Graze snack box

Ok, well I am admittedly late to game with this one!

I think most people heard of the legendary Graze box, a magical figure appears once a week and deliveries a box of amazing snack foods and treats for your gluttonous pleasure.

First things first, I'm the realest and you get your first Graze box for free or at least discounted.

 This first hit from the Graze box lets you know that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who get a Graze box and those who don't and I know how I wish to continue my life.

I almost compare a Graze box to people with Sky TV when I was growing up, if someone had Sky they had pretty much made it in life in my eyes and the same goes to those regular Grazers.

If you decide to subscribe and a more opulent existence then you can decide on which box you would like, variety, light or protein how often your box of joy arrives, weekly or fortnightly.

I went for the variety box and a fortnightly delivery, yes I know I should of gone for protein box with this being a health and fitness blog but I have needs and feeling that protein alone just won't satiate.

If you have any dietary requirements or are just a plain, annoying picky eater you can opt out of certain ingredients like nuts or even spicy foods and highlight your favourites so you are more likely to receive them.

I received an alert to let me know they the box had been dispatched and the next day it was here, the box is designed to fit through your letter box which you don't need any form of direct human interact to get your mitts on your goodies.

Each snack comes with a little card with all the nutritious information and ingredients on it in case you wanted to see exactly what makes up each snack.

With the cost a Graze box being only £3.99 they are well worth the money and i you are going on holiday you can pause them until you get back and cancelling your box is just a quick click as well.

If you do move house make sure you do change your address, as my friends  benefited from the previous tenant not changing their details and feasted on Grazes for months as well as Sky Tv,

If you are some how reading this Natalie Reed, my friends thank you for your forgetful nature!

I completely, 100%, absolutely recommend  Graze boxes to anyone and everyone, it's like having someone send a gift each week, even though you are paying for it.

If you want to see how I got on with another box superscription service then check out the review I did for Muscle Crate, a gym supplement box, by clicking here

I actually got some codes sent with my box for a free box!

Promo code: PLK2CDWFB

Click the link here to hit up their website.

I am not sure how many people it will work for but it's worth a go for a taste of how the other half live.

Secret Scents, Men

I was very kindly sent a trial of a fragrance subscription from a company called Secret Scents.

How it work is that you pay £15 a month and get sent three different fragrances, in theory they give you enough to last you the whole month but since self restraint is not in my vocabulary I decided to douse myself in them so they latest a little less long.

4 sprays a day is recommended to make sure you get the benefit of your fragrance while keeping them going until your next box arrives,  sadly I am of the attitude that  nothing short of 10 sprays  will do!

Your Secret Scent box box is small enough to be popped straight through your letter box so you don't have to worry about ghastly Muriel across the street having to take your package in or worse having to trail all the way to the post office depot!

 Seriously though, I cross the street to avoid speaking to the old croon but somehow manage to turn on the charm once I know she has a package of mine!

Each fragrance is accompanied by a card giving you details for each of the fragrances you have received that month giving you a bit of a blurb and a break down of the notes that make up each scent.

In the box I was sent I received Tommy, by Tommy Hilfiger, M by Ted Baker and Eau De Lacoste L 12.12 Noir. 

All of them smelt amazing with Tommy turning the most heads the day I gifted my colleagues  to a light spritz  at work.

If you are like me and find the thought of trying to get a fragrance that works for you is more effort than what it's worth then you should definitely consider signing up to Secret Scents.

Once you have discovered your new signature scent you can cancel your subscription, no hassle or contracts.

I think everyone at some point has stopped dead in the street and craned their neck round to sniff out that amazing scented individual, become the person everyone wants to get a whiff of and sign up to Secret Scents!

You can get 10% off your first order, click here for their website and sign up.

If you are all about making the post person working extra hard then why not check out my review on Muscle Crate? 

Might make a nice chance from only getting bills slung through your door!

Help Me Organics Room Sprays

I was very kindly sent one of Help Me Organics room sprays.

Help Me Organics is a company based in Cheshire, England that specialise in making vegan friendly candles and room sprays with the aim of  helping people with every day problems from anxiety to stress to sleeplessness.

