with no more than 9 ingredients. They're gluten free, vegan and vegetarian and also make a good occasional snack for low carbohydrate diets, containing 23-32 grams per bar.

When the mailman arrived with my box of samples to sample and review, I did a little happy dance.

Larabar has 19 flavours including some mouth watering one's we don't get here in Canada such as Peanut Butter & Jelly, Lemon Bar, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Cappuccino, and Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte. Aside from the originals they also have a line of Jocalat bars (an organic chocolate bar), Uber bars (sweet and salty granola bars) and their relatively new line of ALT bars (a vegan, gluten free protein bar that uses pea protein).

I was sent the Cherry Pie, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars. My personal favourite is the Peanut Butter Cookie, also know as just Peanut Butter in Canada, but Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip follows closley behind. I love that each bar contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit. Some even half a 1/2 cup of fruit! Those varieties would be Apple Pie, Tropical Fruit Tart, and Cherry Pie.

Here's the rundown of each bars nutritional content:

Peanut Butter Cookie

Just 3 ingredients: dates, peanuts, and sea salt. This one is super moist and chewy. It really does taste like it just came off a cookie sheet.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Same ingredients as Peanut Butter Cookie with the addition of mini chocolate chips. Oddly though this one isn't quite as moist, but it's still delicious.

Chocolate Chip Brownie

Made with dates, chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, cocoa powder, and sea salt. If you love chocolate this one's for you.

Cherry Pie

Just dates, almonds, and unsweetended cherries - that's all she wrote. This bar has one full serving of fruit. It's good, but not my favourite. It's quite tart and chewy.

The Good:

• Free of preservatives and food colourings. Non-GMO. No junk!
• Dairy-free with the exception of the chocolate chip varieties, which may contain trace amounts.
• Healthy, natural, simple ingredients.
• Vegan and gluten-free.
• Great tasting...these things are like candy bars! You have to control yourself.
• Provides a good dose of fiber, healthy fats, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals.
• Free of sulfites, low sodium and no cholesterol.
• Shelf Life of 12 months (look for the best before date on the package)
• Kosher

The Bad:

Really? Is there anything bad about these bars? They are a perfect clean eating snack/food. I'd just like to mention a few things:

• Calories range from 190-230, so I prefer to eat one when I know I'm going to have a busier more active day or if I'll be going to the gym. Just don't forget that these calories and fats are coming from real fruits and nuts which are good for you. Perfect for a quick boost of energy.
• Those with nut allergies unfortunately miss out, however those with specific peanut allergies may be able to enjoy the bars without peanuts.
• The only other thing to mention is for those who may follow a raw food diet. They are not labelled as Raw because the nut igredients in some of the bars are either steamed or roasted. The bars themselves though have not been baked or cooked. 

A huge thanks to Larabar for sending me samples to review. I really love this company for their quality product, their commitment to nutrition, and use of non-GMO ingredients. I hope you guys enjoy their products as much as I do!

Tell me; what's your favourite Larabar flavour?