Protein bars are one of those items that I’ve loved the convenience of, but I was never convinced they were really good for me.  Many have an ingredient list that boggles the mind. I’m not crazy about getting my protein from hydrolyzed collagen and soy. The makers of Quest Bars weren’t excited about that either, so they set out to make a better protein bar. I believe they have succeeded.

Quest Bars contain a total of about 10 ingredients and taste better than any protein bar on the market. And let me tell you – I have suffered through them all. Quest Bars are a dense, chewy bar that tastes simply amazing. I was especially surprised that they were very filling. I ate one on-the-go and it carried me through a good 2 to 3 hours of running errands and shopping.  The ingredient list is missing a few things, and I think you’ll be pleased. There is no sugar alcohols, no soy, no glycerin, no trans fats and no gluten. It’s also free of large, intimidating ingredients that you’d have to look up to understand what you were actually eating. It seriously doesn’t get any simpler than whey/milk protein, chicory root fiber, almond butter, dry roasted almonds, raw almonds, water, natural flavors, sea salt, lo han guo, and sucralose.

I realize that some may not know what lo han guo is. I didn’t either, so I looked it up. Turns out it’s a fruit from the siraitia grosvenorii plant in China. When used as a sweetener it has no impact on blood sugar and is non-caloric. It appears to be much like stevia.

Quest Bars are available in two different flavors – Vanilla Almond Crunch and Peanut Butter Supreme. Both flavors are phenomenal and I intend to keep a stash here at the Dungan household, although I may have to hide them from my family since they all love them too. Currently they can only be purchased online.

Nutritional Information Per Bar - Peanut Butter Supreme

• Serving Size 1 bar (60g)
• Servings Per Container 1
• Calories 220
• Calories from Fat 100
• Total Fat 11g
• Saturated Fat 1.5g
• Trans Fat 0g
• Cholesterol <5mg
• Sodium 320mg
• Total Carbohydrate 20g*
• Dietary Fiber 15g*
• Sugars 3g
• Protein 20g

Ingredients: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate), Chicory Root Fiber, Peanut Butter, Dry Roasted Almonds, Water, Raw Almonds, Peanuts, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Lo Han Guo, Sucralose.

*Only 5g non-fiber carbs (from nuts, not sugar).

I heartily give this product 5 stars, a few smoldering glances, and my phone number. I have a serious crush on them.

Disclosure: I was provided this product free of charge in order to review it. It in no way affected my opinion of the product.

There are many a diet book out there proclaiming they have the key to fast weight loss. But to be brutally honest, weight loss takes work. There is no quick fix – no magic cure all.  There is however solid, science based strategies that will help you achieve overall health and fitness. The trick is putting all these strategies together to obtain success. And I do mean putting them together – you can’t take one puzzle piece and lay it out hoping it will form the whole picture. You need all the pieces, fitting together nicely, to complete puzzle. This is an element that isn’t always made clear, even in low-carb world. If there is one thing I’ve learned the hard way, it’s that diet and exercise are not the only considerations to be made when working to lose weight and stay healthy.

Jeff Thiboutot and Matt Schoenberger understand the connection between the various elements in weight loss and together wrote the book S.P.E.E.D. to help us understand this as well. Before we dive into the clever acronym they use, let me just say a few words about the book as a whole. I love that it is loaded with references to back up their claims. I love that this book is a complete view of the weight loss picture and that they dive into areas where so many other diet books fall short. Did I mention I love it? I do. I love it.

The first chapter starts by explaining what a healthy weight truly is. They spend some time explaining the problems with those pesky BMI measurements. You’ll also learn the important difference between visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Then we get into the really good stuff:

S. stands for Sleep. Sleep? What does that have to do with weight loss. Turns out it has quite a lot to do with weight loss actually. In this chapter you’ll learn why. It was an eye opening revelation for me and I’m now implementing their suggestions to improve my sleep patterns, which will improve my health.

P. stands for Psychology. Again this is an area most people don’t consider when dealing with weight loss. I personally can attest to this being a very important topic that is too often overlooked. They discuss having a vision and goals, as well as understanding and correcting unhealthy relationships with food. They really nail down the irrational thinking that eating disorders tend to cause. (I saw myself in many of these areas.)

