Rev Up Your Beauty With These Super Foods!

Discover better looking skin, hair, and nails through the foods you eat.  Often, we may miss those super foods or not eat enough of them to see beautiful results; however, there are several ones that should be on your list.

Almonds are loaded with vitamin E to help keep your skin hydrated.  In fact, some studies show that eating almonds can help prevent gray hair!  How much should you eat?  Try about three at a time as a snack to a small handful.

Carrots are the second beauty food.  They are loaded with beta-carotene (vitamin A) for glowing skin and pretty eyes.  You can eat as many of them and never worry about overdoing on the calories either.

Tomatoes are way up on the list also.  They are packed with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.  Adding tomatoes to your diet will make your skin radiant and help fight sun damage.

Spinach is another helpful beauty food. Eating lots of dark leafy green spinach has plenty of antioxidants as well, which fight free radicals.  Another plus about spinach is all the vitamin A and zinc it has that will help any acne problem.

These are just a few of the top contenders to help keep you gorgeous!   

The Protein Bakery Review and Giveaway!--Ends December 3, 2011

Until I did a review and giveaway with The Protein Bakery some months ago, I was unaware of them.  However, this company is far from turning out just fabulous tasting sweets.  Instead, they bake exceptional baked treats that are more health conscious with no wheat flour or trans fats, low gluten, and lots of whey protein and fiber. 

But if you want to give a thoughtful gift this holiday season, then think about sending something  from this New York bakery for those on your shopping list.  I received nine luscious products for this review and giveaway.                                                                                            

I got two giant cookies, the Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Cookie, a decadent chocolate lover's delight with hints of cherry and the Trail Mix Cookie, loaded with fruits and nuts. 

The Black & White Blondie was my favorite, bursting with white and chocolate chips. The Pumpkin Walnut Blondie had giant pieces of walnut in a pumpkin blondie.  The Expresso Brownie was yummy, very rich and intense chocolate.

I was pleased also trying some cookie duos.  The Pumpkin Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies were delicious and loaded with so many walnuts and chips through this pumpkin pie tasting cookie.

The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies was a hit here also and so was the Oatmeal Chocolate Chips for the chocoholics in my house.  But even more incredible was the Chocolate Chocolate White Chip Cookies with enough of both kinds of chocolates to satisfy the most demanding of my chocoholics.

Sending a gift of a box, tin, or whatever assortment would brighten anyone's holiday.  I sincerely love  what comes out of The Protein Bakery and highly suggest trying them yourself if you haven't had the pleasure already. 

Connect with them on the Web,  Facebook, on Twitter, or Linked In, or on You Tube. 

*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  No money was exchanged.  All I received were free products to facilitate this review.*

Thanks to The Protein Bakery, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the continental United States
wins a taste of Protein Bakery (an assortment of two brownies/blondies, two colossal cookies and four cookie two-packs) for a $45 value with shipping!

Both Are Mandatory To Enter:

1. You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count.  If you already follow, then tell me the name you follow me by in a comment and email (if not in your profile)--in a comment.

2. Go to The Protein Bakery and tell me what you would love to try first or something you learned from the site in another comment.

Extra Entries:

Add @Nuts4Stuff to Your Twitter and tell me so in your comment with your Twitter id--for 2 extra entries (leave two separate comments)

Tweet #Win @proteinbakery #Giveaway @Nuts4Stuff http://bit.ly/vDPSkN Ends 12/03 (can be done daily)--1 extra entry per day in another comment

"Like" The Protein Bakery on Facebook--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Share The Protein Bakery on your Facebook Wall--5 extra entries to leave in five separate comments (show me the proof) 

Check out The Protein Bakery's video on YouTube and tell me something you learned--2 extra entries to leave in two separate comments

Follow The Protein Bakery on Twitter--2 extra entries  to leave in two separate comments

"Like" Nuts 4 Stuff on Facebook--2 extra entries (leave two separate comments)

Subscribe to the Nuts 4 Stuff blog by email--2 extra entries (must confirm) to leave in two separate comments

Subscribe to Nuts 4 Stuff in a reader--2 extra entries (Orange button in my sidebar) to leave in two separate comments

List this giveaway on any giveaway site just leave a link to this post wherever you share it--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link to the post--5 extra entries (leave five separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Grab my Nuts 4 Stuff button and paste it in your sidebar--5 extra entries (leave five separate comments and tell me where you left it in each comment)

Add Nuts 4 Stuff to your blogroll  (using my URL) with a link back to me (comment where you left it for 2 more extra entries to leave in two separate comments)

Enter another Nuts 4 Stuff giveaway (enter as many as you want, however, only 1 extra entry will count) and tell me which one in a comment--1 extra entry

Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.   This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States.  No PO Boxes or APO addresses are eligible. Do follow the rules because I check entries.   Be alert that if you attempt to enter using multiple identities will be grounds for disqualification. 

