grumblebeeshops-blog

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AOR Vegan Omega 3 Supplement

I'm so pleased with this product. It is difficult to find vegan supplements. I was recommended fish oil supplements but I do not eat fish . This is a great alternative. It is really easy to take and comes in a soft gel cap that isn't made out of gelatin. It is too early to tell whether it has improved my health or energy yet, but I plan to buy a full size bottle and take them regularly. Great product.

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AOR BREATH BIOTICS REVIEW 

This product sounds great on premise, after all a lot of bad breath is caused by bacteria. So the solution seems simple: get control of the bacteria, get control of the bad breath. However, this product requires continued use over an extended period of time for the optimal benefit, which doesn't really help if you've just eaten garlic or onions. I could see this being useful for people with chronic bad breath (not caused by odor causing foods), but for a quick refresh after eating something smelly, it doesn't really do much. It tastes fine and refreshes your mouth a little bit, but usually I like something a bit stronger. My suggestion would be make a stronger mint flavour so that it can combat the immediate mouth odors from foods, and then have the beneficial bacteria work secondary. I might recommend to someone who has chronic breath issues (is there a way to do that delicately? haha) but I don't find it that useful for me personally. I get the same benefits with regular brushing to keep bacteria at bay.

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SPOKES PUFFED POTATO SNACKS

.I was given the opportunity to review Spokes Potato Puffed snacks. They come in a few flavours such as habanero mango, balsamic and salt, barbeque, etc. I chose the sea salt flavour to try. 

First, the smell. They don’t have much of a smell to them. Liked puffed cereal, almost. Secondly, the texture. It is nice and crispy. The snacks are airy and smooth and I like that there aren’t sharp edges like potato chips. If you hold them in the melt awhile they will melt. Last, the flavour. It is a very subtle flavour. I wouldn’t say they taste a lot like potatos or any other potato snacks really, but they were still pretty tasty. I would compare the flavour to a puffed rice cereal -- that is what the taste reminded me of. But it was still yummy with just the right amount of salt. 

I liked that they weren’t greasy and didn’t leave a coating on my fingers. 

I found the price to be a bit expensive for what you get (80gram bag was priced at $3.49) and they were difficult to find. (i went to 4 stores before finally finding them) However, for someone with sensitivities or those who want a snack that isn’t greasy, this may just be what they need. 

I may buy them myself again as I did find them tasty, but only once in awhile given how difficult they were to find and the price. 

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SO DELICIOUS Non Dairy Frozen Dessert 

I got the opportunity to try out So Delicious brand non dairy dessert bars. Although I drink soy milk and am familiar with a lot of non dairy products, I hadn’t ever tried a frozen non dairy dessert. I got the sandwiches, which were very good. The cookie tasted just like a regular frozen dessert sandwich, and the ice cream had a good vanilla flavour. It definitely tasted like soy milk but I quite like the taste of soy milk so i was happy. 

It is great that there is a TASTY option for people who can’t or choose not to drink milk. I am looking forward to purchasing some other So Delicious frozen desserts now that I know how good they are. 

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HERBAMARE  Herbed Sea Salt by A. Vogel 

This is a delightfully tasty all purpose seasoning salt. I like that it is made with organic herbs and doesn’t contain MSG or other chemicals. A lot of other seasoning salts contain MSG and other additives, which I like to avoid when I can. 

The taste is fresh and light and not too salty. I have tried this seasoning in many applications: tofu, salads, on eggs, and even as a substitute for garlic salt for garlic bread. I also mixed it in with butter to make an herbed compound butter which was great on baked potatoes. I used it as a main flavour component in my bean salad, too, and it was great! 

I’m very happy with this product and would gladly purchase it in store. 

(product received free in exchange for an honest review) 

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I admit that I was skeptical that this product would do more than regular OTC aspirins. I have a weird knee that flares up once in awhile and swells and gives me discomfort. I'm very active and like to hike so I usually just take aspirin. It helps a bit with discomfort but doesn't take away much swelling and by the end of my hike my knee is usually worse. Anyway, I decided to try the Serra Plus before my hike yesterday. My knee was bothering me a bit before I started. Well by the time I got to the trail my swelling had absolutely diminished and my knee felt almost 100% normal! Hardly noticeable and no pain. I thought for sure by the end of my hike it would swell up again but it did not. This is absolutely amazing. Other OTC products do NOTHING for the swelling. The Serra Plus tackled the swelling AND pain. And even today, I haven't taken another pill yet but my knee feels absolutely normal. This has never happened before and I credit the Serra Plus. Amazing product. I would absolutely buy this in the store and I plan on it once my trial bottle is used up.

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Enerex Greens for Stamina and Vitality Mix

I think this product *could* be good, but it was hard to notice any difference in energy/endurance. It does have some pretty impressive stats and nutritional, but having only had it a couple of times I really didn't notice anything different. Maybe it has a cumulative effect -- as you take it, you build up your energy, instead of a one-shot deal with immediate results.