Out of there range of three sprays in the range I opted for their Help Me, I'm too busy for Colds room spray since I always seem to be coming down with some illness or another.

The other sprays available are Help Me, It's way past my bed time and Help Me, apparently I'm hormonal room sprays with soy candles to match if that is more your style.

Since I sleep more than should be legally allowed and I would fear suggesting that any of the delicate flowers in my life may be hormonal I felt the my choice was an easy one.

So what does a anti cold spray smell of?

You might of guessed that it is very with menthol with eucalyptus, tea tree and peppermint being the strongest scents with more subtle hints of lavender and tangerine.

The spray also contains Linalool, which has a floral with a hint of spice scent, Limonene which can either smell of orange or minty/ turpentine depending on the kind you get and Geraniol which is rose scented.

I had no idea of what these smelt of and had to resort to google to clue me in.

I struggle to pick up on the some on the scents in the spray, however that doesn't mean you won't.

Just like our sense of taste some of us are better at picking out scents than others.

"But why those fragrances?" I hear you plead!

 Eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree and lavender are all antibacterial, tangerine is anti-fungal and antiseptic

My top tip with this spray is to use it in your bathroom either before or during your shower to really get your lungs going.

If you are worried about using a room spray near any pets then never fear as my neighbours cat became an unwitting volunteer.

He sniffed the air for a moment then went straight back to other big agenda items like licking his crotch!

Cats tend to not like citrus scents so if are worried about your precious moggy try and avoid those types of fragrances.

I really like the room spray and kick myself if I forget to use it during my morning shower or don't pack it in my gym bag!

The only real negative I would say is that I struggle to read the smaller print on the bottle, this is very nit picky and certainly does not stop me from enjoying the product but did feel it worth mentioning.

I will certainly be picking up a candle next for my dear mother to enjoy, I would argue that giving birth to me would be gift enough but apparently not!

If you wanting to treat yourself as well then click here for their website and use the discount code boneidol10 to get 10% ( valid until the 12th June 2017)

December 2016 Muscle Crate

My Muscle Crate came! 

If you haven't heard about Muscle Crate it is a superscription service in the same vein as Graze boxes, Loot Crate, Secret Scents but this time with supplements!

 From now on for £15 a month and can have a bevvy of supplement samples delivered to my door and I can give them a whirl without having to shell out £60 on a tub of magic powder that may not live                                                                                      up to it's promises.

In this months crate I received four pre workouts:

A sachet of Shadow X , Lemon Zero flavour

With it's description declaring that it's for hard core users makes me question  if I should be heading to rehab or the gym!

 I'm a bit nervous and excited to be giving it a whirl, on a side note the face on the package upsets me greatly.

A Sachet of CNP Pro Pump, Cherryade flavour.

 There were no details on the pack to tell me what it actually does.

 Is it a fitness supplement or a sex aid for those who can't raise to the occasion?

 Time to get Mr Google involved!

It turns out that it's a pre workout and is stimulate free so no caffeine, this could be a game changer for those that are effected badly by caffeine so I have high hopes.

A Venom Power Gas Mark 10  Bubblegum flavour sachet.

I do love the blurb the on product description letting me know that I will be kicking leg day in the face.

This has over 100 less mg of caffeine than Shadow X so I might give this a blast before taking that bad lad.

A sachet of API Hustle 

I thought it sounded quite tame until I read that it will create skin tearing muscle pumps!

Now I like my skin in one prefect piece thank you very much but I have paid my money for this so I am going to risk it.

Three different protein powders:

Two sachets of Pes Science Select Protein, Blondie flavour.

What makes this stand out is because it's a blend of whey protein and casein which is great because it whey is fast acting where as casein will release slower over time.

Select also has Leucine which is one of the amino acids found in BCAAs and has the biggest impact on protein synthesis than any other amino acid.

A sachet of API Whey Elite, Hot Fudge Brownie flavour.

If casein and whey together made the last sample stand out well Whey Elite blows them out of the water!

Not only is it a whey/ casein blend but also contains BCAA and promises a milkshake quality drink, now if only it could make a start on my ironing pile!