This giveaway ends December 3, 2011 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

Soy Nuts May Help Lower High Blood Pressure!

Those with high blood pressure might want to consider adding some soy nuts to their diets, especially postmenopausal women.

Soy nuts are simply soy beans that have been roasted.  They are a complete plant protein (35g per 100g serving of soy protein) and chalked full of B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, vitamin K, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

According to a recent study, only 1/2 cup per day was all that was needed to decrease systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) by 10% and 7% lower diastolic (the bottom number).

Start now adding soy nuts to salads and trail mix.  Besides helping reduce your blood pressure, soy can help give you more energy while improving the cardiovascular, skeletal, immune and nervous system workings of your body.  

So why not start munching some soy nuts now, and perhaps, later you will need less or a lower dose of that blood pressure drug to swallow?

Sun Shower Juice Review and Giveaway!--Ends September 27, 2011

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Sun Shower Juice 

Recently, I was contacted to review a new line of juice revved up with powerful health benefits.  I was unaware of Sun Shower Juice from NBI Juiceworks until being approached to do this review and giveaway.

Superfood Smoothies that I received  were: Defense--Berry, Revitalize--Apple, Kiwi, Mango, Heart Healthy--Tropical Passion, and Stamina--Grape, Apple.   This group delivers a tasty drink to promote healthy cell growth, heart health to help in lowering blood pressure.

The Natural Super Juices (100% pure) are great tasting while being loaded with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, including iron and potassium to revitalize and energize while helping to keep your blood pressure low.  I tried the Nectarine, Nectarine Mango, Nectarine Pomegranate, and the Nectarine Berry. 

After sampling the assortment I was sent, I thought Sun Shower juices were on the tart side, but a delicious way to get those vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, especially helpful for problem eaters for extra nutrition. 

If you want a fabulous smoothie, you need to try the recipe I created below because it is yummy and kid approved!

Sun Shower Smoothie à la Nuts

1 bottle (8-oz.) of  Sun Shower Natural Super Juice (I used Nectarine Berry)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of cooked rice
1/2 cup of ice
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 cup of raisins


Pour your milk, cooked rice, and raisins in your blender and blend thoroughly before adding the cottage cheese and liquifying everything until smooth.  Add the Sun Shower Natural Juice  (Nectarine Berry), cinnamon, and ice into your blender and blend again until smooth. 

I honestly think Sun Shower juices are perfect for safeguarding the health of those you love in the most delectable way possible!  The elderly, those recovering from illness and picky eaters would especially benefit from these wonderful products.

*Disclaimer:  This is my own honest opinion.  No money was exchanged.  All I received were free products to facilitate this review.*

Thanks to Sun Shower Juice, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the United States wins an eight bottle (12-oz. each) assortment of their own Sun Shower Juices!


Both Are Mandatory To Enter:

1. You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count.  If you already follow, then tell me the name you follow me by with your email (if not in your profile) in a comment.

2. Go to Sun Shower Juice and tell me which product you would love to try also or something you learned from the site in another comment.

Extra Entries:
Add @Nuts4Stuff to Your Twitter and tell me so in your comment with your Twitter id--1 extra entry

Tweet #Win #HealthyJuiceAssortment #Giveaway @SunShowerJuice via @Nuts4Stuff http://tiny.cc/i36bm (can be done daily)--1 extra entry per day in another comment

Like Sun Shower Juice on Facebook--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Follow Sun Shower Juice on Twitter--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Subscribe to Sun Shower's monthly newsletter--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Subscribe to the Nuts 4 Stuff blog by email--1 extra entry (must confirm)

Subscribe to Nuts 4 Stuff in a reader--1 extra entry (Orange button in my sidebar)

List this giveaway on any giveaway site just leave a link to this post wherever you share it--2 extra entries (leave 2 separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Blog about this giveaway and and comment with a link to the post--5 extra entries (leave five separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Grab my Nuts 4 Stuff button and paste it in your sidebar--5 extra entries (leave five separate comments and tell me where you left it in each comment)

Add Nuts 4 Stuff to your blogroll  (using my URL) with a link back to me (comment where you left it for 1 more extra entry)

Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.   This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States.  Do follow the rules because I check entries.   Be alert that if you attempt to enter using multiple identities will be grounds for disqualification. 