As far as taste is concerned, I am sorry, but it was hard to stomach. I am used to green smoothies, but this left a really bad taste in my mouth. The only way to get it down was to plug my nose and gulp. That was when I did as directed on the package and simply mixed with water (I do NOT recommend that). The 2nd time I blended it into a smoothie with fruits and soy milk -- that helped it make it much more palatable.

I may buy this product just to see if it does anything as I take it over a period of time. But I will be sure to only drink it mixed in with things that can mask the taste.

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REVIEW OF MELT ORGANIC BUTTERY SPREAD

I'm a vegetarian who is trying to cut back on dairy. When I got the chance to try out Melt Organic Spread I was excited. I am always looking for things that will help me reduce my dairy intake.  This is quite tasty for a dairy free butter substitute. It did taste quite a bit like butter, but with a slighty "fruit" undertone.  I think it was the coconut oil I was tasting. This was only detectable when eaten on very plain things like vegetables or toast though. It was still nice, just a little different. 

I used in my baking and everything turned out perfectly. I have used other butter substitutes before and have not had the success that I did with Melt. I was quite impressed with that. Also, it is true to its name in that when you put it on hot toast or a warmed muffin, it really does melt like real butter! So delightful. I even had it melted on popcorn and you really couldn't tell the difference between this and butter.

 The nutritionals also are impressive with a good balance of omegas. I would definitely buy this and recommend it to those looking to cut down on dairy or who are allergic.

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CLAIROL NATURAL INSTINCTS HAIR COLOUR REVIEW

“Before” (middle photo) and “after” colouring. (bottom) 

I was hesitant to colour my hair. Awhile back I decided to try to let my natural colour grow. However, with my length and the history of colouring, I was left with uneven tones as my new growth was different from my longer growth. I was excited that i was given the product free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

First, it is natural. No ammonia, which means it is gentler. I really like this as my scalp is sensitive to colouring. I also like that this gradually washes out, so I knew that even if I didn't like it I wouldn't be stuck with it

I chose the NI 5 "Hazelnut medium brown" because it was the one that closely matched my natural colour that I am trying to grow.

The application went on very easily and I like that the entire bottle covered my entire length. (I have fairly long hair) I think the fact that the instructions say to start with damp hair helped the product distribute evenly. (unlike other box colourings which require DRY hair, which makes application a lot harder...) The scent was light and fresh -- no strong chemical smell. And my scalp didn't burn or itch like it sometimes does with other colours. The process time is only 10 minutes too, which is great. Nothing worse than having dye sitting in your hair for 20+ minutes!

After rinsing and using the nicely scented conditioner, I let my hair dry. I was so happy with the result! It matched my natural hair colour perfectly and evened out the older growth which was lighter due to past colourings. Also, when I went in the sun later I noticed that I still had some of the natural highlights. Very impressed with that as it looks very natural because it isn't a solid, one tone colour.

I would definitely recommend this product. It is great for those hesitant to try colouring as it is gentler than other colours. I think it is great for those looking for nice coverage but in a very natural looking way. No wonder it's called "Natural Instincts"!

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I can't fault the product because it does exactly what it claims to do, which is smoothing out skin imperfections and giving a flawless, finished look. However, I felt that it was a bit too heavy for me and looked very unnatural. I felt like I was wearing a mask. It did cover my freckles and fine lines that I didn't even know were there until they were covered. It just wasn't the right product for me. I think maybe if I were going out in the evening and wanted a FLAWLESS finished face look, then this would be a good fit. But for everyday use I like something more natural.

Good product and does what it says it does, but just not right for me.  

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Really good. I really like that the ingredients are all natural and organic and non toxic. I have eczema on my knees and find that other products sting or smell strange. This doesn't have any scent and it doesn't sting. It actually soothes the itch and helps protect the raw, dry, flaky parts. I even felt confident to use this on my dog who has "nose crust" (hereditary - part of the breed). Because it is all natural and non toxic it is safe for him too. It actually helped soften up the hard bits when I used it over a few days and made me able to get the rough bits off with a warm washcloth. I was never able to do that before!  I also really like that it is so concentrated that you really don't need to use a whole lot to get it to help. I will look for this in stores.

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I didn't care for the taste and it didn't fizz at all really... maybe a few tiny bubbles, but not much. I also had issues getting it to dissolve fully. A lot of gritty stuff remained at the bottom even after stirring. I can't say I noticed much difference in how I felt physically either but with only 3 supplements to try it is hard to evaluate properly. People will buy this for the health benefits not for a great tasting drink. I may or may not purchase in order to see if it actually makes a difference when taken regularly. I found the taste almost unpleasant though so that makes me hesitant. I wanted to like this product, but unfortunately, do not. I'm giving 2 stars rather than 1 though as the nutritionals are decent.

