Today’s blog post is a little different from most that I have written in the past. While I am mainly a food blogger, I thought it important to take some time to discuss the skincare products I have been using of late. What we put on our skin is often overlooked; however, what you slather on your skin is just as important as what you feed your body. Skin is the largest organ of the body and that organ absorbs what we put on it. For this reason, earlier this year, I decided to purge my expensive, mainstream skincare products and opt for something made with real ingredients – the primally pure skincare products.
The Primally Pure Skincare line is made with toxin-free products that could you even eat if you wanted to because they’re made with all real food.
Almond & Vanilla body butter
The Vanilla & Almond body butter smells out-of-this-world amazing!! I wish there were some kind of smell application I could embed here for you all so you can get a whiff. It is just the right amount of sweet without being too overpowering. It slathers on smoothly and really moisturizes it. Absolutely love that this product is made of tallow from 100% grass-fed cows along with coconut oil, shea butter and mango butter. Grass-fed tallow is rich in conjugated linoleic acid as well as palmitoleic acid that have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, respectively. Moreover, coconut oil contains copious amounts of medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), which are metabolized differently than longer chain fatty acids. MCTs travel directly to the liver once absorbed by the digestive tract and are turned into ketones. These ketones can have therapeutic effects on neurological disorders such as Epilepsy and also promote the state of ketosis (what we are ultimately trying to achieve by following a low-carbohydrate diet).
Peppermint & Orange Crush lip balms
I have tried both the peppermint flavour as well as the creamsicle flavour. Between the two, my favourite is definitely the peppermint. Over the course of the last few months, these all-natural lip balms have kept my normally dry, chapped lips supple and nourished. They apply smoothly without leaving any kind of a sticky or grimy residue.
Flower Bath Salt
My first impression of the flower bath salt was that is smelled absolutely fantastic. It has such a nice, floral smell that isn’t too overpowering. The salts gave my bath a nice pink tinge but most importantly, it made my skin feel incredibly, smooth. This is due to the organic essential oils used in the product.
The organic, flower petals also add a really nice touch that enhances to the relaxing effect (at least for me. I’m a sucker for flowers). Just don’t forget to rinse your bathtub after because the flowers tend to stick to the walls if you don’t.
Pros: There is a caffeine-free version of this flavour if you are trying to avoid caffeine. I consumed this drink at around 6:30am and was not hungry till 1:00pm (not sure if it can be attributed solely to this drink, however, I did felt more satiated than usual).
Cons: Even though the formulation of Orange crush 2.1 has definitely improved (the first one I tried last summer was far too sweet for my keto-adapted taste buds), I still found it a little too sweet for my taste.
Chocolate swirl (Charged)
This flavour can only be described as 80% chocolate water. It does contain caffeine.
Pros: This flavour was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy the taste as much as I did. It was also significantly easier to incorporate into my cold water using my shaker. The beta-hydroxybutyrate and MCT oil powder seemed to be finer. This flavour is dairy-free making it paleo-approved.
Cons: One thing to keep in mind about the chocolate swirl, however, is that it has a bit of an off-putting tinge. Once mixed, it had a slight murky water look to it.
Conclusions?
Out of the two flavours that were sent to me, I preferred the Chocolate Swirl. It was easier to mix into the water with my shaker and the flavour was more subtle than the Orange Crush. In my opinion, the Orange Crush flavour 2.0 was still too sweet. However, both of the keto//os drinks did increase breath ketones measured by my Ketonix. I think this would be a nice alternative to coffee on a hot summer day.
KetoKreme
This is the newest product from Pruvit. KetoKreme is used as a creamer replacement in coffee or your favourite hot beverage.
Pros: This tastes like bulletproof coffee and there is less prep time. All you have to do is pour this powder in a shaker bottle, pour hot coffee and shake. It has a nice sweet taste to it due to the stevia.
Cons: I found the powder a little difficult to mix into my coffee without the use of a shaker. If you are going to use KetoKreme, make sure to blend it or use a shaker bottle.
While I’m a big fan of creating treats from scratch for my family and I, sometimes time doesn’t permit it. Life as a full-time student with 2 part-time jobs as well as numerous hobbies leaves me strapped for time quite often than not.