This giveaway ends September 27, 2011 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

Why You Should Include Potatoes in Your Diet for Health and Fitness

Potatoes usually get a bad rap when it comes to diet.  However, they loaded with calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins C, B-1, B-2, folic acid, B-6, and niacin besides being low in sodium, high in potassium and providing adequate levels of iron and magnesium--all minerals. 

Something you may not know is that eating raw potatoes help relieve constipation.  Slice thin to eat in your salads is one way to help regulate your system.  Cooking on the other hand, kills the enzyme in the potato responsible for this constipation benefit.

Another interesting thing to keep in mind about the importance of potatoes concerns anticancer properties.  Raw potatoes have high concentrations of protease inhibitors, which can vanquish certain viruses and carcinogens.  Again, cooking takes away that helpful benefit as well.

In addition, potatoes are easily digested and filling.  The truth is the potato itself is not that fattening.  On the contrary,  the extras such as butter, margarine, sour cream, and rich gravies can transform an innocent medium size potato of approximately 90 calories to one of several hundred.

To reduce some calories of mashed potatoes, you can try adding some low-fat cottage cheese that you processed in the blender or food processor as a wonderful substitute for sour cream. 

Another way to lower calorie content is to mash those potatoes adding some chicken broth (hopefully homemade that you had a chance to skim the fat off your soup when cooled in the refrigerator first) instead of butter and milk.

What else you can try is some plain yogurt flavored with chives, parsley, or other fresh herbs instead of butter or margarine on your baked or mashed potatoes. 

If you love French Fries, you can still eat them with my low-cal oven fries.  This recipe has just three tablespoons of healthy olive oil to coat four to six potatoes.  Trust me, this is a tasty alternative to artery-clogging real ones while being good for your heart and your figure.

Are You Curious About the Best Cancer-Fighting Foods and Spices?

The best contenders to help keep you protected from cancer are berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, cilantro, citrus fruits, flaxseed, garlic, ginger, onions, parsley, parsnips, peppers, tomatoes, turmeric,  and whole grains.

We all know that eating too much red meat can increase your risk factor for colon cancer.  However, you can help reduce that possibly by blending lean ground meat with vegetables when making hamburger patties for instance.   For every one cup of ground beef add one cup of finely chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms lightly browned in olive oil can help make that hamburger a healthier one.

Another interesting thing that one study found was that eating a variety of vegetables, especially dark leafy or brightly colored ones, in one meal allows their vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to work in unison for the most beneficial cancer-fighting effects. 

Salmon and Tilapia are excellent choices when it comes to fish being top sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help strengthen immunity against cancer cells.

Garlic is not only a natural antibiotic, but also contains a compound called allium that may slow cancer cell growth as well.   Learning to cook with garlic and onions in your recipes will provide wonderful flavor, but added protection, which is a double bonus.

Are You Curious About the Six Nutrients That Women Need Most?

Making sure you are getting proper nutrition can be a challenge when you consider how our foods are processed.   Though we hope our choices are healthy, you have to wonder what the addictives, preservatives and the entire chain of getting our food from field to table are like these days in this modern world. 

However, women need to be especially careful about eating more foods with these six essential nutrients to stay healthy or supplementing them.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is found in baked sweet potatoes, bananas, skinless cooked chicken breasts, Brewer's yeast, cod, toasted Wheat germ, raw carrots, halibut, and flounder.  Without enough B6, you will be restless, moody, and unable to sleep well since it helps your nervous system work. 

Vitamin B12 is found in Brewer's yeast, tuna, sole, haddock, whole milk, plain, low-fat yogurt and hard-boiled eggs.  Without enough of this crucial nutrient, you will feel exhausted, irritable, unable to stay alert, and may even experience numbness for even a slight deficiency since this vitamin regulates the central nervous system.  

Folate or folic acid is found in cooked asparagus, raw spinach, cooked lentils, Brewer's yeast, orange juice, and cooked broccoli.  A deficiency of this nutrient can affect the brain and your reflexes since it centers around the spinal cord and acts like a switchbox of the central nervous system.  A lack of this vitamin can mean you get cold, numb legs, weight loss, severe constipation, and insomnia.  Pregnant women especially need to have enough of this vitamin in the first few weeks to ensure proper brain and spinal cord development of the baby.