E. stands for Exercise. Now this one you likely expected, but I believe you’ll be surprised by what you find within this section. This isn’t your normal “exercise works miracles” kind of thinking. You’ll learn about a variety of exercises and how they effect health and weight loss.

E. also stands for Environment. Not global environment, but your personal surroundings and the factors that influence eating patters and choices. This is another area that is too rarely discussed.

D. stands for Diet. (But you knew that already.) In this area they give you strategies for chosing the healthiest choices, as well as help you understand carbs, calories, supplements and more.

In the back of the book they have a great section that debunks many weight loss myths you’ve likely heard. You’ll also find examples of daily menus and exercise routines to help get you started.

As I mentioned, I love this book. S.P.E.E.D. really breaks all the important areas in to small, easy to chew bites that won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed or lost. It’s not a tediously long read, so you’ll be on your way to making healthy changes in very short order. With this book you have all the tools for success right at your fingertips. I’ve already started using these tools to my advantage and I hope you’ll consider doing the same.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes. It in no way effected my opinion of the book.

Breakfast is one of those areas that really seem to stump low-carb dieters. Besides the obvious egg dishes, what can we eat? When you’ve grown up eating pancakes, cereal, toast, muffins and hot cereal every morning, it’s hard to imagine breakfast without grains of some kind. Thankfully there are some delicious options at our disposal, and they don’t all involve eggs. That being said, I’ve occasionally found myself wishing for a hot cereal, much like the kind my mom used to fix on cold winter mornings before school. There’s just something about that kind of warm meal in a full tummy that evokes good memories.

I’ve tried a few recipes that have worked reasonably well for a hot cereal substitute, but they were kind of bland.  Recently I was able to try Sansanto’s High-Fiber Hot Cereal and I can say it’s anything but tasteless. I enjoyed a bowl of the apple cinnamon flavor and for just a few moments I was transported back in time, having that hot cereal with my siblings and mother. (Yes it’s sappy, but I can deal with it.)

Upon opening the bag I caught as whiff of a strong apple scent and hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. I can say I wasn’t disappointed in the least. It had just the right combination of apple and cinnamon, as well as the right amount of sweetness, for my tastes. I’m especially happy that the sweetening doesn’t come from sugar alcohols. The texture is about what you’d expect from this kind of cereal. I reminded me a lot of oatmeal, just in smaller flakes. I was also surprised at how filling it was. The serving sizes are not huge, but were certainly adequate enough to keep me satisfied for a good while, unlike my high-carb days where I could easily devour several bowls of cereal in one setting and still be hungry an hour later.

If you aren’t a fan of apple cinnamon, or just like to switch things up, they do have other flavors. You can also choose from butter pecan, strawberrilicious and vanilla almond. Add your own little touches like chopped nuts, fresh berries, or sugar free maple syrup and you can have something different every morning. I intend to experiment with some Davinci sugar free syrups next and see what new flavors I can concoct. The only drawback for some might be the soy content. I don’t mind soy on occasion, but personally prefer not to eat it often, so this will probably be a once a week breakfast for me.

Apple Cinnamon High Fiber Hot Cereal

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (40g)

Servings Per Container 10

• Total Calories 107
• Total Fat 5g
• Saturated Fat 0g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 134mg
• Potassium 490mg
• Total Carbohydrates 12g
• Dietary Fiber 10g
• Sugars 0g
• Sugar Alcohols 0g
• Protein 10g
• Net carbs = 2 g per serving

Ingredients: Wheat bran, flax seed meal, soy protein isolate, spices (cinnamon), low glycemic monosaccharides, sucralose, sea salt, natural flavors.

Allergy alert: contains wheat and soy. Manufactured in a plant that processes milk, eggs, wheat, tree nuts and soybeans.

I give this product a full 5 stars. It’s tasty. It’s filling. It made me think of home and the comfort of mom’s cooking. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Disclosure: I was provided this product free of charge in order to review it. It in no way affected my opinion of the product.