A sachet of Performix Pro Whey +, Chocolate Flavour.

Performix, at first glance, is another whey and BCAA supplement but it has a unique "Terra" technology which is essentially beads that are in the mix which as far as I can tell will break down and release the BCAAs slower so you can fuel your protein synthesis for longer.

Two different BCAAs.

For those not in the know, BCAA stands for Branched Chained Amino Acids which tend to be Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAA

Ths BCAA has added vitamin C, which will boost your immune system, Magnesium to help support your muscle function and they will both also reduce fatigue and tiredness.

It also says it has a unique formula containing Rhodiola rosea, Wellmune and a blend of electrolytes.

 Before you start with your ooos and aaaas at all that Rhodiola rosea goodness thrown in do you actually know what is does because I haven't the foggiest idea!

After a quick google search it sounds like a wonder root with promises to boost your energy, brain, stamina, helps in fat burning and generally helps your body adapt better to the stresses it comes under.

Wellmune will further boost your immune system and electrolytes will help you with muscle contractions.

Dedicated BCAA Sensation, Exotic Fruit Flavour

This BCCA contains your standard three amino acids but it also throws in a cheeky little helping of Taurine, Citrulline Malate, EPO-DRO, Super Grape, Phosphates and Astragin.

I would go into why all these ingredients are present and what they do but this post is already the longest and most time consuming post I have written so click the link for their website which gives you an in depth explanation about what everything does and why.

The website doesn't seem to mention that it also uses Rhodiola rosea, and we all know how amazing that stuff is!

A solitary fat burner.

Lipo 6 Black Ultra Concentrated

It has extreme caution on the pack, is the strongest that Nutrex have ever made and says to never take more than one at a time, twice a day.

 So who knows?
Once I go Lipo 6 Black I may never go back!

If you managed to get through all that then why not torture yourself a little more and check out the video I made on my youtube channel of me opening the crate?

Sounds fun right? So just click here

If you just want your very own Muscle Crate then click here or follow then on twitter for teases about their upcoming crates and promo codes @musclecrate

Fitmas Gift Guide

If you, like me are not terribly organised then you are in the right place!

With all the "New Year, New Me" Facebook updates and tweets that swamp us shortly after Chrimbo it's not a bad idea giving your nearest and dearest a Fitmas gift alongside  the mountain of selection boxes and rivers of booze that we will be gifted over the festive period.

Some of the gift ideas I am going list I have written reviews on and others I haven't yet gotten my hands on but I will include links to any reviews I have written or the website for the gift.

Promixx

Promix is to put it simply a shaker bottle/ blender hybrid but there is a bit more to it than that. Promixx uses blunt blades that are designed to emulate a vortex to help mix your supplement without damaging it's micro nutrients whilst also creating a smooth drink with no lumps and here I am mixing my shakes by hand like a chump!

The Promixx is powered by two triple A batteries with a more expensive rechargeable option available.

I have not yet got  my mitts on a Promixx but I am looking to get one in the New Year to write a review on in the mean time feel free to check out their website by clicking here or follow them on twitter where they often run competitions, I am yet to win one and I promise you I am not bitter....click here for their twitter account.

U Fit or Twist Protein Coffee

Yes, I have given two options to chose from here with both being really great brands that make delicious protein coffees. Now I have giving both as a suggestion because I feel that U Fit is more of a coffee lovers drink with a much stronger flavour than Twist, however Twist is much sweeter. It's a bit like Coffee Nero and Starbucks, both great but marketed more towards a certain kind of coffee lover!

I have reviewed both so click here for U Fit and here for Twist.

Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice  

I am a massive fan of Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice, in fact Muscle Moose was one of the first companies to reach out to me to write a review, I couldn't believe my luck getting to work with a brand I love fairly fast after starting to work on my blog properly.

Muscle Moose  is a high protein dessert which can be made easily if you have access to water and a fridge, not only that it is a versatile baking ingredient, if you check out my recipe section you can have a gander at my experiments with it.

Muscle Juice is BCAA pre workout drink that tastes great, has zero sugar and available in two flavours, Berry and Blue Raspberry.

