If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m very skeptical about the effectiveness of the nutritional supplements out there. What you may not know is that for a long time now, I’ve been looking for a line of quality nutritional and weight management products to really get behind. The problem is, many of these supplement companies are “fly-by-night” with no quality standards. The ones that aren’t (like EAS, APEX and Met-RX) won’t work with smaller independent fitness studios, and are geared and formulated primarily for chain gyms or the mass market like Gold’s.
About six months ago Bronson’s friend, Christine, sent us a wedding gift. It was a huge basket, full of skin care products, nutritional supplements, hair care products, vitamins, and the like, made by Arbonne International, an Irvine-based company founded in 1980. The products are distributed via independent consultants.
I know what you’re thinking. And when I opened the basket of gifts that Christine sent, I have to be honest: I was (as usual) skeptical. I thought that the formulations were probably like all those “fly-by-night” companies, with no assurances or quality standards. The fact that the products had an “independent distribution” model fed my fear. Partly at Bronson’s urging, partly because of Christine’s sincerity and integrity, I decided to give them a try. After all, what did I have to lose?
I started taking the daily multivitamin packs, one a day. I also began using some of the Vitamin C-based men’s skin care products. I didn’t feel any different right away, but slowly I noticed that my skin was starting to improve. On our recent trip to Naples, I overheard Christine telling Bronson:
“Did you know that if you put a clove of peeled garlic between your toes, you can taste it in your mouth in about 30 seconds?” She also mentioned that because the skin is the body’s largest organ, what we choose to put on our skin is crucial.
In other words, natural, green products do not cause the skin and body harm. This alone was a huge win in my mind, as Bronson and I are really making an effort to go green and natural. Especially with products we are using everyday at home.
Given my skin’s improvement, I’ve decided to try some of the other nutritional, detox, and weight management products, and I’m recording my real experience with the products here on this blog.
Bronson and I ordered (and are currently taking) the “Daily Power Packs for Men” (a multivitamin pack which provides prostate support, antioxidants and digestive enzymes) and the “REsist Essential Fatty Acid” fatty acid supplement (flaxseed oil, CoQ10).
We also start each morning with 1 scoop of “Go Easy” vanilla protein powder mixed with 1 scoop of “Orange Fiber” powder, a handful of ice, in the blender, for a tasty concoction that tastes a lot like a Creamsicle. (Taste aside, the additional fiber in my diet has been exactly what I needed. Bronson’s reported a significant difference in his digestion too).
This week, I’ve noticed that my energy is lasting longer through my mid-morning clients. And because my energy is up, my concentration seems to be improving. Oh, and I’ve lost about six pounds. Down from 235 to 229, with more to come.
So far, I like the results.