Vitamin D3 is found in egg yolks, canned sardines, and cod liver oil.  Your bones, teeth and muscles will weaken if you fail to get enough of this vitamin.  This nutrient is important for protecting against autoimmune diseases, breast and ovarian cancers.  

Calcium is found in milk, almonds and tofu.  Without enough, you are at risk to develop PMS, fragile bones and high blood pressure. 

Iron is the last important nutrient you need and is found in chickpeas, shrimp, sunflower seeds, Blackstrap molasses, almonds, raisins, lentils, turkey, lima beans, peanuts, chopped spinach, haddock, cod, peas and soybeans.  A deficiency of this nutrient will result in you having a lack of energy, anemia, and an inability to concentrate because it works with brain function.

Although there is a debate over the value of vitamin supplements, I personally believe in taking them as a precaution since you do not the real value of the foods you eat these days. 

Eat Right to Prevent Bone Loss!

We all know how crucial calcium and vitamin D are to protect our bones as we age. However, there are five other nutrients your skeleton also depends on to remain strong.

Omega-3s are essential to keep you protected.  Their fatty acids help your body absorb your calcium more so to prevent bone loss.  Try to eat include fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout, haddock, mackerel, almonds, and walnuts in your diet.  Another suggestion is to get omega-3s in a supplement.  Read about the one I currently reviewed for ReNew Life that you can still win a $50 gift certificate to try out.

Your body also needs vitamin K to bind your calcium to your bones.  Learn to eat broccoli, spinach, kale, and cabbage more.  If you're on blood thinners like coumadin, then you need to be careful about too much of this vitamin.  Ask you doctor's opinion about how much he advises for your condition.

Potassium is another helpful mineral to get enough of since it can neutralize acid that can weaken your bones.  Some excellent foods to eat are potatoes, bananas, avocados, cantaloupes, soybeans, prunes, kidney beans, tomatoes, green peppers, watermelon, sweet potatoes, and orange juice for example.  To be on the safe side, you can also take a supplement.

Equally vital to your keeping that skeleton sturdy is eating enough foods rich in folate.  Folic acid is keeping your levels of homocysteine, the amino acid that disrupts bone density, in check.  Some great sources of folic acid foods to try to eat are asparagus, green vegetables, garbanzo beans, carrots, mushrooms, peanuts, eggs, oranges, chicken, cheese, and fortified grains are wonderful choices.

Finally, you should think about adding more foods with magnesium to your diet.  Magnesium helps regulate how your calcium is metabolized.  Foods you need to think about more are peanuts, wheat germ, soybeans, lima beans, kidney beans, tofu (soybean curd), almonds, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains.

I hope you take this information to heart because you can be experiencing bone loss even before you realize it, especially if you are a woman. 

Protect Yourself Against Type 2 Diabetes!

Type 2 diabetes is on the increase in this country.  Did you know that the heavier you get, the more chance you have at developing this disease?  What's even worse is this tragic epidemic is happening to our children.  However, you can lower your risk by adjusting your diet for starters. 

Nuts, nut butters and peanut butter are excellent preventive foods to incorporate into your life because of their healthy fats and magnesium.  Eat a serving of nuts in any of those forms just five times a week can lower your odds up to 30 percent of ever developing this disease.

Adding more fiber such as in legumes or whole grain cereals and breads daily can make a tremendous difference.  One study found people that ate fiber rich foods every day reduced their risk by 40 percent compared to those that did not.

Coffee is another choice you may want to reconsider and add to your diet.  Whether you prefer caffeinated or decaffeined does not matter, however, you need to drink at least three or four cups a day for this drink to do anything to lower your risk. 

One thing you may also want to avoid is regular soda.  Simply put,  if you just  drink two cans of  this sugar-loaded stuff, you also double your chances of getting kidney disease, compounding the problem. 

Eating sweets are fine when you you do it in moderation.  Also, it is a good idea to save one or two days a week for that indulgence instead of making desserts a daily routine. 

If you already have type 2 diabetes, then experts advise losing some weight often helps get the disease under control.   Exercise is also recommended. 

Unfortunately, we are becoming a sedentary nation due to computers, video games, television, and technology.  Try putting a limit on the amount of time that your child is stationed in front of the computer or television. The upcoming warm weather is the perfect time to take walks or play outdoors with a baseball, volleyball, basketball, etc. with the kids. 

