This past month I have been eating a Paleo-based diet, which basically means I stick to meat, veggies, fruits and nuts/seeds. Because a lot of protein bars contain gluten & milk-based protein, ect, I decided to investigate Paleo-friendly options.  I've always thought that a meat protein bar would be really cool, so after searching through google a little bit I discovered a company called EPICbar.

I e-mailed them immediately, asking if I could do a review of their products. When I got back an e-mail from them agreeing to send me some samples, I was ECSTATIC. 

Before I get into the actual review, let me give you a run-down of the company background and standpoint. They are MUCH more than just a protein-bar company.

                        

EPICbars is an Austin, Texas based company which aims at providing the highest quality grass-fed meat-based protein bars. They are gluten free, have a low glycemic count, are soy-free, dairy-free and nitrate free. They have a one-year shelf life and are loaded with omega-3's.


As stated on their website at EPICbars.com, "We believe that EPIC animals should always live pasture-centered lives where turkeys forage, pigs wallow, and buffalo roam. This is the way nature intended animals to be and we see ourselves as leaders in recognizing the value of sustainable and responsible animal welfare practices." 

EPICbars is essentially a "green" company, their approach is beneficial towards the animal, the land, your health, and the taste of the product. They add that "Pasture grazing requires significantly less fossil fuel than a feedlot diet consisting of corn, soy, antibiotics, and hormones. Pastured animals fertilize the land they graze on, which eliminates the fossil fuels required by conventional fertilizing practices." 

Lastly, the health benefits of the product are immense: "Grass-fed animals are loaded with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are better for both cardiovascular health and contain anti-inflammatory properties. They also have significantly higher values of vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants.  For athletes, grass-fed meat is particularly favorable in that it contains up to twice the levels of conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which promotes the development of lean muscle tissue and lowers the risk for a myriad of other health problems."

I personally feel like the hysteria around eating animal meat stems largely from the heavily-dosed antibiotics and hormones that the animals are being fed, in addition to the unsanitary and inhumaine methods of containment. This company provides individuals with a safe and healthy way to get their protein intake, without compromising the taste.

Last week was like Christmas...I got a small package from EPICbars in the mail. They provided me with two of each flavor-- Bison (with Bacon & Cranberry), Turkey (Almond & Cranberry), & Beef (Habanero & Cherry). I also got some cool stickers, some pens and a pin! Thanks guys!!

So here is my review for EPICbars:

I decided to get a little creative with the bars. Considering they are meat, I treated them much like I would a type of sausage, and sliced it up to throw into a breakfast scramble.





I think it's really important to point out that eating actual FOOD is much better than most of the chemically-driven protein bars and other products that are on the market right now. On their website, EPICbars explains that "Other protein bars typically source either soy or whey protein isolates. These highly processed ingredients undergo toxic chemical treatments to create a protein source that is difficult for your body to recognize. Additionally, other bars have to rely on syrups and/or sweeteners to counterbalance the chalky flavor of protein powders. This results in an unavoidable and often unfavorable high sugar/carbohydrate load that is seen in every other protein bar on the market."

Here is the nutritional content info. I apologize about the bad quality, I couldn't find an image online with the info.

But that is not all, folks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I first purchased my ticket to Lightning in a Bottle's 2013 music festival, I really had no idea what to expect. I watched videos, read about the performers and workshops, and marveled at the costumes people were wearing. I packed my things, ready to camp for four days, expecting to be a spectator, not a participant. I wanted to observe, explore and investigate. What happened was transformative, and it's hard to put into words what exactly was so incredible about my experience. This festival review will be a blend of writing, videos and pictures.






So, without further adieu, here are my Ten Things I Loved About Lightning in a Bottle

1. The Tent Porn

Some of you may be familiar with the moniker "Food Porn". The first thing I noticed while carrying my things to the campsite at Lightning in a Bottle was the extravagant (and alluring) tent designs. Forget your standard REI tent, people were busting out their inner carpenters left and right! From giant make-shift castles, to pyramids full of pillows and cushions, creativity was in full blast. Being my first music festival, I was blown away by the community / tent "city" that emerged within hours.




My favorite part of everything? The "street" names. My friends and I camped out on the corner of Elephant Stomp and Fish-Sticks. Yeah. Seriously.

2. The People Watching

I am, at my root, an observer. I like to people watch. I like to let everything soak in before I open up and explore. Lightning in a Bottle is the perfect environment for people watching. At any given moment during the festival, you could pick a shady spot under a tree and just watch people walk by with endless amounts of entertainment. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves with this one.

3. The Visuals

4. The Unique Performances, Music & Dancing

5. The Spirit Morning 5K

It was only a little past 8 in the morning, so people were just beginning to emerge from their tents, still groggy and sleepy-eyed. Let me tell you-- their reactions were priceless. Some cheered us on, some simply gawked in a mixture of horror and shock. My favorite was all the high-fives we got. It was like having your own personal cheering squad every step of the way.

6. The Water Stations

7. The "Beach"

8. The Location

9. The Yoga/ Spirituality / Meditation Areas

10. Walking 40+ Miles

                                     

You can also join us by hash-tagging on either Twitter or Instagram #JulyHealthandFitnessChallenge (if you're doing all three), #30DayPaleoChallenge, #30DayPlankChallenge, or #30DayGymPactChallenge. This will help us network, encourage one another, and show off our progress across the month!