I have reviewed both so click here for the moose and here for the juice and of course have a peak at my recipe section or go to the Mousse Kitchen by clicking here

If you are in Leeds then pop down to Hi Def Supplements and pick some up for the best price in town. They were caught up in the floods on Kirkstall Road last Boxing Day and are back on their feet and I am sure they will appreciate all the support.

Meggings by Kapow

Why settle for some socks for Christmas when you can grab some super funky Meggings?

Yes, you probably guessed it, Meggings are leggings for men!

With bold, eye catching designs and excellent mobility in them you can boss your workout then hop on a train to the nearest festival and boss that too! 

You can check out my own review by clicking here or head straight to their website to see all of Kapow's designs in all their glory on much more attractive models than myself by clicking here

Anything from Fresh Naturals!

Muscles need to recover from the brutal workout I am sure you treat yourself to so stock up on the vegan and vegetarian bath products  and aromas from Fresh Naturals.

They are a start ups based in Leeds with Fresh Naturals being based online so you don't need to leave your house to buy a touch of luxury.

Fresh Naturals have everything that Lush would without the price tag and without compromising on quality.

I have experienced amazing customer service from them and highly recommend them to anyone click here for my review on Fresh Naturals Vegan Soaps or here to check out their website.

I have bought their products and used them myself and heard nothing but great things so treat yo self but don't forget your friends and family too!

Muscle Crate

There are loads of subscriptions available nowadays and are not just limited to just magazines.

If you so desire you can get make up, fragrances, cheese, meat or pretty much anything you can imagine delivered straight to your door.

 Muscle Crate is of interest because you can get a selection of supplements delivered to you so you can discover new products without throwing £60 plus on something you are not sure you will like or if it will deliver on it's lofty promises.

I used the discount code FIRSTBOX02 and got my first box order for just £5 with it only going up to £15 after that, both prices an absolute bargain in my book so click here to order your first box with the choice to cancel at any time with no contract.

I will hopefully being making a video of my reaction to the products that come in my first crates so keep your eyes out for that, I am sure it will be a delight for everyone involved.

I could go on and on, there are so many great products and brands out there but I will have to stick with this lot!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Forza Raspberry K2

I was kindly sent a tub of Raspberry K2 by Forza to review so let's get into it!

Raspberry Ketones are found in, yes you've guessed it, raspberries!

These ketones are supposed to help you use fat for energy, your go to source is normally carbohydrates, then protein then when it really has to decides to crave away at your fat stores. 

Raspberry K2 is essentially Raspberry Ketones with a few added extras to help them work more efficiently at using fat for energy rather than fat being stored on your love handles. 

The extras are lots of caffeine, vitamin K2 and choline.

I am sure most of you are familiar with caffeine and weight loss but if you are not basically from a weight loss perspective it increases your metabolism and in some people it helps suppress appetite.

 Unfortunately for me if food is put in front of me I am going to eat it because I am a pure beast!

Vitamin K2 helps increase skeletal metabolism helping you get stronger bones but also helps your blood clot, helps protect against heart disease and may reduce your chance of prostate cancer by as much as 35%.

Choline helps with liver function, nerve function, helps with energy levels and helps maintain your metabolism.

But does Raspberry K2 work?

Well yes and no in my opinion.

The recommended dose is a hell of a lot of caffeine if you are not used to it with 600mg a day which is slightly more than 6 cups of coffee.

You should be aware of this before taking it and of course consult your doctor is you are at all worried or at the very least do you research.

I adapted to the caffeine pretty quickly, I would say this is because I started taking Raspberry K2 straight off the back of reviewing Muscletronic.

The capsules were easy you take,  you just need to have them with a glass of water so no need to worry about eating anything with them.

I do feel they helped my fat loss.
 My diet has been diabolical for about a month and a half, partly because my mood has been terrible so instead of hitting the gym and addressing the issue I decide it was best to eat like a beast.

I don't think the Raspberry K2 was the reason my mood was so crappy, I believe I was a bit deficient in vitamin due the tradition British summer this year, I started supplementing and my mood improved and the sun came out.