The Protein Bakery Review and Giveaway!--Ends April, 20, 2011

*Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

If you have one word to describe The Protein Bakery and what comes out it--then it's awesome!  The samples of their protein-packed brownies and cookies that I was sent to review were simply incredible and bursting with flavor as well as scrumptious goodness! 

Baked goods from Protein Bakery

Owner and founder, Stephen Lincoln, a group fitness instructor incorporated his own struggle for weight loss, diet, and nutrition without sacrificing the great tasting baked goods he craved when he created his line of sinfully delicious baked brownies, blondies, and cookies you can enjoy without guilt.

You won't find any wheat in any of their baked goods.  Instead, The Protein Bakery uses rolled oats, which in turn adds dietary fiber besides protein to prevent spikes in blood sugar. 

Describing my favorite from this batch is hard because I loved every morsel.  However, if I had to select just one I think it was the brownie with both the white chocolate and milk chocolate chips.  This big brownie I ate for breakfast to see how long I would be satisfied and honestly was full until lunch.

If you're on the run and don't have time to eat, I think any brownie or cookie that they sell would be my choice over some fast food stop. 

Sending an assortment of their baked goods would make any holiday or occasion special.  Honestly, I'm nuts about The Protein Bakery and know once your lips also savor just one bite, then you'll be hooked on them too!

Connect with them on the Web,  Facebook, on Twitter, or Linked In, or on You Tube. 

Thanks to The Protein Bakery, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader wins a sample box like I received below of their very own!


Both Are Mandatory To Enter:

1. You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count.  If you already follow, then tell me the name you follow me by in a comment.

2. Go to The Protein Bakery website and tell me what you would love to try first or something you learned from the site in another comment.

Extra Entries:

Add @Nuts4Stuff to Your Twitter and tell me so in your comment with your Twitter id--1 extra entry

Tweet The Protein Bakery #Giveaway @Nuts4Stuff http://tiny.cc/i36bm (can be done daily)--1 extra entry per day in another comment

Like The Protein Bakery on Facebook--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Follow The Protein Bakery on Twitter--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Subscribe to the Nuts 4 Stuff blog by email--1 extra entry (must confirm)

Subscribe to Nuts 4 Stuff in a reader--1 extra entry (Orange button in my sidebar)

List this giveaway on any giveaway site just leave a link to this post wherever you share it--2 extra entries (leave 2 separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Blog about this giveaway and and comment with a link to the post--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Grab my Nuts 4 Stuff button and paste it in your sidebar--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments and tell me where you left it in each comment)

Add Nuts 4 Stuff to your blogroll  (using my URL) with a link back to me (comment where you left it for 1 more extra entry)

Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.   This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States only.  Do follow the rules because I check entries.

This giveaway ends April 20, 2011 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

Want to Know the Six Most Ideal Foods to Eat?

Well, there is substance between that old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  A fresh apple can provide about five grams of dietary fiber and is a great source of antioxidants like quercetin to keep you healthy.

Beans are another helpful food to consider.  Cooking with dried beans is high in protein and fiber, but low in fat.  Eat them regularly and you may also protect yourself from breast cancer and heart disease.  They also will keep you regular.  Furthermore, you'll lose weight if you learn to cook with them and eat bean meals as I keep encouraging. 

Oats are also one of the nearly perfect foods to include in your diet.  Eating oatmeal or oat bran contains high levels of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber, helpful to stabilize blood sugar levels while lowering your bad cholesterol. 

Canned tomatoes (the kind without salt) are richer in the lycopene, the powerful antioxidant  that safeguards heart health and cancer prevention, than fresh tomatoes.

Dark chocolate is another super food with all the fantastic antioxidants it contains.  If you can manage to eat a little square per day, you can improve circulation and reduce your blood pressure.

Also, be sure to eat those sweet potatoes.  Just eating one can provide you with enough beta-carotene for the entire day.  It also has vitamin C and potassium. 

Vitalicious Review and Sampler Box Giveaway!--Ends March March 26, 2011

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Vitalicious Review and Sampler Box Giveaway!--Ends March March 26, 2011

If you have picky eaters and want to tempt them into eating something healthy without them knowing it, then you need Vitalicious!  Healthy versions of baked goodies or reformulated products often aren't as delicious as the unhealthy varieties.  However, I just tested a Sampler box of Vitalicious products and want to assure you even those reluctant eaters will chow down on any of these. 

Thanks to this innovative company, everyone can feel good about eating sweets again without sacrificing taste or their health.  I am truly nuts about their products!