1) 30 Day Paleo Diet Challenge

Last July, I decided to do a 30-Day Vegan Challenge. It was successful (sort of), but I decided that completely removing meat from my diet wasn't for me, and I did a terrible job at eating enough plant protein. What I did learn though was that I feel best when I eat a largely plant-based diet, so this July I'm going to do a 30-day Paleo challenge. For those of you who aren't familiar with what a Paleo diet entails, it's basically the "Caveman" diet consisting of lean meat, veggies, fruits, nuts and some grains; no dairy or gluten. Pretty much what people could either hunt for or forage for back in the day. For the past few months I've tried to eat healthy but more or less just ate whatever I wanted. While this is fine and dandy, I really believe that both my racing and overall health will improve from a consistently clean and balanced diet. 

2) 30 Day GymPact Challenge

I've also started to realize the importance of cross-training. I spend so much time running that I forget that there are other activities that will both benefit my running and improve my physical capabilities. So for the month of July I am using the app GymPact that I described in my previous post. I am committing to 3 gym work-outs a week, for the entire month of July. If you've struggled going to the gym in the past, I suggest downloading the app and make some fitness goals!

You can also sync the GymPact app with the RunKeeper app. You can choose to run instead of go to the gym as your month-long challenge. I'm going to be going to the gym 3 times a week in addition to my normal running routine.

3) 30 Day Plank Challenge 

Lastly, at this point it's probably obvious that I'm a big fan of month-long challenges, so I got the idea that my friends and I should do a plank challenge. For thirty days, we will all practice our planking (haha) as best we can, and at the end of the month, whoever gets the longest time wins. Also being a fan of a little money-incentive, we are each putting in $15. Whoever wins gets the moolah. Pretty motivating, no? If you want to join in on the plank challenge, get at least 3 or more friends in on it (at relatively similar fitness levels, otherwise it's totes not fair), and send each other screen shots of your times at the end of every day. It's pretty fun and very motivating! 



May the force be with you all :)

1. Wash your clothes. And hydration packs/bottles. And shoes. 

2. Go on vacation (if you can). Or plan a really fun day of relaxation.

Three days after I finished my first ultra I went to Austin, Texas to visit my best friend Laura for a week. It couldn't have been more perfectly planned. It was my second time visiting the city, and I was endlessly grateful that I wasn't very sore. I spent the week shopping, exploring, saving turtles (they like to cross high-ways, bad idea little dudes!) and even a little trail running!

Can you believe this is in the middle of Austin?

What was the best part of vacationing after an ultra, you say? 

The food.

Which brings me to my next point.

3. Eat a delicious meal. Or two. Or three.

One of the best parts of ultrarunning is the guilt-free eating. I normally try to be pretty good about what I eat, but for this week, it all went out the window. Yes, but the end of the week, I was starting to feel very...well...terrible. But. It was worth it. I'm serious, you guys.

I'll let the pictures do the speaking for this one.




If you're ever in Austin, drive straight from the airport to Gordoughs. They have Maple-Bacon Donuts. Someday, I'll put on a race where there are donuts and bacon at the aid stations.

4. Relish in your victory. Then, reflect on areas for improvement. Running is not the only way to get ready for an ultra.

GymPact: A Fitness App that's really motivating

I think it's important to not forget there are other sports than running. For the past year, I haven't focused on any other physical activity than running and a little bit of yoga (which is pretty sporadic). Not surprisingly, I wasn't in the best shape to run an ultra. I mentioned before that I didn't train enough, but I knew it wasn't just that. I had endurance but I didn't feel strong.

Research has pointed to weight-training as a great cross-training activity for a number of reasons. It helps build muscle, increases your metabolism and makes you feel better. All of these things positively impact your speed and how you feel while you run. Fact: Running is not the only way to get in shape for an ultra.

My goal for this next year is to focus on weight training at the gym. At least THREE times a week. How am I going to motivate myself, considering I haven't been on top of it in the past?

This little app called GymPact.  It basically ties you into a contract where you establish how many days per week you will go to the gym, and through some GPS-fueled magic, it keeps track of whether or not you keep your promise. Here's the trick: If you do, you make a little bit of money (like a buck per gym visit). Downside? If you miss a visit, you get charged a fee, you pick. One of my friends has it charge her $10 if she misses a visit. "It's really motivating," she told me. "It actually works." 

To be honest I'm a bit hesitant to do something like that, and could foresee a great dent in my bank account if I have a spell of laziness. And, what about vacation?!

"If you go on vacation," my friend told me, "You just have to plan it ahead of time into the app."

For the month of July, I'm going to try this little app and see if it works. Do it with me, and join along on twitter with the hash-tag #GymPactJuly!

5. Pick your next race. Enjoy!

At some point over the first few days following my ultra, I realized I could sign up for another one. Since there was always the over-arching possibility of a D.N.F. (Did Not Finish), I wouldn't let myself think beyond the race.

Now that it was over, I decided to start creating some race goals for the next year.

Last year I wanted to run the Red Rock Marathon, but I ended up volunteering instead. Because Luis Escobar is awesome and gives free race entry fees to his volunteers, I was able to sign up for this next year.

I also jumped on the bandwagon and signed up for next year's Born To Run Ultramarathon 50K. I think I signed up only hours after Luis opened the registration. My friends Bobby, Michelle, Meaghan, Alexis and Alexis' sister are now all signed up as well. All for the 50K. It's really exciting to have my close friends along on this journey.

I'm also hoping to run Luis' Penny Lane 50K in February. 

Then there's the Caballo Blanco Ultramarathon. 

I didn't make it out this past year due to financial difficulties. This next year I'm unsure because I have so many research conferences to go to. But it's always a possibility :) For now, it's on my race wish-list!

2012/2013 has been amazing. I can't wait for this next year in running, racing and staying healthy!