By this time my birthday had rolled round so I thought funk it, I am having a break from blogging,realign my chakras and binge on Iceland buffets and Echo Falls.

I feel the Raspberry K2 minimised the fat gain and I actually lost an inch on my waist despite my bad behaviour.

This does not mean you should rely on supplements to get to you fat loss goals and to demonstrate this here is a picture of me this time last year and me now.

This was done through exercise and diet, no supplements other than the occasional Caffeine Pro tablet and protein shakes which I had as a pre workout and post workout respectively.

My final thoughts on Raspberry K2 are that if you are already living a healthy lifestyle and just want a final little flourish then give them a go.
If you are out of breath from reading this post you should probably have a look at your lifestyle before pinning all of your hopes on a supplement.

If you would like to try Forza Raspberry K2 for yourself then click the link here and use the promo code FZ2 for 10% off.

If you are a bit shy about buying on line Forza Raspberry K2 is available at Boots but no discount for the shy guys!

Top Herd Snacks

I was trawling twitter and came across Top Herd Snacks and been the adventurous sort that I am I contacted to them see if where I get get my mitts on there meaty treats.

Sadly they are not in any stores near me at present, I hate having to wait deliveries!
 If I want something I want it now, not in 3-6 working days time and I am never desperate enough to splash out the extra money for next day delivery, unless Mother's Day has crept up on me!

I contacted Top Herd through their twitter and let them know I was looking to do a review and they very kindly offered me a 20% discount which I happily accepted.

I love the design of their website and found it easy to navigate, I had issues registering my account so ended up using a guest account in the end the fact that you can use paypal is always a big tick in my book.
Check out their website and blog and recipes by clicking here

I opted for the mixed flavour bundle for £15.52 which may sound a look for jerky but I got 8 packets of high quality jerky and salami working out under £2 a pouch which is slightly cheaper than Wild West Beef Jerky that is sold at my local Asda and in my opinion much taster as well!

It seems Top Herd source their beef and pork from Austria where animals are well looked after, with the cows being allowed to graze on grass which has been proven to yield more nutritious beef and due to the high consumption of pork the need for leaner meat has made it possible to produce meat that isn't as fatty.

Sadly I couldn't find out much about where the turkey is sourced, only that the turkeys are fully traceable and raised according to the EU's strictest guidelines.

Another great thing about Top Herd is that the entire range is gluten free, however be careful if you have a nut allergy as there my be traces of nuts.

Also if your teeth are not in great condition you may struggle, the packet even comes with a warning stating this snack is only suitable for people with strong teeth.

It's always nice to know where your food is coming from and exactly what you are eating, saying that I wouldn't mind trying some horse jerky.

On to the main event, the product range!

Beef Jerky:

I received three different flavours of the beef jerky, Sweet Pickle (14g of protein), Tangy Tomato ( 14g of protein) and Smokey BBQ (18g of protein).

Sweet Pickle was my favourite of the three and poor old Smoky BBQ was my least. The beef jerky is tougher than the turkey and pork so I hope your jaw is up for the chewy challenge!

Turkey Jerky:

I received two flavours of the turkey jerkies, by the way turkey jerky is my newest favourite thing to say! Give it a go and you might join me in my joy!

Out of the two I prefer the Chilli and Lime (17g of protein) over the Zesty Lemon ( 16g of protein), although there isn't much in it between them, I enjoyed them both and they were a lot less taxing on my old jaw than the beef.

Pork Jerky and Skinny Salami:

I received one pouch of Honey Mustard Jerky ( 13g of protein) and two packets of salami,Chilli Pepper flavour and Tomato and Paprika flavour, both with 17g of protein in each packet.

I really enjoyed all of the pork products, the Honey Mustard Jerky is my top pick for the entire product range, I wasn't quite emotionally prepared for finishing the packet and resorted to smelling the empty pouch!

The pork products take a lot less effort to eat and in my opinion the Honey and Mustard is the strongest flavour in the range.

I will be revisiting Top Herd in the future, not only because they offer a high quality product and a reasonable price but because I am desperate to try out their recipes on their website!

Up until the end of June if you use the promo code BONEIDOL on the Top Herd site you can get 20% off your order!