Wandering down grocery aisles, you’ll find little to no real sugar-free, keto approved candies. Most commercially sold “sugar-free” candies are laden with maltitol, a sugar alcohol that many (myself included) cannot tolerate without having digestive issues. Furthermore, maltitol can cause insulin spikes for some people, which is counter-productive as that is what we were trying to avoid in the first place.
Of the sugar-free candies, there are four flavours sweetened with stevia extract and sorbitol (Peppermint, Wintergreen, Raspberry and Spearmint) and 4 flavours sweetened with Splenda (Cranberry, Cherry, Tutti-Fruits and Menthol-Eucalyptus). Personally, I try to stay away from Splenda as there are not enough longitudinal studies on the effects of Splenda on the body. That being said, I have no issue with sorbitol or stevia and I really enjoyed those sugar-free treats.
My favourite of all the candy flavours was the Citrus Punch. They have a really nice flavour and I also enjoyed that they were individually wrapped.
Mints
A foul-smelling breath is one of my biggest pet-peeves. While chewing gum is a good way to freshen up stale breath, I’ve never liked the image it gave off. I didn’t want to be that person that was constantly chewing away. These sugar-free mints are a great alternative to chewing gum. They leave a lasting refreshing mouthfeel and come in a variety of flavours. The small size of the mint package is also super convenient and allows you to bring these mints virtually anywhere. One drawback though is that they are sweetened with Splenda.
In addition to freshening your breath, peppermint oil has been demonstrated to have muscle relaxant properties, which could aid in digestion. Peppermint is also known for its other beneficial properties such as relieving intestinal gas, indigestion and its antimicrobial properties.
For more information on MontBec’s many sugar-free products, visit their website or Facebook page.
Disclosure: While I did receive samples for this post, all opinions are my own.
A detailed look into the March 2016 KetoKrate box. Get keto-approved snacks delivered to your door every month.
Bored of the same low carb staples? Tired of all the easy, but tempting snacks available in your local grocery stores? Being a busy student, it can be difficult for me to find the time and/or inspiration to cook after a busy day. That’s why I’m so excited about KetoKrate.
Last month, I was introduced to this snacking service by my lovely friend, Suzanne from KetoKarma. The idea of having keto-approved snacks delivered straight to my door was an attractive idea.
What is KetoKrate
KetoKrate is a snacking delivery service that ships 6-9 keto-friendly snacks to your door at the beginning of each month. All snacks are <5g of carbs per serving.
Their immediate mission is to bring you tasty low carb snacks to help you with your ketogenic/low-carb diet. Long term, they are trying to fight the war on sugar. By not purchasing sugar-laden products and choosing to support the companies featured in the KetoKrate, you’re giving them a change to grow and replace the junk on the supermarket shelves.
How it works
At the beginning of every month, a new box of keto-approved snacks will be shipped directly to your doorstep. If you’re feeling unsatisfied, you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscriptions are 34.95$/month and can be shipped anywhere in the United States.
In the March crate
Wild Friends Classic Creamy Almond Butter
Skout Black pepper BBQ Raw Pumpkin Seeds
KingMadeJerky Flank Steak Beef Jerky
Foods Alive Italian Zest flax crackers
ProTings Zesty Nacho Protein Chips
ProTings Tangy Southern BBQ Protein Chips
Nutilight Sugar-Free Hazelnut Spread & Dark Chocolate
Almond butter is truly one of my favourite things so when I saw this in the March 2016 KetoKrate, I was super excited. Not only is this almond butter tasty, it is also super convenient! The single serving size makes it easy to pop in your bag and take anywhere. Top your fresh berries off with this stuff or even eat directly from package. Yum!
Wild Friends Almond Butter on my way to class
Something I should mention is that I found this almond butter a little on the salty side. The ingredients are roasted almonds and sea salt so that’s to be expected.
Skout Black pepper BBQ Raw Pumpkin Seeds – Retail $3.99
Absolutely love the BBQ seasoning on the pumpkin seeds. It is a welcome twist to the traditional pumpkin seed flavour. Pumpkin seeds are also great for your health! These seeds are packed with magnesium, iron and zinc — all minerals that are necessary for proper functioning of the body. Magnesium is especially important in contractions of muscles like the heart and zinc is one of the corner stones of the immune system. Moreover, pumpkin seeds are one of the best plant sources of omega-3s — something most of us are not getting enough of.