Each all-natural  and scrumptious baked VitaBrownies, VitaTops and VitaMuffins are only 100 calories each, have between two to five grams of protein, five to ten grams of fiber besides being chalked full of vitamins (50% of each A, C, D, E, Folic Acid, B-12 and Biotin plus Calcium, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid and 10 Minerals)!

Honestly, I loved their products because they satisfy your sweet tooth while filling you with nourishment.  The VitaBrownies were excellent with rich chocolate flavor and a sprinkling of nuts on top. 

My ultimate favorite though was their VitaTops, a small cake like a whoopie pie.  I am a big fan now of their Chocolate Mint VitaTops with chunky chocolate pieces and a goofy mint cream flowing from the middle.  Then again, I adored the Triple Chocolate Chunk, which would satisfy any choc-o-holic. They have flavors to keep everyone happy from Pumpkin Spice, Apple Crumb, Banana Nut, Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip, and more!

Seriously, I think Vitalicious would be perfect for the elderly to help ensure extra nutrition.  Mother's Day is coming up and a sampler box would make a thoughtful gift instead of something extra Mom probably has anyway. 

Also you should rethink what you send your child off to school with.  After all, if he or she is going to want sweets instead of packing them one loaded with empty calories and saturated fat why not pack Vitalicious?

The company also makes VitaMix, VitaCake, VitaCoffee, and VitaMuffins, which I didn't try but wanted to tell you about.  Hopefully, I will try those products in the near future.

*Disclaimer:  This is my own, honest opinion.  No money was exchanged.  I did receive free product so that I could make an evaluation.* 

Thanks to Vitalicious, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader will win a sampler box like I was sent of their own yummy products.


Both Are Mandatory To Enter:

1. You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count.  If you already follow, then tell me so in a comment.

2. Go to  the Vitalicious website and tell me which product you would love to try first or something you learned from their site in another comment.

Extra Entries:

Add @Nuts4Stuff to Your Twitter and tell me so in your comment with your Twitter id--1 extra entry

Tweet Vitalicious Sampler Box #Giveaway @Nuts4Stuff http://tiny.cc/i36bm (can be done daily)--1 extra entry per day in another comment

Like Vitalicious on Facebook--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Follow Vitalicious on Twitter--1 extra entry to leave in a comment

Subscribe to the Nuts 4 Stuff blog by email--1 extra entry (must confirm)

Subscribe to Nuts 4 Stuff in a reader--1 extra entry (Orange button in my sidebar)

List this giveaway on any giveaway site just leave a link to this post wherever you share it--2 extra entries (leave 2 separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Blog about this giveaway and and comment with a link to the post--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments and tell me where in each comment)

Grab my Nuts 4 Stuff button and paste it in your sidebar--3 extra entries (leave three separate comments and tell me where you left it in each comment)

Add Nuts 4 Stuff to your blogroll  (using my URL) with a link back to me (comment where you left it for 1 more extra entry)

Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.    Do follow the rules because I check entries.

This giveaway ends March 26, 2011 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time.  This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

Do You Know How to Interpret Your Food Cravings?

We all have food cravings at one time or another whether you have to have sweets or something salty.  However, did you ever wonder why you had to have those certain foods? 

Sometimes, your emotions can be responsible.  We need particular comfort foods to help take our minds off a bad day.

Other times, our bodies are responsible for a chemical imbalance that drives us toward foods we crave as it attempts to correct the problem.

If you find yourself desperate for sweets, you could have too high or too low blood glucose levels.  The best way to handle the feeling is eating smaller, more frequent meals.  By doing so, you will keep your blood sugar steady and those cravings more under control.

On the other end, if you crave salty foods, this could signal a deficiency in minerals, such as sodium, potassium or not enough fluids.  Your best solution is to drink more water, eat more potassium rich foods or take a potassium supplement and add some iodine to your diet, such as iodized salt instead of plain salt or an  iodine supplement may  help. 

Craving carbohydrates could mean low levels of the feel-good hormone, serotonin, or low blood sugar.  If you want to stop those type cravings, you need high fiber and chromium rich foods to balance your glucose levels.  The easiest way to take care of the problem of this type is with a B-Complex supplement.

Trying to eat the proper foods and the amount necessary is often easier said than done.  However, taking vitamins is a good precaution to help supplement what your body or diet misses. 

I'm not a doctor.  Check with your doctor what's your best plan to help correct the condition.