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I did not notice any relief of joint pain. I took as recommended, but it wasn't helping any. I ended up having to take my normal anti-inflammatory. I really wanted to like this product, but unfortunately, it did not work for me. Giving it 2 stars out of five instead of one for the simple fact that I like that it is all natural.

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I work shift work. As such I am constantly feeling run down and when I drink energy drinks or coffee I can't sleep later when I really need to. I really did not hold out any hope for this product to be honest. I have to say though that I am amazed and really impressed with this supplement! It really boosted my stamina so I could perform better at work. I felt mentally clear and "on the ball" but NOT jittery or wired like I feel when I drink energy drinks. It felt really, really, natural. Like I was just very well rested, had a good breakfast, and ready to take on the world. It was not a fake energy feeling which is what really impressed me. It felt like it just boosted what was naturally inside me whenever I am completely rested.

It is rare that I would buy or recommend a product like this, but this is seriously just what I need. Something I can take on work days to give me that boost that coffee and energy drinks can't do. Oh, and another thing, it didn't interfere with my sleep like caffeine does. Another reason why I'm giving this 5 stars and will definitely be looking for it in stores.

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These are very interesting little things.  To be honest, I didn't have much hope for the product. I have tried hemp "milk" before and found it thoroughly disgusting. I was expecting the same weird taste from these. But nope! They tasted very mild and "vegetable-y" -- i was trying to pin the taste and i think i would describe it as an alfalfa sprout type of taste. Fresh and light.

 I also thought they would be hard and crunchy and get stuck in my teeth, but they had the texture of cooked couscous -- soft and easy to chew with no sharp bits. As such this made the product more versatile as it was easy to sneak into other foods without a noticeable difference in taste or texture but a dramatic increase in healthy protein, fat and fiber! Impressive stats on these. I really like that there is 15% iron and nearly 20% calcium in one little serving! Great for me who is a vegetarian and finds it hard to get enough iron and calcium. 

I tried these: sprinkled in salads, on cottage cheese, mixed into quinoa and couscous as a nutritional boost, in smoothies, and I even ate them plain! It is a great pre-workout snack because I dont have the bulk of a lot of food bouncing around my tummy but I have the energy. 

Never in my life would I have ever really considered buying something like this, but after trying them I can honestly say that I think I will buy these on a regular basis. Decent prices too from what I've seen. Nice!

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Today I am reviewing Guru Energy Drink. 

 First of all, the flavour is quite nice. Light, refreshing, and dare I say, thirst quenching. The same cannot be said for it's chemically laden counterparts that lead the energy drink sector. (Red Bull is just painful/acrid to drink... ugh) The carbonation is medium so you are not overwhelmed with too much fizz -- perfect for me. It also did not have the weird chemical undertones that it's competitors have. GURU + 1. 

Secondly, lets look at the ingredients: cane sugar (much better than high fructose corn syrup, or aspartame), sparkling water, organic naturally occurring caffiene, etc. If you are going to be drinking an energy drink, you are better off having something with as natural ingredients as possible. Some of the other brands have mile long ingredient lists -- yikes. GURU +2. 

Third, the caffeine buzz came on gradually, peaked and held, and then mellowed out gradually too. This is a VAST improvement from other energy drinks that hit me like a brick wall and make me wired and unable to focus. Plus, the no crash is an improvement as well. I drink energy beverages to get me through a long work day sometimes and there is nothing worse than crashing mid-afternoon after a crazy energy buzzed rushed. GURU +3.

 If I had any criticisms it is that there aren't any other flavours available (would like a flavour option similar to Rockstar Punched or Rockstar Blue). Maybe the company is working on this though. Also, I found it quite annoying to have only one store I could find this at. I hope they can expand in the market because I would buy this more often if it were available at my usual grocery store. All in all though, quite pleased with this. I might order online as I see Amazon has it.

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This is an amazing and versatile cooking oil. I admit that I was sceptical at first as I have tried other flavoured oils and have been disappointed with either their artificial taste, or how quickly they turn rancid or change flavour. This is not the case with Nature's Way liquid coconut oil.

I tried the garlic flavoured oil and was very impressed with how much garlic flavour it infused in my foods without being "garlicky" -- and I really liked that it didn't leave that lingering strong garlic flavour in my mouth for hours, like eating garlic normally does.

I tried this oil in several different applications: stir frys, drizzled on popcorn with some sea salt, in my vinaigrettes for salads, etc. A favourite use that I discovered was in my homemade italian herb bread. The recipe calls for 2 tbsp of oil to be mixed in the dough, so I used the flavoured coconut oil -- the garlic flavour in the bread mixed with the italian seasonings was PERFECT and the bread was moist and delicious!

I really like this cooking oil. I want to try the other flavours now too. Very impressed and highly recommended.