Prosciutto, cheddar omelette topped with organic broccoli sprouts and black pepper BBQ pumpkin seeds
Another thing to note is that all the ingredients used in this Skout product are organic. Whilst evaporated cane syrup is one of the ingredients in this product (something I’m not crazy about), it is only in moderation making these seeds an awesome, on-the-go snack or topping on a dish.
Before trying this jerky, I was a jerky newbie. I’d seen it all over Instagram but had never tried it. It was love at first smell.
Me on SnapChat enjoying the jerky publicly
The smokey flavour and soft texture of this beef jerky really is incredible. After trying this jerky, I thought I’d give a local brand a shot but it was tough and just… unchewable.
The one down fall of this product is that the marinade includes soy and brown sugar (in small quantities, but still!). Soy contains gluten so this product is not gluten-free and would complicate things for someone with celiac disease or gluten tolerances.
*Note: I have a gluten sensitivity and didn’t have any issues following the consumption of the whole bag… in one sitting (guilty!). Can’t help it guys, this is some really mouth-watering jerky.
Foods Alive Italian Zest flax crackers – Retail $7.49
Flax isn’t a big part of my diet so these crackers were a nice little change. They have a nice pizza-esque flavour to them so you can enjoy them on their own or paired with cream cheese & smoked salmon (see picture below). Definitely one of my favourite products in this month’s Keto Krate
Smoked salmon & cream cheese flax cracker bites
Flax seeds are a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fiber, vitamin B1 or thiamine and the essential fatty acid, omega-3. Since all the B vitamins are water-soluble, the body can’t store very much of it and thiamine deficiencies can occur rather quickly in a diet poor in B1s. Symptoms of the thiamine deficiency Beriberi are weakness, memory loss and unexplained weight loss.
Simple breakfast of smoked gouda, spinach and egg scramble, cherry tomatoes and flax crackers
Whilst we all know that omega-3s are important, the harsh reality is that most of us still don’t consume enough of them. Alpha-linolenic acid or omega-3 is primarily found in fatty fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, sardines and mackerel. Research conducted by the American Heart Association has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce risk of heart arrhythmias, triglyceride levels, the growth of atherosclerotic plaque and lower blood pressure. Unfortunately, many fish are becoming affected by mercury poisoning due to pollution and mercury is extremely toxic. All the more reason to eat flax seeds!
Nutilight Sugar-Free Hazelnut Spread & Dark Chocolate – Retail $8.49
So, as you can see from the near empty container, NutiLight and I have been getting to know each other pretty well. All for blogging purposes, of course!
My (almost empty) jar of Nutilight
While I do have a recipe for homemade “Nutella”, hazelnuts can run on the pricey side and it is slightly time-consuming. I love the texture of this stuff. It reminds me very much of Nutella (keep in mind though I haven’t had it in years). It is thick and has a strong hazelnut taste, the only thing that really gives it away is that it isn’t as sweet (good thing!) and it has a slight cooling effect due to the erythritol. Moreover, all the sweeteners used in the spread are 100% natural and the packing says that it’ll produce zero glycemic index.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, palm oil can be quite controversial due to the way in which it is procured. My conscious feels light knowing that the palm oil in this product is sustainable.
ProTings Zesty Nacho Protein Chips & Tangy Southern BBQ Protein Chips – Retail $2.00/each
The one thing I miss on this low carbohydrate diet is all things crunchy. Yes, there are recipes that are somewhat crunchy like the low-carb sour cream chive crackers or chicharrones, but nothing comes close to a crunchy chips. This is where ProTings come into play. These bad boys are made of pea protein and are CRUNCHY!!
ProTings Zesty Nacho protein chips
In the KetoKrate, there were two different flavours: Zesty Nacho and Tangy Southern BBQ. I have a strong preference for the Tangy Southern BBQ, reminded me of the flavouring on Lay’s BBQ chips.
Verdict?
Overall, I’m sold on the KetoKrate concept. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of snacks found within the crate. I really liked the versatility of the products, they could be eaten on their own or as part of a larger, more substantial meal. Moreover, the convenience of receiving this assortment of snacks straight to your door is also a big positive. Most of our schedules are hectic these days so not having to go to the grocery store or do research and then order online is an awesome time-saver!
Want to order your own?
Visit http://www.ketokrate.com/ for more information!
